A Marriage For The Best...

Lesald watched him curiously as he scanned the shelves for the books that she had requested. When he returned to her and held out the books to her she smiled up at him, her hands taking the books gently from him. She scanned the covers curiously as he spoke about the books, remembering which was which before she looked up at him once again.

"Ah, no this is fine for now, I shall take my time with these two for now before I think about reading anymore." She said as she smiled up at him, her cheeks still a bit red.

"Well...I'll just head back to my room then, Thank you." She finished as she made a move to pass Sikander and leave the library.
 
"I'll escort you back upstairs, it's late and I should retire as well." Sikander stepped to the side so that they could walk together as they exited into the second-floor corridor. As they did, he softly touched her arm, a surprisingly warm and tender gesture for him. He tried to make it as unromantic as possible, but to say that there was no desire would have been wrong.

Still, as they walked into the hall he dropped his arm back to his side, mentally hoping the flush had faded from her cheeks. The few servants still awake kept to themselves as they passed, quiet and unobtrusive, but he knew they would still be watching their new source of gossip, the royal couple.

As they reached the stairs he began to talk, voice pitched for their ears only, a level of voice he'd learned soon as a child. "Have you studied your own kingdom's history so well? I'd be interested in a study, though for different reasons than yours, I would imagine."
 
"Oh, thank you." She said softly as they walked out into the hall, her cheeks flushing a bit as he touched her arm lightly.

The gesture was simple and she could tell from glancing at him that it didn't have any deep meaning though it still brought a bit of color to her cheeks anyway. As they walked toward their room she could feel the eyes of passing servents still in the halls. They would certainly have much to gossip about now that she was around, servents always seemed to interested in the royal family at the most busy times, like weddings and such. When he asked about her own kingdom's history she smiled a bit and looked up at him.

"Yes, I have...I enjoy reading about the history of anything really. I would be more than happy to get a few books for you to read if you'd like them. May I ask why you'd like to know about my kingdom?" She questioned him softly, so that only he could hear her.
 
As they reached the stairs Sikander gave a slight nod, starting to speak. "It is not to be able to rule it better. I haven't forced myself into your line of succession and there'll be no annexation when we're married. The fact of the matter is, that your kingdom is more useful being just allied with mine and not a part of it.

He briefly wondered just how much he should say now, weighing the alternatives with each step he took before continuing, "What I need is a buffer between my kingdom and Legoria. And since your kingdom is nestled between our borders and against a mostly impassable mountain range, it does nicely.

"So I would be interested in studying your kingdom for when I might have to fight a war in it or across it."
 
The smile on Lesald's lips and the flush in her cheeks slowly drifted away as Sikander spoke. He was going to use her kingdom as a buffer for war? That was the reason he threated to destroy her home and forced her into a marriage that she never wanted to be in in the first place but accepted for the sake of her people!? She her started to frown as she looked up at him, her steps slowing to an eventual stop in the hallway, just before they reached the stairs to their rooms.

"You're...You're going to use my kingdom, my home...As a buffer?" She questioned bitterly as she began to glare at him suddenly. "You threaten to attack my kingdom if I do not accept you hand in marriage just so you could use it as a WAR ZONE?! She nearly yell, though she held back enough so only he would hear.

In her anger she pased a moment looking to the ground, suddenly speechless, before darting up the stairs before he could say anything. She didn't want to even hear him breath at that moment, she was so angry! And she had began to start to respet him a bit, HA! what a fool she had been.
 
"No," Sikander said, his tone growing icy as he addressed her back, "I did it so I won't have to. Like it or not that land is very valuable to your neighbors, and I'm not going to apologize for acting on that information. If I hadn't, they would have. Welcome to the very real world."

He didn't know if she heard him or not, and didn't care. For all her boasting, just another spoiled princess who wasn't prepared to handle real politics and real power plays. He didn't bother trying to follow her, walking directly to his room. What else could he have expected? He knew where she'd come from. And what else should he have expected? She was from a minor kingdom wedged between and overshadowed by its neighbors.

