Covert Exit

After one more set of emotional goodbyes, Aurora entrusted the heir to the throne into Nanny's arms. Then she pulled the tan head dress tight around her face so that only her eyes were visible.

Just behind her, Devrim wrapped up his own head in a long turban before tying the final piece across his nose and mouth. Their disguises in place, they exited the nursery.

"Thank you for entertaining the prince!" Anna called loudly through the doorway. "He enjoyed the bear impression most of all!"

The two entertainers bowed and backed out of the doorway. To anyone that passed, they appeared to be humble performers who had just been dismissed. With Nurlan behind, the pair was escorted back to a caravan waiting in the palace courtyard.

The mass of wagons and people just inside the palace's main gate was a strange sight. It was a mix of soldiers and individuals clothed similarly to the royals just now.

Farthest from the gate, Metehan was waiting for the pair. His dark eyes brightened when he saw them slip out of a side door.

"There is the last of my people!" he exclaimed. "Dunesmen through and through. You would not let yourselves be left behind."

Devrim fell to one knee and placed his hand on his chest as a sign of respect. He had seen Councilman Metehan do the same action when greeting the Chief of his clan. Metehan nodded approvingly.

"I am glad you made it," Metehan held out his hand to help the other man to his feet. The woman put her hand on her chest as well, but bowed as women did.

"The prince wanted an encore. Who were we to refuse?!" Aurora said, disguising her voice by raising her pitch.

"You did well then. You made our people proud." Metehan turned to General Nurlan, who had just come out of the front doors of the palace.

"Good General! I was just about to ask a servant to find you. Are your men ready for the journey?" Councilman Metehan placed his hand on his chest as Nurlan bowed.

Both suddenly ignored the two performers, who slowly backed away to meld into the crowd.

Nurlan called over one of the officers and conversed with him briefly. "All is clear," he announced. "We are ready."

"I am most thankful for your service," Metehan said loud enough for the caravan to hear. "It is most generous of Her Majesty to spare you for my vacation."

"My men and I are most honored to be escorting you, Councilman, to your people. The Empress values you too highly to let anything happen to you. We will certainly protect the other Dunesman as well if it helps to ease your travel. It is the least we can do for your loyal service." Nurlan's words brought him up in the estimation of those who were listening.

The Dunesmen in the city had been called to trade with the palace the day before, and then Metehan had offered to return with them for a respite. He told them just how much he was missed and expected by his family.

Since the Councilman was one of their own, the Dunesmen eagerly welcomed him into their midst. The added protection of the soldiers was a surprising bonus. Now the caravan could travel with relative ease and not worry about an ambush by marauders.

The people of the group were so elated that they did not even question the joining of two extra members dressed in Dunesman's garb. One of the women offered the new lady a seat on her cart, and her husband motioned for the man to borrow one of the extra horses.

It was in this manner that the Emperor and Empress left the palace with all the pomp of a parade, but none of the attention.

Opting not to borrow a carriage, Metehan had his own wagon with four less than quiet stowaways in the back. Fortunately for the Councilman, the complaining was mostly drowned out by the din of the streets down which they traveled.

The people inside the covered wagon were not so lucky. As the cart clattered onward, the cross words only intensified.

"Get off of me! You smell funny. Did they really need to pack all this stuff? You are crushing my wing. I can hear your breathing from here. If I hear that incessant humming any longer, I'm going to scream!" Reyan's string of grievances never ended.

"You are already screaming. How about you try whispering for a change," Brinn felt no sympathy for the fairy.

While it wasn't his fault that his wings stuck out so far, it was certainly within his control not to try to make everyone else as miserable as possible. Yet here they were.

"We should have been able to ride up front..." Reyan grumbled more quietly.

"I hate to tell you, but those big white growths on your back would have given away that you were not human. And our golden...or golden-ish skin would have been a tad noticeable among the Dunesmen. Even letting the Emperor and Empress go all bundled up was a risk, but at least their skin is a human shade..." Gandr stared down at his own green-gold hue.

No one right now would mistake him for a human no matter how much he tried. So they had agreed to remain stowed away at least until they were safely out of the city. After that, they would reevaluate just how much to tell both the soldiers and civilians traveling with them.

Up on the wagon seat a few wagons forward, Aurora pulled at her headdress. It was not so different from wearing a veil, which she had done when her face was scratched by the wolf, but traveling down the city streets made her feel much more exposed.

It only took one person recognizing her for the people to form a mob. Even a friendly mob was still a problem. Mairwen had learned that the hard way the last time she had left the city on horseback. Aurora had needed to rescue her from the tide of people who wanted her attention.

"You seem nervous," the woman beside Aurora finally said as she pulled at the horse's reins. "Is this your first time out of the city?"

"No," the Empress saw no reason to lie. She could obviously sense that Aurora was not one of her clansmen.

It was very likely the woman would find out her true identity by the time they reached the desert, and she didn't want to lose her trust by giving false information.

"Ah, I see. Of course you are a fellow nomad. Why else would Metehan want to bring you along?" the woman smiled. "I'm Hadya."

There were many smaller tribes in the desert that deferred to Chief Orhan's leadership. Hadya naturally assumed that the Empress must belong to one of them.

"Do you know Councilmen Metehan?" Aurora noticed that Hadya had not given the Dunesman a title.

"His wife is one of my oldest friends, and my son is engaged to his eldest daughter. I am very glad he will be able to make it back in time for the wedding." Hadya smiled warmly at the thought.

'Wedding?' Hadya must be much older than she looked, Aurora reasoned. Of course the Empress had a married child, but that wasn't exactly the same.

This explained why the Councilman was so eager and willing to accompany them to his home. While he visited his people occasionally, the trip was long and arduous to do alone or even with his family.

This way was not only safer, but it was much more pleasant. And Metehan's connection to Hadya explained why Metehan had so easily found the nomads in the city.

As Hadya began to explain, the Councilman had reached out to send a gift for his daughter and son-in-law only a few days before. So she was pleasantly surprised by the invitation to trade at the palace and then the offer to return with the group.

"I am most glad that you and your husband have decided to join us on our wanderings, especially if you are the real reason my son's future father-in-law is able to come home," Hadya finished her tale.

Aurora wanted to comment on the last part, but decided to remain silent on the point. "What will the wedding be like?" she asked instead.

"Much like yours, I would think." Hadya did not like talking up something until it had happened.

"I very much doubt that," Aurora tried not to laugh as it would be rude. But no wedding in the history of the world had been like hers. And it was unlikely that any would ever be again.

Hadya eyed her carefully. The woman's fair skin was very unlike her own. "Perhaps you are right," the Duneswoman shrugged. "Would you like me to tell you about our customs?"

"I would enjoy that very much." Aurora decided she liked her wagon companion. Hadya's easygoing manner meant that she hadn't even asked Aurora her name, assuming the Empress would offer it when ready.

Hadya loosened her grip on the reins, trusting the horses to follow the wagon in front of them. "Very well, where shall I begin? Weddings usually require the blessings of all the women of the tribe. They make flowers from cloth and adorn the wedding tent. This way the couple will begins their marriage converted in well wishes and blessings. It's very romantic..."

And while hanging on Hadya's every word, Aurora left the city, and her first obstacle, behind without a single real issue.