Fourth Vector Ch. 16

"Ah, there it is," she exclaimed. "This picture was from when you were no more than a month old, Jack." She handed it to him.

Jack studied the picture with somewhat shaky hands. It was an old picture, and judging by Evelyn's words, it was as old as he was. On it was a younger woman with golden blonde hair and blue eyes, smiling at the camera. He had to do a double take to make sure it wasn't really Vera because the resemblance was uncanny. Even down to the same smile and dimples, it was like he was looking at Vera from across time.

"I told you Vera looked like your mother," said Evelyn in a low voice. "Marie was such a pretty girl that it wasn't hard to see why John fell for her." She then pointed to the baby. "You were such a happy baby, Jack. At least from what I remember."

Jack studied the small infant in his mother's arms. Even though he was so young in that picture, he couldn't deny that they held the same features that he recognized from his own childhood photos that his adoptive parents had. It wasn't hard to tell that it was really him.

"This one was of your parents on their wedding day," said Evelyn, handing them another one. Jack and Vera nearly gasped, as it looked very much like pictures of themselves. His father was the spitting image of Jack and dressed in a deep, dark suit while his mother had on a pretty dress. Behind them stood Evelyn, although a much younger version, beaming with pride.

"Finally, here's one of Vera. This one has always been precious to me," said Evelyn. "Mostly because it's me and her when she was younger."

Jack looked at a version of Evelyn from over twenty years ago, still aged but not quite as much. She held Vera close to her breast, smiling at the camera in what had been better times. Even though it was a very young Vera, he couldn't help but see shades of her inside that baby.

"It's really us," whispered Vera beside him.

Evelyn then nodded outside the room. "And now here comes Kat."

Kat returned a few minutes later carrying a long, rectangular box into the room. There was a heavy layer of dust along the top, apparent as soon as she set it down on the table in front of Jack.

"This is the symbol of who you are, Jack. This will confirm your heritage," said Evelyn, as she reached over to pull the lid off the box. He leaned in to get a better look.

Inside was a sword, but not just any sword. It was old, almost ancient, just by the looks of it. The scabbard that it was in was encrusted with jewels and other rare metals, most of them blue in color and inlaid against the material. The cross-guards were made of shiny iron, and the tips turned toward the blade at the end. The grip was dark black in color and worn, evidence of much use in the past. The pommel itself was most interesting—it was made of a circular steel with a small symbol blazed into the side of it. It was a symbol he'd seen before.

"Jack, do you remember when I asked you about your birthmark?" asked Kat as she gestured toward his shoulder.

He reached over to run his fingers over it through his uniform. The same cross symbol on his shoulder was emblazoned on the pommel of the sword. "How can this be?" he whispered.

"Because you are the Galician King, Jack," said Evelyn proudly.

"Vera has one as well, a symbol of the royal line," said Kat. "Although the woman's symbol of the line has manifested itself in different places on the body."

"That's what's on my hip," whispered Vera. "That symbol."

Evelyn smiled. "Indeed it is. I saw it myself the day you were born."

"Do you have one too?" Vera asked.

Evelyn shook her head. "I only married into your family, my dear. Unfortunately, I don't have one. Neither did your mother, but your father and grandfather both had the marks on their shoulders, just like Jack's."

"This is unbelievable," said Jack, clutching at the sword. "Something about this sword just feels right in my hands. But it's making me feel powerful. Like it wants to show me something. I have the urge to draw it, and it's only getting stronger"

"It's calling to you, Jack," said Evelyn. "Take out your sword and see the effect yourself."

Carefully gripping the handle, Jack made note of how well it seemed to fit his hand. The weight of the sword wasn't as much as he'd expected, and it seemed carefully balanced as soon as he gripped it. He pulled it free from the scabbard and held it aloft, feeling its awesome power in his hands.

Almost as soon as he did it, the women in the room gasped in astonishment. For the symbol on the pommel began to change color. The cross went from a dull silver to an explosion of brilliant blue in a flash, almost as if the sword was expressing its content at being in his hands.

