Heir, page 3
part #5 of Ressaline Series
“I guess that’s what I meant,” I said.
“Then we’re agreed.” She reached for me, and we hugged tightly.
* * * *
I stood upon the southern foot of the bridge and looked across to the opposite bank of the Verlies river. Behind me was my carriage, currently driven by one of the women of the Royal Guard. I held the reins of my horse. Behind both of us were the royal guards; they would remain in Flarvor.
Across the bridge, I was clearly expected. Clearly expected.
And then a woman stepped onto the bridge and began walking towards me. I recognized Allium. I thought about waiting for her but decided to meet her in the middle. Pulling my horse, I began walking.
She reached the center first, coming to a stop right at the line marking the border. I finished my walk, and as I approached, she dropped into a curtsey. “Get up,” I ordered even before reaching her.
“Of course, Your Highness,” she said, rising with a warm smile.
I came to a stop, facing her, an arm’s reach apart, and dropped the reins. “I am your future queen,” I told her.
“Yes, you are.”
I frowned. “I don’t want everyone doing that all the time. And I don’t want to be Princess Ahlianna all the time, either.”
“Good, because that’s not how I run the embassy.”
“Good. Give me a hug.”
She opened her arms, and with her feet still on the northern half of the bridge, and mine on the southern half, we hugged tightly. “Darfelsa has been telling me about Ressaline customs,” I whispered.
“I rather imagine she has.”
“I believe I don’t want you to wait for permission to engage in them.”
“Is this the one you meant?” And then she kissed my cheeks, both sides, twice.
“That’s the one,” I agreed. We separated, but switched to holding hands. I gestured with my nose. “Who is waiting for me?”
She smiled. “Oh, not that many. A few from my embassy you probably don’t know, plus the two you might most suspect.” She looked past me. “Have you been mounted or riding in style?”
“A bit of both,” I admitted. “Really, the carriage is only necessary as it has my things.”
“Then we can send it back,” she said. “Unless you refuse Olivia’s hospitality.”
“I’m happy with whatever arrangements you’ve made, Ambassador.”
“Ready?”
“Ready.” She offered her arm, and I clasped it, then reached back and collected the reins from my mount. “How are things in Charth?”
“Good,” she said. “Do you have a courier with you?”
“Yes, I think so.”
“Good. I have a dispatch for your father. I’ll send it across when we send the carriage back. Ahlianna, you have no idea how excited everyone is you’re coming.”
“I’m so happy to be out of Barrish for a while,” I replied. “And as nervous as I’ve ever been.”
“You still have time to turn around,” she said.
“I didn’t come all this way to turn around, and I think you know that.” I paused. “Allium, I had a speech in my head.”
“For your greeting?” She gestured to the waiting Ressalines.”
“No. For you.”
“Oh, so serious. And now you’ve forgotten it?”
“No. I realize how…” I sighed. “I have something I want to say to you, but I hate my speech.”
She laughed. “All right.”
“I am your future queen.”
“So we are agreed. I hope you understand I hope that doesn’t occur for a very, very long time.”
“I agree with you,” I said. “Nevertheless.”
“Nevertheless,” she echoed.
“I want to know if I can depend on you.”
She slowed a moment, and then she didn’t answer immediately. “For what?” she asked cautiously.
“I don’t know,” I admitted. “To be honest with me. To advise me.”
“I assume you would inherit your father’s advisors.”
“Most of them are older than he is, and all of them see me as a silly little girl.”
“Princess,” she said. “What do you want me to do if I think you’re doing something foolish?”
“Call me on it.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, I’m sure.”
She nodded. “If I believe you are leading wisely, I will fully support you.”
“And if I’m not leading wisely?”
“I’ll tell you. And if that’s still not enough, I will resign my position.”
“No.”
“Princess, I have no intention of ever being at cross purposes with you, but if you want a sycophant, look somewhere else.”
I turned her to me. “This is why I wrote a long speech. I don’t want any sycophants. I want someone who I can trust will yell at me if I need yelling.”
“I can’t yell at you, Princess,” she said. “I can advise you. I can tell you if I think you’re making mistakes. But if I ever offer my resignation, it’s because I can’t follow you in the direction you’re leading, either because you aren’t listening or because…”
“Because you’re in love with someone north of the border.”
“Or because I’m tired of fighting south of the border,” she clarified.
“No,” I said. “Because I can’t have that fight without you and a very small number of other people. I need to be able to count on you, Ambassador.” She looked away, and I could see the pain in her face. “You’re already in love,” I said gently.
“I’m in love with being respected,” she said.
“I’m going to need you, Allium, and probably long before I trade a tiara for a crown.”
She turned back to look at me, and I watched her pull her emotions under control. “In what capacity?”
“I don’t know.”
“I can’t be some sort of hanger-on,” she said. “I need to feel useful. I’m not exactly an example to follow if I’m serving as some sort of lady in waiting.”
“That’s not what I need from you.”
“Then what?” she asked. “Minister of Transportation?” She offered a ragged laugh. “Your father couldn’t give that job to me, and at least I was qualified.”
