39
Únik quailed at the entrance to the banqueting hall, fingers of one hand clutching at the skirts of her dress, the other clenched as Ylthara linked arms with her, awaiting their announcement. She looked down at that dress, a mixture of the lightest cotton and silk, it almost shimmered in deep blues and and hints of black. From the hips down, the dress fell straight, pleated and almost kissing the immaculate floor with the hem.
Were it not for the dainty shoes upon her immense feet, she felt the dress would drag along the floor collecting dust as she moved. From the hips upward, the dress clung to every curve of her body, ending in a high, ruffled neck that itched at her throat. She felt like a fool, and she knew she was a fraud, in front of all these people. The cream of nobility and she, a scavenger that felt happy with her hands in the guts of whales.
"Stop fidgeting! Relax!" The whisper was for Únik's ears alone. Ylthara leaned closer, their shoulders touching as she gazed around the room. "Act as though you own the place and you pity every one else and you'll fit right in."
"Someone will notice. Someone will find out and then I'll be gaoled for impersonating the nobility." Her feet shuffled beneath her dress as she considered turning and running. "I'm a pig among eagles."
"You are beautiful and if I hear you say different again, I'll have you whipped, you peasant." Ylthara felt Únik stiffen at those words and chuckled, dropping her head upon Únik's shoulder. "I'm jesting with you! But, in all honesty, you are beautiful. Now, head high. Look as though you can smell something rotten."
"Prince Ylthara, daughter of Ūlassiara of the Ūtharan nation of Alharai, and her escort, Lady Únik, Countess of Uriok." The announcer read their names from a scroll and Únik stiffened once again.
Ylthara began to stride forward, tugging at Únik's arm as she entered the banqueting hall. If Únik had counted, she doubt she would have reached less than one hundred pairs of eyes turning to stare at the couple as Ylthara floated like a leaf upon the wind into the hall.
She looked like a vision, her hair teased and twisted and plaited into a work of art that sat upon her head, causing her to appear several inches taller. She wore a delicate piece of Valka silk material, colours coruscating along its entire length. A single, long piece of cloth, wrapped around and around Ylthara's body, the layers hiding what the silk would show with only one layer. The wraparound outfit ended, pinned by an intricate brooch designed with the Alharai coat of arms, the other end falling over Ylthara's other arm.
Únik need not have feared the looks of these nobles, for they had eyes only for Ylthara and Únik could understand why. She entranced everyone that saw her, causing hushed whispers to travel from one end of the hall to the other. If any had seen her only a day before, filthy through travelling, hair in a simple ponytail, battered and dirty leather armour, they would not have recognised her at all.
They passed dozens of people, Ylthara dipping her head in greeting so many times, she looked like a chicken picking at its feed and the surrounding nobles reciprocated with deep bows and eyes that never left Ylthara's ice-blue face.
Holding her own head lowered, Únik tried her best to stop her face from flushing, but the more she tried, the hotter her cheeks became. Any hotter and she doubted the hall would need the hundreds of candles and lanterns that brightened the place so much, it felt like a cloudless Summer's day.
"See, it's not so bad, is it?" Tightening her arm around Únik's, Ylthara tried to comfort her. "I can guarantee you, none of these people will remember either of us in less time than it takes to turn their heads. A more shallow group of people you will never meet."
"Won't anyone think something is odd? Someone like me with you? Linking arms like this?" Looking around, Únik could see heads turning away and whispers passing through the air about someone behind them.
"Not at all. They'll just think we're lovers." Ylthara laughed as Únik stiffened again. Even her laugh was so different from the one she used during the journey. This laugh was light and tinkled like icicles tapping against each other. "Very well, my sweet, I shall stop teasing you. But we will discuss that incident further. It was an ... unexpected turn of events."
Únik had to agree with that sentiment. She had never found a woman attractive in her life. If truth be told, she had found few men attractive, either, but 'few' was not 'none'. Until meeting Ylthara, Únik had never looked upon a woman in such a way that she could bare restrain the beating of her heart.
The feelings had crept up on her, over the days of struggle, the distrust and close proximity. She had found herself looking to Ylthara more often, not with eyes that could not decide whether it was she that spoke the truth, and not her sister, but with eyes that only wanted to see the woman. Laying upon the bed in her room at the Ūtharan compound and those feelings had hit like lightning from the sky. And, it seemed, Ylthara had had similar thoughts.
After all, that night and morning in Guhugng, Ylthara had said as much. That she wasn't attracted to women either. And yet. Únik almost allowed herself to think that she wasn't much of an example of a woman, but, looking down at her dress as it clung to her curves, she had to, grudgingly, admit, she felt quite feminine. For once.
"Countess! What did you do to catch this simply beautiful specimen?" A woman, older and wearing the thick, Hagragng style of dress, looked up into Únik's face. The woman had dusted her face an unnatural pale white and Únik could see the lines of age. "I heard the Lady Ylthara had chosen killing things over the joys of love."
"Lady Juurug, if I said we met while killing things, would that explain well enough?" Laughing, Ylthara reached out to touch Lady Juurug's arm and they shared a laugh that Únik could tell did not pass beyond their faces. "What can one say? Seeing the Countess covered in the blood of an enemy stole my heart."
