104, All thanks to the dessert

The following day, Bettina, Ken and Anna walked Jason to school. Afterwards Bettina would show their guests the city. Tenac, Ayya and her father needed to go to the Sanctum for a meeting with king Richard and the council. They arrived at the river field at the same time as he and his party.

“Good morning, your majesty,” Ayya said.

“Good morning, your grace,” he replied, stopping and looking out over the river and the sanctum. “I never thought I would get to see it. It really is as beautiful as they say it is.” Ayya looked out over the sanctum, remembering how she had seen it when she was new to the city. She had got used to it. She still thought it beautiful, but it had lost the sense of wonder. 

“It is,” she agreed. “Would you allow me to guide you?” she asked.

“I would be most grateful,” he said with a slight bow. Ayya, the king, the king’s bodyguard, Tenac and her father all got into a boat and Tenac manned the oars. Ayya saw the scowl on her father’s face. It reminded her that his experience in Dermes was completely different from hers. He had to have to endure watching Tariana being questioned by the council, being denied the opportunity to help. He had been forced to leave Ayya behind, just to come back to find her in a horrible state. It was no wonder he wasn’t greeting the king with open arms. It also served as a useful reminder there would be others with the same feelings. Old insults and hurts didn’t go away just because she had been able to establish a diplomatic tie. 

“How do we get inside?” he asked and looked at the building that was getting closer. Ayya smiled and remembered how she had been worried about scaling the walls. 

“Over there,” she told him and pointed out the opening in the wall. As they exited the tunnel and came into the centre of the sanctum. 

“Amazing,” he said, looking all over. Tariana and the council stood waiting at the entrance. 

“Your majesty,” she said as they got out of the boat, Ayya’s father walking over to her to stand slightly behind her, still scowling at the visitors. “Welcome to the sanctum.”

“My Lady, it’s an honour to be here. I am humbled to be the first of my line to set foot in this sacred building,” he told her. “Let me present you with a simple gift to show my gratitude,” he said. His bodyguard handed him a book, and the king gave it to Tariana. “I have been told it is a book written during the great divide. It’s written by one of Samiila’s advisors, a kind of diary if my information is correct. It talks about Samiila’s plans of creating the aari,” the king said. 

“This is a most welcome gift, your highness. Thank you. Ayya, would you keep it safe for now?” Tariana asked. 

“Yes, my Lady,” Ayya said and stepped forward to take to book. Tenac staying close by her as they waited for the rest of the king’s party to arrive. 

“Please follow me,” Tariana said as everyone was standing on the docks. They walked into the sanctum and as they walked through the halls, the eyes of everyone in the building were on them. They reached the council chamber and when inside. Everyone took their seats around the table. “Let’s get this thing started, shall we?” Tariana said. 

“I am happy to report the aari you sent to our aid has done an amazing job. They tell me the wells will probably be ready to use again in a few weeks. We are grateful beyond words for your help,” the king began. 

“I’m happy to hear it,” Tariana said with a smile. “I have got reports from my aari. You have been a most gracious host.” They had got regular updates from the aari helping out with the wells. They had reported the king had given them an entire house right outside the castle walls to set up in.

“It has been our pleasure to have them. We were hoping to make it permanent. I have realised how useful for the city it is to have the presence of the aari in our city.” Tariana smiled at his words and nodded.

“And the church? I can’t think they share your feelings,” she asked.

“Our new bishop is more open-minded than our last. After the public trial and the unanimous verdict against him, Ludwig has not spoken. He is awaiting his execution, which is planned upon our return,” the king said. Tariana nodded.

“We would be happy to start a discussion about a permanent base in Dermes. I think it would be beneficial for both of our countries,” she said. The conversation continued. It went better than Ayya had feared. Everyone was on their best behaviour and even her father stopped looking threatening after half an hour. No one had questioned Tenac’s presence. Ayya was still only the Lady’s apprentice and didn’t have the right to a bodyguard. But then, Ayya didn’t know anyone that would openly say so in front of Tenac and her father. After the talk had ended, they all stood outside the council chambers in smaller groups. Tariana, Kopa, Ayya and Tenac stood together. 

“You are leaving to pick up Jason?” Tariana asked.

“Yes, we will pick him up and go to my parents to greet my aunt and uncle,” Ayya said. “You will join my father and come over for dinner?” she asked.

“Yes, will we all fit?” Tariana said with a bright smile.

