One Day More - a Sartorias-deles fanfic

Chapter 9

Iris was flustered beyond explanation as she paced near where she had agreed to meet Alaraec.  Part of her had desperately wanted to decline his invitation for a tour, but somehow her parents learned of it, thus eliminating her free will.  Iris spent at least two hours in the parlor where Bren had hidden her; the time of peace was just enough to rejuvenate her.  Up until her "brother" had located her, anyway.  He gripped her arms in the same location as before and shook her, bombarding her with questions like arrows on a battlefield.  Iris answered few of them.  As soon as he returned her to where her mother was staying in Remalna-city, Cassiopeia's interrogation began.  Iris futilely attempted to leave out details, and her mother was very dissatisfied when Iris revealed she had slipped away.

"What choice did I have?" Iris had said. "I would have been shamed for my ruined dress."

Cassiopeia had accepted that explanation and left her alone, insisting she work on a letter to send to Alaraec.  It took several attempts to write; she would finish a sentence and sit for an hour while her mother assessed it.  When Raec promptly responded, Iris authored a reply before Cassiopeia even knew his letter had arrived.  Iris aimed to provide her parents with as little information as possible about Raec, but only time would tell how successful that mission would be.

Boots against cobblestones behind her were what finally made her stop pacing and turn on her heel.  Alaraec smiled at her and offered the tiniest of bows.  He was dressed simply today, with a pair of dark breeches tucked into riding boots and a pale blue tunic that matched his eyes.  His hair was different, too, not so manicured.  He looked comfortable and relaxed.  Without a moment's hesitation or any indication of embarrassment, Alaraec brushed the back of her hand with his lips—as he had once done at the inn with the same level of tenderness—before releasing her hand just as quickly as he had picked it up.  He would have remained close had Iris not taken a step back to put space between them.  Although the bruises from her "brother" had faded to nothing but ugly yellow smears on her arms, she would rather Alaraec not stand closely enough to notice them.

"It's good to see you," Raec said.

"The feeling is mutual." Iris smiled.

Alaraec pulled his arms away from his body and let them thump against his sides. "Are you ready for your tour?"

Iris cocked her head, one side of her lips curling farther upward in a teasing expression. "Could your guide not make it?  I was so looking forward to meeting him."

Raec placed her hand on the bend in his elbow before he began walking.  Iris followed. "He unfortunately had a last-minute change in plans, but fret not, fair lady.  You are in very capable hands; he's trained me well."

"I do hope so." Iris squeezed his arm. "Where are we going?"

"I figured the palace would be a suitable place to start.  We'll move to the stables next to get the horses then continue on to the city." He paused to look down at her. "Unless you'd rather split them up into two different visits.  I'm quite flexible."

"Perhaps two would be better.  Doing both in one day may rush the experiences, don't you think?"

"You make a very good point." Alaraec laughed once. "To the stable, then?"

Iris only nodded, willing her hand not to tighten on his arm.  Her experience with horses was limited to the carriage rides to and from Remalna-city with a parent.  She did not think she was afraid of the animals, but she had never spent significant time with them.  There was little need for them in her town, so no one even had one with which she could have gained experience.  It was one of the only areas in which her parents had not instructed her. Plus, Iris supposed, they might have incorrectly assumed she would never need the training...unless her inability had been another part of their plan all along.  The lines between truth and falsification were now too blurred for her.