Chapter Thirty Nine

Professor: Two chapters in a day. Hope you enjoy it!

'We've finally had the stupid wedding rehearsal! I don't think I've ever seen the queen look so relieved.

Ferris, before we began, came up to apologize to me for his comments the other day. It was easy to tell that someone was forcing him to apologize, although I don't know if it was his father or brother. Either way, I accepted with as much politeness as I could muster. Mother would've been proud.

We both knew that everything we were saying to each other was nothing but a pack of lies, but we are going to be family after tomorrow and he is a prince of Clonmel. It is for the best if we can at least pretend to get along.

I'm getting married tomorrow…I almost can't believe it. Have two years really passed already?'

'Halt and I got married yesterday! I didn't have a chance to write anything yesterday, we were so busy, but we finally got married!

I wish I could be more excited though. Instead I'm just filled with dread.

Halt has spent almost our entire marriage sick in bed. He's sleeping right now. He woke up a little earlier and had some light broth, but that was it. The doctors say that it isn't serious and he should be fine in a day or so. Halt insists that it's just because of something he ate and he just feels tired, but I'm still worried.

I've already lost my father and my mother to illness. I absolutely cannot lose my husband to it as well.

To distract myself, I'm going to write everything down here. This time no one is going to get me to leave the room, no matter how sick someone is. I'm staying by his side until he is well.

The ceremony was beautiful, the queen did an amazing job, especially considering how little help I was in planning it, and Caitlyn gave the most wonderful speech. I feel like she has been my sister for far longer than today, but I am so glad that it is official now. (As far as my new brother goes, he disappeared right after the ceremony, not that I'm complaining.) I was even able to forget exactly how large the guest list was, as crazy as it sounds.

I blushed my entire way through my vows, but Halt was worse. His face was stained red the entire day! I couldn't stop smiling at him, even after our dance. I am a horrible dancer, despite two years of lessons, but no matter how many times I stepped on his foot, I couldn't stop smiling! Something must be wrong with me.

Shortly after that is when Halt became sick. We stopped greeting people long enough to get some food. I swear, Halt only had a couple bites of his shrimp before he became violently ill. We were rushed out and doctors called for. They insist that he's going to be fine, that people often have that reaction to seafood. However, I've seen Halt eat fish before and he was always perfectly fine. Maybe it was severely undercooked this time?

Once the doctors left (with strict orders that Halt is to remain in bed, resting) Halt immediately disobeyed them. He leapt out of bed and reached for a small package on his desk. He gave it to me, but I refused to open it until he was settled between the covers once again.

The gift wasn't anything fancy, just a simple emerald pendant that he said belonged to his grandmother, but I love it. Halt remembered my birthday, he said he knew no one else would remember that, but he wanted to make sure that we celebrated it somehow. I love it, and him, so much.

Lately, I've had a lot of, well, hope and faith that our marriage will work out, but after that, the way he spoke last night, it was the first time I thought Halt might believe it too.'

'Married life seems to be just as frustrating as unmarried life, only now, someone else suffers with me. Factor in our 'Royal Duties' and preparation/training for Halt's and I's coronation in a year, and the past week has been nothing but miserable. I don't understand how some rulers have lived their entire lives like this! Especially without going insane!

Halt feeling better has been my only consolation this week. Illness has finally lost and not taken someone I care about.

Except for getting ill, I feel as if Halt has it worse than I do. His father is making him lead a peace negotiation between three of the other kings about some land rights. He hasn't said it outright, but this is a test for Halt.

And Halt, he hates it. We talk late into the night and he's admitted how much he hates royal life, how he wishes he had been born second.

It's something I completely understand.

Royalty may have the greatest privilege, but we also have the greatest prison.'

'Ferris came to us at breakfast today with a horrid bouquet of tulips that he meant as an apology gift to me. Ferris went on and on about how he was just mad that I'd punched him and that Halt was moving onto the next stage of his life without him.

It sounded like a load of horse crap to me and I could tell that Halt didn't believe it either, but what else could we do but accept? Besides, he is Halt's brother and I know he wants to see the best in every member of his family. Halt refuses to give up on anyone he cares about and I love him for that.

Ferris invited us both on a boat ride tomorrow. I wasn't sad at all when I had to decline as I already have plans with Caitlyn, but Halt accepted. I tried convincing him not to go, but Halt wouldn't listen. He wants to hope for the best with Ferris. I can't say I blame him. If it was my brother, I'd probably be exactly the same way. I just hope he's right.'

"What do you think?" Selethen asked eagerly.

Nel chewed slowly, carefully processing the flavors of…whatever it was he just handed her. He hadn't actually said.

The tang was pleasant, but the aftertaste was far too bitter. Making a face, Nel just shook her head.

"Really?" he asked, almost skeptically, "That's one of the most popular festival foods here."

Nel shrugged a little as a response.

