Two Potential Suitors

At the Trishka treehome, dinner usually took place in the semi-formal dining hall, just off the parlor. This was not one of those nights.

Tonight, dinner was to be held out in the treehome’s central veranda, a testament to both the fairweather and the high standing of the guests. The oversized porch sat at where the widest and highest points of the treehome met and thus hung out over the rest of the household, giving onlookers an unparalleled look over the murky waters of Laitai Cove.

Today, stained glass lanterns lit the half-circle porch in warm shades while the Trishka household’s finest banners and scarves danced in the wind. The light warmed the brilliant orange coloring of the mangrove wood perfectly. Meanwhile, the grand table had been set with blown glass and porcelain dinnerware, an extravagance for lower tier merchants like them, but apparently deemed necessary.

When Morgana entered the veranda, she was just in time to take her place a few seats towards the middle of the table. Being neither a guest nor a particularly important member of the household, she was usually relegated to a seat about midway down the table, exactly four seats away from her father’s place.

Several members of the household had already sat down to begin quiet, pre-dinner discussions.

“And you must remember dear, these are noble guests so you’ll need to bow three-quarters instead of half,” Sanyi, Morgana’s step mother, coached her elfling son from further up the table. The woman’s long, dark locks were pulled up with exquisitely crafted wood pins while the beads woven into her haid and dangling from said pins clacked and jingled with each twist of her heart shaped face. Murky brown eyes glanced Morgana’s way before looking back towards her son, leaving Morgana to huff a sigh.

Sanyi had never mistreated Morgana, nor worked in any way to diminish Morgana’s standing in the house. But, the woman’s apathy had remained apparent all the same. Sanya didn’t care what happened to Morgana, so long as it didn’t affect her own child.

“Yes, Mother,” Konderu, Morgana’s half-brother, answered his mother obediently. Quiet, dark eyes met Morgana’s burning red with soft acceptance and the slightest upturn of the lips. Unlike his mother, Konderu never looked past Morgana. Rather, the dark-haired seven-year-old always paid attention to Morgana, fascinated by his older sister. Morgana smiled back, glad to see him. He’d been busy this moonturn with his lessons and she’d been unable to sneak time away for stories or their usual games of make-believe.

“We don’t normally have noble guests. Do you think there will be another young lady to play gusha with?” Lunssi, Morgana’s cousin, asked from beside her. The twelve-year-old’s parents traveled for the merchant company’s out-of-country business and often left her with the main Trishka household. Like Konderu, Lunssi smiled at the sight of Morgana, even if she addressed her question to Sanyi.

“Perhaps,” Sanyi answered. Once again, Morgana caught the woman’s murky eyes glancing her way. Morgana grimaced. From the context of Lady Kamora’s warning, she already knew their guests would be here to discuss possible marriage with her. She huffed and clenched her fists. Of course the only acknowledgement Sanyi would give her was when Morgana could somehow benefit the Trishka family. Any raise in status for the family now would be a higher pedestal for Konderu later.

Approaching voices and conversation brought Morgana’s irritation to a stand still. Rising from her seat as decorum dictated, Morgana caught sight of their guests being led in by her father and several servants.

Dressed in opulent, imported silks and heavy metal jewelry, the nobles could almost have come from an elvi tale. The first was an older elf dressed in blue breeches, several tan colored sashes, and a few different layers of blue robes over top. He had dark brown hair that was pulled partially back into a topknot with the rest flowing smoothly down his back. He secured his hair with a beetle-engraved hair ornament, likely his family’s crest. From a distance, Morgana couldn’t tell which beetle it was. Behind him, an equally aged elveen, a young elf, and a teenelf followed.

“They have ears like ‘Gana,” Morgana caught Konderu’s hushed murmur. Indeed, as per their pedigree, the approaching nobles’ ears were a good two to three inches longer than a normal elf’s ears due to the excess of magic they contained. Morgana found herself flicking her own five-inch long ears. As her mother had been a noble, Morgana shared her lengthened ears with them even though status-wise she was far, far below them.

Most of the time, her ears only served to further set her apart from the Trishka household, but tonight she had a feeling that her ears may have served another purpose. The unfamiliar glimmering green eyes that settled on her immediately gave it away. They’d known about what she looked like before setting foot here, either from seeing her before or from a portrait. Regardless, Morgana readied herself for a verbal battle.

She’d never conversed with them before, but perhaps they’d caught sight of her on one of her market trips?

