Torgan Wine Ch. 27

"Your brothers are handsome, but I have the most magnificent man in all of Torga. I wouldn't trade you for any one of them."

His face flushed and he brought her hand to his lips kissing the backs of her fingers. "When you say such things I wish to leave them to celebrate without us."

She grinned impishly up at him, "Keep track of how many apologies I owe you, husband."

"You would never do anything else with that mouth, woman." He murmured against the backs of her fingers. Seeming to remember himself he nodded to the pair waiting almost timidly two steps away, greeting them in Torgan.

The man came to clasp his free arm, speaking briefly, before offering her a bow and the woman curtsied in front of them both. This continued until all of the guests had been greeted. Afterward he led her into the large, well lit and decorated dining room taking his place at the raised table with his brothers next to him and the rest were seated at the long table below them.

Course after course of the meal came and the Princes seemed to genuinely enjoy it, commenting on the Aran influence of some of the courses in design if not flavor. From the volume and tone of the talking guests Isonei surmised they did as well. It looked as if Lislora was receiving praise and a great deal of attention, attention that seemed to make her nervous. When the Torgan woman glanced up at the raised table Isonei gave her a reassuring smile.

The last course came, more of the expensive swine for her guests and Isonei waited for her plate of chicken to be brought. As a plate of fish was laid in front of her she stared, stunned for a moment and then looked to Draeseth who was grinning broadly. "My brothers brought fish as it is cold enough to travel with. It was intended for tomorrow but I wished-"

Rising from her seat she threw her arms around his neck, "Thank you!"

His laughter quieted their guests. "It is impossible to be frugal when you are so appreciative of even small considerations, my gentle wife." He stole a brief kiss before she took her seat again.

"I will let father know she favors fish, he rarely serves it to guests." Ougath's lips twisted as he looked at them both. "I would never have expected you to be so openly affectionate, brother."

Draeseth straightened in his seat and Isonei laid her hand on top of his. "What was it Burgath kept calling us, my Draeseth? Areshen?"

He flushed and gave her an annoyed look as his brothers both broke into peals of laughter, "You thank me and then you tease me?"

"I enjoy teasing you; you give me such wonderful reactions."

"You will get a reaction, woman," his eyes glittered as he tried to keep his face stern.

"Probably not at the table." She took a bite of the deliciously buttery fish, fluttering her lashes.

His brothers grinned and Ougath punched him in the shoulder. "Now I understand what Burgath meant when he said, once we saw her flirtation with you it would be easier to distinguish Aran charm from impropriety."

"Poor Burgath had to endure a great deal of it." Isonei put on a regretful expression, "Is he still talking about finding an Aran wife?" That set the brothers laughing again.

"I have not heard him mention it, but I know Rogath was lamenting having taken his Phaethian wife instead of looking to Ara after meeting you." Ougath took a drink of his wine.

"He can be charming, when he spoke of his daughters he reminded me of my father. Apparently, I reminded him of Kas."

Adareth's grin nearly split his face, "What kind of mischief were you getting into?"

"None! I was hesitant to try the apple mash that was served and he chided me." She mimed taking a forkful of food from Draeseth's plate and thrusting it at him making the annoyed face Rogath had worn. Before she could speak all three of them were roaring with laughter.

Ougath wiped his eyes, "Once you bring her to Court you may not be able to leave again, brother. They will be begging you to stay longer just to have the pleasure of her company at father's table. He has already asked when you intend to bring her, after having spoken to Burgath and Rogath he is eager to meet her."

"She cannot travel until Ailzem, my Duchess is a delicate creature and she cannot endure the cold." Draeseth frowned as Ougath looked as if he wished to protest, "Father will thank me when he learns how much it costs to keep her warm."

Giving them a rueful smile as she ate, Isonei paused to support his argument, "The first time I put on a Torgan gown I couldn't understand how the women here could bear to wear so many layers; it was heavy and almost suffocating. Now I don't understand why they don't wear more, no amount of cloth seems to keep the cold at bay."

Draeseth made an amused sound in his throat. "You still try to bathe more than is healthy in this weather."

"Hot water is a joy, nothing warms like it does."

"You had baths drawn for us to warm us after our cold journey." Ougath's dark eyes lit with amusement.

"Of course! I can't imagine it was pleasant, and I thought you might need to be warmed and refreshed."

"That was very thoughtful." He gave a laugh under his breath, "I thought you were concerned about eating with people who had not bathed."

"You can tell by how many soaps are offered if an Aran if trying to give you a subtle insult." Isonei smiled and shook her head. "The more soaps laid out for you to choose from the more your host wishes to imply you smell badly. But a bath being drawn for you is simply good manners."

"I will remember that." Ougath's smile grew sharper. "The soaps that were laid out at the palace in Ara... were they an insult?"

She winced, "While I enjoyed having so many to choose from, yes. A wide selection of oils for the water is extravagant and generous, but soaps... two fine soaps would be what I would have expected if they wished to be courteous."

