Kingdom in The Sand

Fortunes in the Sand

The caravan procession was ten units long and consisted of a lot of staff and guards. Marie-Fey's carriage was the fifth in the procession, Maanah's was the fourth.

Barnaby was one of Marie-Fey's camels, and he complained at her for ten minutes about being harnessed up to drag her across the desert when he had been perfectly comfortable snoozing in the shade.

"Oh, shut up, I know already," Marie-Fey sighed at him as she handed Aya's cage off to one of her ladies who was packing the last of her boxes.

He snorted at her and Mr. Larkin shrieked from Marie-Fey's shoulder, his angry chatter making Barnaby go quiet – it was a decidedly offended quiet.

"Alright, let's be off before the sun gets any higher," Marie-Fey said with a sigh, pulling Mr. Larkin from her shoulder and passing him off into Gharam's waiting arms before turning to Zaafira.

"As soon as the ribbons have been made, have the windows all found," she ordered and Zaafira shot her a glare, re-aimed it at Maanah, then returned it to her before dismissing her with a wave of the hand and a sound of disgust, turning away.

Marie-Fey turned back to Gharam.

"Keep an eye on her," she said and Gharam nodded as Marie-Fey fished a small key from her pocket and handed it over. "This is the key to Azeeza's room, try and keep her alive."

"Of course," Gharam said, eyes wide before she carefully took the key and tucked it away.

Marie-Fey turned away as Maanah joined Gharam to saying her goodbyes and almost walked into Zaydan.

"I took the liberty of having your bow and arrows packed," he said, and she raised an eyebrow at him.

"What in the world for?"

He grinned. "It would be ever so fun to show off your talents before his guard, wouldn't you say?"

Marie-Fey just frowned at him. "You want me to show him up, on our very first meeting?"

"Maybe not the very first," he conceded, then cut off further commentary by holding up a long, slim, intricately carved mahogany box. "Here," he said, his voice softening.

Both Marie-Fey's brow rose this time before she took the box. She pried open the lid, then blinked. It was a necklace, intricately styled with diamonds and white gold.

She looked at him. with suspicious confusion.

"What is this? Are you trying to bribe me into doing something?" she asked.

He grinned at her. "In a way?" he said, "Wear it when you see my brother?"

"Why?"

"Please?"

"He's aware of your affection for me, correct?"

"He is."

"And will he be aware that I'm wearing a necklace gifted to me by you? Lord Zaydan, if you are dragging my into some type of turf war in which I am the turf—"

"No, no, it's not that. It's not like that..." He winced. "Alright, it's a little like that," he admitted and Marie-Fey growled at him. "I just want him to know that I haven't forgotten, that whatever he does, whatever he says, however much he controls me, he can't take this away from me."

"This being me?"

"This being my feelings for you," he said and Marie-Fey sighed, looking up to the sky.

"How can you say such things so seriously?" she muttered, and he just smirked at her.

"Only you can take yourself away from me," he said before bowing to her. "Safe travels, Lady Marie-Fey, I'll join you as soon as I can."