“Will these men also be in attendance at the ball?” She couldn’t resist the question. If she was going to be exposed to society in this way, she would need to know how many potential suitors she was required to impress in a single evening.
“A good number will be, yes,” he replied, oblivious to the mild frustration evident in her tone. “For the sake of your mother’s nerves, however, I will have Sivar by your side throughout the evening. You are not to involve yourself in discussions with the human males. None of them will ever be good enough for a Levadis daughter; therefore I will not allow you to consider it. I do not care what rank they hold. Do I make myself clear?”
“Yes, Father.”
“When in the company of the men, you are not to grant anyone a private audience. I expect to see you in constant view within the ballroom at all times. Can I count on you to behave in a manner befitting of a lady?”
There it was. The question she’d been asking herself since she first overheard the quarrel between her parents. Truthfully, she wasn’t sure how to answer. She wanted to believe she could do it. How difficult could it be to sip wine and pretend to laugh at the humorless jokes told by the noblemen? “I will do my best.” There was nothing more she could say. She couldn’t make a promise when she held so many doubts of her own.
It seemed enough for her father, his smile returning, somewhat wider than before, offering his arms to her from across the room. Something about the happiness in his eyes made her heart swell with joy to think that she might be the cause of his pleasure. So often she feared herself a burden to her parents. Now, standing from her chair to accept her father’s embrace, she felt as if she was finally taking her place among her family. And if she was able to acquire a suitable husband, her mother would no longer have cause to worry. All the concerns that came with having a daughter could be easily cast aside if Kaori was able to impress these people who meant so much to her parents. Kaori only hoped that the courtiers would mean the same to her once she was in their company.
Kaori’s hands trembled as she handed the last of her bags to the coachman. She’d never been to Avishul before. It was the largest domain in all of Carpaen, rivaled only by the Imperial City of Eykanua and the Emperor’s personal lands. Sivar’s stories of the world outside Rothdara were always entertaining, filled with gossip collected from his journeys, but they were nothing compared to the real thing. She was anxious to see it with her own eyes.
It took every ounce of willpower she possessed to maintain an outwardly calm demeanor, standing ready outside the door of the carriage in wait of her parents. Her belongings had been packed since the night she first discovered her father’s intentions of bringing her on the journey, lying in wait next to her chamber doors for this morning to come. Sivar found it humorous to poke fun at her for the excitement she exhibited in regards to the trip but she didn’t care. How could she let anything bother her when she was finally going to see the world?
Sivar was the first of her family to appear through the front door, the smile on his face widening to see Kaori standing there, anxious and ready. “You need to relax, Kaori. If you continue like this, you are sure to faint before we make it across the Rothdaran border.”
“I will not faint,” she let her chin jut out proudly. Her brother could tease her all he liked. She wasn’t going to let his jabs ruin her enjoyment of this day. “You do not give me enough credit. I worry sometimes our parents have convinced you that I really am a mere child.”
Shaking his head Sivar made his way to the carriage door, reaching up to grasp the handle firmly. With a loud click it came open under his direction. Kaori watched him intently, nervous at the sight of his hand gesturing for her to climb inside. “I know you are no child, Kaori. That is why I must tease you.” The playfulness of his tone vanished instantly, his eyes coming to rest on hers with an almost forlorn expression. “It would appear our father has his mind set on seeing you married. I suppose I always pictured you and I having more time to enjoy these types of social gatherings together before some gentleman whisked you away.”
Touched by the sentiment, Kaori gazed sympathetically at her brother. It pained her to see the misery written so clearly on his face. He was always so full of joy. Despondency wasn’t fitting for him. “You put too much faith in my ability to attract one of the many men our father is intent on handing me off to. We may have more time together than you think.”
“Perhaps,” he nodded, offering his hand to assist her into the vehicle. “If you are going to choose one of them, however, I must recommend you set your eyes on Lord Torust, the Count of Tialore. He keeps property not far from Rothdara. A match between the two of you would grant the security our father seeks while keeping you closer to home for my benefit.” His smile returned with a devious wink. “Then you could throw expensive parties and invite all your wealthy lady friends for me to woo.”
“It sounds as though you have given this a great deal of thought,” Kaori laughed. Daintily, she accepted his hand, allowing him to assist in boosting her up the high step of the carriage. Once inside she took her position at the far end of the seat facing the front, gently patting the cushion next to her, beckoning Sivar to sit. “I will keep that in mind while at the party. Certainly you realize I have no means of knowing any of these men of which you and Father speak. I am relying on you to direct me so I do not make a spectacle of myself.”
“I will point out anyone of note. Do not worry.” Sivar gave a soft grunt as he pulled himself through the door, taking his place beside Kaori with a heavy sigh. “We may be sitting here for a while, however. Mother is still unhappy with the idea of you being presented in public without having performed the rites of adulthood.”
Kaori’s eyes rolled heavenward in exasperation. “I do not understand what the issue is,” she huffed. “The tradition is nonsense; nothing more than a means for Vor’shai nobles to keep their daughters away from the humans who would prey upon them like wolves with sheep. Whether or not I have performed the rites does not change the fact that I am of age.”
