Teal soon developed a routine to fill his days while he was on the ship. His mornings were spent with Jale where he continued with his studies. In the middle of the day, Teal visited the Emperor and read, all the while trying to maintain his concentration when the Emperor placed an arm around his back or rested a hand on his thigh. He never encroached further on Teal's personal space and for that, Teal was thankful. Their casual sessions were allowing him to become more comfortable in his presence.

Teal also found an informative companion in Nala. She gladly shared her knowledge of medicine, and Teal discussed his mother's oil remedies. He was amazed by Nala's collection of treatments. His mother had only touched on the service of healing. They developed a mutual friendship out of respect for each other's knowledge of the plants and their capabilities to heal, even with the intrusive one-week check-ups that consisted of Jale, Nala, and her assistant analyzing every inch of his body.

The evenings were the hardest to bide his time when everything on the ship slowed down. He set about writing letters to his parents and Cokrin to inform them of his new life. Letters that were hard to write but a necessity to prevent them from worrying.

Out of sheer desperation, there were some evenings when Teal would seek out Delba. Her attitude towards him was complex. On occasions, she was elusive, distant, and fickle. At other times, she would loop her hand under his arm, and they would walk the deck of the ship as if they were lifelong friends while she told him stories of life at the palace.

He didn't trust her.

Then there were the nights that had him on edge no matter how hard he tried to be his normal self. Nights where he accompanied Jale to visit the Emperor, where the stars and the soft glow of lanterns on the deck hinted of a more amorous ambience. Unlike his reading sessions, Teal would sit rigidly on a cushion either next to the Emperor or Jale and listen to their conversations while they played Mocho or some other game that took their fancy.

The only people who he felt truly comfortable around was Jale and Nala. The sailors on the ship kept their distance and watched him through wary eyes. Whether that was down to his new position as potential concubine or his appearance, Teal wasn't too sure. Although, he suspected it had more to do with the way he looked. Sailors were prone to superstitions and wild stories of the ocean.

On the fourth day of sailing, the ship reached the mouth of the river, and the wide-open sea beckoned. The colors of the two different bodies swirled together, earthy fresh water clashing with the clear salty blue, roiling with rips and eddies underneath. Along the river, they had seen many a folk washing, swimming and sailing, but here, no one dared to venture into these waters without a ship and solid experience of the path needed to avoid the additional hazard of the rocks that lay underneath.

After waiting for high tide, the captain wove the ship methodically, confidently making the treacherous journey through the channels that led out to the open sea and then onwards, where they would be able to sail directly to the capital, Dalenia.

Teal watched the land shrink and become smaller and smaller behind him. He had never been so far from home in his entire life. At present, the vast ocean appeared calm without a cloud in sight, and Teal suspected it would make for a long week to the capital.

True enough, after another week of the voyage, despite having kept himself busy, Teal was itching with tension under his skin at the prospect of seeing his new home. Not only was he not used to being so inactive, he was also really bored at only having the flat, blue sea that sparkled under a persistent sun, to look at. It was beautiful and serene, but it made the days dull and blurred as the same.

Ten days later, the horizon was seen once again, and Teal ignored Jale's laughter as he bade him permission to return to the deck to see it.

Dalenia was beyond anything that Teal could have expected. The sheer magnitude and size of the city alone, left him breathless. Small towns and dwellings continued to build in size as the ship sailed up the coast. Anticipation grew inside of him when eventually the farm towns subsided and villages merged into one, and all that could be seen was grey stone buildings as far as the eye could see.

"Is all of this considered to be part of Dalenia?" Teal asked Jale in amazement as the man came to stand at his side. He ran his hands over his clothes that he was still getting used to wearing. They were so elegant and refined.

"Yes, but just wait until we actually sail into the bay. That's when you'll really be impressed."

Jale was not wrong. About half an hour later, as the ship came round one cliff face that was also covered in buildings, Teal gasped. Framed by two cliff faces on either side, the city spread in every direction. The Emperor's palace dominated the scene, sprawling up a large hill through the middle of the city. From this distance, Teal could see the wide high wall that encapsulated the palace, protecting it from possible intrusion and attack. Gardens and large paved areas within the palace walls could be seen from the ship, and a lake on its right, encompassed a large portion of the palace grounds.

