The Guadel Chronicles Volumes 1 - 4 by Dean Murray

Author:Dean Murray [Murray, Dean]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Fir'shan Publishing
Published: 2015-05-03T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter 14

Va'del followed the directions that On'li had given him, and far sooner than he would have wished found himself standing before Vi'en's rooms.

The Guadel invited him to enter in response to his light clap, and he soon found himself sitting in a chair facing the woman he was going to marry.

Vi'en was a short, slender woman whose hair was surprisingly dark still for someone who'd seen so many years.

"So you're the one Va'ma expects me to marry, and that before I'm even properly out of the white of mourning. Powers, you all get younger every year."

More than a little taken aback by Vi'en's brusque manner, Va'del revised his original plan and decided to get straight to the question. "I've been told that the first wife has the right to refuse permission to her husband regarding marriage to any additional wives."

Hard, black eyes looked at Va'del appraisingly. "Somebody's been bringing you up to speed on all kinds of things, haven't they? Fair enough, it's all stuff you would have learned sooner or later. Yes, once we're married I'll be able to refuse you the right to marry anyone I don't think proper, and I fully intend to exercise it, young man. Everyone keeps going on and on about your incredible potential, but it seems to me you really need someone who'll keep you from making all the stupid mistakes that result in most Guadel pairings being useless for the first decade or so."

Va'del suppressed the anger Vi'en's tone brought surging up in him, and continued. "I've come to ask for your promise that after we're married you'll allow me to pick my next wife, preferably as soon as possible. That is the only way I'll agree to go forward with this."

"Oh, you've some sweetheart, do you? Well, even my dear Bob'ae never got away with dictating those kinds of things to me. We'll spend the normal year together before a second wife is considered, and then I may grant you permission to marry whoever it is your heart is currently set on. Even assuming you're still enamored of her, there's the question of whether or not she'll make a good second wife. After all, she'll probably be a first wife soon enough after I go to join my Bob'ae."

Va'del opened his mouth to tell Vi'en that he wouldn't marry her, but she interrupted him. "Don't be forcing me to call your bluff, boy. You'll accept my terms and smile about them because there's a need in you to become a Guadel. There must be, or you'd never have put up with everything those fools in the Council have done to you. Bob'ae never would have put up with that. You don't have a tenth the self-respect he did, but that's part of what I'm here to teach you."

Vi'en let her husband-to-be stew in his anger for several seconds and then looked up from the embroidery she'd picked up while they were talking. "I don't think we've any more to talk

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