Plans to travel north (Aymelek and Mika)
Sept 8, 2013 23:07:02 GMT -4
Post by Empress Aymelek on Sept 8, 2013 23:07:02 GMT -4
MIKA: The newlyweds had some time before the world demanded their attention again - but it wasn't much. Mika was waiting in one of the common areas between his rooms and Aymelek's - he'd asked to see her. They did spend a good deal of time together, it was expected after all and he did want to know her better. He wanted to, if nothing else, be her friend. They had to do this together, after all. The last thing Mika wanted was for either of them to feel like they were alone. When Aymelek appeared, he offered her a smile - per usual, it was somewhat reserved, small, but it was warm. Hopefully she knew that his reserved nature was... well, natural for him. He didn't do it on purpose, it was just how he was. "You should order yourself a winter wardrobe, my lady," he said gently. "One that's actually warm. We need to tour the north - Dimmamark. The people there need to see you."
AYMELEK: Aymelek was content with the way things were progressing. Mika was pleasant company, he indulged her sometimes capricious moods, she was young, after all, but he also fostered the strengths that were obvious. They had attended her father's funeral, she had grieved, and he supported her in comfortable silence. So when he sent for her, she met the eyes of her servant and inclined her head, a smile forming. She arrived wearing a simple ivory gown with belled sleeves from the elbow down, and a light blue scarf tied at her hips. A gift from one of the lands. Her dark hair was left to hang loose but clipped back at the sides. She arrived in the common room of their apartments and upon seeing him her own smile came, inclining her head graciously. "Mika. You called for me?" She had grown used to his reserved nature. She had never taken it as an insult,but now she understood it had nothing to do with her, and was simply how he was fashioned. Then he spoke of touring Dimmamark. Her eyes widened. "We are really going? I will see snow?" There was definite excitement in her eyes and voice. "I cannot wait to see the north and the people. To see these lands that captured my husband so fully." It must be a mystical, wild land to capture Mika. She drifted closer, the scent of her fragrance, a mixture of frankencense and myrrh essential oils, teasing subtly at the nostrils without being overpowering. "It will be cold and I shall have a chill..." she grinned. As if having a chill was the most exciting thing in the world.
MIKA: "Yes, we're going. It would be in poor taste not to, since we were married in the south. The people will want to see their empress - they will want to know you are real, that you are willing to walk among them." He offered her another smile. "Capture is one way of putting it." Literally, he supposed, he had been captured by the north. He shook his head when she seemed so pleased with the idea of having a chill. "You won't want it once you have it," he assured her. He picked up a box he'd set aside and offered it to her. "This is something to get you started." Inside was a red cloak made of rich, fine fabric. It was luxurious, thick, but lined with silk. Snowflakes had been embroidered into it with white and silver threads. It was The lining was white, and the hood was edged with white fur.
AYMELEK: She laughed, having heard that chills were uncomfortable, deep, cold provoking chills at least, but she was eager to experience it. All of it. "Yes, I see the sense in it and am eager to meet as many as we can..." She stepped closer, the modest train of her day gown dragging behind with a quiet swishing sound. She took the box and smiled tentatively at Mika, then sitting it on a nearby table she opened it. "Oh..." She felt breathless. The fabric, it was so different, so thick. She let her fingers brush over it at first, then slowly lifted the garment until it's full glory was revealed. It fell in a tumble of red and white, Aymelek made sure to inspect each part of it. Then she lifted it to place over her shoulders, pulled up the white fur lined hood and pulled the garment together, pretending it was cold and she needed the warmth. It made her laugh again. Her eyes lifted to Mika. "It's exceedingly beautiful, quite heavy..." she let a hand smooth down the fabric again. "Thank you, Mika. It's perfect." and it did bring out the deep red of her eyes and hair in a way that made her seem ....different. Not of pure desert origin, but perhaps the genes of somewhere more lush and wooded. "We can visit all of the lands that you spoke? Kvasir and Nicor, but most of all Andvari, from where your mother hails? That would please her, knowing we visited there?"
MIKA: He wasn't at all surprised to hear her say that it felt heavy - she'd probably never needed to wear something like it before. "There are sleeves, here. Well, sort of." He gently guided her arms through the holes. "You're welcome, I thought it would be a good start. It took some time telling the seamstresses what I wanted, but they got it eventually." Thankfully there had been heavy enough fabric for it. "Those are peoples, not lands," he corrected her with that gentle smile. "But yes, we will meet all of them, be among them. Each group sort of names its territory as it sees fit... you'll see. It changes from group to group - there are several chieftans in the Kvasir, several yarls among the Andvari and a handful of self-styled kings among the Nicor. The Beaivi tribes have leaders as well." He would try to write it all down, or have someone else gather the information to give to her so she would at least have a solid idea of what they'd be walking into. And he would try to explain as they went along. "That's why it's so easy for war to break out there. The Nicor especially are notorious for it."
AYMELEK: She lifted her arms, it was odd, the way it was designed, but not in a negative way. She studied it for a time, then lowered her arms as he spoke, her dark brows growing together. "So the people are named differently like the tribes of Sarraf Province, so in a way, the names you said were of a sort, the tribes of Dimmamark?" She was trying to understand, her knowledge of Dimmamark was cursory, where it was, how big the lands were, but somewhere along the lines she was getting confused. "and you just said the Nicor have different kings? Several kings?" Oh yes, Aymelek had much to learn. But she was wanting to so very badly. "Yarls are like Kings, chieftans are like Kings? Like Emir's?" She shook her head, "I apologize, I do not mean to sound obtuse or difficult in asking questions, but I think I have misunderstood. I want to learn, Mika."
