Early in the morning, Samuel waited atop the hill at the park. The sun had risen, but a chill still sat in the air. Other teenagers were in their morning class by now, he figured, and it was too early for parents to bring their toddlers and babies to the park. Right now, the entire park, the hill and trees, and everything surrounding, where his to enjoy in solitude. He considered resting against a tree, using his backpack as a pillow, and getting a little more sleep, but he wanted to be awake when his guests arrived.
An hour had passed since Samuel reached the part, and in that time he watched teenagers hurrying to get to school before the sun peaked up from the east. He relaxed, and enjoyed the crisp, dew-scented morning air. In the next hour, he thought about Aureum and its inhabitants. “Piñole and Bernard are about my age, and Arle and Alfalfa are closer to Sarah’s, I think. Ceciliate has to be in her early twenties. I can’t get over how much Arle’s grown, though. I guess Sarah and I have, too, but it’s amazing what four years can do.”
From his vantage point on the hill, Samuel easily noticed a trio entering the park area. Two had black hair, the older with her hair in a ponytail on either side. The other, the oldest of the three, had blond hair, and she carried a cloth sack on her back, the straps over her shoulders much like Samuels’ backpack. Samuel hurried down the hill to greet them.
“It’s good to see everyone again,” Samuel said as he greeted them.
“I’m here for the jewel,” Piñole said before anything else could be said.
“Stop it, Piñole,” Arle scolded. “I already told you, this is your vacation. The jewels can wait.” She turned to Samuel. “I’m sorry about that. She really does have the best intentions for our home in her heart.”
“I understand. And how are you, Ceciliate?” he asked.
Ceciliate looked down and to the side.
“Is something wrong?” Samuel asked her.
“Slaves are to be seen and not heard,” Piñole explained.
“Nonesense,” Samuel said. He took Ceciliate’s hands in hers. Her hands were cold in the morning compared with Samuel’s warm hands. She looked at him, about to say something, but she stopped herself. She started again to speak, but stopped her self once more, before looking away again. “Here where I live, our position and status in life isn’t tied to our families. It’s tied to each person as an individual. If I say, ‘I’m Samuel Seamair’, probably no one will know who I am. Anyone who does know me, either personally or because they’ve heard of me, will judge me on the things I’ve done, and the reputation that’s gotten for me. The same will be true for the three of you while you are here. You will all be equals during your stay.”
“Do you expect a young queen to truly act as an equal to a slave?” Piñole asked him.
“Have it your way,” Samuel said back, slipping his hands back. He placed his left hand to his side, and his right hand up to his forehead in a salute. “As the acting representative of Earth, and holder of one of the rainbow jewels here on Earth, I demote Queen Piñole to commoner. I demote Princess Arle to commoner. I promote Ceciliate to commoner. None of these demotions or promotions carry over away from the Earth, as I only have jurisdiction here. Tell me, Piñole, do you still have issues?”
“I understand. Ceciliate Medic, as he has stated, we are of equal status here. Nothing you say or do will carry over when we return home.”
“Any words, Ceciliate?” Samuel asked, leaning over to look her in the eyes.
She smiled. “Please, call me Cecilia. It’s less formal, more friendly.”
Samuel took his backpack from his pack, and pulled a small laptop computer from it. “I’ve documented all the places to check on selling things. I’ll keep track of the offers we receive, then we can sell to each place for the best deals.” He looked at the outfits the girls wore. Piñole and Arle wore fancy, multi-layer dresses, Piñole’s looking more like royalty. Ceciliate wore a plain shirt and dress, made out of material common to slaves. “First thing we’ll have to do is get you three some new clothes. You’ll attract a bit of attention, like when I spotted Arle the other day.”
