Four months and now Prince Draeseth was coming to collect her. Dresses were packed, everything she might want in Torga, including a year's supply of dried silphium, as expensive as it was, was ready to be taken to the royal palace. The gift she'd had made for Draeseth was hidden away in there as well.
Isonei felt more excited and nervous than she'd expected, she alternated between smiling stupidly and chewing on her lip. Her father, on the other hand, had been stalking around silently like a specter of rage. Prince Andnaeuth had promised him she wouldn't be sent to Torga but the Torgan prince had been persistent.
Prince Draeseth had petitioned both kings relentlessly, had sought out every legal recourse in Ara. Isonei had chosen to stay that morning, and she'd chosen to go with him to Torga. That she'd been prevented had not been well looked upon by the priests and the courts, though they had understood the King's reservations.
Smoothing her gown, a pale slate blue with silver embroidery, modest by the standards of Aran fashion, without alluring slits to show a different color beneath. It would have been prudish if the bodice had come any higher. Isonei tried not to look at her father's stony face.
"Prince Andnaeuth is looking forward to seeing you again." Ialath broke the silence in the carriage. "I think he's taken with you, Isonei. He's been asking after his mischievous minx."
"If she wanted a Prince she could have one closer to home, it's a beast she's taken with." Ivorith, her eldest brother ground out with annoyance.
"If I'd known he was a prince I would've been less inclined to drink with him. But he's sweet, not beastly, at least to me." She struggled not to chew her lip, it would be nice to be able to kiss Draeseth when she saw him.
"That he's Torgan should have been deterrent enough." Her father spat into the pause. "Feyrith has been begging me for forgiveness. But you should have had better sense, Isonei. And to stay with him at dawn, I never thought you stupid."
"He's charming and I've never even wanted to consider it with anyone else. I stayed because he made me want to. I'm not stupid, father." His words burned and she gnawed on her inner lip as she tried to keep her eyes from welling.
"It's too late, even if you can bring her to her senses, father." Ialath gently headed off the angry retort they'd both known was coming. Her brother had told her, Prince Andnaeuth had wanted her treated with care. All it changed was that her father had been mostly silent instead of vocal with his anger and disappointment.
The rest of the journey passed in cold silence. Staring out at the passing scenery, Isonei let her mind wander. Andnaeuth had tried to persuade her not to wait for Draeseth. He'd been wretchedly charming and had wanted to keep her at the palace. Going home to her father had been her doing. Waiting and maintaining exclusivity was harder when someone you liked was there, eager for a chance, and the one you were waiting for was far away.
He'd been disappointed. But he'd written and made her promise to write back. Perseverance seemed to be a princely trait. On paper, it had been easy to confide in him about her strange feelings toward Draeseth, and in return, the prince had written of hating the preparations and expectations of being crown prince. Neither one of them had anyone else they could confess such things to.
She felt like she knew Andnaeuth better than she knew Draeseth. It made her worry if she'd still feel the same way when she saw Draeseth again, or if she'd be wishing she'd stayed to be with Andnaeuth. That was something she hadn't told him, he was upset enough about her being sent to Torga, that had been clear in his last letter.
Arriving at the palace, Isonei almost laughed to see Andnaeuth waiting with all the dignity of a bored child. He leaned against the guard and it looked as though he might be describing something lewd from his gestures and the way the man was trying maintain his composure.
The footman opened the carriage door and helped Isonei out first. Putting her hand on her hip she stepped toward the prince. Andnaeuth's face split in a grin.
"Did you miss me, my merry maid? I've been insufferable since you abandoned me." His embrace swept her off of her feet and made her laugh.
"You mean you weren't insufferable when I was here?" Isonei teased him and gave him a kiss on the cheek.
"If you gave me better kisses I might try harder to be sufferable." He made her shriek with laughter as he closed his eyes and puckered ridiculously trying to land a kiss on her face before pulling her hand up and kissing it with an impish grin. "You are so lovely when your smiling face is flushed from laughter."
"She's like her mother that way." Her father spoke quietly.
"Lord Eliorith, please forgive me for greeting the Lady Isonei first." Prince Andnaeuth inclined his head pulling Isonei to stand demurely at his side.
"There is nothing to forgive. I only wish I were bringing her to you instead of the Beast of Kroscur." His pointed look made her realize she was biting the inside of her lip again.
