The Place That We Call Home
by burn to ashe
"When it comes to how to live his life
He
can't be told
Says he's got it all under control
Thinks
he knows it's not a problem he's stuck with "
-"Carousel" by Linkin Park
Disclaimer – I do not own. Do not sue.
Author Notes – The lie changes in this chapter. I would like to point out that Raven is not found out, not at all. She still has time yet to work her lie into a really big one. But drama in this chapter, and Raven watches a wedding that has no meaning for her.
- - -
Chapter Twelve –
12.1
For all of the prince's party, the following week and a half were surreal at best. After that strange magical attack, the demon king withdrew his army and disappeared. No one heard tell of him, and the long range scouts could not find trace of them. The mood in the capital lifted immensely. Announcement of Koriand'r's impending wedding caused celebrations in the streets. Richard was already a great hero to the people, his wedding to their beloved princess was like a dream to most.
Richard went through the motions of preparing for a wedding with surprising ease, as if he were on autopilot. Raven recognized the glassy eyed look he often possessed, and she suspected that boded rather ill for his forthcoming nuptials. She might not believe he was doing something that would make him happy, but she more than most of their party understood doing one's duty, especially for the betterment of one's home.
She was the living archetype of that just now.
In a traditional Tamaranian wedding, it seemed, all of the bride's siblings are deeply involved. To solidify this, Richard asked Ryand'r to stand as his best man, and Richard also asked Victor to stand. It was a tiny party to stand for a prince, but Raven overheard that this was only the first wedding: the two must also be married by Gotham law and this ceremony would be repeated once they reached Gotham. That, she thought, was interesting. And tedious.
So the preparations went, but Raven found herself blissfully untouched by most of it. Only once did she have to succumb to tedious planning, and that is when a seamstress came to measure her for an appropriate gown. The prince had indicated that she would attend, of course (and despite their troubles to this point), and she needed something suiting to wear.
The dress they produced was simple, but well fit and hid her bandaged knee with a series of folds in the skirt. She found two deep pockets within those folds, and within one pocket a hand stitched handkerchief. She stared at it dryly for some time before she replaced it. She doubted she would be spending any of the prince's wedding crying her little heart out. If anything, she suspected it to be mind numbingly boring.
She was surprised by more than the wedding.
12.2
The morning of the ceremony the prince was swept off to his dressing chamber to prepare. His men were supposed to be with him, but Ryand'r excused himself, saying he would like to check on his sister and her own preparations. Richard nodded his approval without much thought to it, and Ryand'r left the room.
In reality, this was the first chance he'd had to talk to Raven alone and he wanted to take it before the ceremony began later in the day. He did not knock on the prince's chamber door, knowing where he was, but he did knock on Raven's door.
"Are you inside?" he called quietly. He heard movement inside, and a few moments later the door swung open. Raven was not yet dressed, he noted, and he smirked. "Get dressed for the wedding. I'm going to escort you there, and I want to talk." he said swiftly. She didn't say anything, despite her narrowed eyes, but she nodded and closed the door again. It only took her a few minutes to open the door again, and he marveled at how beautiful she was. Her hair, though, that would need work.
"We can talk while I pin up my hair." she explained after his disapproving look at it. She turned to her small vanity and grabbed a handful of hair pins. Ryand'r watched as she deftly worked them through her short hair until it resembled something presentable. "Well talk, Ryand'r." she said as she sent him a sidelong glance. He started and nodded.
"Right, I've been thinking. You want to eventually rally the allied kingdoms against Trigon, right?" He didn't wait for affirmation. "They will require from you some kind of... promise or... I don't know what the right term would be."
"Insurance. They'll want proof I'm not working for the bastard, or not going to take over and do just as he did." she said softly, darkly. Good, she'd already been thinking about this. Ryand'r nodded, and she turned away. "And I doubt it will be enough that I don't want Azarath for myself. I have no intention of ruling once it is conquered."
