Alyssa landed lightly in the courtyard, the down draft from her wings sending leaves and dust scattering. She was laughing as she protested, "Claude, no fair! You know that I haven't mastered the double star maneuver yet."
He landed next to her, grinning as he gently ruffled her hair, "Why do you think I used it? You get better every day, little sis. Soon I won't be able to out fly you at all. You're one of the best flyers in Anaria, possibly even the whole country. You'll be unbeatable soon."
She stuck her tongue out at him, trying in vain to smooth her hair. In truth, it was already long past salvaging, strands haphazardly escaping her braid from the aerial training. She abandoned the effort and wrinkled her nose at him, "You're just saying that to make me feel better."
He shook his head, draping an arm heavily around her shoulders, "I'm not, promise. You'll master it, just give yourself a bit of time and patience. That's not what's in question."
She grumbled, stumbling slightly under the weight of his arm before adjusting and rolling her eyes. "Oh? And what exactly is the question, then?"
He grinned down at her, his bright red hair sticking up in every direction, "When are you going to go looking for your mate? People are beginning to talk about how you're getting a bit old to still be single, you know."
With a cry of outrage, she pounced on him, causing him to stumble back several steps. He laughed at the ire on her face while she huffed, "Just because Marissa had the bad fortune to be your mate doesn't mean that I want to be tied down to someone else. It's clear that my mate is not part of Anaria and I don't want to be tied to some outsider! This is my home!"
Suddenly realizing that he'd touched a sensitive subject, Claude started to apologize, only to be interrupted by a servant entering the courtyard, "Lady Alyssa, your parents request your presence in the study."
She nodded, "Thank you, Lloyd, I'll head there immediately."
Turning back to Claude, she hissed, "You and I will finish this discussion later, in the sparring ring."
The grin fell from his face and he held up his hands, sputtering a protest. Satisfied that he was sufficiently cowed, she turned and strode from the courtyard, passing her sister-in-law who had clearly been in search of her mate. Her question of how much Marissa had heard was answered when she heard Marissa ask Claude behind her, "What did you do to deserve a beating this time?"
X
Pausing outside the study, Alyssa took a moment to compose herself. Taking a deep breath, she would learn nothing from lurking outside the study, she knocked lightly and entered the study. Smiling, she asked, "You called for me?"
Both her parents smiled brightly at her, but it was her mother who spoke, "Alyssa. Yes, although we thought that you'd still be doing aerial drills with Claude."
Alyssa walked over and pressed a gentle kiss to her mother's cheek, "I was, but your eldest son is a cheater."
Both her parents laughed heartily and Alyssa couldn't help but relax in the warm atmosphere. Claude's words had reminded her that people were gossiping about her. It was nothing that she didn't know. Just the week before, she'd caught some maids gossiping about the fact that she seemed to have no desire to find a mate and settle down. They'd scattered when they'd seen her, so she hadn't had a chance to refute their words. It wasn't that she didn't want to find her mate. She wanted a mate as much as the next person, but seeing the love shining so brightly between her parents, she wasn't willing to settle for anything less.
Her father had been one of the kingdom's finest knights, distinguishing himself in several border disputes, which is why he'd been granted lordship of Anaria. A warrior through and through, his large frame and red hair made him appear rather intimidating. Her mother on the other hand looked downright frail next to him with her petite frame and pale coloring. What many didn't realize was that her mother was the much fiercer of the pair, her father relaxed and good-natured when he wasn't in combat situations.
In truth, the way that her father doted on her mother as well as on her and her siblings made her long for someone like that. A mate that was strong, yet also tender and caring with those he loved. But it was also clearly evident that her mate wasn't in Anaria, she would've found him by now. Her soul hadn't called out for its mate to any of the residents of Anaria or the merchants that had traveled through. So she had resigned herself to the fact that the other half of her soul wasn't here. However, as much as she longed for a mate, she didn't want to leave Anaria, to lose the freedom that she had here.
Abruptly realizing that her father had said something, she wrenched her attention back to the present, "I'm sorry, Father, my mind wandered. What did you say?"
