"Where shall we go first?" Altan rubbed his hands together. Even though he seemed skeptical at first, he hadn't stopped smiling since we exited the walls of the palace. Apparently, he didn't leave for excursions like this often, and he was excited to eat the street food of Kiziljer.
"hmmm," I followed beside him and fixed the headdress I was wearing over my hair again. "Why don't we go get some of that food you were talking about?"
Before we left the palace, Altan had insisted we both dress in the clothes of commoners. Which, apparently, was far baggier clothing than what I usually wore at the palace. It also came with a headdress for both myself and Altan. Mine nearly covered my entire face except my eyes and insisted on sliding off of my hair every two seconds.
The headdress reminded me of a hijab, and although I didn't see any other people in the city wearing them, I wondered if it was customary to wear the headdress for a specific religion in the same way it was on earth. "Do people wear head coverings like this for the gods?" I asked Altan. we were still next to the palace walls and Altan was walking as if he was excited to get somewhere.
"For the gods?" he repeated, "Not usually. Generally, in Kiziljer, people wear headdresses like this to protect themselves from the sand."
That made sense.
~I probably would have traded one of my empty bottles of water for a face covering like this when I was trekking through the desert. The wind was strong enough that each time it blew, millions of sand pieces flew with it. Making it feel like I had been in a constant hail storm.~
"Certain Air Mages do wear veils though." he said as if considering my thoughts, "They believe Luft, the god of air, asks some of them to conceal their identity."
I nodded my head, although in the moment it seemed like quite a bit to take in. It made me realize just how complex the different cultures and peoples of this world were. Probably equally complex if not more -considering they could also wield magic- than the peoples of earth.
"Are you alright?" Altan asked of my silence. I nodded my head again, and he took my hand.
He interlocked his fingers with mine as he pulled us down a small alleyway. Ivy grew along the walls and flower boxes lined the road. When we had arrived, all the flowers in the city were the colors of Ot Ulut: red and orange. But now small white flowers filled the flower boxes. And a sweet, relaxing smell emanated from the space.
~Chamomile?~
"Do you like it?" Altan asked when he saw me looking at the flowers.
"There are so many." I gasped, I looked up ahead and more chamomile flowers decorated the streets. They were everywhere. How did they get so many of them so quickly?
"It's to celebrate our wedding." Altan squeezed my hand lightly, and I didn't fight the comfort in the gesture. It seemed like he hadn't stopped holding my hand since the moment we arrived in Kiziljer. at first, it made me nervous and slightly uncomfortable. But now, I liked the feeling of it. Although I would never admit that to anyone.
"Our wedding." I repeated the words, and it sounded weird on my tongue.
~Our wedding that won't happen. Because I will escape first.~
Perhaps Altan noticed the apprehension in me, so he changed the subject. "So, tell me about this thing you called a 'date'." we continued down the alleyway and I stared at the chamomile as we walked, "You said that people do it to get to know each other?"
I nodded my head and wondered if I should have introduced the concept of a 'date' to him. "usually people try to do things together. And they ask each other questions." I said, "It's supposed to be a fun activity."
"Then let me ask you this:" he said, "How do you know nothing about Pani Rastra, or even what is expected of you as a Lady, but still know what this concept of a date is?" he raised an eyebrow with his question.
"It sounds like you've been talking to Amah." I said in an attempt to evade the question.
Altan nodded, "She tells me you are hopeless. She says if you are to become my first wife that I should hide you away from the world or you will cause me great embarrassment."
I shuttered at his words. Amah was certainly cruel. "There is another option." I shrugged and met his eyes, knowing that in that moment I was doing exactly what Amah was talking about when she said I was an embarrassment. "You could always find someone else to marry."
Altan laughed at my suggestion and his deep voice echoed off the alley walls. "That could be an option," he agreed, "Then he brought his gaze back to mine fiercely, "But, for some reason, I find your lack of manners extremely endearing."
I tore my eyes from him. "How inconvenient." I answered in a voice quiet enough that I wasn't sure if he could hear.
"You wound me, my duchess." he said, and his hand tightened on mine as we made another turn and found ourselves on a street that was far more crowded with people than the alley had been.
