[center][color=baa7c7][h2]Lienna Orhneaht[/h2]Bride of [color=8493ca]Azilon Dantanath[/color] [@WeepingLiberty], sister-bride to [color=98FB98]Rya Mire[/color] [@Ellion]
[sub]Interacting with [color=98FB98]Rya Mire[/color] [@Ellion] and [color=8493ca]Azilon Dantanath[/color] [@WeepingLiberty][/sub][/color][/center]
Even though their time at the hot springs had been short, Lienna had taken advantage of it nonetheless. She had been to hot springs a few times at home, where they spouted from the frozen mountains. She had always thought of them as a gift from Naia to her Northern children. The unique smell of the water and the softness it lent to the skin were familiar, but as it enveloped her, she couldn't help but feel as if she were in the presence of strangers. Not just the many naked Gems around, nor the leer-eyed guards along the edges; no, whereas she could feel the gentle touch of Naia in the springs at home, she didn't feel her presence here. It was hard to tell if there was a different presence, or if it was just the lack of one that felt so alien. Nonetheless, Lienna could tell that Naia could barely reach her here, and it unsettled her. 

She'd managed to get herself scrupulously clean, wasting little time basking in the warmth and instead focusing on her skin and hair. By the time the guards cut their bathing short, she was already finished. On her way out, she saw a few obvious water gems whisking the water away from their skin with fluid motions. Lienna did the same, but her movements were quick and precise: she flung one arm out, as if throwing off a cloak, and all the water on her flew off with enough force to audibly slap against the stone wall beside her. She left her hair down, as opposed to braiding it like usual, so it would dry pin-straight, falling to her waist.

Upon returning to her chamber, she found a dress laid out for her. Unlike the grey tunics from before, this was a delicate, beautiful thing, made from layers of sheer white linen and lace. With it was a rich brown sash which shone a bit in the light. Beautiful as it was, the dress was so foreign - it felt alien on her skin, and light and airy on her lean frame, a stark contrast from the furs and leathers she'd been wearing all her life. Lienna couldn't help but remark that this dress would freeze her to death in minutes back home. 

Yet, despite its oddities, Lienna couldn't help but admire herself in the dull mirror provided for her. The dress fit loosely, but it did wonders accentuating her curves nonetheless. It made her look like the other Gems at Shadow Worth, with their delicate features and grace. Her furs, as attached as she was to them, were not known for flattering the body.

A ghost of a smile wafted over her face. If finery like this was what awaited her, perhaps she could find beauty in her new life. 

[center][color=baa7c7]~ /// ~[/color][/center]

Lienna had [i]not[/i] been excited to get back into the carriage, but she wasn't so rash as to disobey. Still, she had spent the entire ride to the capital with her knees tucked to her chest and her face as close to the window as possible, doing her very best to steady herself through the waves of sickness that washed over her every time the carriage hit a bump.

She was actually thankful when they arrived, forgetting for a moment her purpose in her relief at stepping out of the carriage. The air in the capital was cold and damp, a combination which was actually quite foreign to Lienna (seeing as the air up north was dry enough to cut skin, as the saying went). She could hear a distant pattering, like hail, but softer. Stranger still, the ground was sandy and warm. Drakka grew ever more odd the longer she stayed there; it was as if the elements were confused without their divine masters to guide them.

Soon the Gems were led in a procession to where their future husbands awaited, tall and looming over them, with hard eyes and an air of savagery, like hungry mountain lions in wait. Lienna kept her gaze decidedly forward and her head high, sparing barely a glance at the leering onlookers as they were led on. As she passed under a torch, her skin briefly reflected the yellow light as if it were covered in frost, the light bouncing off in pinpricks like tiny crystals. 

It wasn't long before girls were plucked from the line and half-dragged (or in some cases, entirely dragged) to their new masters. She even saw one girl whose keeper had to clamp a hand over her mouth to stop her from shrieking. Lienna couldn't help but glare disapprovingly; such a scene was not only unbecoming of a Gem, but also as stupid as it was fruitless - she was only making things harder for herself. 