Jack's eyes went wide in amazement at the feeling of power the sword gave him. He felt instantly energized, almost as if he could run through buildings with his sword, or slice one of his ships in two. The tremendous power in the blade filtered throughout his core, and the astonishing command of it spoke to his very soul.

"Good heavens," whispered Evelyn. "It's true. It's really him. The Galician King is here at last."

Jack could only look back at her with equal degrees of amazement and wonder.

*****

A short while later, Jack could only sit on the couch in silence. He still held the sword of the Galician king in his hands, now sheathed securely in the scabbard once more. The symbol on the pummel would still light up every time his hand passed over the grip, flashing a brilliant blue color in acknowledgment of its owner.

It was a heavy pill to swallow. At this point, the evidence was too overwhelming for him to ignore any longer. There was no way to fake the sword illuminating by his very touch, something it did for no one else in the room, even Vera. Evelyn's explanation was that it only did so for the true heir to the throne, and so far that reasoning checked out.

But when combined with everything else—the pictures, the backstory, the prophecy, it all became too much to ignore. In a way, it meant that his life was no longer his own. If what they told him was true, his life belonged as much to them as it did to him.

He wasn't sure if it was the revelation of that final piece to him, or the culmination of all that others that put him over the edge, but he'd had enough at that point. While the rest of the women chattered around him, he needed an escape.

He needed to be alone.

"I'm just going to go step outside for a while," he announced to the rest of them, as he put the sword back in its original box. "I just need some time to . . . think."

All four pairs of eyes were on him. He could see understanding in all of their eyes, but to his surprise, Kat gave him a look of confusion. It didn't help to sate his anger. If anyone should know what he was going through, it should be her. She was the one that kept it from him for so long.

"Can I join you, Jack?" asked Kat, making a motion to stand.

"No," he answered briskly. "I don't really want your company right now, Kat."

The words came out harsher than he meant it. Her body visibly stiffened, and her cheeks went red. He could tell she was instantly on the verge of tears, and part of him regretted being so hostile to her in that moment.

The other part of him thought she deserved it.

"It's okay, Jack," said Evelyn as she reached out to console Kat. "Take all the time you need. You'll find a small chair out on the back porch. I usually take it down to the water on calm evenings when I need some peace. You're welcome to do the same."

Jack nodded. "Thank you," he said before making his hasty exit. He gave one last look to Kat, now scrambling for something to wipe her eyes. There would be time for an apology later, but right now, he just needed to be alone.

He needed to figure out what this change would mean to his life. As he pulled the chair down to the waves and stared off across the ocean, the biggest question that kept popping up in his mind arose once more.

Why me?

*****

After some time had passed, Abigail got up from her seat in Evelyn's living room and looked out the window. It was long past dusk now, but she could still make out the sight of Jack sitting down by the water, deep in thought. He'd been out there for almost two hours by himself, not that she could blame him for wanting to be alone. She couldn't imagine what it might mean for him to be the last in a long line of dead kings.

When she returned to the rest of the girls, Kat looked up with puffy eyes. "Is he still okay out there?"

Abigail nodded. "As far as I can tell," she answered, gesturing for Kat to join her next to the couch. Kat followed weakly, still upset by Jack's anger. She'd cried for some time when he first went outside, only to be consoled by all of them in turn. While Abigail could understand Jack's anger, she also felt a degree of sympathy for the other woman in Jack's life. If anything, Kat was suffering now nearly as much as he was.

"It'll be all right, Kat," said Abigail as she rubbed her friend's back. "He'll be okay. It's a lot for him to take in, but he can't stay mad at you."

Evelyn nodded. "Abigail is right, Kat. The man just needs his space for the time being, but he'll come back to you. I saw the way he looked at you. It's not hard to tell he carries feelings for you." Evelyn then turned to look at Abigail. "For you too, my dear."

Abigail smiled. "As I have for him. It hit me by such a surprise to find myself falling for him, and I fought it for so long. Maybe too long now that I look back on it, but I finally stopped fighting it and learned to accept it. I've been happy with that decision ever since I made it."