"I'm not your duchess, yet." I said and felt slightly annoyed.
"'yet' is the key word." Altan flashed a smile and his dimple beamed at me.
"So far, our date is not going very well." I said.
"Really?" he seemed to enjoy the banter, "I seem to be finding myself more infatuated with you by the second."
I rolled my eyes. and Altan quieted as the crowd of people around us grew thicker. He drew his head covering further over his face and pulled me close to him as we skirted through the crowd. I assumed he didn't want to be caught out in public as the Duke.
We continued down the road, and I stared at the vendors along the street. They sold spices, clothes, foods, and there were whole stands devoted to selling chamomile flowers.
"Here we are," Altan spoke softly so his voice would only be heard by me. "you must ask that vender for the lamb meat skewers." As he said this, he slid some coins into my hand, the weight of them feeling unfamiliar to me. "That was my favorite when I was a child and I used to sneak out of the palace for food."
A small smile caught my lips as I imagined a young Altan hiding meat skewers from Amah. I looked to the vender then found my smile falling as Altan pushed me alone toward the food.
"Why do I have to do it?" I asked and looked at the coins he had given me. They had no writing on them, so I had no idea how much each was worth.
"They might recognize me if I speak to them." he said, "I'll wait for you over there." he pointed to an area where fewer people were congregating.
I approached the stand slowly, and every tiny rule of manners ran through my mind that Amah had yelled at me that morning. I stared at the coins Altan had given me. Some were silver and some were copper, but I wasn't sure of the worth of any of them. Instinct told me that copper ones would be less valuable, but my instincts seemed to be of little use here.
"What do you want?" the vendor spoke upon my approach.
I kept my eyes down, but my head up. "The lamb meat skewers." I answered.
"That'll be three Ot." he answered, but he didn't seem annoyed. Maybe I was doing a good job. I tried to imagine Amah making a proud face. Then I looked down at my coins and balked.
~How much is three Ot?~
In response, I put all the coins in his hands, "Keep the change." I said as I took the bag of food he was holding, then scurried off toward where Altan waited.
Altan grinned at me as I approached him. "Well done, my duchess." he said.
"Stop calling me that." I stuffed the bag in his hands.
He laughed, "I will tell professor Ruslan to teach you about our money next time." he took my hand again and I almost wanted to fight it. "And what would you prefer I call you?"
"My name would suffice."
"Very well," he responded, "My Azul."
A chill ran over my arms.
~Does it have to start with 'my'?~
"The next thing I need you to get is some of that yoghurt." he nodded to a stand that was being attended by a man who wore a headscarf like his own. "Ask for the one with pomegranate." he placed more coins in my hand.
I opened my mouth to protest, but before I could, he pointed to the copper coins in my palm. "This is an Ot." he said and held my hand out with his underneath it, "and this one," he pointed to the silver coin, "Is worth ten Ot."
I swallowed and realized I had paid 35 Ot for meat skewers that only cost 3 Ot. "I-" I stuttered and met his eyes, "I paid too much for the meat skewers."
A half smile grew on his face and he pushed me off toward the yoghurt stand, "I have plenty more Ot in the palace." he said.
I frowned at his response, then made my way to the Yoghurt stand.
The interaction with the Yoghurt vender went far better than the previous vender, especially since I was more confident in my ability to pay the correct amount of money.
"Thank you!" I smiled to the vender when he handed me the yoghurt. But, when I met his eyes, his smile dropped.
~Shit. I'm not supposed to say thank you.~
"What beautiful eyes you have." The vendor commented. He couldn't have been too much older than Altan, but his bearded face was not nearly as attractive as Altan's was.
~Oh double shit! My eyes!~
My eyes flew to the yoghurt in my hand at his words. It was obviously going to be harder than I thought to learn to avoid eye contact with people.
"Woah, Woah, where are you going." The vendor caught at my arm as I turned from him, and suddenly he was around the cart and standing beside me.
"I apologize for my impoliteness." I murmured the words that Amah had taught me to say in case I was ever in such a situation as this.