“You’re refusing to help me?”
“No, I’m not refusing to help you,” she said. “But are you suggesting my only qualifications are a certain ability to lead coupled with these?” She grabbed her chest in emphasis.
“Of course not!”
“Because it sure sounds like it, Princess.”
“Why did Darfelsa come here?” I asked her.
She froze. “You don’t need me for the same reasons. While your father can’t necessarily teach Darfelsa the way I can, he’s been teaching you your entire life.”
“No, he hasn’t. He’s begun teaching me quite recently, and I think the two biggest reasons are standing in front of me and waiting on dry land.”
“Ridiculous.”
“On this, Ambassador,” I said a little coldly, “I think I am in a better position to judge than you are.”
She dropped her gaze. “You’re right,” she said. “My apologies. I didn’t mean it the way it sounded.”
“You meant you don’t believe you’re a positive role model?”
She stared at my stomach for a minute before finally looking up. “I don’t even know what to call you.”
“My father’s advisors use his name,” she said. “I would prefer you do the same with me.”
“Ahlianna, the only reason I’m anyone’s role model are these.” Again, she clutched her breasts. “Otherwise I’m only a fairly good engineer.”
“If you didn’t have those, you would be the Minister of Transportation, which means you would already be one of Father’s advisors. Instead, you do have those, and you are our Ambassador to Ressaline, which means you advise Father on different matters. I’d say those,” and I waved a finger, “Are not the only reason you are a role model. But I admit those are why I need you as my role model, and Darfelsa’s role model, and one of my most trusted advisors.”
She dropped her gaze. “Please don’t pull me back to Barrish to serve as some sort of symbol.” She looked up. “If you have a real position for me, and you are the leader I think you could be, I will support you.” She dropped back into a curtsey. “You are my future queen, Ahlianna. I will support you.”
“Get up,” I told her. “Am I also your friend?”
“Yes.”
“Good. Hug me.” I pulled her into my arms, and we both held tightly. “I take it you like it here?”
“I don’t know how to explain how much I like it here,” she replied. “Ahlianna, I think you’re making a mistake.”
“Coming here?”
“I’m never marrying a man. Never. Do you understand?”
“I think I do.”
“Barrish society will never accept me for that reason if none other.”
“Does that bother you?”
“It used to. I never felt as strongly as I do now. I’m not sure I’m going to be what you or Leander think I’ll be.”
“A strong woman?”
“Who doesn’t know her place.”
I laughed. “Like a princess who expects to be queen?” We separated and went back to holding hands. “If you come back with an entire household of pleasure slaves and three wives, then so be it.”
She offered a ragged smile.
“You’re going to be here for a while, Allium. Years. A decade, if you want it. Probably.”
“Good health to Leander,” she said.
“If I summon you back, will you come?” She looked me in the eyes. Finally, in a whisper, she said, “Yes, if that’s what you really need.”
“I’m sorry, Allium,” I told her. “I didn’t realize how you felt.”
“I’ll support you,” she said, this time more firmly. “If that’s what you need, then of course I’ll support you.”
“But you’d remain Ambassador the rest of your days, if that choice remained open?”
“At this point, yes,” she said.
“From what I’ve heard, I don’t think I blame you. I’m sorry, Allium, but I don’t have very many choices, and I’m going to have to rely on all of them.”
“I understand, Ahlianna.” She put on a ragged smile. “Years away.”
“A decade. Two. Maybe more, but at some point, we’ll need you to help me be that symbol.”
“Real duties, Ahlianna. Please.”
“Real duties,” I promised her.
“All right then.” She offered another smile. “I’m feeling a whole lot better imagining you in red.”
I laughed, and rather loudly. She grinned and hooked my arm. “Shall we?”
Chapter Three
Two people curtsied. I didn’t recognize them, but I casually said, “Please rise.”
And then, with Allium still on my arm, I crossed the remaining space directly to Gionna. We hugged tightly and exchanged cheek-kisses besides. “I’m so pleased you’re here,” she said fervently. “Welcome to Ressaline.”
“Thank you,” I replied. “You are well?”
“I’m fabulous,” she said. “Ditch the coach.”
I laughed, and she released me. Olivia was waiting. She offered a hand clasp, but I said, “Uh, uh,” and went in for a hug. She gave me cheek kisses, and I whispered, “Did I just offend you?”
“Not hardly,” she replied.
I exchanged greetings with a few others, and then Olivia said, “Princess Ahlianna, I would like to formally welcome you to Ressaline.”
“Thank you, Lady Olivia,” I replied. “We have a little business to see to, and then I have a request.”
“Business?”
“I’ve been told to ditch the coach.” Gionna laughed. “I’d like to collect my things.”
“If you look,” Gionna said, “I believe you will see the ambassador is a few steps ahead of you.” She gestured, and I saw the two women who had curtsied to me helping my driver transfer things for me.
I turned to Olivia. “Please tell me the guard is still standing on safe territory.”
“Two miles into Ressaline,” Olivia said.
“Ah, the buffer zone.”
