Chapter 23
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Isilla stared out the small windows of the carriage, the few minutes she had spent sitting across from Arren felt like an eternity. Trees whipped past them as they traveled down the wooded mountain pass. Arren had ordered that she tell Ilun to wait in her rooms, which she did without complaint or question but now she missed the animal.
She looked at him from the corner of her eye. His arms were crossed and he stared out the window opposite of her, his view much the same. They had not seen each other since she left his bedroom. She wondered if he had found the dropped necklace, if maybe Julen had picked it up and said anything. She had thought about what to say to him, to explain why she had asked in his dream, that she wasn't trying to break the agreement between them but everything sounded weak and silly and she didn't want to strengthen his already poor opinion of her.
Still, she they couldn't just ignore each other. She reached for his arm.
He looked down at her hand for a moment before turning away again, "We'll be there soon. The ride is not long."
Frowning she tried again, pulling his attention back to her, his full, blank face on hers. She breathed out and opened her book.
"Isilla," he said stopping her. "I have no wish to speak to you. There is nothing that we need to speak of at this time. Just sit. You're already very good at being quiet, now be still."
She looked down at her hands, the sting of his words turning her cheeks hot. He had turned back to the window. She wrote something in large letters across the page and taking a deep breath, pushed herself from her seat, across the space and half into his lap.
Surprised, he wrapped his arms around her, catching her before she toppled into the door. Before he had a chance to speak she shoved the book into his face.
You don't have to be awful to me!
Shock still on his face, he helped her settle back into the seat.
I know I upset you but we're still married and we should try to get along, she wrote.
He sighed, closing his eyes, "We can speak on this later. Now is not the time. Please, focus on what is coming."
I don't know what's coming, she countered.
He rubbed the space in between his eyes with his fingers, "I don't suppose you do. The Council is made up of representatives from the Twelve Kingdoms and one from the Crown, that is the role my brother fills. When he becomes king, either myself or one of his children will take his place, if any are of age."
"If you were from the Dark Realm, you would have gone before them before we were married. Because this wedding was part of treaty with a land outside of our own that requirement was waved. When Lehan rejected you it triggered an investigation. You have already been subjected to one half of it."
She curled her fingers around the open pages of the book at his words.
"I already told you, you will not have to do that again. They may try but I will not allow it. This will be more tame. They are only looking for obvious defects and it is a bid for more in our negotiations."
She pointed at her throat, indicating her silence.
He nodded, "Yes, they will speak on that but as what you are is prized by your people, it is unlikely that this meeting will effect much at all. It is a formality."
She nodded as the carriage slowed. She looked out of her window, the city's gates were coming into view. They hadn't come through the city at all when she was first brought to the castle, coming instead from the side of the mountain.
"We will be there, shortly," Arren said, his eyes focused on her. "When we return home, after you've rested from today, we will discuss this power of yours. You remember clearly what happened between you and I?"
She nodded, a blush on her cheeks.
"Then you will tell me every single detail," he replied.
Why didn't you ask before, she wrote wondering at his sudden change.
"I trusted you before but now you've done something reckless," he answered.
She looked down at the page, avoiding his eyes.
"You're missing the city," he said, his voice more relaxed than it had been before.
She looked up at him but his eyes were turned away.
She turned back to the window to see the city pass by. The carriage moved much slower than it had on the mountain. At ground level she could see the streets were filled with people of all ages. Children darted around the legs of parents, laughing. Noble women strolled through the streets, their servants carrying their bags behind them. Workers walked in and out of wooden buildings, so different from the dark stone of the castle.
Chatter and the sounds of life filled the air and Isilla smiled, the strange city familiar to her in its own way. She sensed eyes on her and she turned to see Arren watching her, intently for a moment before she turned back to the window.
The carriage came to a stop in front of a large building made from stone. Tall pillars lined the front and the massive doors were made from thick gold. The high dome of the roof matched the entrance, trumpeting figures ringing it. The door of the the carriage swung open and Arren stepped out on the the pavement first. He held his hand out for her and breathing deeply, she took it, her feet touching the ground delicately. Around them the people of the city stopped, staring, whispering as the Court had whispered when she arrived.
