noticed their presence, they blended in so well. As bodyguards they were certainly more effective than the one who hovered so obviously at her shoulder. Marja’s appreciation of their usefulness grew as she watched how skilfully they went about their work. She vowed to be more vigilant of them in the future.
Marja felt elated to be out of her chamber and to reconnect with the people she had known. It relieved her to find that the death toll appeared much lower than she had expected. Since everyone who knew her wanted a moment of her time, it took about three spans before she had toured all her old haunts. By then darkness had fallen, and it was time for the evening meal. She and Brensa went back to her chamber, tired but more content.
~ 19 ~
WHO IS GAELEN?
After the rigors of the day, fatigue dictated that they retire early, Nellis back to her shared room, and Brensa with Marja, to share her bed until Gaelen returned. Brensa drifted off quickly, but it took some time before Marja succumbed. When she finally slipped into a fitful doze she had come no closer to resolving her dilemma.
Marja knew that, as Gaelen’s new wife, she would be expected to lie with him when he returned. He had not come to her the first night, possibly because it had been so late he had decided to let her sleep. She tried to sort out her feelings about him. On the one hand, he had been part of the family responsible for invading and conquering her homeland and killing her family. Yet Lord Bargest’s motivation for the invasion appeared justified in the wake of her own father’s treachery. That was how imbalances in power were resolved. It was the traditional way of things.
And Gaelen himself had spared her own life without hesitation. More, he had offered her an honourable union, with higher status than she would have received had she wed him at the time of the original offer. She somehow felt she ought to be grateful.
He had treated her people with fairness thus far, though with an iron hand that brooked no dispute. This, too, she understood as necessary under the circumstances. He would lose control if he showed weakness. As it was, his amnesty brought suspicions of poor judgment. Yet many of her people had come back to their homes and occupations, free to take up the threads of their lives. This had imbued an air of optimism rarely heard of in a conquered people. The mood tended to be much in Lord Gaelen’s favour, at least among the Catanians.
In his contacts with her, too, he had been most circumspect, firm yet unambiguous. He had been honest with her and had kept his word, both to her and regarding her people. He had restored her attendants to her and had increased her freedom as much as he deemed possible … though she wished to challenge him more on that score. Just as important, and now she smiled to herself, Cook liked him. And Cook had always been a good judge of character. And he was handsome, she had to admit, and charming when he softened.
Marja found herself wanting to believe all would come out well. Since Gaelen was to be her husband, she wanted to let the relationship develop freely into the kind of bond all women dream of. What was stopping her? Partly, a sense of duty to her slain family, she realized. It felt wrong to fall into the arms of the enemy.
Second, and perhaps more important, was that she still did not quite believe Gaelen could be trusted. There had been so little time for her to ascertain his character. Would he remain true to his word? Would he continue to rule with the good of her people in mind? Her experience of her own father, turning into a suspicious autocrat who grew completely out of touch with the needs of his people, made her cautious of bestowing trust too soon. She remembered his promise to wait until she was ready, the offer of fowl’s blood. That had been most unexpected and showed a willingness to compromise.
Marja felt completely unable to think her way out of her muddle. It
Marja felt elated to be out of her chamber and to reconnect with the people she had known. It relieved her to find that the death toll appeared much lower than she had expected. Since everyone who knew her wanted a moment of her time, it took about three spans before she had toured all her old haunts. By then darkness had fallen, and it was time for the evening meal. She and Brensa went back to her chamber, tired but more content.
~ 19 ~
WHO IS GAELEN?
After the rigors of the day, fatigue dictated that they retire early, Nellis back to her shared room, and Brensa with Marja, to share her bed until Gaelen returned. Brensa drifted off quickly, but it took some time before Marja succumbed. When she finally slipped into a fitful doze she had come no closer to resolving her dilemma.
Marja knew that, as Gaelen’s new wife, she would be expected to lie with him when he returned. He had not come to her the first night, possibly because it had been so late he had decided to let her sleep. She tried to sort out her feelings about him. On the one hand, he had been part of the family responsible for invading and conquering her homeland and killing her family. Yet Lord Bargest’s motivation for the invasion appeared justified in the wake of her own father’s treachery. That was how imbalances in power were resolved. It was the traditional way of things.
And Gaelen himself had spared her own life without hesitation. More, he had offered her an honourable union, with higher status than she would have received had she wed him at the time of the original offer. She somehow felt she ought to be grateful.
He had treated her people with fairness thus far, though with an iron hand that brooked no dispute. This, too, she understood as necessary under the circumstances. He would lose control if he showed weakness. As it was, his amnesty brought suspicions of poor judgment. Yet many of her people had come back to their homes and occupations, free to take up the threads of their lives. This had imbued an air of optimism rarely heard of in a conquered people. The mood tended to be much in Lord Gaelen’s favour, at least among the Catanians.
In his contacts with her, too, he had been most circumspect, firm yet unambiguous. He had been honest with her and had kept his word, both to her and regarding her people. He had restored her attendants to her and had increased her freedom as much as he deemed possible … though she wished to challenge him more on that score. Just as important, and now she smiled to herself, Cook liked him. And Cook had always been a good judge of character. And he was handsome, she had to admit, and charming when he softened.
Marja found herself wanting to believe all would come out well. Since Gaelen was to be her husband, she wanted to let the relationship develop freely into the kind of bond all women dream of. What was stopping her? Partly, a sense of duty to her slain family, she realized. It felt wrong to fall into the arms of the enemy.
Second, and perhaps more important, was that she still did not quite believe Gaelen could be trusted. There had been so little time for her to ascertain his character. Would he remain true to his word? Would he continue to rule with the good of her people in mind? Her experience of her own father, turning into a suspicious autocrat who grew completely out of touch with the needs of his people, made her cautious of bestowing trust too soon. She remembered his promise to wait until she was ready, the offer of fowl’s blood. That had been most unexpected and showed a willingness to compromise.
Marja felt completely unable to think her way out of her muddle. It
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