#antolivan

Ulaz made his way through the crowd, dodging messengers and skirting falling tent poles, weaving through the maelstrom with fluid grace.  Most of the work should be done by the end of the day, wagons loaded and ready to head out as soon as the sleeping tents were packed and the horses saddled around dawn.

It had been a week since the first meeting with Lotor.  Kolivan had spent the following day in discussion with the few members of the Parliament on rotation at the camp, arguing left and right about the benefits and consequences of agreeing to an alliance. All of them had spent another three negotiating terms with the Emperor, and now a crisp, glossy treaty sat signed and sealed on Kolivan’s desk, waiting to be packed for its journey to the capital, Modravezda.

They wouldn’t be staying there long, just a few weeks to clean up the chaos of ending a war and to allow the government time to prepare for the Premier’s long departure. There was still one more task to complete before this was all over, after all.

Well. Over for everyone else.

(“Parliament decided that if we’re going to agree to the Emperor’s proposal, it should be you.”  

Ulaz raised a brow. “Parliament decided?”  

Kolivan snarled, slamming his cup onto the table. “Yes, Parliament! You know damn well that my voice is not the only one that matters. And you also know damn well that you are fully capable of declining. So don’t look at me as if I’ve already signed your life away.”)  

Ulaz came to a stop in the middle of the walkway, glaring up at the sky as if it were responsible for all of this. The maelstrom of ceaseless work parted around him, rendering him a motionless island in a tumultuous sea - precisely the opposite of how he felt.

(“I… need to think about it,” Ulaz said, head in his hands and gut churning with unease.  

“I can only give you tonight,” Kolivan said, apology suffusing his every word. “I’m sorry, I know that’s not much time but Parliament insists we act on this before the Emperor has the chance to change his mind.”  

Ulaz could only nod. He’d be up until dawn, now, anyway.) 

He roused himself eventually, shoulders rising and falling with a weary, heavy sigh. He’d already made his decision, there was no use in second guessing himself now. He understood how good this could be for Marmora, knew that the situation wasn’t even all that bad - it could be far worse - but it didn’t chase away his nerves.

(Kolivan was slumped at his desk, head in his hands and his breakfast untouched, when Ulaz entered the command tent. “You’ve decided, then?” he asked.  

Ulaz dropped into the chair closest to Kolivan, posture straight and proud even as he clasped his hands together until his knuckles turned white to keep them from shaking. “Yes.”  

Kolivan didn’t ask what he’d decided - the exhausted, professional tone in Ulaz’s voice said enough.)

Ulaz straightened, constructing a hasty wall around his wobbly, frightened heart, and faced forward with determination. He had a meeting to get to and he shouldn’t keep them waiting.

The command structure had been mostly dismantled, only the officers’ quarters remaining to be taken down in the morning. Ulaz headed toward the largest of them, ducking inside and taking the last empty seat. Kolivan and Antok were pressed together on the only couch, Antok’s broad frame taking up more than his fair share of the cushions while Kolivan sat bent over his knees and looking like he’d bitten into something sour.

The newly appointed Ambassador from the Empire was lounged casually in a chair opposite them, one leg hooked over the armrest and staring at the canvas roof. She lowered her gaze as Ulaz sat down, her bright blue eyes sparking in recognition. “So you’re Ulaz. I didn’t expect to see a familiar face.”

Ulaz inclined his head, a memory of her lounging just as casually at the meeting with the Emperor flitting through his mind. “I am glad to officially meet you, Ambassador.”

She groaned and tipped her head back dramatically, braids swishing against the floor. “Ugh, please, no formalities, they’re too stuffy. Just Ezor is fine.” She straightened back up, folding her legs beneath her. “Anyway, let’s get started. Tonight we’re just going to go over the basics so if there’s anything glaringly unacceptable you’ve still got the chance to back out in person before everyone heads home.”

Kolivan’s frown deepened. “We have no intention of backing—”

Ezor waved her hand dismissively. “I’m not saying you will, I’m just saying you can if any of the plans all the important people have drawn up don’t sit right with the groom-to-be over here.”

Ulaz raised a brow. “I was not under the impression that such a decision would go over well.”

“Oh, it wouldn’t,” Ezor grinned, “not with the nobility, but Lotor wouldn’t be upset if you changed your mind. He knows he’s asking a lot.”

Ulaz startled a bit internally at the casual use of the Emperor’s name but nodded hesitantly, mulling her words over. He wasn’t going to, but it was reassuring to know that he could still decline the marriage and it wouldn’t ruin the treaty. “What are these ‘basics’ you wish to go over?” he asked.

“The itinerary for the next few weeks, mostly, and an overview of what your life is going to be like,” Ezor said, twisting to pull a thin sheaf of paper from a satchel on the floor. She passed a sheet to each of them. “As I’m sure you already know, we’ll be staying in Marmora for two weeks so the Premier and Parliament can get organized for his absence and to get a good start on cleaning up and settling things from the war. You and I,” she pointed a finger between herself and Ulaz, “will be spending a lot of time going over Galra politics, history, culture, etcetera, and getting you trained in court etiquette so you won’t harm any of the nobles’ delicate sensibilities.”

Antok snorted. “Good luck.”

Ulaz’s gaze shifted sideways and he wrestled down the urge to smirk. “Some of us are more adept at behaving ourselves than you are.”

Antok made a rude gesture, before dipping his head to presumably read over the list of everything Ulaz would be doing the next few weeks.

Ezor grinned, but continued. “Once all that’s done and we’re packed up, we’ll head to Daibazaal. I don’t have any idea on the specifics yet, and I probably won’t until we get there, but the wedding ceremony will be held in the capital at the castle. Lotor is having an estate prepared for the two of you to live in after you’re married and Kolivan - you said you’re having one constructed here as well, yeah?”     

Kolivan nodded.

“Awesome,” Ezor said. “Officially, you’re ambassadors, but more than likely there won’t be much for either of you to do since most of the trade negotiations are being handled by the merchant guilds. We’ll be taking everything else pretty slowly so people can get used to the idea of us being allies. The two of you will probably be free to move back and forth basically whenever you want.” 

Ulaz turned to Kolivan with a questioning look, a little surprised by the freedom they were being given. “We will not be residing in one country?”

Kolivan shook his head. “Neither the Emperor nor I want either of you to be parted from your friends and family unnecessarily and there seems little point in relegating one of you to permanently live away from your home. Not as long as the borders are open and everyone gets along. Besides, how would we even decide which one of you that should be?”

Ulaz swallowed, a wave of relief washing over him. He hadn’t even realized until that moment how frightened he was at the prospect of leaving Marmora permanently, but the way his entire being relaxed was telling; he’d been terrified of it from the start. “Thank you,” he breathed, letting his eyes show the depth of his gratitude for their consideration.

Kolivan graced him with a rare smile and a nod while Antok stretched over to tug at the end of Ulaz’s hair. “We got your back,” he said.

Ezor cleared her throat, breaking the moment, and Ulaz glanced over to see she had a pen poised over a notebook. Her face was set in an expression of agonized determination, and Ulaz had a feeling the next bit of conversation was going to be even worse than the last.