Chapter Twenty-Seven

 

 

Aren sat before her hearth, annoyed and frustrated. After finally being alone with him, Av said no. Not because he didn't want to, he was very clear on that, but because he felt Telm was scary. Telm appeared moments later, as if hearing her name, and separated the two of them while giving Av a lecture on being alone with a lady.

A knock came at the door, but Aren continued to glare at the fire.

“Lord Deret to see you, Lady Aren,” Telm said from the door.

Smoothing her features as best she could, Aren turned as the lord took the other seat. She thought she had been clear about not making audiences while in her rooms. Did Telm believe that Aren would take audiences until she moved into the queen's rooms?

Aren winced at the thought of the questions the serving staff had bombarded her with over the afternoon, asking her what her favourite colour was, did she prefer stone or wood? She knew why they were asking the questions, what the questions were for. What she didn't understand was why the servants were the ones asking, why her mother, as head of house, didn't come to ask the questions herself, as Telm said she was supposed to do.

“My lady,” Lord Deret said.

“Please, don't use titles,” Aren grumbled. “I haven't got time for polite. I am Aren, you are Deret, and this is my time you are interrupting. Be quick about it.”

Deret hesitated, considering Aren as if second guessing himself. Obviously troubled by something, apparently not wanting the entire court to know, he had come to her after gathering his courage and she had just squashed that courage.

“Deret, why didn't you take this before the throne?” Aren asked, trying to speak as softly as possible.

“It's not—” Deret sighed. “La-uhm, Aren, my mating was arranged by Lady Em. At the time, I thought Lady Em had blessed me with a beautiful woman. She has no rank, a title that she cannot pass to any children, and her father loves me. She likes my income, my estate, and my title.”

Questioning his arranged mating. Aren watched Deret for a moment, waiting for him to elaborate.

“Deret, this is to question Em's mated pairs, those which she created to punish one or both,” Aren said quietly. “I fail to see where you are going with this.”

“My mate, Lerana, is barren,” Deret said, holding up his hands to stop Aren from protesting. “I'm not upset about that. I could be happy with a barren woman, but she didn't tell me until I questioned why, after six years, we've not conceived, even once. Not even a mistake. And she's voracious. No contraceptives. I have a child, I knew it wasn't me, but his mother's blood needed him to take her name. After our year was up, I agreed to have his name changed. He belongs to them. I need an inheritor for my estate now.”

“Adopt,” Aren said plainly.

“I would, but she's forbidden it. She wants her nephew to inherit. The boy has no right to my estate. That was only the beginning. When I started questioning her, well...”

Aren waited a long moment. When Deret didn't offer anything up, she said. “Well, what?”

Deret stood, pulling his shirt off.

Telm, who had been standing by the door pretending not to hear what was going on, protested as she crossed the room to the hearth. “Lord Deret, this is highly inappropriate!”

Scars laced Deret's torso. Some old, some new. One mark was still healing, but obviously had not been seen by a healer. It looked like someone had stabbed and slashed Deret at their leisure.

“I don't know what else to do,” Deret said. “I can't stop her, she won't let me go to a healer. Says if I do she'll…” Deret risked a glance at Telm, then back to Aren. “I'd rather not repeat what she said. I fear for my life, Lady Aren. Lady Em insisted our mating be for life and at the time I agreed, but I didn't know who she was.”

“Why didn't you report this before?” Aren asked Deret.

Defeated, Deret slumped. “Who would believe me? A man being abused by his woman? I didn't think Lord Jer would do anything for me, thought Lord Av would laugh. What kind of a man puts up with this?”

Aren frowned at Deret. “I will investigate this mating, but only if you see a healer and she writes me a report. If you fear what your mate will do to you, then remain in the healer hall until I send word as to my verdict.”

“If you command it,” Deret said quietly.

“I do command it,” Aren said, trying to be forceful.

The man nodded and stood, pulling his shirt back on. He left with his head lowered. Telm closed the door behind him, sliding the lock into place. Aren stood, turning to Telm.

“This will not do,” Aren said.

“Of course it won't do,” Telm muttered. “Men don't get abused by women.”

“I've watched my mother abuse my father with her words for years,” Aren responded tartly. “It can, and does, happen. Men are not the only ones capable of abuse. I want Lord Av and Lord Jer in this room within the hour.”

Telm stared at Aren. “You cannot be upset with them for something they had no hand in.”

“They allowed it to happen. That man obviously needed help and they were so focused on keeping the women happy that they didn't bother to look after their own. That is unacceptable,” Aren said sternly.

“At least, wait until the healer's report back,” Telm said soothingly.

“Fine, but I highly doubt he did that to himself,” Aren said as a knock came at the door. “What happened to no audiences?”

