Iset II

25th of the Month of Spirits, 11:30, before Midnight

It takes too long to reach Night Hall. A second more and Iset would have incinerated the annoying nomad.

He keeps talking and calling her a devil, whatever that is, and looking at Zarniqa, that is sitting next to Iset, with concerned eyes.

Iset exits the carriage the moment its stops and drags the nomad by the back of his shirt behind her, Nima, probably reading her mind with his freaky Haruspex powers, grabs Zarniqa and waits until Iset puts the nomad on the street before offering her daughter back. Iset immediately ties her to her back with her wrap and watched the spectacle unfold before her.

Edward sits in a heap on the cobblestone ground right at the gate of Night Hall, glaring at Iset and saying very ugly sounding words in his language.

"Curse Ayth and their weird ideas of a gift" mutters Iset to herself. She already has to deal with Nima talking in his language when they argue and now this. Why does the outside have so many languages?

Thankfully, two Nocturnals are already waiting for them and approach the nomad like it's a rabid faux.

"Iset" says Nima from where he stands at her side, both watching as the Nocturnals try to grab the nomad as gently as they can.

"Hmm?"

"I need to leave to prepare everything and speak with the king" says Nima, his mask a neutral facade, probably hiding a furrowed brow "Stay for the proceedings"

"Whatever" says Iset in her best annoyed tone. But it's a yes and Nima knows it, as he just nods, pats her shoulder and ruffles Zarniqa's hair and enters Night Hall.

Iset sighs and looks back at the nomad that now at least stands on his own two feet and glares at everybody close to him—not many people to hate, just her and the Nocturnals, Iset doubts he is glaring at the one year old baby—dodging every touch the Nocturnals try to initiate.

"Stop being a baby, no one is going to hurt you" groans Iset with both hands on her hips and Zarniqa's head on her shoulder.

"I heard you say trial" mumbles Edward, glaring at Iset "What am I being judged for?"

"It's called a trial, but it's more of an auction" says Iset, crossing her arms over her chest and a sharp smirk on her face "We are auctioning you off the the highest bidder, so smile as prettily as you can"

One of the Nocturnals covers up a laugh with a cough and Iset's smirk widens even more.

"Let's go, we're all waiting for you Ed" says Iset as she turns and enters the building, the nomad not far behind with the Nocturnals at his back, like a pair of awkward guardians.

The room is packed, filled with murmurs and as she enters Iset watches as Nima leans down and whispers in the king's ear—as well as someone can whisper with that beak in the way—and Iset fears the worst.

Their new nomad had committed a terrible crime and only Iset and Nima know of it, it would normally be forgotten. A nomad that didn't know better, that just thought he had killed a bird like he would outside. A crime that would end him in prison under Bela draught, confused and scared, not knowing why he was being punished. It wasn't a good start for a nomad.

Normally, a crime like that done by a newly arrived nomad would be forgiven, but last time this had happened—so many years ago only history books talk about it—the nomad had ended without a family by the end of their trial, no one had wanted them, alone in a world they didn't understand. Luckily, they had been an adult and they had been given a job and a small house to live in.

But…Nima seems to want to wake up the sleeping caith—but then again, he often interacts with one, so maybe it's a common thing for him—and tell the king about what happened…maybe she's wrong and he's just telling him about that cute thing the princess did the other night.

"Go" says Iset as she pushes the nomad forward to the lowest level as she walks up the stairs to a free seat to watch the chaotic spectacle that is about to unfold.

She sits Zarniqa on her lap and lends her a hand so she entertains herself by touching and drawing along the Bisha tattoos all over her hands.

"People of Neth!" Proclaims the king, standing up from the throne, Nima having returned to his position behind it with the rest of the Vyshe "A newcomer has arrived and we have to open our arms towards him, host him and feed him and give him a name, for him to belong in Neth"

The last trial Iset attended had been the princess' and that had been a joy to watch—It had included Nima's own trial for murder, a fact that she often tries to forget—the gasp of outrage the king let out as his own son welcomed and adopted the newborn baby nomad as his…it's forever engraved in Iset's set of good memories. Maybe that's the reason why the prince is missing from the trial, no need to add another nomad to the royal family, at this point the prince could probably start a collection.

"But, before we do" continues the king before murmurs can even start as the people attending the trial weight the pros and cons of nomad adoption. "Vyshe Ardashir informed me of terrible news that must be addressed"

Oh. Oh no. He actually did it.

That hypocrite.

"Our new nomad committed a most terrible crime, the worst by our law" says the king, hard eyes on the confused nomad on the lowest floor, that keeps turning and looking around, Iset feels guilty as she lowers her eyes to Zarniqa's hair, trying to escape the nomad's searching gaze "he killed and ate one of Ayth's eyes in our very own woods"

Gasps and insults start to fly around the room and Iset groans. So dramatic. She often wonders how the court would react if they knew how many birds their honorable Haruspex had killed.

"But!" Interrupts the king, his loud voice breaking the noise "Vyshe Ardashir has offered me a solution to this dilemma"

That asshole…what is he planning? And how did he convince the king to go along with it? Iset had been so sure the king hated the Haruspex after the murder trial and the fact that he was basically married to his heir and helping raising his granddaughter. Maybe Nima had finally realized he has to be nice to be liked by other people, not everyone is a masochist like the prince.

"Our new nomad shall learn our laws and our life and then, we shall redo the trial. Let the people of Neth watch his redemption!" He says, then, his head starts to move around the room, looking for something "The one that shall guide our lost nomad on this task shall be Lady Iset Ardashir, as per Vyshe Ardashir own request"

That…..that!

How dare he!? She is killing him after this! She looks at Nima where he stands and the asshole dares to wiggle his fingers at her in a mocking hello.

The king is looking straight at her, a small smile adorning his face.

"Do teach him well, Lady Ardashir" he says directly to her "Neth is counting on you"