Araman

~ 7 ~

   It was totally unexpected that Kassen should find his mysterious angel in Verxia. Even more so that she had turned out to be the Araman that he would be spending most of the coming months with.

Yet she appeared hostile towards him. Not at all like he had imagined she would be when he finally found her. For this reason, and many others, he did not immediately mention it to Sitnen and Derio.

Kassen was also sure that he had glimpsed Raliena hold her finger to her lips when greeting Sherin. Without a doubt this was the young woman they had both seen in the castle and who he was sure had healed his almost fatal illness. For that he owed her his life and if she did not want to be revealed in front of the King, or anyone else, then he would have to be patient and find a way to thank her alone.

"It is her, Kassen." Sherin whispered to him after she reluctantly let go of Sitnen's arm as they entered the dining room where they would be eating. The excitement in her voice was unmistakable but she has not revealed this secret to anyone else either.

"Yes, it is." Kassen replied, "but, Sherin, let me speak to her first. I don't think she wants anyone to know she was in Attashar."

"We have to keep it a secret, Kassen." The seriousness in her voice almost made it a command.

"I agree." Kassen said, but the prospect of this secret made him all the more eager to talk to the Araman. For what reason did she not want to claim the recognition? And if she was so apt at healing, why did King Baynil not send her instead of Lady Nanerter?

The hall they were led to was smaller than Kassen had been expecting. In Attashar the halls were too large. You would have to get one of the servants to relay a message to the person that was sitting at the other end of the table, if you wished to speak to them. Even if there were very few people attending the meal, large rooms were always used. King Baynil thought this an unusual idea when Kassen told him of how the Attashar courtiers ate.

"How strange. It must be quite a quiet dinner in that case." He commented after sitting at the head of the table and inviting Kassen to sit on his right hand side. Sherin was seated on his left, which she was very pleased about. Being only young she was not normally allowed to sit at the head of the table, let alone next to a King as an honoured guest.

Kassen was a little disappointed to see Raliena sat on the left side of the horseshoe shaped table. She sat near the corner just one space from Sherin. He was a little perturbed to see that no one had helped her into the golden decorated chair, like they had done with Sherin and Lady Nanerter, who sat down gracefully next to Kassen.

They had spent little time talking to one another during the journey to Verxia as Kassen preferred to ride while Nanerter sat in the carriage that had accompanied them.

Their longest exchange had been when Kassen had bent on one knee before Nanerter and kissed her hand, after King Dagerten had presented her to him the evening before they were due to leave. He had thanked her profusely for healing him which had made the woman blush.

Kassen knew as soon as he set eyes on the Lady Nanerter that she could not have been the angel he saw in his room. Her eyes were neither as gentle nor her features as appealing. Nanerter was an attractive woman, but she had an air of self-importance about her that was absent in the Araman, which intrigued him all the more.

"Please, help yourself to a seat good sirs." The King said to Sitnen and Derio, who were stood on guard behind Kassen and Sherin.

"It is our duty to protect Princess Sherin and General Kassen, your highness." Replied Sitnen, a little shyly. "It would not be appropriate to eat while doing so."