Meadow

In truth, I was nervous. Inviting other equines had never crossed my mind until Rigel had explained to me the purpose of a lesser wife and the duties that she may perform. Even then, the thought of willing bringing in another mare to see if my beloved would find her to his liking prickled at my sense of pride. I now understood the purpose of a lesser wife, but that did not mean that I rejoiced in their existence. Still, I had three handsome brothers that would need their own wives, and matchmaking was something I was a fair bit more experienced with, even if all of my experience had been wishful thinking.

I watch her face carefully as we walk, certain that she will, at some point, take offense to my words. I know that I have forgone all sense of propriety in this scenario, openly sharing details of my life with a total stranger, but I am so happy to do so. To have this amount of happiness had seemed unlikely to me, and I only wanted to share it with as many others as I possibly could, so that they, too, could enjoy such bliss. As Corona mentions my comfort with other herds, I shake my head but offer a smile. My experience was limited to those that resided upon Salem, and even then, I hardly knew more than Maslakhat and Feray. The rest I had always viewed at a distance, having been unwilling at the time to become attached to the land. Still, I do not contradict her as I know it to be the gentle kind of padding one does among those that you do not know well, yet.

When she mentions that she had fled an unwelcome marriage as well I cannot help the gasp of surprise, and my eyes widen with a strange mixture of sorrow for her and delight. How whimsical Allah was lately, placing another mare of similar background near to me so that I might share with her the stories of our upbringing. My nose wrinkles of its own accord and I reach toward her in comfort. The gesture is not meant to touch her or intrude on her space but as an extension of compassion. "I am glad to hear you are free of such a man, sadiqaa. He does not sound as though he deserves you in the slightest."

As she mentions Antares, I can feel my face light up. The gods were fickle and asked much of us, but there was no denying that Allah always provided. "Oh, he is the most wonderful," I gushed. I could feel my cheeks warming at the thought of my husband and all that had passed between us already. Her happiness at my invite makes me glow and my tail flicks across my haunches in delight as I skip lightly over the grass.

"Really?! That is the most wonderful news I've had all day!" She even warms to the idea of my brothers in law, which I had not counted on after she had shared her own marital woes. I did not yet know which of the men that she would fancy, and in truth, I even counted Antares among them although it made my stomach twist uncomfortably. I adored this grey mare and already wished to have her with me among the sands so that we may share with each other the joys and sorrows of the day, far from my husband's ears. I adored him, but I could not well tell him of the ways that my body changed with each day I accepted his touch. How very different I was now compared to when he had arrived.

"I know that you will enjoy it there so very much! Let me call Atair, my shaqiq alzawj." I dance lithely away from her for a moment and breathlessly call for the stoic warrior brother. I do not know what he will make of my mare gathering, and whether he will approve of it or look upon it with the same side-eyed apprehension that Rigel had given me when I had proposed such a thing. Certainly, he would enjoy admiring the beauty of my new friend, for I knew that despite the mask that he wore, he was not immune to the charms of a beautiful mare. I had not yet cracked his veneer, but it was not of my place to do so either as his sister. The wife that he chose would need to do so, and I would be happy to share what I had learned, from Rigel, of mine own beloved's struggle.

As the call for Atair leaves my lips, I turn back to Corona, delight still written across my face. I do not want to worry her with the sudden intrusion of a strange male, so I hastily explain. "He came with me today, so that I might walk freely without the gaze of unwanted suitors. The season is dangerous here, but he will gladly shield you from unwanted attention as well."

I stretch my muzzle toward her as in a similar fashion from earlier, quite overcome with the simple, girlish delight of a new friend. "Then we can be off, for the Dunes and you can meet everyone else. They will love you as much as I do, I know it."

The approaching figure of Atair brings my attention back to him, and I nicker softly in a polite greeting. It is far more reserved than that which I share with Antares, or even how I might answer Rigel, but it is warm with familial fondness. "Atair, 'akhi fi alqanun, please meet my new friend, Corona. She wishes to see the Dunes herself, as my guest, in the hopes that our home brings her as much joy as it does us." I turn toward Corona again, searching her gaze to make sure that she is not made uncomfortable by the addition of a stallion. "And Corona, this is Atair, son of Mira, Third of Sirius, Sanctified of Montu, Knighted of Sekhmet."

My eyes glitter wickedly as I bring my gaze back to my brother, hoping that the giving of all of his honorifics might have done much to both impress Corona and break through his composure.