"I'm glad his infatuation with you is fading. Soon my husband will be my won again." Savvy said as she exited the cart as she had been awake the whole time.
Akira looked Savvy up and down, her eyes still shimmering with unshed tears. She just nodded and sat on the floor feeling helpless.
Savvy chuckled and went to supervise those packing.
"Make yourself useful." Thaggar said as he walked by Akira,"We've already wasted enough time dallying."
"What is wrong with you Thaggar! Can't you see...."
"Stay out of this mother before I send you to your husband." Thaggar retorted leaving Sarika and all those who heard him in shock.
"What did you say?"
"This is why women shouldn't travel."
"Thaggar!"
"It's alright, queen Sarika. I'm used to been used by men. I find myself always in debt to them." Akira said laughing as her tears begun to flow.
Thaggar froze, unable to say anything as she got up. She walked past him, her eyes holding no emotion and she begun to dismantle the tent they had laid in. Sarika glared at her son accusingly and went to help Akira, the later politely refusing and hurling the tent alone.
Taki also got down and and started helping even displacing some men alongside her mother to make him feel worse. Thaggar wordlessly made his way to his horse and waited for everyone to finish.
They soon set out and rose non stop for seven hours and finally stopped close to a river. He wanted to speak to Akira and apologize but he stopped himself when he saw her face. She started unloading the horses' troughs, a duty normally performed by the men. Then she started filling them with water from the river. Taki and Sarika did the same leaving the men with no option but to start the fire. Tak took out the pots about to start cooking but Akira took them from him.
"I've nothing to do."
"Then just rest. This is a woman's job."
"Akira don't be like this...."
"Like what? A traded wife performing her duties?" Akira asked calmly, a sad smile on her face as she looked at her brother,"Traded for a bit more salt, right?"
Tak felt a pung of guilt but he said nothing and watched her start to cook, Taki joining her as well. Thaggar and the other men who had heard just quietly settled down, not liking how things had changed.
Once they finished eating, the men quickly got up to start packing so the women wouldn't do everything alone again. Savvy was just watching hoping that Akira's change of attitude towards Thaggar would make him distaste her. Maybe she would be the one to lay with him tonight.
The road ahead was bumpy and would certainly cause discomfort to those in the cart so Thaggar ordered for them to ride on the horses. He wanted Akira to come to him and hoped he could dissolve the situation but he knew she wouldn't come to him willfully.
"Akira! Come, you'll ride with me!" He called out making Savvy's face garden as she was already going towards him.
"I will stay with the supplies, your majesty. Someone has to watch them." Akira replied seriously.
Savvy smiled and looked at Thaggar, loving the expression on his face. His frown deepened when he realized she had addressed him as 'your majesty' instead of his name as he had asked her to.
"I said you'll ride with me, that's an order." Thaggar said once more.
Akira sighed and walked towards him stiffly. He extended his hand for her to take but she ignored it and got on the horse without his help, settling behind him on purpose. Thaggar was left dumbstruck having not expected her to openly disrespect him like this. He grunted in frustration and barked out orders for everyone to hurry. He spurred the horse forward at full speed and the others followed.
His frustration grew as it became clear that Akira wouldn't hold onto him for support. She was holding onto the horse's hair and balancing herself by clamping her legs around its waist. For fear that she might fall, he slowed down. Two hours later, the stone walls of his kingdom could be seen and he wanted to show it to her from this distance but he knew his large frame would obstruct her vision. He sighed inwardly but thought quickly and stopped his horse.
"We'll take a short break here!"
Akira dismounted quietly and walked over to the side where she settled. Thaggar dismounted as well and followed her, settling beside her and noting how her face hardened.
"I wanted to show you how majestic the walls look from here." He said gently taking her hand.
She nodded, still maintaining her silence. He frowned. She didn't even look at the walls!
"Stop being this way, Akira. It won't resolve anything." He said, frustrated at how calm she seemed,"Then look."
Akira raised her head and briefly regarded the walls and she nodded once more.
"This will be your land to rule with..."
"Your land with Savvy." Akira retorted.
Thaggar swore his heart skipped a beat at those words.
"What?"
"She is your first wife and deserves that much."
"I didn't choose her." He said through gritted teeth.