He gave only the shortest of backward glances before shutting the door to his chambers, giving her a derisive snort. Well, it didn't matter how she felt, it was only important that she was here. He could care less about anything else, the only part of her that he cared about was her title.
 
Lesald had run to her room quickly, only catching the end of is sentence as she shut the door. She couldn't believe that that was the only reason she was here. However, what else could she had expected of him? He was from a larger and more powerful kingdom, her home was small and stuck right in the middle of a group of war ready lands. If he had not taken her land through marriage then another one might have, and they might not have even offered a peaceful option.

She let out a small sigh and walked over to her vanity slowly, setting the books down before sitting and looking into the mirror quietly. She had let her loyalty to her homeland control her temper and she had now made herself seemed spoiled or worse. She had the right to be at least a little upset however, her home was at risk at becoming a battle field if Sikander chose to start a fight.

With another small sigh she slipped into her nightgown and crawled into her bed to rest for the evening, she would read the books tomorrow, for now she felt like she needed a bit of rest to clear her mind and calm her a bit.
 
Sikander slept soundly and arose early. It was a gift, a sense of clarity that let him rest without worry or stress. Every night, by the time it was time for him to sleep, he had no regrets and no worries. He could simply sleep in peace.

He dressed in silence, studying his reflection with no deeper intent than to make himself appear presentable. He stepped out into the third-floor corridor as the sun barely began to peek through the windows, the castle as quiet as it was late at night, but with a different energy. It was beginning to stir instead of settling down.

The argument he had had with Lesald was already out of his mind. It was something that simply wasn't worth being concerned over. What was done was done, what was said was said. He had what he wanted, and that was all that mattered. From what he had seen of her last night, it would likely not be the last argument that they had.

But still... it slowed his steps slightly when he remembered the moment in the library just before that argument. That was a taste of something he was unfamiliar with... yet not entirely unpleasant. He mentally chewed on that as he passed her room, glancing towards the door.
 
Lesald slept well that night, not because she was good at letting go of fights but because her trip had left her needing sleep and no amount of anger or upsetness would keep her body awake. She sat up in her bed slowly and yawned a bit before slipping from the bed and dressing simply, her hair being placed into a bun and her dress a pale green with her shoulders exposed. After putting on a bit of make-up she grabbed one of the books that Sikander had helped her find and turned toward her door.

She was no longer upset over the small fight they had, more than anything she was just less trusting of the dictator of a man she would eventually have to marry. She would have to accept that her home was no longer under her control and was now his to do with as he pleased, she was the only child her father ever had and though a cousin might sit on the throne she knew that they wouldn't have much choice but to listen to Sikander if he ever needed to use the kingdom for anything.

She stepped out of her room silently just as Sikander passed by, the two sharing a quite if not awkward stare for a moment before Lesald broke it.

"Good Morning..." She said slowly as she turned to make her way down the hall to th library to read the book in her hands.
 
Sikander nodded to her, putting on a small, practiced smile. It was entirely fake, but it looked pleasant, and he'd found that looking pleasant could be a valuable tool in court politics. He didn't think that it would fool her to any great degree, but if he looked as though he was putting forth the effort it could pay off.

His eyes lingered for a moment on her dress, specifically the bared shoulders. It was different, dresses of that style were not at all popular in Trageyra. It made her stand out and... he couldn't find himself offended or off put by that. If anything, it interested him in her, their differences. A small part of him hoped that she would not try to change her dress to blend in with the court.

"Good morning, Princess." He said as he fell into step beside her, as though he did not remember their short fight the night before. "I hope you slept well, if you did not feel free to ask the servants for any change in your sleeping arrangements, they've been instructed to make you comfortable."
 
"I slept well, thank you.I hope you did so as well." She said simply as she continued on her way, keeping her eyes forward as she made her way down the hall.

