Chapter Ten
The door had just barely shut behind them before Cassandra was laughing.
"Talk about a first impression!"
Nel hung her head in her hands, shameful, "I can't believe that just happened."
"Oh please, at least he's got a grasp of the real you now," Cassandra scoffed, but was still chuckling a little, "Any man you marry has to know that your work comes first."
Nel just groaned.
Her friend smirked, "Ok, I had someone start you a bath on our way up here. They shouldn't be long."
"Thank you." she muttered, still not looking up.
The younger girl held back another laugh, "So what did you think of him?"
Nel took a deep breath, thinking it over and attempting to ignore her own embarrassment, "He seems very polite. And kind."
"And easy on the eyes?" the princess quipped, congratulating herself when Nel's face, now fully resembling a tomato, shot up to glare at her.
She couldn't hold her laugh back anymore after that, "What? You noticed too!"
"T-That doesn't mean anything!"
"Means you noticed," Cassandra teased. It wasn't often (or ever really) that she got to tease her friend about a boy and she was going to enjoy it as much as she could.
Nel's face simply fell back in her hands. She has resigned herself to being permanently red for the rest of her life.
"Well, at least you've met now. The hard part is over and you've got an entire month to get to know each other before the wedding." Cassandra said encouragingly.
Nel gave a shaky breath, thinking over her words, before lifting her head back up, whispering, "That's true."
Cassandra smiled at her before making her way over to the closet, "So, we are all but declaring tonight's dinner to be a formal event, so we'll have to dress you up."
"So a potato sack?" Nel huffed.
The princess rolled her eyes, "Funny. You really don't look that bad. It was just a shock…and smell…that surprised us."
Nel groaned, "A jar broke and I got covered in medicine. That's all it really is."
"Right." she raised an eyebrow disbelievingly, "Either way, Selethen seemed to understand and I'm sure he's seen worse. It'll be fine."
'So says the girl who doesn't have five countries depending on her.'
As if she could read her thoughts, Cassandra gave her a light glare before yanking the closet doors open.
They were both silent for a long moment, looking over the scant options available.
"Do you have any clothes that you don't work in?"
Nel eyed her wardrobe critically. She had an equal amount of shirts, pants, and dresses, but it had never occurred to her until just now exactly how bland and practical it all was. Varying shades of white, brown, and gray, she chose her clothes based on comfort and use, not aesthetics. The only thing that even looked remotely different was an old green shirt of Gilan's that he had forgotten at the cabin when he graduated. It was very long and she used it as a nightgown when none of hers were clean.
Eventually she spoke up, "I have a few things being made, but they won't be ready for another few days."
"A few things?" her friend asked.
"Dresses and such," Nel said quietly, "I knew I needed new ones, so when the tailors took my measurements, I ordered a few more. But, well, they've been very busy so I don't have them yet."
Cassandra sighed, "Oh well, we'll figure something out. I'll look through my closet and find something while you're in the bath."
"Um, Cass, thank you for the offer, but we aren't…the same size." Nel said a little hesitantly, not wanting to offend her friend.
Cassandra rolled her eyes, "I know that, but I do have a few dresses that are a little bigger in that area."
She glanced down to Nel's chest awkwardly, looking away just as quickly.
The shy girl let out a resigned huff. While both of them were in shape, there was no doubt that Nel's bust was bigger than Cassandra's, a fact that Nel bemoaned as it meant she was stuck wearing a torturing corset everyday while the princess could get away with tight, but far more comfortable, wraps when there were no formal events.
Shaking her head, Cassandra continued, "Anyway, they should fit. Even if they're tight, it should be fine for one night. If not, we can ask to borrow something from Pauline."
"Thanks." Nel said quietly, closing the closet doors.
"Anytime." Cassandra smiled, "I'll see you in a bit so we can get you all beautiful for your new man."
She winked teasingly as Nel sputtered after her, almost running out the door with a laugh.
Nel groaned, not rushing after her.
She'd just met the man she was going to marry…looking like she just got in a fight with a bunch of street thugs.
She groaned yet again. In Cassandra's words: talk about a first impression.
