Arranged Marriage Ordeal (Midori and Mu Halim)

[Mu Halim]

"My Son, you have to understand why we did this. It's for the good of the people. Talta and Navarra have never really gotten along well. But we truly want to. Our people won't understand that unity unless something like this happens. Why must you make it so difficult?"

Rimo rode alongside his father in the open fields of Talta, a country that has always been one for battle before diplomacy. "I understand what you're trying to do here." His mare trotted over the poorly constructed roads. "Navarra's heiress won't approve. I assure you of that. And in my own defense... I've seen her perhaps twice in my life, and we were both very young."

"Get over yourself Rimo, the countries aren't combining, this is a political move we must make to avoid war." Rimo closed his eyes. "As you say, my King." The noble was upset, but he had been educated enough not to express it in front of his king. He didn't hate Navarra, he simply disliked the idea of his future being dictated to him, especially after meeting the woman he had recently met.

 

[Midori]

"I will not marry him." The voice was soft and lyrical, and it came from a young woman dressed in regal purple fabric. "It should not rest with me." Alanna was pacing back and forth before her father; the deep purple of her skirts fluttered around her ankles. She was dressed in an elegant gown with a corset bodice that hugged her curves. Considered one of the most lovely women in Navarra, there were times when the princess' temperament left much to be desired. She was highly spirited, and she tended to fail to hold her tongue the way a woman was expected to.

"It does fall to you, Alanna, and you have known for quite sometime that this was a possibility. This is for the good of your people, and it is your duty to do what is necessary for them." Her father stood before her in the throne room where they awaited her betrothed. Finally he took a seat, glancing over momentarily at the empty throne where is wife would've sat were she still alive. Now more than ever, he wished the queen were alive, to guide their daughter in this important time. "You should be grateful that I managed to arrange it so that you would stay here instead of moving." A glare from the aging king silenced her arguments for a moment. "Now, sit down and behave as a lady should for a change." Alanna seated herself gracefully, the skirts falling delicately around her. Her dark hair was curled and styled to reveal her face, dark eyes staring forward, and a silver circlet rested among the dark tresses.

 

[Mu Halim]

Rimo, along with the king of Talta and several royal bodyguards made their way into Navarra, where he was to meet with his future wife for the first time in many years. "I am not exactly thrilled about you cutting my love life short, father. His father smirked, "You're a fool, son. Princess Alanna is a beautiful woman, desired by many suitors, and look, my son is the only one who will hold her hand." Rimo glanced over. "Does she have consorts?" "Nonesense!" Rimo looked at the neck of his mare. "May I have myself a mistress or two?" His father laughed loudly, "After I die, you may do what you wish with Navarra and Talta. Marry every woman you desire." Rimo closed his eyes before snapping them open. "Let's get this over with. We're already late." The king laughed again as he sped up to keep up with his son Rimo. "Where's this sudden enthusiasm coming from eh?" He laughed again, the sounds of the king's laughter echoed into Navarra's entry.

 

[Midori]

Alanna sat silently waiting for the arrival of her betrothed, her sewing in her lap as she pretended not to be alarmed by her situation. "I do not understand, father. Why must my hand in marriage and my maidenhood be the exchange? Is there not some trade arrangement that would be better suited to making peace?" She knew such statements were terribly inappropriate for a lady to make, especially a lady in her situation, but she was terribly frustrated by it all. The king turned to look at the obstinate young woman with a frown, but her expression did not waver.

"A marriage is the most certain way to ensure that both kingdoms will remain at peace. You will produce an heir who will be of both kingdoms." Alanna frowned, and she returned her attention to the sewing in her lap, quietly embroidering as she waited for the man to arrive. They'd last seen each other some ten years earlier, when both were merely children, and now the twenty one year old princess was not eager to see him again. ​

 

[Mu Halim]

"My King..." Called one of Navarra's Royal Guards from the door. "If I may... King Siphos and Prince Rimo have arrived from Talta." Talta. The name alone stood for war, hammer over scale, war over peace and fire over water. This treaty was likely saving more Navarran lives than anything else. If Talta ever turned their full army towards Navarra, Navarra's resources wouldn't outlast the raid. Still, the King's had both lost much in old wars and hatred. Navarra lost it's Queen in a time of pain. Talta lost all three of it's princesses, leaving Rimo as the only heir. War was a loser's game. Even if you win, your losses outweigh them.

