[AU] 📖 I'm always where I need to be

[diatessaron]

She’s really quite a lovely young woman, they tell him as the servants pack his things. His mother fusses over every shirt they fold and wrap, over every shade of fabric, over whether it will wash out his complexion or if the rust of his hair will clash. His father, meanwhile, spends even more time than usual in the gardens, fussing over the plants he’s growing like his wife fusses over their son’s clothes.

He, meanwhile, rolls his eyes at the both of them and wonders if they even realize he’s not going to actually try and marry the girl.

He’s never met her before- never met any of them, but with the way his mother goes on about the Indrhit royal family, he thinks he knows them all by now. Or at least, the renditions of them his mother paints after returning from her diplomatic journeys to visit her dear old friend.

The princess they’re sending him to meet is about his age- two years older, to be exact- and the one least likely (or interested in vying) to inherit the throne, and therefore, the one who most needs to marry into another kingdom. Well, ‘needs’ inasmuch as any princess ‘needs’ to do anything. But his mother has it in her head that they’ll hit it off, and he figures that if nothing else, it’ll be a nice change of scenery.

The fact that his timer’s countdown is in line with the time he’s supposed to be arriving, however, only make his mother’s knowing glances and cheery humming intensify.

When he leaves the castle it’s with a couple of flowerpots in his hands as the footman loads his trunks, and he sputters indignantly as his mother climbs into the carriage behind him just so she can give him one last hug goodbye. As soon as she hops out though, the doors close and they’re off- because as much as the queen adores her son, she’d hate to throw off a schedule for a meeting more so. Honestly, it might have been better if she had caused a delay. They’re halted by an avalanche a couple of days in, and have to wait until the road is cleared to continue. Then it’s storms that last for days on end, muddying the roads and making the going slow, difficult- but provide perfect weather to curl up and enjoy some of the books he didn’t think he’d have the time to read during his trip.

He does his best to pretend that the numbers ticking ever-closer down to zero at his wrist don’t make it harder and harder to breathe without hyperventilating.

The border between and Indhrim is still a day off, his timer only a little bit over that, and he wonders, maybe, if he’ll meet a girl along the side of the road in his travels that he’ll have to help. Be checked by a guardswoman at the border who will take his heart because she’s meant to. But they make good time to the border, and then past it, and they’re well a ways out before they’re halted by a company of mounted soldiers one of whom dismounts- a slighter sight than imagined, off the horse- and moves forward to meet the head of his guard. He recognizes the crests on shields as the Indhrit royal family’s, and exits the carriage slowly, only refraining from shielding his eyes from the sun because he’s rubbing- quite fretfully- at his wrist. The dismounted woman finishes speaking to the guard and moves past him, pulling off their helm and pushing dark, dark hair out of a pretty, freckled face. She takes off her riding gloves to hold out a hand- Indhrit girls don’t really curtsy, his mother had said- and smiles at him, not quite meeting his eyes.

Mostly, because hers are focused on the way he’s still rubbing at his wrist.

Almost immediately, her face flames, and she brings her helm up to duck behind for a moment, an obvious attempt at regaining her composure. When she peers up again, she does meet his eyes- but only so she can make sure he’s focused on her as she rolls up her sleeve to mid-forearm and presents, without further preamble, the bright row of zeroes against her skin. The color in her cheeks, however, shows no signs of fading quite yet. He can’t really say he blames her.

“I’m Maddie- ah, Madhavi, actually- and I suppose it’s a lucky thing my sister couldn’t come out to greet you herself.”

She reaches for his wrist hesitantly, fingers brushing his where they’ve halted, and offers up a tiny but reassuring smile.

“I hope I’m not going to disappoint you by saying so, but she’s going to be glad- my sister, that is. Khamala’s still got another year and a half left on hers, and she was worried...”

Her eyes flicker back down, and then linger for a moment on the spine of his book before adding-

“You know, we’ve a copy at home with the stories that weren’t translated. I can have someone bring it to you when we get there…?”

The offer is hesitant, testing, and he blinks at her, still somewhat in shock over the whole of the situation. But considering that the book he’s reading isn’t even Indhrit he can’t help but blurt quite without thinking-

“I can translate for you, if you-!” He pauses then, realizing that if she recognizes it, then she must have read it, and feels his face heat to match hers. Not even three minutes in and not only was he making assumptions, but they’re wrong ones and what’s more, they were obvious wrong ones.

She just gives him that small, encouraging flash of a smile again, her fingers curving against his wrist once more and staying.

“I wouldn’t mind if you wanted to read it to me, or something- ah, I mean, if you’d like. The weather in the evenings is perfect for sitting in the gardens.”

Her smile widens hopefully, prettily, and he wonders if, maybe, he might be able to convince her to ride back to her home in the carriage with him.