The next few days filled Karigan with a positivity she hadn't felt in what seemed like an age. The meetings and diplomatic events had a certain rhythm and interest she found quite to her liking. It became clear to everyone as her confidence and participation grew that the king was manufacturing short and frequent sessions to accommodate her injuries. As she garnered more respect from the assembled staff they also naturally engineered breaks for her as well, offering her the chance to stand or sit more frequently. She was very grateful for their kindness. Perhaps most gratifying was the singular attention General Khodell gave her. By the second or third break he spent all of the allocated free time either with her or the king or in their company together.
He was increasingly enamoured by and attracted to Karigan and could feel an attachment of sorts beginning to develop, which surprised him deeply. Not least because he was already committed to a lovely lady at home whom, prior to this visit, he had thought would make him a most suitable wife, and was well chosen by his family. Yet after a few days in Karigan's company he was not so sure… Whilst she was courteous and fairly quiet at each meeting there were moments when she was intense, brazen and directed, and if she was lost in conversation during their breaks she was often animated and passionate. His interest was definitely piqued and he considered her with a soft smile as he dried himself after bathing, readying for the new day.
Karigan on the other hand felt unsettled. She was no doubt attracted to the General but knew that in a few days he would return to his kingdom and she probably wouldn't see him again. She was content with the feelings he inspired in her and their natural fade that would inevitably occur once he left. She was in no real danger. She was just enjoying the experience not least because it gave her a small amount of relief from her feelings for the king, which ebbed and pulsed below the surface no matter how hard she tried to keep her mind off him. But it was impossible to ignore them it seemed, since he was within breathing distance all day and all night as well. And therein lay the source of her discomfort. For though she gently welcomed Khodell's small advances and limited her contact with the king where she could, she felt rather than noticed that as the days passed he became more…hmm what was the word? Aggressive? Possessive? Protective? She shook her head. Well whatever it was, he was becoming more of it and that worried her lest anyone else noticed. She was convinced he had noticed Khodell's interest and his jealousy had inspired the subtle change. She didn't like it. In fact, it was starting to make her angry. Not the least because he was a married man and despite their unique situation he had no right to impinge on her chances of romance. And he had no right to threaten Sacoridia's relationship and chances for success with Rhovanny, just because of her, although she was too pragmatic to think it would really come to that. No, she didn't like this at all.
Her ruminations put her in a dark mood, which worsened as she entered the meeting room to see her chair had now been placed next to the king's. She bowed and Zachary smiled.
"Karigan, we have had to rearrange the maps and I had thought you might be able to see more easily from your new vantage point. Tallman does not mind." Karigan nodded silently to Tallman who winked at her. That caused her to crack a small smile. She liked the older man, he was nice and thoughtful.
"You are most considerate, Your Majesty," she replied softly.
She studiously avoided him the rest of the morning without seeming to but it was no good. Their proximity was like putting dried summer leaves on sparking embers. The undercurrent erupted and she felt energy surging between them. Honestly it was all she could do to keep her concentration on the task at hand. She wondered that the others didn't notice, and for a moment admired the king's composure, which led to doubts about whether it was all in her mind. Then he would stand to lean over and point something on the map, and his thigh would casually graze hers when it didn't need to and she had her answer.
The meetings finished early at midday and she escaped quickly, studiously avoiding both men. Her desire had thankfully fizzled half way through with the worry that pervaded the committee as their talk turned to the amount of food required to prepare for winters of war. She had no idea how they would manage. It quickly became clear to her that food was the single biggest fear for army generals. There were many mouths to feed, many mouths that would have traditionally been tilling the fields in order to feed the vast nation. And civilians still needed to eat as well, and not all crop yields were successful. How would they do it? It worried her when they calculated their tolerance limits for semi starving the civilian population in order to keep the front fortified. Aeryc save them.
As the conversations continued she had an idea and decided to speak to the king's trade advisor privately in the break about the potential for merchant trade lines along the coast. It was likely he had thought of this already but she brought a unique perspective and she was too nervous to discuss it in front of the seasoned group just yet.
Karigan snuck out during the lunch break and took the opportunity to lay on her bed considering the meetings, only to have a rider knock on her door. With a groan she hoisted herself up and shuffled to the door. It was one of the new riders and her face must have looked a sight, creased with pain. The new rider swallowed nervously and cleared his throat.
