Warriors' Providence (Cadi Warriors Book 2)(25)

"I wouldn't be ruining anything. I've been testing these people's boundaries since I got here. How else will they learn we're more than delicate freaking flowers? Unfortunately Kagan was right. He's can't fight his regents on everything, when he needs them to agree with him on the major issues the Cadi are facing."

"I get it, politics are a give and take situation." Providence conceded. "How soon is all this happening?"

"After dinner, I think. I'm sorry."

"So what does this really mean?" Providence asked.

"It’s a good news, bad news situation. It means we are formally being given the same status as any Cadi female. But like I said, they're overprotective of woman. They're not used to girls like us. Cadi woman have opinions, but more often than not they seem to defer to their men. They aren't represented in government though it seems to be more by tradition than written law. It's seriously like the days, before suffrage. I think I'm twice as outspoken here because of all this." Giselle waved her hand about. "You know back home I was the type of person who really didn't get into politics unless some candidate pulled a boneheaded move, like speaking out against birth control or crap like that. Here I'm bombarded by issues I can't ignore." Giselle groused.

"I thought I had double standard issues to deal with at home. I guess I was wrong." Providence frowned. "So what happens if I defy whoever my protector is?"

"Not much. Kagan threatens to spank me and has, but it doesn't work." Giselle winked at Providence.

Providence snorted catching her meaning.

"The major laws aren't too hard to abide by. No killing, theft, battery, etc. The Cadi take their Goddess Kali pretty seriously and its taboo to bad mouth her, but not illegal. Censorship is nonexistent. It's considered a right to speak your mind though as I said the woman tend to be more reserved than what you and I are used to. There aren't a lot of Cadi females around the manor, but I'll introduce you to Jolana next time she visits. She's one of my good friends and very sweet."

Providence listened to Giselle talk about the Cadi, but her mind kept wandering back to the fact she'd be handed over to some male. Providence was beyond relieved she wasn't going to be slave. She appreciated the Cadi voted to give them the same status as their own females. That was a step in the right direction. However that also meant she had to follow their strange traditions.

Providence hoped desperately that she wasn't shipped off far from Giselle. According to Giselle she'd still have the freedom to visit her. But how would that work when Providence didn't know her way around, or even how to use the odd hovering vehicles, the Cadi zipped around in? Everything was too new to be ripped away from her only friend and comfort.

Dinner arrived sooner than Providence would have liked. She felt like she was being led to the gallows as they made their way to the dining room. Providence studied the manor architecture as they walked into the large dining room, hoping to occupy her mind. She hadn't had time to really look around and take everything in yet.

The dark, granite stone walls leading up to a vaulted ceiling were reminiscent of a castle fortress. Colorful tapestries lined the walls giving the space a warm, less somber feel. Too bad they didn't brighten her mood.

Massive blazing fireplaces at both ends of the long banquet table threw off a pleasant warmth, heating the room with their flickering flames. Providence wondered if that was how the Cadi heated their homes since she saw no vents in the walls.

The room was also lit with an artificial light that poured from sconces on the walls, augmenting the fire light. Providence had no clue how they turned on and off. Were they wired and electric or some other type of technology? She felt so ignorant of this place.

The table was already set and nearly two dozen Cadi men stood waiting to be seated. They were massive. Providence couldn't help but compare them to the demons she first thought they looked like. The men wore kilts, which appeared standard considering their tails. Some wore leggings that were armored or leather. All the Cadi men seemed to abhor wearing shirts regardless of age, bandoliers of knives crossing their tattooed chests instead. They were no longer at war, couldn't they set aside the weapons, at least for dinner?

Kagan smiled when he saw Giselle and Providence approach. Giselle smirked at him as he pulled out her seat. Giselle smiled and kissed Sabin who sat on Kagan's other side. Providence sat next to Giselle and noticed Madhava and Dagaa when they took the seats across from her. She gave them a tentative smile.

"Here try this, it’s the root vegetables we were peeling, they're like potatoes. This meat tastes similar to chicken. If you like spicy foods this dish is good, it's called capsur." Giselle helped her load her plate.