She shivered slightly in the cold air. Arren's shadows created a perimeter that not even the guards would cross, the people kept their distance but she could see them pointing at her. Arren offered his arm to her and she took it, as was proper. Together they walked forward.
The doors swung open as they approached, allowing them entry. Once inside, they shut, the sound ringing inside the building for a moment before the air stilled in silence once again.
Before her sat rows of pews, meant clearly for any observers. A few people sat in them, some writing most simply watching and listening Beyond them, a long table waited with two chairs in front of it.. Already there were men sitting at the table, their clothing all slightly different. Some wore long jackets, others robes, some were dressed much like the people of the castle. The only face she recognized was Lehan's, a small smile on his lips.
The side of the long table was a small desk. A woman wearing a blindfold sat at it, an open book in front of her.
Arren led her to the chairs and motioned for her to sit as he did the same. She folded her hands over her notebook and smiled softly at them, waiting.
"Prince Arren," a man with long gray hair tied back in a ponytail began, "As you know, you have been called before the Council to discuss the marriage of yourself and the Princess Isilla. I, Basajaun of Deerwood, will lay out of the facts so they may be retained as a matter of record."
"Princess Isilla was to marry Prince Lehan to secure the treaty between our nations. As she has been rejected by Prince Lehan, it is now up to the Council to decide if the present terms of the treaty agreement are fair."
"Though the Twelve Kingdoms are thankful for Prince Arren's apparent sacrifice to uphold the treaty and keep war at bay, this change in husbands has caused a number of interior issues between lands here."
Isilla glanced at Arren but there was no hint in him as to what the man was speaking of. Lehan had said, after meeting with her people through the viewing glass that Arren had not married her for the sake of the kingdom, could whatever this man was speaking of be what Arren had really married her for? Was that why he asked her if she wanted to return home in the garden that day? To avoid whatever Basajaun spoke of now?
"Before the Council will agree to the treaty terms, these matters must be seen to. We will start with the princess.'
Isilla drew her focus back to the table, the men stared back at her.
"Why," another man with a thick, blond mustache asked, "did you reject her, Lehan?"
Lehan sighed, "She looked like a street urchin when they brought her to me. Covered in chalk dust, her hair was a bird's nest. Nothing like this."
She looked down at her mulberry dress, the fabric clean and unmarred. The maids had coiled her hair on her head, holding it with delicate pins. She wondered if he would really have cared if her dress had been as clean then.
"She had been traveling, my lords," Arren's deep voice filled the space. "She was not given any time to clean up before she was presented to my brother."
"So, you think his choice was rash?" the mustached man asked.
"Then there was the matter of this dreamweaver business," Lehan said not allowing Arren to answer.
"A matter which is of no matter. If Lehan had done his duty in reading her letters, she told the truth of herself readily. In fact, any of you can look over what was written by her, the letters are stored in the library."
"And who wrote these letters to her?" a younger man, with a thin, pale face asked.
Arren remained silent. Lehan frowned and answered, "A member of my personal entourage, at my order, of course."
"And they did not report this, hmm, condition, to you?" the thin faced man asked.
"No, perhaps he thought it was just a turn of phrase or that her muteness was a choice and not this field of silence she exhibits."
Basajaun sighed, rubbing his temple. "So, there was ample time to request a change in princesses?"
"Yes," Lehan admitted, the word a hiss of air.
"And it seems to be a treasured state in the realm. They truly believe that she is a gift," Arren added casually.
"Then we cannot, at this time, request anything further of the Light Realm. We must do what we can to repay their kindness to us. Perhaps if she fails to produce children or some other defect is found, we may. Isilla stand, disrobe, we will check your person for any sign that you were not pure on your wedding night," Basajaun said casually, motioning for her to stand.
Isilla's eyes widened and her breath caught in her throat. Around her ankles she could feel Arren's shadows wrapping themselves against her skin.
"No," Arren said at once. "She has already been subjected to that in front of the court of my father, by Prince Lehan. He enacted his official position as a Council member. That is enough."
