Kain - I don't mind you asking me questions at all. Often, when a reader asks questions, it causes me to look at my story with fresh perspectives as the reader might have brought up an issue that I might not have considered before, so if there's anything on your mind, please do not hesitate to comment! I might not always be able to answer the question but I do welcome reader insight, and answer certain questions when I can, whether within the story itself or an author's note. Of course, this goes for all of my other readers as well.
o0o
Sena could not help but feel a sense of anxiety as she moved further and further away from the ocean. Being on it had been her source of comfort as she made her journey across the sea with her new family, especially after seeing how seasick Salamacia became. The older woman would complain about the rocking of the boat, and how impossible it was to sleep, or hold down her food. Though the younger woman knew it was petty, she couldn't help but feel a sense of schadenfreude at the older woman's obvious discomfort with so much water around her, opposite to her Element.
Though water was by no means more dangerous to a Fire magician than an ordinary person, the discomfort they felt was standard for anyone surrounded by their opposite element, like an Air magician would in a deep cave, surrounded by earth which was the very antithesis of air. A restless and irritated Salamacia was a less amorous one, but nonetheless, the Fire Master still had managed to ravish her several more times through the voyage.
Now the tables had turned, and it was Sena who found herself in an uncomfortable position. The carriage swayed just slightly as ht made its way up the slope, and she looked through the window with longing as the ocean became nothing but a sliver of blue-green on the horizon. Dragonslair, the home of House Aracon, was nestled within the low mountains that sat several miles from the ocean, and according to Salamacia, was built near a dormant volcano. That idea did not comfort her, though she could see how such a location would appeal to those who had Fire magic in their blood.
"I can't wait to be home! There really is no place like home!" Salamacia said as she reclined against the cushions that backed her seat, and Sena could only respond with a deadpan stare. It'd been one thing to deal with the dragon when Sena was still on her own family lands, or on the ocean. Now that the dragon was soon to be returned to her lair, how would things be?
"Oh come now, don't be like that. I told you I would take care of you! You'll be cozy and comfortable, and you'll see how delightful it can be to be a bride of a dragon! There are so many things we can do, and so many places I want to show you!" On the ship, Salamacia had been more grumpy and complaining, but now on dry land, she was considerably more cheerful and perky.
"You'd be feeling the same way if you were to make your home on the Silver Isles, I am sure," she shot back at the blonde woman. Salamacia was clad in a comfortable silk dress of bright red, with a sleeveless linen dress underneath of a darker red, its hem visible past the bottom of the outer dress.
"That is true," Salamacia responded with a quick shrug. "Good thing I didn't pick a man, hm?"
"Hmph." Sena crossed her arms and looked out the window again.
o0o
Dragonslair was even more impressive than Sena had imagined, and she couldn't help but let her awe show as she and Salamacia stepped out of their carriage. The homes of the Great Houses of the Ninelands tended to be more impressive than most, and House Teuthi certainly was no exception, but the austere beauty of the Spire paled before the sprawling opulence of Dragonslair. There was one main structure, five stories tall which obviously served as the main residence of the Lord of the Southlands, with plenty of smaller buildings at varying distances from it, either one or two stories high, and ordered nearly as far as Sena could see. All of this was surrounded by a wall with well-fortified guard towers.
Servants milled about, unloading the luggage and spare provisions, carrying them into the main building, reminding Sena of the order and efficiency of ants. Like the buildings around them, she saw plenty of red on the servants in varying shades, from red-orange to dark red, with only an occasional break from the color scheme in shades of yellow or blue. Much of the architecture was varying shades of white to the reddish ochre of terra-cotta, with tiled roofs of red or orange. For someone who was used to being surrounded by green, gray, and blue, the new color palette served as a shock to her senses. This was what she was going to be seeing every day.
"We will be having a banquet tonight," Salamacia explained as she looked at Sena. "Uncle will be wanting to show off the new additions to the family, and of course, the rest of the family will be curious to see what me and Lian brought home." She shot Sena a bright smile.
Sena unfortunately, did not share that sentiment, and her heart thudded with trepidation at the thought of meeting more dragons. She was as unlike Salamacia as... well, night to day. Wait, how many people knew about Salamacia's... uniqueness? It was a subject she'd never directly asked about, though the older woman and Riho had made it clear that while it wasn't something to hide in shame, it also wasn't openly flaunted.
"Yes, Salamacia," Sena replied quietly.
o0o
The bath rooms were clean and orderly like Sena had expected, each chamber neatly partitioned off with panels of wood to give the bathers privacy. There was also a sauna, and a swimming pool with cool water, sitting under a glass dome that kept the water from evaporating in the arid mountain air. Salamacia had given her an explanation of how the system worked to conserve water, gutters running along most of the roofs to collect rainwater into cisterns that would be used for various purposes, like the greenhouses, watering the animals, or washing certain items like most clothing, or floors, or tools. The water used for drinking was cleansed by boiling in large brass cisterns, and bathwater was recycled for watering plants. There were also mountain streams, but Salamacia explained that since Dragonslair was such a large place, they didn't want to overdraw it, and why waste rainwater?
Sena could see this logic, but as a Water Mage, she was uncomfortable with the idea that here, water was rationed and guarded. Having grown up next to the sea and lived with it her entire life, it was hard to get used to the idea that she could no longer take such a simple yet vital liquid for granted. Even of the ocean was saltwater, it was still water.
Salamacia wasn't with her, ostensibly needing to talk with her uncle and parents, so Sena was glad for the reprieve from her company. The hot water did help to calm her somewhat, and Sena relaxed in the wooden tub with her cousin, a washcloth draped discreetly across her lap. Tsune was covered similarly. Communal bathing with members of the same sex was a common practice in the Silver Isles, although modesty and decorum were also emphasized upon, whether it be sharing a tub, or a steam room. Being a stranger in a strange land, Sena was happy for a familiar face, and took comfort in her cousin's presence.
"I know you're nervous about tonight, but just think of it as a clan gathering. We've been to banquets that had far more people," Tsune suggested as she washed herself with a sponge. Sena gave a small huff.
"Why do you insist on being so unhappy?" the black-haired woman asked gently. Sena looked away.
"Insist?" she muttered incredulously.
"Think about it, it could be much worse. I hear in the Crownlands and Greenlands, they often marry off their girls soon after first flowering."
Sena snorted, she'd heard such a tale. Fortunately, the Silver Isles were considerably more pragmatic, and marriage was held off until a girl was in her late teens.
"Salamacia does seem to care about you. I've seen how she looks at you. If you give her a chance, I'm sure the two of you can be very happy together," Tsune argued gently. Sena thought back on Salamacia's promises to take care of her. She hated to admit, but her cousin did have a point. She could be married to someone a lot worse.