“Lord Namino of House Elni Kora, I’d like to introduce you to my family. We’re all very thankful that you’ve graced our household with your esteemed company tonight.” Derush, Morgana’s father, led the nobles over to the dining table.

“Lord Namino, this is my wife, Sanyi of Minman and our son, Konderu, first son of the Trishka family.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, milord.” Sanyi dipped into an elegant bow as she spoke, her stern hand on Konderu’s shoulder bringing him down as well.

“A pleasure,” the elfling echoed his mother, glancing up shyly through his lashes. He seemed fixated on the gleaming golden tassels hanging from the Elveen’s sashes. Cute... Morgana thought to herself even as she stepped forward for her cue.

“And this is my daughter, Morgana, and my brother’s daughter, Lunssi.” In long-practiced tandem, Morgana dipped into a careful three-quarter curtsy with Lunssi.

“A pleasure to meet you, milord.” Both girls greeted the nobles demurely, neither rising from their curtsy for a long moment. When she rose, Morgana awkwardly caught the eyes of the elf and glanced away quickly. She felt like meat on a platter being inspected for quality or flaws.

“The pleasure is ours, we’re happy to be able to walk the halls of your hometree.” Lord Namino smiled widely, bringing age lines to his face in a riot of fierce joviality. He’d not stopped smiling once since she’d seen him, in fact. “This is my lovely lady-wife Imi, our son Terr, and my younger brother Minoki. May your hometree bloom in peaceful waters.” Namino brought his hands together in synshi, a circle symbolizing the circle of life and dipped his head slightly.

Morgana took the moment to appraise the elves and elveen. Imi seemed of a similar age to Namino, with silver in her deep brown hair and a few lines painted across her face. Terr stood next to her, peering Morgana’s way curiously. His face held the surprising bounty of murky eyes the color of the water below. Terr was a head taller than Morgana, despite being of a similar age. Like his mother, he bore dark brown locks, tying them back at the nape of his neck.

Meanwhile, Minoki appeared at least two decades younger than Namino. Perhaps they were half-siblings? Regardless, Morgana found herself blinking in surprise when intent brown eyes sought her out. She barely noticed his blue and brown attire when he looked at her with such a focused gaze. His strong jawline and straight-nose paid tribute to his noble lineage, while his silky black hair rested in a shiny braid down to his middle back. A few golden beads sparkled from where he, or perhaps his maid, had threaded them expertly into his hair. Despite not wearing the finery of his elder brother or sister-in-law, Minoki cut a prominent figure.

“And may your Heartlotus bring one thousand years of prosperity.” Derush answered Namino’s traditional greeting almost immediately. He dipped into a deep bow with his own synshi held before him. “Now, let us eat and enjoy our evening together.” Derush grinned and waved the nobles towards the table. The nobles took the opposite side of the table, with Morgana facing Terr and Minoki.

Waitstaff immediately stepped forward to place napkins across eaveryone’s laps and begin filling water glasses. Morgana watched the water plop into the glass idly and wasn’t surprised when several servants returned with red wine. Pockets of conversation sprang up along the table as the nobles and merchant family began to bring up points of interest.

“No thank you,” Morgana held a hand over her wine glass to stop her own glass from being filled. She preferred the sweet, fruity concoctions mixed in the market to these carefully aged bottles. Furthermore, she needed her wits about her tonight and while the market drinks rarely contained much alcohol, she knew these glasses of wine would dull her senses after a few glasses.

Better to disallow herself the chance to drink than accidentally sip a little too much.

“You don’t drink?” Terr asked. The elf peered at her with interest, curiosity bubbling in his green eyes. Morgana smiled blandly at him. This elf likely considered himself her potential suitor, thus the polite interest in her tastes.

“I do, milord, but usually only occasionally. It’s rare that I find myself in the mood to drink, though I don’t dislike it.” Indeed, rare was the chance for Morgana to sneak out to the market for her favorite pastimes and treats. Thus, she was, indeed, rarely in the mood to drink.

“I see. Probably a useful disposition to have, considering the effects of spirits on the body. I myself prefer Vinta, a wine imported from the High Vales. It has a unique fruity flavor that pairs well with chixa seed pods.” Here, the teenelf paused and looked her meaningfully in the eye. “Perhaps you’ll have the chance to try it with me one day.”

Smooth. Reallllll smooth.

“Perhaps I shall,” Morgana conceded gracefully, Lady Kamora’s warnings coming to mind. The woman herself sat several seats from her, but every now and then Morgana caught her aged eyes watching for misconduct.