A bearded man leaned forward, "Is that true as well, Prince Lehan?"
"Yes. I found no mark on her," he answered.
"We will cast our votes then. Lord Isotz and Prince Lehan will be be excluded as they both have prejudices in this. Vote aye if you believe the marriage is acceptable. Nay if you believe it is not."
A heavyset man who Isilla assumed was Lord Isotz grumbled and crossed his arms but nodded.
From the right end of the table, the first man spoke. "Aye."
The second man answered the same as did the third. The fourth and fifth both voted against her, but the rest of the table supported the choice that Arren had made in taking her in marriage.
She glanced at her husband again but he seemed to have no feelings on the matter, either way.
The letters were written by someone close to Lehan, she noted. She had never been close to the prince. Is he different from Arren? Does he have friends? They are likely as cruel as he is then, she thought, her heart sinking. But, I still want to know.
"Now that we've ended that, we need to decide what is to be done about my daughter!" Lord Isotz said, his voice booming throughout the room.
"Calm down, Istoz," Basajaun said, "Obviously, the engagement between your daughter and Prince Arren has been voided but I'm sure we can find another way for the Crown to compensate you."
"My daughter was to marry a prince. Is Lehan to take her hand now?" Isotz asked, turning his large body to stare directly at Basajaun.
Isilla looked down at her folded hands. So that's why he married me, to get out of this other engagement, she thought.
"Don't speak so casually of me," Lehan growled back. "And I would never marry your whore of a daughter. Perhaps one of my cousins would like their stations improved."
"How dare you!" Lord Istoz yelled, standing, his chair toppling to the floor behind him.
"Sit down, Istoz! There is no reason for your outbursts! Arren has done the Realm a service, we have agreed. We will see to the needs of your kingdom as well," Basajaun said his voice carrying.
A servant lifted the chair and slid it back into place. Frowning deeply, Istoz took his chair. "The needs of my kingdom? The Crown cannot repay this insult. Bring out Elixabete. Let them see what the Crown must repay."
The servant who had lifted the chair bowed and left the room by a side door. The Council sat in silence. Isilla turned to Arren but he seemed unmoved by anything that had happened, his head propped against his arm, resting on the arm of the chair. He's looks bored, she thought.
The door opened again and the servant returned, bowing low as he announced the woman who followed him. "Lady Elixabete of the Southern Firth."
The woman who walked from the shadows was young, the same or near the same age as Isilla though her wide, teary eyes made her seem younger, helpless. Tall and thin, a wisp of a girl, her soft brown hair framed her face and spilled down her chest where it brushed the top of her very pregnant belly.
She held her hands over it, her focus completely on Arren.
Arren raised an eyebrow.
"How will you repay that? She is ruined! What proper marriage can she have now? Who is going to risk being saddled with the Lord of All Shadows bastard?" her father growled, his fury focused on Arren along with the rest of the room.
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Isilla stared out the small windows of the carriage, the few minutes she had spent sitting across from Arren felt like an eternity. Trees whipped past them as they traveled down the wooded mountain pass. Arren had ordered that she tell Ilun to wait in her rooms, which she did without complaint or question but now she missed the animal.
She looked at him from the corner of her eye. His arms were crossed and he stared out the window opposite of her, his view much the same. They had not seen each other since she left his bedroom. She wondered if he had found the dropped necklace, if maybe Julen had picked it up and said anything. She had thought about what to say to him, to explain why she had asked in his dream, that she wasn't trying to break the agreement between them but everything sounded weak and silly and she didn't want to strengthen his already poor opinion of her.
Still, she they couldn't just ignore each other. She reached for his arm.
He looked down at her hand for a moment before turning away again, "We'll be there soon. The ride is not long."
Frowning she tried again, pulling his attention back to her, his full, blank face on hers. She breathed out and opened her book.
"Isilla," he said stopping her. "I have no wish to speak to you. There is nothing that we need to speak of at this time. Just sit. You're already very good at being quiet, now be still."
She looked down at her hands, the sting of his words turning her cheeks hot. He had turned back to the window. She wrote something in large letters across the page and taking a deep breath, pushed herself from her seat, across the space and half into his lap.