He smiled at her, "I asked you to sit, I have the feeling that this is going to be a rather lengthy discussion."
Well, that didn't bode well. Deciding to save her strength for when the truth came out, Alyssa merely nodded and sat in the chair he indicated. She decided to strike first, "What did you wish to see me for? All of my duties have been carried out, you can call the steward for the records if you wish."
Her parents traded speaking glances and Alyssa felt her nerves increase. Her mother said pleadingly, "Gerard."
He shook his head, "No, she deserves to know the truth of the matter and the right to hear it in private, Lynette, so she can vent her ire at the situation as much as she wants."
Alyssa spoke lightly, pushing down the fluttering of nerves in her stomach, "And that doesn't sound ominous at all."
Gerard grinned at her, "We all know that you inherited your mother's temper, kit. Nothing to be ashamed of." He sobered abruptly. "Alyssa, it's time for you to fulfill your duty to the crown."
She was puzzled as to what could be so ominous about that. "Of course, Father. It is our duty to serve the crown. But what task could be required of me that would leave the pair of you so grim?"
Lynette stood, sighing quietly. "The royal messenger brought this decree not an hour ago." She held out a scroll bearing the royal coat of arms.
Pleased that her hands were steady, Alyssa accepted the scroll and quickly skimmed its contents. Lowering it to her lap, her voice held a dangerous edge as she asked calmly, "Are you telling me that the crown prince is too good to go through the rite that every other male in this land does and find his own mate? That every 'eligible maiden' has to go to him like chattel so he can take his time and pick and choose? That my worth to the crown is only the fact that I am female and can possibly provide heirs should I be the one unlucky enough to be 'chosen'?"
Gerard sighed, running a hand roughly through his hair, "And this is why I insisted upon telling you privately, without your siblings in attendance."
She tossed the scroll disdainfully onto the desk, visibly seething as her wings started to spread. "This is absolutely demeaning. How could you ever think that this is something that I should put up with? What would our people think if we made a demand like this to them? This is a mockery! I could understand if maybe there had been a list of eligible women, carefully selected for their skills or lineage. But no, this is every 'eligible' maiden. And by that, I take it to mean unmated. Like having a mate is the end all, be all, of everything."
Lynette said sharply, her blue eyes icy, "Are you saying that you don't believe in mates?"
Alyssa shook her head, softening slightly at the hint of hurt in her mother's voice, "Not at all, Mama. But is it so wrong to want to find something like what you and Papa have? Someone who falls in love with me because of who I am, not because of what I could be. Is it wrong to want someone who thinks that I'm worth enough to search out personally? As it is, all I am is another useless pawn in the kingdom's schemes. It's not me that the kingdom wants, not the skills that I've spent so long learning so I could better serve it. So that I could serve both my kingdom and Anaria. They just want someone beside the prince so that the kingdom can maintain a strong image, nothing more. I don't want to be a puppet. I want to remain here in Anaria, where I'm useful, where people depend on my skills because they know who I am!"
Gerard spoke, "I know that you love this land, kit, we all do. There is no one that doubts your dedication."
Feeling like she was waiting for the other shoe to drop, she asked quietly, "But?"
His eyes were sympathetic, "You've outgrown this place. Truthfully, you have for a while now. And you know it."
She choked out, "What do you mean?"
Lynette spoke, coming over and gently cupping Alyssa's face, "You have to spread your wings and fly, love. Anaria is too small, too peaceful for you to ever truly be happy here."
She moved away and took Gerard's hand, shaking her head when Alyssa opened her mouth to argue. "Hush, I'm not saying that you're miserable here, far from it. But you hunger so deeply, you yearn for so much more than this tiny corner of the world can ever give you. You've read the entire library here, multiple times, and devour any new books as soon as they arrive. The last time the merchants came, you'd barely allowed the carts to stop before you absconded with the new books."
Alyssa muttered ruefully, having endured much teasing on the matter, "It was the books detailing how the foreign spices are harvested, stored, and traded, along with their histories. I needed them to deal with the next shipment that arrived in the harbor. And I got us an excellent price on anise and cinnamon because of it."