“At this point it goes beyond simple numbers. Our parents made the decision to follow the tradition. For them to break it now… it is a social blunder on their part. The humans will think nothing of it, but our fellow Vor’shai consider it a show of indecency. Keep the truth to yourself and avoid the topic in conversation at all costs. We cannot risk the reputation of our family when the goal of you attending this ball is to attract a husband. Your very presence without completing the rites could lead to us all being shunned from proper society.”
Leaning back against the seat Kaori took in what her brother was saying. If her attendance at the party was such a risk, it didn’t make sense why her father was so willing to take the chance. The Duke’s affection couldn’t possibly be worth the consequences. “I have a lot to learn about the rules and etiquette of society,” she frowned. “What if I ruin everything? I… I am starting to think our mother might be right. I need more time –”
Slowly Sivar’s head rolled to the side, staring at her in amusement. “Do not be silly, Kaori. I will be there to answer any questions you have and if you make a mistake I will cover it as best I can.”
“What if I make a mistake you cannot cover?”
“You would be amazed what I am capable of. And with it being your first social function, there is little which cannot be blamed on inexperience. The men will love you – and the women will envy you. It is exactly how these parties are intended to be.”
“How can you be so certain the men will love me?”
Sivar chuckled, waving his hand in a dismissive gesture. “You are a new face; and a pretty one at that. Men always take an interest in fresh prospects.”
“I wish I had your confidence,” she sighed. The wait was driving her mad. If her parents didn’t come out soon there was a chance she might lose her nerve to go at all. There was still a chance to escape. Sweeping the interior of the carriage with her eyes, she calculated the distance betwe
en her and the door. If she moved fast enough she could get past Sivar and to the steps before he had a chance to stop her. The only thing keeping her there was the height. To attempt jumping left her in danger of injury and where would that leave her? At the mercy of her brother to place her back inside the carriage – creating a larger problem in trying to impress the men while hobbling around on a twisted ankle.
Lost in the tumult of thoughts she let her head rest against the wall, staring out at the brightly colored flowers which decorated a shallow pool at the center of their yard. It looked so serene. Peaceful. She wanted nothing more than to sit on the marbled bench beside it and forget about the party. Her mother would support the decision for her to remain behind. The only obstacle she faced was her father. His mind was set on finding her a husband at this ball and nothing was going to stop him from seeing that through.
Uneasy with the silence, she found her voice again, seeking to restore her earlier sense of excitement. “How far is Avishul? Will it take long for us to get there?”
Sivar looked grateful for the question, straightening his back against the seat, his head bobbing in a slight nod. “A little while,” he replied. “Outside Rothdara we must pass through Tialore and Kisina. Our plan was to take shelter at an inn once we reach Voiene but if our parents do not hurry, we will not make it there by nightfall.”
“Voiene?” she peered at him, quizzical, unsure of the distance required to reach the places her brother spoke of. They were nothing more than names. Mere words she’d seen printed on maps during her lessons. “Do you mean to tell me we will not be in Avishul tonight?”
“With luck I suspect we will arrive sometime tomorrow afternoon. The Duke’s residence is located in the city of Siundel, which is only a few miles from Uncle Mudel and his wife. They expect us for dinner tomorrow, so rest assured, we will not be on the road more than a single evening.”
Oh, it was getting worse! She was going to have to live with this unbearable anxiety for nearly two days? It wasn’t possible. She would lose her mind before they reached Voiene. “I cannot do this,” she breathed, grasping desperately at her chest, suddenly finding herself unable to take in air. It was as if the walls were closing in around her, pressing against her chest to crush her lungs. She couldn’t think straight. The world around her spun out of control, twirling in her vision until she thought she might retch, quickly rising to her feet to try and escape through the carriage door.
Reaching out to steady her, Sivar pulled Kaori back down onto the seat, pinning her there, his eyes staring hard into hers. “Kaori, calm yourself,” he stated, his voice stern and commanding. “What has gotten into you? I have never known you to be so easily frightened. There is nothing to fear.”
He had no idea. In the back of her mind she could list at least a dozen reasons why she should be afraid. Given more time, she suspected that list would grow. “That is easy for you to say,” she gasped. “You have been out in society for years. Can you honestly tell me that you held no reservations when our parents first introduced you at court?”
“I am a man, Kaori. There was little to have reservations about. Can it really be so different for you?”
Kaori closed her eyes, inhaling a deep breath to try and ease her breathing. She let his words linger on the air between them before responding, finding them humorous in a pathetic way. “Must you even ask?” she laughed miserably. “I am unprepared and uneducated in the proper topics of conversation with which to involve myself while in the company of these people. I have no friends to occupy my attention, leaving me under the constant scrutiny of everyone in attendance – and above all, our father is counting on me to acquire a suitor who fits within his expectations. That is too much for me to accept all at once.”
“Forget about finding a husband,” Sivar shook his head, the firmness of his tone slowly dwindling into sympathy. “Our father does not expect you to walk out of that house with a ring on your finger. He simply hopes for a foundation which might eventually build into an engagement. Marriage takes time, Kaori. You cannot learn enough about a man in a single evening to know if he is worthy of taking the Levadis name.”
