Arranged (30 page)

Qwinn smiled at her. "Adalia and I are considered almost too
pretty
to be considered Vidarian's."

Alison couldn't believe her ears. "But…some are so….scary looking."

Adalia shrugged. "That's the way it has always been. Sometimes the child may have a abnormality that does not look anything like the parents. Oddities many times skip generations, as do powers."

Qwinn leaned back on his arm, smiling smugly. "I think humans look scary."

ALISON FROWNED SLIGHTLY. "YOUR MOTHER was human."

"And she looked odd."

Adalia rolled her eyes, intervening before someone got heated. "I think she was beautiful, just like Alison."

Alison smiled shyly. "Thank you…will you tell me about your mother?"

Adalia glanced at her brother to see if the subject was still sore with him. When he didn't react in anger, she cleared her throat. "She was younger than you are when she…stumbled across our people. She was sixteen in human years and according to our father, the most stubborn woman he'd ever met."

Alison sat back comfortably as she listened, thankful they were finally telling her something about the only other human down here. "How did they fall in love?" she asked.

"Father was charged with her safety and though she tried to run away, many times, he was patient with her. He showed her the ways of our people and taught her to speak Vidarian."

Qwinn leaned forward, engaging himself in the conversation. "She still longed for her home. My father loved her very much. One day he agreed to escort her to the surface. When the sun was set, he took her up. Her father spotted my father and grabbed his sword…"

Adalia picked up the story without missing a beat. "He chased my father away into the woods and took my mother to his house. When she tried to convince him that my father meant no harm, he thought her to be poisoned by our people!" She finished, as if the thought was unheard of.

"He struck her," Qwinn growled. "My father had been watching from the trees and spit phlass onto his face to protect her."

"Phlass?"

"Vidarian's have a thick… spit that covers the face and causes whomever to pass out, giving us time to run away."

Goosebumps grew on Alison's arms as she remembered her capture and the creature that spit on her. Adalia placed a hand on her arm. "We use that when we do not want to harm our adversary."

That did little to ease her anxiety. "What happened next?"

"My mother came back to him, willingly. She said she had realized she'd loved him all along and her father had grown cruel in her absence," Adalia finished. "Then a few years later, we were born."

"She sounds very brave."

Qwinn nodded. "She was a remarkable woman…" he paused. She could tell this was hard for him.

"I'm sure she would be proud of you if she were here," Alison said. She didn't know whey she said it, but she felt some need to comfort them both.

Qwinn nodded solemnly while Adalia wrapped her finger around a long blade of grass as she thought.

Silence hung between the trio. It seemed no one knew what to say, where to pick up the conversation. Finally, Adalia opened her mouth. "You remind me a lot of her. You could have been sisters."

Alison shook her head. "I am not brave."

Qwinn met her eye. "I think otherwise."

"Some people act brave because they want to be, other become brave because they have to be," Adalia added. "I think you have both qualities."

Qwinn continued to watch Alision and for some reason, she watched right back. Something about his presence at that moment calmed her, yet set her skin on fire. She felt as if she didn't have to be brave while he was around. She knew she was lying to herself, but she thought that perhaps he was beginning to like her.

The thought sent her heart skipping slightly. She had never been
liked
by anyone romantically. Everyone always said she was beautiful with her red hair and clear skin, but she had never grown in a friendship with someone to get to that point.

As the night went on, she found out that their society was similar to what the world used to be on the surface. They had royalty, others with high status were almost considered Lords and Dukes. However, the only person with power over the Vidarian people was their King. It was interesting to see that the Vidarian King did not rule in a dictatorship. Instead, it was a leadership.

Alison was surprised to find that Qwinn listened to his people and actually cared for them. It was unexpected since he always acted so hard. It made her curious as to why he was so angry and pushing people away to protect himself.

Since they were twins, she wondered if they used to act the same. Qwinn and Adalia were like night and day in their personalities, but from the stories they were telling, Qwinn sounded like he used to have fun.

She laughed as brother and sister tried to out-due each other with their stories. Alison knew, somewhere in the back of her mind that it was too late for her, she had let them in. She knew it because she felt comfortable around them. It was hard for her to keep them at bay when they were the only ones to ever bother to befriend her in her entire life.

As she watched them argue back and forth, she felt a yearning to be a part. She wanted to be a part of a family, to be loved.

She frowned at the ache that had suddenly taken residence in her heart. All of her life she had been strong because she had to. But now, when she should have to be strong, it seemed that those around her were willing to be strong for her.

The hand she suddenly felt on her arm shocked her from her thoughts. "Are you alright?" Qwinn asked softly.

She nodded and blinked a few times to focus. "I was just thinking." She met his black eyes and smiled reassuringly.

He studied her, starring deeply into her eyes. For a moment, she feared he could see the way she was drawn to him or hear the way her heart raced. She tried to control herself but the blush crept to her cheeks anyway.

Adalia watched her curiously. Alison remembered what she'd said about reading emotions. She cleared her throat and turned her eyes right to Adalia, covering her shyness with bravery she didn't feel. Perhaps Adalia had been right about her. "So, when do I get to dance in the tent?"

Qwinn's eyes widened slightly as Adalia smiled. "Do you think you're ready?" she teased.

Alison shook her head. "You said you would teach me more."

Adalia looked to Qwinn with a smug look. "When can we travel to the tent brother?"

Alison's curiosity about the tent increased as Qwinn narrowed his eyes at his sister. "Not tonight."

"We've still got all night. What do you plan to do to entertain her?"

