As the carriage made its way up the main thoroughfare of the city where the processional would begin, Deres looked upon Neral in quiet awe as the hoof beats clicked on the stone streets and the carriage jostled slightly with the uneven nature of the streets. She casually looked out, watching the city under the orange glow of the street lamps and gave waves to the inhabitants that had lined the streets of the route in hopes of catching a glimpse of the nobles. It seemed as though she could wear any role perfectly. She was regal just sitting there, and he could watch her spar with sword or staff and she would move with such fluidity, speed, and power that, if he didn't know better, he would have sworn that she was using magic to enhance her abilities.
Those brown eyes fixed on him. "Yes, Deres?"
He shook his head, "Nothing."
"It doesn't look like nothing."
He decided to play along. "What does it look like?"
She settled back in her seat. "It looks like you'd like to kiss me."
Deres crossed his legs and rested his hands on his knee. "I am often guilty of that. I admit that, while as far as I'm concerned, you don't need the makeup, when you do wear it it makes you look...
She jabbed at him with a bit of self-deprecation. "Like an expensive Courtesan? That's what I feel like in it."
"I was going to say 'extraordinary,' but you're not entirely wrong. It's an interesting contrast with the soldier. As for kissing you, yes, but, I suppose doing something so gauche in the open is frowned upon." He wanted to groan.
She surprised him with,"Before the outer gates to the palace, it's acceptable for heads of House to pause the procession and kiss in view of the populace if they wish. The people like to see the display of affection. It shows them that nobility is not so different from them, and, even amongst those marriages that are arranged, love blossoms. For some it's part of a proper show, but it's allowed all the same."
"Would you be all right with that? I mean, it's not some added slip of military discipline?"
She looked pleased with herself. "I cannot say that it won't be a shock to some of the honor guard, as some of the rank and file question my humanity," shaking her head, she went on, "but, no, it's not an issue. I leave whether or not it happens to my husband."
"Then it shall certainly happen," he declared happily.
"To show your love for me? Or to thumb your nose at Court in a completely acceptable fashion?"
He was thoughtful. "Would you despise me if I said it was mostly the former, but just a smidgen of the latter."
She leaned forward and waved through both windows, "Not at all. Indeed, I find it heartening. It reminds me that the mage is as the rest of we mere mortals."
"There is also a bit of wanting to rub Lord Vesik's nose in the fact that you live."
"No doubt he's miserable every time he has to be in the presence of a queen that should be in the ground. All he can hope for now is that no one knows of his involvement. Or that the revenge is done rather than risk an open feud before the queen."
Ordinarily, Tessa would have been there as was her place, but Neral had asked to meet at the point where families were dropped off from their carriages for the walking processional to the castle. Tessa had thought nothing of it deciding that perhaps Mistress wanted calm any of his lingering butterflies. "Tonight should be interesting."
Deres nodded, looking out the window, "It should be. I don't expect them to break down right there or anything unless they really are animals, but the general's keen eye should see a few cracks in the facade. Once they start though, they won't be able to stop. It's only a matter of time."
Given all they had been responsible for, Neral couldn't say she had much sympathy for Tonn Vesik or his daughter, Sere. There was some for Lady Jeron Vesik until Neral reminded herself that she could have put an end to all of it, even in secret, but didn't. They all deserved what would happen, for their actions against the queen if nothing else. Evaline had ruled well, was popular with the people, and had no real enemies at Court because she cultivated unity instead of playing the families as pawns before sitting back to watch them snipe for her personal entertainment, as some of her predecessors had.
That Vesik had wanted to use Neral as a tool for a naked grab at power was what angered Neral more than anything. It had taken all she had in the weeks since the plot was uncovered to keep her temper when she reported to Court. She spent the idle moments in those meetings envisioning one smooth leap over the table, driving the dagger at her hip into his throat before coming up after a smooth shoulder roll just in time to see him gasp his last.
The carriage finally reached the cross-street roughly two blocks from the castle and placed itself near the ones next to those of the other members of her House. Honor guards opened the doors on each side and she and Deres stepped out onto the perfectly manicured grass. Cheers could be heard as they did so. Houses, over time, developed their own celebrity followings in the same manner arena combatants, actors, or bards had. Houses had used that fact over years to help push their policy positions at Court, so it was useful for all.
