The smell of cooking pork and vegetables filled the little upstairs home as Lukas poured some wine for herself and her parents. She was back at their home for an early dinner. Her mother had suggested saumagen, and Lukas’ new predator cravings had been satisfied with the idea.
Her mother, putting the finishing touches on the dish, asked, “How’s Alena taking all of this? You being a woman, now.”
“She’s been very supportive,” Lukas replied, setting the glasses on the table.
“So she’s definitely going to stay with you?”
Lukas nodded, but didn’t look her mother in the eye.
When Lukas’ father finished closing up the shop and joined the two of them, everyone sat down to eat. Lukas and her mother continued to chat quietly, but her father was mostly silent. The two didn’t look at each other very much.
“Has your job been affected by all of this?” her father asked suddenly.
“No,” Lukas replied, focusing on her meal, “Marius has been very supportive.”
“What are you going to do about Alena?”
“Olaf,” her mother whispered.
“What?” Olaf asked. “Two women can’t get married. If… If she’s going to commit to this, there are going to be consequences. I don’t want it to ruin her life because she hasn’t thought it through.”
“It’s not ruining my life,” Lukas snapped.
Her father sighed and asked, “Have you even picked out a new name yet? How seriously are you taking this if you won’t take that step?”
Lukas didn’t respond, instead pushing her food around her plate. Conversation died after that. Her mother seemed more frustrated than Lukas did.
Once dinner was over, Lukas’ father started working on the dishes. Lukas put her cloak on and began walking down the steps to the front door. Her mother followed.
“I’m sorry about your father,” her mother said, fastening the cloak around Lukas. “He’ll come around. Oh, I almost forgot: Herbert was looking for you. He said he needed to apologize for something. I assume you know what he was talking about?”
“I think so,” Lukas replied. “It’s still early. I’ll go see him now. Thank you for telling me.”
Lukas’ mother kissed her on the forehead.
“I love you, Lukas,” she said.
“I love you too.”
By the time Lukas arrived at the docks, most of the fishermen were packing up their tools and heading home for the day. Some of them gave Lukas long lecherous stares as she passed by. Lukas drew her cloak tighter and refused to look them in the eyes. She finally spotted her cousin walking with a group of other burly men.
“Herbert!” she cried, weaving her way through the crowd. “You wanted to talk?”
The men around him snickered. One of them asked, “You cheating on your wife, Herbert?” He rolled his eyes and pushed through the flow of people.
“In private,” he said brusquely, grabbing Lukas by the arm and dragging her along.
The two found an empty alley away from traffic where they could talk alone. Lukas leaned up against the wall and raised an eyebrow. Herbert crossed his arms and took a deep breath.
“I talked with Regina,” he said quietly. “She was… furious. Really tore into me for ‘abandoning my family.’ So… I’m not going to cut you from my life. But I don’t want you to come near my home or my family.”
“Does Regina agree with those conditions?” Lukas asked, bitterness seeping into her voice.
“It’s my decision.”
Lukas sighed, then said, “Well, I better say it while I have the chance. It’s kind of obvious by now, but I’m actually a woman now. It’s because of the magic, but it’s something that I want and I’m not going back.”
Herbert groaned, then muttered, “I just want everything to go back to normal.”
“Well, I’m sorry that I’m too different for you to feel comfortable around!” she snapped before turning and storming off.
So much for an apology. She’d given Herbert a chance and he’d wasted it. Lukas had to cut him out of her life.
But she did cry a little bit about it on the way home.
***
Alena was feeling a little haggard as she compiled the last few documents that she was working on. She was at Ursel’s home, alone in the dining room, helping with resistance paperwork. It was her day off from working with her family, but there was no time to rest. People were counting on her help.
Once everything was in order, Alena tucked the documents under her arm and started toward Ursel’s office. She knocked on the door and leaned up against the door frame, struggling not to close her eyes. Alena heard Ursel’s voice bidding her to come in and opened the door.
