Fated

III

"She's quite gentle," Caia commented to her escorts. "Fated Lady Kopra does not seem to be much of a fighter. It'll be hard for her in Alexandria." The rumors were true so it seemed. The Fated Lady of Agra was the perfect image of the Agran Elders marriage candidate: gentle, amenable, and mindful of her words. The Agran was the complete opposite of what Alexandrians deemed acceptable.

Women were still below men in her tribe, only a few ladies were considered as equal. Most were women who won wars through every Alexandrian has participated in the fighting and defending Laya. It was troubling for Caia to see a kind and gentle soul be exposed to the harsh environment Alexandria pursued. The girl needed to be blunter and vocal, her guard had to be always up.

"Yes, Fated Lady Caia. Fated Lady Kopra is known to be fair-tempered but she is also strong in her way," Gerard said, a guard from Agra not older than twenty. He was tanned just like the majority of his tribe but had dirty blonde hair and a set of curious blue eyes.

"How so, sir?" she asked as she languidly leaned in her seat and rested her head casually. She wanted to rest but the anxiety of meeting Agrans kept her from it.

"She may be soft-spoken and polite but she is no push-over. She roots herself on the matter she fights for and only concedes when proven wrong," Gerard said with eyes that shown utter respect to his fellow tribesman.

Jamie, another escort who was young and silent with slanted eyes, nodded in agreement to what his partner said.

It seems Kopra knows how to gain a following. That is something she will need in Alexandria, a group of people who can protect her from vile and opportunist crowds.

As for Caia, she simply needed her husband to love her. A general's affection is enough for her to freely do her bidding. If she gains General Perl's affection, the integration of Alexandrian practices into the daily routine of Agra would be a breeze. The question was how long it would take to gain the man's trust especially if the rumor were true that he already had a woman in his heart.

Alexandria was a tribe that only knew how to take and from a young age, this was drilled into her head. She was a woman, that was a weakness in a physical fight. She needed to use her head and body outside of the war to win.

Her mother had taught her to want power and luxury and her father encouraged her to gain the favor of Elder men and high-ranking generals. By following her parents' wishes, she received priceless gifts such as jewelry, weapons, and pets. And by 25 years old, her current age, she had an opinion that weighed as much as any general in her tribe.

Now, all of these achievements seemed worthless as she would have to live in another tribe with no one to depend on but herself. She felt relieved, though. Because in the back of her mind, she hoped that her husband was enough. She didn't want to entertain sleazy men and greedy motives anymore. Caia wanted to live for herself.

"How long before we get there? I wish to freshen up before I meet the Agran tribe," she asked as she played with her unruly red hair, it had become undone from a bun as the journey was quite rocky and the shaking made the pins loose.

"20 more minutes, Fated Lady Caia. We will escort you to the nearest bathhouse before introducing you to the tribe if you wish," Jamie said as he checked his watch.

"I would like that very much. Thank you," she answered and finally decided to rest her eyes for a bit.

Time was irrelevant in those minutes and she just felt the car stopped moving so she opened her eyes and sat properly once more.

"Welcome to Agra, the land that will always give," Gerard said with a warm smile.

It felt new to her, having someone greet her that warmly so made her smile back with as much warmth she had felt from it.