a few other
pleasantries, but that was it. Dasen sat back in shock. His mind
spun but could not come to terms with what he had just read. In all
his thinking on Tethina, this was not something he had ever come
close to considering.
Rynn, for his part, snatched the
letter from Dasen’s limp fingers and read it again. “Can I make a
copy of this? It is absolutely the most deliciously scandalous
thing I have ever read.”
“ You may not!” Ipid
shouted. He stormed into the room and tore the letter from Rynn’s
fingers. “That is my letter. From my satchel. How dare
you?”
For once in his life, Rynn had the
good sense to not smile. He retreated to put one of the four round
tables between himself and his accuser. He stammered, at a rare
loss for words.
“ I took it from your bag,”
Dasen admitted, “and I’m glad I did. Is this what you’ve been
hiding from me? That you’re forcing me to join some freakish
he-woman? When were you planning to tell me? When she ran off to
kill us a boar for our wedding feast?”
“ Enough!” Ipid roared.
“You will not speak of Tethina that way! You don’t know anything.
You’ve read one letter, and it wasn’t even from her.”
“ Then let me read her
letters, though I didn’t see much room for confusion in
that.”
“ That’s why I didn’t want
you to read it! What it says is true, but you are jumping to the
wrong conclusions. Tethina is strong and independent, but she’s not
some freak. She’s a young woman who’s had an Order-cursed hard
life.”
“ So you’ve decided to
strap her to me. I’m the one who has to teach manners to the wild
woman of the west. Do you have any idea the scandal it will create
if this news reaches Liandrin?” Dasen paused for a moment in shock.
“How could this not travel? A girl competes in the district games
and wins five first place coins. That will spread across the world
like an old Imperial decree. By the Order, what if they attach it
to Tethina? What if they realize it’s the same girl?”
“ Now, Dasen.” Ipid tried
to calm his son. “It will blow over like these things always do. I
thought you’d be proud of her.”
“ Blow over! Proud! I will
be a laughing stock! I won’t be able to walk into a room without it
erupting into whispers at best, outright jeers at worst. It will be
impossible. And Tethina, she will be a constant source of ridicule.
It will be ten times worse for her. No girl will speak with her.
The boys will taunt her. The counselors will deride her. Where did
you think this would go?”
“ I think you are blowing
this entirely out of proportion,” Ipid stuffed the letter into his
bag, obviously done with the discussion. “So she competed in the
games. People will have some fun with it, then it will be over. I
always thought you were a better man than to worry about what
others thought of you. That you stood up for your friends.” Ipid
made a point of looking toward Rynn as he spoke the last. “Now I
think we should forget about this and get some sleep. It will be a
long day tomorrow, especially if this rain continues.” With that,
Ipid gathered his remaining papers, buckled them into his satchel,
gave Dasen and Rynn each a disapproving look, then stomped up the
stairs to his room.
Dasen collapsed into a chair and
dropped his head to the polished planks. Images of a muscle-bound
man clad in leathers with a woman’s face flashed before his eyes.
He tried to imagine himself even kissing such a creature and
couldn’t. The reactions she would solicit at the university echoed
in his ears. For the first time, he seriously considered running
away. But now he was in the middle of nowhere. How would he even
go? Hire a horse that he could barely ride? His father probably had
the only coach this side of Thoren. If he had known this back in
Liandrin or even Wildern on Orm that would have been one thing, but
now he was stuck.
Seeing his friend’s duress, Rynn
placed a hand on his back. “I’m sorry,
pleasantries, but that was it. Dasen sat back in shock. His mind
spun but could not come to terms with what he had just read. In all
his thinking on Tethina, this was not something he had ever come
close to considering.
Rynn, for his part, snatched the
letter from Dasen’s limp fingers and read it again. “Can I make a
copy of this? It is absolutely the most deliciously scandalous
thing I have ever read.”
“ You may not!” Ipid
shouted. He stormed into the room and tore the letter from Rynn’s
fingers. “That is my letter. From my satchel. How dare
you?”
For once in his life, Rynn had the
good sense to not smile. He retreated to put one of the four round
tables between himself and his accuser. He stammered, at a rare
loss for words.
“ I took it from your bag,”
Dasen admitted, “and I’m glad I did. Is this what you’ve been
hiding from me? That you’re forcing me to join some freakish
he-woman? When were you planning to tell me? When she ran off to
kill us a boar for our wedding feast?”
“ Enough!” Ipid roared.
“You will not speak of Tethina that way! You don’t know anything.
You’ve read one letter, and it wasn’t even from her.”
“ Then let me read her
letters, though I didn’t see much room for confusion in
that.”
“ That’s why I didn’t want
you to read it! What it says is true, but you are jumping to the
wrong conclusions. Tethina is strong and independent, but she’s not
some freak. She’s a young woman who’s had an Order-cursed hard
life.”
“ So you’ve decided to
strap her to me. I’m the one who has to teach manners to the wild
woman of the west. Do you have any idea the scandal it will create
if this news reaches Liandrin?” Dasen paused for a moment in shock.
“How could this not travel? A girl competes in the district games
and wins five first place coins. That will spread across the world
like an old Imperial decree. By the Order, what if they attach it
to Tethina? What if they realize it’s the same girl?”
“ Now, Dasen.” Ipid tried
to calm his son. “It will blow over like these things always do. I
thought you’d be proud of her.”
“ Blow over! Proud! I will
be a laughing stock! I won’t be able to walk into a room without it
erupting into whispers at best, outright jeers at worst. It will be
impossible. And Tethina, she will be a constant source of ridicule.
It will be ten times worse for her. No girl will speak with her.
The boys will taunt her. The counselors will deride her. Where did
you think this would go?”
“ I think you are blowing
this entirely out of proportion,” Ipid stuffed the letter into his
bag, obviously done with the discussion. “So she competed in the
games. People will have some fun with it, then it will be over. I
always thought you were a better man than to worry about what
others thought of you. That you stood up for your friends.” Ipid
made a point of looking toward Rynn as he spoke the last. “Now I
think we should forget about this and get some sleep. It will be a
long day tomorrow, especially if this rain continues.” With that,
Ipid gathered his remaining papers, buckled them into his satchel,
gave Dasen and Rynn each a disapproving look, then stomped up the
stairs to his room.
Dasen collapsed into a chair and
dropped his head to the polished planks. Images of a muscle-bound
man clad in leathers with a woman’s face flashed before his eyes.
He tried to imagine himself even kissing such a creature and
couldn’t. The reactions she would solicit at the university echoed
in his ears. For the first time, he seriously considered running
away. But now he was in the middle of nowhere. How would he even
go? Hire a horse that he could barely ride? His father probably had
the only coach this side of Thoren. If he had known this back in
Liandrin or even Wildern on Orm that would have been one thing, but
now he was stuck.
Seeing his friend’s duress, Rynn
placed a hand on his back. “I’m sorry,
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