Bound by Honor Bound by Love

Author:Ruth Ann Nordin
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: romance, sex, native american, bride, north dakota, tribe, arranged marriage, mandan, virgin hero

Chapter Ten

“I can’t believe he’s doing this,” Onawa cried into the handkerchief Julia handed her.

“He’s not doing it. The chief is,” Woape said.

The three sat in the grass, away from the lodges. Onawa had to talk to her sister and Julia about what she’d just learned. She understood the chief would make the announcement the next day, so she hadn’t felt right about telling everyone. But Woape and Julia were two people she was close to who would understand why she was upset by the news. Usually, she’d want to tell Amata, too, but considering she was Citlali’s sister, she didn’t feel right in putting Amata in the middle of this.

“You can’t blame Citlali,” Woape softly replied.

Onawa shook her head as she wiped her tears from her cheeks. “He didn’t tell him no.”

Julia put her arm around Onawa’s shoulders. “It’s not as easy as that, Onawa. Chogan and I have had enough dealings with the chief and Citlali to know that the chief manipulates things so that Citlali doesn’t have a choice.”

“If Citlali cared, he wouldn’t give in, no matter how the chief manipulates things to his advantage,” Onawa replied, her tone turning cold. “Citlali’s brother is right. Citlali’s first love is his duty to the chief. No one else matters.”

Woape’s eyebrows furrowed in concern. “It’s not like you to say things like this.”

“But how can I not say these things when I’m going to lose you, our father, and Julia?” Onawa protested. “Surely, you won’t allow Gary to leave with your children. I won’t see my nieces anymore. And Julia is white, so she can’t stay. Then Father will leave because he just asked Erin to marry him, and she said yes.”

“I doubt Father and my aunt Erin would have stayed in the tribe anyway,” Julia said. “Chogan’s halfway done with our cabin, and Erin and I would like to live close to each other. Even as we speak, your father and Chogan have been thinking of building another cabin close to where Chogan and I will be.”

This news made Onawa cry even harder. While she knew Julia and Chogan planned to leave the tribe during the summer, she had no idea her father would leave with Erin. She assumed Erin would stay in the tribe with him.

Woape sighed. “Onawa, life as we know it is changing, and there’s nothing we can do about it. The Mandans will never be the way they once were. But it doesn’t mean our affiliation with the white man is wrong. Whether someone is white or Mandan makes little difference. People are people.”

“I know that,” Onawa replied, wondering why her sister felt the need to explain this.

“But the chief doesn’t,” Woape softly stated.

“I’m not talking about the chief. I’m talking about Citlali. How could he stand by the chief while family and friends are being forced out of the tribe?”

Julia and Woape glanced at each other before Julia said, “It’s not as easy as it seems, Onawa. Chogan spent enough time with Citlali

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