Torgan Wine Ch. 13

Krouth took the box as she slipped between the chairs and knelt between his legs. The necklace was as heavy as it looked as he put it around her neck and closed the fasteners. Draeseth ran his fingers over it lightly before tracing outside of the seal, making her skin tingle. The look on his face was proud, jealous, and victorious.

"My Isonei. My wife. The Duchess of Kroscur." He lapsed into Torgan, purring something that had the sound of thick honey as he caressed her face.

"Is that true? Are the Duchesses of Kroscur really famed for their beauty?" Arissa sounded envious, "Are you taking lessons? He's much better at this than you are and he isn't even speaking a language she understands."

Daga Liadith's lips twisted and he turned his head to give her an annoyed look.

"If he gave my Daga lessons you might be shocked at how often you were slapped on the bottom and called 'woman.'"

Draeseth barked a laugh. "You make me sound terrible, wife."

"You are a wicked, horrible man, husband." She grinned up at him and pulled his hands to her lips to kiss his fingers.

He made an amused sound in his throat, "You are just as wicked and horrible, woman."

"I never said I wasn't." Isonei smiled sweetly and then nipped at his fingers as he began to laugh.

Krouth cleared his throat pointedly.

"Thank you Master Krouth." The Daga spoke dryly. "Have you considered carrying a small flask of water to throw on them?"

"No Daga Liadith, that would be inappropriate. Clearing my throat works just as well." He gave Draeseth a sharp look and Isonei tried not to break into giggles. "Would you like the rest of the jewelry or would you prefer to show her the clothes?"

"I will give her the rest in private, the clothes, Krouth."

"I'm not pleased with all of them, your Highness. You asked for the newest court fashions..." The slim Torgan selected a gown; the wide, vertical center swath of the gown had a bold black and white pattern and the rest was black. "The neck is appalling." The neck was still high, but open to a point below the base of the throat and above the breasts.

Isonei tried to be reassuring, "It looks a little odd to me but not ugly. And it probably strangles far less."

"It's immodest, Lady Isonei." Krouth fixed her with a look that said she wasn't entirely bright.

In response, she looked down in feigned surprise at the rounded neck of the modest Aran gown her father had sent, a gown that left her throat entirely bare and showed off the necklace Draeseth had put on her very well. "Truly? It still seems quite modest to me." When she looked back up she'd put on her most vacuous expression.

The slim Torgan seemed to recognize immediately that he had made a mistake and bowed. "I meant no insult, Lady Isonei. For Torgans, a woman's throat is... salacious and to be kept hidden."

"She's been so agreeable it's easy to forget she's Aran." Daga Liadith teased, trying to provoke her.

"I'll try harder to remind you, my Daga." She turned a wide eyed innocent smile on him.

"The pattern is off putting." Draeseth lifted her from her knees into his lap, seeming to ignore them.

"I agree." Arissa settled onto the arm of the Daga's chair. "What else is there?"

Isonei sighed and shook her head half turning on Draeseth's lap to see the next gown.

°°°°°°°°°°

The elder Daga had been pleased to have Isonei visit again before dinner and hear about the gifts, though it was Arissa who did most of the talking. In total, Draeseth had sent for ten gowns, two pair of stiff Torgan boots with a heel that made Isonei taller, and four more pieces of jewelry. Arissa had begged to see the rest once the dresses and boots had been shown and Draeseth had relented. The pieces for her hands were very strange, rings and bracelets linked together by jeweled chains.

The Torgan Prince had insisted she try them on, the blackened gold and blue gems so dark they nearly looked black, felt very strange on her hands. They looked as if they were meant to match the pair of necklaces presented as well. One with chains of the same blackened gold that held a cluster of large ornately carved flowers with a single large blue-black jewel in the center, and the other cleverly made to look like leaves and flowers that would ring her neck with a small jewel on each flower.

After dinner, Arissa could barely keep her eyes open. Isonei took her back to their rooms and the maids helped them both dress for bed. Once they were left alone, the Lerian woman was asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow, but Isonei felt restless. She rose quietly and went to their study to write another letter to Draeseth, this time she'd write it in formal Aran even though it seemed terribly strange to write something personal and intimate formally.

Isonei began writing about how much she loved his mother's necklace, not because it was beautiful, but because it meant so much to him and to be given it- she jumped as a knock came at the window behind her. Draeseth was standing nervously outside and she quickly opened it.

"My Draeseth!" Leaning out, she embraced him with a smile. "I was just writing you a letter."

"You enjoy writing them." He sounded chagrined and she released him still smiling.

"You should have told me you have trouble with informal Aran. I could help you with it or at least write my letters in the formal-"

Draeseth cut her off with a hungry kiss. "I have been trying to read them. I should have paid more attention when I was taught the informal, but I never thought I would need to read it." He glanced behind him. "Will you come out and speak with me?"

"I can't. I can't leave Arissa alone."

"Is she not alone in her bedroom?" He reached into the window to stroke her hair.

"The doors are open, I can't leave the rooms."

With a frown he stepped up, coming in. "Then I will come to you. I need to speak with you privately of..." the letter caught his eye and he picked it up.

"I haven't finished it yet." Isonei tried to take it back but he lifted it out of her reach.

"If Krouth did not insist so strongly..." Handing the unfinished letter back he looked deeply unhappy. "My mother's carcanet. Was not... I am not permitted to give it to you until our wedding, but you are permitted to wear it." She stepped back in stunned surprise and Draeseth took hold of her arms pulling her close again. "I want you to wear it."