WHY DID HIS SISTER INSIST on making his life harder? Truth was, he hadn't thought that far ahead. He had been enjoying his time with Alison. He could take her to the caves, but that was a trip he wanted to go on with Alison alone. He knew that no matter where he decided to go, Adalia would insist on tagging along. Then an idea hit him, a scary thought, but an idea nonetheless. He needed to gain her trust and introduce her to his culture, so he would do just that. "We'll go to town."

Adalia's eyes grew wide in surprise. "Are you sure she's ready?" she asked in Vidarian.

Qwinn didn't answer for a moment. "She will have to be," he answered back.

Alison shifted uncomfortably as they spoke.

"Yes, we will travel to town," he said in English for her benefit. She threw him a look of uncertainty.

He made a point of turning all of his attention to her. "I will protect you." He would have to. He clearly remembered when he'd taken her to the fort and the way his men had looked at her. For a moment, he was uncertain of his decision. There were many more eyes in town.

A wave of calm washed over him. He knew Adalia most likely had something to do with it. This was the one time he was grateful for her power. Alison would have to be introduced to his people eventually.

The servants held the reins to the Ou'tani as Alison climbed on, followed quickly by Qwinn. Adalia rode her own Ou'tani, a nervous anticipation in her eyes. This time Qwinn rode with soldiers on their outing. It was not that he didn't trust his people, but he had to be certain that Alison would be protected. She was, after all, the first human to come here since the war.

He urged the Ou'tani to a smooth gallop. He knew that even now, he was trying to delay the inevitable. Alison remained stiff in front of him. She was obviously nervous. He wasn't sure how to comfort her, so he left her to her thoughts.

The town came into view and Qwinn took a deep breath. Vidarian's were good people. He knew he was overreacting. The trip reached the outer lying houses. The few Vidarian's that were out in the streets bowed their heads then turned their eyes to Alison. He too watched her to see how she was reacting, though he could only see the back of her head. She was stiff, but from what he could see, she looked right back at the townsfolk.

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Adalia watching the townspeople with a close eye. She was putting a calming vibe in the atmosphere.

No one reacted out of anger, which made him feel more at ease. They continued, heading right for the market place. Everyone was out in full force at this time of night. Business was well underway. Shop owners grew excited at the sight of the King and princess. Many rushed forward, holding their best items up for view.

A few paused at the sight of Alison. Qwinn stiffened as a few of the men narrowed their eyes at her. Alison gripped the saddle tighter at his reaction. He forced himself to calm, for her sake. He nodded toward the men, letting them know that he was watching them.

He slowed his Ou'tani, allowing all of his people to get a look at her. It made him extremely uncomfortable, but he would rather have the first shock over with. His people hadn't always been this hard toward humans. The war had changed everything.

He could hear a soft buzzing lifting through the crowded marketplace. It took him a moment to realize the buzzing was actually whispering. His eyes scanned the crowd. Everyone was leaning to their neighbor and talking about what they saw. Finally, Qwinn's Ou'tani had to stop due to the crowd.

As they sat there, everyone's eyes on them, Qwinn felt as if he were on display. His people had never intimidated him before this moment. He urged his Ou'tani to its knees and he climbed down, determined to take back control of his emotions.

The crowd parted slightly, leaving a small clearing around the Ou'tani's. Adalia's eyes skittered across the crowd, no doubt searching for someone who needed to be calmed more than the rest. There was no way that she could control this many people, she'd need to be picky and smart about it.

Qwinn's heart was racing as he reached for Alison. It was almost funny to him; he'd been in battles with the most vicious creatures and had barely drawn a sweat, but now, introducing Alison to his people and them to her, he was reacting as if he were a child.

Alison's grip on his arm was strong as she climbed off, as if she didn't want to let go. He could see the fear in the way her pulse jumped in her neck, but so far, she was doing an excellent job at keeping it off of her face.

Once she was standing, her hand slid down his arm and to his hand, holding on. Qwinn's eyes studied her light skinned hand in his dark one. He had touched her before, but there was something about this connection that set his heart racing for an entirely different reason.

He cleared his throat and at the same time, his mind, focusing on the matter at hand. He turned his sights to his people, walking straight for a food cart. He walked slowly so that Alison could walk steadily. She gripped his hand tightly as they walked through the people, who parted for them, as if they didn't want to touch the couple.

Qwinn trained his black eyes on the man running the cart. The man bowed. "What would please you?" he asked in a thick Vidarian.

Qwinn turned to Alison, "do you see anything you'd like?"

For the first time, Alison turned her eyes away from the massive crowd and looked at the food. "I don't think I'm very hungry."

The man behind the cart began to fidget. Qwinn knew he didn't understand very much English, but the fact that Alison was now shaking her head, made him think that his food wasn't good enough. The culture of his people were to assist and please guests, no matter who they were.

Qwinn pointed to sweet rolls, knowing that she and Adalia would enjoy them later, when they were hungry.

The man launched into action, wrapping each roll in a thin paper before handing it to the King. He paid the man well and spoke to Alison over his shoulder, "This is the market at the center of town. When we have celebrations, they usually take place here."

Her eyes scanned the crowd. A few Vidarian's had gone back to their usual routine, deciding to ignore their presence, others continued to stare.

"This is Alison," Qwinn said to the cart owner.

The man bowed to her. "Baadeaasss Alissson."

SHE STARED BACK AT THE MAN WITH YELLOW EYES that had just said something to her and bowed. She didn't know the culture of Qwinn's people, so she curtsied.