Engaged (Ch.6)

~The quality of decision is like the well-timed swoop of a falcon which enables it to strike and destroy it's victim."

Sun Tzu-The Art of War

I stared blankly at my reflection in the mirror, even as my personal guard Annia, brushed my long black tresses before pinning my hair up in a complicated style, I watched her work through the mirror, her expert hands making me look even more alarmingly beautiful than I usually did, her work was perfection, it was unbelievable that one who could wield a sword so well had such skill in beautifying a woman.

"What do you think?" She asked as she finished up with her work, she stared at me through the mirror, a look of wonder on her face as she took in the results of her work.

"My work is wasted on you, of what use is beautifying an unparalleled beauty, I fear for the hearts of whichever poor lad or lass who looks upon you today." She said teasingly, obviously impressed by the results, my face remained emotionless, her work was beautiful, however I had long lost interest in admiring my physical beauty, it had been a cause of much heart ache for me from a young age, as well as the downfall of many men who were lead to a practically hypnotic state by my looks, resorting to all sorts of methods to have me, only to tell me when I had my sword at their throats that I had only myself to blame for their actions.

I had been called all sorts of names, women blaming me for their lovers interest in me, fathers blaming me for their sons adamancy to acquire my hand, men blaming me for loosing their own self control, in all honesty, had it not been that I was the daughter of the Great General, I would have long been dead from all the jealousy my looks had gotten me.

I didn't hate that I was beautiful, I just felt it was not worth all the stress. It was one of the reasons I preferred associating with warriors than the people, the rigours of war did not give the chance for such trivialities, to the warriors I was a woman to be desired yes, but before that, I was a leader, a General whose timely decisions had helped them through many a deadly situations, more than their desires, they would rather have a leader they can trust to ensure they lived to return to their various families, there were a few exceptions of course, but they only had to go to war at my side once and they either fell in line or where too scared of my ferocity to act on their desires.

"Why the gloom look my Lady, you shall be engaged to one of the most desired men not only in Dalagh but across the seven kingdoms." Annia asked me with a concerned tone, Aquila, my other personal guard and third in command of the Azure elite scoffed in response to her, Aquila was younger than Annia being 20 years of age, while Annia was 25, they were both skilled fighters and were two out of my three personal guards, the third was Ryuu, my shadow guard who was also currently watching us, leaning against the wall some distance away from me, in his usual quiet way.

"Do you really believe Lady Nika is a willing participant in this? Engaged to a man with three male lovers? among which one is the Lord Daerev? I do not believe you wouldn't be gloomy if you were in her shoes." Aquila said to Annia in an annoyed tone, Annia frowned slightly at her words, obviously just recalling that this wasn't a real engagement between two loving persons.

"Forgive my lack of foresight mu armuke." She whispered sadly addressing me in our native tongue whilst bowing low, I sighed.

"It is quite alright üks armastav , you are one to always look at the brighter side of any situation, I long for such simplicity." I said in a low tone, she smiled at me, placing a comforting hand on my shoulder, I stared at her hand but didn't shrug it off, I didn't need the comfort but I would accept her good intentions.

"If this is not your true desire, why do you insist on going through with it?" Ryuu spoke after awhile of quiet, I raised a brow as he was one to rarely speak, always being the first to silently understand my meaning, he was my most trusted aid and had been my shadow for the past seven years, his words were one I took to be very important as he rarely had reason to give it considering my decisions were mostly in accordance with his train of thoughts, but he never hesitated to speak when he disagreed, or when my methods put my life at risk, to Ryuu, I was the most precious, he was one of the ones I felt most guilty to in my previous life.

I sighed not wanting to go down memory lane at this moment, the entourage from the royal palace would be here soon, it was almost time for the ceremony to begin.

"What I desire hardly matters minu kaitsja, only that which must be done." I replied, turning to face him, he frowned.

"Must be done? mu armuke, you are not one that anyone dares command, you cannot be compelled against your will, you are far too prestigious to be insulted as such...this subordinate does not understand your meaning." he replied and I sighed, contemplating how best to explain the situation, Ryuu moved from his spot till he stood before me and lowered himself to a knee.

"Armuke, if you do not wish to go through with this engagement, this subordinate will head for the palace immediately and demand prince Jalan retracts the betrothal, should he refuse... I will end him." he said, his tone deadly, I didn't need to see his expression to know he was serious, Ryuu would do anything for me without much care for his own life, as much as it hurt me, I had learned to accept that fact a long time ago.

"Jalan is royalty, he is your prince Ryuu, you cannot raise your sword against him." I reminded him but he seemed unfazed.

"My loyalties lie only with you mistress, I do not care for his status, give me your order and I will bring you his head or die trying." he replied solemnly and I sighed again, what did I ever do to deserve this warrior's loyalty?, how was I still able to do all I did in my previous life when so many people looked up to me?, It was a question I had been asking myself for a while now, an answer however was not yet within my reach.

"minu Kaitsja, this General knows your heart truu, I understand your intentions, I do not wish to deal with things that way, I am unwilling, but I do this for my prince and my kingdom, because this is my duty." I explained to him, he was the only one I could be this patient with, no one else dared question my decisions, he looked up at me, understanding dawning.

"Tell me armuke." he said, asking to be informed on the reason I was giving in to this engagement sham, I nodded and began explaining everything, including my meeting with royal uncle and how this would affect the peace talks, once I was done they all nodded in understanding, not liking the situation but at least now they knew my reasons.

"I understand mu armuke's intentions, mistress has always been a decisive person, this subordinate trusts in your judgement and will abide by your will." he said, rising to his feet and bowing once again before standing off to the corner, ready to escort me to the palace.

"Üks armastav, minu usaldus, you will both follow after and head straight to the prince's courtyard after the ceremony to prepare the west quarters for my arrival." I said as I rose to my feet, referring to Annia and Aquila, they both bowed in acceptance of my order, before Annia stepped forward, handing me my veil, I accepted it and placed it over my nose, leaving only my eyes visible, the veil was sheer and as such some of my features could still be made out but at least it wouldn't cause as much chaos as it would if I decided not to put on the material.

I gave the mirror one last glance, taking in the form fitting high neck dress I wore, with a long trail stretching far behind me, it was in a beautiful purple shade embroidered with gold, a gown befitting a queen... the one thing I had absolutely no intention of becoming, with an annoyed sigh, I made my way out of the mansion, the sooner this was done, the better it'd be for all of us.

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"In honor of your engagement into the royal family, I bestow upon you these gifts and the title of High General of the United Dalagh calvary, I also hereby name you first rank princess of the Dalagh kingdom, I trust you to work effectively in your new capacity as we strive to keep our beloved kingdom safe." Royal uncle decreed as Jalan and I stood before him after all the rites were completed, I lowered myself into an bow.

"This princess thanks His Royal Majesty for his grace, I will definitely not disappoint your expectations." I said respectfully.

"Thank you for your grace, Royal father." Jalan added, showing his support and happiness for me and why wouldn't he?...the envoys were all present after all, this was only the beginning of the show of which I was a main character and yet I was already so drained.

_________

I watched uninterested in the performances going on, it was customary to have a little celebration after the engagement... this was way more than little, but it was expected of the royal family, I tried to keep a neutral face, if I couldn't pretend to be excited, I at least had to make sure I didn't look unhappy.

My attention was drawn to a slight tapping sound, and I frowned realizing it was coming from Jalan who sat besides me at the royal table, the sound sourced from him tapping his empty wine goblet on the table, I frowned slightly looking up at him with a questioning expression, he shrugged looking pointedly at the wine jug before shifting his gaze to the envoys who unsurprisingly were all carefully observing our interactions.

I sighed in annoyance before reaching for the jug, I carefully poured the wine into his glass despite how much I wanted to spill it all over him, Jaran chuckled from where he sat at my other side and I gave him a harsh glare, he covered up his amusement with a cough which was so obviously fake, both brothers were so annoying, so was their father, and their step mom and step siblings, royalty in general were all annoying... I sighed again recalling I was now one, what I'd give to be on border duty right now.

As I filled his goblet, I felt a particular deadly glare on me, I wasn't surprised to meet princess Freya's furious eyes, what surprised me however was the fact that the other princess envoy that I couldn't recall her name was giving me a similar look, although more subtle, if I wasn't a seasoned warrior with well honed instincts, I wouldn't have noticed.

I rolled my eyes at their silliness before a sudden idea came to me, smiling slightly, I placed my hand over Jalan's stopping him from raising the now filled goblet to his lips, he raised a brow at me but I only smiled sweetly in response, taking the cup from his grip, I tilted my head to the side, lifting my veil slightly and taking an elegant sip, like a well cultured lady, I might be a warrior but my father had made it a point to train me on proper etiquette from a young age... I was probably one of the most well mannered ladies out there.

Taking the half filled goblet away from my lips, I met Jalan's still curious gaze and smiled again before slowly lifting the glass up to his lips, when he didn't open, I copied his previous gesture, giving the envoys a pointed look and then turning back to him, he knew as well as I did that refusing my act of love would raise suspicions, he raised an amused brow, before his lips parted and a hand lifted up to aid me pour the wine into his mouth, I heard a satisfied laughter that I knew was coming from my royal uncle and then a crash of glass.

"Lady Andronika... would you care indulging me in a little display of the virtues of the Dalagh women?" A sickly sweet voice sounded, I lowered the glass before turning to face princess Freya who had knocked down her dishes in her haste to stand and interrupt us.

"It is Princess Andronika now Princess, I believe you were present at the announcement of my new title..." I informed her matter of factly, her eyes glowed with rage and she tried to speak but I cut her off.

"....and if it is a competition on womanly virtues you seek, I believe the winner has already been decided yes?, It is after all known that elegance and poise are key for any lady, or perhaps is it not taught as such in your kingdom?, then it'd be no wonder... I mean knocking over your own table..." I finished trailing off even as mostly everyone chuckled at my words, her face turned red with rage and I hoped she'd back down so I didn't humiliate her more... I had no such luck.

She stepped out to the center of the pavilion, rudely dismissing the performers, before bowing to royal uncle.