"How can you tell a fine soap?" Adareth frowned.

"It will wash out of hair cleanly, have a light, pleasant scent, and not leave your skin dry. Some are better for hair than skin, or skin than hair. Soap for the hair usually has the stronger scent. I've always liked the ones that smell of vaina pods, or vaina and honey."

"Aran women always smell as if they should be served as the dessert course of a meal." Ougath snorted.

"You say that as if it's a bad thing!" Isonei looked at him with amusement.

"How Aran men can accomplish anything with all the lovely, sweet smelling temptations around them I cannot imagine." He gave Draeseth an envious smirk.

"If you were accustomed to them they wouldn't distract you so greatly."

"I truly cannot imagine that, Duchess." Adareth flushed slightly and smiled at her.

"Nor can I. I have you by my side and my desires have not flagged." Draeseth took her hand and brought it to his lips.

"You are not a man whose desires flag, husband. You are content with what you have once you have it. It makes you as rare as you are beautiful."

The smile that lit his face was beatific and he purred at her in Torgan, the words sounding like poetry, flowing and graceful.

"I thought myself a poet until I heard you speak to your wife, brother." Adareth's eyes were wide with surprise.

"He needs to teach me Torgan. I adore the sound of his words but I don't know what they mean." Isonei pulled his hand to her own lips kissing his fingers. "His language always sounds so beautiful when he speaks it to me."

"You are going to bring Aran wives into fashion, Duchess." Ougath looked at her much as Burgath had in the carriage. "You have five sisters?"

"Three I was raised with and two that are blood related to me. I haven't seen them since my mother died."

"Aran families are complicated." Draeseth laughed softly in his throat. "She had three mothers. The one who gave birth to her died giving birth to her younger sister. The other two raised her with her father. By blood she has two brothers from her father, and two sisters from her mother. By custom she has six brothers she was raised with and the five sisters."

"Arans are baffled by the concept of bastards, I can see why." Ougath shook his head.

"She was stunned to learn your mother does not think of me as one of her own sons." Draeseth's eyes glittered as he squeezed her hand.

The tables were cleared of everything and dessert wine glasses brought as the custard tarts with Torgan fruit preserves were delivered to the diners.

"After the meal what will we be looking forward to?" Ougath took a bite of his tart and looked at it with delight. "As if anything could could surpass the meal itself."

"In Ara we would have dancing, but Lady Lislora said that isn't appropriate here. She helped arrange singing and storytelling."

"Some dancing is allowed, Duchess." Adareth glanced at Draeseth and added hurriedly, "Nothing as scandalous as the Jara, of course. Torgan dances are very chaste in comparison."

"In Ara every celebration has dancing, it isn't scandalous at all. But I don't know any Torgan dances and I'm aware of my Draeseth's disapproval when I dance with anyone else."

"He danced with you?" Ougath stared.

"No, he's always politely declined but he's seen me dance," Isonei smiled at his sour expression. "And glowered the entire time. I would be glad to dance with him, but I respect his wish not to."

"Perhaps when you come to Court-" Adareth stopped himself as Draeseth turned his black look on him.

"I think my husband would object to me dancing with any of his brothers."

With a growling grunt Draeseth took a bite of his tart before speaking, "Yes. And any other man who dares to ask you will find himself wishing his mother had joined a convent." The set of his jaw was hard and angry at the thought.

"Why is it always someone's mother who has to be regretful?" Isonei put on a mock pout, "Why don't you make someone's father wish he'd spent the evening locked in his study with his correspondence?"

His lips curved ruining the stern expression he was trying to hold. "For you I would make a man wish he had fathered only daughters."

"Daughters are nice! Sons are difficult everyone says so." She teased taking a bite of the tart.

Draeseth muttered something in Torgan that made his brothers laugh.

"Burgath was right. You make him a better man, Duchess. I haven't enjoyed my brother's company this much in years." Ougath gave her an approving smile.

"I didn't make him better, just a little happier. If he's a good man it's nothing I can take credit for, he was that way when I met him." Isonei turned a doting smile on Draeseth and he straightened with pride.

"You should have brought her sisters to keep her company, brother. At least two of them."

"It was difficult enough to get my wife into Torga, to try and bring three or more you might require an army. They prize their women highly and those they allow out of Ara the Lerians try to keep."

"They should be prized." Adareth smiled at her wistfully. "And if it had been Lerians bringing her through Torga I doubt they would have survived."

"No. A Torgan man would not allow a creature of such beauty and gentleness to pass unfought." Ougath inclined his head to her.

"Until he learns we're not terribly practical." Isonei fluttered her lashes again. "And we tease mercilessly."

Draeseth made a loud amused noise in his throat. "True. It requires a strong man to endure one and a wealthy one to keep her."

"Which is why we usually have two." She gave him an impish grin as he narrowed his eyes turning slightly in his chair and leaning over her.

"I can do the job of both."

