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Gjeelea held back a sigh, and wondered why her mother had summoned her and Siamak to this questioning. The princess wondered why Bekah felt like making certain that her children remembered her lessons before speaking to the Emissary. Siamak asked questions, but none of them prompted the discussion further. Gjeelea squinted at his lack of opinion, or distaste for showing whatever opinion he might have.
"You do not ask the right question, mother," Gjeelea murmured, avoiding her brother's gaze but meeting Bekah's glance straight on. "What bothers me is what might happen if we were to refuse such an alliance. We know very little about his country, now that I think of it. What kind of impact might a refusal to the Emissary have on Pashtia? I highly doubt that the Emissary would travel all this way if he thought that our trust could not be won - or should not be won."
For a moment, none of the family members spoke. Gjeelea did not want to speak again, leaving her question unanswered. Yet, she hoped Bekah did not speak next, knowing it would only be another question that did not solve anything. Instead the princess looked to her brother.
"What are you saying, then?" Siamak asked, breaking the long, awkward silence. He stroked his miniscule beard in a thoughtful manner, and his eyes never met Gjeelea's as he spoke. "Do you mean to say that the Emissary is humouring us while we debate over trust that he knows we will give?"
"It is a possibility," Gjeelea shrugged as she cocked one eyebrow at her brother. His own brows furrowed at his sister's retort and nestled deeper into his seat. "I do not think either of us are in such a good position that we can rule out any possibilities, Siamak..." Gjeelea's voice trailed off as she remembered something that Siamak had said earlier.
...If he already has his the alliance of those countries nearer by, why does he want our alliance?
"Something is happening that we do not know of," the princess whispered, her voice so light and airy that even she could barely hear it. Siamak and the Queen must have heard the whistle on the wind, for they both looked to Gjeelea with a question in their eyes. Still the princess mused to herself. "Something big."
"What did you say?" Siamak prompted politely. Gjeelea blinked, snapping out of her thoughts for a moment, then smirked at her brother.
"Oh, nothing, Siamak my dear," Gjeelea replied loftily, returning to her regal, impatient manner. "Just thinking to myself. Now, where were we? Do you have another question for us to answer, mother?" Gjeelea waited for one of her companions to speak.
Something is happening to the west that we know nothing of...
Was this something Gjeelea would want to share with her sibling? She wondered this over and over as she revived the conversation in her mind. It certainly was not a huge discovery, just a tidbit that Gjeelea thought rather interesting and curious. Something to bring up with the Emissary this afternoon? Gjeelea mused, a light smile playing on her lips.
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