“Right. Not that we’re letting you turn around.”
I laughed. “I’ve already had that conversation.”
“Is that what that kneeling was about?” Gionna asked.
“She didn’t kneel. She curtsied,” I countered. “No, that was something else. Lady Olivia, I would like to know the short-term plans.”
“As in, you’ll ride with me for our return to Charth?”
“I wondered if I could get anything resembling a tour on the way.”
“There isn’t much to see,” she replied. “We’ll pass through a number of minor villages and ride past an untold number of farms.”
“Are any of the farms in question being worked by citizens of Flarvor?”
“No, I’m afraid not.”
“Do you believe I could have a tour of a farm or two?” I asked.
“We can do that,” she said. “Surely you’ve seen farms south of the border. Those from here to Charth are not any different.”
I paused. “They’re different in at least one notable way.”
“Oh?”
I stepped closer and lowered my voice. “Slave labor,” I said.
Her lips tightened, and she spoke very quietly. “I’d rather have that discussion after you’ve had your First.”
“I’m not judging,” I said. “You’re going to show me one way. Well, the bulk of your slaves are not pleasure slaves. They’re farm workers, aren’t they?”
“I suppose they are.”
“Well, I don’t know what shape I’m going to be in during the return trip, and so I would prefer to meet a few when I know my head is clear. Is that a problem, Lady Olivia?”
I could tell she didn’t like it, but she said, “No, Princess Ahlianna.” Then she grinned. “Maybe you would prefer your First to be with a farmer.”
“I’m fairly certain that isn’t my preference,” I said, returning her grin. “Have you picked my future owner?”
“I have a few names under consideration.”
“Perhaps we should discuss them in our carriage.”
“I don’t think so.”
“So we’ll ride?” I asked. I looked around. “What happened to my mount?”
“We should call you Princess Oblivious,” Gionna said. “Your lovely filly is discovering how frisky the other fillies of Ressaline can be. Come.” She took my arm, and I didn’t resist as she led me to a very nice coach.
* * * *
I smiled at Olivia and Allium, seated across from Gionna and me. “I’ve thought about this for months.”
“Riding in the coach with us?” Olivia asked.
“I want my first time with Gionna.”
“Then you have to come back in a few years,” Gionna said.
I turned to her. “I don’t understand. I thought you wanted me here now.”
“I do, but I’m not a citizen. I’m still only a subject. I can’t be someone’s First until I’m a citizen, and even then, it’s a bad idea until I’ve matured a few more years.”
“While it’s not a hard and fast rule,” Olivia said. “We strongly recommend someone’s First be with a woman who is at least twenty-five years old, and even older is better.”
“Why?”
“Experience,” she said. “Most girls need someone who can be a little motherly.”
“I think you should pick another word,” I said.
“Nurturing?” Allium suggested.
“Okay. Nurturing. Gionna seems plenty nurturing.”
“I’m barely older than you,” Gionna said. “Even if it were legal, but it’s not, I’m not remotely qualified.”
“That can work if she’s still living with her mother,” Olivia said, “And her mother provides significant guidance.”
“But that’s rare,” Gionna said. “And my mother is not remotely nurturing. I’m flattered, Ahlianna, but it’s not legal and it would be a mistake. Besides, per our agreement, I’m going to spend that time belonging to Allium. You remember.”
“I’d put that out of my head,” I said, frustrated. “And Allium can’t do it, either.”
“No,” Olivia said.
“But she can own Gionna.”
“Not for my First,” Gionna said. “And it’s generally considered a mistake for people to have their first few challenges with someone near her age, too. Neither of you know a thing, and that’s when you begin learning how to treat a slave.”
“You already know how.”
“Which we can discuss the next time you visit,” she said. “If you’re looking for challenges, I’m happy to beat you.”
I snorted. “Cocky.”
“Ahlianna,” Allium said. “No one is good at anything her first time.”
“I suppose not,” I agreed. I turned back to Olivia. “So I suppose you have someone in mind.”
“And we’ll talk about it another time.”
“But we’ll start talking about it now,” I replied.
Before Olivia could respond, Allium lifted a hand. We all turned to her, and she said, “Before anyone gets her back up, perhaps I could serve my role.”
“Of course, Ambassador,” Olivia said.
“I might suggest, Duchess, that you remember she’s the future Queen of Flarvor.”
“I’m aware.”
“And while you can be evasive with someone like me, perhaps being evasive with her isn’t the best choice.”
“And so you recommend?”
“Tell her your basic plan.” Then she shifted her gaze to me. “And my recommendation to you is to accept what she tells you and trust her after that.”
We both looked at Allium, and then, almost simultaneously, we each nodded. I shifted my gaze. Olivia paused then said, “I want you to have a chance to meet a few people, and then we’ll see who seems to best fit you.”
“So you’re not going to do it the minute we reach Charth?”
“That’s not my current plan.”
“What does that mean?”
“She means you could decide halfway there to lay your head in her lap and ask her to be your First,” Allium said. “She’ll tell you that you should consider your other choices. She might ask my opinion.”