MIKA: The arm holes were to allow a lady to show off the sleeves of her dress, if she so chose to do so. Mika didn't know why it was that way - it was just the style. "Yes, like that," he agreed. "But there are...t ribes within the tribes," he said with a helpless sort of shrug. "Yes, sort of like Emirs... just on a smaller scale. You'll see," he promised her. "You aren't being difficult," he assured. "I'm just not sure how better to explain it. He looked around and saw the designs in the floor tiles. So he knelt down. "So if this flower is the Nicor people, each petal represents a different... group of them. And each group has a man that calls himself king," he said as he touched each stylized petal. "And the same for the Andvari and the Kvasir. The Beaivi are a bit different, but... not so much so. As a whole they get along better with each other than the other groups do." He hoped that illustrated his point better. He did want her to understand - he wanted to help her.
AYMELEK: She knelt down with him, studying the flower as he talked and the light of understanding flickered in her eyes. "Yes! I understand. So there is a king for each petal, or branch of the Nicor people." She nodded. "So it is an intricate tapestry, the lands of Dimmamark alone are vast and complicated." she thought on that. "How very outstanding it was to get them to agree to this treaty.." Her eyes shifted to study Mika again from a different perspective. Her voice was almost a whisper. "Your achievements must be stupendous for such a people to agree that you are the one......" The impact of that was not something Aymelek realized until this moment. What sort of a man was her husband truly? Her brows lifted. She suddenly wanted to know more about him. "This journey, it will be good for many reasons. For the people, for me to meet them, and for you and I to learn more of one another."
MIKA: He smiled at her. "Yes, like that. And sometimes they disagree over who should be king, or what each king should own," he said with a dry look. "Yes, they are... very complicated," he agreed whole-heartedly. He looked at her and met her gaze as she suddenly grasped the concept of how difficult the treaty must have been. "Precisely," he said gently. "And as far as my accomplishments... I would not have said they warranted this particular nomination. But here I am." He shrugged helplessly. Perhaps, though, he was being modest. It was hard to say. "Yes, it will be good for both of us. And for the people we will rule."
AYMELEK: She also understood in that moment that her husband understated...everything. Just as his smile was reserved, so were his recollection of his own attributes and skills. Her eyes dropped to his mouth as he spoke and smiled, then raised once more to the hazel depths. "My father was wiser than I gave him credit." She rose from their position and took a breath. "I should see the cartographers, for a map that I can use as a guide,..." and packing, she had many things to get done before they departed. "You will join me for the evening meal later?" She looked forward now to their daily routines. They broke their fast together at the beginning of their day and ended their day by taking another meal together. In between they often walked in the garden or listened to petitions and well wishers together in the throne room. It was not to last forever, this routine and closeness, but while it did, she took comfort in it.
MIKA: "Of course I will. I have some... meetings to attend."He sighed, not looking particularly excited by the prospect. "But I will be with you for the evening meal," he assured her. Their daily routines were something of a savior for him - it was a relief, something steady in this unsteady world he'd been thrust into. He was still learning the ropes, learning how to do navigate this culture, the style of doing things here. "How has your day been?" His eyebrows pulled together just a bit, as if genuinely concerned - of course he was, he did want to know. He knew she'd been at least as busy as he had, even if her engagements might be more social (at least for now). And as far as he was concerned, Mika would always try to maintain this routine - or at least some style of it - for as long as they were married. It was important to him, and he hoped she would take solace in it as well.
AYMELEK: She paused, considering her day, the hand that lifted to touch at the clip in her hair lowering before it reached its mark. "Somewhat exhausting.." she gave a fleeting smile, "but it is my good pleasure to be exhausted in service to our cause." It was "our" now, their cause. Keeping peace, maintaining order, keeping prosperity. "The high families of Lothian visited today to extend their congratulations and concerns that the reign of Susa will change." She gave a quick look, like she'd eaten something sour but it passed nearly as soon as it formed, not quite as skilled in the art of impassive facial features as her husband. Give her time. "I assured them things would change. For the betterment of all, and after some discussion and the consumption by the Lothian families of a great quantity of Sarraf wine, they agreed it was time for change." She smiled. "That was the slow point of the day." So it gave indication as to the amount of diplomatic dancing Aymelek did regularly. "So I look forward to a meal with you. After all of that, it's truly my oasis, Mika."
MIKA: He would teach her yet how to mask her true feelings - it was essential in diplomacy, and he knew that well. He smiled thought when she made that little face. "Lothian will see what we become, and they will, I hope, be assured by it rather than frustrated. But we can't rush." He shrugged. Well, at least she had the wine part down - impressively enough, that was a solid diplomatic tool as well. Andvari women knew it well. He gave her a polite bow of his head. "I look forward to it as well... I'll have more to report after this afternoon's meetings." He reached and gently squeezed her hand. "I hope your afternoon goes well. We'll be leaving in two weeks... I hope you can be outfitted in time." If not, they would simply have to purchase her a wardrobe along the way. That was one thing Mika wasn't used to at all: having such a vast disposable income.
AYMELEK: "Until then..." the hand squeeze was her assurance from Mika. She returned the squeeze with a deep smile. She turned to go to her rooms where the cloak was removed and put carefully away by her maid, who then arranged Aymelek's hair with flowers and her gown changed to something more draping and appropriate for Aymelek was due at a garden tea that was scheduled for the entourage from Emtala. Islander nations loved flowers and draping fabrics.
☾ ☆
TAHYA SUSA!