“I’m Aldric Elmsley. This is my daughter.”
“I know who she is.”
“Then you’ll understand this is a misunderstanding and nothing more. A family disagreement that went further than it should have. My daughter acted in anger, and contracts made in anger serve no one. I’ll reimburse you in full. Double what you paid, for your trouble and your travel.”
“I’m not interested,” I say plainly.
Esme gives me a surprised glance. Darina is practically cowering behind her.
I position myself so I’m between them and the man who’s trying to impose his will on the three of us.
Her father drops the courtesy.
“Let me be honest with you, then. I hold a seat on Concord’s council. Its courts hear the cases I ask them to hear. And every trade agreement between this city and the Waste crosses my desk before signing. Agreements get reviewed, Mr. Aren. Caravans get delayed at gates. Portal permissions get revoked. Ask yourself how much of that your people can afford.”
“Otheera,” I say.
“I beg your pardon?”
“You call my home the Waste. Its name is Otheera. If you mean to threaten its trade, you can at least name it correctly.”
“Father, stop this.” Esme steps toward him. “Back off. I made my decision, and it’s…”
“Shut up.” He doesn’t even raise his voice. “You don’t know anything about what you’ve done. We’ll discuss it later.”
My tail wants to snap in his direction. I want to tell this man that no one orders my bride to shut up, not while I’m right here. I stay calm. I’ve spent my life controlling myself, as a city guard and as an exiled man, and a polished politician in a market hall won’t be the thing that breaks me.
“This market runs under its own law, the same law as every bride market across Alia Terra,” I say. “Your daughter entered the auction of her own will. She stood on that stage and chose her buyer in front of hundreds of witnesses. The contract is valid, and you know it’s valid. Otherwise, you would’ve led with the peacekeepers instead of your money.”
Aldric’s expression doesn’t change. He glances at the men behind him, and the two peacekeepers start forward.
I bring my tail up. The stinger rises over my shoulder, pointed at the two of them, and both men stop where they stand. I say nothing. They know what a single sting does to a human, and no one wants a Scorpius incident inside Concord. The peacekeepers look to Aldric for the order. He doesn’t give it. They step back.
The clerk clears his throat.
“The signatures, please.”
I sign my name where he points. Esme takes the pen after me, still without looking my way, and signs beneath my name. The clerk stamps the page, files it, and it’s done.
Darina has two travel bags at her feet. I pick up both before either woman can reach for them, tip my head toward the doors, and start walking. They follow me. So do Esme’s parents.
“Esme.” Her mother is breathless. “Esme, please, look at me. Change your mind. You’re my baby, you’re my only daughter. What did I ever do to deserve this? Haven’t I given you everything?”
Esme keeps walking.
“You will stop,” Aldric says. “Both of you. We are going home, we will settle this quietly, and no one outside this district needs to hear of it.”
She doesn’t slow down.
I watch her from the corner of my eye. Her chin stays high, and she reaches for Darina whenever the crowd presses close. Her steps never falter.
We cross the market district, past stalls and guards, past monster delegations moving along the road, and the gatehouse rises ahead of us, built into the city wall itself. Inside the portal chamber, a guard mans the console.
“Destination?”
“Haara.”
I give him the coordinates. He enters them, then checks our names against the market registry.