"Uh hi Karigan, sorry to disturb you but a General Khodell is in the common room and has asked to see you."
Karigan's eyes flew open. "Err thanks Tymin. I'll be right there."
She shut the door and quickly limped to the mirror, checking her hair was straight and un-rumpling her clothes. Taking a deep breath she exited her room and found the General looking around the common area with interest. He turned towards her and smiled in greeting. She smiled back.
"General, what a pleasure. What can I do for you?"
"I wanted to see the barracks of the rider troops. I must confess I find it quite unusual for such an outfit to be cloistered in the main castle area. At home we generally have separate barracks for military personnel."
Karigan shook her head sadly. "That is a sad tale sir. We did once upon a time. Would you like to see where we used to live and perhaps visit the horses?"
"I would be delighted."
Karigan led Khodell slowly down towards the site of the old barracks where the training camps were now set up. She told him the story of an Eletian named Shawdell and the grief and havoc he had caused amongst them. He murmured in sympathy when he saw the burnt edges of the barracks, which still remained in commemoration of the sad event. Eventually they ended up at the horse pen and Karigan squinted, trying to spot Condor. A familiar brown shape loomed in the distance. She cupped her hands around her mouth.
"Condor! Hey boy!" His ears pricked and he trotted over towards her. She leant over the pilings as far as she could manage to caress his cheek.
"This is Condor, my old rascal. He and I have been on a few adventures, haven't we boy?" Condor grunted in assent, casting a suspicious eye over General Khodell before lowering his great neck to graze on a juicy patch of grass.
Khodell laughed. "He does seem like on old veteran."
Their conversation lulled and both of them shifted in a moment of awkwardness before Karigan asked him to tell her a bit more about his estate. His eyes grew wide with pleasure as he painted a picture of his home.
"And over the north walls, the most wonderful vines grow. They are native to my province and in the spring the leaves turn a vibrant deep purple and green, and over the Summer Solstice huge white flowers begin to open. They track the progress of the sun, and greet me in the morning when I open my windows. At the end of the day, if I am able to enjoy a drink as the sun sets over the gardens, they wish me goodnight before closing their petals to start afresh the next day."
Karigan swapped tales of her home, filling his vision with the scent of sea spray and the loud noises of the working docks, the shouting sailors, the giggling children, and the gulls calling to each other through the summer breeze. He smiled in appreciation as she closed her eye for a moment, clearly enjoying the remembrance of her home. This simple act once more drew his attention to her right eye, which he regarded with compassion.
"Might I ask how your eye was damaged?"
Karigan's smile evaporated and she considered how to reply.
"I uh…a mirror was damaged and my eye got in the way. They weren't able to remove all of the shards and I lost vision in that eye. The patch is to stop the light entering so that the pain is lessened," she replied out loud. And to stop people seeing into my eye and deciding to keep it for themselves, she added in grim silence.
Khodell grimaced.
"That must be hard. I understand you have had considerable weapons training and I can imagine that adjusting your balance has been difficult."
She laughed shortly.
"Trust me, that's not the main problem with my training."
He smiled gently and lifted his hand to touch her cheek just under the patch.
"There are many ways to serve the people of your land, brave lady and they are just as dignified, even if they don't involve the sword. For instance, the information and experiences you have shared over the last few days is more valuable than you can imagine."
Karigan smiled, thrilled at his touch. He dropped his hand and stood for a moment longer before straightening and turning slightly to bow low. Karigan was confused at his sudden change in attitude for one moment. Hearing movement behind her she closed her eyes and groaned inwardly before turning around to perform her customary slight bow to her commander in chief. He seemed sterner than usual and Karigan saw his eyes fall protectively on her eye patch. She hastened into conversation.
"Your Majesty, I was just showing the General the old barracks site and telling him of Shawdell before we came to visit Condor. We were also discussing my unfortunate accident with the mirror in Riders quarters." She looked him directly in the face to reassure him she had not given away a state secret. When he heard her coded explanation telling him it was safe, his stance softened considerably and he turned with a charming smile towards the General.
"General Khodell, I am glad that you have had a personal tour of our grounds from my champion. Alas I suspect she may have other duties to attend to prior to our last function this evening so I would be happy to oblige you with the remainder of your tour with guidance from my companion, Counsellor Tallman, if you prefer?"
His message was clear. Karigan bowed to both men before heading up the trail towards rider barracks, her hands balled in anger. He had gone too far.