Chapter 3
After finishing their last final exam, Daniel, Delia, Henry, and Cherie went outside the classroom. Cherie had given birth to her son, Oen Bravia III, just a couple of weeks ago, and the baby was very healthy, and being taken care of by Bathsheba, whose baby, Natonito II Albright, was fine as well. The four of them were holding the two babies in the library and talking to each other. Bathsheba was watching them as well.
�How did the exams go?� Bathsheba asked them.
�They went pretty well,� Daniel said.
�They were hard,� Cherie said. �You just thought they were easy because you�re so smart.�
�Yeah, the exams were rough,� Delia said. �Still, I�m glad we studied together. That sure helped me out.�
�Yeah, the exams were rough. You probably did well, though,� Henry said.
�So, who is the best student in your class?� Bathsheba asked.
�Daniel is,� Delia said.
�Does that bother anyone?� Bathsheba asked.
�Yes, I think it does,� Daniel said. �After all, I am the only commoner in the class, and yet I get better marks than everybody else. My classmates are aristocrats all. I figure everyone but my friends here are bothered by my success.�
�Do you think my baby is cute?� Cherie asked.
�Of course it is cute,� Delia said. �Here it is just sleeping in my arms, all adorable.�
�I am glad neither Cherie nor I had colicky babies. That would have been difficult to deal with,� Bathsheba said. �Still, no one could blame them for their not feeling well.�
�I was a colicky baby, according to my mom,� Daniel said. �The only way she had from stopping my constant loud crying was to hold me in her arms as much as possible.�
�That�s so sweet of her,� Delia said.
�It was not all good. After all, ever since then I have been a rather over-affectionate person, which tends to bother some people,� Daniel said.
�Well, I am sure you try your best, but it must be difficult when people do not understand the reasons for why you do what you do,� Bathsheba said.
�It is even more difficult when people do not care that you have reasons,� Daniel replied.
�It may be difficult now, but you have friends, and even a girlfriend here,� Bathsheba said. �Do not be so hard on yourself.�
�I do try,� Daniel said. �Perhaps too hard.�
�We all try too hard sometimes,� Cherie said. �I�m just glad finals are over so I can spend this summer looking after our baby after the wedding.�
�Yes, I suppose we had our honeymoon before the marriage,� Henry said.
�Those two weeks on the coast, and that magical day we made love I will always remember, with the bittersweet results of our early love,� Cherie said.
�Love is always bittersweet,� Daniel said. �There is always sunshine mixed with the rain.�
�As long as there is sunshine after the rain,� Delia said.
�That is a most interesting expression,� Henry said. �Where did you get that from?�
�One of Daniel�s poems to me,� Delia said.
�You write poetry, Daniel?� Cherie said. �I wish my fiance did that.�
�Among other things,� Daniel said.
�Like what?� Henry asked. �Writers have always intrigued me.�
�I keep a journal every day, write plays, and write short stories,� Daniel said.
�What kind of short stories?� Cherie asked.
�I write short stories where I take events in my real life, change them a little, and then turn them into humorous anecdotes as I muse on the state of the world,� Daniel replied.
�The mind of a writer is a tormented one,� Bathsheba said.
�How do you know?� Daniel said. �You are right, though.�
�I used to write myself, when I was a prostitute in the city of Bravia. I kept a journal and wrote poetry to keep myself sane. I also would send love poems to the head of the resistance movement, and he would send me love poems back,� Bathsheba replied.
�And was that Natonito?� Daniel said.
�Of course. He has always been such a romantic. Once he bought my contract from the pimp, I knew he was really in love with me. It just took awhile before he asked for my hand in marriage,� Bathsheba said.
�Because he wanted to find out if you were noble,� Henry said.
�Yes. I still do not see why that is important,� Bathsheba said. �But he comes from a ducal house, like you do, nephew, and soon to be son-in-law. I suppose that sort of thing is important to you as well.�
�Yes, it is very important. One can have sex with a commoner, and even have a long-term relationship, but one who is a high noble cannot think of marriage with common blood. It is something we are trained at from birth,� Henry said.
�You mean it is something noble boys are trained from birth to do?� Cherie said.
�Yes,� Henry said.
�Noble girls are trained to follow their father�s lead until they marry. Sometimes, when girls are independent, it can cause problems with their parents and husbands, but when a couple is in love and neither the husband or the wife is too domineering, then it is not so much a problem,� Bathsheba said.
�What is so important about noble blood anyways?� Daniel said. �Is there no room for an ambitious commoner?�
�Daniel, this only applies to ducal houses like the Albrights, Longberts, and the Bravias,� Delia said. �Baronial families like mine do not mind people marrying into wealthy commoner families, but poor commoners are a source of much shame. I am the only child in my family. I have no cousins, so the whole Sanchez estate will fall to me. My mother is worried that I will either never marry, thanks to my checkered past, or will marry someone who will only want my money.�
�Delia, I think that everyone has the chance to overcome their past. We cannot go back in time and erase what we have done, or what others have done to us. We can only live on, trying to show that we are better for what we have suffered through, whether our suffering was our fault or not. I have never wanted you for your money, for the things I seek-love, peace of mind, respect-were not things that money can buy,� Daniel said.
�You are such a sweet guy, Daniel. Why are you so troubled though?� Delia said.
�I am sweet because I am troubled. Had I lived like others I would probably be like others,� Daniel said.
�Well, I am glad you are not like others,� Bathsheba said.
�Why do you say that? You barely know me,� Daniel said.
�I know you better than you think,� Bathsheba said. �After all, I know what it is like to be a commoner in a noble�s world. It so happened I was a noble, but by the time I found that out, I had believed that my pleasant past had been nothing more than a dream that I had created to console myself as others fought and haggled over my body, drooling over my breasts, pawing over me, their lust all they cared to share with me.�
�I had no idea, sis,� Cherie said.
�I do not tell too much about my experiences as a prostitute,� Bathsheba said. �I find them too painful. Still, the truth must be admitted for it to be dealt with.�
�That is true. Sometimes the past is painful,� Delia said.
�My dear, but you have a bright future,� Daniel said.
�And I am glad for that,� Delia said.
�Well, enough about that,� Bathsheba said. �How about summer plans? What are you guys doing for break?�
�Well, first we are all going to the wedding,� Henry said.
�And then after that I am going to work with the Imperial Corps of Engineers on their graphical mapping systems,� Daniel said.
�We are going to spend our summer on a honeymoon visit around the Empire, dealing with our newborn,� Cherie said.
�And I will spend the summer hiking in Puria,� Delia said.
�Sounds like all of you will have an interesting time,� Bathsheba said.
�Well, it is almost time for the graduation ceremony. Let�s go now,� Daniel said.
�You only say that because you have to speak,� Delia said.
�What are you going to say?� Cherie said.
�You will see,� Daniel said.
�I guess we will,� Delia said. �After all, being the smartest one of the group, you give the speech.�
�How do you know it�s me?� Daniel said, shrugging.
�Who else is going to lead the class?� Henry said.
�I see you�re silent now,� Cherie said.
�True enough,� Daniel said. �True enough.�
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