"Oh! Do tell me more." Lady Juurug leaned forward in a conspiratorial manner, touching Únik's arm. It seemed the thing for these nobles to do, touch arms as though that could hide their distaste for each other.
"It was a Snow Wyrm. It killed four of our people and two of our horses." Stuttering over her words, almost mumbling, Únik tried her best to enter into the spirit of things. "I killed it with a spear before it devoured our healer."
The Lady Juurug's face dropped and she tried to maintain a modicum of dignity as the corners of her mouth twitched. She looked towards Ylthara for confirmation but the Ice-Kin had turned her head, surveying the crowds. Noting the silence, Ylthara turned her attention back.
"She's a delight, isn't she?" Smiling, Ylthara began to pull Únik away. "Please excuse us, there's someone else I absolutely must speak with. Come along, Countess."
Únik allowed Ylthara to drag her away from the older Hagragng noble, even as Lady Juurug clutched at her throat with nervous fingers. Únik considered, perhaps, that she should refrain from speaking in such an honest fashion. Ylthara appeared to dance around subjects with the same grace that she carried while riding and camping. Nothing wasted, as though the words were swords and the other guests her opponents.
Once again, Únik realised that this was not her world. Not anywhere near it. She had come from a place where words were only spoken in earnest, where things were always said to the point and with honesty, even if that honesty upset the other person. Seeing and hearing people as they hid everything from each other surprised and confused her.
Yet, through it all, Ylthara navigated the dips and troughs of the ball with such presence and skill, Únik no longer doubted that the woman was anything but high-born. She could see it in every movement of her hands, every tinkling laugh that Únik could not believe that others thought it genuine. Ylthara was born to this world.
Another woman appeared before them. This one appeared out of place, wearing clothing that almost seemed as though the woman had worn it beneath armour. In her hand, she held a large flagon, filled with frothing ale that slopped over the lip, dripping to the floor.
She had short, unkempt hair and a stomach that could have rivalled Únik's own, before the journey had burned away the excess. The woman said nothing, at first, only staring at Ylthara and then Únik, taking a deep drink from the flagon before wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. With a nod, a huge grin appeared upon the woman's plain face and she slapped Ylthara on the shoulder, laughing.
"Alright, you filthy blue creature. Toss out the shit and speak plain." The woman pointed a pudgy, calloused finger towards Únik. "This here is no more a Countess than my tits. We have mere minutes before those bastards jump in and drag me away to 'important' folk, Patrons damn their hides, so speak fast and precise."
"Your Majesty." Ylthara curtsied low, lifting the skirts of her wraparound dress, lowering her eyes.
It took several seconds before those two words registered in Únik's mind. As soon as they did, she made a horrible attempt to replicate Ylthara's curtsey. She had never expected King Vraniik to look like this.
-+-
King Vraniik inserted herself between Únik and Ylthara, using their bodies to hide her from the other guests, her eyes twitching around to ensure her advisors could not see her. Upon closer inspection, Únik could see strong muscles pressing against the simple material of her clothing, though years had added body fat atop the muscle.
The King emanated authority and Únik felt tiny in her presence, even though the woman stood a good inch or two shorter than Únik, even if Únik were not wearing the heeled shoes Ylthara had bought for her. She found herself stooping, so as not to tower over the royal personage beside her and King Vraniik tapped her in the stomach before using a hand to straighten her back to her full height.
"Don't slouch, girl! A Countess does not slouch." Dipping her head to look around Únik, the King scowled. "And, besides, you can't hide me if you stoop low enough for those talkative bastards to find me. Now, Ylthara, tell me what has you badgering my people for an audience."
Ylthara wasted no time in relating her reasons for seeking an audience. She told King Vraniik of her father's dying words, of the beginning of Hatyara's journey and the coastal battle between their ships. She talked about the chase and of capturing Únik and everything that mattered to the situation at hand.
Through it all, the King remained silent, making occasional glances into the crowd, adjusting her position to remain hidden, but Únik could tell she listened to every single word that Ylthara spoke. Once Ylthara finished the tale, Vraniik scratched her stomach, nodding to herself.
"That's quite a story." Taking the opportunity of a servant passing with drinks upon a tray, Vraniik swapped her now empty flagon for a filled wine glass. She drank the wine in one gulp. "It's true, the girl is to be my consort, cementing the peace between our kingdoms. As to the other nonsense, how could such a little thing hope to assassinate me? I'm known far and wide for my lightning speed and difficulty to kill."
Únik doubted that. In her prime, perhaps, the King may have moved like a swallow. Now, in her twilight years, with all the extra weight, it seemed unlikely that she retained her youthful speed. She tried not to make her thoughts noticeable, lowering her eyes before Vraniik could read behind them.
"She has magic. I saw it myself. She's an Ice Mage and powerful, if I'm any judge." She could remain silent no longer. After listening to Ylthara, it all seemed so obvious. How she could have doubted her, Únik did not know, and her friend needed help convincing the King. "And she's accompanied by a Fae of great skill. Someone who can almost disappear before your eyes, who wields a magical bow and arrows that never need replenishing."