Ryand'r blinked. "What do you intend to do with it, then?" he asked incredulously.
"Azarath was once ruled by the priests of the Order of Azar. I intend to return their nation to them." she said as if she dared him to object. Ryand'r did not object, though. He had a sudden admiration for the girl, who had the strength to fight for something and then give it back to those whom it belonged to. She was stronger than she looked, than even she realized.
"That, my princess, is admirable."
She turned to look at him, and he saw sadness in her eyes for a split second, until fear backlit them. Forewarned, he turned and looked straight into the heated eyes of Prince Richard of Gotham.
"I think there is a massive amount of explaining to be done." Richard said dangerously.
12.3
Richard realized her had forgotten Bruce's dagger not more than ten minutes after Ryand'r left. Rather than send Victor to fetch it, he went himself, hoping to burn some of the nervous energy off. He might not be marrying the love of his eternal life, but he was still marrying a woman in less than a few hours, and he was a little nervous. He had once thought he'd have longer to prepare for the idea.
As he walked the hall from the preparation chamber to the his own, he did not study the walls or the people, he was too lost in his own world. It was only when he laid his hand on his own doorknob that he realized the door was already partially ajar, and he pushed it open just a bit.
The conversation he overheard made his blood run cold as molten fire. He moved slowly up behind the prince, silently, as he listened, until he was looking at the girl beyond Ryand'r.
"They will require from you some kind of... promise or... I don't know what the right term would be."
"Insurance. They'll want proof I'm not working for the bastard, or not going to take over and do just as he did. And I doubt it will be enough that I don't want Azarath for myself. I have no intention of ruling once it is conquered."
"What do you intend to do with it, then?"
"Azarath was once ruled by the priests of the Order of Azar. I intend to return their nation to them."
"That, my princess, is admirable."
At that, the girl turned and looked at him, her mouth falling open, and horror written on her face. Ryand'r turned, and paled considerably. The two were caught in whatever conspiracy they had been planning. He felt his temper soar, his teeth clench, and his eyes narrow. He took a step forward.
"I think there is a massive amount of explaining to do." he hissed. At his anger, Ryand'r stepped away. No, he stepped closer to this... this girl. This girl that he found himself unable to look at. "Who are you, really?" he asked dangerously as he descended on both of them.
She touched Ryand'r's arm, and shifted by him, moving stiffly on her swollen leg. She held her head up and looked right at him. "I am the daughter of the deposed High Priestess of Azarath." she said stiffly. That threw him for a loop. He'd expected denial, but no, she admitted to being caught.
"He called you a princess!" Richard yelled. She did not flinch. He'd heard the term 'princess' and suspected dark things from this girl. How could she be a princess? Or was he promising her that she would be? It sounded as much. He had suspected before that there was lust or affection growing between the two, and he had as good as proved it. With her deception and this new relationship between the two, he wasn't sure why he would bother protecting her further.
He may have reason to kill her for treason's sake soon.
"I am, of a kind. I was her heir, her only child. In a sense, I am a princess, though we use no such words in Azarath." she said. Something about her story felt wrong, and Richard looked at Ryand'r with hard eyes.
"And you've known she was lying. How did you find out?" he demanded.
"I saw her when I went to Azarath months back. When she appeared here, I recognized her. She had no choice but to come out to me with her true identity." Ryand'r explained, quietly. The younger prince did not seem ready to jump into the middle of this conflict, but perhaps he would if Richard moved threateningly upon Rachel's person.
Richard looked between them. "Why lie to me?" he asked dangerously.
"I did not think you would trust me, if you knew who I was. I needed the escort to Gotham, so I had to lie." she looked small and desperate for him to believe her. He wasn't sure that he didn't. It fit, all of it fit into his different qualms with her original story. "I lied so I could save my people, Prince." she said softly. She stood before him, awaiting his judgment. "If that is wrong, then I do not regret my wrongdoing."