She would have prefered to have just ignored him but that would have only made her seem more childish and rude. She was still a little upset over the fight last night but she did not let it show on her face, there was no point holding on to an argument that could not really be won. Instead she just went on her way toward the library, hoping to escape him soon.

"So will you be working today?" She asked, curious as to what the man would be up to and how long she would be able to just be alone so she could read quietly.

 
"I will. I feel I should let you know: yesterday I signed off on the construction of several new towers and a castle to be built on our northern border. I may choose to view the sites of the new structures myself. A ceremonial showing. If I do, it would be a show of solidarity if my future queen was by my side. You do not have to answer now, but I thought you would prefer to have a chance to consider it." Sikander kept his gaze forward as he walked, turning to descend the stairs.

"Enjoy your day," He said to her as he stepped away, walking past the library to descend to the courtyard for his daily training, giving her a brief backwards glance as he did, unable to suppress a faint grin as he imagined the discussion her dress would create among the more conservative servants around the castle. The ruffling of their feathers couldn't help but amuse him, perhaps some difference wouldn't be such a bad thing around here.
 
Lesald looked at Sikander as he mentioned the trip to the building site of a new castle and mentioned that it would looked better if she were to come along as well. She wasn't completely sure about traveling with him but she knew that if she were to make a positive impression on the people them she would need to go out and actually be seen with him. She did not answer him at the time for he turned to leave before she could respond. She watched him go for a moment before he turned to look back at her, making her quickly turn into the library so that she wouldn't have to respon.

She wandered into the library and took a seat in the chair near a window, using the light from it to allow her to see well in the dark room. She opened the book and began to read quietly, taking in the information as she also thought about what she would need to do to prepare for the trip that she would more than likely be taking with him. Hopefully, if she was lucky, she would fall asleep for most of the trip and not have to speak with him.
 
It took a few days to bring the travel arrangements into order, though it was still fairly hasty. They were going to the new northern border of the kingdom, a journey of several days. As much as it annoyed him, he had set up a series of messengers along the way, the resources were proving sluggish to put into order, and he would have to continue to work on the road.

He stood in the courtyard of the castle in the weak morning sun, standing by one of the royal carriages. Far from being ornate, it was like the castle it was in: Functionality first. it was large, and though the interior was comfortable, the exterior was solid and defensive. It was pulled by four large warhorses, and Sikander still wore his sword. He began to walk along the length of the carriage, more to stretch his legs than to show any kind of nervousness as he waited for Lesald to arrive.
 
Lesald found herself settling in just a bit as days passed, and as soon as she was close to finally being able to make it around on her own, the trip to the north boarder came. She knew that she needed to make a proper impression by going with Sikander, but spending many days with him in such close quaters as a carriage did not make her feel good at all. She packed all of her dresses for the trip into one trunk, an amzing feat compared to some women that she knew, she never wore large dresses though, they would only be more trouble anyway.

As her trunk was being packed onto the carriage, Lesald was in her room filling a much smaller trunk with entertainment. Though she was bound to talk to Sikander, there would be moments in time that he might not want to speak or might be sleeping as she would need something to do other than staring into the air to pass the time. She packed a few novels form her own personal collection as well as an old complicated wooden puzzle in the shape of the cube. After closing the small trunk up she walked down to the courtyard, heading toward the carriage quietly in another flowing shoulder exposed dress, this time it being a pale yellow.
 
"Good morning, Princess." Sikander said politely as Lesald came near, eyes briefly scanning over her dress. If bared shoulders were rare in the fashion of the kingdom, then yellow was a nonexistant choice of color. But as before, he felt more curious than anything else about it. But bringing such subjects up would probably do little good as long as she still saw him as a brute.

But did he even care how she saw him? Did it really matter, to him or to any one or thing else?

He opened the door to the carriage and stepped aside to allow her entry, continuing, "Again, I am sorry for bringing this up at such short notice." His tone didn't match his words, however. He didn't sound cruel, but his apology simply didn't sound genuine. But then he paused, and after a moment added, "Thank you for agreeing to come with me."
 