"Fate works in mysterious ways," said Evelyn with a warm smile. "You always know when you find the one that you're meant to be with. Your body will be the one to tell you. The intense beating of your heart, the feeling in your mind, the aching in your muscles at being separated—it all warns you when you found someone whom you're meant to be with. I felt it so strongly with Will that even when he told me of his ancestry, I knew I was already sucked in. I had no choice to resist."

Abigail nodded. "That's how I feel with him. Like I couldn't resist him if I tried. I love him."

"As I'm sure he does you," said Evelyn sweetly. "For so long, Kat and I tried to decipher that line of prophecy. About the fair and dark seeds to understand what it meant. Now that you're here, it makes perfect sense."

Abigail gave her a look of confusion. "I'm sorry, I don't understand that. But, I've also never seen the prophecy."

Evelyn looked shocked. "Oh, forgive me then, dear, I thought you knew."

Kat lifted her head weakly. "I just shared parts of the prophecy with Jack, Evelyn. That's all."

"Well, that's no problem," said Evelyn before turning back to Abigail. "There is a line in the prophecy that says he would unite both dark and fair, giving seeds to both. After a long time, we wondered if it had to do with ancient Galician custom—that of having two wives."

"Two wives? So they used to do that?" asked Abigail.

"A long time ago," said Evelyn. "However, it largely died out as time went on and the kings became weaker. However, with Jack slated to be the strongest king of Galicia there ever was, it wouldn't be unusual for him to revive that ancient custom. Especially as it looks like it already manifested itself in the two of you."

Evelyn moved closer to both women and picked out a lock of their hair. "Dark and fair. Kat represents the Galician people and his ancestry. Abigail represents the Javan side of him, the side he knows best. In a way, you both are representative of the portions of his soul. Now that I see you both, I'm not surprised now by that passage of prophecy. In time, he will sire children with both of you."

Abigail's hand went to her stomach instinctively. "You're sure about this? Jack and I will have children?"

Evelyn smiled warmly. "The prophecy hasn't been wrong yet. I doubt it will start doing it now. How does that make you feel, my dear?"

Abigail gave her an embarrassed look. "Honestly, I'm thrilled by the idea." She looked out the window to see Jack again. "It's crept up so often in the back of my mind but I always wondered whether it would come true or not."

"With both of you, it will," said Evelyn. "You'll both give him children and continue the Galician line. It will be necessary, I'm afraid," she said as she turned away. "The prophecy is ambivalent about what his fate will be, unfortunately."

Vera sucked in her breath. "Who, Jack's?"

Evelyn nodded. "We know he will go up against the ultimate source of evil and unbalance in the world. At this time, we assume that will be the Swabians, but it doesn't tell if he will live or die in the attempt. It only makes reference to making sure he has heirs before he goes into that final battle. I have to assume that it was written that way for a reason."

"What does that mean? He'll die then?" Abigail asked weakly. "Are you sure about that?"

Evelyn shrugged. "I do not know. But I only ask that you not share this with him. Kat and I know because we've read the entire prophecy, however, he doesn't need to know. He doesn't need that extra burden."

Abigail's heart felt heavy as she looked back outside to Jack. She wanted to rush out to him and rush into his arms at the news yet she knew how hard it would be for her not to tell him. He had so much on his plate right now that he didn't need to worry about his own death too. One more thing could easily push him over the edge.

"I understand," said Abigail shakily. "I won't say anything."

"Neither will I," said Vera with tear-streaked eyes.

*****

Poor Kat did not stay awake that much longer after that last revelation. As she was falling asleep with tear-stained cheeks, it was Abigail that helped her to her main bedroom, leaving Vera alone with Evelyn. It was a surreal experience for the young Galician woman, sitting next to the woman whom she just found out was her maternal grandmother, but then again, most of the day had been surreal as well.

It wasn't hard to accept that there was truth to Evelyn's words, as hard as they were for her to accept, and Vera found herself wanting to know more about the newly discovered blood relation beside her. Even if she didn't know where to start.

"I'm sure it's been a trying day for you," said Evelyn when it was just the two of them. "I know it can't be easy to hear something that uproots everything that you know about your life."

Vera nodded. "I'm still getting used to it. For the longest time, I believed all my family to be dead. My father was my last living relative until the storm that took his life. I really did believe I was all alone in all of this. But to know that I have a brother and a grandmother still fills me hope. That maybe I can have a second chance?"

