There was much to be curious about with this arrangement and the Lady Arnnarra was not the only one brimming with curiosity as to how the joining of two lands was going to pan out. Even though Alun Trynal had surrendered his titles in the name of knighthood, he remembered all too well the frivolities of court life. The politics that accompanied the game that lords and ladies played in the western kingdoms was not something he had ever wanted to submit to himself. Even the Farseer himself preferred to lock himself away from it all. No doubt the man would have preferred to remain alone forever if his situation did not call for an alliance of this sort. Still, pity for the both of them hung in Alun’s heart despite the fact that he struggled internally to ward the feeling off. He struggled thrice as hard not to let his feelings for this wedding shine outwardly through, preferring to match the encouragement of his words with the expression on his face.<br/><br/><br/>At the very least, he vowed to please the new lady of Meridan to the best of his ability, for she was the one being ripped away from her family and livelihood. So he kept his confident demeanor intact on his face and nodded his assent that her driver would accompany them.<br/><br/><br/>“Man!” He called over his shoulder to the man who had driven the Lady’s carriage. “You will dine with us at the keep proper, will you not? On behalf of Farkeep, we welcome you to stay a few days and enjoy yourself,” he invited with a broad grin before turning his attention back on the Lady at his side.<br/><br/><br/>“You are no trouble, my lady. Interrupt as you please,” he replied, his voice dipping low enough so that only the two of them were included in the conversation. At the same time, he also urged his horse even further ahead of the regiment. “But yes, the entirety of the council that helped select you to be my lord’s betrothed will be present this night, and that includes myself.” His eyes crinkled as he tilted his head toward her. “By then I hope to be better dressed for my new lady’s eyes. Most of us are friendly, I can assure you. Just do not let Lord Jaceon’s face fool you. The man is as old as the castle, I bet, and his expression has been stuck in the same scowl for many years,” he teased.<br/><br/><br/>As the road curved and they pushed forward on their ride toward the keep, the dense population of shops that had greeted them at the gates started to dwindle sooner rather than later. Instead, they started to pass by patches of construction as new homes and shops were being built up from the old rubble from ancient times. While some buildings had been salvaged, many had tumbled down from their original architect long ago. Meridan’s history was unique in that it had once been a powerful empire, progressive in most aspects. They developed technology, innovative methods to both the magiks and science, and developed political insights that included a democracy of peoples in order to create decisions instead of rulers. Alun, not being a scholarly man, often sought out the Loremasters who studied its extensive history to delve into the stories of old of just how the once vast nation had crumbled into oblivion, taking with it all but a precious few writings of just what it had achieved. These were kept sacred; only those who achieved Loremaster status in any realm was allowed to venture into the library of the great keep.<br/><br/><br/>For a stretch of time, Alun looked lost in thought with his own musings, until the young woman’s voice chimed in his ears ago. He forced the grin back on his face, focused on the feel of the breeze rippling through his hair, and studied her upturned face as she rode alongside him with her questions. “There is nothing quite like it,” he chimed in.<br/><br/><br/>“I believe, my lady Arnnarra, that a lot of your fears might be mirrored by your betrothed,” he said carefully. “He has never been wed himself, and despite the council of those who have, I feel that he will have a lot to learn from marriage as you do. Perhaps see this as a positive thing; you will both have the chance to grow together.” Though that might just have been him being optimistic. Truth be told, Alun had no idea how this arrangement was going to proceed.<br/><br/><br/>“As for me,” this time he did smile a genuine smile. “I am Locke’s cousin. My father and his mother are siblings of the old High King of Sumer’Lea -- that vast, heavily forested region on a map, far to the south from your own home. Then he burst out with a sudden bout of laughter. Nine feet tall. Dark eyes sparkled in her direction as he flashed his teeth, stark white in a tanned face. “Rest assured, my lady, while your betrothed stands taller than himself, he is no giant rumored to live in the mountains; he is very much just man…”<br/><br/><br/>Ah, that part might not be true. Alun often wondered if his cousin had the blood of one of the Others running through his veins. This part, however, he would not share with the Lady Arnnarra.<br/><br/><br/>“One rumor that I have hard happens to be true. The Lord Tyrven has visions of the past, present, and future, as he was born with the gift of Sight. Could be that he has already seen your Future with him and that was what led to your betrothal to him. He is also not the most sociable of men, I fear. He does keep to himself, but is always pleasant company when he does indulge in it. I am confident that he will put your needs and happiness as precedent, my lady.”<br/><br/><br/>Then he chuckled. “As for myself?” That set his eyes twinkling all over again. “Well, I am an open book! Though it is a rather short book, I must say, and not entirely interesting. I cannot imagine that you would find my humble life fascinating.”