Surprised, he wrapped his arms around her, catching her before she toppled into the door. Before he had a chance to speak she shoved the book into his face.
You don't have to be awful to me!
Shock still on his face, he helped her settle back into the seat.
I know I upset you but we're still married and we should try to get along, she wrote.
He sighed, closing his eyes, "We can speak on this later. Now is not the time. Please, focus on what is coming."
I don't know what's coming, she countered.
He rubbed the space in between his eyes with his fingers, "I don't suppose you do. The Council is made up of representatives from the Twelve Kingdoms and one from the Crown, that is the role my brother fills. When he becomes king, either myself or one of his children will take his place, if any are of age."
"If you were from the Dark Realm, you would have gone before them before we were married. Because this wedding was part of treaty with a land outside of our own that requirement was waved. When Lehan rejected you it triggered an investigation. You have already been subjected to one half of it."
She curled her fingers around the open pages of the book at his words.
"I already told you, you will not have to do that again. They may try but I will not allow it. This will be more tame. They are only looking for obvious defects and it is a bid for more in our negotiations."
She pointed at her throat, indicating her silence.
He nodded, "Yes, they will speak on that but as what you are is prized by your people, it is unlikely that this meeting will effect much at all. It is a formality."
She nodded as the carriage slowed. She looked out of her window, the city's gates were coming into view. They hadn't come through the city at all when she was first brought to the castle, coming instead from the side of the mountain.
"We will be there, shortly," Arren said, his eyes focused on her. "When we return home, after you've rested from today, we will discuss this power of yours. You remember clearly what happened between you and I?"
She nodded, a blush on her cheeks.
"Then you will tell me every single detail," he replied.
Why didn't you ask before, she wrote wondering at his sudden change.
"I trusted you before but now you've done something reckless," he answered.
She looked down at the page, avoiding his eyes.
"You're missing the city," he said, his voice more relaxed than it had been before.
She looked up at him but his eyes were turned away.
She turned back to the window to see the city pass by. The carriage moved much slower than it had on the mountain. At ground level she could see the streets were filled with people of all ages. Children darted around the legs of parents, laughing. Noble women strolled through the streets, their servants carrying their bags behind them. Workers walked in and out of wooden buildings, so different from the dark stone of the castle.
Chatter and the sounds of life filled the air and Isilla smiled, the strange city familiar to her in its own way. She sensed eyes on her and she turned to see Arren watching her, intently for a moment before she turned back to the window.
The carriage came to a stop in front of a large building made from stone. Tall pillars lined the front and the massive doors were made from thick gold. The high dome of the roof matched the entrance, trumpeting figures ringing it. The door of the the carriage swung open and Arren stepped out on the the pavement first. He held his hand out for her and breathing deeply, she took it, her feet touching the ground delicately. Around them the people of the city stopped, staring, whispering as the Court had whispered when she arrived.
She shivered slightly in the cold air. Arren's shadows created a perimeter that not even the guards would cross, the people kept their distance but she could see them pointing at her. Arren offered his arm to her and she took it, as was proper. Together they walked forward.
The doors swung open as they approached, allowing them entry. Once inside, they shut, the sound ringing inside the building for a moment before the air stilled in silence once again.
Before her sat rows of pews, meant clearly for any observers. A few people sat in them, some writing most simply watching and listening Beyond them, a long table waited with two chairs in front of it.. Already there were men sitting at the table, their clothing all slightly different. Some wore long jackets, others robes, some were dressed much like the people of the castle. The only face she recognized was Lehan's, a small smile on his lips.
The side of the long table was a small desk. A woman wearing a blindfold sat at it, an open book in front of her.
Arren led her to the chairs and motioned for her to sit as he did the same. She folded her hands over her notebook and smiled softly at them, waiting.
"Prince Arren," a man with long gray hair tied back in a ponytail began, "As you know, you have been called before the Council to discuss the marriage of yourself and the Princess Isilla. I, Basajaun of Deerwood, will lay out of the facts so they may be retained as a matter of record."