"You are certainly strong enough, my flower wine, and I have no complaints on how I am kept." Isonei pressed her face to his as he leaned closer as if to kiss her.

"You are mine alone, you should not tease me about needing another. As long as you are loving to me, my silver jewel, I promise, you will have no cause for complaints."

"I know." She caressed his face. "I tease too much."

"Perhaps her Grace would like to bring the entertainment in?" Krouth spoke quietly from behind their seats.

"Lislora helped me arrange to have things done in a more Aran fashion." Isonei carefully pulled away from the still leaning Torgan Prince. "The joined sitting rooms should have been readied as well as the open hall I would have used for dancing. Having room to talk and being able to move between entertainments is a necessity."

"I will make the announcement my Duchess." Draeseth stood and offered his arm to her. Once she stood next to him he made a booming announcement to those at the lower tables and people began to rise, cheerfully speaking amongst themselves and following Lislora toward the rooms that had been made ready.

In the open hall, Ougath and Adareth drew Draeseth away to a closed room to speak privately while Isonei watched the guests wander through the rooms keeping their eyes averted. The feeling that she was utterly alone among so many people made her tired and she wondered briefly if anyone would notice if she slipped away.

"Your Grace?" Krouth seemed to materialize beside her. "I would like to speak with you for a moment concerning the evening's entertainments."

"Of course." She followed him away from the gathering and into a more quiet room, allowing him to close the door. "Is something wrong?"

He paused, facing her with a searching look. "I spoke to Xago of Mun. I have to ask... Why?" Raising his hand he continued, "I also spoke to Lady Lislora. She said you could have been Andnaeuth's Queen? Why would you give that up?"

"If you spoke to Xago of Mun, you should know." Isonei glanced to the door, something in her insides had begun to twist.

"He was a stranger to you, your Grace. Even he does not understand why you would agree to an Arrangement that binds you here on his behalf. And to give up being a Queen..."

"I am not ambitious and he reminded me of home." She took a breath closing her eyes for a moment. "My father and my Daga don't answer my letters; it seems I have no home to return to. But he might, Xago of Mun might. How could I allow a man who reminds me of home to be mutilated? Why would I not do what I could to set him free?"

Rubbing at her eyes she took another breath, "I heard what you said to Lislora about my likely death. Know that I will be relieved when Tyhnoth takes me from this place, but I will try to make the best of it. I promised Draeseth I would try to be happy here."

Krouth stared grimly at the floor. "Your Grace, I-" A short sharp rap at the door brought the man's head up. "There is a jester that wishes to join the entertainments. Prince Draeseth is opposed to them, but..."

"I enjoy jesters." Isonei gave him a small smile. "What kind of jester is he?"

"One of the travelling kind, your Grace."

The door opened and Draeseth peered in, glancing at Krouth coolly before addressing her, "Wife, I thought you would be seeing to our guests."

"I don't speak Torgan, husband, there's very little I can do other than stand and smile while they enjoy themselves. Krouth had a question about the entertainers and I was glad to be able to step away and answer it." She gave him a bright smile. "It seems when Lislora was sending out inquiries for entertainers she found a jester! Krouth wanted to know if we really wanted him to perform. I was just telling him yes."

"I loathe jesters." The large Torgan's eyes narrowed as he looked from her to Krouth.

"And I enjoy them. If-"

"Turn him away." Draeseth scowled at Krouth. "There is no need to ask my wife in the future."

"If your jealousy is so consuming that you cannot even-"

Growling in Torgan Draeseth advanced on her.

"Do you think so little of me that you truly believe I will bed any man I see?"

"No. You have been fluttering your lashes, thinking of Andnaeuth."

Isonei gave a sharp, mirthless laugh, "I learned it from him. I don't do it because I'm thinking of him, I do it because it makes people laugh."

"You were not thinking of him when you fluttered your lashes at the table and said you wanted two men?" His dark gaze was piercing and she blinked trying to remember what she'd said.

"I didn't say I wanted two men. The way you said an Aran woman needs a strong man and a wealthy one sounded like you wanted me to make a jest about usually needing two men. I thought you were trying to boast that you're the equal of two." She frowned at him, "And if I had been thinking of Andnaeuth when I said it I wouldn't have fluttered my lashes, I would have remembered that being reminded of him upsets you more than it amuses you."

He offered a growling grunt and pulled her into a rough, needful kiss. "I am the equal of two men?"

"Your jealousy might be the equal of three, husband." Her lips twisted as he looked smugly down at her.

"The jester may perform, but he will not mock me or our guests, and you will remain on my arm."

"If you hadn't wandered off with your brothers, I wouldn't have released your arm." Isonei had begun to feel tired again and her insides hadn't stopped twisting.

Draeseth stooped for another more gentle kiss. "Do not be sour with me, wife. I can only endure so much teasing and you are the only one permitted to give it to me."

"I'll ask him nicely. You should never be rude to a jester; their tongues are sharper than the knife I gave you." She gave him a small smile letting him press his face against hers.