Jade-Lily Bo'ehr is the wife of the General of the army of Tsuchengko. Everyone is in danger due to a growing rebel army, the Gongjensu, that threaten not only them, but all the other kingdoms.
When Jade breaks a law for the safety of her husband a...
He shoved his hands in his pockets, shrugging, though his eyes glinted with amusement, "Arianna doesn't curse, so she makes up her own alternatives."
Jade nodded, turning to face the door. She didn't curse either—in Tsuchengko, women just didn't. The door finally opened, and Jade's gaze fell on a young woman.
She was slightly shorter than Jade, her loose brown hair hanging freely down her back. She was as tanned as Arlo, and her dark eyes were wide, her cheeks slightly flushed.
"Did you hear that?"
"I'm afraid so," Arlo drawled, pushing off from the wall. The girl, Arianna, blushed even more, her lips curling downwards.
"Oh. Well," she turned to Jade, her face lighting up in a smile, "You must be—" She stopped and looked down, fiddling with her fingers.
Jade bit her lip. Of course, Arianna didn't know what to call her. The exiled woman?
"This is Lily. Lily, meet Arianna Quilan, the one who named my horse," Arlo offered, breaking the silence. Arianna looked up again, her eyes apologetic.
"Welcome, Lily."
"Thank you," Jade said, with a slight nod.
"You'll be staying with Arianna for a while, until we find you a place of your own," Arlo said, glancing between the two.
"Are you comfortable with that?" Arianna asked. Jade nodded silently. She didn't have much choice, and even if she did, she wouldn't have refused. Arianna seemed kind. Perhaps they would be friends.
"Wonderful!" Arianna said, flashing her white teeth at Jade. Then she turned to Arlo, "Well, goodnight," she said, waving her fingers at him.
"Goodnight. Goodnight, Lily. I'll come by tomorrow to see how you're settling in," he said, giving them both a crooked smile.
"Goodnight. Thank you," Jade said. Arlo gave them a mock salute and turned, heading away, presumably to his own house.
"Well," Arianna said, causing Jade to turn to her. The girl was smiling softly. "Are you tired?"
Jade shrugged, tilting her head to the side, "Tired, yes, but I don't think I can sleep."
Arianna nodded slowly, her hand coming to her chin, "Well, come inside, anyway." Jade followed her into the small house, and Arianna shut the door behind them.
Jade's breath caught as she looked at Arianna's home. It was cozy and quaint, with none of the grandeur of her house in Tsuchengko.
Small lamps, placed around the house, illuminated it with molten, yellow light. Directly opposite them was a fireplace, surrounded by grey bricks, standing out against the brown wood of the rest of the house. In front of the fireplace were two chairs, and their red cushions looked incredibly soft and inviting. Behind the fireplace, Jade caught sight of a slightly ajar door, a strip of light shining from inside it.
But Jade's eyes were drawn to the weavings on the walls. Nets of string and tapestries hung from the wall, tastefully placed all over.
"Do you like it?" Arianna asked. Jade turned and saw a hint of anxiety in the younger girl's eyes.
She smiled, the first real smile she'd had since leaving Tsuchengko, "It's beautiful." It truly was. It was small, and rustic, and warm. The homey air wrapped around Jade like a blanket and soothed her frayed nerves.
"Thank you," Arianna said smiling shyly.
"Did you make all of these?" Jade asked, gesturing to the artwork lining the walls. Arianna's face brightened, and she nodded.
Jade slowly walked to one on her right. Brown string was wrapped all around a circle of wood, and there was a weaving of a tree in its center. Feathers hung from the bottom of the circle, waving slightly due to the wind that had just entered the house.
"We call them dream-protectors. It's a myth, but we believe that they catch sweet dreams for us and protect us from nightmares," Arianna said, stepping up beside Jade.
"And you made this," Jade breathed, touching the thread softly. It was incredible, and must've taken great skill to make. Arianna looked hardly younger than her.
"Yes. It's what I do for a living, since I can't fight." Jade looked at her inquisitively. She thought that Arrian women were allowed to fight.
Arianna caught her look and smiled ruefully, "My leg is injured." Jade's eyebrows drew closer until Arianna took a few steps back, and she sucked in a breath.
Arianna had a limp.
Jade couldn't believe she hadn't noticed this before. How could she have missed such a thing? But then again, Arianna hadn't walked around that much in front of her.
"Please, don't pity me," Arianna said quickly.
Jade cleared her expression, smiling slightly, "Of course not. It doesn't change a thing."
Arianna let out a breath and returned her smile, "Thank you. Now, let's go inside. It's best if we sleep."
Jade nodded, and Arianna led her through the door at the back. The room was lit in the same yellow light from the candles, and there was a sweet scent drifting through it. Opposite the door was a small bed, covered in white sheets, and on the floor beside it was a small pallet.
"You take the bed, Lily," Arianna said, opening a cupboard to the side.
Jade shook her head immediately, "Oh, no, I couldn't do that."
"You're the guest, you must," Arianna said, closing the cupboard and offering some white cloth to Jade, smiling slightly.
"I can't inconvenience you like that," Jade protested, looking at the cloth. It was a nightgown, long and modest, like the one Arianna was wearing.
Arianna sighed, "Well, let's compromise. One night I'll sleep down, then the next you. And so on." Jade nodded in agreement. "But today you'll be on the bed," Arianna said firmly. Jade opened her mouth to argue, but Arianna shook her head, "Not a word, Lily."
Jade sighed and nodded, smiling. "Good," Arianna said, walking over to the pallet. She laid down and pulled the sheet over herself, yawning as soon as her head touched the pillow. "You can change there," Arianna said, her eyes closed but her hand lazily pointing at a door, hidden in the wall.
Jade walked in and unlaced her gown, slipping into the nightgown. Arianna had almost the same body size that she had, so the nightgown fit her easily.
Jade walked out and slid into the bed, glad for the warmth the sheets brought her. She turned to the side, seeing Arianna's back facing her. "Goodnight, Arianna," she said softly.
"Goodnight, Lily."
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Long chapter! What do you think about Arlo? And Arianna? Do you like Arrian, Kingdom of Forests? Don't forget to:
