Mayra's insistence on accompanying Roland was met with frustration on all sides, but she was stubborn and, she pointed out, had been wanting to go to the sea for years. This was her first opportunity to do so.
Roland warned her that as a single young woman, the Sea People might think she was part of the trade, but Mayra brushed that concern off easily.
"Besides, I have to look out for my new best friend, Naomi!"
Roland gave her a longsuffering look, and Mayra couldn't help but note how much more fatherly he'd become lately, even though his first child hadn't been born yet. Still, since he'd married her best friend in the world who was like a sister to her, he was nearly as much of a brother as Riley was.
"You'll have to wait outside while I go talk to my father and the Council," He chided, gesturing off to the side. She pursed her lips in mild irritation but complied. He was, after all, the ambassador between two nations and one of the most important officials in the land. All that on top of being the only Prince of Rhone. She shouldn't disrespect him publicly.
She strolled alongside the City Hall in the square, noting to her amusement that Peter was on guard duty again today. She'd enjoyed teasing him for a long while now. He was a fun friend to have, though a bit more intimidating since he'd come back from his last tour of duty with the patrolling troops.
He'd grown at least a foot or so while he was gone. Mayra had always been, and remained now, quite short, and had felt a bit of kinship with Peter since he had also been small when they met. Now, however, he towered over her. The annoyance over his growth prompted her to goad him more whenever she had the chance.
She knew very well that guards weren't supposed to talk while on duty. She could have some fun with this.
______
Peter had been watching her from the corner of his eye since the moment she entered the square. She was eye-catching despite her diminutive stature; her enormous personality attracted attention wherever she went. He wondered idly if she'd always been like that or if the bustle of the city had brought out this side of her personality.
He felt protective of her, as her older brother was akin to a mentor of his. Riley was an amazing warrior and had taught Peter much about sparring, particularly during their first year of duty together. They had both elected to stay in the army as soldiers when the rest of their class retired to other professions, deepening their bond.
Mayra's presence was primarily a byproduct of his friendship with Riley, but she seemed to love egging him on just as much as Riley enjoyed badgering others when it pleased him to do so. And yet, Peter couldn't help but be drawn to her.
His offer of the sea bugs--shellfish, he reminded himself--was a dinner invitation as a way to spend more time with the young woman, but he hadn't gotten much time to speak with her. Worse! She'd volunteered herself for some manner of matchmaking journey across the land. What a mess she was.
She was charmingly pretty with her light brown hair and matching eyes, but it was her bold spirit that intrigued him most. He had spent most of his life being the littlest in the room. As the youngest sibling, and a particularly short one at that, he'd had to either assert his place or lose it. Mayra was similarly small, but could never be ignored.
He admired that, even now that he had grown to a respectable height.
She gently touched the petals of some flowers as she sidled closer to his guard position, and he adjusted his eyes straight forward, intentionally and openly refusing to acknowledge her. He was sure she was playing some sort of game with him. The mischief in her eyes shined too clearly to be mistaken, even at a distance.
She strolled past him, her hands casually folded behind her back.
"My, what a hot day it is," She said to no one in particular. "What I wouldn't give for a drink of cool water just now."
Peter rolled his eyes. If she were trying to tempt him to leave his post, she would have to do better than that.
"If only I could go inside out of the harsh sun," Mayra sighed dramatically. "But alas, my escort has left me and only sword-bearers are allowed inside unaccompanied."
He kept looking straight ahead. Knowing how nosy she was, if let indoors she would likely try to eavesdrop on whatever meeting Roland had gone inside for moments earlier. Maddening.
"Ah well, I suppose I must rest here lest I faint from the efforts of my walk," She lowered herself onto the edge of a fountain, gingerly, as if she might swoon at any moment.
"Excuse me, Miss, are you waiting for someone?" A passing vendor asked. He pushed a hand cart of various foods for people to purchase and eat as they walked. Peter felt sorry that yet another stranger was being drawn in to one of Mayra's silly pranks.
"In a way," She whimpered, "My friend Peter isn't speaking to me right now."
"Not speaking to a pretty girl like you? The man must be mad." The vendor sympathized, and she nodded seriously.
"Oh, yes. Quite mad." Her eyes widened with theatrical flare as Peter's narrowed in annoyance. "He tried to get me to eat bugs."
"The scoundrel!" Declared the vendor. "Where is the blackguard now?"
"Well he's not dressed in black at the moment, but there he guards," Mayra slid her amused eyes over to Peter, who maintained his neutral expression as if he weren't being openly slandered in the city square to a perfect stranger.
"Oh," The vendor replied in confusion, "Perhaps he's not speaking because he's on duty?"
"That could be one explanation," Mayra conceded. The Vendor doffed his hat to her, as if realizing that she wasn't quite earnest in her statements to him and suddenly wanting to escape.
"Good day, Miss, I'll be moving on then." He pushed his hand cart away, resuming his calls for people to buy his wares.
Mayra held in her giggles until the man was out of earshot, and then strode to lean on the wall next to where Peter stood as she laughed.
"You think you're soooo clever." He muttered, barely moving his lips. It was a peculiar talent of his that he'd honed over time.
"I know I'm clever, but this was just a little bit of fun." She glanced at the sky as if she were speaking to it instead of to him. "Roland's gone inside and I have to amuse myself in some way until he returns."
"By attempting to embarrass me," Peter mumbled, showing no hint of irritation, lest he give her the satisfaction of knowing she'd succeeded.
"I would never interfere with one's duties," She looked at the ground. "I may have my own semi-official duties soon enough, you know."
"Seems likely," He said sarcastically. He hoped she would be prohibited from going along on this wild journey.
"That shows what you know. I'm invaluable to the cause of alliance. You made me eat their food, and now I'll make sure they get matched with their perfect brides. Who can put a price on that? I'll practically be the glue that holds everything together!"
"And so humble," His soft reply drew her direct gaze for the first time since their covert conversation began.
"Don't you be sarcastic with me." Mayra admonished. "I have an excellent track record... and I've seen some of the suffering that can come from a bad marriage." Her face turned sour as she remembered the years of suffering Dierdre had endured at the hands of her husband, and then a fake version of her husband.
He was better now, but that conversation had driven home to Mayra the seriousness of choosing a husband. It should not be done lightly, and the girls of Rhone deserved someone to look out for their well-being as they got married off to the Sea People's men, if that's what was going to happen.
Mayra hoped she could choose only the best men, and leave the bad ones to contemplate their life choices and perhaps improve themselves before trying to involve some poor innocent woman in their lives.
Peter's eyeline slid over to Mayra's insistent face and he reconsidered his opinion of her involvement. Maybe it wasn't purely a selfish desire for adventure that drove her. Perhaps there was more at work under the surface of her childlike need for mischief and attention.
The signal came for the Council meeting to begin, and Peter marched to join the ceremonial opening formation. Mayra sighed, watching him leave as if no conversation had happened at all.