Umaerium

Chapter Three

~Asaíra~

I felt sticky and dirty, yet at the same time, I felt cold to the touch. But I didn't care. That horrible experience was over and all I felt now was numbness and exhaustion. How do women do this? My eyes fluttered open. I still had enough strength to turn my head to the right and peer out into the wide balcony from where I laid.

I watched as the great ball of fire rose in the sky. Umærium held a ceremony for it twice a revolution to thank it for the energy it provided our systems with. They called it the great Asar. Most of our structures were Asar-powered, which meant things went faster during the day, than the night. The three moons didn't provide as much power as Asar.

But at this instant, I was longing to hold her, and nothing else. The soft thuds of bare feet patting against the marble floors brought my attention back to the room. I stared Läera down intensely as she approached me. Her face broke into smiles as she very carefully sat close to where my head laid on the bed.

"Where is she?" I asked once she remained silent. I remembered her first cries when she was born that filled the whole room. And I remembered tears of joy the rolled down to my cheeks.

Läera kept her silence and began stroking my hair. I frowned at her behaviour and immediately tensed once I assumed what was about to follow. "She didn't make it, did she?" Läera's eyes snapped from my hair to my face immediately with a wild expression.

"Asaíra," she snapped. "She's fine. Why would you think that?" I licked my lips nervously and turned my head back to the balcony. Whatever procedures the servants used on me still had its effect. Every little movement I tried to accomplish left me gasping, or extremely tired. I couldn't even get off the bed. At least the pain was over. Läera resumed stroking my hair.

"Your mom said you named her Sabaire." I smiled to myself. "After your grandmother." A great grandmother, I thought. Someone I'd want her to look up to. Someone I'd want her to meet someday."But she doesn't have our eyes."

I whipped my head to face Läera. Her face was stolid, and her violet eyes seemed all too dark; void of emotion.

"What?" I gasped. I dreaded something like this would happen, knowing it would give her a hard life in Umærium. Right then and there, I felt hopeless. I didn't know what Sabaire's fate was at this point.

"She doesn't have his eyes either," she smiled weakly. Something was odd about the way Läera was acting. She seemed to almost be in a trance. "It's some colour we've never seen before, at least not in a long time." She turned to pick up a brush from the table near the bed, and proceeded to slowly pass the bristles through my straight, platinum hair. I began to grow restless.

"Can I see her?" I asked hopefully.

"No. Not yet. The Supreme Leaders have to bless her." I looked up sullenly.

"What? I'm supposed to be there for that," I snapped. Once she didn't respond but simply stared. I jolted from the bed, hissing softly to mask the real pain. Läera's hands immediately came up to bound me.

"We can't have you running around yet Asaíra. Now just sit still." I frowned deeply and struggled against her grasp.

"What's your problem? Let go of me."

"I have orders."

"By whom?" I growled. My patience was thinning. She didn't respond. "I said by whom!"

"You should rest," she simply said. I sighed and relaxed my shoulders. Her grasp slackened and the silence grew on us.

"I'm parched," I finally said. Without a word, Läera got up and walked towards the corresponding bathroom. I quickly threw the covers aside and stealthily ran out the door. The large was dark, with dimly lit candles on the walls. It was eerily quiet, and the sound of my beating heart was terribly loud.

At end of the hall were stairs leading to the main floor. Light crept up, indicating that there were people somewhere down there. I descended quickly knowing that Läera would have noticed my absence by then. The stairwell ended in a lower hall. As I hid behind a wall, I noticed my parents standing there speaking with others; I couldn't make out who they were yet.

"Think about the opportunities we could gain from this," I heard my mother say. "We could probably double the usual six months." I held my breath as I inched closer.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" a disembodied voice asked. I peeked from behind the wall. There were two other familiar faces who stood near my parents. King Cadmus and his wife Delphine. They were Orion's parents.

"Yes, the child is half Paurz and Milleuz. It could guarantee us more time." My eyes snapped to the corner of the room, where a pale yellow crib laid. Delphine had turned and walked towards it, picking up a bundle of white cloth. I gasped once I saw her, laying in the arms of our Queen. She was breathtakingly beautiful; bright blue eyes twinkling with wonder as they gazed up at Delphine. She cooed at the baby, my baby.

"I see. Have you spoken to Asaíra?" Delphine asked.

"No, I think it would be best to tell her after." My mother seemed uncomfortable for a brief moment. "I haven't figured out how to."

"No worries," King Cadmus said with a light smile. "I'm sure Orion would be able to provide her with more." He signaled to the baby in Delphine's hands. My eyes widened as I instinctively took a step back tripping on the length of my own dress. My head collided with the marble floor hard enough for me to let out a cry of pain. Before I knew it, I was being lifted up and placed on a soft couch.

"Oh Asaíra!" my mother cried. "Are you okay?" I turned over to face Delphine in confusion; her arms were empty.

"Where is she?" I yelled. I'd waited too long for this and I was exhausted. King Cadmus ahd his wife exchanged looks. "Well?" Delphine opened her mouth to say something but then closed it.

"Asaíra, Sabaire has a calling-" my mother began, but my glare stopped her dead in her tracks. There was a deafening silence, and then it dawned on me.

"Mom." my voice was barely a whisper. "Are you going to do what I think you're going to do?" My father decided to step in.

"Asaíra, imagine what the gods would think if we offered them something like this," he said. My hands trembled. My suspicions were confirmed; it didn't make me feel any better. I took a deep breath.

"Y-you're going to sacrifice my baby to the gods..." It wasn't a question, rather an apathetic statement. I stared right ahead of me, although I had no idea what I was looking for. I just wanted to see something, a sign or someone to say that this wasn't possible. It was all a cruel joke or a horrible nightmare that I was experiencing.

"Honey, you can make plenty more," my mother began to say, but I'd already lunged myself towards the crib. But strong hands had already established a firm grip on my shoulders and all I could have done was thrash around as I watched King Cadmus and Delphine walk out the door with my baby in their arms through teary eyes.