Outskirts of a village, Altiplaria. 

"Dally, love. Where are you?" Mittaz frolicked across the hall in search of his beloved wife. Wrinkles formed around his eyes as he grinned with delight. Today was a special day—a Centenary Day—marking the hundredth day since the birth of his son and a day to name the child. 
 
Dally was nursing his son at the back of their little hut. "Yes?" She asked, reciprocating with the same excitement Mittaz felt. Her cheeks blushed, her blue orbs glittered, and her pink lips pulled into a wide grin—a sight Mittaz had loved since the day his eyes fell on her. 
 
"It's time for their arrival. Give him to me." Mittaz stretched his hands forward. 
 
Dally unhooked the baby from her breasts and wrapped him in a cosy cotton towel. Mittaz dropped his grin a bit. The baby should've been wrapped in gold, emerald, or pearl-studded satin cloth. Instead, it was just a plain, half-worn-out cloth.
 
The baby knew no difference. It closed its eyes and entered a deep slumber after feeding its stomach full. Mittaz couldn't ignore it though.

He promised his son that when he grows up, he will be capable of achieving anything he desires. Mittaz would see to it that it happened. He took the baby with gentle care and planted a small kiss on the baby's tiny eyes as a promise of his resolution. 
 
Dally adjusted her gown. She squinted her eyes and raised her palm to shield from the sun at daybreak. The sun rays bounced off her soft red curls, adding glitter to the faint freckles on her pale skin. Her thin pink lips stretched to accommodate all her tenderness as she said, "The day is bright, isn't it?" In the sweetest tone that he had ever heard of. 
 
There was something in the air that carried love and bliss today. Even the murky vegetable garden in the backyard didn't bother him like it usually did.
 
There wasn't a single temple or a single Haven Lord Mittaz hadn't prayed for this winter day to be brighter than the blazing solstice: a blue sky clear enough to bestow the Haven Lords' solar blessings upon the people, and green leaves swaying in the gentle breeze as cuckoos sang praises about the gods—a sign of auspiciousness. A miracle of the almighty. His wish had come true at last. 
 
This was the only thing he could wish for after being banished by the entire village. An inevitable destiny it was. He knew it from the day his heart fell for the beautiful lady standing in front of him. She knew it too. Nevertheless, she chose him. 
 
Dally went inside the hut to receive their guests, and Mittaz followed her soon. 
 
Dally never complained, nor once regretted marrying him. From the moment she opened her eyes in this world, everything laid at her feet—food, gold, and jewels. All she had to do was ask for it. People say he was lucky to have such a loving wife. Glancing at the interiors of their tiny hut, he couldn't agree more. 
 
The hut wasn't opulent—an old, deserted one no one dared to undertake after the mysterious death of its old tenet. Mittaz avoided this for the same reason. He could endure the streets, struggle for the last piece of rice one day at a time, and even resort to begging if he was forced to. But if Dally chose to tread on the heels of such a life for him. . .Mittaz would die.
 
He had no choice but to take shelter in this hut. It was only temporary. Once he found an employer that could employ exiles like him, they would leave the hut behind and embark on a new life. 
 
Their life in the hut wasn't unpleasant. It gave him some memorable moments to remember. Like their first step as a married couple, their first intimacy, their first small vegetable garden at the back, and many more. Out of all, the day Dally yelled in delight with a hand on her belly was when he finally had the courage to leave the harrowing past behind and welcome the future with hope. 
 
If life were a shred of thorns, he would wake up with a smile as long as Dally and their son stayed with him. They were his strengths and weaknesses. They were his everything now. 
 
A flock of guests arrived at the doorstep. Their attire reflected their status in Savernia. Pastel-coloured clothes with gold prints that ended with meticulously trimmed ends. Their attire mocked Mittaz's shabby clothes without uttering a word.

"Eternal Solstice, brother." Dally greeted,  bowing to her eldest brother, Jaulo.

