The continent of Arashyasu had always been plagued with slavery and its trade until a young boy and his father rose up in rebellion, liberating many of Arashyasu's kingdoms. The boy, Kaien Kyota, became an emperor of several liberated kingdoms overn...
(A/N): slight spoiler of horses to come, but who cares? We're not here for the horses.
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Katya spread a beautiful gown over the princess's bed. She, herself, was dressed in a gorgeous but simple silken blue strap dress. Lettie set a pair of simple leather sandals down by the foot of the dress and hung a similar waistbelt next to it. Her dress matched that of Katya.
Renkailene did not sleep well at all. Nightmares kept her in a limbo, tiring her out completely. At one point, she opened her herb-case, and rolled herself tobacco leaves and flavoured them, tied together with a string. After lighting her cigar, she smoked on the balcony, gazing over the city that was still awake. Katya told her, in the bath, that news of her arrival had already spread throughout the castle. Many of the palace staff gossiped that they had seen the princess and thought she was too plain. Many confided with each other that they had thought she was a commoner.
"That's why we have to make you gorgeous tomorrow! Lettie, scrub all the travelling of her at once!"
Ren thought it was pointless. As she looked over the city, thoughts of the emperor clouded her mind. She had to make peace that this is now her home, he is now her ruler and will be her husband within two weeks. She did not know what he looked like and kept creating an image of Oath as a man in her mind. After her cigar, she slipped back into bed. The room was too big for her, and the windows and balcony were too wide. The curtains, dancing in the moonlight too white. She missed Ayoko and Valdyn, cuddling up to her as she slept. She missed the smell of her sheets, and the familiar sound of her crickets outside.
This unfamiliarity brought back uncomfortable memories to her. Vague images of a cold room, her mother sprawled over the floor. Renkailene never made commands, but tomorrow she will have all the white curtains replaced. Tomorrow came, but her agitation stayed.
Katya ushered her from the bathroom to where her clothes lay. She instantly recognised her mother's dress. Ren's fingers lightly traced the silk embroidery, then slipped it on. It was a sleeves halter dress. Two silk straps, from each breast, came together to be tied around the neck, leaving your chest and back mostly bare. A slip on the right, revealed the top of her thigh down to her leg, and the simple straps of the sandal. Lettie tied the belt around her waist, accentuating it. The bottom of the dress was dyed sky-blue that morphed with the rest of the pale-white silk. Intricate golden leaves were embroidered all over the bottom, as well as on the breast pieces. The leaves were wheat, a special symbol in Bahut. The same wheat leaves were lightly tattooed on her collarbones, visible with the dress she was wearing. Katya and Lettie brushed and braided her long hair. They braided a small crown on her head and left the rest to hang over her waist. Renkailene hated it when her hair hung loosely. She preferred the single braid, but she was not going to ruin their fun. It was not every day she let the girls clothe and pamper her. In fact, their job mostly consisted of helping her organise her pharmacy and study and reminding her to eat while she was working. The girls put a simple, golden wheat crown on her head, lightly touched up her face with makeup, and put hung elegant pearls from her ears. They cackled and gossiped while doing this. Renkailene just stared into the distance, mind elsewhere.
