Chapter Fifteen
Kassen and Raliena spent most of the rest of the day talking about her ability, once Sherin was busy in the village with Sitnen and Derio. She wanted to get some new jewellery for the ball.
While they wandered around the castle, Raliena told the General everything, apart from how she gained her power in the first place. She told him she found out about it when she healed a scratch on her horse’s leg, which wasn’t entirely lying, as that was the first time she had used it other than on the Unisayan.
“Why hide it?” He had asked her.
“I thought people would be scared of me, maybe even throw me out of the Kingdom or they would try to find out where it came from and I did not feel like being scrutinised.”
Kassen nodded in agreement. He didn’t think he would have told many people either but he didn’t think he would be able to keep it only to himself, it would be too lonely.
Raliena told him about her travelling to Attashar to heal him and about bumping into the guard on the stairs. She couldn’t help laughing when Kassen told her about where they had found him.
The day ended quickly and soon they were bidding each other goodnight after eating together in the vast library Verxia had.
“Till tomorrow, Araman Raliena.” Kassen said, bowing low to kiss her hand.
“Till tomorrow, General Kassen.” Raliena replied, mildly embarrassed by his formality, but she went to sleep peacefully and at ease knowing she did not have to keep this secret to herself any longer.
Raliena’s bed was doused in sunlight when she woke. She decided to spend most of the day in her room, basking in the light that flooded her balcony. She would usually be helping set up for the ball but was too preoccupied with the past week’s events.
She was busy deciding whether or not to tell Kassen what she heard Dergen planning, hoping that perhaps Attashar could help her, but a move against the King’s advisor could be seen as a move against the Kingdom when she still had no proof of treachery. In the end she thought it best to keep quiet till the alliance was made, it was what Dergen was trying to prevent and even though she did not yet know the reason for it, the best thing for her to do was to do everything in her power to secure the alliance. This, as much as it pained her, meant hunting the Unisayan with the General.
The time to get ready for the ball quickly arrived and Raliena had a long soak in the bath she prepared for herself. She washed her hair and cleaned herself with oils that smelt like exotic flowers, which she had been given as a gift when she was named Araman.
She would not usually go to so much trouble, but strangely she was looking forward to tonight and to seeing Kassen again. She felt more relaxed than she ever had before and could not stop thinking about the kiss they had shared in the garden.
It was reckless so out in the open like that, someone may have seen them and she had never thought about a man in such a way before. It was both thrilling and intimidating and she did not think she had much room left for anymore emotions, pleasant or otherwise.
But, Raliena was still pleased that someone accepted her despite her strange ability, meaning she could speak and act freely around him. After this she would maybe even consider revealing herself to the King, but perhaps not with Dergen still around. He would find a way to twist it and manipulate the King’s opinion to his advantage, whatever that may be.
Raliena was reluctant to leave the warmth of the bath, with the fire blazing to heat the room. She was fortunate enough to be given a room with a small bathhouse attached to it, private to her. It was made originally to keep the purity of the Araman protected, but the present King thought it was such a good idea, that many of the rooms in the castle had been adapted to have one; like the guest rooms the visitors from Attashar were using.
Finally, Raliena forced herself from the bath and into her room to dress in the gown the King had sent for her and present herself as Araman.