Jaulo stood ahead of the crowd. His nine siblings stood in his shadows. He didn't reciprocate her greeting.

The rarest pearls around his neck jiggled and silvery threads of his lavish garments glittered in the sun. Not just the eldest brother, all his siblings held their heads high as if the splendor in their clothes and sapphire on their bodies supported their necks from dropping down.

Some of his brothers flashed their golden rings and bracelets at Mittaz.
Mittaz, standing behind Dally, brooded more patience today than ever to help him remain silent.  It was better if he didn't speak unless he was addressed.
 
"Oh, my Dally! You've lost weight!" Dally's younger sister, Maulo, broke the silent humiliation. She stepped forward from the shadows of Jaulo and her several brothers to hug Dally like she always did. 
 
This tiny gesture comforted Mittaz more than he thought it would. There was atleast one person from Dally's family who didn't see her as rust on iron. 
 
"Ah! He keeps my days full. I need your guidance about motherhood, Maulo. . .Everyone, please come in. Make yourself at home." Dally gestured for them to enter. 
 
Jaulo eyed the hut moved, without turning his neck. In one glance he inspected the interiors of the hut. He grimaced when he saw the damp ceiling and peeling wallpaper. Then he went to settle in one of the wooden chairs at the farthest corner from Mittaz and the baby without uttering a word. The rest of his siblings gathered around him like ants on sugar. 
 
Mittaz clenched his teeth and averted his head to hide his expression. That arrogant Savernian attitude bothered him every time. It was always a filter for respect that he never seemed to get past. 
 
Born on Altiplarian soil, he never thought he'd marry a Savernian. Inter-clan unions weren't condemned officially. In fact, the clanholders advocated it to build unity and stability in the country.  It was what lay buried in the eyes of the spectators that decided their fate.
 
Mittaz never understand what was so repulsive about this union that it needed the banishment of people like him. If maintaining the purity of the clan's bloodline was so important, what was the motivation behind promoting such unions? Smile when curtains drop and stab when curtains closed? The clanholders might as well have forbidden the union in the first place. 
 
Dally's eyes were searching for someone in the flock. 
 
"Don't be disappointed, Dally," Maulo comforted. "I tried to persuade them. But you know how orthodox our parents are," she explained, holding Dally's hands in hers.
 
"Yeah. I know how much father is. At least I expected mother to come," Dally replied in a dispirited tone. 
 
"Well, we are all here for you, Dally. Let's celebrate the day with joy." Dally's other sister, Paulo, pulled her cheeks into a smile. Dally didn't oppose, but her eyes were downcast.
 
"Hmm,"she mumbled. Then took a few minutes to gather herself before grinning again. "Who wants to see the baby first?" 
 

The delightful mood returned. She took the baby from Mittaz's hands showed it to her sisters with eagerness. 
 
Mittaz placed as much distance as possible between himself and Dally's brothers. Half due to fear of getting lynched again, and the other half to avoid unnecessary disputes. 

He had no birthright to have pride. Life taught him that. He wished for the world to see each other's hearts rather than the size of money sachets or the richness of the energies flowing in their veins. The more he looked at the scene in front of him, the more that wish grew distant. 
 
Life wasn't easy after being thrown into exile. They had to move from one village to another, juggling to eat at least one meal per day. On top of that, Dally's family had severed all ties with her. She felt alone and had no one to talk to when Mittaz left her to earn coins for a few days. Every time he looked at her, there was so much pain. Yet her smile never dwindled. 
 
Dally indulged in motherly talk with her sisters. Jaulo and his brothers discussed it among themselves. Mittaz was never invited. If this was what it took to make Dally happy, he'd do it a thousand times.
 
Meanwhile, an old couple in their mid-sixties arrived. Mittaz ignored the party he never belonged to and went to receive them. 
 
"Father! Mother! Eternal Solstices!" He greeted. It was his turn to be the happiest person in the room. 
 