“Miss Morgana, I’ve noticed that your name is quite different from any I’ve heard before, was your mother foreign perhaps?” This time, Minoki posed the question.

Different huh? What a nice way to say it sounds weird. Morgana would have winced at the question if she actually wanted to marry Terr. As it was, Minoki had just given her the perfect opportunity.

“Yes, my parents met in Saltcastle when Father was on a business trip. He says it was love at first sight. ” Morgana smiled brightly as she answered. At her words, a near imperceptible wave washed over the Elni Kora patriarch. Despite his ongoing conversation with Derush, Morgana had caught his eyes flicking her way as she spoke.

He leaned back an inch, putting physical distance between himself and Derush. A thrill of triumph bloomed inside Morgana at the mental distance it signified.

Good. Wouldn’t want your precious child marrying a foreigner, would you?

“Ah, southern Sandcastle roots?” Surprise colored Terr’s voice and his green eyes flicked over her. Morgana smiled politely back. Will he ask me about my coloring next?

Simply put, Morgana looked nothing like the tan, dark-haired elves of Sandcastle. To compare them would be to compare the night sky with a clear day. Before Terr could either choose to comment or not, his uncle intervened.

“Have you ever been to Sandcastle?” He asked.

“No, I’ve not had the chance. My mother passed away when I was little, so I’ve never visited her homeland.” Morgana explained plainly. The elf winced.

“Ah, apologies for your loss then. I was unaware of your mother’s death.” Minoki backtracked awkwardly.

“Thank you for your care, but it was a while ago. And talking of Sandcastle doesn’t bother me as I’ve no real connection to it. I’m a Mirkwater elveen, regardless of my coloring or name. I was born and raised here.”

“I see. Still, have you ever wanted to visit it?” Terr piped up again.

“Not any more than I’ve wanted to see any other place. Truthfully, I think travel would be interesting as there’s so many places to see. The lakes of Landgaster, the white shores of Sandcastle, the cliffs of Deepglen, or even just our own Mothertree would be amazing places to visit. I’ve always wanted to see more.” As she spoke, Morgana found herself gazing out from the veranda wistfully. As beautiful as their view was, Laitai Cove was but one small cove along Mirkwater’s southern border. It held no breathtaking beauty or unfound mystery. After sixteen years of living here, Morgana felt quite tired of it.

One day, she promised herself.

One day, she’d fly away and never come back.

“Oh my, a dreamer are you? Certainly very brave to want to travel beyond Mirkwater.” Minoki grinned in amusement, a sharp blade hidden just beneath his amiable tone.

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“I’m a merchant’s daughter, milord.” Morgana replied blandly. “Travel and trade have always filled my hometree’s halls. It’s not too unusual for me to be familiar with it.”

“I think traveling might be interesting too, though. I’ve heard that Deppglen has its own glowbugs at night, only theirs come in many different colors.”

“Really? I haven’t heard about that before. What kinds of colors? And are they just a different breed or do they do something to make them glow differently? Oh! Maybe they feed them something different?”

“But what could make them glow different-”

“They’re painted.” Minoki interrupted his nephew bluntly.

“Pardon?” Both teenelves looked back at him, the air having been snatched from their sails.

Minoki sighed.

“The city planning committee hires people to paint the fireflies to make them more memorable for guests. That said, the city had to breed them to be more resistant to poisons since the pigment in the paint is actually highly toxic when absorbed through the skin.” Seeing that he has both of the teens’ attention, Minoki continued. “When they first began the venture twenty years ago, the Deepglen government released a naturally occurring swarm after painting them, but within the week resorted to capturing them all again when they began falling from the sky dead. Several elves were injured from the falling corpses, and it culminated in Deepglen issuing a formal apology to both their citizens and the visiting diplomats who’d been invited for a conference.”

“Really? How is it that no one ever speaks of it then?” Terr asked, confused.

“The same way other blunders made by other countries don’t carry long in the air: someone else takes the blame or another country messes up. I’ve heard that it wasn’t but two moons after the conference in Deepglen that Saltcastle had an heir caught serenading the third princess of Brilldelle. He apparently wasn’t heir much longer,” Minoki snickered at the end, and a roguish grin brought an edge of dangerous allure to his visage.

“But then how do you know about it? If no one talks about it? You’re only a few years older than us, Minoki.” Terr tilts his head to the side in confusion.

“Because while you may wish to travel and bask in the sights, I travel to speak to the people.” Turning to Morgana, Minoki continued his explanation. “I’m in my last year of training to become a diplomat. Once I finish, my duties will be to arrange profitable trade deals and oversee cultural exchanges.” Morgana’s eyes widened.

