The carriage wheels trample the flowers that grow through the dirt roads. My heart hurts knowing our entourage is destroying this beautiful landscape because it’s a visual representation of how my spirit feels. I thought I would find another option, or perhaps my father would, to get me out of this marriage. There isn't one, not without hurting my people in Antalis.
Siphonie sits across from me, fanning herself, her luscious locks of pink piled high on her head. “This heat is going to be the death of me. I always knew Antalis was hot, but this is sticky hot. I hate it. How can we just barely be away from home and already the climate is so different.”
Rhenor laughs under his breath as he turns to her to explain, “Siphonie, Shaston is hotter than this. It won't have the same sticky feeling, but it is most certainly hot. I've been there and it's not somewhere I would choose to live.”
His eyes jerk to mine, sorrow filling them. Siphonie and Rhenor can leave after the marriage is complete, and return to Antalis. But me? I'll be stuck, as Queen Consort of Shaston.The trip will be dangerous for them to make, it's probably too dangerous now, they won't make it more than necessary. When Rhenor speaks of visiting Shaston, it was when he traveled there years ago withShayisoldiers in an effort to keep the peace between Antalis and Shaston.
“I think it will be a lovely place, despite what he says.” Siphonie smiles at me, leaning across the carriage, squeezing one of my hands as she wonders aloud, “What do men know anyway?”
Rhenor laughs. “She’s right, what do I know? I was just a young man, excited for the prospects of battle, the last time I went. It will be your home and I know you will make it a wonderful place.”
“How long do you think you will stay?” I ask, wanting to emotionally prepare myself. I know they can't stay forever and I need to know so I won’t be disappointed when the time comes.
“We will stay as long as you need us to, right Rhenor?” She smiles at him and he wraps an arm around her shoulder kissing her temple.
“Absolutely, my dear.”
Looking back out the window, I wonder how my mother would have handled this situation. Would she have been meek and mild, doing what she was told? Would she have fought to remain in Antalis? Would she have approved of the marriage between Ereon and me? We’ll never know, because the deluc took her. She didn't even have the chance to be called home, to walk into the ocean’s waves. She withered away little by little as the moons passed until she died.
Ereon sits on his black horse, the glorious beast strides along with the rest of our entourage. He is a handsome man, no one can deny that. He sits tall as he lightly grips the reins, rolling his shoulders to get more comfortable. His eyes are deep and dark, the color of chocolate. I know he is older than me byfive lunar years. His body is chiseled and sharp. Why am I not happy to be his wife? I've heard rumors of his sexual exploits, but every man in Antalis visits the pleasure women at least a few times before marriage, and sometimes even after, depending on the circumstances. I assume he can't be anything different than what I’ve already known. I've heard he is very stubborn and strict, but the moment on the beach, when I heard him truly laugh, I can’t help but wonder if there is more to him. I'm not naïve to his wanting to put me in my place — we will work on that. I am the heir to Antalis, I will be Queen of Antalis and I refuse to be forced to ignore that fact. I will be a good wife and hope we can come to some sort of marital agreement.
“HALT!” a loud booming voice commands through the windows.
Peering around, I notice the entire caravan has come to a stop. “What's going on?” I ask Thylas, as his horse appears closer to our carriage.
“I'm not sure, probably someone needing to relieve themselves or we are just taking a break. I'll go check it out. Rhenor do you mind keeping watch?”
“With my life, as always,” Rhenor replies, nodding as Thylas rides off on his steed.
Rhenor pats the sword at his side, a habit from when he was a soldier. Siphonie sighs and leans back again. Twisting the bangles on my wrist, I worry about what could be stopping us, anxiety always getting the better of me.
“So what do you know of Prince Ereon?” Siphonie looks toward her husband. “Will he be a good husband to Naxa?”
Rhenor runs his hands through his salt and cinnamon hair, sighing loudly, “I don't know a lot. I saw him a few times when we went to Shaston but he was a boy, and then of course, I heard rumors.”
“What rumors?” I ask impatiently.
“He's stern. He's a great soldier. He is known to always have a woman in his room. He holds traditional, restrained beliefs, similar to many in his kingdom, and the laws of Shaston reflect those beliefs and values.”
“‘Traditional beliefs? Laws?’” Siphonie asks, fanning herself with her hand. “Would you care to elaborate or do you enjoy being cryptic?”
“You know what I mean, Siph. Beliefs like women are to be quiet. They aren't allowed to show much skin, which doesn't matter anyway considering it's so damn hot there, any exposed skin will burn. Because of these beliefs, the laws that govern women differ significantly from ours. Always believing women are the weaker sex and should stay beneath a man's control is one thing but with laws strictly forbidding women from speaking up, the women are stuck with their lot in life. Not to mention, Shastonians don't worship the Goddess from my understanding, so therefore, they don't see women as the life givers.” He rubs his hand across her upper thigh.
“That's an awful way to live.” Siphonie side-eyes me as she irritatingly questions, “Who would want a woman who doesn't think for themselves? Seems boring.”
Siphonie could never assimilate to Shaston’s way of life, once upon a time I wouldn't have thought I could either but now, I must.
“It may be boring and wrong, but it's the way it is. Has been as long as anyone knows. It’s even spoken about in the first stories of our world that have been passed down through the generations. Has to do with their twisted myth of the Goddess.”
Both Siphonie and I look toward Rhenor. “Well, are you going to continue?” Siphonie asks while pushing his hand off her playfully. “I could get someone with an oath of silence to say more than you do at times.”
“You two really should study other cultures more,” he chuckles. “Their story of the Goddess is a lot like ours but with a small difference. The Goddess is seen as the Mother of course, but She isn’t the loving and nurturing deity we know Her as. The Shastonian's swear She is conniving and controlling. They say the Antalian story of Her lover is false and She in fact, was just a woman toying with the men. Vilifying the Goddess justifies how they treat women in their kingdom.”
The carriage falls into awkward silence, no one sure of what to say. The loving Goddess, our Mother, could never be anything but the great awe-inspiring creature that She is. That wouldn't make sense. Why would She have created us all? Shaston must be mad because everyone knows the Goddess banished the first Shastonian and that's why their land is so miserable, it's a simple fact.
“We are making camp,” Thylas says from the window, scaring us all.
“Goddess’ name, Thylas! You could have announced your arrival before giving me heart pain.” Siphonie clutches at her heart as if she truly is in pain.