"Your marrying her has already changed the course of her life. You can't just ruin another's life and move on."
"Then I'm not leaving you either, Akira."
"Your not. I had no life even before you found me."
Thaggar shook his head but had no appropriate retort so he just watched her. She turned away from him and closed her eyes as if she didn't want to hurt her eyes by looking at him; at least that's was his interpretation of it.
He got up and walked around for a few minutes before telling everyone to get back on their horses. This time he let Akira mount first then he happily settled behind her. She moved herself in front to create some distance between their bodies and he frowned.
"You'll ride better with support on your back." He stated plainly pulling her closer to himself.
She didn't respond or move so he started the relentless march once more. They travelled for another hour and soon we're at the gates that opened immediately and they entered without having to stop. The kingdom's citizens cheered for their king as he made his way in, noting the presence of the woman with him. Akira looked around and immediately felt out of place. Their manner of dressing was completely different. Coming from a warmer region it was normal for her to be barely dressed but as she looked at the women here she saw that they were mostly covered and having woolen clothes not leather or animal skins. The difference in status between her and Thaggar seemed clearer now. Had he worn leather just to fit in with her people when he'd come to marry her?
"We're here. Do you like it?" Thaggar whispered in her ear making her aware that they'd stopped in front of another gate. The gate opened and they went in.
"This is home now. Everyone here is beneath you." Thaggar said once more trying to make her comfortable.
Not wanting to embarrass him, Akira nodded making him smile. He stopped at the entrance of his palace and dismounted first, holding out his hand for her. She didn't want to but she accepted his help and obediently stood beside him.
"Your majesty! We are glad you've returned." An elderly man greeted.
He had ivory bracelets and extravagant beads adorning him, a sign of his wealth and he made sure that they were noticeable.
"Your people have missed you."
"Is that so, Farak?" Thaggar asked taking Akira's hand,"I trust everything is ready then?"
"Yes, your majesty. I also organized a feast for tomorrow to....."
"With whose permission, you fool?!" Thaggar growled startling everyone who thought he was in a good mood.
He glaced at Akira and noted she was now shaking so he lowered his voice a little.
"My wife is mourning so the whole kingdom will mourn." He stated and he felt Akira's hand tighten around his own and then loosen.
"B-but the messenger informed me that it was suicide. We don't mourn those who.....ahh!"
Thaggar punched Fanak making the man scream in pain. Akira stared in horror at the site of the now bleeding man. She was certain she'd heard a bone break but she didn't even see where Thaggar had hit him. Everyone fell silent and even Fanak refrained from whimpering.
Akira was dumbstruck. Did Thaggar think she would forgive him when he had treated her mother's death as a burden himself?!
"Don't mind him Akira." Thaggar said gently as he took her hand to lead her away.
Akira stiffly followed and let him lead her ahead. He finally stopped by the door of a room and he finally looked at her but she was looking away.
"Akira." He called out but she didn't answer,"This is your room. I'll ask someone to prepare you a bath and nice food."
She released her hand from his grip and entered the room, shutting the door behind her. Thaggar was left standing alone in the hallway, looking at the spot where Akira had been standing. He sighed in resignation and walked away.
'She just needs time.' he told himself.
Early the next morning, Thaggar woke up and cleaned himself to look good for his wife, hoping she wouldn't give him the cold shoulder.
"Good morning your Majesty." Savvy greeted as soon as she saw him come to the table.
Thaggar nodded and noted Akira and Sarika's absence from the table.
"Where's mother?" He asked looking at Taki for answers.
"She's with Akira."
"And what is wrong with Akira?"
"She has a fever." Taki answered and she noticed Thaggar was about to turn to go to Akira,"Akira doesn't want to see you."
Thaggar stopped and slammed his fist on the table in frustration.
"This is my castle!"
"Give her time." Tak said before Thaggar could make a move,"Akira is strong headed and emotional. I fear she might run away to avoid you if you continue this way."
"She wouldn't make it. The walls are so high...."
"And Akira is a skilled climber. She has climbed the Kakuro mountains her whole life."
Thaggar, helpless, settled into his chair. He let Savvy serve him and ate in silence. He couldn't let this frustrate him this much. He still had to deal with matters of the council before he could rest.
