drugged me. But yes, I remember.”
Bela’s mother rushed forward, taking command in spite of the tension in the air. “Untie him immediately,” she commanded.
Clyn and Tyman likely didn’t obey many orders—they were more accustomed to giving them—but they listened to their mother. In short order Merin found himself released and on his feet. Bela’s brothers were still not genial, not in the least, but they no longer threatened to kill him.
“There’s been a terrible misunderstanding,” Merin said, directing his words to the wife of the chieftain, since she seemed to be the only reasonable person in the room. “I’m not sure what happened when I was last here . . .”
Oddly, the older woman smiled. “It sounds as if my daughter tricked you into marrying her. The ceremony should’ve been witnessed, but it’s no less valid for its secrecy. You two would not be the first couple who sought privacy for reasons of pleasure and came back man and wife.”
Merin glanced at Bela for a moment, and then back to her mother. He had not imagined that night could be any more disastrous, but here they were, six years later, and it was most definitely worse. “Allowing that somehow we are indeed married, is there any way the marriage can be undone? ”
Bela pursed her lips. Clyn might’ve growled.
“Of course,” Gayene said. “Dissolving a marital union isn’t as easy as creating one, however. There are certain steps that must be taken.”
“Even if one party was not willing or well informed when the marriage took place?” Merin asked.
“Even so, I’m afraid.” The chieftain’s wife did not look particularly upset by this turn of events. In fact, he could swear she was pleased. She fought the smile that tugged at her lips, but she did not fight very well.
“How long does it take to perform these steps of dissolution?” Merin asked.
“I was certain you’d be killed in the war,” Bela said sharply. “I would’ve been very happy to be a widow.”
Merin glared at her. “Sorry to disappoint you.”
“Why didn’t you tell us?” Tyman all but shouted, directing his anger at his sister.
Bela rolled her eyes and threw up her hands. “I would’ve told you all when word of the general’s death reached the village, and I could’ve made it a great and sad story, too. I might even have shed a few tears.”
“Thank you so much,” Merin mumbled.
Bela pinned smart moss green eyes on him, unafraid and unashamed when she should be cowering in humiliation for what she’d done. “But the stubborn man survived. I should’ve known he would not cooperate.” She turned back to her brothers. “If I’d let you two know that we were actually married, you would’ve tracked him down and brought him back. I didn’t want that, so I just told you that he’d taken my virginity and you could no longer treat me like an innocent maid. That was all I wanted anyway, though to be a widow would’ve been more acceptable in your eyes, I know.”
“What if there had been a child?” Clyn asked. “Then would you have told us the truth?”
Merin laughed. “Trust me when I tell you there was no chance of a child to result from this ill-advised marriage .”
“But Bela said . . .”
Merin raised a hand to silence the lot of them. This was a conversation he didn’t want to have with anyone, least of all Bela’s brothers. He looked to Gayene Haythorne. “When will your husband return?”
“Ah, yes, you have come to us with a message,” she said. “I expect my husband to return soon, but he’s often delayed by one sort of business or another, particularly after a celebration such as the marriage which took place tonight. Can you not tell us here and now what brings you back to our humble village?”
Nothing about the Turis was humble! They were maddeningly superior and prideful. “The emperor is in the market for a bride, and some ill-advised minister suggested that Belavalari might make a fine
Bela’s mother rushed forward, taking command in spite of the tension in the air. “Untie him immediately,” she commanded.
Clyn and Tyman likely didn’t obey many orders—they were more accustomed to giving them—but they listened to their mother. In short order Merin found himself released and on his feet. Bela’s brothers were still not genial, not in the least, but they no longer threatened to kill him.
“There’s been a terrible misunderstanding,” Merin said, directing his words to the wife of the chieftain, since she seemed to be the only reasonable person in the room. “I’m not sure what happened when I was last here . . .”
Oddly, the older woman smiled. “It sounds as if my daughter tricked you into marrying her. The ceremony should’ve been witnessed, but it’s no less valid for its secrecy. You two would not be the first couple who sought privacy for reasons of pleasure and came back man and wife.”
Merin glanced at Bela for a moment, and then back to her mother. He had not imagined that night could be any more disastrous, but here they were, six years later, and it was most definitely worse. “Allowing that somehow we are indeed married, is there any way the marriage can be undone? ”
Bela pursed her lips. Clyn might’ve growled.
“Of course,” Gayene said. “Dissolving a marital union isn’t as easy as creating one, however. There are certain steps that must be taken.”
“Even if one party was not willing or well informed when the marriage took place?” Merin asked.
“Even so, I’m afraid.” The chieftain’s wife did not look particularly upset by this turn of events. In fact, he could swear she was pleased. She fought the smile that tugged at her lips, but she did not fight very well.
“How long does it take to perform these steps of dissolution?” Merin asked.
“I was certain you’d be killed in the war,” Bela said sharply. “I would’ve been very happy to be a widow.”
Merin glared at her. “Sorry to disappoint you.”
“Why didn’t you tell us?” Tyman all but shouted, directing his anger at his sister.
Bela rolled her eyes and threw up her hands. “I would’ve told you all when word of the general’s death reached the village, and I could’ve made it a great and sad story, too. I might even have shed a few tears.”
“Thank you so much,” Merin mumbled.
Bela pinned smart moss green eyes on him, unafraid and unashamed when she should be cowering in humiliation for what she’d done. “But the stubborn man survived. I should’ve known he would not cooperate.” She turned back to her brothers. “If I’d let you two know that we were actually married, you would’ve tracked him down and brought him back. I didn’t want that, so I just told you that he’d taken my virginity and you could no longer treat me like an innocent maid. That was all I wanted anyway, though to be a widow would’ve been more acceptable in your eyes, I know.”
“What if there had been a child?” Clyn asked. “Then would you have told us the truth?”
Merin laughed. “Trust me when I tell you there was no chance of a child to result from this ill-advised marriage .”
“But Bela said . . .”
Merin raised a hand to silence the lot of them. This was a conversation he didn’t want to have with anyone, least of all Bela’s brothers. He looked to Gayene Haythorne. “When will your husband return?”
“Ah, yes, you have come to us with a message,” she said. “I expect my husband to return soon, but he’s often delayed by one sort of business or another, particularly after a celebration such as the marriage which took place tonight. Can you not tell us here and now what brings you back to our humble village?”
Nothing about the Turis was humble! They were maddeningly superior and prideful. “The emperor is in the market for a bride, and some ill-advised minister suggested that Belavalari might make a fine
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