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“What is going on?” I demanded as he hurried inside, locking the door behind him.
His face set in a grim line. “Is your mother here?”
Carelessly, he handed me his coat. Beneath it, he wore a bright white djellaba. The fabric billowed around him as he turned, surveying our small house. He looked like he just left the Caid’s palace, and he probably did.
“What’s going on?” I frowned, wondering why he was looking for her. “Did something happen at the border?”
He turned to me. “Why would you think that?”
“You just came from the palace, and you’re looking for my mother. It’s the border or something big.”
He sighed heavily, running a hand through his hair. “No, nothing happened at the border. But I need to see Dihya.”
“I’m already here.”
We both turned towards the voice and saw her standing in the living room’s doorway. She wore a simple green dress and her hair was pulled back into a tight bun.
Her gaze focused on uncle Mehdi. “What’s going on?”
He took a step forward. “I wouldn’t have come if it wasn’t important. I need your advice.”
She gestured for him to enter the kitchen. I followed them.
As my mother and uncle Mehdi settled down in the kitchen, I quietly drew a rune on the door. It was a simple, light charm I mastered long ago. With a thought, I activated it, and a faint light emitted from the rune that turned into an orb, casting the room in a soft glow. Just enough to chase away the darkness. The kitchen was small, with only enough space for a table and four chairs. The mosaics on the walls reflected the light from the spell, casting the room in a soft, ethereal glow.
My mother and uncle Mehdi spoke in hushed tones as I leaned against the counter. Straining to hear what they were saying, I could only make out the faintest words. What couldn’t have waited until the morning? As I drummed my fingers on the counter, I felt the urge to keep busy. From the white kitchen cabinet, I grabbed freshly baked cookies in a sealed box. Then I got the kettle to boil the water. It was silent in the room.
The high pitch of the kettle pulled me out of my thoughts, and I prepared the tea. It was a strong mint tea, my mother’s favorite. I placed it on a tray with two small plates of cookies before placing it on the table.
“Thank you, darling,” she said absentmindedly as she wrapped her hands around the cup.
“You’re welcome.” I took a seat on the other side of the table, nibbling on a cookie as I waited for them to speak again.
Uncle Mehdi rubbed his temples.
He took a sip from his tea and sighed. “The Lunja are here for a bride. A royal bride.”
My face paled as I stared at him. The room felt like it was spinning. The Lunja? I gripped the edge of the table tightly, knuckles turning white as I tried to process what was happening.
The Lunja had been here for three months now. Their visit almost bankrupted the region. And now they wanted a bride?
“Why?” I croaked. “It’s not their way. It’s not our way.”
The Lunja didn’t marry for political gain, they married for love.
“I know,” uncle Mehdi said tiredly. “But they are here, and they are insistent. We don’t know why.”
History flashed before my eyes. There wasn’t a single case in the past twenty thousand years of a Lunja royal marrying outside their race. It just didn’t happen.
My mother was silent for a long moment as she stared at her teacup. I could see the wheels turning in her head, but she said nothing.
Why would he do that? What would Prince Maedras want to marry a human wife? A loveless marriage of convenience? It made no sense.
“Who?” I asked, my throat dry.
“That’s the problem.” Uncle Mehdi ran a hand through his hair. “They haven’t told us who they want. They just announced their intention during the banquet. Half of Midar will know the news by tomorrow. This can’t be silenced.”
My mother looked up. “Isn’t he involved with that Selkie? Lady Kanna?”