"They are at the front gate, your Majesty."

 

[Midori]

"Show them in." King Aaron commanded, then turned to his daughter. "Now, do try to behave like a lady, daughter." Alanna gave a sigh, sitting up a little straighter in the throne. "As you wish, Father." Her tone indicated that she still did not agree with the arrangement, and that it would take more than a treaty to convince her that this marriage was something acceptable. As the arrivals were shown into the throne room, Alanna greeted them with a polite and solemn nod. Her voice was soft, and each movement was precise and graceful. "Your Majesty, Your Highness, welcome to Navarra." She referred to each of them by their appropriate title, and with an elegant sweeping of her skirts, the young woman rose gave a graceful and deep curtsy in greeting. ​

 

[Mu Halim]

Rimo waited at the gates with his father and company. After a short wait, several of the Royal Guards came to their attention.

"Prince Rimo, King Siphos. We apologize for the wait. Let us take your steeds and please come with us to meet with our Royal Family."

Rimo sighed, he wasn't sure about this at all.

They entered, with only one Royal Guard. This wasn't a dangerous meeting, if anyone wasn't to be trusted, it was likely one of the guards themselves.

"Ah... King Aaron... Lady Alanna... It's been many months since Rimo and I have come to the beauty that is your country. We thank you for allowing us through your gates and into your presence."

Siphos and Rimo both kneeled, along with their guard.

"We're pleased to be here... aren't we, son?"

Rimo took a long stare at Alanna before noticing he had kneeled late. "Ye...yes. Navarra is a beautiful place..."

 

[Midori]

"We are pleased to welcome you here." The king smiled, rising to give a formal bow to both the visitors. The formalities were always observed, both out of tradition and respect, and as soon as official greetings were done, the king turned to Alanna and looked at her expectantly. She pulled her eyes away from Rimo and gave a warm smile. "I'm sure you are both tired from your journey. Please, Prince Rimo, allow me to show you to your chambers while our fathers speak." As she stepped from the platform and offered to lead Rimo out of the room, her father turned to Siphos and smiled. "They make quite a handsome pair do they not?" He watched them leave. "Truly such a union is blessed and will bring a peace to our realms." Alanna began to lead Rimo down the halls of the castle toward the chambers were he'd be sleeping until their marriage.​

 

[Mu Halim]

Rimo and Siphos both rose, their elegant cloaks and royal wear, representing everything Navarra had evaded successfully for so long. Rimo however, had no personal quarrel, not with Aaron, Alanna or Navarra. He followed Alanna after her proposal. "They do make a beautiful pair. Once my wife recovers of this illnesss, she'd be glad to see our son in the company of those such as Lady Alanna. She's grown quite beautiful. I envy the boy." He said jokingly... perhaps. Rimo followed Alanna calmly, trying to think of conversation, but in the alotted time, only had a short, silent stride. He wanted to say something to her, but instead eyed her backside, before looking up.

 

[Midori]

"I'm sure my late wife would be very happy to see our daughter matched so well." Aaron stated firmly. He was indeed pleased with the arrangement, and he hoped that his daughter would behave herself. "She looks a great deal like her mother." The conversation rambled on for quite some time. "Will your wife be well enough to attend the wedding in the coming weeks? I do hope so."

Alanna walked silent through the halls, nodding slightly as servants paused to bow and curtsy to her. Eventually she forced herself to make some sort of conversation with the man who walked beside her. "Your chamber will be in the royal wing, Prince Rimo, where both my own and my father's chambers are." They reached the royal wing, and she lead him past three doors before reaching his. The first had been her father's, followed by her own. The third, though at the point she loathed to admit it, was the chamber they would share after they were wed.​

 

[Mu Halim]

"Ah. I see." He said, looking at her before taking it upon himself to open the door. It was a beautiful place, fitting of a royal couple, let alone a prince. "I am.. to sleep beside you... m'lady..." He asked, his eyes already starting to wander. That was until he remembered that neither he, or Alanna actually wanted this. He cleared his throat. "You look quite good." He said, his eyes having a hard time staying on hers. He closed his eyes to avoid being caught if he wasn't already. "I haven't seen you in nearly a decade. I... turned twenty-three... a couple days back..."

