Yunli had slipped out in the early hours, wanting to avoid unnecessary fanfare and eager to make it as far as possible the first day of her journey. Eirian's letter had left ahead of her, and Eric would have it long before she arrived. She had said goodbye to her family the day before, in quiet moments with each of them. Mingzhe had been the most upset, even though he hadn't said it out loud. Yunli knew why; Mingzhe blamed himself for the necessity of her marriage. For the possibility that she could end up in a terrible marriage. Yunli didn't think it likely based on Eirian's fondness for her cousin and her refusal to accept that kind of behavior, but she knew Mingzhe was prone to planning for the worst. He would never forgive himself if she were hurt trying to help him.
Mingzhe had always had the tendency to take everything onto himself. Some symptom of being the oldest child, Yunli mused. She felt like she was prying this from his death grip, but she was going to help him no matter what.
She fretted the entire trip to the capital. Twelve days of worry, only broken by sleep, but by the time the great bridge came into view, she'd steeled her nerves.
Mostly.
She'd planned her first meeting with Eric, everything she wanted to say, her possible responses to anything he might say. What would happen if she ended up meeting his mother at the same time? The Queen Dowager was fierce by reputation and by Eirian's own account. Yunli had grown up with a mother for whom fierce was too light a description, so she was very curious to meet Eric's mother.
She touched up her makeup as they crossed the bridge, smoothed the silk of her best robes. Guards from the Imperial Army joined them at the halfway point. By the time they reached the main street, they had quite the escort, and a crowd had gathered on the sidewalks to watch the procession. Had Eric made an announcement about who was visiting?
Yunli hadn't prepared herself for an audience this large, and she couldn't help but pick at the sticking on her sleeves as she looked out at the sheer number of people. She'd never seen so many in one place before. The Imperial Army was three times the size of the Crimson Army, and the population of Aontact was ten times the size of Camelia's.
It struck Yunli then that she was auditioning for the role of Queen of this place, and she would be responsible for all of them.
It was a weight she had never felt before, and it was immediately crushing.
The carriage rolled to a stop in front of an elegant manor that she was relieved to see was not the main palace and not at all what Eirian had described as Soliel Manor. It must have been the King's private residence, and she felt a wave of relief.
Once the gates closed behind the last carriage, she let out a breath of relief and squared her shoulders.
The carriage's door opened with a creak, and she squinted in the sudden light.
A young man stood at the foot of the carriage, his hand extended to help her down.
Yunli had only seen a few years-old paintings of Eric, though Eirian had described him in detail. Somehow those both failed in comparison with the man himself.
Eric looked like Eirian in practically every way. Yunli could easily see how they'd passed as siblings as children. The only major difference was the shade of their eyes, but he was still a striking man. If she felt physical attraction of any kind, she probably would have been inspired to do something foolish just from the look of him.
He had a blank expression on his face, no doubt thinking along the same lines she was. Trying to get a sense of her and her motivations.
Yunli smiled, demure and gentle, and took his hand, letting him support her as she stepped down from the carriage. It felt good to stretch her legs after a long day's journey. The sun was still high in the sky, so they were early for dinner. Yunli was too nervous to eat anyway.
She fell into a deep bow once her feet were firmly on the ground, pointedly aware of all the eyes on her. "Your Grace."
"Welcome to Aontact," Eric said, nodding and gesturing at her to rise.
Yunli rose gracefully and took the arm Eric extended. "Thank you, my lord. I am glad to have finally arrived."
"It is quite the journey." Eric agreed. "I am hoping to make it soon to visit my cousin."
"She would be very happy to see you, your grace. She speaks very highly of you."
Eric smiled at that. "We are very close. It speaks well of you that you come with her recommendation." The doors opened for them, and he led her into the manor.
"I was most flattered to receive it." Yunli agreed, looking around curiously. The manor was richly decorated, not all that different from the noble homes in the Camelia and Yunli found she liked the mix of deep blue and gold that made up the base of its decoration.
"It is a nice afternoon, would you be amenable to tea in the garden?"
"That sounds delightful." Yunli smiled; the butterflies could handle tea.
A shadow in the shape of a man moved. Yunli caught it from the corner of her eye, but Eric paid it no mind, so she dismissed it. Eirian had hinted that Eric's interests lay somewhere specific, and Yunli was intelligent enough to read between the lines. The only reason a king would hide a mistress, male or female, was if that lover was not of an acceptable station. The Land of Sorrow was odd that way among the kingdoms on the rock; they judged relationships between mixed stations more harshly than those between same genders. The White City on the other side of the rock forbade same sex relationships entirely, but its last two kings had married commoners. How interesting the differences were across the rock.
Eric led her into a small private garden, green and lush, the last of the summer blooms clinging as the air became chillier. A table had been set with tea and cakes, and Yunli thanked him politely when he pulled out her chair.
She waited until he was seated and served before picking up her tea and taking a sip. It did help to settle her nerves. Especially as his gaze hardened as he studied her. The king started to show himself.
Yunli waited for him to speak first.
~ tbc