“So, you’re well traveled then? Perchance have you ever had reason to travel to Lientia of Evendale?” She questioned, leaning forward eagerly.

“Truthfully, no. I’ve never had cause to travel so far west since Mirkwater seldom commits itself to trade with foreign parties it doesn’t share a border with. Our people already make everything they need, so most of our trade agreements facilitate healthy relations with our borders rather than focus solely on the exchange of goods. Overreaching that distance is usually seens as superfluous when it’s not actually necessary.” Minoki paused before continuing on, “But I have visited Saltcastle, Deepglen, and Brilldelle for my apprenticeship before. Being on our borders, we, the imperial state that is, place a good deal of importance on maintaining amicable relations with them.”

“Truly? What was it like?” Morgana shifted even closer, ruby eyes glimmering in the fading afternoon light.

“Saltcastle is indeed made of sand, only they have an additive to ensure it doesn’t wash away. It still feels as rough as sand, but the color is darker and the material is quite hard. Regardless, it’s a fantastic sight; an entire fortress made of gold-touched sand, lit with glowing fish kept in glass jars, about this big.” Minoki held his hands apart to demonstrate, showing that the jars must have been about a foot wide.

“While I was there, I became well acquainted with the smell of fish, but I must say I’ve never eaten better seafood in my life. I was only there for a few diplomatic meetings, so I didn’t have much time to visit the city, but the fortress was filled to the brim with glass sculptures and richly dyed tapestries. Those are their major exports; the dyes from sea snails and the glass they make from the local sand.”

“I only visited the upper realm, not the deeper, but even so it was very different. Almost everything was open to the air and there was very little shade; some days I felt I might just melt away in the heat. By the time our contingent was due to return, we all sported quite the tan. And believe it or not, they actually do ride all manner of strange sea creatures. At one point, while traveling to the main fort, we were even escorted by Pincer Knights. They’re quite like our own Dragon Corp, but those elves ride upon massive crabs.”

“It sounds wonderful, like a dream.” Morgana breathed. She closed her eyes to picture it: the rough, gritty texture of golden sands, the bristling wind ever-scented with salt and fish, and perhaps even the brilliant sun, beating down without mercy on the sand flats. All so very different from the dark recesses of the mangrove-hidden Mirkwater realm.

“I’ve been begging father to let me go as well, but he says the journey can be dangerous. Perhaps it would still be worth it, however, if such sights await the end.” Terr mused to himself. He too had leaned closer to Minoki, drawn in by the young man’s words despite his earlier discontent with him.

“And believe it or not, the Sandcastle elves are those most similar to us. Brilledelle and Deepglen feel as if you’ve stepped into an entirely new world. The elves there live bizarrely different lives compared to us, and it shows in almost every aspect of their homelands.”

“How are they similar if they don’t live like us?”

“It’s because we’re both waterfaring people. Elves from lands that don’t have a lot of water don’t always use bio suits and their clothing is very different from ours. In Brilledell, all of their clothing tends to be stitched together, forming one piece for the elveen and two for elves. Elves there wear tight pants called breeches, and strange tops that require fifteen buttons down the front to keep it in place. Can you imagine not wearing a bio suit? Or having to button up fifteen buttons just for your underlayer?”

“What attire do they wear instead of a biosuit?” Morgana tried to picture them, these odd elves with one-piece clothing and no under-layer. How did the elveen get enough support? Or did they just go without? She wrinkled her nose in distaste. The biosuit did many things and one of those was to act as support for an elveen’s chest. Without it, things would become very uncomfortable, very quickly.

“They don’t. Or, rather, they’ve no need for a biosuit when they don’t need to swim to travel. Of all of the elven havens, only a few reside in waterbound areas like Mirkwater. The others all reside on dry land meaning they can simply walk or ride to their chosen destination. Our biosuits serve as our innermost layer, but the material was originally adopted to keep in heat from the water, protect us from any illness in it, and even keep out the sunlight. Other lands have no need for such extreme measures and thus their clothing choices reflect that.”

That... made sense. As hard as it was to imagine that other elves went without what Mirkwater considered a basic necessity for life, it was also easy to see how a biosuit uniquely benefited waterfaring elves.

Morgana smiled, more genuinely than she’d been previously expecting to smile at this dinner, and asked another question. The odd tension that had swept over the trio dissipated like water vapor in the morning sun as Minoki shared details of where he’d been and who he’d met.

