He approaches the women with a friendly air as always, but it is Dhaniyā to whom he speaks and he does so with some distance between the two women for privacy’s sake. She is his greatest potential calamity, he knows, in light of overstepping with his brother already. His shoulders and sides still ache from the beating that Rigel had let loose. Sure, Rigel was the smallest and the least warlike brother - but he himself was young and unmotivated and surprised by the vehemence that had come at him from this utterly alien source.

So he begs Dhaniyā to relinquish her privacy at last. Healed, long since freed, and overdue to be met with the husband of her heart - the one she had once nearly broken honor’s protocol with.

They had been too obedient back then, he thinks. It had been too rude of a guest to infringe on his Host and steal away even the least of his wives. It had been too dishonorable to take any man but her husband to her bed. They had played with it, Aldebaran could attest - cooing, touches, and perhaps even a too-close embrace now and then when Aldebaran had purposely turned as if not to be witness… but Rigel had been too precarious in position as Mira’s diplomat to train the future queen of both countries.

The cruelty had been well and truly deep cutting for Rigel, the romantic heart in his breast utterly broken over the beautiful Marwari wife of his despicable and disgusting host. He had all but sworn away any chance of his marrying at all over her loss. Perhaps he had thought then to take her from her Husband once Miran law was set in place in Maghrib? It was likely. Atair would have gone in his stead and sworn himself as champion of his brother in a temple of Hathor and Horus - would have won her for his inept brother… or given her as a gift after having fought as though it were for himself. Not everyone knew that Rigel and Atair were twins, after all, and many would have believed it rivalry. Ah, that sounded like Rigel. He betted on his brother not lifting a single hoof - and for the deplorable wretch to give up his least favored wife to further humiliate Rigel and to ingratiate himself to another Prince with a more loud resume.

Now look at her, standing there so sure, even if she was so nervous. "You were at the center, even if you did not know it. I believe he was plotting something rather tricksy for your former Husband, if my present thoughts are at all on track. But a feud between him and I - that I can thank you for sparing me from. He’s too clever and lately he is too vehement in defending what is his." He is too naive to wonder if perhaps that sounded too possessive, for Aldebaran still had the mind of a Miran regarding women, and women were indeed people to be possessive over - whatever the reason.

"Come with me and I will take you some place where you both can meet in peace without eyes staring at you every which way..."