He reached for another tray, grabbing what looked like a small square of bread, much to the amusement of the vendor. She had been watching them for almost ten minutes as Selethen insisted Nel try everything there.

This new food was more of a dessert than anything, flaky bread layers with honey and cinnamon. Nel's face immediately broke into a smile and he laughed, "Knew you'd like this one!"

"I didn't peg you as a festival food supporter." Nel laughed as he bought some of it.

"The food is the only reason to go to a festival!"

"The rest of the celebration? Seeing friends and family?" she tried to point out.

"Added bonus."

Nel snorted and they began walking down the street again. They weren't the only ones. People everywhere filled the streets. Vendors, dancers, actors, game stalls. There were races happening just outside town and music coming from every direction. Appetizing smells from the various foods enticed everyone to keep moving and stopping at most stalls to see what was on display.

"Where to next?!" she asked, raising her voice to be heard over a set of nearby drums. A few kids were right next to them, dancing to the beat with large, gleeful smiles.

"Anywhere you want! We've got all day!"

"And this goes into the night?!"

"Sometimes till morning!" he laughed again, pulling her past the musicians so they wouldn't have to yell anymore, "It's one of the biggest celebrations we have. There's a massive parade at sundown that everyone comes to watch."

Nel opened her mouth to respond, but fell speechless, completely forgetting about the conversation, as she caught sight of one of the dancers ahead of them. It was a tall woman in flowing purple clothes, swaying and moving gracefully to the flute music. Nel couldn't decide if she looked like she was floating or flying across the stones, watching as she twirled before bowing low.

The crowd burst into applause and Nel quickly joined in. A few were tossing coins towards the bucket next to the flute player and she couldn't help but do the same, still amazed.

"That was amazing!"

"It's a simple dance, an old traditional one here," Selethen explained before smirking at her, "Although not one I suggest you try. Knowing you, you'd twist both your ankle and the ankle of anyone watching nearby."

Nel's mouth dropped open and he just laughed, grabbing her wrist to pull her down a side street, "Come on, you'll love this."

Almost fifteen minutes later, following him through a maze of streets and people, they finally stopped at what had to be the second largest building in Mararoc. It was very similar in looks to the palace, just on a smaller scale. However, there were less of the history pillars and not as many of the decorative mosaics. Nel took that to mean that the building was fairly new.

"What is this?"

"The university." he said, "I didn't want to forget to bring you here. You really wanted to visit."

"Th-This is the medical university?!" she burst out in shock, "It's huge! How many students go here?!"

"I think close to 5,000 at a time?" Selethen answered, rubbing his chin as he thought about it, "Not all of them are medical students, but at least half of them are. And there is a constant medical staff here who, like Yasmine said, are constantly developing new medicine and studying the human body. I know they keep an indoor garden for certain herbs and that tower in the back corner? That's just the library, filled with mostly medical texts. At least, that's what Maajid says."

"That's the library?!" Nel stared at it, agape.

"Yes?" he sounded very confused at her reaction, "Are you ok?"

"..."

"What was that?"

"I haven't studied nearly enough." she whispered, still staring at the huge tower, "How can I call myself a doctor when there is so much I don't know? So much I never even considered, thought of, any of it?"

"What do you mean? You've studied for years."

"Nothing. I know nothing. Those years were child's play."

Selethen looked at her very uncertainly, wary of the way her voice just dropped. Had she even blinked? "Do you…want to go in?"

Nel gave him a Look.

The horses' hooves pounded on the ground, thundering as they raced around the track. The crowd cheered as the black stallion surged ahead at the last moment, barely overtaking the lead horse and winning.

Selethen joined in with the groans as the horse he'd bet on lost.

"How much?" Aloom asked with a laugh.

"A few reels." he sighed, "Not that bad. You?"

He shrugged, "Bets closed before I could get there."

"Lucky man."

Aloom snorted as they left the stands, the officials getting ready for the next race. "What are you doing here anyway? I thought you and Nel were spending the day together."

"I made the mistake of showing her the library at the university." Selethen said, "She'll be lost in those books for a while."

"Could be worse."

"Very true. You should've seen her though. It was like nothing else existed once she got there." he laughed at the memory.

Aloom joined in, "Well, at least you can take comfort knowing that your wife and children will all be smarter than you."

"Yeah, cause I need more people knowing how much of an idiot I am."

"Trust me Sel, everyone knows." he said, clapping him on the back.

Selethen rolled his eyes at his old friend, following as he left the racetrack, "If I remember right, you were the one who started me on that 'idiot' path. After all, it was your bright idea to sneak into that very racetrack when we were ten and attempt to try being one of the jockeys."

"Yeah, but you were the one who told the Emrikir that the horses got wild and we were just trying to rein them in!"

"Would've worked too, if you hadn't started laughing!"

"I did not!"

"Yes, you did!" Selethen snorted, "You always laugh whenever you're lying! That's why I refuse to play cards with you!"

"That's why?" Aloom asked with a raised eyebrow, "I thought it was because I kept taking all your money?"

