The Arete - Princess-Consort Ch. 03

Caeli could, or rather would, be mine forever. And she gave every indication of wanting to be mine forever.

"What are you two doing?" Yonjax came out onto the balcony with us, laughing in genial bemusement.

"We're-," Caili started guiltily, hands still in my hair, but stilled, "Nothing."

"Okay," Yonjax accepted, grin still on her face, "Well, why don't you stand back up and fix yourself, Tai? If only your soldiers could see you now..."

I picked my hair tie up off the floor and tied my ponytail back with practised ease as I stood, then stooped for Caeli's circlet and handed it to her.

She held the circlet uncertainly, not wanting to put it back on over her unmade hair. I helplessly looked at my beloved and her unfettered locks, realizing her worry, but unable to take useful action.

"And?" Yonjax prompted me, nodding to Caeli.

"I, er," I no more knew how to fix Caeli's hair than I knew how to untie the Gordian Knot.

"Honestly, Taiglox," Yonjax rebuked me cheerfully as she stepped behind her sister.

Having no response, I shrugged and shook my head.

Yonjax swiftly replaited Caeli's hair, not so elaborately as before, but serviceably and attractively. "You will have to teach her everything," she warned her little sister good-naturedly.

"I will," Caeli looked up at me and smiled too.

"I look forward to learning," I answered honestly.

"Uh-huh," Yonjax teased, "big bad soldiers make the absolute best handmaidens, I'm sure. But it's time to call it a night. Let's go, Caeli. Taiglox, you'd better go tell our poor ponderous cousin that she's free to go too."

"Yes, Your Highness," I accepted the order simply, but took Caeli's hand and kissed her dainty wrist formally before quitting the balcony.

Vostiv was relieved when I relieved her for the night. Poor girl was adequately trained on a purely technical level, but was going through a coltish phase in which her physical gracefulness was moderately limited. Like me, my squire would probably end up shining more ahorse than she would on the dance floor.

"Thank you," she joyfully responded to her release.

"No problem," I agreed as we walked to the hanging cloaks, notably fewer remaining to be reclaimed, "I think you're probably right about tournaments being better fun."

"Unquestionably, ser," Vostiv agreed enthusiastically, but continued less so, "I'm glad you're warming to the knighthood. I did tell Yon before, about your not being completely invested in being a knight and all. I think that's probably why she brought Ser Gharntex and those books."

"That was good," I complimented my squire although she feared anger, "I think we both needed some tutoring." Redonning my ridiculous cloak, we stepped out of the ballroom.

"Okay," she took a breath as we passed a few guardswomen in the passageway, "I told her something worse."

"As long as it was true, there's no harm, Vostiv."

"I told her about your cousin, General Trogox, wanting you to be her aide-de-camp."

"Oh," I considered, "I suppose I should have told her that myself."

"You don't care?"

"About you reporting back?" I shrugged, "Not at all."

"You don't care which commander you get either?"

"I do, of course, but that's not something I've ever been able to choose before either, so it's no matter really," then I sighed, "I'd follow a horse girl if it meant I got to be a cataphract again."

"Could be worse than being an aide-de-camp, ser," Vostiv suggested.

"How so?"

"You could be the squire of an aide-de-camp," Vostiv smiled slightly, "What will I do? Carry any papers that are slightly too unimportant for you to lug around?"

I laughed heartily. "Did you actually crack a joke?" I asked my all too serious young squire.

"I believe so, ser," she confirmed.

She was developing a soldier's humor at least, one of many good signs.