Bastian's focus snapped to Hydrangea, "Did she want anything in return?"
She shrugged and gestured to the lean young man staring at them with curious eyes, "Only Sion here."
Bastian regarded him with narrowed eyes. It would be an insult to him and his honour of Hydrangea rejected a man of his status.
He wrapped his arm tighter around her waist and hovered his hand over the hardening plane of her stomach. "I've requested an audience with the Rajah. We'll meet with him tonight for a welcome feast."
She nodded and he released her waist, only to grasp her hand. He waved to Aidana, "Keep an eye on him." Nodding at Sion. She rolled her eyes but began to instruct him in Bentuki.
Bastian was only mildly surprised that she spoke the language and he wondered again where his mother discovered her.
~~~~~~~~~~
After Bastian and Hydrangea had bathed they comfortably sat on their porch—both of them trying to ignore the constant ebb of anxiety all around them.
"The Rajah's Adipati, his second-in-command, said that there's been unrest." Bastian said, racking his brain to find something light to talk about. "Pirates from other continents have been raiding the Mangna panlabasna isla and more people have been migrating inland."
She was quiet for a long while, her bright eyes trained on the trees shifting in the cool breeze. "How many other continents are there?" She voiced.
He hummed, his thoughts seized with that question. "No one knows for sure. We know that the pirates that are currently raiding along the coasts are from the south. Far south. Explorers have found land east of Membentuk that is barren and filled with nothing but moss covered rock."
He stared out at the horizon. He couldn't deny the dream within him; he wanted to sail those seas and record new places, new peoples, new sights. He had wanted to when he was younger. But his father had refused it, saying that he was his only heir. And now he was the ruler of a nation and he couldn't leave it to explore.
"You want to see them, don't you?" She asked beside him and he moved his hand to stroke his beard.
"Yes." He truthfully answered after a pause.
Her smile warmed his heart and he reached out to hold her hand. It slid into his perfectly. "I don't know why the Primals gave me you."
She frowned, injury showing on her face, "What do you mean?"
"I don't deserve you."
Understanding dawned on her face and she smiled warmly, "We were made for each other. And I couldn't imagine my life without you."
He opened his mouth to say that her life would've likely been infinitely better if he hadn't come into the equation. But he closed it. He couldn't imagine his life without her.
Evening came rapidly and he helped her dress in a more elegant attire than what she'd worn previous. They were escorted from their residence by two mute servants.
He himself was wearing the restrictive tunic and trews of the Bentukis. The green fabric was reminiscent of his typical clothes in Cadarama. As they floated down the river to one of the Rajah's smaller palaces, his mind was brought back to when he had escaped another palace almost a year ago.
His mind trailed down dark paths and he forcefully shook himself free of them. Hydrangea's placed her hand on his knee, as if sensing his discomfort. Breathing out a long sigh he took her hand and leaned down to give her a kiss.
Her lips felt like home. He felt like he belonged with her and he wanted to stay connected to her for just a little longer. To relish in that belonging. He wondered if she felt the same because she seemed reluctant to break their bond as well.
Her eagerness always made his heart race and a smile curve his lips. He loved it when she held him as though he was all she needed. Or when her eyes held his with that shining joy. He wanted to hold her in that moment.
Did she ever feel that heart wrenching need to hold him? She did. He knew. He thought back to many moments where her hands or arms were always on him.
"Bastian." She broke the kiss and squeezed his hand. Their eyes were both fluttering open.
After another hour the sun was resting on the mountain peaks, the pink flame spreading warm light across the jungles and groves. They finally reached a large and ornate dock, secluded and off to the side of the main river. Lanterns hung from the corners of the red and gold reed roof and the bamboo plank dock was covered in a tasseled rug.
Bastian helped Hydrangea out as soon as he stepped out and she smoothed her dress out. He watched her, his hand lightly gripping her arm. When she still hadn't raised her eyes and was focusing on her dress with an anxious energy, he lifted her pointed chin and she met his eyes.
"There's no need to worry. The Rajah is an old friend of mine. And you've skewed the key the Queen. We will be fine."
She nodded and he took her hand in his. They walked down a well lit path, lined with bright lanterns floating in pools and fountains. His brows drew together when he heard a bird call.
It was a Cadaraman bird call and his head quickly swung to the right. His eyes strained in the darkness and he could sense Hydrangea also peering there as well, though he doubted she knew why they were looking.
A pair of blue eyes became evident in the shadows and Aidana nodded. A sign that she would be there if something were to go wrong. He wondered for an instant where Sion had gone. But he trusted the woman enough to know that she wouldn't have killed him.
They continued to walk and soon the palace lay before them. Tall and ornate with carved stone reaching into high round pillars. Guards dressed in leather tunics with hands clasped behind their backs all stood in outcrops on the walls of the castle. Dozens of lanterns shone from the staggered levels of the building, casting light onto both him and Hydrangea's faces.
"Welcome Sovereign Bastian." A male voice greeted and both of their gazes turned to look at the crest of the stairs. A small man stood there, his dark hair tied back into a bun. "Welcome. Please, come and join the Rajah for his feast."
Bastian nodded and the man bowed low to allow them entry. He led Hydrangea in as he fixed his posture and cooled his expression. He had to be the Sovereign, not Bastian.