“That will be easier to enforce once you're in the queen's rooms,” Telm said quietly. “Commoners are afraid of the rooms. Keeps them away.”

Aren made a sound and returned to her seat by the fire as Telm greeted the person at the door.

“Lady Lerana here to see you, Lady Aren,” Telm said in an annoyed tone.

It was the tone that helped Aren recall that Lerana was Deret's mate. Aren watched the lady sit, considering her options carefully before she decided to pretend not to know anything.

“What can I do for you, Lady Lerana?” Aren asked. “Please recall, this is on my time. Make it quick.”

Lerana sighed loudly. “My mate is a known liar and I know he was just here. Probably telling some tale about how I hurt him. It's not the first time. I think he's upset because I'm barren, you see.”

Watery eyes, cracking voice, Aren almost felt moved by the woman.

“Lord Deret is going to the healer hall,” Aren said. “I will take accusations seriously and investigate them all.”

“He's covering for the fact that he's the one who hurt me,” Lerana said desperately, shaking her head as she forced a sob. “He said this was what he would do, if I ever tried to tell anyone. He saw me go to the healer yesterday and must have decided to... Why don't you believe me?”

Aren watched the woman, unaware what Lerana meant. The lady wasn't looking at Aren, she was looking at Telm. The older woman had her arms folded and an angry look on her face. One foot tapped on the floor in annoyance. Aren had never seen that sort of look on Telm's face.

“I take it back, Aren,” Telm said. “I will call Lord Av and Lord Jer. Once Jer is done with Mar.”

“You can go,” Aren said to Lerana.

“Why is she allowed to make the judgement?” the lady protested. “She doesn't sit the throne, you do!”

“Fool me, fine,” Aren said quietly, meeting Lerana's eyes. “I'm not such a fool as to ignore the advice of those around me. Telm obviously doesn't believe you, the healer will send her report, which will no doubt back your mate's claim, not yours.”

Lerana stood, hands clenched at her sides. “You would believe a man over your own gender?”

“I believe the one telling the truth,” Aren said, motioning to Telm. “She has a good deal more experience than I do. Not only with people, but as my rank. She believes you are lying. What sort of ruler would I be if I ignored the experienced opinions of those around me?”

“You will regret this, I am powerful.”

“You have no rank or title, and apparently no honour.”

“I have powerful friends!”

“By all means, send them my way,” Aren responded, standing. “I'm interested in purging my court of everyone like you. Get out of my rooms.”

Lerana left, slamming the door behind her. Telm stood, back stiff, the pinched look still on her face. Chuckling despite herself, Aren motioned to the chair Lerana had just been sitting in. Telm took the seat, huffing out as she did.

“What was that about men not being abused by women?” Aren asked Telm.

“She's not even one of Em's ladies,” Telm grumbled. “I thought she was a good woman. How am I supposed to help you, if I've missed her for so many years?”

Aren shrugged. “Everyone makes mistakes and you only noticed her after her mate spoke up. This is why we need the mates to speak. Some of the couples are likely happy despite how strangely they were paired.”

There came another knock on the door. Groaning, Aren set her head in her hands as Telm stood to answer it. There was a hushed debate at the door before Telm opened it and invited the visitor in.

“Lord Url Marilton to see you, Lady Aren,” Telm said grudgingly.

Aren stood, furious. “This is my time! Whatever you have to say can wait until I call court! If you believe it to be so important you can call court and then we can discuss it, but not on my time!”

Url looked startled. “I've never heard you use that tone before. It agrees with you.” He glanced at Telm. “Is the lady afflicted in some manner?”

“Are you asking about my cycle?” Aren snarled at him.

“More about sleep,” Url said, glancing to Aren. “Unless your cycle makes you like this, then I suppose, yes. Is it your cycle?”

“It's not my cycle!” Aren shouted.

“Then what, pray tell, is bothering you so much?” Url asked.

“Lords and ladies coming at all times of the day, people who assume they know what is best for me, who try to lie to me and are surprised when I call them on what they're doing,” Aren said quickly. “That is what is upsetting me. An arranged mating I don't want. My parents and the barons at court to make certain I mate someone who I don't want to kill, leaving me with little option besides mate him. Which neither of us wants. What's bothering you, Lord Url?”

“The arranged mating,” Url said with a boyish grin. “May I take you for a walk, Lady Aren? Wherever you would like to go.”

“How about the archivist?” Telm offered, turning to Aren. “You can get out of your rooms, to a place where other lords and ladies won't bother you, and request the matings be voided.”

“Very well,” Aren said. “Why are you comfortable with his taking me for a walk, but made such a fuss over Av doing as much?”

“Lord Url is bound by his father's honour,” Telm said. “As baron to the north, Lord Er will not put up with such behaviour. Besides, he's relatively harmless.”