"It is just this princess's desire to learn a little from the new princess, I hope your Majesty will not ignore my request." She said politely and I chuckled amused even as royal uncle shrugged.

"It is the princess's choice if she wishes to indulge you or not Freya." Royal uncle responded, I pushed back the laugh that almost bubbled out, royal uncle acknowledging me as princess but not her showed his opinion of her clearly, she struggled to keep on her mask of calm but it was obvious she had never had to suffer injustice in her life...an overly pampered royal, she was much older than I was but acted like a child.

"I will accept your request Princess, If my prince does not mind?" I said turning to Jalan and asking his permission with a loving smile, he smiled back.

"Let it be done as my princess's heart desires." He replied, and I nodded my thanks before leaving my place and heading down to the open space that was left for the performances.

"So... what does my princess reckon we use as a test?" I asked, leaving the decision to her, she smiled evilly, probably believing that an uncouth warrior couldn't defeat her when it came to womanly virtues.

"How about the four womanly arts? Considering the grand occasion I believe dancing would be the most entertaining choice." She said sweetly, I almost laughed out loud at her ignorance, believing that a warrior would be clumsy on his feet?, Wasn't all fighting techniques basically a deadly dance?, in addition to the fact that I had actually been taught to dance till my feet nearly bled, my father raised me for perfection, to ensure his precious jewel would survive in any environment, be it as a refined lady or a deadly warrior.

"That is quite alright, I'll go first then." I offered, she smirked smugly, watching me as I moved to stand in a confident pose hands up in the air as the instrumentalists began their music, I remained motionless for a heartbeat, letting the music flow through me, the song spoke of the pains and sorrows of war, the tears of the family left behind, the rigorous life of a warrior, the apprehension before each battle, the relief of each victory won, and the reality that we lived just to fight another day, the seven kingdoms were built on the might of their warriors.

I began moving in complicated patterns, my movements were fluid and timely, I twisted and spun in time with the music, every step telling a tale of it's own, a leap of joy at the victories won, a lowered head in respect to a warrior lost, a clutch of the heart, the same way lovers left behind had to clutch their breaking hearts, a spin of a skilled warrior as he fights for his life, the music picked up, becoming faster, the tune telling the story of our warrior heritage, my pace increased in time with the music, spins becoming faster, leaps becoming higher till I was sure my movements were a blur, the crowd watched with bated breaths as the music came to it's peak, and then an abrupt end, as I also came to a stop at the position I began with... showing the reality that at the end of each war we went back to the beginning only for the whole process to be repeated again.

The audience were quiet for a heartbeat, before royal uncle rose to his feet clapping in awe and everyone joined him.

"Beautiful... truly outstanding." He complimented and I smiled modestly as my father laughed proudly.

"Not at all Your Majesty, you flatter me, I am sure Princess Freya's will surpass my humble performance, for someone who has experienced the rigours of war from a young age, it is not surprising that I can dance to it's tale, Princess Freya is different however, I believe once the musicians play a tune fitted to her lifestyle, she will give an unmatchable performance." I replied politely and royal uncle laughed even as I felt Freya's furious glare on me, I ignored her, moving off to the side and gesturing for her to begin.

"No, I will dance to the same tune as hers." Freya insisted confidently as the musicians began playing a different, more graceful tone, I hid my smirk with a tilt of my head...she was way too easy to manipulate, the song I just danced to was an extremely difficult one, it looked easy when watched but it's beats where one of the fastest paced and would prove difficult to any dancer who wasn't used to quick and timely movements...on the other hand, as a warrior, our life and death depended on quick and timely movements.

The musicians in compliance with her orders began playing the previous tune and she began her dance, her movements were beautiful and graceful...too graceful, for a dancer, the most important thing was to discern the message of a tune and dance accordingly, grace had nothing to do with war, she would figure that out soon.

It wasn't too long that my prediction came to pass as the music picked up and she could no longer keep up with the pace, her movements becoming out of rhythm and clumsy, eventually the tune reached it's peak and as it came to an abrupt end, her final move was interestingly a leap and was executed so out of tune that when she landed, she stepped on her gown and it ripped, exposing a lot more of her already exposed thighs, now women in the seven kingdoms weren't necessarily conservative, in actuality we were nothing of that sort but still, ripping your gown in a competition of womanly virtues was just too extreme.

Royal uncle raised a brow at her shame filled and teary form, probably wondering why she was crying, much like my father, he hated weakness, of what use was shedding tears in a situation like this?

"I'm sure we can now continue the banquet without anymore obstructions from the unruly girl, today is an extremely happy day for the people of Dalagh, may the celebrations continue." Royal uncle instructed, as Freya's subordinates came to escort her back to her seat, I moved back to the royal table, informing royal uncle of my desire to retire for the night, he approved albeit reluctantly and I returned to Jalan, excusing myself, he gave me a nod and I left the pavilion, eager to rid myself of this constricting attire, I knew what was expected of Jalan and I tonight, he would be joining me in his quarters soon, I had been given the western side of his courtyard for my personal quarters whenever I would be visiting, but tonight however, I was under compulsion to spend the night in his personal chambers, in order to solidify our act.