Mittaz's mother took him into her arms and planted a deep kiss on his cheek. "Oh, Mittaz! Eternal Solstices to you too. Where is my grandson?" 
 
Dally came out when they broke the hug. "Eternal Solstices to you, mother and father. He is playing with my sisters. Please come in, mother." Dally beamed, gesturing for her to enter.
 
Mittaz's father, Dattaz, placed a hand on his back and they began to pace in front of the hut. "Did you see to it that everything's up to standard? Savernians don't like laziness," Dattaz reminded him.
 
Mittaz stiffened under the touch. What his father said was true.
 
Altiplarians radiated generosity and hospitality. They believed a warm hug and a kind heart would rid a person of all the troubles. They celebrated their festivals grandly and forgave with ease. These beliefs helped Mittaz look past the harsh treatment of Dally's family. 
 
Savernians drew a bitter line and threw these ideologies to the back of their minds. They promoted evolution and peace over other principles. To Altiplarians, these beliefs sounded ambitious and selfish. Even though the two empires share a common border and drink from the same river, their hearts stood in stark contrast to each other. 
 
Mittaz couldn't understand Savernians at all. When one won't shower mercy, why fight for peace? He pondered upon this for a long time before giving up and going with the flow.
 
He shook his head to get rid of all these thoughts and replied. "Yes, father. Everything is ready."
 
"I am sure you'd get it done. You are our pride, Mittaz. Does your wife appreciate all this?" 

Mittaz searched his memories for a moment when Dally's yelled at him for bringing cotton clothes instead of silk brocades, or when he unwillingly made her starve because of his incapability. There were none of such moments. This surprised him. "I hope so," he replied. He'd be branded as a fool if he thought her smile would last forever.  "She is happy to see our families together. It's a first. Jaulo is still very stiff. He didn't even care to greet her. And I am invisible as always." He was distressed. The truth was always difficult to acknowledge. 
 
"We can't expect anything more. There is a first for everything, Mittaz," Dattaz's encouraged.

Mittaz along with his father were welcomed to a strange sight inside the hut.  Like he wished, both their families were present in the same room. When his mother approached to hold his son, Jaulo ordered his sisters to withdraw. They threw distressed glances at the baby as they retreated. He felt like a transparent veil parting the room into two, where one side couldn't communicate with the other.
 

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The sun stood directly above their heads, casting the smallest shadow of the day. Mittaz announced the arrival of the auspicious time and gestured for everyone to set out on a journey to the nearest temple. 
 
Jaulo and his siblings hopped onto their sophisticated horses, while Mittaz and his family sat in a rented old carriage. 
 
Mittaz remembered the first time he saw her in Altiplaria. She stepped out of the carriage, wearing an elegant blue velvet gown with white laces with her red curls dancing around her waist. She was the most beautiful, gracious woman he had ever seen. Perhaps this was called love at first sight. 
 
He'd sneak up to talk to her whenever possible, despite wearing worn-out clothes. And she'd smile at him, her cheeks turning red with blush. They confessed their love for each other and made several promises about having a future together. 
 
On the day of Dally's return to Savernia, she asked him to wait for her, and he did. Several years have passed since then. She didn't return. He almost gave up.
 
One evening, Dally appeared on his doorstep in unkempt clothes and hair, clutching her luggage. Mittaz was at the top of the world upon seeing her again. But she dropped the luggage and cried her heart out on his chest as she told him about how her family gave her an ultimatum to choose between them and him.

His whole body shuddered. This moment changed his life forever. Her sufferings took over his boyish thoughts and occupied his entire mind. For the first time, he understood the meaning of loving someone unconditionally.

Initially, Mittaz's parents hesitated to accept a girl from a different clan. He had a hard time convincing them. Not until they heard the news about Dally's pregnancy did they brush off their convictions and welcome her.  
 
The situation was very different with Dally's family. They disowned her. Cut her off of the inheritance. Maulo tried to support her secretly. But the rest of her siblings didn't care if she was alive. 