“We will squeeze you all in,” Kopa told her. Ayya went to say goodbye to the king.

“Thank you for letting Anna and Ken join your party,” she told him.

“It was my pleasure. Ken has done a lot for both my father and myself. This is the least I could do for him. I did tell my castellan to stay behind, for his own safety,” the king said, eyeing Tenac and then her father.

“I think that was a good decision, very wise,” Ayya agreed. Ayya and Tenac made their way back to the river field. It was still early, so they decided to take a walk in the beautiful spring weather. Without thinking about it, they ended up at their house. They walked around to the back garden and sat down on a bench which Tenac had made. 

“Are you okay?” she asked. “Things are moving fast.” Tenac smiled and put his arm around her. 

“I would have married you the second after our first kiss,” he told her and kissed her. She smiled at him and relaxed into him. 

“And the rest?” He chuckled at her question.

“Ayya, sweetheart, I think you are the only one who hasn’t been planning for the rest,” he told her and kissed her hair. 

“So everything is okay?”

“Everything is okay. I’m looking forward to getting this wedding out of the way and get some peace and quiet with you and Jason,” he told her. 

“Yeah, that will be nice,” she agreed. “This wedding thing has grown into this huge thing.”

“It has. But in just a couple of days, it will all be over and we can relax.”

“I love you, Tenac. I couldn’t have done any of this without you.”

“I love you too, Ayya. But once again, you underestimate yourself. I’m just going along, making sure everyone else lets you do your thing.”

“I don’t know if I like that. I want you to have a say as well. Don’t always let me get my way,” she objected. 

“Okay, whatever you say,” he agreed. 

“You are hopeless,” she said, laughing. They sat in the sun until it was time to collect Jason. Jason came running with his friend Tregan. 

“Hello, Tregan,” Ayya said as she got a hug from Jason. 

“Hello, your grace,” Tregan said. 

“It’s just Ayya, remember?” she told him.

“Right, sorry,” the boy said. Ayya looked around but couldn’t see his parents. 

“Are you walking home on you own?” she asked. 

“Yes, it’s not far and my mom needed to go with my little sister to the doctor,” he told her.

“I’m sorry to hear it. I hope it’s nothing serious,” she said and saw the worried face on Jason. Tenac had put a hand on his shoulder.

“No, she has an ear infection. She gets them sometimes,” Tregan told her. Ayya nodded. 

“That’s good then. We’ll walk with you, it’s on our way,” she told him. The boys started telling them about their day, and Ayya saw Jason relax again. People getting sick was still a cause of worry for him. It was understandable since he had lived most of his life with the illness lurking over him. They left Tregan where the road forked and his house were to the left and they were going right. Ayya had spent her childhood running around a city and didn’t see anything wrong with letting the boys do the same, as long as they knew how to keep safe. 

“Who is coming today?” Jason asked and Tenac chuckled at how used he had become to people dropping by.

“Granny’s brother and his wife,” Ayya reminded him. He nodded. 

“I never had this big of a family before,” he said. “I have parents and three grandparents and three aunties and uncle Jontak and now… What is granny’s brother to me?” he asked, confused. 

“Technically great uncle, but uncle should do fine,” Tenac said.

“Oh, right. So one more uncle and aunt. And then dad’s uncles and aunts and cousins. It used to be just my parents and my sister,” Jason continued. 

“When he puts it like that, it is an impressive list,” Tenac said to Ayya. She nodded with a smile.

“It’s nice having a big family, isn’t it?” she asked.

“It is,” Jason agreed. 

Later that evening, the dining room in Ayya’s parents’ house was full of people. Everyone was speaking Common to make sure Anna and Ken could follow along in the conversations. There was laughter flying everywhere and Ayya’s uncle Torbren was the latest victim to Jason’s charm and he was laughing at something Jason told him. Ayya looked out over the people as she brought in the dessert. Her favourite, now made with the lingonberry jam the king had given her before leaving Dermes. Tenac was frowning as she sat back down next to him.

“What is wrong?” she asked quietly. 

“I don’t like that dessert anymore,” he told her. She knew he was thinking back to the streak of lingonberry jam across her white dress. 

“If it wasn’t for that streak, would you have come into my room that night?” she asked, making sure no one was listening to their conversation.

“No,” he admitted.

“Then I think we should both be very grateful for it. I know it was a shock, but I would take it over not having you and Jason,” she told him. He looked at her and nodded.