Lynette nodded but continued, undeterred. "You've also passed all the knights. The only ones that can still win are your father and Claude and you're very close to outmatching Claude as well. If he didn't have a two-year head start on training, you most likely would've already passed him as well. Besides that, your duties are so routine that you could handle them in your sleep."
She countered, "Then give me more duties."
Lynette laughed lightly, "There are no more to give, love. There is no more room for you to grow here. You know that I speak the truth. I know that you love this place and our people here. I know that you're happy here, in your own way. But kit, you'll never be truly content here, your heart yearns for the open skies and the endless horizon. We are too peaceful, too quiet here. You long for the challenge, to pit yourself against the wind and the stars and the horizon. My legacy, I'm afraid."
Feeling like she was losing ground, she said quietly, "But aren't you happy here now, with Papa and us, in this quiet little corner of the world?"
She nodded, "Of course, I'm radiantly happy here, especially with the fact that the other half of my heart is here. But before I met Gerard, I lived. I ran away from home at fifteen rather than be married off to a man three times my age. My parents didn't believe in mates, you know. I traveled the world, spent half a dozen years as part of several caravans. I traveled and saw and experienced so much. And when I'd seen it all, your father found me when what my soul was craving was peace. For what I'd apparently been looking for was a home. And together, we built that. But now, now you need to go and find what it is that your heart truly craves. For that's the only way that you'll know true happiness and peace."
Alyssa drooped in her chair, pulling her wings tightly against her back. Seeing the discouragement plain on her face, Gerard offered calmly, "How about a compromise?"
This was a royal decree and she was a loyal citizen, how could there possibly be a compromise? She asked tiredly, "Compromise?"
Gerard scowled briefly, "I find that I like this affair as little as you do. However, there must be a reasonable explanation for it. As it stands, this will be a week-long event to ensure that there is sufficient travel time for everyone. Your presence is requested for the final day. The prince will most likely have already found his mate by that point, so there is no need to fret about the possibility. However, why don't you take the opportunity to travel there a little bit early, handle some of the business I was set to deal with instead? Then, when you return here, we can discuss what you thought of traveling and whether or not you still want to spend the rest of your life here or if you would be amenable to traveling more."
Alyssa turned the offer over carefully, but couldn't find an issue with it. She asked suspiciously, "What's the catch?"
Lynette said firmly, "You must be open-minded about this trip. You can't have already decided that you hate everything and want to just stay here. You are to judge everything fairly and without prejudice, as you encounter it."
Alyssa relaxed, it was true that the prince would most likely find his mate long before it was ever her turn to appear. Not only that, but she had been curious about the capital and the merchants located there for quite some time. It would be a good chance to try and get her hands on some rarer manuscripts that she'd been trying to acquire for a while. What could it hurt to humor her parents and take this trip as an educational opportunity?
She offered them a reluctant smile, "Very well, I shall bow to your expertise on this matter. It probably wouldn't hurt to make some connections in person, either." Her smile turned wry, "There's also the fact that it's a royal decree, so there is that. I accept this compromise."
Her father looked surprised at that. "Really? I honestly expected you to fight us for a while more on this before accepting it."
Alyssa laughed, "I'm not that unreasonable. I can see clearly that this is the best course of action for all involved."
Lynette waved that aside, "Best course or not, there is still a lot to prepare before you actually leave. Let's talk about this mate hunt and what it means for those involved and our country as a whole. Your term of puppet is not entirely unfounded, should the prince's mate prove to be weak-willed. There are several factors that must be considered, after all."
Her father looked long-suffering at that, he was a loyal knight and dedicated to carrying out his duty, but he hated the politics that came with nobility. Absolutely hated them with a passion. Taking pity on him, Alyssa offered generously, "I was going to spar with Claude this afternoon but you'll probably need it more after this is all over. You can take my spot."
Gerard sighed at that, "I'll take you up on that. The things I have to do for my family and country."
Both Lynette and Alyssa laughed at that before settling in to thoroughly dissect the whole issue. After all, there were many things to consider about this whole situation.
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