Arnarra Guillevic profoundly opposed the marriage from the very start as if she had any choice in the matter. From the moment she took her first breath, she was bred into what society thought a woman should be and however hard she sought to change her fate nothing could be done. Her life had been laid out for her from the start she would simply go along with it as though the choices not of her making were normal. She felt the arrangement would further seclude her of any control she wanted to establish in an otherwise sheltered existence laid out by her father and encouraged by her mother.<br/>In the end, Arnarra was trapped.<br/><br/>While most women would without a doubt jump at the opportunity to wed not just a man of high caliber a renowned ruler, deep down she didn't at all care what walk of life he came from. Arnarra would not have cared if he was a neighbor or the local smithy. She wanted at least one thing of her choosing, for once. Why could it not be for marriage? Shouldn't she have her say when she wanted to get married more importantly to whom? Was she not of the age to make such decisions?<br/><br/>The trouble started there with her defiance toward her father thus creating a change in their relationship. It had been building up for years. The proposal of the marriage was just the catalyst to send a once close father and daughter over the edge. Arnarra somehow challenged her father's authority in her thirst for freedom. Connak Guillevic took it as a personal attack by his one and only daughter. For him, everything he had done in the sake of raising Arnarra was in her best interest. Every decision. His denial of things he wanted came behind the needs of his family. Having Arnarra question his judgement forced him to look at her in a new light one not at all pleasant. Though Arnarra loved her father she did not regret her spur of fight. With something as important as marriage she felt justified in expressing her feelings even if they were unwanted.<br/><br/>Arnarra questioned the marriage from the start but soon figured it had something to do with her cousin lord Marion Kavnoak. The trail of gossip knew no bounds in the households about him and the man Arnarra would marry. Not that she indulged in loose tidbits, apparently the new ruler wasn't all favored by everyone to take the position. Her cousin one such person. To curry favor, Arnarra assumed this was how the marriage came to be. She also suspected it in a way brought some status for her father. For as long as she knew him he wasn't the type to do anything without a benefit in return. Those higher up wanted to quell any type of opposition and what better way than to have the family of Kavnoak wed the ruler.<br/>Lady Guillevic knew not a thing about politics nor did she want to know the secrets to be kept or dealings made in the dark or what positions boosted status. None of it interested her. She just wanted a life of her own one she could be proud of.<br/><br/>With the marriage, Arnarra felt uneasy and honestly afraid of what was to come.<br/>Her mother on the other hand the wedding was she could boast about in her circle of chatty hens the time leading up to Arnarra's departure for the capital. Lord Tyrven this, Lord Tyrven handsome that-her daughter would be the wife of a ruler. And to see the looks on the faces of those women in the midst of her mother bragging Arnarra swore they wanted to slit her throat. If only they knew she would happily step aside so their daughters could have a go with the mysterious ruler. No story about him seemed true at all. For example, he stood robust at nine feet tall with the blessings of the gods at his side or his mighty voice filled with righteous indignation causing the most seasoned warrior to quake in his boots. What Arnarra took as truth was the man may very well be the age of her father. That sounded more plausible than the new ruler gaining immortality through his turn around of the lost kingdom. One way or another the young woman would discover the truth for herself eventually. That in itself added to her fear.<br/><br/>Since the arrangement, the time whisked away for her and before Arnarra knew it she was packed and set off from her family home in Gourael, an hour's ride to the capital, to meet her betrothed and otherwise be seen but not heard much like the same manner her mother lived with her father. She could still hear the woman's late night whispers long after Arnarra's father retired for the evening. It was then the older woman told Arnarra to mind herself in the company of her husband, to do everything she could to please him. This meant giving him children, securing a position firmly at his side. It reminded Arnarra of some job she needed to do. The surge of vehemence in the woman's words, she didn't care how her daughter felt and therefore after Arnarra resigned herself to acceptance. It didn't mean her fear had died down because it hadn't.<br/><br/>The entire carriage ride across the open land she was a mess of nerves and contemplation the latter a sudden urge to tell the driver to turn any direction other than north. She kept silent of course festering in her own worry. Lady Guillevic sat alone in the spacious carriage. The seats were a lovely velvet purple color and long enough to stretch out on them if she desired.