I hadn't really gotten a wink of sleep when Cai landed on my balcony as if he had simply been flying around in the air just seconds before.
~I hope he doesn't plan for me to fly too.~
Something about this man reminded me of a cat. Perhaps it was how he landed on his toes on the balcony and barely made a noise. If I hadn't been watching in anticipation I probably wouldn't have even noticed that he arrived. It could have also been the fact that I felt like I couldn't trust him, the same way I often did with cats. They could be cute and loveable one second, but the next, they could be trying to bite your hands off.
"Are you ready?" he asked and my stomach flipped.
"Yes." although in that moment leaving seemed scarier than staying.
~I'm ready, right?~
There wasn't much I was bringing as I had no real possessions in this world. I had a small bag that Dilera had prepared for me in case I ever visited the city again, and inside of that I had some assorted food and the two golden mallards that I had stolen from one of the rooms in the wing for the concubines.
I had put on my least expensive and least noticeable clothing from my ever-extensive wardrobe. It was an all black dress that had gold trim around the bottom. It was the plainest thing I owened, although it was still not very plain.
As if to agree with my thoughts, Cai frowned at the black dress as if he were sure that the clothing alone was likely going to blow our cover.
"I brought this." he said, and in one swift motion wrapped a cloak around my shoulders. It was brown and fraying at the edges. Amah would likely gasp at seeing me in such a thing, but it was a better disguise than what I had prepared.
"Thank you." I mumbled.
"Where is the Handkerchief?" He asked ignoring my gratitude and searching over my body for the blue handkerchief he had given me when we first met.
I pointed to my bedside table where it lay next to the note that Altan had written to me. I had packed and unpacked the letter multiple times. Some part of me wanted to have a keepsake to remember the sweet man who saved me in the desert. But If Altan returned and realized I had taken the note with me... I didn't want him to think I had any lingering feelings.
Cai sighed and glared at me as he went to retrieve the handkerchief. "If I find you without this one more time," he said as he came to stand in front of me again. "I will take it that you are a traitor of both Jala and Pani Rastra. And I will punish you accordingly for that sin."
My eyes widened at his words but I didn't speak as he put the handkerchief in his mouth and scooped my hair into his hands. He took my curls and placed them on top of my head then proceeded to tie them to the top of my head with the handkerchief.
"What are you doing?" I asked when I felt the secure ponytail on top of my head.
"Your features are too recognizable." he answered then grabbed the hood of my cloak and pulled it over my hair, and so it shielded half of my eyes. "everyone knows the Duke's Water-Mage-fiancé has red hair and blue eyes."
~Everyone knows that?... I mean I guess my features are a little rare, especially here in kiziljer where everyone has black hair, and the only people without brown eyes are the Fire Mages... Does that mean my escape will be even harder than I expected?~
Cai seemed to notice my worry. "Just keep yourself covered." He said "All you have to do is stay beside me." he paused, "It's not like you could do anything for yourself anyway."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
His eyebrows raised, "I'm talking about how you're a Water Mage who doesn't know how to manipulate water."
I thought about making some kind of snarky remark to this, but he was right. I was basically useless.
"Come." he said when I didn't respond, "We should go before the sun rises." he spoke with confidence although I still felt a bit of uncertainty in his expression. He was probably worried about the consequences of helping me. He hadn't wanted to in the beginning, and he probably still didn't want to... But he was...
"Cai," he turned toward the balcony, "I don't think I've told you 'thank you' yet, but-."
My sentence stopped when a harsh sound suddenly seemed to erupt from above me and a puff of dry dusty air flew in from my balcony followed by humidity.
"What?" I whispered to myself then felt my jaw drop open as I saw the rain pouring outside my balcony. "Rain? It's raining?"
I'd never seen rain in Kiziljer, and in all honesty I just assumed it never happened. I had maybe seen two or three clouds in the sky since the moment I had arrived in this world, and everything about this place was more dry than I had ever experienced. I needed to drink several cups of water each day to feel hydrated and my lips were always dry and cracking when I woke up in the morning. How was it raining? and why now of all times?
With that question realization hit.
I turned to the Water Mage Prince who was staring out toward the rain crashing through the sky, "Cai, are you?"
"Please don't tell me you've never seen someone make it rain before..." he looked at me and his eyes were glowing with the magic of this world that I did not understand.
~Technically, 'making it rain' has a very different meaning where I'm from...~
I stepped forward to the balcony and let the rain touch my fingertips. "How is this possible?" I whispered to myself, but Cai must have heard me.
"You are very strange." He assessed, then must have decided that was enough of an assessment, because he turned his attention to the courtyard below where the rain now fell so heavily that barely anything was visible. "Rain is the biggest distraction for anyone who grew up in the Ot Desert." he said, "Every guard on duty will run to give thanks to Vohan for striking a deal with Jala and they won't even think twice about anything else overhead besides the water."
My eyes turned from the rain to Cai, "Anything else overhead?"
He grinned at my question, "Like us."