Torgan Wine Ch. 36

"Thank you, Prince Burgath." She offered him a rueful smile.

"I think I prefer it when you drop my title, Duchess, I find it endearing."

"Then you should drop mine, dear Burgath." She nearly laughed at his the way his face flushed slightly.

"Do you call your brothers 'dear Ivorith' and 'dear Ialath,' little Duchess?" King Orgath inquired with amusement, guiding his horse toward the now nearly open gate.

"Sometimes, but usually when I'm trying to be very sweet to them I'll call them 'brother dearest.'"

"And how often do they ask what you want, when you do?" Burgath snorted as the Princes followed their father through the gate.

Isonei turned enough to look back toward him with a grin, "Never! That would spoil the game!" She blinked as she caught sight of bright green eyes peering at her from the crowd that had gathered to watch them enter the palace gate. They disappeared almost the moment she saw them.

Burgath snapped his head around peering into the crowd as well. "Something startled you, Isonei?"

"No... I..." Isonei rubbed the bridge of her nose and her eyes tiredly.

"You did not realize how many were watching us?" Draeseth kissed her head.

"Mm. I'm still not entirely used to being stared at so... intently."

"You will remain inside the palace walls, little Duchess. Taking you outside of them more than necessary would be foolish. If my son wishes to take you to the Temple he may do so through the private entrance."

"Thank you, father."

Taking a moment to collect herself, Isonei glanced around the short tunnel they were riding through. The stonework bore a mural of a hunting scene and the colors were bright enough to make it look freshly done.

"My father would be so wretchedly envious, your Majesty. He loves hunting scenes."

King Orgath turned his horse as he left the tunnel. "He enjoys hunting?"

"No, he enjoys hunting scenes. He says hunting is something that has to be done to keep the fields free of pests, it's dirty and tiring, but the scenes are beautiful. Ivorith and his brothers enjoy it. My father is glad to let them."

"What do you have that requires hunting?" Draeseth laughed softly as his father gave her an annoyed look.

"Rabbits mostly. Sometimes deer and boar."

"What do you do with the meat?" Prince Ougath asked curiously. "I know you call it unclean."

"We do eat the deer. The rest is fish bait, I think. Father sells it to the merchants who bring us our fish and shellfish."

The horrified looks she received from the King and the two Princes whose faces she could see made her shrink back slightly against Draeseth.

Burgath found his tongue first, "Wild boar... a sought-after meat in Torga is fish bait in Ara?"

"What else would they do with it?" Isonei asked carefully. "It can't be eaten."

King Orgath muttered in Torgan and his sons grinned. Draeseth's response made them laugh, but the only word Isonei understood was wives.

They rode up a small incline toward the sprawling palace at the top of the rise. The path was flanked by tiered gardens and it was clear by the time the arched door was reached, the palace had only one great door on this side. Isonei found the painted and gilded exterior to be lovely, and the stone carvings of beasts and men with weapons they had passed were impressive, but it all had an air of defensibility. Something the Aran palace lacked.

"You look puzzled, little Duchess." The King smiled warmly as Draeseth passed her to a servant who placed her on her feet with care.

"Your palace is lovely, your Majesty but it's..." She frowned, hesitating.

"Not as extravagant as King Tamnaeuth's?" His smile was icy.

"It's not that, it's just... this seems as if it was built to be defended. The walls are so high and the single door..." They traded looks of bafflement. "What would you need to be defended from up here? It seems so strange to me."

"My sons said Aran palaces were built solely for pleasure." His bafflement faded to amusement. "Torgans have always had a fondness for fighting, little Duchess. It is a point of pride to have a home both beautiful and defensible."

She nodded slowly. The Keeps were fortified because the Torgans fought amongst themselves.

"There is no danger of an uprising, little Duchess." The King said something to Draeseth and his answer received an understanding nod and a gesture toward the building as they lapsed into a brief Torgan conversation.

Draeseth offered his arm and she took it allowing herself to be led into the grand entranceway. Inside the large room, a small group of women waited. Isonei looked at them instead of trying to peer around at the tapestries.

