Fathoms of Forgiveness (Sacred Breath, Book 2) Read Online Free PDF Page A

us that he could not approve. He said he saw only heartache in the future for us. Our marriage would not last; he said I needed a man who would follow me, not one who would compete with me for control. Vachlan was too strong.”
    “It is necessary for a man to be powerful in his own right, yet to always honor his wife’s decisions. My husband was like this.”
    “Your husband was a marvelous man,” Visola said mournfully. “He was always right beside you, always helping and supporting you. He would never do the dishonorable things Vachlan did; he would never have left you when you were pregnant . When he vanished, I nearly lost my mind… Aazuria took care of me, and she probably saved my life. She told me that my baby would love me more than Vachlan ever had, and more than anyone ever could; because that was the way a child loved their mother. She was right. Having Alcie made everything better, and made everything worth it. I spent years searching her face for signs of Vachlan. I would see his ghost in her expressions when she was happiest. When she smiled so wide that her cheeks dimpled. Those proud high cheekbones of hers, and her angular jaw. It was like having a little part of him still with me, you know? My little Alcie… everything was fine until I lost her too.”
    “You have found her once more, Visola. As mothers, we all must deal with the pain of separation from our children. Most men do not feel this connection to their young as strongly. Pain can either break you down, or give you great strength.”
    “I’m not sure whether I experienced the former or latter.” Visola gave her friend a small smile before taking another drink of sake.
    “You wonder this?” Amabie asked with a laugh. “Ask anyone whether you are strong, Visola. Ask anyone whether they know anyone stronger than you. Then you shall know.”
    “Maybe. I really wish I were more like my sister,” Visola said. “When we were little, I used to lie in bed beside her for hours before we fell asleep. I would look at her, and think about how strange it was that she looked exactly like me. I would put my hands and feet beside hers and search for the slightest differences.” Visola stared off at the wall, lost in remembrance. “Most of all though, I would wonder if her thoughts were the same as mine. If her dreams were the same as mine. I had no way of knowing. Did we both have the same aches and pains at the same time, the same pleasures and joys?” Visola refilled their cups. “Now I know we don’t. Sionna has all the light inside of her, and I have the darkness. She has all the purity, and I have the dirt. She likes to talk about how we were once both the same cell. Well, when that cell cleaved itself in half, it may have resulted in identical chromosomes, but the soul… the very soul of that cell did not separate identically. She got all the good stuff. She’s a fucking paragon, and I am a… parasite.”
    “No, dear friend. Sionna may be a paragon, but if so, you are a paradigm . You are the quintessence of everything a victorious general, friend, and mother should be…”
    “Mother!” Visola barked. “I ruined my daughter’s life! Because of me she was in a mental institution for forty years…”
    “And because of you she fell in love and gave birth to two strong sons. Both of whom are now in training to carry on your family’s great tradition! Everything happens for a reason, Visola. You cannot deny this. Every decision you make cannot be the right one, but as long as the positive repercussions balance with or outnumber the negative ones, you are making progress. Progress is all we can hope for, and it is what you are best at achieving.”
    “You are just saying that…”
    “No!” Queen Amabie said, standing up and raising herself to her full height. She swayed slightly on her feet, indicating that she was a bit tipsy. “You are like the great Empress Jingk!”
    “Who?” Visola asked curiously.
    “Empress Jingk was