She hadn't been lying when she said that he had seemed polite and kind. But she had been too embarrassed to notice much else about him. That was certainly not how she had wanted their first meeting to go. Especially after the panic attack in town right before that.
She could only hope that dinner would go better.
The princess didn't even bother knocking when she came back, holding the dress in her arms and shooing the maids away. Nel watched her with a resigned impression. Their friendship, despite the years apart, was still the same, so she really didn't mind the familiar attitude. Honestly, she was expecting it.
"This one is the closest I had to your size," she said, holding the piece of fabric out to her, "Although I did stop by the castle tailors and seamstresses and put a rush on what you ordered."
"Thank you." Nel mumbled, taking the dress. Making sure that the door was closed, she stripped off the nightgown she had been wearing until her friend arrived. She already had her underclothes on and quickly slipped the silk fabric over her head.
Going to the mirror, she adjusted the dress as best she could. It was tighter than she preferred, but there wasn't anything she could do about that. The dress, matching both Nel and Cassandra's tastes, was very simple. Neither of them could see the point in wearing overly extravagant clothes. It was a dark forest green with no sleeves, but gathered a bit at the waist where a small brooch was pinned on the left side. Definitely an improvement to her previous appearance.
"It's beautiful." she whispered gently, hugging her arms.
Cassandra smiled, "So are you. Now what do you say we finish getting ready?"
She reached for the hair brush on the vanity, but stopped when Nel placed her hand on her arm, "Thank you."
Her smile widened and she hugged her tightly, "Anytime."
No one said a word other than the expected pleasantries when they sat down and halfway through dinner. Unlike the previous meals, Nel didn't end up taking any extra seat that was available, but was given a seat of honor. She was next to the king, but her father on the other side and Selethen across from her, sitting next to the Emrikir. Crowley, Gilan, Cassandra, and a man she hadn't met before named Aloom were also seated nearby. The rest of the delegates and guests were seated around them, mostly watching them. Erak in particular was glaring daggers their way, mostly at Duncan and Atanyan. The only reason that he hadn't said anything yet was because Pauline had threatened to hide the ale from him until the wedding if he said anything to jeopardize the situation.
Needless to say, the universe had decided that the soon-to-be couple's first meeting hadn't been nearly awkward enough and was making up for it now. Nel wasn't sure there was any more small talk in the world that anyone could say right now.
"So…" Cassandra said, obviously trying to diffuse the uncomfortable silence, "How long have you been a Wakir?"
Apparently, Nel was wrong.
"Only a few years," Selethen said, smiling politely, "I was appointed when the previous Wakir passed."
"Appointed? Titles aren't inherited in Arrida?" Crowley asked curiously.
"Typically, yes. But Faisal, the old Wakir, never married and had no heirs," Atanyan explained, "He had no relatives either, even distant ones. In those rare cases, a new Wakir is appointed."
Duncan nodded his understanding, "It's the same here in Araluen. The only real exception is the Ranger Corps."
"I'm afraid I don't know much about the Rangers." Selethen admitted, "Only vague rumors that I've heard whispered about."
"You listen to rumors much?" Halt asked, staring intently at him.
Nel winced at her father's words, also catching the Emrikir bristling at the implied tone.
Selethen met Halt's gaze evenly, "All rumors have some basis in truth. Do I put much stock in them? Of course not. But I'd be a fool to ignore possible information."
"And what 'possible information' have you heard about Rangers?" Halt kept his expression even as well, never letting his mask slip once.
"That you are expert archers. Can make yourself disappear. Many think you use some form of dark magic." he said bluntly.
"Do you believe that?"
"Of course not." he said immediately, "I may be a religious man, but that doesn't mean I believe in magic. Personally, I think it's very possible that you have some sort of skill that you keep very secret, probably using the rumors of magic to your advantage to scare people. It's what I would do in that case."
Halt held back a smirk. That was a tactic that he had used many times. Not very many people had caught onto it, let alone someone who hadn't actually seen a Ranger in action. The two men looked at each other evenly before simultaneously returning to their food. The rest of the room followed their lead uncomfortably.