King Orgath greeted them in Torgan and all but two curtsied low. The older of the two, a sharp-featured Torgan woman in a deep blue, open-throated gown stepped forward and gave him a smile as she took her place on his arm.

"Queen Deventha, allow me to introduce Duchess Isonei. Unfortunately, Prince Draeseth was not embellishing her difficulties with travel. When she has recovered you should find her an amusing addition to your retinue, my Queen."

The Queen's smile was frosty as she looked Isonei over. "Why you had to go meet the bastard's wife and escort them back yourself... My sons were bringing her."

Draeseth laid a hand on top of Isonei's reassuringly. "When I learned my wife was with child, I wished to return her to the Kroscur. I had hoped father would be content with meeting her and allow us to return home."

"That would have been ideal." The Queen inclined her head ever so slightly.

"No. I wanted to meet an Aran woman." The younger woman moved forward confidently. Her skin was a dark grey as Onsh Lothlaerith's had been and her face was marked with peculiar tattoos. What was most striking was her fiery reddish gold hair in a crowning braid. "She looks delicate. Very pale." Isonei blinked as the woman touched her face and tilted it. "Was her line mixed with the Munians?"

"You speak so peculiarly. What are you?" Putting on a curious and amused expression Isonei released Draeseth's arm and reached out to take hold of the woman's face in the same way.

"You may not touch me!" The woman hissed and stepped back.

"I thought it was just how you greet people, my apologies." Isonei offered her a bright smile and moved toward her as she took another step back. "You're very pretty but what is all of this on your face?"

The woman drew herself up scowling, "These are the markings of the Emperor's family. I am Her Imperial Highness, Kresh, of Bir Viccord."

"I am Isonei of House Ernelis, daughter of Liadith, Duchess of Kroscur."

"You give them in the wrong order." Kresh eyed her warily. "The highest title should be first and is enough."

"Not in Ara. House is more important than anything else. If I were limited to my highest title I would be introducing myself as Isonei, daughter of Liadith. For the Torgans, it isn't an appropriate title, but in Leria I outrank Prince Draeseth and his brothers."

"You should not boast of that, wife." Draeseth took hold of her arm and pulled her back, wrapping her arm around his again.

"It isn't a boast if it's true." She heard Burgath laugh as she fluttered her lashes up at Draeseth.

"What was it you said at dinner, Draeseth? 'Find a woman better than you are and allow her to make you a better man?' How can she be boasting if she repeats what you say?"

Isonei gave the teasing Prince an impish grin, "I'm so glad you've forgiven me for outranking you in Leria."

He imitated her tone and speech with a smile, "I'm so glad you understand I outrank you here."

"Of course, dear Burgath, but you've been so gracious and warm I've hardly noticed it being pointed out. I really should take lessons from you." She widened her eyes slightly and he looked as if he wished to retort but couldn't quite find the right words.

Draeseth gave a growling grunt. "Stop teasing my brother, Duchess."

"I also," Kresh interrupted them with some annoyance, "outrank my husband outside of Torga. I look forward to speaking with you more, daughter of Liadith."

"As do I, your Imperial Highness. I know almost nothing of Phaethia."

Kresh offered her something between a smile and a smirk. "Entertainments can be arranged, if you wish a taste of Phaethia."

Beaming, Isonei opened her mouth to accept the invitation.

"Privately!" The Queen snapped and lapsed into Torgan earning an evil glare from Kresh.

"You are not fond of me, your Majesty." Draeseth stepped forward and sank to one knee pulling Isonei down with him. "But I ask you humbly, my wife has had very few examples of a good and proper Torgan Lady to learn from and she is prone to playfulness, will you offer her the benefit of your instruction? There is no finer or more worthy Lady in all of Torga, none whose virtue I respect more, your Majesty."

Her expression was gelid but she glanced at the King, who squeezed her arm, and inclined her head. "Very well."

Turning, the King and Queen left them kneeling, their steps echoed on the polished stone as the Queen's retinue fell in behind them.