The carriage halted. Mittaz stepped down and noticed the temple standing right in front of him. There was no fence or maze of chambers surrounding the sanctum like those famous temples in the capital. It consisted of a single room, smaller than his own hut.

There were no devotees apart from themselves. From what he had heard, the temple was built especially for outcast couples like them. Maybe the Haven Lord was telling him to rejoice for having this bare minimum at least.

The blazing solar rays fell through a circular opening in the ceiling and concentrated at the center of the stone floor. There were depictions of the Haven Lords and their grand tales painted on the walls—not in gold, not in silver but in faded and dull colours. Everything he saw inside reflected the pain and loneliness in his heart.

Contrary to this, the sanctum was tidy and neat. At least there was a priest.

Jaulo's face drained of colour with one look at the temple. Mittaz dropped his head and didn't dare to meet him. After being exiled from the village, this was all he could afford. 
 
"Where are the Oak leaves, brother?" Mittaz heard one of Jaulo's brothers murmur into Jaulo's ears. 
 
Jaulo snorted. "Those pesky Alitplarians use the Nivermar River's water instead of the Oak leaves. Another absurd thing!" He replied with disgust. 
 
Dattaz, being the eldest of the people present there, explained  in a friendly tone, "Everyone worshipped the Nivermar river before your capital was shifted to Azsinelli, mate. No one worshipped the Oak tree till then."
 
"Don't teach us about our own history!" Jaulo snapped. "We have been worshipping the auspicious Oak tree since the Haven Lords created this world. Only a fool will dismiss its medicinal value for some contaminated water. And I am not your mate."
 
Dattaz dropped his amiable tone on witnessing Jaulo's curt response. "Nivermar River isn't contaminated. It was you, Savernians, who abandoned her. What do you think powers your crops?"
 
A quarrel was the last thing Mittaz had wished for. He stepped forward.  "Everyone, please calm down. This is the only temple that accepted us. I request everyone to respect the traditions this temple follows." Mittaz's gentle manner helped to alleviate the tension and bring the silent avoidance back.
 
The priest placed an earthen water bowl at the centre of the sanctum directly under the solar rays. He took the baby
from Dally's hands and dipped it to its neck in the Nivermar River water. The moment the sun's rays touched its chubby cheeks, a tiny smile spread on its cute little lips. 
 
Mittaz's heart melted. It was a sight to die for. 
 
"Aww!" Dally's sisters cooed.

Savernians clasped their hands to pray, while Altiplarians kowtowed. 
 
"May the Haven Lords' blessing be with you," the priest chanted.
 
"Benison," the rest of them echoed. 

After a considerable amount of silence, everyone opened their eyes when the priest informed them, "It's time to name the baby."
 
Only one word struck Mittaz's mind when he looked at his son lying in the water with his eyes closed, enjoying the warmth. "Havey." 
 
Malo remarked, "Aha! 'Blessing of the Haven Lords'. The name is so apt. Marvellous!"  
 
Cheers roared from the throng. Jaulo smiled while looking at the baby. Mittaz's heart to start expecting more on seeing this smile.
 
When the priest brought the baby back, Mittaz gestured for him to hand it to Jaulo. Jaulo didn't hesitate or deny. He held Havey with the utmost care and tenderness.  
 
Mittaz could live without getting accepted by Dally's family. Seeing how Jaulo responded, he hoped at least Havey would be loved by both families.
 
The ride from the temple to their little hut was joyous. Mittaz left early to make preparations for the feast in their hut. He set the tables, chairs, delicious dishes, and fruits around a bonfire at the front of the hut.
 
He heard the rumbling from the carriage and the clopping of the horses getting louder and louder. 
 
The first one to return was Dally. She ran towards him, screaming his name. Mittaz was worried. "Calm down! Did anything happen?" he asked.
 
