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VERDICT

C as wanted to follow Emryn, but Asan had gone after her and he needed to stay with his mother in case the council devolved into yelling again.

Asan would have her rest and that was all that could be done for the moment. And at the same moment the council seemed more than a little subdued after Emryn’s speech.

“I believe that is all you need to know, my Council.” His mother said after a moment’s shocked silence. “There is no avarice in the healer, no master plan, she is simply caught up in the Mother’s plan as are we all.”

One of the nobility nodded, rising from his seat. “I move to approve the marriage of Prince Cas to Healer Emryn immediately.”

There was an immediate wave of agreement that went around the room and Cas breathed a silent sigh of relief. That was well more than the majority needed to approve his marriage and the holdouts were the ones that had been pushing their own daughters forward anyway.

So that was of no moment.

“We stand adjourned,” his mother’s voice broke him from his thoughts. “We will reconvene in the large audience hall at four to see this thing done.”

The nobility bowed and left. Left Cas and his mother to look at each other and smile.

Cas rose and bowed. “I will go and see to my princess.” He said.

“I will send her my personal seamstress.” His mother rose and sighed. “This was not the wedding I wanted for you, my son.”

“But it is what the Mother has decreed.” Cas replied. “So we will make the best of it.”

“And how do you feel about it, my son?”

“I believe that we can make a good marriage given time.” Cas offered his mother an arm. “I will try and soothe her fears and see if she will come out of her shell a bit.”

“She certainly knows how to sway a crowd.” The queen of Rodilla gestured and the footmen opened the doors.

And, perhaps not surprisingly, Asan was standing on the other side.

“She is resting,” he said before Cas could get the air into his lungs to ask. “I take it there is much that needs to be done?”

Cas’ mother nodded, stepping away from Cas and to Asan’s side. “If you would be so kind as to help with the decoration of the throne room? We are to have a wedding.”

“I should be pleased to.” Asan looked over at Cas and offered the Queen his arm. “Go and watch over her, ensure that she doesn’t rise until the seamstress comes for her.”

Cas nodded and bowed to his mother before turning and heading in the opposite direction. Emryn’s rooms would need to be made over, into rooms fit for his princess.

At least until she was comfortable enough with him to consider moving into his rooms.

Hopefully it wouldn’t be too long, but he knew that in her mind there was a vast gulf between her and him. There wasn’t really, or there wouldn’t be after they were wed.

She would be elevated and would stand as his princess. There would be no difference in their rank, but Emryn was going to require some convincing.

Perhaps he would court her, that might help her lose her fear of him. It was nothing that he wouldn’t have done for whichever princess he would have wed before all of this.

He would draw up a proposal for her, that he would court her for six months before they would wed formally and hopefully in that time, she would be able to relax a bit.

Cas turned, making for the library and settling at one of the tables to write out his proposal. Courtship, letting their feelings develop naturally while they solved the problem and if at the end of the six months, if they didn’t become close, then they would part and live as friends.

Cas hoped that the proposal would help her calm down. But also knew that she was frightened. He would give her lessons, and see that she had tutors for the things that he couldn’t teach her.

More than that, more than anything, he wanted to solve the mystery that was Emryn. She had layers that no one had ever thought to examine, and while she would be his wife, he wanted to know her.

Her fear hurt him in the same place that the flutter was. Which made sense if they were connected like that. If the flutter was the loop that was trying to close, it was only right that her fear ought to hurt him in the place their connection should be.

But all that would pull right later today.

Cas rose from the table and folded the proposal, placing it in his pocket and resuming his trek towards Emryn’s rooms.

Only to find himself barred by Shana.

“Healer Emryn is with her Majesty.” Shana said. “The Queen was very firm in her orders that they not be disturbed.”

“I understand,” he smiled at Shana. “Would you stay with her, Shana? She needs someone constant while the change happens.”

“I will remain in her household while she chooses her ladies.” Shana said. “I believe she will accept me as her body servant.”

Cas nodded. “I will see to your rise in pay immediately.”

“Poor thing is so frightened.” Shana shook her head. “She has these dreams, you know. Dreams of the Mother and when she dreams she leaks light all over her pillows.”

“Light?”

Shana nodded thoughtfully. “And she has awful scars on her back, like something was carved away or torn out. The poor dear.”

“Is there anything that you know she needs?”

“A friend,” Shana replied. “She has no friends here, no one she can talk to freely, but from what I’ve learned from the temple servants, she didn’t have many friends there either.”

“Why?”

“Jealousy or awe,” Shana shrugged. “Or both. She’s the nations best healer, and who looks beyond that when she’s doing what she’s meant to?”

“Perhaps she would like a companion?” Cas smiled. “Thank you, Shana, that’s very helpful.”

Cas walked away, straight out the doors to the gardens and then beyond to the stables and the kennels. His hunter had just had a litter and his master of hounds was furious. He wasn’t certain which of the palace guard dogs had gotten at his hunter, but her puppies were clearly crossbreeds.

They would also be very large, if the size of their feet were any indication.

He went to his hound master, stopping in front of the man who was dictating to the stable hands about cleaning the kennels.

“Highness?” The older man asked.

“Are they weaned yet?” Cas flipped a hand at the fluffy puppies rolling all over each other in the sunlight. “If they are, I mean to give one as a gift to my princess.”

“A week gone now, highness.” His master of hounds said, snapping his fingers. “Brutus is the one you want, friendly as anything and the largest of the litter.”

One of the puppies lifted their head at the sound of the snap and the name.

“Thank you,” Cas walked over to the puppies and crouched down by Brutus, letting the puppy sniff him. Brutus promptly climbed into Cas’ lap and licked his face.

“You need training, young man.” Cas rose with the puppy in his arms. “I will see to that.”