**~*~**

The rest of dinner passed them by in a riveting conversation of places and things Morgana had never seen, but had occasionally heard of. She found herself immersed in it despite herself and had all but forgotten the reason for her original unease.

Until the end of dinner, that was.

“It’s quite fortuitous that you three have found such good company in one another.” Lord Namino addressed the three, bringing them out and away from a friendly debate on foreign policy. Looking up, Morgana spotted the man’s sly grin as he looked between her and the elves’ side of the table.

“Indeed,” Derush agreed. He cast a carefully casual glance at Namino. “In light of such, have you further considered the proposition we’d previously discussed?” Morgana’s thoughts jerked to halt like a grasshopper pinned by a mantis. Like the grasshopper, her mind spasmed incoherently as she remembered why she hadn’t wanted this dinner to go well.

Kudzu! She cursed within her mind. On the outside, she smoothed her face into a polite mask.

“I must admit that I have. More and more, I do see a certain appeal in several aspects of your proposition. That said, I’ve spotted a few flaws as well, I’m afraid.” Namino took a long swig of his nipa wine, letting the sweet sap based alcohol sit on his tongue for a moment before swallowing. “Understandable, of course, given that your house does not regularly treat with those of the noble class. You’re unused to our customs and formalities.” Politely put, but being a well-hidden backhanded statement did nothing to prevent Derush’s eyebrow from twitching in anxious irritation.

“I welcome your discourse on how such flaws might be addressed.” Derush offered up. The man’s complexion paled with his nerves, turning clammy and sweaty now that the discussion had finally moved onto the night’s true objective.

“Splendid. Then perhaps we might move this discussion to a more tenable venue? I’d hate to bore everyone with such topics, and I’m sure we’ll be able to ascertain all of the necessary details without too much fuss.”

“Of course, of course, no reason to drag all the details out on the dining table.” Derush nodded fervently before clapping his hands. On cue, servers appeared bearing platters of the night’s desert: sea grape pie sweetened by a glaze of nipa sap.

“Sea pie!” Konderu gasped, eyes lighting up at the sight of his favorite but rare desert. Meanwhile, Morgana’s eyes remained rooted to her father and Lord Namino as the pair stood and headed inside the Hometree, likely to head to Derush’s study. The clink of porcelain drew her eyes back to the table in front of her, where her slice of pie had been deposited in front of her. Looking up, Morgana locked eyes with Minoki. Something smug lingered in his gaze.

She jerked her eyes back to her plate.

“Oh my, I didn’t think we’d be having pie. Wheat’s such a rare commodity here near the southern border. We usually see more trading in glass and dyes than in grain.” Terr smiled down at his plate, entirely ignorant to Morgana’s internal discord.

“Yes,” Morgana forced herself to continue the conversation. “We don’t often have the chance to partake in wheat dishes, so we normally only prepare them for special occasions.” She smiled thinly.

“I suppose this would certainly count as a special occasion.” Minoki said as he grinned at her.

“Perhaps so,” Morgana agreed placidly. Her eyes darted back towards the doors Lord Namino and Derush had left through. Could she make up an excuse to sneak away and listen in on them? She eyed the end of the table, where Lady Kamora frowned into her slice of pie. Quick as a whip, the woman’s eyes caught Morgana’s.

Nope! No thank you.

“I wonder if the Dragon Corp will deal with the issues the southern border has been having soon? It’d be nice to take you to Sandcastle once negotiations have been completed. You’d be able to see your mother’s homeland, and despite its reputation as being incredibly hostile, Sandcastle offers plenty of opportunities for respite and relaxation. It’d be a wonderful opportunity for our families to grow closer.” The thought of what Minoki’s words implied twisted Morgana’s stomach into knots. She quickly changed the topic.

“I wasn’t aware there were problems along the southern border. Did something happen?”

“Well,” Minoki paused and then lowered his voice as he continued. “They’re having trouble with crocodiles. A mated pair moved in and they’re disrupting trade routes. It’s being kept hushed up for now, but the problem isn’t getting better.”

“But aren’t elves too small to be considered prey? And I thought all the crocs were chased out to the Elberswamps?”

“Normally, you’d be right on both accounts. However, while the average elf may be far too small to attract a crocodile’s attention as a food source, our trading caravans aren’t. Most of them travel in groups on water shrews or rice rats while carrying large loads of food products and mangrove wood. Altogether, I suppose that our caravans look like a small feast with many unique, bite-sized dishes. As for the Elberswamps, they’re still connected to Mirkwater through the Tianno pass. If Elberswamp becomes too overpopulated with crocodiles, they will seek another food source, regardless of how dangerous the route is.”