"Princess Isilla was to marry Prince Lehan to secure the treaty between our nations. As she has been rejected by Prince Lehan, it is now up to the Council to decide if the present terms of the treaty agreement are fair."
"Though the Twelve Kingdoms are thankful for Prince Arren's apparent sacrifice to uphold the treaty and keep war at bay, this change in husbands has caused a number of interior issues between lands here."
Isilla glanced at Arren but there was no hint in him as to what the man was speaking of. Lehan had said, after meeting with her people through the viewing glass that Arren had not married her for the sake of the kingdom, could whatever this man was speaking of be what Arren had really married her for? Was that why he asked her if she wanted to return home in the garden that day? To avoid whatever Basajaun spoke of now?
"Before the Council will agree to the treaty terms, these matters must be seen to. We will start with the princess.'
Isilla drew her focus back to the table, the men stared back at her.
"Why," another man with a thick, blond mustache asked, "did you reject her, Lehan?"
Lehan sighed, "She looked like a street urchin when they brought her to me. Covered in chalk dust, her hair was a bird's nest. Nothing like this."
She looked down at her mulberry dress, the fabric clean and unmarred. The maids had coiled her hair on her head, holding it with delicate pins. She wondered if he would really have cared if her dress had been as clean then.
"She had been traveling, my lords," Arren's deep voice filled the space. "She was not given any time to clean up before she was presented to my brother."
"So, you think his choice was rash?" the mustached man asked.
"Then there was the matter of this dreamweaver business," Lehan said not allowing Arren to answer.
"A matter which is of no matter. If Lehan had done his duty in reading her letters, she told the truth of herself readily. In fact, any of you can look over what was written by her, the letters are stored in the library."
"And who wrote these letters to her?" a younger man, with a thin, pale face asked.
Arren remained silent. Lehan frowned and answered, "A member of my personal entourage, at my order, of course."
"And they did not report this, hmm, condition, to you?" the thin faced man asked.
"No, perhaps he thought it was just a turn of phrase or that her muteness was a choice and not this field of silence she exhibits."
Basajaun sighed, rubbing his temple. "So, there was ample time to request a change in princesses?"
"Yes," Lehan admitted, the word a hiss of air.
"And it seems to be a treasured state in the realm. They truly believe that she is a gift," Arren added casually.
"Then we cannot, at this time, request anything further of the Light Realm. We must do what we can to repay their kindness to us. Perhaps if she fails to produce children or some other defect is found, we may. Isilla stand, disrobe, we will check your person for any sign that you were not pure on your wedding night," Basajaun said casually, motioning for her to stand.
Isilla's eyes widened and her breath caught in her throat. Around her ankles she could feel Arren's shadows wrapping themselves against her skin.
"No," Arren said at once. "She has already been subjected to that in front of the court of my father, by Prince Lehan. He enacted his official position as a Council member. That is enough."
A bearded man leaned forward, "Is that true as well, Prince Lehan?"
"Yes. I found no mark on her," he answered.
"We will cast our votes then. Lord Isotz and Prince Lehan will be be excluded as they both have prejudices in this. Vote aye if you believe the marriage is acceptable. Nay if you believe it is not."
A heavyset man who Isilla assumed was Lord Isotz grumbled and crossed his arms but nodded.
From the right end of the table, the first man spoke. "Aye."
The second man answered the same as did the third. The fourth and fifth both voted against her, but the rest of the table supported the choice that Arren had made in taking her in marriage.
She glanced at her husband again but he seemed to have no feelings on the matter, either way.
The letters were written by someone close to Lehan, she noted. She had never been close to the prince. Is he different from Arren? Does he have friends? They are likely as cruel as he is then, she thought, her heart sinking. But, I still want to know.
"Now that we've ended that, we need to decide what is to be done about my daughter!" Lord Isotz said, his voice booming throughout the room.
"Calm down, Istoz," Basajaun said, "Obviously, the engagement between your daughter and Prince Arren has been voided but I'm sure we can find another way for the Crown to compensate you."
"My daughter was to marry a prince. Is Lehan to take her hand now?" Isotz asked, turning his large body to stare directly at Basajaun.