"A magical bow? I want proof, not fairy tales!" The King laid a heavy hand upon Ylthara's shoulders. "What do you expect me to do? Turn away my future consort? Plunge our two nations into a bitter feud? War, perhaps? If I stop your sister, it will be an insult to your nation."
"And if she kills you, it will be an insult to yours!" Looking desperate, Ylthara forgot about hiding Vraniik, turning towards her. "If we stop Hatyara, I'll negotiate some other way of binding our nations. If she kills you, there is no negotiation that could forgive that. It's the lesser of two evils."
King Vraniik toyed with the wine glass, turning it within her large hands and glaring at Ylthara. She looked the Ice-Kin from toe to scalp, assessing her with keen eyes. Then, those eyes widened as she looked beyond Ylthara to see several people politely pushing through the other guests towards them.
"Patrons damn it! Listen, Ylthara, you arrived with captain ... Turug? Correct?" Narrowing her eyes, her face darkening even more as her advisors neared, Vraniik pointed a finger into Ylthara's chest. "I'll have him appointed as captain of the gates and see to it he comes to pay his respects to you, often, each day. We'll capture your sister quietly and have a Sender interrogate her. If this turns into a fool's errand, you and I will have words. Nice to meet you, 'Countess'."
The King gave Únik a stiff nod and slipped from between them, heading deeper into the crowd of guests, swapping her empty wine glass for another as she passed a tray carrying servant. The crowds folded in around her and the King's advisors darted past Ylthara and Únik, glaring at them both as they rushed by.
On a raised platform, to the other side of the room, musicians began to play their instruments and the crowds began to part, leaving an area on the centre of the room empty, ready for the dancing to commence. Of the King, Únik could see no sign and, secretly, she hoped that the gruff, wily older woman would lead her advisors a long and merry chase.
"That went better than expected." Hooking a finger at another servant, Ylthara waited for them to arrive and lifted two tall glasses of golden liquid from the tray, handing one to Únik. "I've dealt with Vraniik before. As long as she's not calling you a 'shit', a 'bastard' or asking the Patrons to damn you, then you can assume she likes you. She certainly noticed you."
Ylthara tapped her glass against Únik's and took a sip, making the simple act of taking a drink seem so dignified that Únik dared not lift her glass to her lips. Where Ylthara got the idea that the King had noticed Únik from escaped Únik. She felt the King had dismissed her as soon as she looked at her.
"What I've never understood, is why the King needs Hatyara as a consort? She has a husband, doesn't she?" Lifting her glass with her outsize hands, Únik tried to drink without making a fool of herself.
"Vraniik's husband did his part long ago. He gave Vraniik her heirs and now spends his time hunting and whoring." The music had begun to make Ylthara sway her hips as others moved onto the dance area in pairs. "Vraniik has always had ... expansive tastes. She never does anything unless she does it to excess and with gusto. Hatyara would have filled only a small part of Vraniik's appetites."
"But, what about love? Hatyara never seemed that interested, to me." Únik watched the couples turning and twirling upon the dance area, feeling as though she had fallen into an epic romance told by a storyteller by a tavern's fire. "If neither truly loves the other, then what is the point?"
"Oh, my beautiful Únik." Raising her hand, Ylthara stroked Únik's cheek with a luck of amused pity. "Within the nobility, and royalty even more so, love is a commodity with little worth. But, strengthening alliances? Pupping a few children to become heirs? That is the real worth of noble and royal partnerships, even if only with consorts. It's pleasure. A business deal. There's no place for love in that."
"It sounds like a vile and barren life." Feeling miserable, Únik turned away from the dancing. She couldn't bear to look at these people and wonder if any of them even cared for each other. "Before my husband turned into a monster, I loved him. I married for love, though it did me and my daughter little good once the drink took him. But I loved him. That was my choice."
With her eyes dipped, Únik could only see Ylthara's hands as they took the tall glass from Únik's, they moved away and returned empty, clasping hold of Únik's fingers, thumbs rubbing gentle circles into her skin. Ylthara pulled Únik closer, lowering her head until she could see into Únik's eyes.
"Dance with me." As Únik tried to turn her head away, avoiding Ylthara's gaze, the Ice-Kin moved so close that Únik could feel the warmth of her body. "I said dance with me!"
"I can't dance. I never learned." Mumbling, Únik turned her head this way and that, avoiding Ylthara's eyes.
"Then we won't dance, we'll hold each other tight and turn and twirl together." Ylthara leaned in closer, breathing into Únik's ear. "And, when we return to the compound, exhausted from dancing and laughing and drinking, we'll discuss that moment. And, perhaps, fulfil it?"
Before Únik could say anything, Ylthara peeled away, holding onto Únik's hand and dragged her into the centre of the dance area. Once there, in the middle of everyone, Ylthara took Únik's arms, placing them around her waist and then hooked her own arms around Únik's neck and, together, they swayed out of time with the music. Uncaring about the eyes that stared or the hushed voices that spoke words of love.