"I gave it to you out of pity."

"Sure, whatever lets you sleep at night."

The two men had made it to the market, passing numerous vendors calling out for them to buy anything and everything. Selethen loved this festival. Festivals in general were great, but this one in particular marked an end to a long, hard year of work, which he could more than appreciate. It had been years since he returned to Mararoc for the celebration and he had almost forgotten how busy it could get, even during war people were coming everywhere for it.

"Have you seen your family since we got here?" he asked.

"Last night." Aloom answered, "My sister is pregnant, again. My father's illness finally abated and he's on the mend. My mother has yet another match for me to meet this evening."

Selethen smirked, "You don't sound terribly excited."

Aloom sighed, "She does this everytime I visit. She's even had me meet a few ladies in Al Shabah! It's insane!"

"Are you ever going to say yes to any of them?"

"Not if I can help it." he huffed. They stepped around one of the performances in the street before he continued, "All of them are just the same. You could exchange any of those women with each other and I wouldn't be able to tell them apart. Besides, my mother's only insisting I marry so she can have more grandkids, as if my sister hasn't given her enough."

"Do you not want kids?" Selethen asked, honestly curious. Children were something he had never talked about with Aloom before, not seriously.

Aloom, for his part, just shrugged, "Not really. I have Mesi and Samura. I know they're technically my cousins, but with their father gone, I'm the closest they have. If I didn't have them, maybe it would be different, but I do have them and that's good enough for me."

"But not good enough for her."

"Nothing's ever good enough for that woman." he huffed again, "I love my mother, but she doesn't seem to understand that I just have no interest in being married!"

Selethen laughed again. At least now he could officially tell Nellie why Aloom never married. "You know, marriage isn't that bad."

"Ah yes, remind me of your fights with Nellie again? Or maybe more of you denying how in love with her you are?" Aloom asked cheekily. Selethen rolled his eyes, but that didn't stop his friend's next question, "What about you? Any god-kids on the way for me?"

"None, much to Atanyan's disappointment."

"He'll get over it." Aloom said reassuringly.

"I hope so." Selethen groaned, rolling his shoulders a little uncomfortably, "I didn't tell Nel, but last night he ordered me to provide an heir."

"What?" Aloom looked at him, completely shaken, "Why would he do that? I thought he didn't even like kids?"

"He doesn't." Selethen agreed as they turned down a, thankfully, much less crowded street, "After he took me in, he just let Yasmine raise me until I was about 12 or 13, but he's been laying on the guilt too, talking about how I'm the closest thing he has to a son, despite years of trying. Yasmine's the one who loves kids. Not having any of her own has always torn her up."

"That's so strange. Why order you to have a child? Could it be for Yasmine, a grandchild to make her happy?"

He just shrugged, having no answer for that.

"Ok, ignoring the Emrikir's strange fascination with your possible children, why didn't you tell Nellie?" Aloom asked.

"For starters, Halt was there when we were talking about it. The man already doesn't trust me, I'm not going to make it worse by letting him know I've been ordered to bed his daughter." Selethen told him, holding back a grumble, "And Nel and I are finally starting to get along, becoming friends. I don't want her to think that's it's all just because I'm following orders."

Aloom hissed, "That's not smart Sel. If she finds out about this, that's exactly what she's going to think."

"I know, I know. But she finally seems happy since coming here, I can't take that away from her. She's already given up so much because of this sanding war, I don't want to make it worse. Besides, it's not like I'm following his orders!" Selethen protested.

Aloom just grimaced, "I still think you should tell her. It'll hurt less if she hears it now, from you, especially with all the rumors going about."

Selethen groaned again. True to his word, Aloom had investigated the full story behind the rumors about Nel being sent here as an assassin. It hadn't taken long and it was much worse than he thought.

With a few exceptions, like Zahra or Maajid, everyone in Arrida seemed to hate his wife. They thought her an assassin, a spy, a traitor. That Selethen was under strict orders to be with her, yet hated her more than anyone. They refused to serve her when he wasn't around, whether it was on a patrol or simply in another room, even to bring her messages like when he had returned home. Nel was tolerated at the hospital, but only because of Selethen and Maajid's orders. Even then, no one would have her as their doctor. Despite their orders, they still refused to use her medical supplies, although now they just apparently hid them from Maajid as well, lying when he asked about them. No one trusted her with anything and all because she was an Araluen, which meant they weren't even willing to try. There were more than a few who said outright that they wished the Genovesans hadn't missed at the rehearsal, that they had killed her. It was horrible. With all of that happening, it wasn't hard for him to see why Nel thought he hated her. He hated how she had hid all of this, not wanting to bother him with it.

She must've been so lonely, so miserable.

And Selethen hadn't helped. If anything, he had made it worse.

"I'll tell her, but after the festival. Let her have one more good day before I ruin it." Selethen sighed in defeat.

Aloom patted him on the back again, "Good."