Unconventional

Bryn hated keeping secrets, but if anyone found out about her relationship with Ajax and alerted the council leaders, they’d be in serious trouble. You see, on the planet Orh-Neon Prime, women were simply allocated life partners by the council leaders and love was seen as a pointless endeavor.

The Ichor people had once embraced love, but then the big war wiped out a large number of their populace and the breeding system was put into place. On a female’s twenty-fifth birthday, she is partnered with her mate and expected to conceive in order to rebuild their wavering civilization.

Falling for Ajax hadn’t been a choice, Bryn didn’t even know if she believed love existed and yet he had managed to win her heart. Their relationship was unconventional and went against everything the council’s laws told them, but the connection they had was strong.

Making her way through the small village she called home, Bryn headed down to the stream to collect some water and smiled when she spotted Ajax crouched by the water's edge. Moving towards him, Bryn coughed as she approached and sat down beside him.

“Morning,” Bryn said, using her hands to gather some water and drinking the cool liquid.

“Morning,” Ajax replied, glancing over at Bryn and offering her a warm smile.

“Is there something wrong?”

“My father has the sickness,” Ajax mumbled, causing Bryn’s eyes to widen in shock, “It is only mild, but the council know and are already discussing his fate.”

“They can help him though, right?” Bryn added.

“I don’t think so,” Ajax told her, “I heard them talking to my mum and they were saying that they can’t afford for anyone else to get ill… they are thinking about banishing him from the village.”

“Just like they did with Kala’s uncle.”

“If they banish him… me and my family are going with him.”

“You’ll never be allowed back into the village,” Bryn argued.

“I know,” Ajax whispered, glancing over at Bryn and quickly looking down at the ground.

Bryn sat in silence, staring at the stream and fighting back the tears that were threatening to fall. If Ajax left with his father, Bryn would never see him again and that thought alone sent panic coursing through her body.

“I’ll go with you,” Bryn stated, looking over at Ajax and meeting his eye, “I want to go with you.”

“You can’t Bryn,” Ajax replied, “I have no idea what we will face and I will not put you in danger… you mean too much to me.”

“So, you will just leave me behind?”

“I will leave you knowing that you are safe.”

“You promised that no matter what happened you would never leave me behind… you said that we would always be together,” Bryn reminded him, feeling the tears form in her eyes, “You told me that you’d find a way for us to be together.”

“Bryn…” Ajax said, looking around to make sure that no-one was close enough to overhear, “I…”

“Ajax!” someone shouted, causing him to jump up and run towards the village with Bryn close behind him.

As soon as Bryn came to a stop in front of Ajax’s mother, she knew what the council had decided and her heart sunk. As she watched Ajax comfort his mum, she felt a tear slide slowly down her cheek and knew that it was the end of their relationship.

Backing away, Bryn slipped from the crowd and returned to her small shack that the council had given her. Lying on the blanket she had on the floor as a bed, she allowed her heart to grieve and was surprised by the fact that it hurt… her heart physically ached.

Bryn didn’t say goodbye the day Ajax and his family were made to leave, but he left her a message. It didn’t say much; just that he was sorry and that he hoped that she could one day forgive him for breaking the promises he had made.

It had been a few months since Ajax had left and although it no longer hurt to think of him, Bryn missed him every day. She missed his laugh and the walks they would take in the woods just to be alone together, but most of all she missed the way he made her feel… like she was special.

She was heading to the stream, when a hand was placed over her mouth and she was dragged into the woods. As she struggled to get free from her captor, a familiar scent hit her nose and she instantly froze.

“It’s just me,” Ajax whispered in her ear, removing his hand and smiling when Bryn turned to face him.

Unable to decide whether she wanted to slap him for leaving or kiss him, Bryn threw herself into his open arms. His arms automatically engulfed her as she wrapped her own around his neck, his warmth a huge relief against the icy chill of the night and Bryn relaxed in his hold.

“What are you doing here?” Bryn asked into his chest, “If you get caught here… you know what they’ll do to you.”

“I know, but I needed to ask you something,” Ajax stated, pulling back a little to look at her, “I told my parents about us and my mum told me that if I truly believed in what we had, then you should be there with us… I came back for you, Bryn.”

“It hurt when you left and for a while, I hated you,” Bryn admitted, “Then I realized that you were just trying to protect me… that our relationship wasn’t over just because you weren’t with me.”

“I never meant to hurt you.”

“I know and the truth is… I’d follow you anywhere,” Bryn mumbled.

Ajax smiled down at her and kissed her forehead, stroking her cheek with his thumb. Bryn wasn’t afraid of admitting how she felt… not to him.

“We don’t have long,” Ajax said, “Go pack what you need and meet me at our spot.”

Bryn nodded, making her way back to her home and packing up her stuff. She didn’t have much, some clothes, a picture of her deceased parents and the blanket that she slept on was about it.

Without another glance around the shack she had called home for eight years, Bryn quietly left the village and hiked through the dark woods to where Ajax was waiting. Smiling, he held out his hand for her to take and she took it, watching as Ajax entwined their fingers.

The future wasn’t clear and things were going to be hard, but they at least had each other.