Dally was panting. Instead of tears, she had a wide grin on her face. "This isn't the time to calm down!" She yelled. "Do you know what happened? Jaulo was holding our little Havey all the way from the temple to the hut! And he came back on foot! On foot, Mittaz, on foot!" Dally screamed at the top of her voice. 
 
Mittaz couldn't believe what he heard. He asked her to repeat everything again. Dally jumped up and down with joy as she narrated everything again and again. 
 
A ping of satisfaction emerged in his heart. It didn't matter how the day had started anymore. This little piece of news concealed all the painful wounds in his heart. After all, love transcends all materialistic things in this world. He always believed in it and hoped for it, and it finally happened.
 
He took Dally's cheeks in his hands. "Calm down. We need to serve the guests first. We can celebrate this achievement after that." Even though he said those words, he didn't bother to follow them. Happiness was too much to contain. He kissed her.
 
Dally wrapped her arms around his neck and returned the kiss. "Yes, dear husband. Let's do that tonight." She giggled and went outside.

 
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Mittaz escorted the guests to their seats and started the bonfire, while Dally took the sleeping Havey from Jaulo's hands and went into the hut to place him in the crib. 
 
Dattaz and Jaulo sat opposite each other while their respective families settled beside them. They never interacted after the argument at the temple and never looked at each other.
 
"Dally, where is the rice bun?" Jaulo asked. This was the first time he addressed Dally like an elder brother talking to his sister: sweet and tender. Mittaz found himself enjoying the interaction a bit more than he should have.
 
"Let me get it," he said as he stopped Dally and signalled her to stay beside Jaulo. 
 
Mittaz walked into the kitchen, located at the back of the hut. He pulled out the lid of a container and tasted one bun first. He wanted to make sure the buns were the tastiest thing Jaulo would taste tonight. The Haven Lords might've been drizzling him with blessings. The rice bun Dally made was so delicious that it could melt anyone's heart. Rejoicing and satisfied, he started walking towards the entrance.
 
A sudden, harrowing shrill pierced through the air. Mittaz panicked. He rushed outside, and the horror he witnessed infected all the happy memories he made.
 
Jaulo's brothers held a heaving Jaulo down as fresh blood dropped from the corners of his mouth. His meticulously woven, rich, and colourful tunic was drenched in crimson liquid. Anger plastered across his sneer. Opposite him, a dead corpse lay flat on the ground with its face obstructed by Dally, his mother, and Malo kneeling beside the body.
 
Mittaz's hands shivered. There was only one person he hadn't spotted yet. He took hesitant steps towards the corpse, wishing it not to be the one he thought it was. The rice bun tin dropped on the ground, spilling the buns on the bed of blood flowing from the corpse. Dattaz lay motionless in the crimson pool with his eyes closed, and his breathing stopped. 
 
The most important person in his life was dead. He pushed Malo away. "Don't you dare touch him!" 
 
"I am really sorry for your loss," Malo cried, and she apologised for her incapacity to stop the murder. 
 
"I don't care! You all are murderers! Leave my house this instant!" Mittaz yelled at the Savernians.

Savernians didn't keep quiet. They fought with him and accused Dattaz of drawing the first blood.

"I don't care what happened. My father is dead! Can anyone of you bring him back?" They snatched his last moments with his father without any warning. In front of this, nothing mattered, including Dally's joy. He was torn apart. Pride and clans defeated life again.
 
Amidst the chaos, Dally's eyes fell on the empty crib at the threshold. "Where is Havey?" She asked with a shaky voice.
 
Mittaz's attention was pulled away. He ran into the house, turned every tin, and flipped every blanket. His little Havey was nowhere to be found.

His legs gave in. He collapsed onto his knees as his heart sank deeper into turmoil. He clutched the empty crib closer to his chest while witnessing his father's blood staining the front yard of his hut. 

The burning questions rang like a deafening bell in his mind. Should he forsake the last rites of Dattaz in order to search for his son? Or should he abandon Havey to bury his father?

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