Two Of The Same Piece || Book 1 (The Beginning)

CHAPTER 26

Rave had begun to wonder if the conniving nobles and courtiers of Thinlin ever stopped to live their lives. Thinlin had beautiful scenery, around its lakes and rivers. The idealistic villages really were a country retreat for the wealthy. So Rave and Leo sat on the rocky gardens, enjoying the pleasant sounds of nature.

Josephine had actually assigned her to see if anything could be added to the village to make it more suitable for Rina and Taiskin's marriage. Both sides had finally agreed, with a contract devoid of a clause monitoring that Taiskin could not take any other wives or even concubines. But Rave didn't say anything. She and the crown prince left on bad terms, she didn't want to make it worse.

Irene was still at Thinlin city, the capital, while they were celebrating Rina's twenty-second birthday. A tradition that hadn't grown with Bellans, or Raynerians. Who celebrated getting older?

Rave shook her head. No point thinking of that. She got up and motioned for Leo to follow her. The gardens in the village were not maintained at all, so its once marble arches, pillars, and birdbaths had overgrown with moss and vines. Even the stone pathway had weeds growing among the cracks.

But it had a magical feeling around it, "It's beautiful, isn't it?" Rave asked. They had wandered over to a barely recognizable statue.

"Is that Thia?" Leo pointed at the statue of the cloaked woman carrying a basket.

"Maybe, I'm not so sure." Rave looked around. "Look, all the arches and pillars lead to the statue. It would be a perfect place for the Thinlinytes ceremonies, would it not?"

"It would, but why in the gardens?" Leo gestured to all the plants. "Would the temple in the village be better?"

"The temple is very small. It can't house all the guests. And it is literally falling apart now. What will we do if a rafter falls on poor Fredrick?" Rave laughed, "The garden is a portrait worthy background too. Imagine, in the future, our children and their children will see the beautiful, magical gardens where two kingdoms met and joined."

"So dramatic." Leo teased her, shaking his head.

--

They had stopped in the largest marketplace in Thinlin while returning from the pleasure village. It was near the palace, and only truly accessible to the nobles and wealthy. All the vendors and shopkeepers were dressed nicely, compared to the country people they had seen.

Riding through the market, there wasn't much to see. All the vendors had similar products. Produce, garments and trinkets. The only varieties she saw were the foreign vendors. Soon they came across a Bellan vendor. The woman recognized her and greeted her.

"Princess." The woman put a hand on her chest and bowed.

"Business isn't so good here, is it?" Rave asked.

"Awful." The woman clicked her tongue, "The only time those leeches come here is when they need a gift. They are frugal." She said in Bellan.

"Then your shop must have seen a lot of customers recently," Leo said.

"Only those who didn't buy anything during the trip to Bellamin." She scoffed.

"A pity." Rave laughed.

"Not for me." The shopkeeper replied.

Suddenly someone caught her eye. It was Sonia, one of Josephine's Duaetivean ladies. She was talking to a young hooded man. But she was completely alone, and the man held her very close.

"That one always comes to fondle this man." The woman said, a little disgusted. "Her husband, I think." Rave tried to remember if she had ever seen a ring on Sonia's hand. She couldn't be entirely sure that she had seen a ring.

"Before, another used to come here. Light-skinned and dark hair. He thinks I can't listen to him yelling. Apparently, he got that one pregnant."

"Could it be Darei?" Leo asked.

"It could be any of them or someone else entirely. A lot of people have light skin and dark hair." Rave dismissed it. "Sonia is probably just ashamed to admit to having a lover. It isn't 'proper' or whatever here."

"Whoever it is, I don't care. But he is awful. He runs a brothel just outside the city. Steals girls and trains them to be courtesans." She sighed angrily, "A million times I've told the castle guards and bailiffs. But everything falls on deaf ears. He gives them free rein over all the girls. So they don't speak."