Scene 1:

Adamas: 11 years old

Throughout my youth my father rarely frequented home. My father was a very wealthy and lucrative merchant. He dedicated the majority of his time and energy to his trade, and was almost always absent on some trading enterprise across seas to strange and distant lands. As a very young child I often mistook my tutor to be my father, for indeed my tutor, Edwin, was much more of a father to me than my true father ever could be. Though I would not have it otherwise, for my father was a cold and temperamental man who was very fond of the bottle. Edwin, though a gentle and kindly soul, was well advanced in years. As this was so and since my father was largely absent, and my mother often too weak to do much, for her health was very delicate and her heart weak, the duties of running and caring for the household came to fall mostly upon my shoulders at the young age of eleven.

In the spring of my eleventh year my mother gave birth to her fourth child. I as yet had two younger sisters: Lillian and Estelle. My mother’s fourth child would be the third female of our family and when she was born, she was named little Lizzy. Lizzy was a sweet infant, always laughing and cooing. Mother said that she was the happiest infant that she had ever known. All the servants and my sisters loved little Lizzy even when she was a very small infant, but my father was not pleased by another daughter.

Lizzy was six months old when my father returned from one of his trading expeditions and saw Lizzy for the first time. My father had clearly been drinking when he entered the house for his features were red and swollen, though he had his wits about him enough, for he did not stumble or stutter. He called me to him and asked about the home affairs which he had charged me with to look after, but since mother had birthed Lizzy, preparations for the arrival of the infant and other tasks such as caring for my mother, the infant, and my other two sisters had taken precedence to many home affairs that I had been charged with and thus some tasks had been neglected. When my father heard such a report, he fell into a drunken outrage and, after beating me repeatedly with the flat of his sword, he clambered up the stairs to my mother’s room so as to view the new child. When he saw that the child was a girl he became hysterical, beating everyone nearby with the flat of his sword and gravely injuring one of the servant girls.

At last he left the house outraged, swearing, and beating all in his sight. Fearing for my infant sister, I leapt up the stairs to my mother’s room. The room was filled with servants cleaning my father’s mess and attending to the injured. My mother sat upon the floor bruised and bleeding coddling screaming Lizzy in her arms. She sang a soft, quiet song to the frightened infant, and though she smiled and looked lovingly upon Lizzy, tears fell in streams down her flushed cheeks. I felt my heart pound and I ran to my mother. As I knelt by her side, she turned her sad, smiling eyes upon me. “All is well Adamas.” She said. “He did not lay a hand upon Lizzy, I did not permit him to.” Suddenly her face fell and her brow sunk with concern. “I see he has laid his hands upon you though my son. What of Lillian and Estelle? Has he hurt them also?”

“I do not know mother.” I answered. “I have not seen them, I came to see Lizzy first.”

“Do you go and find them Adamas. See that they are well, then go and have yourself looked after.”

“Yes mother.” My mother kissed me and wiped away my tears. “Do not let your sisters see how much he has hurt you.” She told me and I obeyed.

After I had cared for my sisters and myself, I came to my mother, for I was angry and hurt and needed to understand. As I entered my mother’s room I saw little Lizzy laying on the floor, laughing and playing with a small trinket. Nearby sat my mother comfortably seated in a chair reading, a few feet between my mother and Lizzy there stood a small table with a few great, heavy antiques upon it. “Mother,” I said approaching the place where she sat and sitting in a chair beside her. “I do not understand, I am already my father’s heir, his fortune is already secured to me, so why should he be so upset by another daughter?” I felt my face slowly turn red and burn as I continued. “It brings him no misfortune to acquire another daughter, and Lizzy is so content, and such a good and gentle little one, how could his wrath be raised against her? If only he had ceased his ravings for a moment, he would have seen how beautiful and mild she is and surely his wrath would have been quieted. But he could not bear to cease for a moment! He could not bear to see the foolishness of his rage because he must always be wroth with us, though we are not at fault!”

“My boy, be still.” Said my mother gently, but I did not heed her. “And how could his anger be raised against me? I have done all that I was able to complete, but I could not neglect you nor Lizzy nor my sisters! I did all that I was able! I labored late into the night, and rarely rested!” I then began to cry, and though I would have continued, my mother hushed me and spoke softly to me, attempting to ease my anguish. “My good Adamas!” She spake. “Your heart is good and fair, but your father is not the same as you. You see, my dear one, one of your father’s ships was raided by pirates. It was your father’s finest vessel, and it carried many valuable goods. That is the cause of your father’s irrational outbursts, my dear boy, it is no wrong of our own that has merited it, so do you be still and let not his ravings rent your heart.” My mother’s words were wise and filled with truth, but my young heart could not see that. With fire glowing hot and crimson in my eyes and tears flowing down my cheeks, I stood, my fists clenched in frustrated rage. “If thou wert not a loving mother, he might have murdered his own child! And why would so innocent a life be lost? For fear and anger? For the faults of a stranger? Because he must dull his sorrows with drink? A life could have been lost because of an abundantly rich man’s few stolen goods!”

“My child be still! There is naught that you can do to change your father!” My mother said kindly but sternly. Pulling on my hair and falling to my knees I screamed “I hate him!” Then, rising, I upset the table standing beside my mother. “No Adamas!” Cried my mother, rising and running to the place where content and laughing Lizzy lay, but it was too late. The table collapsed and a great vase which was upon it fell and shattered on Lizzy’s legs. Lizzy screamed in pain and was immediately taken up and rushed to the doctor.

Seeing what I had done, I fell into a great despair, locking myself in my room for many days. My mother, as wise and kind as she is, was not angry with me, and it was her encouragement along with Edwin and my two sisters’ kind words which delivered me from my great despair. Little Lizzy did not die, though she was crippled thenceforth. Each following day I was and still am reminded of that moment as I look upon my contented, yet disabled sister in pain and regret.

Soon after this tragic event my mother spoke words of advice which I have since held dear and close in my mind and heart. One night, as I lay in agony upon my bed, my mother came into my room and sitting beside me she said: “Adamas, great men with great responsibility bear the joy of many upon their shoulders. If a man with great responsibility allows his shoulders to stoop or to tremble with fear or anger, the joy of hundreds will collapse and be destroyed. Do you understand my words Adamas? A man with great responsibility holds within his power the joy and well-being of all who know him. If, therefore, a man of great responsibility allows himself to be burdened by fear, pain, sadness, or anger, he is not only sacrificing his own joy and well-being, but the joy and well-being of all those he is acquainted with or holds dear.” She then paused and sighed. “Oh my dear Adamas! You see, I fear that you indeed are already a man of great responsibility, and always shall be.”

Scene 2:

Adamas: 20 years old

As I entered my room I saw her seated awkwardly in a large chair near our bed reading a book. “Ah! There you are Adamas!” She exclaimed and, setting down the book, she slowly and cautiously arose. I smiled to see that her long black hair still hung loosely down her back. “I see the servants have convinced thee to donn thy feet with shoes.” She looked irritably down at her leather-bound feet. “Yes though my consent required much convincing.”

“I am glad to see your hair down, it is much too lovely to keep bound upon your head, but my father will surely not approve.”

“The maids were quite perplexed by my locks, there is such an abundance of them. Besides preventing them from hanging in their natural form does torment my head so, causing such pounding headaches that I find basic functioning to be nearly impossible.”

“Well then, I suppose my father will must needs suffer the unbound and untamed presence of beauty.” She smiled and her bright green eyes shone with a lustre for which they were quite renown.

Fera was my wife. She was the daughter of a tinker and a gypsy. Her mother, a gypsy, died soon after Fera’s birth, leaving her upbringing to the sole responsibility of her father, a skilled and famous tinker. Her father was a gentle and giving man, and his kindness was well repaid, for he was greatly recognised and sought after by the common folk and even by some nobility as the greatest practitioner of his trade. Yet, he was a man of roving heart and blood, and forsooth, he could not bear to remain in a singular location for any great length of time. And thus Fera was a wild creature of a free and unbound nature, though none could accuse her of any unvirtuous or barbaric tendencies. Indeed she was a woman also of a gentle, kind, and pure nature, who, though she could not be confined by unnecessary formalities and customs that did not dictate the purity and virtue of the heart, she often displayed more discipline and virtue than many fine ladies I have known.

As Fera stood before me, dressed in stiff sophisticated garb, the singular indication of her true nature, her long black hair hanging in gay ringlets down her stiff awkward back, I could not resist a grin. Indeed she was a most beautiful woman, with grace and charm enough to enchant the heart of a king, but such apparel was not intended for a beauty of her kind. It was as if some strange perverted man attempted to dress a fairy in corset, and petticoat, and stiff tight boots. It was a most unnatural and strange sight. So strange that a holy man might have attested it to be something of an unsacred nature, had he not been aware of the girl’s humanity.

Observing my amusement, Fera’s green eyes glistened gaily, and from her ruby lips issued most clear and delightful laughter. “I surmise, by thine most amused expression, that such a guise is not likely to deceive thine father.” A pang of dread overcame my heart as fear replaced gaiety. “There is naught that we could have done to convince my father.” I said. “Even if thou wert adorned as finely and possesed equal amounts of sophistication as a queen, still my father would find some fault with you.” Fera’s countenance softened as she stumbled forward and took my hand. Suddenly a strange glaze seemed to drift over her eyes, and, with a tone that seemed to possess the slightest hint of strangeness, she said, “Adamas, you need not fear thine father, for his tyranny over thee and thine family nears its termination. As a virtuous prince might overcome a perverted and tyrannous king, so shall thee replace thine father, for his judgement is close at hand.”

Fera’s mother was a gypsy and also somewhat renown as a fortune-teller, so I am told, and it seems that such things must be passed along from parent to child by blood, for such fits and displays of unexplainably got knowledge did not infrequently overcome Fera, and never afore were such foretellings proven to be farse.