“I have the papers you need,” she said, setting the documents on the desk. “Do you… do you have a spare room I can take a nap in?”
“…Sit down and close your eyes, Alena.”
Alena did so. After what felt like just a moment, she was stirred by Ursel holding a cup of water in front of her. She took it and sipped.
“Enjoy your nap?” Ursel asked, sitting down behind her desk.
“How long was I out?”
“About an hour. Unfortunately, no, we do not have spare beds anymore. Hopefully, you aren’t too sore.”
Alena stretched, popping her back in a few places.
“Thank you,” she said. Now that she could think a little more clearly, she added, “Um… I wanted to talk to you about something. The other day, a member of the town guard found me and Lukas, saying that he wanted to give the Resistance support. He even gave us a reason, but obviously it could be a lie. I wanted your advice on the subject; obviously, I don’t want to trust somebody who’s part of the group that attacked me and my girlfriend, but having a guard on our side could be very helpful.”
Ursel raised an eyebrow, but only for a moment before replying, “Yes, you’re right to be suspicious. We do have a few guards working for us, actually, though we pair them off. No guard knows any other, aside from their partner, who works for us, in order to prevent our system from being compromised if one of them is captured or goes turncoat.”
“So do we trust Claus?” Alena asked, frowning. “How do we know we can trust him?”
“I’ll introduce you to Kurt. He’s handled this sort of thing before and can show you how to properly test if someone is trustworthy. That is, if you’re willing to handle the responsibility.”
“Of course,” Alena replied, sitting up straighter.
Ursel nodded, adding, “Then there is something else I wanted to mention. You have a strong drive and sturdy work ethic, and after talking it over with some of the other leaders I think that you would be suited for a minor leadership role yourself. Only over a small group to start with. Is that something that you’d be interested in.”
“I… Yes! Anything I can do to help! Are you sure about this?”
“Absolutely.” Ursel stood up. “I took the liberty of collecting a few people while you slept. Follow me.”
She brought Alena to a room with a hearth but only a few chairs, a sofa, and a large chest. There had been decorations hanging from the walls at some point and a large rug was missing. Four people were waiting for them inside. Alena recognized the man with curly black hair as Dovid and the very young woman with green eyes as Irma. Ursel wasted no time introducing the other two.
“This is Roshni,” she said, gesturing to a brown-skinned woman with blue eyes and her black hair tied back. “And this is Hasso.” Hasso was a man with a strong nose and a few days worth of beard growth. “You’ll be leading these four. Your primary purpose will be spreading information about our cause to the people and making arguments against Torben’s new edicts. When the need arises, I’ll also call on you to sow disinformation among Torben’s own ranks to weaken him. Hasso and Dovid have some experience with this already; use them well. Irma is good at sneaking information to people and places without getting caught. Roshni is a great orator and I suggest you have her do much of the writing.”
“Alright,” Alena replied, grinning. “I can’t wait to get started.”
When Alena finally returned home that evening, she was practically bouncing on her heels. The five of them had spent a couple of hours coming up with ideas on how to start turning some council members against Torben. Convincing them that he was an ineffective leader was key to getting to vote to have him removed. While other sects of the Resistance were helping people who were harmed by Torben’s edicts or finding ways to hinder the town guard who enforced those edicts, Alena, under Ursel’s command, would be targeting the council directly with misinformation and rhetoric, as well as getting the word of their mission out to the public in order to gain support. This was so much bigger than just working in a family business. Alena was going to make an actual change in the world.
Lukas was already preparing dinner when she arrived. Alena walked up and gave her a small kiss on the cheek. Lukas smiled, but it was a strained smile.
“Still stressed about what Herbert said?” Alena asked. Lukas had come home the day before in tears.
“Yeah… a little.”
“Why don’t I finish dinner for you, then? Go ahead and relax a little.”
“No,” Lukas insisted. “It’s almost done. And having something to do with my hands helps.”