Evelyn beamed with a smile. "That's the way I see it as well. For so long, I didn't know if I would see you or Jack again." She reached out to squeeze Vera's hand. "Seeing the woman that you've turned into brings so much joy to my heart. I just wish your parents could see it too."

"I really wish I would've known them for longer," said Vera sadly. "Even though I understand why they did what they did, it still hurts that they feel like strangers to me. I just wish I could have gotten a chance to know them."

"By the nature of our circumstances, they had so little time to spend with you," said Evelyn regretfully. "Slightly more with Jack, but still no more than a year. I wish you could see them as I saw them—so full of life and love, not only for their family but for their children as well. They would do anything they could to protect you and Jack."

"I feel so insignificant in comparison," said Vera, wiping away a tear from her cheek. "That they loved me so much and yet I hardly know them."

"That's why I want you to have this," said Evelyn as she pressed the box of pictures into Vera's hands. "All of my pictures are in here. Everything that I have, including your parents from when they were younger, is in that box. I know it's a very small way to show you more about your family, but I really want you to have it."

Vera's eyes went wide. "Are you sure? I couldn't deprive you of your pictures. Especially this many." She wasn't wrong. The box was filled to the brim with a large pile of them.

Evelyn smiled. "I don't know how much longer I have for this world. I'm ninety years old, Vera. My day has passed. Part of me is just glad I lived long enough to see the people that you and Jack grew up to be. That's why I want you to have them. Family should get these pictures. And you're my family."

Vera pushed up from her seat and hugged the older woman soundly. "Thank you," she whispered. "I'm so glad to have met you. Even if it was just for today, I feel like you gave me a second chance. I loved my grandmother so much before she passed away. We spent so much time together, so much so that I felt her passing harder than most in my family. Now that I have you, in a way it feels like she never left."

"You'll have to tell me about your family, my dear. Everything that you remember. The passing of time dulls those memories after a long while, but I do strongly remember your adoptive father. Especially the look in his eyes when he held you for the first time. It was one of the saddest moments of my life to have to release you to him, but I knew you would be safe."

"At least we get this time now," said Vera with a sniffle. "We can attempt to make good on lost time."

"Now that is something that I would love," gushed Evelyn.

The two women talked about their respective lives for the next half hour. Vera told her grandmother all about her life in Galicia with her adoptive family, while Evelyn expanded on further details about Vera's parents, including stories and memories that she held for the better part of sixty years. Vera found herself alternating between crying and laughing as she listened to those stories, feeling the full range of emotions as she learned about her family. After some time, Evelyn did ask her about a topic that she dreaded to discuss.

"So one thing I haven't figured out yet is how you came to meet Jack?" asked the older woman. "Of all people in the world to run into, it amazes me that it was him. Not to mention the fact that you stuck with him after all these months. How did you two come to link up?"

Vera swallowed heavily. "It's not the best story, I'm afraid. I still shudder to think about it."

Evelyn nodded. "It's okay then. If you don't want to tell it."

Vera shook her head. "I think I can do it. It's just when the storm destroyed my father's boat and killed off the crew, I was the only survivor. We were close enough to Andalucia that I washed up on shore."

Evelyn let in a deep breath. "Good heavens, the Andalucians found you?"

Vera nodded. "This was before Jack became king. They made me a slave right away, and I was taken to Methusa to be sold. The man who bought me was a Sorellan agent of the now dead king Daimanos. For use in his . . . in his . . . harem."

Evelyn reached out to touch her hand. "It's okay, my dear."

Vera gulped. "That was so hard. Yes, I was alive, but I was treated like I was less than human. Then I had to become a whore." She hung her head in shame as the tears flowed freely once more.

Evelyn consoled her. "You had no choice in the matter, Vera. You did what you had to in order to stay alive. No one could fault you for that."

"At least it wasn't for that long. I was there for scarcely a month with that evil king when Jack killed him. He ended the civil war on Sorella, and he freed me from the harem. That was my first sight of him, the moment he came to free me."

"I'm sure you were happy to see him, no matter who he was."