Disclaimer: I own none of the characters. They belong to Tamora Pierce.

I hope you like it.

Summary: A seventeen-year old Kalasin is going to Carthak to marry Kaddar. She contemplates on her duty and other various thoughts.

Chapter 1: Duty, Conversations and a Letter

Kalasin took one very last, fleeting glance at the country she called home. Her parents and siblings were standing there. They were not blowing kisses or wishing good luck to her, the real goodbyes had been said earlier that afternoon. She waved one, final time to her family and then went to join Lianne down below.

"It's not as if you'll never see them again, Kally. As long as you're in their hearts and they're in your hearts, you'll always be with them," Lianne told her pale sister.

"I know that Lianne. But Tortall is what I think of when I think of home," Kally retorted back.

"Let's see of what you think of home in a few years time," Lianne assured her.

"I need some fresh air," Kally suddenly murmured and left the room.

The sun was setting. There were clouds of red and gold, it was a sight to bring tears to your eyes. Kalasin was wearing a silky, pale blue travelling gown that matched her eyes and she wore a travelling cloak of an almost transparent aqua colour. If you glanced at her and into her face, you would've seen the face of one of the most beautiful girls ever to grace the world, and yet, her expression on her face gave you the impression that she was going to her doom.

Kalasin leaned slightly over the prow of the ship, a silent tear fell from her eyes and fell into the water. She wondered how many tears had fallen into the ocean, and whether they were tears of joy and sadness.

Duty

She hated that word more than any other. Duty, the reason she was going to Carthak to marry a foreign, powerful emperor. Duty was the reason she had to leave her family and treasured country behind. She hated duty, and yet, she would marry Kaddar if it was the last thing she could choose to do. She would do anything for her country, and that included leaving her friends and family behind to marry Kaddar.

She could hope that Kaddar would treat her well, but she had learnt something all those years with the Countess.

Never trust to hope. It will always let you down. You get to feel your world crashing like a broken bower, to have the walls of your mind an heart imprison you in a room with no door. There was no escape.

Perhaps she could grow to love her country. But nonetheless, she didn't believe she could ever love, no, not even that, she didn't believe she could ever like Kaddar.

One, final tear fell into the watery depths of the heartless ocean.

And, with that last, final tear Kalasin made a promise. She would always do her duty, but she promised herself that she wouldn't do it happily.

Little did she know, she would soon happily break that promise.

Kalasin sleepily aroused herself from the warmth of her bed. Lianne was looking kind-heartedly at her.

"Bad night," she assumed.

"None of your business, Lianne," snapped Kally. Then, seeing Lianne's hurt expression she added, "I'm just feeling a little stressed right now, sorry."

"That's okay," Lianne assured her. Then as if talking more to herself than to Kalasin she whispered, "I wonder how you'll feel about your marriage in a few years time."

"The same way I feel about it now," Kalasin retorted. However they both knew this was wrong.

Kalasin stared dully at the piece of paper in front of her. She then stared at the feather in her hand.

She decided to tell Thayet the truth, that's what mothers were for, right?

Dear Mother,

Our trip is so far reasonably common. I am going to warn you beforehand,

This is probably going to the most boring letter you are going to receive.

However, you asked me to write to you regularly and I am conscious that by the time it reaches you, I will already be in Carthak. I am sure (or I hope so) that you are worried for me. Will I back out of this decision? Will I lead a life of hidden misery and silent despair? Will I make sure I make myself unhappy? Have you and father made the right decision for me?

Now mother, I am going to answer those questions for you right now. I am positive that you have many more questions for me. Still, if I was a mother, these are the basic questions I would want to ask my daughter.

I would never back out of my duty, something I have been taught from my crib.

I will personally make sure that I am quite happy.

I am not that stupid to make myself unhappy.

And finally, I believe that you and father have made the right decision for me, instead of living in a country where I was loved from the second I was born, I get to make myself a new life, in a country where I was anything but loved, even disliked. This will be interesting and I am sure I will make interesting friends.

Mother, before I close our delightful correspondence ( I know I sound like an over bred noble) I want you to know that my family and friends back at home will never be forgotten and always cherished.

Love,

Your little Kally

Ps. I know I sound formal, I just wish I could actually speak to you face-to-face.

As Kalasin sealed the letter, a single, silent tear fell from her youthful, beautiful face and landed on the middle of the envelope. She knew it was fruitless to try and wipe it op. Besides, it wasn't exactly a tear of sadness; it was a tear of loneliness.

She stood up and walked to the stern prow of the ship. She glanced at the beauty of the red, gold and pink peals of light from the blue sky; and the loveliness of the sunset.

Kalasin thought, at least the sunsets are the same in Carthak.