Letting him hold her close against him and run his hands over her arms and back, Isonei struggled to gather herself to respond to him. Her throat had a lump forming in it and her eyes had begun to water. The one gift that she had cherished, he was taking it back. She took a deep breath. Torgans didn't have the same etiquette surrounding gifts, being upset with him for it would the same as being upset with him for being Torgan.

"Isonei?" He pulled her arms around his waist trying to make her return his embrace. "Are you so angry with me?

"I'm not-" her voice cracked and she took a moment to breathe and calm herself. "I'm not angry, my Draeseth. Torgans have different etiquette... I won't wear it again unless I choose to marry you."

"Wife. You are my Duchess; I would have you wear it."

It felt as though her throat closed and she squeezed her eyes shut so that the tears that were welling wouldn't fall. Isonei shook her head and stepped back from him, collecting herself. Gesturing toward the window she managed to murmur, "You should go."

Awkwardly he stepped away toward the window, turning to offer a bow before he stepped back out. She closed the window, crushing the letter in her hands as she left the study and closed the door. Throwing it on the banked fire to smolder seemed the best thing to do with the painful reminder.

Returning to her bed, she pulled her pillow against her face and curled herself into a ball. Swallowing her misery, she reminded herself that she couldn't be upset and tried to breathe with a weight heavier than the carcanet pressing on her chest.

Amay woke her gently in the morning and she rose wordlessly to wash. When she returned to the bedroom Arissa was laying one of the new dresses on the bed.

"You should wear this one today. I think it will look lovely and I imagine your Draeseth will be eager to see you in it." The Lerian woman was almost unbearably cheerful.

Isonei looked at the dress for a long moment and then spoke to Amay, "I would like one of my Lerian gowns. The new dresses and the jewelry are all to go back to Prince Draeseth."

Arissa and the maids all fell silent staring at her in bafflement. "Isonei? What... is something wrong?"

Nodding slowly, she took a deep breath and spoke in a voice so calm it sounded dreamy, "He came last night to speak to me. He took back his mother's... carcanet, he called it." At her words, Arissa's mouth dropped open. "Torgans have different etiquette. I can't be angry with him, I can't be upset. But I also can't accept gifts from someone who doesn't understand what they mean." Isonei's eyes felt painfully dry as she took another breath. "It all goes back to him."

The new dresses and the boxes of jewelry were gone by the time she had finished dressing and allowed the maids to put her hair up in a style very much like Arissa's. With them out of the room it felt easier to breathe and a gelid dispassion settled over her.

Hand in hand with Arissa, Isonei walked serenely toward the family dining room. It felt as if she'd been filled with cold water, deep and still, and she was looking out through the calm, cool water. Even the sight of Draeseth's distraught expression didn't make a ripple.

"You said you were not angry." The muscles of his jaw clenched and his hands, balled into fists, tightened and loosened.

"I am not angry." She caught the concerned look and subtle shake of her head that Arissa gave Draeseth.

Moving to the table, Isonei stood with her hand on the back of her chair waiting for the Daga to arrive. The moment he entered the room he pointed back behind him, "Go speak to my father, he says you are drowning in your sadness."

The Torgan stepped in front of her, "You're being cruel to me Isonei. If you are angry-"

She held up her hand cutting him off, "I cannot accept gifts from someone who doesn't understand what they mean. I am not being cruel. I am not angry." Gliding past him to where the Daga stood she looked at him through the still water. "I can't leave Arissa with you; I will speak with him later."

"You will speak with him now." He reached out and tilted her face looking into her eyes. "I see what he meant." Daga Liadith looked to Draeseth with a frown, "Summon Master Krouth. Propriety demands at least two if the Keran is not present, and I intend to speak with you both."

Draeseth stalked out without a further word.

"Do you want to eat something before you go? Or I can have your breakfast held for you?"

"I'm not hungry my Daga. I came to breakfast because it was required, I have duties to attend to." Turning to Arissa she remembered to remind her, "You should have silphium tea with breakfast."

Daga Liadith turned her back and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her head to his shoulder. "Your duties will wait. My father will put things right. And if he can't, I'll find a way. Your Daga loves you sweet girl."

Isonei remained very still and he released her after a moment. With a gesture he summoned a servant to his side. "Have someone wait here for Prince Draeseth and his servant. Lady Arissa and I will walk Lady Isonei down to see my father."

The Daga led her with an arm around her waist, holding one of her hands and Arissa walked holding the other.

"I don't understand what happened." Arissa murmured. "If she were upset that would make sense but she's just..."

"Gifts are almost sacred to Arans. You don't take one back and you don't ask them to give one up. It wounds them and, for her, it casts doubt on his character. For her to return his gifts is much more than a slight. It says she believes he is not to be trusted." They both squeezed her hands and it made her feel strange. "Father says she's swallowed her pain and her tears. Look in her eyes. She's drowning in them."

At the top of the stair leading down into the crypts Arissa tilted Isonei's face and peered into her eyes. "It's like looking down into a lake... how? How can her eyes be dry and watery?"

"I don't know. She needs to speak to my father."

"Go sit with the elder Daga." Arissa gave her a worried smile and stroked her face. "Your duties will wait."

Two servants had followed discreetly and came to stand with the Daga and Lady Arissa as a veiled priest met her on the stairs.