 

[Midori]

She had to explain, though she didn't want to. "Only the chambers we will share after we are wed will be between our chambers." The knowledge that it would not be simply the room that they would be sharing lingered in her mind. It would be a matter of weeks before the two would be wed, their union intended to stop the bloodshed; Alanna did not really want to think about the future. It had been years since she'd seen him, and they were veritable strangers. The idea of them being married, much less consummating such a marriage seem unreasonable to her. "You are also looking well, m'lord. I will be twenty-two in a week."

 

[Mu Halim]

Rimo smiled, "I know... my father mentioned it one thousand times before we arrived here." He looked at the large bed in the room. He'd sleep there tonight, alone... but sooner or later, he'd have to share his life with Alanna. She wasn't ugly, he had nothing to take away from her, but his life as a prince was still so promising. He hadn't gotten the chance to meet interesting women from around the world, and was now isolated to a single woman. He didn't want to marry her. Not then. He hardly knew her. Would he bed her? Sure, on the spot, but that's much different than marriage.

He cleared his throat, looking at her, tits first, then her eyes. "How do you feel about all this?" His hand rubbed the side of his shoulder, he wanted to pull away from all this. "Navarra and Talta are hardly alike. Our countries are just recently starting to see eye to eye. Many men were lost on both sides. I wonder if his Majesty was afraid, and chose to marry you off with me, to save his own hide." He regretted his words, although real in his thoughts, he didn't want to upset her, but if she couldn't stand him, perhaps Aaron would reconsider his options.

 

[Midori]

"To be honest, I am not fond of the idea of arranged marriages in general." Her tone was much sadder than she liked, and she quickly corrected it. "But for the good of both nations, I suppose we have no choice." She was not fond of the way he kept looking at her, examining her body like a piece of meat to be devoured, and she moved in such a way as to blur her figure slightly. The actions were in vain however, and thus she remained was forced to accept that he was going to continue to stare.

She was more than a bit offended by his remark about her father, and her eyes narrowed. It was all that she could do not to strike him then and there for his slight against her family. "I'll have you know that it was your father who came to mine asking for a treaty." While the suggestion to have their children marry had been a mutual one, it was indeed Talta who'd approached Navarra. "Our union, such that it is, is to become what cements the peace." She exited the room, leaving him alone, and with a smooth grace, she moved quickly down the hall, headed for the grand library.

 

[Mu Halim]

Rimo actually kept his eyes on her as she spoke. He was slightly relieved that she had taken offense, he didn't wish to speak that way about King Aaron anymore. He closed his eyes as she turned and started leaving, hoping that his glares, stares and obvious eye rape would push her further. It seemed to have worked, although he felt a fire inside her. "Sorry." He said quietly after she exited, wondering if he should follow her, but choosing to remain in the room a while first. He'd take a look at his living conditions, as well as wander the halls too, to see his surroundings.

 

[Midori]

"If I must marry him, the least he could do is be a decent human being." The princess muttered to herself as she paced about the library. She wondered if he had intentionally attempted to inflame her temper, especially since her temper was well known, in an attempt to have her beg her father to call off the wedding. But what he didn't know was that Alanna had attempted that very thing for weeks. It wasn't going to happen; the two were trapped, and there was no getting out of it. Selecting a book from the shelves, she sank gracefully into her favorite chair, kicking her slippers off and pulling her knees up to her chest.

 

[Mu Halim]

"So with this... our relationships are strongly affirmed. My son and your beautiful daughter." He smiled, "With Navarra and Talta joined... not many can oppose us... there is no limit to how far our banners can reach."

Navarra however had little enthusiasm when it came to expanding their lands. Navarra was already quite vast, there was no reason to start wars or conflicts for resources. Humans were wiser than that. Mystics taught our ancestors of trade and currency for a reason.


Rimo slowly started to understand things. He would spend a lot of days in these walls. It wasn't an ugly place, Alanna wasn't an ugly girl, hell, her father was as dashing as any man his age and younger could hope for... but this restraint on his livelyhood was strangling him. Or at least his ego. Walking the halls he remembered Alanna mentioning that her room was next to his. Nobody liked a peeping pervert, and no one liked their privacy compromised. The young, dark haired woman must have been very comfortable and confident at home, since her door opened after a slight push. Rimo walked in slowly and looked around carefully.

 

[Midori]

"Yes, once our children are wed and their union consummated, the treaty will be cemented. I am sure both our nations will be glad to have an end to this war."