Isilla looked down at her folded hands. So that's why he married me, to get out of this other engagement, she thought.
"Don't speak so casually of me," Lehan growled back. "And I would never marry your whore of a daughter. Perhaps one of my cousins would like their stations improved."
"How dare you!" Lord Istoz yelled, standing, his chair toppling to the floor behind him.
"Sit down, Istoz! There is no reason for your outbursts! Arren has done the Realm a service, we have agreed. We will see to the needs of your kingdom as well," Basajaun said his voice carrying.
A servant lifted the chair and slid it back into place. Frowning deeply, Istoz took his chair. "The needs of my kingdom? The Crown cannot repay this insult. Bring out Elixabete. Let them see what the Crown must repay."
The servant who had lifted the chair bowed and left the room by a side door. The Council sat in silence. Isilla turned to Arren but he seemed unmoved by anything that had happened, his head propped against his arm, resting on the arm of the chair. He's looks bored, she thought.
The door opened again and the servant returned, bowing low as he announced the woman who followed him. "Lady Elixabete of the Southern Firth."
The woman who walked from the shadows was young, the same or near the same age as Isilla though her wide, teary eyes made her seem younger, helpless. Tall and thin, a wisp of a girl, her soft brown hair framed her face and spilled down her chest where it brushed the top of her very pregnant belly.
She held her hands over it, her focus completely on Arren.
Arren raised an eyebrow.
"How will you repay that? She is ruined! What proper marriage can she have now? Who is going to risk being saddled with the Lord of All Shadows bastard?" her father growled, his fury focused on Arren along with the rest of the room.
Isilla stared out the small windows of the carriage, the few minutes she had spent sitting across from Arren felt like an eternity. Trees whipped past them as they traveled down the wooded mountain pass. Arren had ordered that she tell Ilun to wait in her rooms, which she did without complaint or question but now she missed the animal.She looked at him from the corner of her eye. His arms were crossed and he stared out the window opposite of her, his view much the same. They had not seen each other since she left his bedroom. She wondered if he had found the dropped necklace, if maybe Julen had picked it up and said anything. She had thought about what to say to him, to explain why she had asked in his dream, that she wasn't trying to break the agreement between them but everything sounded weak and silly and she didn't want to strengthen his already poor opinion of her.Still, she they couldn't just ignore each other. She reached for his arm.He looked down at her hand for a moment before turning away again, "We'll be there soon. The ride is not long."Frowning she tried again, pulling his attention back to her, his full, blank face on hers. She breathed out and opened her book."Isilla," he said stopping her. "I have no wish to speak to you. There is nothing that we need to speak of at this time. Just sit. You're already very good at being quiet, now be still."She looked down at her hands, the sting of his words turning her cheeks hot. He had turned back to the window. She wrote something in large letters across the page and taking a deep breath, pushed herself from her seat, across the space and half into his lap.Surprised, he wrapped his arms around her, catching her before she toppled into the door. Before he had a chance to speak she shoved the book into his face.You don't have to be awful to me!Shock still on his face, he helped her settle back into the seat.I know I upset you but we're still married and we should try to get along, she wrote.He sighed, closing his eyes, "We can speak on this later. Now is not the time. Please, focus on what is coming."I don't know what's coming, she countered.He rubbed the space in between his eyes with his fingers, "I don't suppose you do. The Council is made up of representatives from the Twelve Kingdoms and one from the Crown, that is the role my brother fills. When he becomes king, either myself or one of his children will take his place, if any are of age.""If you were from the Dark Realm, you would have gone before them before we were married. Because this wedding was part of treaty with a land outside of our own that requirement was waved. When Lehan rejected you it triggered an investigation. You have already been subjected to one half of it."She curled her fingers around the open pages of the book at his words."I already told you, you will not have to do that again. They may try but I will not allow it. This will be more tame. They are only looking for obvious defects and it is a bid for more in our negotiations."She pointed at her throat, indicating her silence.He nodded, "Yes, they will speak on that but as what you are is prized by your people, it is unlikely that this meeting will effect much at all. It is a formality."She nodded as the