“If you insist,” Alena replied, nuzzling Lukas on the cheek.
Alena lit a candle and pulled out some metal plates and flatware for the two to use. Lukas moved the meal to the table and then sat down, looking expectantly at Alena. Instead of joining her, though, Alena walked up behind her and wrapped her arms around Lukas, resting her chin on her head.
“I’ve been doing a lot of thinking over the past couple of days,” she said. “And I’ve come to a conclusion. I don’t just like men; I also like women too. At the very least, I’m still attracted to you no matter what you look like. I love you, Lukas, and I’m not going to leave you.”
For a moment, there was quiet. Then Lukas started to sob. Alena felt Lukas grab her arms and clutch onto them tightly. Her whole body shook as she cried. Alena gave her a soft kiss on the head.
“Th-Th-Thank y-you,” Lukas stammered. “I l-love you too. So mu-mu-much.”
“I know.”
Finally, Alena sat down to eat, asking, “Have you thought of a new name, yet?”
“Not yet,” Lukas admitted, shaking her head. “I’ve just been putting it off.”
“Maybe we should think of one together.”
“…I’d like that.”
They went through a whole list of names: Yvonne, Liesel, Marcella, Kristine, Ilka, Heidi, Doris. None of them felt quite right. Lukas just wasn’t sure what she wanted.
“Was there ever a name you heard,” Alena began, “maybe when you were really young or something, that you wanted for yourself? Or that stuck with you?”
“I don’t think so,” Lukas replied, frowning.
Alena sighed and tried to remember more names: “Leonie, Larissa, Lotte, Lilli, Lisbeth, Luzia—”
“Wait,” Lukas said, perking up. “I… I kind of like Lotte.”
“Lotte?” Alena asked. “Is that your new name?”
Lukas repeated the word silently a few times, trying to get a taste for it. The more times she said it, the more comfortable it became in her mouth. She smiled.
“I think that’s the one,” she said. “I think. I don’t know for sure. I might change my mind.”
“Is that what you want me to call you?” Alena asked.
Lotte nodded.
Dinner continued pleasantly after that. Once the meal was gone and dishes were clean, Alena and Lotte retired to their room and got undressed. Lotte snuffed out the candle and the two climbed into bed, cuddling and whispering to each other for a bit before falling asleep in each other’s arms.
***
Lotte was just about ready to return to work, but Alena had one more day off and they had decided to spend it together. Between Lotte practicing her powers in secret and Alena giving her free time to the Resistance, it felt like they never got to see each other anymore. So for lunch, they decided to head out into town and find a nice tavern to enjoy themselves. Lotte even forewent her heavy cloak for once, though she was still wearing masculine clothes.
“I think we should see my parents before we head home,” she told Alena over the din of the tavern. “I still have to tell them my new name, and I’m sure they’d love to see you again.”
“We can absolutely do that,” Alena replied.
But she wasn’t looking at Lotte. Lotte turned to look at where she was staring. A poster had been tacked up to the wall, announcing that there was to be a public rally that day in the forum, where the prefect would make an important announcement.
“We don’t have to go,” she said softly.
“I know. But I also have to know what he’s planning.”
Once their meal was over, the two made their way to the forum. A large wooden stage had been set up and there were guards milling about. It was getting close to the time of the rally and the forum was bustling, but Alena grabbed Lotte by the arm and dragged her as close to the stage as they could get.
“I don’t like this,” Lotte protested. “There are guards everywhere.”
“They don’t care about us,” Alena responded. “They’re just protecting Torben from being assassinated.” After a pause, she added, “Actually, that would solve all of our problems at once, wouldn’t it? Maybe we’ll be fortunate.”
It was a short while before Torben actually did take the stage. There was clamoring from the crowd, but it wasn’t harsh. It seemed like people generally had positive feelings toward the prefect. A whine escaped Lotte’s throat. She did not like being in this crowd.
