“Very soon, darling,” he said coolly, “we shall be married. Ye will learn that such insolence comes with a price.”
And with that, he began to walk away. “I am headed home. Do send my regards to yer ma.”
* * *
Alina dreaded her sister’s return. She had heard the news that she would hate to break to her sister, yet she knew she had to. If her sister found out from someone else, she would never forgive her, and she would be right to do so. What would she say when she heard? She dreaded the look that would be in her eyes.
Just then, Ceana stormed into her room and didn’t show any surprise to see Alina in her room. Rather, Ceana flung herself into Alina’s arms and sobbed.
Alina sighed as her sister cried. It must have gone awful. When Ceana was tired of crying, she lifted her head up. Her eyes were reddened and swollen.
“He’s an animal. He loves to talk about himself. I doubt he remembers my name.”
“Is that all that makes--” Alina started, but Ceana cut her off.
“He told me he didnae wish for a marriage either.”
“Well, that’s good, is it nae? He will call it off?”
“Nay. His Faither wants him to marry, and if he does nae, he will nae get any money from him. He sees no use of one woman when a man can have more than one. He spoke of women in ways I should nae even speak of my dresses.”
“Oh, heavens,” Alina sighed.
“It gets worse,” Ceana promised and sat up. “He looked at me as though he wanted to undress me with his eyes. He is a leering lecher, and I wanted to vomit. He said if he must have a wife, he would pick a “looker.” He said he could see my curves under my horrible dress!”
“He said that?” Alina gasped in shock. “How dare he! Did he nae fear that ye would tell us?”
“I threatened as much, but ma told him I wanted no marriage already, so he said that ma would think I was makin’ it up.”
“That’s awful!”
“He said he was certain that the reason I didn’t want to marry was that I had lost me maidenhead. Then he said it didnae matter to him because he needed only an heir and a spare. Then he said he didnae care because there would be other women in his bed.” Ceana considered telling her sister the other things he had said but decided against it. She hadn’t the full idea of what it meant, but she guessed it was even more vulgar than the rest.
“This is disastrous. Ye must tell ma.”
“She wouldnae believe me,” Ceana said bitterly, and Alina couldn’t argue, for she knew it was true.
“I am sorry,” she said simply.
Ceana shrugged, defeated.
As if her day wasn’t enough, Alina thought to herself. She would have to give her sister the news.
“Ceana,” she started.
“Aye?” she asked, her eyes still swollen.
“I do nae ken how to tell ye this,” Alina sighed deeply.
“Tell me.”
“Torcall,” she paused, “Torcall has been sentenced to death, and he will be paraded in the market this evenin’.”
* * *
They were just in time to see the first soldier walk into the market square. Torcall had not yet been led in, but they knew he would be. The soldier informed the people of the imminent arrival of the clan chief, but Ceana heard nothing.
Torcall. Sentenced to death.
