The evenings were spent resting and planning out the next day, they didn't have wood for communal fires and didn't need them, since no one was feeling the heat or the night time chill at all. So they sat around a glow plate instead.
Mutta, trying to get to know her perspective husband, had taken to sitting right next to him and chatting about Noram life, leaving Bonita sitting alone for once, next to Ali. Tor got them to scoot a tiny bit apart so that he could sit between them and put an arm around each, hoping it wasn't too foreword. He hadn't been with Nita much lately and this was about as much contact as he'd ever had with Alissa. They both leaned into him, which he took as a good sign. Leaning away could have meant anything from “don't touch me” to “wish you'd showered first”, of course he had showered already, the dust and dirt here kind of required it. It got into everything, even under his clothes and into bodily crevices that would have rubbed him raw if he hadn't cleaned up immediately after work each day.
“There you are Nita! I know I suggested that Alphonse meet you and you two get to know each other, but I also told him not to steal you away forever. He agreed, but I think under the brilliance that is you, he forgot. Not that I blame him, it's obviously all your fault, how could he help himself? I'll let it go this time, but try not to let it happen again. At least spread yourself around a bit so I don't have to worry about fighting the heir to an entire kingdom for you.” He leaned back into her gently and kissed her.
“Hey! We’re going to get married right? A little discretion then please.” Ali said, sounding almost like she meant it.
“Sorry. You're right of course. Rude of me.” Tor kissed her too, trying for a chaste peck on the lips. She grabbed his ears and didn't let go until she'd made him do what she wanted for nearly a minute. It didn't hurt, so his shield didn't turn on to protect him.
Tor felt bad about that. He didn't want to hurt her feelings, but he didn't want to break the law either. Not that kissing was covered in the law, but still, it was kind of sex adjacent in his mind. Really though, Tor realized, he didn't even know the laws about that here, he may have been breaking them already with Trice. Tor called out the question to the Ambassador across the glow plate sitting on the ground.
“What? Oh… there isn't any actual law about that… You get married when you have the funds and wherewithal to keep a man. I've heard of girls as young as twelve doing it and as old as fifty going for their first one.” The small women looked around as everyone stared.
Ursala blinked rapidly, doing calculations in her head.
“But you have to be married to have sex? And only ten percent of the population is male… then, do you have a lot of girlfriends? How does that work?”
Mutta smiled and giggled behind her hand, a Noram court gesture.
“We do without a lot. Gray changed the people of Afrak several thousand years ago to not be as sexually… driven. We mainly do that just to have children. Still, if I wrangle a Noram Prince, I'd have to change my mind set on that wouldn't I? Having sex with people. It will take getting used to.”
Ursala nodded, her face still. Tor got the idea, she'd been thinking of Rolph as hers almost her entire life and in a very real way she was right, but if she wanted to make it stick, she needed to get going soon. Bonita squeezed him and whispered in his ear.
“Too bad I couldn't get married. No one wants me though. Still, this has been nice. Everyone on this trip has been so kind to me. No jokes or games at my expense. Thank you for that. It means so much, even if I have to go back to the country estate after. I'll always remember this.” She looked sad so Tor risked Ali's wrath and kissed her cheek.
“Not unless you want to. Ali's already made plans for you to come live with us and, well, I did some checking around for you, since I can't marry you myself now, given the current plan, which I was kind of thinking of doing for a while… asking for your hand myself? Count Lairdgren likes you and he should have a wife soon. I talked to him about it and he seems to like the idea all right. You… seem to think he's funny at least, if you want I can try and get that going. Plenty of decent guys out there for you if you don't want him though. I don't get the whole thing with you thinking you aren't good enough… We could probably find a half dozen guys right here that would marry you right now if we told them you wanted to.” Who would be dumb enough to miss how great she was? Not him. Not Burks either.
They all just sat and talked that night, for hours. Tor slept alone but got up early and started working as soon as everyone got things together. Wensa and her crew had all the rivers up by day nine, and the rest of the crew had the last of the main side streams moving out into the desert for irrigation and back into the main lines to prevent flooding three days later. It took a bit longer than he'd thought, but even out of the sand and bare earth seeds had started growing along the water already, the moisture spreading in large dark fans from the glistening muddy brown rivers and rivulets. They hadn't even put any out. They were just there, waiting in the earth for enough water to sustain them.
Tor took down his little emergency house the next day and brushed his teeth after eating the tasteless fat bar he had in the bag on his hip. He wasn't the only one doing that, in fact he'd gotten the idea from Trice who suggested it to him on the third day. The cinnamon lingered in the mouth, but was better than just fat.
Finding Mutta he sighed.
“There you go. Ten full rivers even, instead of just four, and enough water to drown this vast desert if you don't monitor the situation closely. Believe that I'm not really the Court Jester yet?” He did his best to smirk at her, failed since it wasn't a look he could easily pull off and smiled winningly instead.
Spreading her hands the dark woman gave him a serious look.
“You can't be both? And to that end, are you really sure you aren't the Court Jester? You certainly spend a lot of time seeing to the amusement and comfort of others… Speaking of which great-uncle…” She fingered the amulets at her neck self consciously.
“Can I keep the magic clothing and heat equalizer?”
Since Tor hadn't thought about taking them back at all he nodded and asked if she wanted anything else. She smiled and looked down a bit shyly.
“Well, there is one thing…”
Tor just nodded when he heard it. It was a daring move on her part, but would make her proposal to Rolph a lot more real wouldn't it? Plus she'd invoked their family connection, which meant, by his rules, he was required to aid her. Not that he wouldn't have anyway.
They all moved back to the ship, finding it exactly as they left it, later that afternoon. Tor started right in on baking, the crackers and bread he'd made for the trip barely passing the first day before running out. No one showed up to help, being tired and wanting naps, hot soaks and entertainments. For that most of them that seemed to play cards. Tor found that so boring he wouldn't even bother and preferred working or talking to people instead. Mutta had come with them, the big “present” she'd asked for from him, so she could press her case with the Queen herself. It was actually a good move Tor knew, since a woman in a foreign land would be a lot easier to ignore than one in the next room. Ursala wasn't any too pleased about it and hinted that she could have an “accident” on the way over… But only out of ear shot of his great niece.
Mutta, it turned out, had a first name too and it wasn't even Ambassador. Close though, Tor thought. It was Abbie. Actually that was a nick name for Abumanintali, but no one other than Tor could manage it without adding or dropping syllables. She asked him to call her that instead of her last name, since they were family, a point she'd made several times when asking if she could come.