"I don't know much about Arrida," Gilan spoke up, trying to bring a friendly feeling back to the conversation, "What's it like?"
"Peaceful for the most part," Selethen said, "Arrida hasn't been in a major conflict in years. Most of our daily tasks have to do with imports and trading with other countries."
"Al Shabah is a major port town." Atanyan put in, "It's on the coast, meaning most ships decide to make land there instead of sailing to trade further on."
"Al Shabah?" Cassandra asked.
"The region of land the Wakir presides over," the man named Aloom explained, "Al Shabah is the town."
"Aren't there other towns in the area?"
Selethen shook his head, "Water is a rare resource in the desert. Most settlements are built around a freshwater source. As such, each leader might look after a large region, but there is typically only one city in each area."
Cassandra frowned, thoughtful, "Must make travel difficult."
"Sometimes," Selethen agreed, "We are lucky enough to have a few places in the desert that allow us to stock up on water, although the same cannot be said for the south. Those lands remain impassable. As long as you know where the wells are, travel doesn't have to be difficult."
The other Arridi at the table nodded their agreement.
"I've heard of sandstorms." Crowley said, leaning forward eagerly, "The most we deal with here is snow and thunderstorms."
Selethen smiled at the Ranger's enthusiasm, "I've never been in a snow or thunderstorm, so I'm not sure I could compare them, but yes, sandstorms do present their own problems. If you don't know what to do during them, they can be very dangerous. We were in one about a week before we left Arrida."
He gestured to himself and Aloom who nodded, speaking up, "We were on a patrol a few hours outside of town. Storm took us by surprise. The wind blows sand everywhere and it seems like a thousand tiny knives are attacking you."
Cassandra shivered at the thought, "Sounds horrible. I'm glad we've never had to deal with one."
"What are snowstorms like?" Selethen asked, looking between all of the Araluens curiously.
"Cold." was Gilan's automatic response, causing most of them to laugh.
"The snow seems never ending," Crowley explained, "and the wind only makes things worse. The hardest part of a snowstorm though is when it's over."
"When it's over?" Aloom asked, obviously confused.
Crowley nodded, "The snow doesn't go away. It sits and stays for weeks on end, burying roads and buildings, freezing everything pretty much. It takes hours for us to clear the streets, sometimes days. And if the snow stays on top of the buildings for too long, they can cave in, ceilings destroyed."
"Winters sound very difficult here." Selethen said sympathetically.
Duncan shrugged, "They can be, but we've gotten used to them."
They nodded and then the group fell into a more companionable silence after that, eating happily. Duncan's cook may not have been Jenny or Master Chubb, but they were skilled nonetheless and Nel was enjoying the savory flavors of the lamb they ate.
Her attention was drawn away when she felt the king's foot nudge her own. Looking at him curiously, she caught him giving her a very pointed look, glancing over to Selethen.
The message was clear. He wanted her to say something.
Nel had kept silent and simply listened during the conversation as she typically did, but apparently Duncan didn't want her to be seen as rude.
Nel sighed to herself, thinking over anything she could possibly say.
"So, um, you were out on a patrol?"
Brilliant. Stating the obvious. Not embarrassing at all. Nel fought to keep the blush off her cheeks as every eye suddenly turned towards her. She wasn't used to being the center of attention and she prayed that Selethen would answer quickly.
Either he saw her blatant discomfort or someone was listening to her prayers because he spoke up soon after.
"Yes. I stayed on as Captain of the Guard after I was appointed and I join at least one of the patrols every week."
"Why?" Gilan asked, "Aren't you busy as a Wakir?"
Selethen smirked, but acknowledged his point, "Yes, but I did enjoy being Captain. Besides, I can't imagine being stuck behind a desk all day, every day. I'm much more…active than that I suppose. Plus, it keeps my skills sharp. It's hard to lead men into battle if you rarely wield a sword yourself."
The other soldiers around the room could only agree with his statement.
"Are there a lot of battles in Arrida then?" Halt asked, tone incredibly nonchalant.
The Wakir raised his eyebrow at him, "If you are asking if your daughter is going to be safe in Arrida, you can rest assured, she will be. I will not allow any harm to come to her."
