Without love no man is a king

5.

Days of travelling with little rest the prince and the rest of the party were exhausted. Every time they requested to stop to rest they were laughed at and told no, only stopping once for longer a relief break. The prince saw the boundary to Dreconton approach in the distance, the terrain had become more remote the closer they came. A wooden spiked log fence surrounding the vast permitter of Dreconton land.

"They've extended their permitter again your majesty." The lead guard observed
"Yes. It is in the marriage agreement that they will not extend further towards our territory, but keep what they have now."
They followed the Drecontonian party through the gates feeling uneasy. Especially when they sped up again, riding across the kingdom to the kings personal land. What looked like a small village, surrounded by a smaller man height log fence.
"Home" Inara smiled, trotting quickly over to Roland. "Inara. Home" she pointed.
"This is it?" He asked the king looking around. It is....even more primitive than expected. I thought he called himself a king! I thought perhaps he'd bought his people up to live more like...not this" he looked around at the mud and dirt.
"He is welcoming you to his home" the interpreter jumped down to translate. The larger one is his." He pointed. "He says to forgive the appearance...that the heavy rainfall reeked havoc on his castles roof and it has not been repaired yet. That he is getting someone to stitch them now right away so you can sleep in the dry."

"Castle?" The prince jumped down "it is a large tent! A hut at a push! Some stacked stones and an animal hide roof!"
"Son. Show respect. To him and his people this is his castle. He has pride in it. One man's dross is another's treasure. They have built this kingdom up from nothing. From mud and dirt. It is impressive what Cedmond has built in his time as a leader."
"It holds many traditions within everything you see." Beric explained
"Inara" Inara pulled at Roland's arm to show him something "Inara" she pointed at a mural of bloodied handprints, just inside the entrance.
"When they are born their hand prints are placed here for luck, made with a mix of theirs and their mothers blood. She is showing you hers."
"It is...nice" the prince nodded unconvincingly "is nice the right word?"
"I can't think of another, it is not the wrong word put it that way" the king looked on in equal measure of uncomfortableness.

"My Queen!" King Cedmond called loudly running over to a women, scooping her into a bear hug, placing his forehead on hers. "My Queen" he introduced his wife "Inara mother" he nodded "beautiful. You like?"
"Pleasure to meet you" the king stepped forward bowing, his son following suite "bring the gifts" he ordered. A trunk being bought to present to the Queen.
"They like it" the translator smiled "especially the wooden gifts. Wood is important to them."
"Son" king Cedmond declared. An intimidating man walked over "prince."
The man stared at prince Roland, suddenly lunging towards him with a blade, before the kings guards could react they were surprised to see Inara stepping infront of him with her blade drawn, growling something in Draconian, her arm reached around protectively, holding Roland in place behind her back. Her brother being dragged out by his mother, angrily ranting at him while he continued to protest.

Inara turned to Roland shyly. "Roland...safe." She said unsurely "Inara. Roland." She pointed between them.
"Thank you. I take it your brother is not happy about this then."
"Inara.....Inara duty" she said surely "Inara....."she switched to Drecontonian
"Translate for her please" the prince requested intrigued, she'd barely spoken to him, preferring to listen and observe.
"She is saying....she is saying that this pairing was not her choice. That it is not what she wants but she will do her duty to protect her people the same as you are doing for yours. That here you are under her protection and not to worry over.....oh, I err.....not to worry over men with small minds and smaller phallus' that take their inferiorities out on others with anger and bloodshed. That she has seen enough bloodshed and wished for no more."
"I agree" the prince nodded

"She says she knows you do not love her and that she accepts her fate. That she is sorry you have to too. That she understands it is your fathers will as it is hers."
The prince nodded along
"She says.....she says that...oh." The interpreter sighed sadly
"Please I wish to know. It is the first she has spoken to me in any length so must be important
"She says that you can be unhappy together. This is all roughly translated, their dialectic is not as advanced as ours. There is a pain in her tone. She is being forced into this." He glanced at king Cedmond "if she refuses, it will not be safe for her to stay anyway. So has decided to submit to her fathers will. She has little other choice. She says...."
"No blood" Inara shook her head "no....death. Peace."
"I see" the prince sighed "tell her I understand and that I will take care of her the best I can. That I wish for peace too. That I will try and make her happy."