The opportunity.
«In the days when lands were few, and man sometimes had no chance but sell his soul to his landlord to make a living...
In far and away country, they gave acres of land away for free, to all able to claim it...
Ships sailed across the great seas, fortunes were made and dreams shattered...
Sometimes couples were torn apart, for all they could afford...was one ticket. »
He was sick of being treated as a slave. He was sick of working as a servant at Duke Beckton's estate. That little province wasn't poor but all the goods that were produced went directly to the tyrant who pretended to be the duke of Beckton and that made the population poor. Every man who was given birth in Beckton the destiny he carried was to live under the most precarious situations. And he knew it.
His name was Caspian Montoya; he was twenty one years old and he tried to hold him and his wife by working at the estate of Duke Miraz. He had to plow the land so the labourers could till it. His duties started three hours before sunrise and ended when the sun was setting. He had to do it every day, he had no rest or free days and working like a dog wasn't the worst part. When the boss of the lands was angry, he vented his angriness with them; he was one of his favourites. Even if he didn't eat the way he should, he wasn't scrawny, actually he was strong that's why Miraz liked to vent his fury on him. Miraz willed to see him broken, pleading for mercy; he wanted to show to all his servants that even the strongest man would surrender to him, but Caspian never and would never ask for mercy to Miraz, as long as Miraz never discovered his weakness: his beloved wife Susan.
Susan was a real beauty, Caspian used to say that she was a fairy tale beauty. She was smaller than him, and, physically, was gently provided. She also was reckless, gentle and tender but she was also moody. Perhaps she wasn't perfect and she was considered as a failure to womanhood but Caspian found her perfect and was deeply in love with her. Susan was betrothed to him when she was six years old, because Caspian was Susan's eldest brother's best friend and their parents thought he would be a good match to the little Susan. When they found out about the betrothal, the tried to spend more time together and they finally fell in love. They got married when she was sixteen and he was eighteen. Caspian used to work with his father at a monastery, they were the ones who took care of the gardens and the monks taught him and his father how to read and write. When Caspian and Susan got married, he taught Susan how to read and write too. The young couple has been married three years and they had no sons, their only reason was because they didn't want all the suffering they were going through for their child.
Caspian was at the estate, working at the same cadence that he would usually do, but there was an evident worry on his face; His mother and mother-in-law had found out that Susan was pregnant with his child. The idea horrified him; though he had dreamt of Susan and him having a son, he never wanted him to suffer. For a moment, he felt guilty for bringing a child to his world of desolation. What were they going to do now? His journey ended and Miraz was hanging around with a wicked smile on his face which grew once he saw Caspian, he sighted and rounded his eyes; definitely his day couldn't get any worse. Miraz' soldiers seized him and hitched him to a rope that was hanging there: the one where they hitched to those who disobeyed Miraz' wishes. Miraz took a leather whip and wetted it; Caspian closed his eyes and waited for the lashes.
"I want you to count the ten lashes you're going to receive" Miraz ordered, mocking him.
The first lash came and the heat started to travel through his back.
"One" Said Caspian in a loud voice, masking the pain he felt.
Miraz was angry with the tone Caspian used so the second lash was stronger. Caspian bitted his lip so any sound could escape his mouth and kept his tone and volume during the following nine lashes. After the tenth, Miraz winnowed the whip which knocked to a woman who witnessed the punishment. The soldiers left behind their lord and the witnesses hurried to untie Caspian and attend him. He just let a man lend him a shirt. Once he was fully recovered, he walked to his home making sure no one was following him.
When he arrived, the first one to receive him was his wife; Susan ran towards him and hugged him as it was the last thing she was doing in her life. He hugged her back and a sight escaped his lips, she looked at him, she was worried when she saw his face. She made her turn and took off his shirt; she had to suppress a shout. She called to his mother and mother-in-law to help her to heal his injuries. When the women entered, they just asked what happened to him; he told them that Miraz had given him ten lashes just for fun. Susan's face was red because of the guts she was doing but her mother told her to calm if she didn't want to hurt to her baby. Caspian felt guilty, he knew that every time he arrived with his back badly wounded, she raged to the point she cried. Caspian always tried to avoid Miraz' punishments, now more than ever because he had to take care of his wife and future son's health. He needed to find another way to gain life.
Once his injuries were cleaned and healed, Susan and his mother started to serve dinner, His mother-in-law called to the rest of their family. Though they didn't live together, they had their meals together because they gathered the few incomes the heads of the homes earned and could afford for a good meal. Ten minutes later, the whole family occupied a place at the big table Caspian and Susan owned; Caspian's parents, Susan's parents and one of her siblings were there but the other one was missing: Peter. Twenty minutes later Peter arrived with a huge smile on his face.
"Good night family, I've got more than wonderful news." Said Peter, kissing to Marianne, his wife, and one year old daughter: Lucy.
"They must be wonderful for you to come at this time, boy." Said Susan's father, with sarcasm.
"Sure they are, father." Peter kept the smile on his face as he sat next to his wife. "I've seen the end of our misery."
"Oh boy, don't tell such things. We were born miserable and will remain miserable." Said Caspian's father.
"I assure you, sir, that once you hear my news, you're going to thank me and prove me right" said Peter, thrilled. "You know that new lands have been found recently, don't you?"
"Yes, kid but, what those lands have to do with your... excitement?"
"Well, that's what I'm about to say: They are giving acres of land for free, to all that are able to claim them." Peter said. "Isn't it wonderful?"