carriage slowed. She looked out of her window, the city's gates were coming into view. They hadn't come through the city at all when she was first brought to the castle, coming instead from the side of the mountain."We will be there, shortly," Arren said, his eyes focused on her. "When we return home, after you've rested from today, we will discuss this power of yours. You remember clearly what happened between you and I?"She nodded, a blush on her cheeks."Then you will tell me every single detail," he replied.Why didn't you ask before, she wrote wondering at his sudden change."I trusted you before but now you've done something reckless," he answered.She looked down at the page, avoiding his eyes."You're missing the city," he said, his voice more relaxed than it had been before.She looked up at him but his eyes were turned away.She turned back to the window to see the city pass by. The carriage moved much slower than it had on the mountain. At ground level she could see the streets were filled with people of all ages. Children darted around the legs of parents, laughing. Noble women strolled through the streets, their servants carrying their bags behind them. Workers walked in and out of wooden buildings, so different from the dark stone of the castle.Chatter and the sounds of life filled the air and Isilla smiled, the strange city familiar to her in its own way. She sensed eyes on her and she turned to see Arren watching her, intently for a moment before she turned back to the window.The carriage came to a stop in front of a large building made from stone. Tall pillars lined the front and the massive doors were made from thick gold. The high dome of the roof matched the entrance, trumpeting figures ringing it. The door of the the carriage swung open and Arren stepped out on the the pavement first. He held his hand out for her and breathing deeply, she took it, her feet touching the ground delicately. Around them the people of the city stopped, staring, whispering as the Court had whispered when she arrived.She shivered slightly in the cold air. Arren's shadows created a perimeter that not even the guards would cross, the people kept their distance but she could see them pointing at her. Arren offered his arm to her and she took it, as was proper. Together they walked forward.The doors swung open as they approached, allowing them entry. Once inside, they shut, the sound ringing inside the building for a moment before the air stilled in silence once again.Before her sat rows of pews, meant clearly for any observers. A few people sat in them, some writing most simply watching and listening Beyond them, a long table waited with two chairs in front of it.. Already there were men sitting at the table, their clothing all slightly different. Some wore long jackets, others robes, some were dressed much like the people of the castle. The only face she recognized was Lehan's, a small smile on his lips.The side of the long table was a small desk. A woman wearing a blindfold sat at it, an open book in front of her.Arren led her to the chairs and motioned for her to sit as he did the same. She folded her hands over her notebook and smiled softly at them, waiting."Prince Arren," a man with long gray hair tied back in a ponytail began, "As you know, you have been called before the Council to discuss the marriage of yourself and the Princess Isilla. I, Basajaun of Deerwood, will lay out of the facts so they may be retained as a matter of record.""Princess Isilla was to marry Prince Lehan to secure the treaty between our nations. As she has been rejected by Prince Lehan, it is now up to the Council to decide if the present terms of the treaty agreement are fair.""Though the Twelve Kingdoms are thankful for Prince Arren's apparent sacrifice to uphold the treaty and keep war at bay, this change in husbands has caused a number of interior issues between lands here."Isilla glanced at Arren but there was no hint in him as to what the man was speaking of. Lehan had said, after meeting with her people through the viewing glass that Arren had not married her for the sake of the kingdom, could whatever this man was speaking of be what Arren had really married her for? Was that why he asked her if she wanted to return home in the garden that day? To avoid whatever Basajaun spoke of now?"Before the Council will agree to the treaty terms, these matters must be seen to. We will start with the princess.'Isilla drew her focus back to the table, the men stared back at her."Why," another man with a thick, blond mustache asked, "did you reject her, Lehan?"Lehan sighed, "She looked like a street urchin when they brought her to me. Covered in chalk dust, her hair was a bird's nest. Nothing like this."She looked down at her mulberry dress, the fabric clean and unmarred. The maids had coiled her hair on her head, holding it with delicate pins. She wondered if he would really have cared if her dress had been as clean then."She had been traveling, my lords," Arren's deep voice filled the space. "She was not given any