Nel bit her tongue, trying not to groan. Her father was normally much more subtle than this, but his current verbal attack that Selethen had basically called him out on wasn't going to help anything tonight. If anything, judging by the way Atanyan was looking unpleasantly at Duncan, it might make things worse.
"Not what I was asking, although that is good to know." Halt smiled back at him, but it never reached his eyes.
Selethen, for his part, watched him for a few moments, as if scrutinizing, before deciding it was safe to answer, "We deal with the same issues every town does. Criminals, smugglers, raiders. There are the Tualaghi as well, a group of bandits and criminals who roam the desert and prey on small groups of travelers."
Halt nodded, accepting the answer.
"Everyone in Al Shabah appreciates the Wakir's hard work," Aloom put in, "He has earned all of our loyalty."
"I believe you," Duncan smiled genuinely, "That's the sign of a good leader."
"Thank you, your majesty."
With everyone in a much better mood, they all turned back to their food once again.
Nel was counting down the minutes until the dinner was over.
"You could give him a chance." Nel said softly as she and her dad walked back to her room after dinner. He didn't normally walk with her after a meal, but Nel wasn't surprised by his hovering. With her fiance actually in the castle now, she suspected that her father was going to be spending a lot more time around her.
"A chance?" Halt scoffed, "You want me to give him a chance?"
"Yes," she kept her eyes on the floor as they walked, "I'm getting married to him. He's going to be your son-in-law. You'll have to learn to get along."
Halt huffed, not responding.
Nel sighed to herself. She didn't expect her father's behavior to change overnight, but hopefully, she could at least try.
"He's in the same situation as me," she whispered, still not looking at him. She didn't look at Halt directly when she talked like this, when she stood up for something. It was always just easier to say these types of things without seeing his face. She didn't know why exactly, but it was what she had always done. "I'd say it's even harder for him."
"How so?" he asked.
She shrugged, hugging herself gently, "He didn't ask to marry me. He's being ordered to. And he doesn't exactly have his very overprotective and threatening family here to help him get through this."
He grumbled to himself, not wanting to admit that she had a point.
Nel kept talking though, "Normally you would see that right away, but you're sort of blinded right now."
"Blinded?" He sounded insulted.
Nel sighed again, stopping in her tracks and finally looking at him, trying to stop herself from shaking. Standing up to her father was always very difficult, especially when he was looking at her like he was right now, like he could see right through her and all her walls.
"Y-You're getting too personal. Th-This marriage is a business deal and you need to start seeing it that way. I love you, so much…but I don't need my dad just yet. I…I need you to be a Ranger. Please."
"You're my daughter," he stated it bluntly, but his tone was affectionate. He reached forward, taking hold of her hand, "I will always take things personally when you're involved. I can't see this as just a business deal."
She opened her mouth to protest, but he cut her off quickly, "But I'll try. Gorlog's breath, you're the only one who can even get that much out of me."
Nel smiled, hugging him tightly.
"Thank you," she whispered.
Halt rolled his eyes, but hugged her back.
Pulling apart, they continued walking. A moment later she asked, "You like him, don't you?"
Halt huffed again, "I don't want to. I really don't want to."
"But you do." she smiled.
"Yes," he begrudgingly admitted, quickly adding, "But that doesn't mean I approve of him."
Nel's smile only grew, "You wouldn't be my dad if you approved after only one meal."
Halt smirked very proudly at her words, "What about you? Do you like him?"
Nel was silent for a long moment, thinking it over. Eventually, she said, "I don't know. I think that he seems like a good man. He certainly has earned people's loyalty. But I don't know him yet."
"Well, you've got some time before the wedding to get to know each other."
"Hmm," Nel hummed, nodding her head in agreement. Already scenarios were running through her head. What if they spent time together, but then discovered that they weren't compatible? What if she did something more embarrassing than she already had and he hated her? What if he decided to annul the marriage? What if-
Her dad's arm went across her shoulders, pulling her in for another hug and tearing her away from her thoughts.
"It'll be ok," he said gently.
Nel smiled again, "Thank you dad."
She didn't know how, but hearing him say those words somehow made her believe it.