Caspian, who hadn't said a word during the chat, turned to Peter, a new hope started to grow for him... but suddenly the weight of reality fell upon him; neither him nor Peter could afford one ticket or themselves, they wouldn't afford a ticket for their family.
"Caspian, this is the opportunity we've been waiting for." Said Peter, turning to him. He still had a smile on his face.
"Pete, even if the family stays here and wait until we can send them money for them to travel, we can't afford a ticket for ourselves." Said Caspian, crestfallen. "Besides, Miraz won't allow me to leave. I am more his slave than his farmhand."
"This time you are wrong, my dear brother: his majesty's soldiers will come tomorrow and will be gathering to all those who are willing to go."
"Ok, let's think the soldiers will let Caspian and you go, where are you both going to obtain the money for a place on the ship?" said Peter's father, incredulous.
"That, father, is already solved" said Peter, taking a pair of rectangular, wrinkled pieces of parchment which were the tickets.
Everybody looked at him, surprised. Caspian looked at Peter; he just couldn't believe his brother in law had just acquired the tickets that would change his and his family's life forever.
"I know that you are the one who gives more money... and I also know you're about to become a father. But, perhaps, this is the only chance we both will ever have to change our lives. This is the chance you have to escape from Miraz." Peter looked at him. "It will be hard, but you'll see in the end all they sacrifice we'll make will be worth."
Peter extended him the ticket; he took it and guarded it on his pocket. Finally, the family ate; laughs weren't missed because of Peter's optimism and his fantasies of what he would do when he owned his own lands; when he felt the taste of freedom. Caspian, on the other hand, felt how his thigh burned because of the ticket that was there. He didn't know whether to take the offer or not; he knew that was the only opportunity he was going to have in his life but he didn't want to leave Susan alone with their child. It was a hard decision to make.
Once the dinner finished, Caspian went out to take some fresh air, he was considering the proposal Peter made to him and sighted. He didn't know what to do. His father saw him, and he went to him.
"Can I have a word with my son?" said Caspian's father to his son. Caspian exalted and nodded. "I know what goes through your mind; you're worried for your wife and your child."
"You're right. I don't want to leave them but I don't want that creature to suffer." Said Caspian, the angst in his voice was evident.
"Go, lad. Your mother and I are going to take care of Susan. You know we love that gal as if she was our daughter, our love to her grew when we found out she was giving us a grandson." Said Caspian's father, smiling. "Besides, you know your wife if fierce, she won't run any risk. And her parents will be with her as well as Edmund."
"Thank you father" said Caspian. At least he knew that if he left, Susan was going to be under his family's protection.
Caspian went to his chamber in his little house and saw his wife lying on their bed (if that could be called a bed) she wasn't asleep but she was resting, she also had a hard day; the nausea didn't let her do anything neither her mother nor mother-in-law nor sister-in-law. He took off his clothes and lied down with her. He kissed her and asked her for her day, she told him all she wasn't allowed to do and he laughed; it didn't matter to him if his day was terrible, he always found relief with his wife and her stories. She always asked him for his day, and he told him all his adventure, omitting Miraz' punishment. She hugged him and made him put a hand on her stomach; she made him swear he was going to be more careful for their child.
"So, are you going to go with Peter?" finally asked Susan.
"I don't know" said Caspian. The couple sighted.
"You should go, my dear." Said Susan. "You know neither of us wanted to bring a child to the world in which we grew. Perhaps we will finally be free. This is the chance we've waiting for."
"I don't want to leave you alone."
"You know I won't be alone. I will still have Edmund and mom and dad and Marianne and Lucy."
"Do you think it's the best thing to do?"
"It will hurt, but you know in the end, everything will be worth."
Caspian was touched with his wife's words and he finally accepted to go with Peter. He was going to miss her a lot and they made love, like if it was the last time they were going to see each other alive. He promised her he was going to return to her, and made her promise that if they had a son she would name him Rilian. Susan smiled and agreed. After a moment, they fell asleep, united in a hug with; the two of them hoping Caspian and Peter had success on their voyage.
It was dawn, the rays of the rising sun started to be seen on the horizon and Caspian woke up followed by his wife. They both got dressed and Caspian prepared a bag with some clothes and boots. Susan helped him and packed some food for him and his brother. The whole family reunited outside their homes and decided they would accompany to the boys to the port. They walked to the centre of the town, where the soldiers of his majesty were booking to those who were going to the discovered lands. Caspian and Peter showed their tickets and were given a place. Caspian saw Miraz and quickly made a signal to Susan and his family, they were going to pretend that they were only accompanying Peter but they would secretly accompany Caspian too.
After some hours, when the soldiers finished booking the travellers, they made them board the ship. Miraz saw that Caspian was boarding and he immediately prohibited him to do such thing but the soldiers told him that he had the right to do so and Miraz said nothing. Caspian smiled, finally he could defeat Miraz. Everybody was sending blessings and farewells; Miraz kept an eye on Caspian, trying to look if he looked to somebody but he didn't, that made him choleric left before the ship sailed. Five minutes after Miraz left, the ship sailed; all the crew was about to face their biggest adventure; there were no go backs, and they all did so just to follow the dream they all shared: Freedom for them and their families.
...
It all started as a one-shot but when I wrote it, there were more pages that expected. I hope you like it and enjoy it as much as I do writing it. This will be a short fic, perhaps three or four chapters. Hope you like it. This story is situated in our dimension, in 1750.
-Alkaeni.