"Not to worry." the vendor said and tipped his head to meet my eyes. Although it wasn't a gesture that I felt comfortable with. I didn't feel safe like I had when Altan met my eyes. "You weren't impolite at all."
"What?" I tried to step back from him, but his hand on my arm gripped tighter as he stepped closer.
"If you wanted something else from me..." he whispered, and every hair on my body stood. "I would be glad to give it." His hand travelled up my loose fitting sleeve. And my stomach clenched in disgust.
~So this is what it means when I meet a man in the eye? It's a sexual thing?!~
"It was an accident." I said and attempted to pull my hand from his grasp. When I pulled away, I nearly lost my balance because at the same time his arm was yanked from his hold on mine. and Altan stood beside him with all the anger of a tiger emanating from him.
"You heard her." he said, and his voice was so low that it sounded almost like an animal growling. "It was an accident. "
The man somehow was unintimidated by Altan, even though he stood probably a foot taller than him. "Shove off." the man said and attempted to shake off the hold Altan had on his wrist. "She was giving me the eyes." he said and looked at me again smiling. "Look, she's doing it again." my eyes flew to the ground at his words. "She wants me."
"I do not." I spoke loudly and the man's smile dropped ever so slightly.
"You heard her." Altan said, "Now, apologize."
The man laughed, "Apologize to a bitch that can't keep her eyes to herself?"
"Have it your way, then." Altan's voice came out harsh.
The vender's laugh slowly turned to a scream. And he struggled for released from Altan's grip. I didn't quite understand what was happening until I saw smoke coming from the area where Altan touched the man's wrist.
Altan was burning him.
His eyes shined with the same fire I had seen that night in the desert and a chill of fear ran down my spine. Altan was kind and gentle. But if he wanted to, he could be a monster.
The surrounding crowd hushed at the man's screaming and people turned to watch, but no one attempted to intervene. Altan drew his headscarf over his face and released the man.
The man fell to the ground, squealing in pain and attempting to hold on to the burnt pink skin that now sat on his arm. The mark on his arm, it was the shape of Altan's hand. He had been branded.
"You will respect all women you cross paths with." Altan spat at the man, "Or you will find yourself with more injuries than this one."
"Damn Fire Mage." the vender cursed and stared at his wound.
Altan showed no remorse as he grabbed my elbow and pulled me from the crowded street. I flinched when his hand touched my skin, but there was no pain in his touch. When he touched me it was always with soft, kind, warm hands... but those same hands could deliver extreme pain if they wanted to.
Altan didn't speak as we walked. And I didn't dare speak to him. I had never felt fear for him. Not in the slightest. But now, I understood why I probably should have feared him from the beginning. If I got on his bad side, or if I did something unforgivable, for example: trying to escape before our marriage, I may have far more reason to fear him than I did already.
He didn't look at me as we continued through the streets of Kiziljer. I noticed somewhere through the scuffle with the man that I had lost my yoghurt, but Altan still held tightly to the bag of meat skewers.
~This is probably one of the worst first dates I've ever been on. Although, I guess it's not Altan's fault. In the end, he was just protecting me. I'm at least grateful for that.~
Altan's feet finally slowed, and it felt as though we had walked nearly all the way across town. He took a slow breath as if attempting to release his anger, then pulled me to a small staircase that led up the side of a building.
I stilled when we reached the top.
We were on the roof of a building by the edge of the town. All I could see before us was the rolling sand dunes of the desert. The sun was beginning to set, and the sky was an incredible shade or deep red. Red like Ot Ulut. I'd never seen a sunset like it.
"I'm sorry." Altan spoke for the first time and brought me from the view. He had let go of my arm and clenched and unclenched his fists a good amount of times before he even seemed remotely cooled off.
"It wasn't your fault." I said, realizing now why Amah was so persistent about teaching me manners. "I looked him in the eyes." I said, "I shouldn't have done that."
"Whether you did or not." he spoke, "He should not have touched you like that."
"Your Grace," I reached out and touched his all-too-tense shoulder.
"Look at me Azul." he said, and my eyes flew to his instantly. "You can only look at me like this, alright?"
"I-"
"Only me." he spoke again, "Don't look at any other man."