<br/><br/>The young woman sat to one corner where the oblong shaped transportation held two doors on both sides of the body with carved out windows for an outside view of the horizon and land enclosed. Arnarra, having never been this far, took the time to admire it. Despite the frequent jolts caused by the two horse team, she stretched her lithe body forward and pushed her head out of one window for a better look. Long brown tendrils blew all over the place and against her heart-shaped face. Tucking some strands behind her ears, the way she was Arnarra could see the lanky driver in his box seat paying mind to only the road in between keeping his graying unkempt hair out of his eyes. Her own round eyes as blue as topaz searched the distance where they focused on spires reaching toward the azure heavens. Such a sight proved daunting to the bride. Like the boundless land this far out, she had not seen anything quite so massive in her life. Was this the pinnacle of Meridan, the citadel mentioned by name and a spoken description clearly in no comparison to the actual thing?<br/><br/>Even far away it gradually grew in size the more closer they got. Arnarra came back inside. She was thoughtful. The wind had chilled her face and sent a ripple of goosebumps encroaching along her ivory skin. Placing her hands in her lap solemnly she knew she did not have long before change engulfed her fully. She would be someone's wife, her needs would reflect that of her husband's and his needs would be ahead of her own as time went on. She sighed pressing her lips together.<br/><br/><i><b>This is it.</b></i><br/><br/>Two wooden chests on the opposite seat held all the belongings she would need including a good will gesture for Lord Tyrven, per her mother's insisting, and which Arnarra still worked on. She suspected she needed another week of discrection in order to complete it. That meant when she was able to be alone she could work on it and hopefully it would be to his liking.<b><i>What did old men treasure anyway besides a good nap? </i></b><br/><br/>The carriage began to slow and she heard voices seemingly all around her. Maybe she was mistaken but once they stopped, Arnarra Guillevic found herself scrutinized by crowds of people. They dressed lovely, she thought. Her own long gown matched a deep red and was velvet with layered sleeves nearly cloaking her hands. It made a sharp v line just before her bosom exposing her shoulders and upper chest and neck. Arnarra looked at the faces staring back at her. She hid behind a polite smile. If she kept up with how she really felt they would see her plight and surely take it to anyone with an ear to listen. Swallowing her fears, the young woman mustered up greetings.<br/><br/>"Good day, madam. How are you, sir?" Among the returned politeness, she listened to the driver converse above. Seconds later, a pair of guards appeared at one of the doors opening it for her.<br/><br/>"Lady Guillevic," Both spoke together, only one extended his gloved hand for her. Reaching out, Arnarra took it. "Take care, my lady." The guard warned for her to watch her head and step. She lowered some making her way out of the carriage and onto the soft ground.<br/><br/>"Thank you." Arnarra retrieved her hand. She looked over her shoulder in the carriage where her chests still sat but quickly went for a search around in the hopes of seeing him, lord Tyrven. She wouldn't know what he looked like however the reaction of the crowd would probably give it away. Judging by their focus on her he was not here. How cruel, did their marriage endeavor matter so little to him he would not be there to meet her? Maybe he was taking a nap, old men did do that.<br/><br/>"My chests," She told the other guard. "They're in the carriage, can you help me with them?"<br/><br/>"Yes, my lady." Although he complied, his attention and that of his comrade swept from her to an approaching rider on horseback. Arnarra looked on. She almost took the young male for the Meridan ruler destroying her image of him as old as her father though it all cleared up quickly once he dismounted giving greeting and taking her off guard by his bow. She found her hand in his custody next with it pressed to his lips. The unknown gentleman introduced himself as Ser Alun Trynal.<br/><br/>"Oh," Arnarra's face dropped. She wanted to get it done, to meet her husband to be otherwise all of the nerve might leave her a scattered mess. She was disappointed to a degree but her manners were no shortage of excellent. Arnarra cupped the bottom of Alun's hands with her other one. To his warm grin, she gave him a sincere smile.<br/><br/>"Thank you, Ser Trynal." The guards went for her belongings in the carriage now once dismissed. Escort her wherever she wanted to go, he had said. She pondered Alun's words letting her hands drop at her sides when prompted. Her eyes did not lose hold of her escort's, in fact, Arnarra peered into them longer than she should have trying to understand him better. He was enthusiastic, she decided. If she asked him, she wondered would he take her to Lord Tyrven or at least give her a reason the sovereign failed to be here at the moment. It seemed rude and so instead of throwing unnecessary questions his way, the young woman listened learning her betrothed tended to some business that would keep him occupied until the later part of the day.<br/><br/>She took Alun's open arm. "I suppose it cannot be helped, his being occupied. I will have to get used to it. Ser Trynal, please call me Arnarra. I insist. Can I see my room first?" Arnarra felt silly all of a sudden. Maybe it was because of the way he looked at her or his relaxing demeanor, she didn't quite know. What she did know was she felt foolish and for a moment she turned her eyes at the clear sky until they returned to Alun's dark ones. Exactly who was Ser Alun Trynal?<br/><br/>"I want to put my things away. Afterward, that look around sounds nice if it's not too much trouble."<br/><script class="js-extraPhrases" type="application/json">
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