commander

modiste

Torra

Nala looked especially scared once Andi clarified the almost wedding date. "That's great." I said with obvious sarcasm. "How exactly do you expect to get a weapon to the wedding? You know Jonah is going to have at least one sword."

"I take the officiant's sword." Nala answered.

"There's bound to be other Rockline next to you." Andi pointed out.

"What about the other Lanca near me? You, Torra, and Sasha seem like a strong force." Nala added quickly, Andi not even giving me time to process what Nala said.

"And your mother." Andi added.

"No. I don't trust nearly as much as Joseph." Nala wouldn't give up the vendetta against her mother.

"Who's going to give you away?" Andi questioned rudely, making Nala more and more agitated.

"Torra will." Nala said simply. Obviously brought by my not-well-hidden surprise, Nala continued. "My father is dead, and there is no way in hell that I am touching my mother." Nala explained. I honestly would have hoped to be more of a first resort than a last.

"Alright. Where is the wedding happening? We can't just have it in the middle of a forest." Andi pointed out.

"I was thinking the stairs. On the third platform between the staircases, all of Lanca would be able to see. There would be zero confusion as to what happened." Nala finished.

"It's almost noon." I told. "You should probably start heading to the modiste."

"Okay. Come on." Nala waved at both of us as she stood up. Andi stood up, catching up to Nala. "Are you coming?" Nala asked sarcastically. "I need a third opinion." Nala went out the door and down the hall. After finding our way to the hallway behind the throne room, Nala held up her hand, making us stop before walking around a corner.

"Nala. I thought you weren't feeling well." Jonah remembered.

"Just going down to the kitchens. I'm a bit hungry." Nala lied.

"Don't you have handmaidens?" Jonah asked almost in disbelief.

"I prefer to do things for myself." Nala excused.

I didn't know what Nala said from there, but her limping, quiet footsteps shuffled, whispering transpired, and Jonah walked off with a 'pep' in his walk that I didn't exactly like. Andi and I walked around the corner to see Nala, annoyed, brushing her hair back.

"He thinks he's getting laid." Nala mumbled to Andi.

"What did you say to him?"

"I will never, under any circumstance, repeat the words I just said to him, and you know that." Nala said, and my stomach knotted. What did this man think he was getting away with? What did Jonah think he was allowed to? It was honestly gross.

"You need to get to the modiste." I told rudely.

"Are you seriously upset about that?" Nala began to walk. "He thinks I'm marrying him. This isn't me asking to be his friend on the playground. Besides, I've heard some things." Nala mentioned suggestively.

"Like what?" Andi said excitedly.

Nala whispered to Andi, obviously trying to keep me from hearing. "An actual freak in the sheets. His girlfriend mysteriously died. She was supposedly murdered in the night." Nala answered happily. Nala smiled and limped through the throne room, two tall guards holding the door for her.

"Nala!" Some man said. He sounded old, and good enough, he was. A fat man waddled, smoking something horrid. "What a pleasure." The rat-man complemented. He took Nala's hand and kissed her knuckle, which was missing the ring he had expected. Nala withdrew her hand behind her back, where she wiped it quickly. I laughed before I was able to stop myself. "Is something funny?" The rat-man interrupted. Nala smiled, covering her lip like she was suppressing a laugh herself.