He finished his meal quickly and went to the hall where he found his council members awaiting him. He hardly paid attention to what was being said, occasionally humming and nodding.
"I have concerns about your wedding." Fanak said making Thaggar finally look interested,"Do you plan on organizing another public one here?"
"Yes, that was the initial plan and it won't change." Thaggar responded.
"That too I suppose...after she is out of mourning?" Fanak asked with narrowed eyes.
"No. Once she is settles with our traditions."
Fanak smiled and looked away at the other members of the council.
"Is that all?" Thaggar asked, his eyes sweeping over them.
"Who is to be crowned queen?"
The room fell silent as everyone awaited Thaggar's answer. He looked at Fanak who had asked the question.
"Akira." He answered and there was a hushed murmur that filled the room. None of them wanted to question Thaggar about it after hearing what had happened to Fanak but they all disagreed with the prospect of having a queen who wasn't their own.
"But Akira is foreign to the people..."
"Then you are free to migrate with all your wives and children Tumu." Thaggar answered irritably making the older man's jaw drop at the sheer disrespect.
"But my king, the people....!"
"Will live with it Mahi." Thaggar finished and he immediately stood up, not wanting to hear any more.
The men watched him leave with long faces but they couldn't do anything about it. Fanak was smiling in his seat. It was obvious that the council was slowly losing the trust they'd had in their younger leader.
After Thaggar left, finding himself heading to the kitchen. He entered and saw Akira there, a pleasant surprise. She was cooking something in a large pot and was all alone. He knew she was probably told to do it because it was a rule for a new bride to cook but she was unwell, wasn't she?
"Good afternoon, Akira." He greeted her simply as he walked towards her.
"Afternoon my king." She answered, her words sounded forced.
"Aren't you unwell?"
She was quiet for a while as Thaggar was now standing directly behind her with his hand already taking the ladle from her.
"You should rest. You can perform this duty after our marriage here."
"Another one?" She asked turning to face him him, surprised.
"Yes. The people need to know who their queen is."
Thaggar was smiling with his voice filled with pride as he looked down at her.
"Isn't Savvy meant to be queen?"
"No. Don't speak about her."
Akira noted the change in his tone and facial expression. She pressed her lips into a thin line and just looked at him as though the answer to her question would come from his eyes.
"What are you cooking?" Thaggar asked cupping her chin.
"I'm making a soup. It's recipe is special to my ancestors."
"Mhhm.....it smells lovely."
Thaggar was smiling again but Akira's mind was elsewhere.
"Why can't she be queen and why haven't you consummated....?"
"AKIRA." Thaggar growled steppingstone away from her.
He was massaging his temples while she just stared at him blankly as though she wasn't the one to bring up the topic. Seeing that he wasn't going to answer her, Akira took the ladle from his hand and stirred her soup. Thaggar looked at her, dumbstruck. What was she trying to get out of this? Making her own husband look like a fool.
"What did mother do to you?" Thaggar asked.
"She took care of me, nothing more." Akira answered nonchalantly.
"What did she tell you? You weren't speaking to me."
Akira sighed and looked at him, pausing for a moment.
"She said I should understand that rocks cannot feel anything but hardened clay can be remolded."
Thaggar nodded even though he didn't understand what she meant.
"But....I need to know you." Akira stated stirred the soup once more,"I want to start with why Savvy cannot be queen."
Thaggar grunted in frustration but he didn't try to evade her.
"Savvy is my sister."
Akira dropped the ladle in her hands, her jaw dropped in shock. She found herself at a complete loss for words.
"She is my late father's daughter by another woman. When we married, he claimed she was Fanak's daughter."
Akira remembered Fanak as the man who had welcomed them and found herself even more lost than she initially was.
"Fanaq and Savvy, mother and Taki.....they don't know about it."
Akira just stared at him wordlessly, her mouth hanging low.
"Your majesty."
Thaggar and Akira looked in the direction of the voice finding Savvy standing in the door with a tray in her hands and a wide smile. Akira turned pale wondering if Savvy had overheard them.Savvy looked at Akira and rolled her eyes at Akira then turned to Thaggar still smiling. Akira pitied her but she knew she had no right to tell Savvy the truth.
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