into an office. Here, he circled around a black wooden table and sat down, while he gestured for us to do the same in the two seats positioned in front of us, opposite him at the table.
He ducked down and opened a drawer, reemerging with a pile of papers, which he placed in front of Lee, and handed him a pen. Then Lee began to sift through the pages, signing and dating multiple sheets. Once he was done, he handed the papers back to Mr. Banks.
Then Mr. Banks withdrew a single sheet of paper and passed it to me. "Read it and sign, please," he requested of me.
My eyes trailed down the page. What I was reading was a declaration of oath to give up every freedom a woman took for granted in the land of Matrus, for the sake of my "husband". The language of the document didn't bother to soften the blow as it concluded:
"I hereby declare my full dependence on and submissiveness to Lee Desmond Bertrand, who will take responsibility for my speech and actions, as well as ownership of any possessions previously deemed my own. "
It was like a deliberate affront to Matrus-born women. The document was designed to intimidate. As if a Matrian's transition to Patrus wasn't already difficult enough. Even coming from being a prisoner to my homeland, I found it an affront to my identity. Gritting my teeth, I scribbled my name and the date in the same manner one would strip a bandage from a wound. I would have been hurting a lot more if I'd been a regular upstanding Matrian citizen.
Mr. Banks slid the paper back to his side of the table and glanced over it briefly before nodding. "Good," he said. "Now…" He dipped behind his desk again, opening another drawer, before appearing this time with a small black velvet pouch.
He handed it to Lee, who opened it and drew out a single golden ring, then Lee twisted in his chair to face me.
"Do you, Violet Bates," Mr. Banks spoke up, "accept Lee Desmond Bertrand as your lawfully wedded husband?"
My voice caught in my throat as I stared at the ring. I realized that it was engraved with a name. "L. D. Bertrand."
It became clear to me in that moment that Mr. Banks would pull out no second ring. There would be no exchange of vows, either. Just a single vow. A single ring.
A single leash.
This ring means nothing, I reminded myself again firmly. I'm not actually getting married. Lee won't be my husband. We are business partners and this is all just an act.
I gulped before answering: "I do."
11
A fter Lee placed the ring on my finger, our business in the marriage office was done. On exiting the building, we both took a moment. As I stood on the sidewalk, the fresh air against my skin was soothing. I couldn't wait to get out of this dress. Out of these shoes. Out of Patrus.
I had to keep my mind on the prize at the end of the tunnel: my brother—seeing him again would be all the reward I needed.
Lee gestured to my ring and said in a low voice, "Whenever we're out of the house, you should wear it. It’s important that you have it on you at all times in case something happens—in case you get separated from me. You will be safe with that ring."
I narrowed my eyes on him. "What do you mean by 'safe'?"
He began to walk me away from the building, back to the alleyway at the other side of the street. "Let's just say there are some less-than-gentlemanly men here in Patrus."
Okay…
"I don't mean to worry you," Lee went on. "Most men here are decent, albeit different from what you're used to. Just keep the ring on your finger, eyes to the ground, and you'll be fine… Now," he said, looking straight ahead at the street we were about to emerge on—the street filled with women's shops. "I suggest we head home for lunch. By the time we eat, we won't have long before we have to return to the city for our lab visit this evening."
I'd hardly spent any time in Lee's house so far, but it was already feeling like a haven compared to the rest of this disconcerting place.
* * *
L ee and I changed into more
He ducked down and opened a drawer, reemerging with a pile of papers, which he placed in front of Lee, and handed him a pen. Then Lee began to sift through the pages, signing and dating multiple sheets. Once he was done, he handed the papers back to Mr. Banks.
Then Mr. Banks withdrew a single sheet of paper and passed it to me. "Read it and sign, please," he requested of me.
My eyes trailed down the page. What I was reading was a declaration of oath to give up every freedom a woman took for granted in the land of Matrus, for the sake of my "husband". The language of the document didn't bother to soften the blow as it concluded:
"I hereby declare my full dependence on and submissiveness to Lee Desmond Bertrand, who will take responsibility for my speech and actions, as well as ownership of any possessions previously deemed my own. "
It was like a deliberate affront to Matrus-born women. The document was designed to intimidate. As if a Matrian's transition to Patrus wasn't already difficult enough. Even coming from being a prisoner to my homeland, I found it an affront to my identity. Gritting my teeth, I scribbled my name and the date in the same manner one would strip a bandage from a wound. I would have been hurting a lot more if I'd been a regular upstanding Matrian citizen.
Mr. Banks slid the paper back to his side of the table and glanced over it briefly before nodding. "Good," he said. "Now…" He dipped behind his desk again, opening another drawer, before appearing this time with a small black velvet pouch.
He handed it to Lee, who opened it and drew out a single golden ring, then Lee twisted in his chair to face me.
"Do you, Violet Bates," Mr. Banks spoke up, "accept Lee Desmond Bertrand as your lawfully wedded husband?"
My voice caught in my throat as I stared at the ring. I realized that it was engraved with a name. "L. D. Bertrand."
It became clear to me in that moment that Mr. Banks would pull out no second ring. There would be no exchange of vows, either. Just a single vow. A single ring.
A single leash.
This ring means nothing, I reminded myself again firmly. I'm not actually getting married. Lee won't be my husband. We are business partners and this is all just an act.
I gulped before answering: "I do."
11
A fter Lee placed the ring on my finger, our business in the marriage office was done. On exiting the building, we both took a moment. As I stood on the sidewalk, the fresh air against my skin was soothing. I couldn't wait to get out of this dress. Out of these shoes. Out of Patrus.
I had to keep my mind on the prize at the end of the tunnel: my brother—seeing him again would be all the reward I needed.
Lee gestured to my ring and said in a low voice, "Whenever we're out of the house, you should wear it. It’s important that you have it on you at all times in case something happens—in case you get separated from me. You will be safe with that ring."
I narrowed my eyes on him. "What do you mean by 'safe'?"
He began to walk me away from the building, back to the alleyway at the other side of the street. "Let's just say there are some less-than-gentlemanly men here in Patrus."
Okay…
"I don't mean to worry you," Lee went on. "Most men here are decent, albeit different from what you're used to. Just keep the ring on your finger, eyes to the ground, and you'll be fine… Now," he said, looking straight ahead at the street we were about to emerge on—the street filled with women's shops. "I suggest we head home for lunch. By the time we eat, we won't have long before we have to return to the city for our lab visit this evening."
I'd hardly spent any time in Lee's house so far, but it was already feeling like a haven compared to the rest of this disconcerting place.
* * *
L ee and I changed into more
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