Chapter 2 - The Engagement
L4 Colony
Sarit Arania
Kormit sat at her vanity in her bedchamber at the Winner Family Estate. She gazed at herself while brushing her
luxurious hair. For an Arabian, she was
quite exotic looking. Long auburn hair
framed her heart-shaped face. Piercing
blue eyes stared in the mirror in front of her.
Sarit's coloring
was quite unusual. Her father was a
typical Arab. Her mother, however,
hailed from the country of Ireland on Earth.
She moved to the L4 colony when she married Sarit's father. Some years later, she gave birth to Sarit.
Life on the
colony was difficult. The years were
not kind to the colonists. Difficulties
with the Alliance and internal strife marred the lives of the space
colonists. Many landowners lost
everything they owned when the Alliance took over.
Youl Kormit was
one of the lucky ones. He was able to
keep his land. The years that the
Alliance occupied the colonies, however, took their toll on the land. Kormit's vast acres of land soon became
acres of weeds. Pollution from the
Alliance factories and aerial "mock battles" over the land had slowly destroyed
the life giving nutrients of the soil.
Land was plentiful, but the soil was rotten.
Sarit knew that
her father hoped to make a deal with the Winner family. With their money, their home could be made
whole again. But what price did her
father expect to pay for such a deal?
With the death of Raberba Ahmed Winner, Safir Kor Winner was controlling
the family fortune. Safir was the
brother of Raberba Winner.
Safir was to take
care of the family business until Raberba's son, Quatre, was of age. On L4 colony, the legal age of consent for
an adult was 21. Quatre was 18. He still had three more years before he
could legally take over the family business.
Not many people knew whether or not he would.
It was said that
he had friends in the United Earth Nation intelligence group, the
Preventers. Some said that he was a
member himself.
None of this
concerned Sarit, however. She just
wanted to go home. She didn't like it
here. She hated all the servants. She wanted her garden and her mother.
The door opened
and Sarit was greeted by her maid. The
young girl was ecstatic with excitement.
Nothing new. The girl always
seemed to be excited about something.
"Good day, my
lady. How are you this evening?" The maid asked Sarit while she prepared her
clothing for dinner.
Sarit
nodded. "Fine."
"Aren't you
excited? I know I would be if I was to
meet my fiancé."
The maid's words
shocked Sarit. "What fiancé?"
The young girl
looked at her mistress. She just
realized she must have made a gigantic blunder. Obviously, the girl didn't know about her betrothal. "Umm…"
"Spill it! What are you talking about?"
"I thought you
knew, my lady. Your betrothal to Master
Quatre."
x x x x x
The office of
Safir Kor Winner was adjacent to the spacious gardens of the Winner Family
Estates. A marble floor covered the
large room. Maroon draperies hung at
every window. Oak and rosewood cabinets
were filled with priceless artifacts. A
large mahogany desk rested in the center of the room. A set of French doors behind the desk opened to the beautiful and
fragrant garden.
These windows
were currently wide open as Safir and Youl discussed business. The fragrant smell of fresh flowers filled
the room while Youl and Safir discussed the upcoming wedding. Youl was still unsure that he had made the
correct choice. Was his daughter's
happiness worthless? Did the family
land mean more to him than her wellbeing?
Safir could
detect Youl's wavering. He would insure
that nothing would prohibit this wedding.
His nephew, Quatre, had been given free reign for too long. Safir's brother, Raberba, had always spoiled
the boy.
The death of
Quatre's mother in childbirth was a tragedy.
Safir had secretly blamed Quatre for Quaterine's death. If she had not insisted on having the brat,
she would be alive. It didn't help that
Quatre looked just like her. His blond
hair and turquoise eyes were reminiscent of Reka's beauty and grace.
Safir shook his
head to clear his stray thoughts.
Thinking of his nephew's beautiful mother would not solve his current
problem. How to placate a nervous
father. Safir started to speak his mind
to the man, when his intercom beeped.
Grimacing at the interruption, he opened the channel. "Yes?"
"I'm sorry
to disturb you, Mr. Winner," came the voice of his personal
secretary. "But Mr. Kormit's
daughter is here to speak with him. She
says it's urgent."
Urgent
indeed! She probably wanted to cry
about being here. "Tell her we are
busy. Her father will come to see her
when our business is concluded."
"Yes,
sir."
A few minutes pass,
with no word from the secretary.
Satisfied, Safir begins where he left off. "Now, Youl, I understand…"
Safir's office
door suddenly bangs open. In strides
the furious face of Youl Kormit's only daughter, Sarit. Safir's secretary trails behind, looking
upset. "I'm sorry, Mr.
Winner. I tried to stop her…"
"That's all
right Leta. Go on. Everything is fine. Come in Ms. Kormit. We were just discussing you."
"I'll be you
were!" She glared daggers at her
father. "When were you planning on
telling me of my 'engagement?!'"
Youl gulped. Normally gentle and loving, when roused,
Sarit could be a demon. "Now,
sweet…"
"Don't
'sweet' me! I want to know why? Why must I consent to
this…this…outrage!"
Safir placed his
cool gaze upon Sarit. "Because it
is necessary."
"Necessary?! For who?
You?"
Unperturbed with
her vehemence, Safir continues as if she hadn't interrupted. "This wedding is necessary for both
houses. Your family will be quite
wealthy. My house will have a proper
heir to the family business."
"Proper? What's wrong with your nephew now?"
"He has
forgotten who he is. He needs to be
reminded of his obligations to his family.
Besides," Safir continues as he sees Sarit about to interrupt
again. "Quatre must produce an
heir of his own. Once he is of age, he
will be in control of the family business.
I wish to see our family name continue, as I am too old to have children
of my own."
Sarit glares at
Safir. Despite his reasoning, she feels
there is something he is hiding.
Disgusted, she turns and storms out of the room.
Youl turns to
Safir. "I am sorry for that. She usually isn't so disobedient."
Safir waves his
apology aside. "No need to
apologize. I expect a similar argument
from my nephew. It is good that the
young think for themselves, but they must also learn to respect their elders'
wishes."
Unsure whether to
agree or not, Youl simply stares at this strange man. A man who has offered his family salvation, but what a high price
to pay for that salvation.