"Good morning, Sikander." She said simply as she made her way over to the carriage, climbing in wordlessly as he held the door open for her. She set her small truck on the gound as he spoke his apology, noting that his tone didn't suit his words very well. His last statement caught her attention however and she looked up at him.

"Well, it is only natural isn't it? I am to be the future queen so I should get to know the country as best I can..."She said simply as she looked at him for a moment before looking away again. "So what is the plan for the trip?" She asked, moving the conversation along as she looked through her trunk.

She pulled out a small novel from her trunk, planning to read it the first half of the trip that day. She didn't think that he would speak to her to much on the trip, maybe explain some things but not really have much of a conversation. She would then just keep herself busy with her reading and not bother him to much.
 
Sikander nodded to the driver before stepping into the carriage with her, sitting on the opposite side. As he latched the door, the carriage began to roll across the courtyard, the warhorses not providing the most gentle of starts. Sikander preferred to ride rather than be carried, but he had hoped that this way he could learn more about his bride. And if not... well, he had the authority to commandeer a horse. As they left the castle gates, a small squad of cavalry, the royal bodyguard, took up positions both ahead and behind the carriage.

The country. He didn't miss that point. Not my country or your country, but the country. But he wouldn't comment on it yet, felt that it would only lead to another fight. "Yes, but;" he said, "I could easily imagine others in your place not wishing to travel with me, or who wouldn't be concerned with being a good queen."

As he spoke he realized. Why? Why was she concerned with appearing to be a good queen? He couldn't understand it. He was raised to believe that when you had power, you learned to wield it and use it to rule. But why would she care? Her kingdom was small and from all reports peaceful, why should she care about being a good ruler? He leaned back, his brows furrowing, as he watched her, trying to figure out what was driving her.
 
As the carriage started out with a bit of a lunge she held her novel in her hands politely, showing that she was listening to him as he asked her his question. At first, his statement surprised her a bit for she was raised rather differently than that. Though he country was small and peaceful, many members of her family had married into royal families of other countries either by marrying a prince or duke and marrying a duchess or princess.

She was taught that if she were to ever rule a country that was not her own home land than she should do her best to learn and study it so that she could rule it as well as if she were back home. It was no a political lesson but a lesson in respect that everyone in her family believed, though boarders may not be the same and there are different ruling families, there are still innocent civilains in those lands that work hard for their kingdom, and it is the duty of the rule to work hard for them in return, whether that ruler is form the home country or not.

"Well, if you think about it, it is people like that that are unfavored by civilian people, yes? How can the people of this country respect me or even like me if I do not put forth an effort to work hard for them as their future queen? If a country is to thrive, then the people must work for the leaders while at the same time the leaders much work for their people. It is not a relationsip of taking, it is a relationship of giving." She said as she lifed her book a little more and opened the page to begin reading it.
 
It seemed... backwards to him, in a poor-to-define way. His look became more contemplative, but as he opened his mouth to speak, she turned to her book. He stopped, glancing out the window of the carriage to try to cover his attempt to continue the conversation. He knew that he shouldn't push the issue if her book was more deserving of attention than he was, but... He couldn't simply let it end there, he wanted to continue to talk to her, to... know her better.

"It's different here," He said at last, still looking out the window as he began, but his gaze quickly turned to her. "You respect your King and Queen because they are your King and Queen. I'm not concerned about the people's favor, they can think what they will about my rule, so long as my authority is respected. It is the King's responsibility to increase his kingdom's power, internally and externally, whether that means helping the citizens or expanding the borders. Whether they approve or not is not my concern."

He could hear his grandfather's voice in those words, the strong declaration. His gaze wandered to a spot on the wall in front of him, before seeming to look past it as he reminisced. His lips twitched upwards in a smile, and in a softer voice he added, "But when I came back from my first campaign, our first victories in years, and I rode through the capital... I saw pride on their faces. They were proud... of their king and their country."
 
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