“But if one of them comes across a cove...” Morgana frowned.

“It’ll be the Scourge of Mennomo all over again.” Terr finished grimly. Morgana struggled not to flinch at hearing those words. How many times had her nursemaids told her the Scourge would be coming for her if she didn’t stop telling tales?

“So far, the crocs haven’t strayed far from the border waters. The Tianno lets out along the eastern edge, but much of that grows too thickly for large predators to find it suitable. Thus, the crocodiles swam south from the pass to the southern border, where the Mirkwater groves open up to the coastal areas. The throughways are much wider there, creating a very comfortable hunting area. They’re, both fortunately and unfortunately, not likely to move from our largest trade route given exactly how large it is.” Morgana pondered that before going back to another tidbit of information Minoki had disclosed.

“But you said they’re a mated pair. What happens when they spawn in the summer? There could be as many as forty hatchlings if the beasts have been feeding well.” At her words, Terr’s face lost all of its color. Evidently, despite being familiar with the situation, the young elf hadn’t figured out why the crocodile problem was such a ticking time bomb. Meanwhile, Minoki nodded grimly.

“Exactly. Even if international trade wasn’t being hindered, Mirkwater can’t afford to leave this alone. With the crocs being a mated pair, this issue will only grow as time goes on.” Minoki said. Morgana swallowed. How long did it take crocodile hatchlings to grow to maturity and leave for their own territories? She didn’t think she’d like the answer.

“But how did they come to leave the Elberswamps?” Morgana asked. “Shouldn’t Kind Enmu’s seal keep them locked out of the Tianno?”

“Now that’s a good question.” Minoki said grimmly. “I’ve not heard yet how the pair were able to leave the swamps. As I said previously, the situation’s been kept quiet to avoid inciting a panic. Truthfully, our family was only made aware of it due to both my position as an ambassador-in-training and our proximity to the border waters. If the crocodiles deviate from their current behavior, we’ll need to be prepared to order an evacuation. It’s been giving my elder brother a lot of trouble, since we’ve never had to prepare treebound routes like the coves close to the pass.”

“But could more of them leave and make their way here then?” Morgana asked, still hung up over her original query rather than the nobles’ response to the crocodiles. Minoki grimaced at her question, leaning back in his seat. He opened his mouth to answer her, but was interrupted by the loud crack of the main patio doors opening.

Lord Namino and Derush stepped through them. Namino smiled smugly at the group as the dinner conversation halted. Meanwhile, Derush, quite tellingly, avoided looking towards Morgana’s side of the table. A wrinkle folded its way into his otherwise relaxed countenance, a single blemish in what would have been a victorious facade. It drew Morgana’s attention, as she wouldn’t have guessed he’d be anything but pleased to have negotiated a successful marriage with a noble heir for her.

“Apologies for leaving and then interrupting your dinner, but it would seem we have cause for celebration.” Lord Namino spread his hands grandly, eyes twinkling in the lantern light. “We came together tonight as a noble family and the family of subjects in service to them, but tonight we’ll be leaving as one family, united by joyous matrimony. Long have I awaited the day I would see my brother wed, but it would appear I won’t have to wait much longer. I’m overjoyed to announce the engagement of my younger brother Minoki Dos Elni Kora and Morgana of Derush.”

Surprise scuttled across Morgana’s expression, pulling her eyebrows up and her eyes wide. And she wasn’t the only one surprised either. Around the table, most of the family members showed some form of surprise, whether a brief raised brow or the slamming of Kamora’s tumbler. Across from her, Terr jerked to shoot his uncle a fierce glare, there one moment and gone the next as his mother tapped discreetly.

Morgana clearly hadn’t been the only one thinking the marriage would be between her and Terr. The pair were closer in age, being only a few months apart with Morgana as the eldest. Meanwhile, Minoki wasn’t only a few years older than her, he also wasn’t in the direct line for the noble seat. Though her family desperately wanted inroads with nobility, they normally weren’t the kind to settle for a second son.

Morgana looked over at Minoki. Unlike her family, Minoki appeared perfectly pleased. A half smile tugged one side of his mouth up while his eyes glittered with the low burn of achieved joy. In that moment under the lamp light, beneath the stars with a breeze sending his hair fluttering, in any other circumstance, with any happier resolution in sight, Morgana could have perhaps, possibly, maybe called him unbearably handsome.

But instead her gut soured. And she only felt a heavy weight settled upon her, pulling her down with chains of dread and despair.