Alanna's chambers were richly decorated in crimson and silver, her bed neatly made by a chamber maid some hours before. Near the bed, on a small table rested a small book with a smooth and pretty silken cover. Her father had given her the journal that morning, perhaps in hopes that it would lessen the sting of her new situation. Another book rested on a chair by the fireplace, a text that would be forbidden to most young women because of it's rather risque contents, but Alanna had always been allowed to read what she wished.

In the library, Alanna was occupying herself with another such text, a richly descriptive story that made her blush softly as she read.​

 

[Mu Halim]

Rimo liked the feel of the room, it's colors blended nicely, and it smelled quite good and welcoming in there. He walked towards her bed, running his fingertips over her sheets. He carelessly approached her belongings. She seemed to type to enjoy reading and such, but he wasn't so sure of what the books before him introduced her to. With little thought, he approached the book, not the journal, and opened it carelessly.

 

[Midori]

The book fell open to a scene involving the main character and her primary love interest; it describe in graphic and rich detail a heated and passionate sexual experience, and judging by the ribbon that marked the page, she'd been reading that particular scene shortly before he'd arrived to greet her.

Blissfully unaware that her husband to be was in her room, Alanna continued to read, her own book had reached a passionate scene in which the main character was losing her maidenhood to her beloved.

 

[Mu Halim]

Rimo's reading was almost on par with Alanna's. Taltan education was only second to Navarra's, and it was quite a large difference between. While students learned of weaponry and war history, Navarran children learned of general literature, and cultures around the world. Rimo skimmed through the page, his eyebrows raising as he read a small excerpt. "Well... this is certainly my kind of read. I didn't even know they had books like these." The positioning of the male and female seemed new and unknown to him, how brilliant of the author, and absolutely shameful of his own human mind to have never drawn up such a simple, yet passionate situation in his own mind. The book itself suddenly had higher value. She was reading this... recently it seemed. A woman so grand would likely not need these reads if her life itself was the story. He immediately jumped to conclusions, his head now polluted, at least temporarilly, thinking of the female character as Alanna, despite having seen her without clothing.

 

[Midori]

The passage Rimo had found told of a beautiful young woman, forced to leave a life of luxury in order to save her family, who had found love in the arms of a wounded soldier she was caring for. The scene was intense, and it richly described each touch and kiss to the young woman's naked body, the way she moaned and cried out her pleasure.

Alanna sat alone in the library, biting her lip as she read about a princess who'd been rescued by a brave knight. He'd swept her away from a wicked king who sought only to abuse her. Now they were in each other's arms and he was teaching her the ways of pleasure.​

 

[Mu Halim]

"This... this is quite... intense..." He said quietly, not believing the fact that his pants had gotten a degree tighter. "Is this seriously happening? Such emotion, from literature?" He closed his eyes as he uncomfortably adjusted himself, the description was too rich for him to ignore and too realistic for him to not see. He tossed himself on Alanna's perfect bed, at least keeping his feet off, and continued to read. She'd have to return sooner or later, he thought, and this would surely force her to demand that Siphos and Rimo both be taken out of Navarra for good. The tent still stood high in his pants. He could hear her sweet voice, hear their bodies' chemistry, he could feel his own dick inside her almost, and it was just amazing to read.

 

[Midori]

Deciding that she'd spent enough time hiding in the library and knowing that the feast would begin in a little less than two hours, Alanna decided that it would be best if she went back to her room to dress and have her hair done. No doubt her maids would be waiting for her there. Tucking the book into its place on the shelf, she hurried from the library and down the halls to her room. She was surprised to find the door wide open, and as she entered, her eyes widened. "What are you doing in my room? On my bed? Get out at once." Alanna shouted, her hands on her hips.

 

[Mu Halim]

Rimo sat up, actually startled, this caused him to raise his feet onto the bed, expensive and valuable sheets now perhaps ruined. "I... well..." He closed the book and put it down on the bed. "The door was open." He said, tugging the tent in his pants. "I've never quite read a book like this one. Quite the deviant, my lady." He answered her. "I also thought... it'd be good to learn a thing or two about you. You're neat... and you read the most erotic things I've ever seen. But if I am to be your husband... and I am... to be your husband... what makes you think that you can bark at me that way? Isn't this for peace? Why don't we sleep on the same bed tonight? My back is in a lot of pain, and the armor doesn't help. You're a woman... why don't you do something about it. And I'd like something to drink."