Torben raised his hands to quiet the crowd and announced, “Attention, citizens! Since inheriting the position of prefect, I have also inherited the threat to this town that plagued my father and worsened his health. These rabble-rousers are like an infestation of rats: not a major threat but a persistent nuisance.” Alena scoffed. “Were these interlopers not preying on the kindness of Marusta’s own citizens, they would not have a foothold in our great town to even begin to threaten our culture and heritage. We will not succumb to the will of would-be tyrants who want to mold our way of life to benefit themselves. Tradition will prevail, but it is imperative that anyone who has had contact with these Resistance members step forward and confide in the town guard. There will be no punishment to anyone who has been swindled by their honeyed words, but for the sake of our town you must come forward with what you know.”
Lotte’s stomach dropped, but to her surprise Alena was smiling.
“This is good,” she whispered. “He thinks we’re a threat. He’s downplaying it, but he wouldn’t make an announcement like this unless he was desperate.”
“I dunno,” Lotte replied, watching Torben’s eyes sweep over the crowd. “I feel like there’s something that we’re missing.”
Torben’s gaze fell over Alena, who scowled. Torben, however, smirked and nodded to one of the guards. He gave a signal to his colleagues and they started moving.
“Alena, we have to go,” Lotte said, grabbing her arm.
“It is always unfortunate,” Torben began again, “when someone that you know and believed that you could trust turns against you. Alas, my own dear friend Alena chose to betray me to the Resistance despite my everlasting kindness to her.” Guards were coming from every direction and the crowd was thinning. “I must put the safety of this town above my personal interests. As such, I have no choice but to apprehend her for questioning.”
Lotte grabbed at the threads of energy inside of her, triggering a transformation. Large cat ears appeared on her head and her fingers became sharp claws. She snarled at the approaching guards, showing off her fangs.
“Guards!” Torben cried, pointing at her. “Apprehend that creature!”
Lotte took one look at Alena, her heart sinking. Alena had never looked helpless before. Her whole world was falling apart around her, and there seemed to be no way out for the both of them.
So one of them would have to do.
“Run!” Lotte cried, pushing Alena and then leaping at the nearest guard.
The guard cried out as he fell to the ground, Lotte tearing at his armor fruitlessly with her claws. She felt a stab of pain in her back, but simply grabbed onto the magical threads and reinforced her skin. A few more weapons bounced off of her, but the guards had mostly taken to grabbing Lotte and holding her still.
There were simply too many of them, and they were too strong. Even with her magic, Lotte was stuck. The crowd had fled and Alena was nowhere to be seen. Torben was walking up to Lotte with his assistant Fadia and the town wizard Gunter behind him.
“Quite a specimen,” Torben muttered, leaning in so his face was right next to Lotte’s. She bit at him and he pulled back slowly. “I actually didn’t recognize him. A good catch, too. We are responsible for protecting this town from dangerous magic, aren’t we?”
Lotte locked eyes with Fadia. She looked conflicted, but didn’t make a move to help. But Lotte understood; what could she do at this point?
Torben asked Gunter, “Do you think you can handle him?”
Gunter smirked and adjusted his spectacles before replying smugly, “I’m sure that I can keep him locked up. And he will be an interesting subject to study.”
Lotte was fuming. Gunter took out a long rope and had the guards bind Lotte’s hands together. She could sense the magic in them; Lotte wouldn’t be able to just break out of this. Surrounded by guards, she was escorted to the Prefecture Estate.
Oh no!
Ursel nodded, adding, “Then there is something else I wanted to mention. You have a strong drive and sturdy work ethic, and after talking it over with some of the other leaders I think that you would be suited for a minor leadership role yourself. Only over a small group to start with. Is that something that you’d be interested in.”
I think they should also give Lotte some stuff, I really think she can more. (or maybe there was a reason and I forgot)
Also, cliffhangers, my eternal enemy!
