23 To Keep a Marriage (2/2)
Isilla drew her focus back to the table, the men stared back at her.
”Why,” another man with a thick, blond mustache asked, ”did you reject her, Lehan?”
Lehan sighed, ”She looked like a street urchin when they brought her to me. Covered in chalk dust, her hair was a bird's nest. Nothing like this.”
She looked down at her mulberry dress, the fabric clean and unmarred. The maids had coiled her hair on her head, holding it with delicate pins. She wondered if he would really have cared if her dress had been as clean then.
”She had been traveling, my lords,” Arren's deep voice filled the space. ”She was not given any time to clean up before she was presented to my brother.”
”So, you think his choice was rash?” the mustached man asked.
”Then there was the matter of this dreamweaver business,” Lehan said not allowing Arren to answer.
”A matter which is of no matter. If Lehan had done his duty in reading her letters, she told the truth of herself readily. In fact, any of you can look over what was written by her, the letters are stored in the library.”
”And who wrote these letters to her?” a younger man, with a thin, pale face asked.
Arren remained silent. Lehan frowned and answered, ”A member of my personal entourage, at my order, of course.”
”And they did not report this, hmm, condition, to you?” the thin faced man asked.
”No, perhaps he thought it was just a turn of phrase or that her muteness was a choice and not this field of silence she exhibits.”
Basajaun sighed, rubbing his temple. ”So, there was ample time to request a change in princesses?”
”Yes,” Lehan admitted, the word a hiss of air.
”And it seems to be a treasured state in the realm. They truly believe that she is a gift,” Arren added casually.
”Then we cannot, at this time, request anything further of the Light Realm. We must do what we can to repay their kindness to us. Perhaps if she fails to produce children or some other defect is found, we may. Isilla stand, disrobe, we will check your person for any sign that you were not pure on your wedding night,” Basajaun said casually, motioning for her to stand.
Isilla's eyes widened and her breath caught in her throat. Around her ankles she could feel Arren's shadows wrapping themselves against her skin.
”No,” Arren said at once. ”She has already been subjected to that in front of the court of my father, by Prince Lehan. He enacted his official position as a Council member. That is enough.”
A bearded man leaned forward, ”Is that true as well, Prince Lehan?”
”Yes. I found no mark on her,” he answered.
”We will cast our votes then. LordIsotz and Prince Lehan will be be excluded as they both have prejudices in this. Vote aye if you believe the marriage is acceptable. Nay if you believe it is not.”
A heavyset man who Isilla assumed was Lord Isotz grumbled and crossed his arms but nodded.
From the right end of the table, the first man spoke. ”Aye.”
The second man answered the same as did the third. The fourth and fifth both voted against her, but the rest of the table supported the choice that Arren had made in taking her in marriage.
She glanced at her husband again but he seemed to have no feelings on the matter, either way.
The letters were written by someone close to Lehan, she noted. She had never been close to the prince. Is he different from Arren? Does he have friends? They are likely as cruel as he is then, she thought, her heart sinking. But, I still want to know.
”Now that we've ended that, we need to decide what is to be done about my daughter!” Lord Isotz said, his voice booming throughout the room.
”Calm down, Istoz,” Basajaun said, ”Obviously, the engagement between your daughter and Prince Arren has been voided but I'm sure we can find another way for the Crown to compensate you.”
”My daughter was to marry a prince. Is Lehan to take her hand now?” Isotz asked, turning his large body to stare directly at Basajaun.
Isilla looked down at her folded hands. So that's why he married me, to get out of this other engagement, she thought.
”Don't speak so casually of me,” Lehan growled back. ”And I would never marry your whore of a daughter. Perhaps one of my cousins would like their stations improved.”
”How dare you!” Lord Istoz yelled, standing, his chair toppling to the floor behind him.
”Sit down, Istoz! There is no reason for your outbursts! Arren has done the Realm a service, we have agreed. We will see to the needs of your kingdom as well,” Basajaun said his voice carrying.
A servant lifted the chair and slid it back into place. Frowning deeply, Istoz took his chair. ”The needs of my kingdom? The Crown cannot repay this insult. Bring out Elixabete. Let them see what the Crown must repay.”
The servant who had lifted the chair bowed and left the room by a side door. The Council sat in silence. Isilla turned to Arren but he seemed unmoved by anything that had happened, his head propped against his arm, resting on the arm of the chair. He's looks bored, she thought.
The door opened again and the servant returned, bowing low as he announced the woman who followed him. ”Lady Elixabete of the Southern Firth.”
The woman who walked from the shadows was young, the same or near the same age as Isilla though her wide, teary eyes made her seem younger, helpless. Tall and thin, a wisp of a girl, her soft brown hair framed her face and spilled down her chest where it brushed the top of her very pregnant belly.
She held her hands over it, her focus completely on Arren.
Arren raised an eyebrow.
”How will you repay that? She is ruined! What proper marriage can she have now? Who is going to risk being saddled with the Lord of All Shadows bastard?” her father growled, his fury focused on Arren along with the rest of the room.