time to clean up before she was presented to my brother.""So, you think his choice was rash?" the mustached man asked."Then there was the matter of this dreamweaver business," Lehan said not allowing Arren to answer."A matter which is of no matter. If Lehan had done his duty in reading her letters, she told the truth of herself readily. In fact, any of you can look over what was written by her, the letters are stored in the library.""And who wrote these letters to her?" a younger man, with a thin, pale face asked.Arren remained silent. Lehan frowned and answered, "A member of my personal entourage, at my order, of course.""And they did not report this, hmm, condition, to you?" the thin faced man asked."No, perhaps he thought it was just a turn of phrase or that her muteness was a choice and not this field of silence she exhibits."Basajaun sighed, rubbing his temple. "So, there was ample time to request a change in princesses?""Yes," Lehan admitted, the word a hiss of air."And it seems to be a treasured state in the realm. They truly believe that she is a gift," Arren added casually."Then we cannot, at this time, request anything further of the Light Realm. We must do what we can to repay their kindness to us. Perhaps if she fails to produce children or some other defect is found, we may. Isilla stand, disrobe, we will check your person for any sign that you were not pure on your wedding night," Basajaun said casually, motioning for her to stand.Isilla's eyes widened and her breath caught in her throat. Around her ankles she could feel Arren's shadows wrapping themselves against her skin."No," Arren said at once. "She has already been subjected to that in front of the court of my father, by Prince Lehan. He enacted his official position as a Council member. That is enough."A bearded man leaned forward, "Is that true as well, Prince Lehan?""Yes. I found no mark on her," he answered."We will cast our votes then. Lord Isotz and Prince Lehan will be be excluded as they both have prejudices in this. Vote aye if you believe the marriage is acceptable. Nay if you believe it is not."A heavyset man who Isilla assumed was Lord Isotz grumbled and crossed his arms but nodded.From the right end of the table, the first man spoke. "Aye."The second man answered the same as did the third. The fourth and fifth both voted against her, but the rest of the table supported the choice that Arren had made in taking her in marriage.She glanced at her husband again but he seemed to have no feelings on the matter, either way.The letters were written by someone close to Lehan, she noted. She had never been close to the prince. Is he different from Arren? Does he have friends? They are likely as cruel as he is then, she thought, her heart sinking. But, I still want to know."Now that we've ended that, we need to decide what is to be done about my daughter!" Lord Isotz said, his voice booming throughout the room."Calm down, Istoz," Basajaun said, "Obviously, the engagement between your daughter and Prince Arren has been voided but I'm sure we can find another way for the Crown to compensate you.""My daughter was to marry a prince. Is Lehan to take her hand now?" Isotz asked, turning his large body to stare directly at Basajaun.Isilla looked down at her folded hands. So that's why he married me, to get out of this other engagement, she thought."Don't speak so casually of me," Lehan growled back. "And I would never marry your whore of a daughter. Perhaps one of my cousins would like their stations improved.""How dare you!" Lord Istoz yelled, standing, his chair toppling to the floor behind him."Sit down, Istoz! There is no reason for your outbursts! Arren has done the Realm a service, we have agreed. We will see to the needs of your kingdom as well," Basajaun said his voice carrying.A servant lifted the chair and slid it back into place. Frowning deeply, Istoz took his chair. "The needs of my kingdom? The Crown cannot repay this insult. Bring out Elixabete. Let them see what the Crown must repay."The servant who had lifted the chair bowed and left the room by a side door. The Council sat in silence. Isilla turned to Arren but he seemed unmoved by anything that had happened, his head propped against his arm, resting on the arm of the chair. He's looks bored, she thought.The door opened again and the servant returned, bowing low as he announced the woman who followed him. "Lady Elixabete of the Southern Firth."The woman who walked from the shadows was young, the same or near the same age as Isilla though her wide, teary eyes made her seem younger, helpless. Tall and thin, a wisp of a girl, her soft brown hair framed her face and spilled down her chest where it brushed the top of her very pregnant belly.She held her hands over it, her focus completely on Arren.Arren raised an eyebrow."How will you repay that? She is ruined! What proper marriage can she have now? Who is going to risk being saddled with the Lord of All Shadows bastard?" her father growled, his fury focused on Arren along with the rest of the room.