The one who came for Lienna was a female, much taller than herself but not as [i]large[/i] as most of the males she'd seen. She carried herself with the sort of swagger that came from either cockiness or status, and with Drakken it was impossible to tell which. However, she was dressed well and wore a great adornment on her head, so she guessed at the latter. She grabbed Lienna by the arm, not gently but not violently, and Lienna followed obediently, but not fearfully, as she was taken to her fate. 

That wasn't to say Lienna was without fear. Quite the contrary, fear swirled in her gut like a gathering gale. But she steadied herself nonetheless. She willed the ocean inside her to calm. Water does not fear a coming cliff, but rushes for it. 

Her keeper stopped in front of a pair, a Drakkan male and a squirrely little gem. The Drakkan was tall, like the rest, but rather more lean than some of the others. Lienna dared only a quick glance at his face, and was mildly pleased to find that he was half-decently attractive. To her, he looked young, but she knew Drakken did not age the same way Gems did. Still, he seemed to take good care of himself and Lienna supposed that was all she could have hoped for. 

She did become more apprehensive, however, when she got a good look at his existing bride. The poor thing looked like she hadn't slept in days, and (most importantly) had... was that a leash?

Indeed, around her waist was tied a thin silver chain, which would have looked like fine jewelry had the other end not been held in the Drakkan's grip. Was this how she would be treated? Like some sort of dog that needed to be tethered? And what about the poor girl's condition? Had her husband been denying her sleep, or was she haunted by harsh treatment? 

A stone formed in Lienna's gut, for she did not know. 

In her examination of the pair, Lienna had missed the brief conversation between her keeper and her new husband and being pushed to him caught her off guard. She stumbled, only for a second, and regained her posture with as much grace as she could muster. She kept her eyes forward, not down but certainly not up at her husband's face. It took a lot of willpower to tear her eyes away from her new sister-bride's chain. 

As soon as the female was gone, the tethered girl hissed out an insult that Lienna did not understand. Then, it was her turn to be examined as the girl's tired eyes flicked over her. She reached out for Lienna's face, who flinched back at first like a startled deer. Suddenly, the girl flung her arms around her, drawing her close. Lienna's eyes widened, and for a moment she held her arms out, not sure what to do. After a second, she gently rested one arm around the girl's back, still more uncomfortable than anything. Soon she withdrew, and Lienna was thankful, though the girl did remain quite close. 

Despite her apparent lack of boundaries, the girl's words were kind. [color=98FB98]"I’m sorry you’re here,”[/color] she said softly, [color=98FB98]"But I hope you’ll find some happiness. I’m Rya,"[/color] she paused for a second before continuing, [color=98FB98]”Oh...this is Azilon. What are you known by?”[/color]

Lienna's brow furrowed despite herself. This girl didn't seem fearful or resentful of her husband at all. She introduced him like a friend. Why, then, did he feel the need to tether her?

After a few beats, she remembered to respond, folding her hands neatly in front of her and adjusting her posture once more. [color=baa7c7]"My name is Lienna Orhneaht,"[/color] she replied, Northern accent becoming clearer than usual as she carefully pronounced each syllable. 

Then, realizing that she had forgotten herself and that it was likely more appropriate to address her new husband before she addressed her sister bride, she turned toward him and, not knowing what else to do, sank to her knees like the Drakken at Shadow Worth had instructed. 

[color=baa7c7]"It is an honour to meet you, my lord,"[/color] she stated, eyes downcast, demure but not grovelling, [color=baa7c7]"I hope that I can serve you well."[/color]

[hider=Summary]Lienna was luckily clean by the time they kicked them out of the hot spring. She finds she likes the dress provided for her more than she would have expected (same dress as in her character sheet). She gets motion sickness in carriages, notices that Drakka is weird, is freaked out by [i]contact[/i] from Rya, and kneels before Az with some generic new-wife talk. [/hider]