"I also wish that." Andnaeuth's smile flickered for a moment. "But she will be back for the next festival. The agreement is clear." He gestured toward the large door that was being opened, "If it would be acceptable, I'd like to monopolize the Lady for an hour or so before dinner?"
"Please." Her father smiled faintly. "I'm sure you have a great deal to discuss, she's always writing to you it seems."
"You raised a woman who keeps her word, my lord. I made her promise to write as often as she could." Andnaeuth beamed and pulled her a little closer. Isonei stood quietly until her brothers and father had gone. "You've gone quiet, my mischief maker."
"That's the first time I've seen him not look furious since the news of my," Isonei took a deep breath, "upcoming travel to Torga came." She ran her tongue over the soreness of her inner lip.
"The magic of being with the crown prince," his rueful smile made her shake her head and lean against his side. "I wouldn't mind it, if you were actually with me. I've cursed your father more often than not for raising a daughter that keeps her word. That, my Isonei, is what I need to speak to you about." He led her into the gardens.
"You don't want me to make promises to Draeseth."
"No, I certainly don't." He glanced at her with a smile, swinging her arm as they walked. "From what you told me of him, I know he'll try to persuade you. He made it clear he wants to marry you." The swinging stopped and he squeezed her hand pausing to look at her. "It has, however, been made clear to him that marriage is not on the table. A marriage of a Lady of a noble house to a member of the Torgan royal family, or any Torgan Lord for that matter, requires my father's permission. I need you to know that."
She studied his uncharacteristically solemn face. "I will bear that in mind." Isonei reached out and lightly touched his face.
"Your father isn't the only one angry about you leaving. I understand why you went home, I applaud your devotion. I just wish it was to me."
"I know. I'm..." Isonei tasted blood as she bit her inner lip again. So much for being able to kiss Draeseth.
"Tell me. I'm dying to know if you're excited or terrified." Andnaeuth was trying to put on a more cheerful face.
"Both." Looking at him carefully, she asked, "Are you-are you sure you want to ask?"
"No. But I need to. If the one person I can confide in can't speak to me I'm failing miserably at this." He pulled her into an alcove and held her tightly. "Tell me."
Sighing and leaning into his chest she spoke quietly. "I'm excited and afraid. I want to see him again. But I'm afraid that I might not feel the same way when I do. I'm afraid I might spend the rest of the year wishing I were here with you instead of enjoying my time with him."
His heartbeat had quickened. "I have hoped and dreamt you might say that. Though, it was usually followed by you climbing into my bed wearing nothing but my cap of bells."
Isonei couldn't resist it. "You are horrible your majesty. I'd wear the bell collar, not the cap."
Andnaeuth started to laugh and kissed her head. "You're the horrible one, my queen of fools. Teasing your poor king that way. I have to wait months now, imagining you in my bells before I can beg you to drink from my cup and come to bed with me."
"Are you going to attend without your bells?" She lifted her head and looked at his grinning face.
"Never. But I'll have a cup and I'll be pestering you all night if you give me even the slightest reason to hope."
Poking his chest as she looked at him, "Don't forget the wine to go in it."
He crowed, the sound made her feel lighter. Andnaeuth was gifted at that, lightening hearts. "I won't, my mischievous minx. No other woman has matched me so well." His hand cupped her face and he looked exultant for a moment. "Swear to me you won't agree to stay in Torga, and you'll have your silphium. Religiously. I can't bear the thought that he might steal you away."
"I will return for the festival, I already swore that to my father. If I have to walk from Torga I will be home for the festival. And I will have my silphium, in my food or as tea, daily. I promise you." Isonei smiled up at him. Pointing out that he'd been the one trying to steal her from Draeseth was on the tip of her tongue and Andnaeuth's eyes were sparkling waiting for it.
"ISONEI!" Draeseth's impressive bellow made her jump.
"I suppose your father told him you were with me in the garden," Andnaeuth muttered sourly. "I wanted more time with you."
"I know." With a regretful smile, she gave him another kiss on the cheek. "I need to go see him. I need to find out."
"I'll come with you. Whether you feel the same for him or not, I'm-"
"ISONEI!" The ring of fury and urgency in his voice set her moving toward it.
The gardens were like a maze, Andnaeuth had to take her by the elbow and guide her. The look on his face said he thought he was an idiot for doing it. As they rounded a hedge, she saw Burgath and Draeseth by the Torgan shrub as they had been the last time. And once again Draeseth was being chided.
