"I'm sorry," Brenna turned soulful green eyes towards Mayra. "I tried to stay by the hut like you told me to, but some of the girls… It was too cruel, and to avoid another fight like before, I took off running. I'm afraid I got a little lost; I don't know my way around yet."
"Looks like Edmar was kind enough to find you for us," Peter added in with a touch of sarcasm.
"She found me," The Commodore's son shrugged.
"There aren't many people here that I recognize, I didn't mean to bother you," Brenna hung her head as she glanced at him.
"No bother. It's nice to be listened to sometimes," He replied cryptically.
"Well, we should be getting back," Mayra said meaningfully. She had so much to do and this blasted young woman was wasting her time, apparently chasing after one of the only single men she couldn't have!
Nodding goodbye to Edmar, Mayra took Brenna by the hand and began pulling her back towards the hut.
"Can you just stay put?" She whispered in annoyance. "I understand this is hard for you, but I am managing a lot of things and it is a waste of my time to try to track you down when you go wandering off! I was coming to tell you I've arranged for temporary shelter and your own Klain guard so that no one will bother you until such time as you find a suitable husband."
There was a strong emphasis on the word suitable, which wasn't lost on Brenna.
"I didn't mean to bother Edmar, I just was afraid to approach someone I didn't know," The Rhone woman was close to tears, and Peter's significant glance at Mayra suggested maybe she was being too harsh on Brenna.
"I understand that, but you can always come get me or Peter or one of the guards when you have a problem."
"I'll do that next time," Brenna promised.
Mayra sighed.
"I don't mean to be so irritable. Please just try your best to not go out of line." It was the best almost-apology she could muster under the circumstances, as she still didn't quite trust this woman.
"I'll try. I'm sorry, Mayra." The Rhone girl looked truly crushed, and Mayra took pity on her.
"Come on, let me show you where you'll be staying. You shouldn't run into problems with the other girls there."
Brenna followed in submissive silence and seemed to be doing her best to make good on her promise not to be any more trouble.
She didn't even complain about the fact that the rest of the herbs from her bag had been confiscated, except to ask that they be put to good use.
"Edmar said that his sister-in-law was injured. Those herbs can be made into a healing tea that should have her better almost instantly," Brenna offered.
"Are you asking to make it yourself, or offering us the recipe?" Mayra clarified.
"Whichever you prefer. I am happy to make it for her, or to give you the recipe, or both." Brenna said quietly.
Mayra chewed the inside of her cheek in indecision. If the recipe was anything like Finn's, which she had been unable to master, the tea would be more effective if made properly by Brenna.
"Why don't you go ahead and write down the recipe for me to look over? I'll let you know later." Mayra finally decided, and Brenna smiled and nodded in agreement.
Dropping her off at the temporary residence while Peter ordered the guard quietly to watch Brenna closely, but not oppressively, Mayra rubbed her temples.
"Why am I here, Peter?" She asked. "I mean, honestly, am I doing any good at all?"
Peter seemed to be growing used to her little rants into the air. Rhetorical in nature, she addressed them to him out of convenience, not out of actual pursuit of his answer. He often gave one anyway.
"I think you know," He replied.
"Do I?" She turned on him.
"Come on, why don't you go get the brides ready for the wedding you helped arrange?" Peter tried to cheer her up. "Gordon's been teaching me a new dance." That earned him a small smile.
"He is a good dancer," She conceded in a teasing tone, but Peter knew better than to think she liked the man seriously.
"I won't ask you to assess my skills just yet," He said with a grin, "You would surely judge them harshly."
"I'm nothing if not fair and impartial with all my opinions," Mayra breezed.
"Of course, but I know you have high expectations of me."
"Should I lower them?" Her eyebrows rose in a challenge.
"Not at all. I enjoy the triumph of meeting them," He stopped as they came to the front of the Bridal Hut.
"I'm sure you could have greater triumphs to your name than simply meeting my expectations of you," An amused smile played about her mouth, but disappeared as he stepped closer and lowered his voice.
"I intend to. My greatest triumph is yet to come, but you'll be the first to know when I achieve it… perhaps even before I know, myself." He looked seriously into her eyes.
"How could that be? Am I so well-acquainted with you that I know your achievements better than you do?" She asked breathlessly, her throat suddenly dry and her heart moving at double speed as he moved closer still.
His eyes dropped to her lips, and she inhaled in expectation. He lowered his head, and she swallowed as her stomach twisted into a knot of emotion.
Almost involuntarily, she lifted her chin and her eyelids drifted closed as she felt his warm breath on her face. A burst of giggles filtered out of the Bridal Hut, and Mayra jumped away from Peter as if he were a cactus.
She glanced around. Peter's subordinates, who were stationed in front of the hut, stared steadfastly at the ground as if ordered to do so. The laughter from inside the hut seemed to be unrelated to the spectacle outside of it, and for that Mayra was grateful.
Nobody else was in the immediate vicinity, but her cheeks burned nonetheless. She couldn't even look at Peter, but fled into the hut to help the ladies prepare for the evening.
If she had looked back at him, she would have seen a slow smile growing on his face.
She helped the brides prepare for their wedding, and then went to check on Brenna and get the recipe from her. It wasn't exactly the same as Finn's, but similar enough that it should achieve the same, or a better, result.
If Mayra could make it, which she couldn't.
With heavily mixed feelings, she gave the necessary herbs to Brenna and watched the woman closely as she prepared it, then walked with her to deliver it to Caspian and Naomi's hut. She'd managed to shake off Peter's constant escort by leaving when he was briefly distracted. It was better that way.
The time for the wedding was drawing near, but Mayra had missed Naomi rather dearly and hoped Brenna's tea would allow her to attend.
Caspian was skeptical, but all right with trying it as long as Naomi was willing. Mayra noted how they looked at each other with a seemingly unspoken conversation before the new wife nodded and took the tea.
She even thanked Brenna for it, demonstrating more kindness than any of the other Rhone had had towards the woman. Perhaps she hadn't heard of her before.
Either way, Naomi felt the telltale initial pain, followed by sudden improvement.
Mayra wished her well but ushered Brenna out so that the rest of the tasks could be completed before the wedding ceremonies began. There was so much to do!
And it wasn't just that she wanted to avoid thinking about almost kissing Peter. That invasive thought had nothing to do with her insistence on staying extremely busy. There were so many tasks to complete, she had no time for any thoughts at all outside of preparations.
Brenna briefly asked if Mayra felt well; she was looking flushed and maybe was coming down with a fever? But Mayra heaved a large sigh, thanked her sweetly, and delivered her back to her accommodations.
By the time the ceremonies were underway, she'd pushed the occurence far to the back of her mind. There was no point in lingering on it!
The vows were lovely. Time slowed from its hectic pace as Haf, who was feeling worlds better, went couple by couple for them to each have the experience of getting personally married by the Commodore.
Two or three of the couples actually seemed rather smitten with each other, which lent a more romantic tone to the evening than most had anticipated. Who could predict that so much emotion would already come out of these semi-arranged marriages?
The next bride offered bites of her cooking to her groom, and beamed as he removed her face covering and beheld her, and Mayra smiled. It was extremely sweet.
She closed her eyes and sighed, briefly imagining her own wedding day, and how nice it would be to have a man look at her with such emotion in his eyes.
Opening them again as the ceremony ended, she realized she was being looked at much the same as Peter smiled at her.