Council's Approval

Roland shook hands with the Council members, his father, and the stoic emissary from the Sea People before heading back outside the building. To his surprise, the proposal had pleased everyone. With Rhone and Klain's alliance stronger than it had ever been, a series of marriages tying the Sea People to them could only be beneficial.

Duncan assured them that the women brought would be volunteers only, and it was agreed there would be a right of refusal on both sides before the marriages took place. It satisfied everyone that no person would be forced into a covenant with an unsuitable partner.

Still, to prevent it from being too chaotic an event, the emissary dispatched a messenger suggesting that some manner of organization take place as to which men would have the initial opportunity to be matched with an appropriate bride.

"I do, I believe, have an initial volunteer," Roland had said. "Perhaps a trial run of the process might be in order before a lot of young women are brought into an unfamiliar situation?"

All in attendance agreed that it was a wise plan which would be implemented quickly. If the cultures of Rhone and the Sea People were so wholly incompatible that no Rhone women were likely to be suitable brides, it would be better to know sooner. By the time Rhone gathered the rest of the volunteers, there should be some indication as to whether the plan was a viable one.

Roland frowned a little as he came outside and found Mayra waiting anxiously for news.

"Well?" She trotted up to him.

"They are agreeable to the proposed plan." Roland supplied.

"And my role in it?" She kept pace with his long strides by doubling her own. My, he was in a hurry!

"Is settled." He cut his eyes over to her and stopped suddenly. "How did you manage to get a message to the General before I went in this morning?" Roland was highly irritated at being worked around.

"I... know people." Mayra hedged. She'd had a fair amount of free time as the people around her found their soul mates. Assisting Dr. Sherman and running her side business of selling baked goods only took so much of her attention.

She'd been spending some of those spare efforts on getting to know various governmental leaders. She saw how Finn's connections had been instrumental in helping them succeed in all their efforts before and during the war, and now cultivated her own.

Hanging out with her brother had provided most of what she needed. Visiting him on duty with some spare food from her business, or casually walking by and starting a conversation with him if he was available were two of her pastimes. She'd been subtle over the past two years, but had slowly wormed her way into the good graces of various soldiers with her extra food and good conversation.

Getting a message to the General before the meeting had been child's play after laying all that groundwork... but she wasn't going to let Roland know all that.

The man harrumphed and continued walking her home. Mischievous creature that she was, he would need someone to keep an eye on her. He wouldn't go; his place was here in Klain to continue smoothing relations between Rhone and the city. His child was also due almost any time now, and he couldn't leave Finn for long and risk missing the birth.

He wondered if Riley would be available and veered towards that residence. Surely the girl's older brother would be able to keep her in line. A single matchmaker! The audacity in her was overwhelming. If her heart were lured away by someone of the Sea, it would take her far away from her family.

They strode up to the grand residence, to Mayra's confusion. She looked up at him with a pout.

"You're TELLING ON ME?" She demanded, stomping her foot.

"I have a lot to do, so your brother's going to have to keep you in line." Roland said unapologetically.

He rapped at the door and the butler answered and ushered them in. Mayra was still in a sour mood, but couldn't help admiring the grand place as she always did while here.

She was surprised that Riley had agreed to move in with Ashley's family, but the house was large enough that they had a whole wing of the home to themselves. With the relocation of many Rhone refugees into the city, spare houses were hard to find, and choices were extremely limited.

Dierdre and Lysander stayed out of the newlyweds' way for the most part, and everyone seemed happy overall with the arrangement.

Soon enough, Riley entered the room, having been summoned by the butler.

"Thank you, Roland, for tattling on my dear little sister. It's a comfort to know how many are looking after her antics." He said as he shook his visitor's hand and turned his ire on Mayra.

"What? How do you know..." She began.

"I know everything you've been up to. Why do you think I let you make friends with soldiers? So that when you use them in your schemes, I get to hear about it immediately." His tone was patronizing, and Mayra scoffed. Maybe she should have been more careful about choosing who to trust.

"Well, I'm glad you're already aware. My job here is done, and I have a wife to look after while you two hash out whatever the solution is." Roland gave them a smile and a wave, satisfied that he had passed off the volatile young lady into more experienced hands.

"It's too late! The General already said I could go!" Her defiant stubbornness welled up at her brother's condescension.

"I'm not going to stop you." Riley knew how this would go if he tried. His slippery sister would find some subversive way to run off, or disguise herself, or something else to get what she wanted. He didn't have the energy to prevent her from something as painless as a governmental errand.

"You're not?" Mayra was surprised.

"No, but I do plan on having my say in the escort that accompanies you on the journey," Riley twisted his mouth. He'd recently obtained another promotion and would likely be unable to go himself do to the change in his duties. He had several trusted men under him that he could recommend for a security detail.

"I have no objection to that," Mayra said carefully. She recognized the need to pick her battles, and having already won what she really wanted, she hoped that Riley wouldn't be too mean in choosing who would be with her on the journey.

Who a person was with could make all the difference in having a pleasant time and a miserable one. If he chose some overbearing grandfatherly miser to guard her time, it would be difficult to help the young women find their husbands without interference.

"Good, because I would ignore it if you did," Riley smirked at her. "Now, let's go talk with Mother about this..."

_______________

Naomi stood in Mrs. Sherman's kitchen helping with preparation of the midday meal. The two women harmonized perfectly in the kitchen, completing tasks in tandem with an intuitive understanding that crossed their cultural barriers.

Naomi had not slept well at all. Being under a solid roof and confined within walls was entirely foreign to her, along with a bed over a simple mat on the ground. On top of all that, she would find out today whether her outlandish offer to become a sea bride was acceptable to the emissary and the governments involved.

She sighed. Having her own family had been her dream since early childhood. One of her only toys as a little girl was a simple doll made of rags that she cherished deeply. When she was old enough, she'd begun helping raise the children within her community, watching them when a mother needed to do other tasks, or helping them learn.

Rhone boys began military training at an early age, but she loved how sweet the little girls were when left together. Though her mother was stricken with barrenness, and Naomi herself was a miracle child, most Rhone women bore many children.

Sometimes she would watch a woman walking along with a baby in her arms and seven or eight well-behaved children following behind her like descending stairsteps, and her heart would be stirred. That was what she really wanted.

Whatever man could provide her with a home, or tent, or ship, maybe, to look after, and children to raise... that would make her happy. A child had so much love to give, and surely a husband's love would come later as she blessed him with many little ones. All she needed was a willing man to begin the process with her.

After all, a promise to take care of her and protect her forever, unblinded by emotion and made with open eyes, was surely worth more than the wild fancies of a besotted young man.