He let out a breath. Her story seemed solid, as far as he could tell. Despite his anger. It would even fit with his suspicions concerning how hurt she'd gotten so shortly ago. If Trigon were trying to stop her, silence her, then he would do what he had to do to see her dead. It was a miracle she survived this far.
"What is your real name, then?" he asked softly, neutrally.
"Rachel Arella." she replied. She paused. "You believe me, then?"
"For now, unless you give me reason not to. You must inform the king and queen as to who you are." he ordered. She inclined her head, but she did not bow he noticed. He wondered if she ever had to him. He wondered why he had never noticed.
"I will do as you ask, Prince Richard."
Richard hesitated and turned to go. "Ryand'r, come. We have to finish getting ready." Ryand'r followed as he left, and he did not look back at the girl who caused so much trouble for him.
12.4
When they left, Raven sank down onto the carpet, feeling a million pounds of fear float off of her. It still left a great weight. She closed her eyes, and for the first time since this adventure started she felt like crying. She had no way to know if the prince would trust her now. A little carelessness could now have destroyed all hope she had of reaching Gotham and getting the aid of their king.
She felt her knee protest the weight, and knew that she could not give into her despondency now. She must attend the wedding, and she wondered if it would be best to find the royal party before or after to explain who she was. She determined very quickly it would be best to wait until after. Let them have their beautiful daughter's wedding in peace.
She left the room, not willing to be caught alone here if Richard returned for any reason. While he'd said he believed her, she wasn't willing to stand for a cross-examination just yet. So she hobbled her way to the grand church, where the wedding would commence. Several footmen offered to help her, but despite the pain it caused she moved alone. She was shown to a seat by a young Tamaranian child, and took it gratefully, stretching one leg out ahead of the other.
She waited for some time on the ceremony. She had not been seated with Tara or Garfield, and she realized why when she saw them seated after her, farther back in the audience. Raven settled into her seat, and only perked up when she saw Victor and Ryand'r take their positions. He sought her in the crowd, looking greatly troubled. Raven felt her chest tighten. She hadn't meant to get him in trouble.
The wedding began almost on time, and Raven was surprised at that. She was hyper alert when Richard took his place beside his men and waited, with stoic eyes never once turning in her direction. Raven's breathing was labored as she watched him, and she would not discuss why even with herself. Richard looked presentable. He had not brought wedding garb with him, but some to suit had been made for him with all haste in the last weeks.
Koriand'r wore a beautiful gown, and Raven found herself believing that this woman could be a queen for Gotham, and a beautiful one. After all, as long as she kept her mind to herself, the men in Gotham would adore her. Raven was not as fond of a nation run by men for men, with women treated as second class citizens.
She shook that off as she listened to the proceedings. They were all in an old tongue of Tamaran, and Raven doubted even Richard knew what was going on. That made her smirk. She liked the idle of the arrogant prince feeling off put once in awhile. It would do him only good.
For all Raven could muster to care, it felt as if this wedding were a sham, more so already than most arranged marriages were. Raven's empathy should have been overwhelmed at such a gathering. It was not, and that surprised her. She felt no love from Richard for his bride, merely the after effects of her lie and his anger. From Kori she sensed infatuation but not even an overwhelming crush, merely the acknowledgment that she could love him and would in the coming months and years. It was sickening to realize there was so little emotion in this.
The wedding might have lasted a century as far as Raven was concerned, but by the time the bridal party made their way back down the aisle, and the guests were allowed to leave, Raven's knee was too stiff to bend. She stumbled in the press of people, wishing for a helpful footman now. She received none, and only managed to hobble out of the way of the crowd when they exited, finding a cool corner to perch in, watching the goings-on.
She looked for the king or queen, but predictably did not find them. They had long since retreated to a private room with the married parties. In a few minutes, a banquet would commence, and the royal parties would be present. Raven did not feel much like celebrating, and decided she would not. She returned to her room instead, and curled up on her bed, feeling exhausted and sick and in pain, and worst of all, unsure that all she'd done so far would mean anything in the morning.