Noises coming from outside the carriage caught their attention, Sivar’s figure quickly twisting to settle onto the seat beside Kaori once again. Embarrassed by her behavior, Kaori carefully straightened her back, smoothing over the folds of her skirt to try and appear calm as her mother climbed through the door, quiet and pensive. Kaori’s father wasn’t far behind, the sound of his voice ringing through the silence of the carriage to call out an order to the coachman. They were leaving. Finally. It felt years since she’d first walked through the door to load her bags for the journey.
Tension was evident between them all as the horses took to motion under the coachman’s whip. Kaori’s father did his best to comfort his wife, met in return by her obvious attempts to avoid her husband’s eyes. At Kaori’s side she felt Sivar shift uncomfortably, neither of them knowing what to do or say in response to the actions of their parents. She understood her mother’s reasons for being unhappy. How could she blame her? Knowing the trouble it could cause if anyone discovered what they were doing. She wished there was a way to make her mother feel better. To assure her that everything was going to be alright. Unfortunately, it wasn’t that easy.
They continued in silence for some time, the only sound coming from the clatter of hooves against the gravel road. Kaori’s head whirled with the hundreds of scenarios playing out in her mind of how the party would go. Some were pleasant while others left her nerves frayed worse than before, praying desperately to the gods that she wouldn’t make a fool of herself or her family in front of the most prominent people in Carpaen.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a sudden jarring motion from the carriage, her body jerked forward under the momentum. Sivar’s arm reached across to hold her on the seat, peering across her to the window in search of what might have caused their unexpected halt.
From where she was seated Kaori could see a man on a horse, the unmistakable golden emblem of the Emperor’s military visible on his chest, shimmering in the light of the sun. He looked familiar, though she didn’t want to consider the possibility that she might have seen him before. Only once in her life had she witnessed one of the Emperor’s soldiers in person and it wasn’t an event she thought on with any enjoyment. Still, she couldn’t deny the resemblance he bore to the commanding officer she’d spoken to the night of her attack. It had been dark, making his features difficult to distinguish, though his outline was enough to send a shiver through her spine. He was tall. Broad-shouldered. In the light she could make out the stripes which adorned his right bicep… No. It couldn’t be. She refused to accept it.
The man directed his horse closer to the carriage, circling around it with a questioning eye. When he dismounted Kaori was able to note his height with more clarity, her heart thudding hard against her chest, pulsing loudly through her ears, aware of the man drawing nearer to the door. Had he come for her? The attack was months ago. No doubt a fleeting moment to a man like him. It didn’t seem possible he would remember what she looked like.
A loud rap against the carriage door caused her to jump, pressed against the wall, defensive, prepared to strike if the man made any attempt to grab for her. She could feel Sivar’s curious gaze shift in her direction, confused by her odd behavior. She didn’t want her family to become aware of her prior dealings with the human soldier. Her mother wouldn’t be able to handle the stress of knowing this man had a hand in an assault against Kaori.
“General Rilas Deliao,” her father greeted, opening the door at the direction of the man. Kaori recognized the name. Her mystery savior mentioned it in passing the night of the attack but she recalled it with perfect detail. There was no mistaking it. This was the same man responsible for the events of that evening. His soldiers attacked her with his permission. Although she couldn’t say with certainty what was spoken between the General and Ellias that night, she could onl
y assume he had a hand in their inexcusable actions.
She turned her head away as the General peered into the carriage, no longer wanting to look upon his face. He was a despicable man. Undeserving of the rank he held.
Through her discomfort, it was hard to avoid stealing an occasional glance. His arrival left her on edge, afraid of what his reasons might be in stopping them. Briefly she allowed her gaze to drift toward the door, catching sight of the General’s brown eyes locked on her, arm leaned against the frame, propping himself casually on the carriage. “Ah, if it isn’t the Lord and Lady Rothdara. I thought I recognized your crest upon this fine vehicle. This must be the young Lord Levadis and… may I inquire as to the lovely lady seated by his side?”
She wanted to scream. He was taunting her. Tormenting her with his very presence. If not for the fact that it would make her disquiet more obvious, she thought to demand her father turn the General away and make haste for Avishul. They were on a tight schedule. Why her father welcomed this man’s intrusion was a mystery.
“That fine young woman is my daughter, Kaori.” She cringed at her father’s introduction. She didn’t want that man to know her name. She preferred the coachman run him down and leave his body to rot in the ditch.
“Your daughter?” the General’s brow rose, intrigued. “I daresay I had forgotten you and Lady Rothdara had another child.”
“That is because she is not yet of age to be seen by you,” Kaori’s mother replied hastily, leaning across the carriage to direct Kaori’s eyes away from the General. “I mean no disrespect, General, but you know our customs. What reason have you for detaining us and exposing my daughter to your company?”
The General chuckled to himself, nodding in polite apology toward Kaori’s mother. “I beg your pardon, Madam. My men and I are searching for a criminal around these parts. It is our duty to stop and inquire of every carriage that passes. I hope you can forgive the inconvenience. I meant no harm to your beautiful daughter.”
The Myatheira Chronicles: Volume Four: In the Beginning Page 4