But it was the central building that took his breath away. Sandstone in color, it had many wings coming off of it. The main building stood several floors high with long winding balconies allowing for air to cool its interior. One tall central tower rose up in the middle of the main building towering over the entire city.

"The main tower," Jale explained, "is part of the Emperor's own personal quarters. The view up there is amazing. The balcony runs all the way round so you can see out in every direction that the Empire covers."

A horn, somewhere from off in the distance, interrupted their conversation.

“That’s to let the city know that the Emperor has returned,” Jale informed Teal.

Teal leaned over the side and watched as the ship sailed gracefully into the city's port, gliding past all the other ships until it reached a deck at the front.

"Come on," Jale said with merriment. "I'm glad to be home. Let's get to the palace so we can really unwind."

Teal turned and followed closely after Jale. He was not going to let him out of his sight. Fresh new nerves had arisen at seeing this huge sprawling city.

"We'll be going to the palace by caravan," Jale explained half an hour later as Teal followed him off the ship and onto the docks.

Delba walked quietly behind and even though she still looked worse for wear, she had taken the time to take on the appearance of a woman in court. She wore the finest of silk dresses in rich wine red and her hair had been carefully pinned high upon her head with colorful combs. Her face was also gently painted with small decorations painted around one eye.

It was the middle of the afternoon now, and the temperature was steamy. The docks were busy; people shouting commands, beggars calling for aid, and men heaving cargo and chests that needed to be taken off the ship.

Teal heard the murmurs of surprise, the gasps, and even a woman's faint curse as he walked down the ramp. He kept his head down and came aware of a sudden stillness around him. Their party paused, and Teal automatically reached out his hand and placed it on Jale's elbow to ensure he didn't lose him. Jale didn't question his actions, if anything, when he started walking again through the silence, his pace had slowed.

They climbed into the back of a caravan, up steps and disappeared underneath the canopy. Teal breathed at the privacy they had been afforded. He didn't want to travel through the capital and witness all the reactions to his appearance.

"As the Emperor's consort, I'm used to attention," Delba commented once she was settled. "But you cause a whole other fuss."

Concerned, Teal glanced at her. He didn't know whether she was jealous, angry or casually making a statement. Either way, he was eager to forget it. He gave the ship he had been on for the past two weeks one last glance, suddenly missing its isolation.

The caravan was comfortable with cushions, a drink station and even a servant to attend to their needs. There were small windows cut into the fabric which allowed Teal to look at without those on the streets being aware of him.

The horses started to move with a soft flick of the reins, and Teal settled to absorb the scenery they passed, enjoying the comfortable chatter that carried on between Delba and Jale as they talked about what they were going to do once they returned to the palace. It occurred to Teal then that this was the first time he had seen the pair together since being on the ship. He didn't know whether it was coincidence or a chance of circumstance, or whether they didn't usually have a relationship where idle chatter occurred.

Small beads of sweat soon gathered on Teal's brow, and he wiped at them. The back of the caravan was stifling, but as soon as the servant spied his actions, they picked up a fan and attempted to provide him with some reprieve.

"Yes," Jale said, turning his attention back to Teal. "The capital is much hotter than what you're used to. Let him cool you, it's going to take at least an hour to wind through the city to reach the palace."

Teal almost whimpered in horror. He pulled at the clothes covering his body, wishing he could peel them off even though they had been designed to keep him cool in such weather.

The Emperor had been the first to disembark the ship, and he now rode in the front caravan with guards lining every street barricading the people. He had an additional five guards on horses that walked with his caravan. His arrival was met with great enjoyment, Teal noted. People kowtowed and kneeled as he went past, calling out words of praise, blessings and happiness at his return. The Emperor waved as he went, but Teal spied he kept most of his focus on a man who had climbed up into the caravan beside him.

"Who's that with the Emperor?" Teal asked Jale.

"That's Opelan, one of the members of The Grand Council. He will be informing the Emperor of items of importance that were not sent to him while he was traveling."

The city itself was overwhelming. So large and expanse, buildings and streets, and people, so many people. Jale and Delba pointed out certain sights including The Grand Library, the home of the scholars, and the city's central park. By the time Teal approached the palace walls, he was feeling utterly overwhelmed.

Guards lined the large double doors as the caravan crossed the threshold of two large towers and into the palace grounds. Apprehensively, Teal looked over his shoulders and watched the gates close behind him.

"Welcome to your new life," Jale said with a large smile on his face.