Suddenly a knock sounded upon the door, and the voice of my man-servant Wilfred was heard in the hall. “Sir, your father has arrived and is awaiting your company in the sitting room.”

“I will join him in a moment. Thank you Wilfred.” “Is all prepared?” Asked Fera. My brows furrowed as I nodded stiffly. We then left for the sitting room walking gravely with arms interlocked.

As we entered the sitting room, we found my father standing before a window with his hands clasped behind his back, and as we approached my father turned to face us. His face was contorted in an almost childlike scowl that quite bluntly and most indiscreetly displayed his complete disapproval. He first turned to me and stiffly nodded. I bowed with as much humility and respect that I could manage to express. “Father, welcome.” I said as warmly as one in such a position could. My father scowled and turned to Fera, my wife. A most hideous and disgusted expression overcame his features. “And this is the one with whom you have married in secret?”

“Yes Father.”

“You cannot fool me with fine dress! She is the undignified daughter of a most foul and base class of people.”

“She was originally intended to be the bride of a king.”

“Of some savage country? Thou wert betrothed Adamas! I had chosen for thee a wife of grace and beauty, yet you choose this wild, base creature!? I am your father, you are to obey me in all things! I had vowed thee to Annabelle, most respected daughter of good sir William, yet thou hast chosen disobedience, and hast sought after a wife of a sinful race!”

“Father.” I said in a commanding yet calm, passionless, and steady voice. “I tried to reason with you afore I made such a choice, but thou didst not hearken to me. Fera was indeed betrothed to a fierce and cruel king, as I have told to thee before our marriage. Such a king was believed to have murdered and tortured many of his wives. I did not marry her solely for my own pleasure, but for the preservation of her life and well-being.

“Furthermore, the woman, father, that thou betrothed to me was indeed a woman of high standing and wealth, but marriage is a sacred thing father. Marriage is the sacred union of a woman and a man, therefore it ought not to be treated as a tool used for the acquirement of wealth and status.” My father’s face burned crimson with fury, his right hand moved to his belt, and as he continued to speak it gradually migrated nearer and nearer to his sword. “I am thy father!” he said in a cold and trembling voice, his eyes wide and wild with passion. As he spoke his voice grew louder and fiercer. “I shall do with thee as I please. I do not care for the life of this, this, dog of a woman, nor do I care for thy foolish babblings of sacred marriage and unions. I am thy father, thou shalt obey me, and if thou refuseth to do so, thou shalt reap the reward of thine actions!” As my father spoke these last words he drew his sword from his belt and attempted to secure its blade deep in my breast, but I had anticipated such an attack and thus I also drew my sword swiftly from my belt. Taking advantage of my father’s underestimation of my cunning and skill, I struck his sword from his hand with great force. I then turned my blade upon him so as to prevent any further attack, but my father, sickened with frustrated pride, charged me, and in his blind rage and excitement he tripped over a loose board protruding from the floor. My father fell upon my outstretched blade, piercing his own heart on his son’s sword. And thus was my father killed by his own passions.

Scene 3:

Adamas: 50 years old

As I was sitting in my study a soft, timid knock sounded on the door. “Come in.” I said as I took one final look at my work. The door opened slowly and a young man with green eyes entered my study. “Yes William?” I said. “Father,” said the young man, his brows furrowing and his green eyes glancing away from my gaze. William then began to nervously play with the edge of his coat. “I fear that The Fera has been invaded by pirates and,” William swallowed and locked his jaw, his brow deeply furrowing in concentration. “they have apprehended Elisabeth.” For a moment I stared at my son, considering the situation. When I spoke my voice was calm and steady. “Have you contemplated any action to correct this?”

“I have prepared a ship and readied my horse. I have also collected sustenance for the journey.” William’s face relaxed, and a look of deep regret came into his eyes. He looked down at his feet, his body beginning to tremble as he spoke. “Forgive me father. It was my responsibility, I have failed.” A heaviness passed over my heart, and, sighing, I sunk back in my chair. “My son,” I said, “the world is filled with evil and hardship. We cannot control all events, but we can control ourselves. Our own minds and actions are the only things that we can fully govern. It does not do well, therefore, to sit in sorrow over the past, we must observe the past, and judge our past actions. We must simply make judgements of ourselves, not of the events, and if we have acted wrongly in the past, then we must teach ourselves to do otherwise in the future.”

“Yes father.”

“Do not fret my boy we will find her.” William’s hands began to shake as he rubbed his forehead irritably. Quietly, with a shaking voice he said, “And what if they have killed her or defiled her? What then?” His voice broke and his knees gave out as he fell upon the floor, weeping. I waited in silence for a moment, though my heart was heavy. “Have you spoken with your mother of this?”

“Yes.”

“What was her reply?”

“She said that Elizabeth was yet alive and well.” A great burden lifted from my shoulders as a darkness passed from my heart. “Then you need not trouble your heart with such concerns. “But father, how can you be so certain? She does not know, she has no proof of Elizabeth’s state!” I smiled gently at my son. “William, you will do well to trust your mother in all things.”

Sivana Holler

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