The soldier and protector in Neral looked around. Her honor guard awaited in formation for the family to form behind it. When the queen finished her speech from the castle, the processional would begin, first with House Jaye, as it was considered closest to the Royal House. From this point forward there was no one in uniform near them that she didn't know on sight. But her senses and intuitions were limited in comparison to his, "All is well, Husband?" Her tone was casual even if the question and its meaning was not.
She knew fingers of his magic were weaving throughout the crowds in the street in ways that she could not see and that she only understood in the small bit that she did now after many long hours talking it through with her two. But she knew he was grazing all the minds around, looking for anything that seemed out of place. In the end, he gave her an answer that she hoped for, "This cape is still nonsense."
She had sympathy, "You'll grow accustomed."
Neral looked to her left and Tessa was simply there, giving her mistress one more look before deciding all was well. Neral's sisters, Maia and Nessein and their families made their way to Neral and hugs went all around, though all tried to be careful so as not to cause another wave of fussing over attire, all wearing colors and styles that complemented Neral's uniform. All the choices were elegant and befitting their wealth and status. In appearance, older sister Maia took after A'marin with hair the color of straw and finely sculpted features, while Nessein shared her features more with Neral herself and with their father.
"I am surprised, Sister," Maia said, looking Deres over from head to toe. "He cleans up adequately."
"It's one of the reasons I selected him."
Her tone was light, "We will postpone discussing the other reasons due to mixed company." Neral got the same visual scrutiny, but Maia drew a very different conclusion, "You're very happy tonight."
"Why shouldn't I be? It's spring, is there a greater time of year?"
"Mother has decided to yield?"
"You've spoken to her?"
"Not about that," Maia said as though the assumption that she had to have discussed it to know that something was different was absurd. "The cloud that has followed you is gone and there was only one reason for it that I knew."
It almost didn't surprise Neral, Maia had a way of knowing what was going on within her family without even trying. "I believe she has." Neral had to concede with a sigh, "You were right, I had to be firm."
"She fixates on her version of correct and, with something like this, you were never going to coax her to your point of view."
Neral nodded. "I was just hoping that time would have done the work for me."
"No matter. All is as you wish it to be."
Nessein studied Deres carefully, "Try not to eat with your hands." Light shone in her dark eyes as she waited patiently.
He gave her a visual appraisal as well. "I'll try not to, Nessein, though, given the fact that you probably spent as much time getting ready as anyone else and that's the best you could manage with your hair, I thought we were throwing caution to the wind this evening."
She touched her carefully curled, placed, piled, and pinned dark hair, and her lips turned upward ever so slightly. Neral had told Deres how each sister would appraise him. With Maia, honesty and firmness was the path to approval. She did not need every detail of his life, but if she sensed he was being disingenuous or opportunistic, she was lost to him. She could accept his desire for status as a reason to want to marry Neral, but it couldn't be allowed to be the only one.
Nessein, on the other hand, liked banter and liked barbs. His intellect and wit had to be keen. There was always acid on the tip of her tongue, even as she maintained respectability at Court. In her mind, for him to be fit to remain, he had to not be chained to the pain of his upbringing. He had to be able to endure barbs and give back with wit and just the right amount of disdain. "She will leave it to Maia to get the particulars of your life," Neral told him before they arrived at their home for the first time. "She'll test your emotions, and your mind, and your center. Do not anger. Just give back the same measure of what you get from her."
And, while talking to Maia had initially felt like a completely necessary and understandable interrogation, Deres fell into easily sparring with the youngest of the sisters. His mother had demanded he cultivate his intellect and, in some ways the nuanced to and fro was like many of her quizzes of him as a child. Even with the simple questions, he needed to give more than one word answers and he had to pay attention to her words to glean what she really wanted to know from what she'd asked. As a result, Nessein was challenged that night and she enjoyed a challenge.
Neral smiled as her nieces and nephews that ranged from toddler to adolescent gathered together. They were each beautiful in their own ways and she was as proud of them as she would be of her own. One of her older nieces looked to her and saluted as smartly as any elite soldier, right fist against her heart with a sharp bow of the head. She was prepared for the service, wanting it in the same way Neral had at that age. No one had to speak to her of her responsibility to it, it was something she was born feeling. The general returned the salute with the same precision before smiling in return. "Excellent stance."
