Page 22 of The Boy Bride

Lill grasped the handle of White Viper’s dagger and positioned it to saw at the rope binding his arms.

Chapter 9

Suitably Bloodied

The family was sombre as they gathered in the main room of the girls’ house.

“I have been thinking,” Vanu said. “Our friend Davanu is dead, and the last thing he did for us was to send me a bride he had chosen. It is in my mind not to refuse his last gift.”

The girls all nodded. Susami and Mikhi, in their different ways, looked resigned. Atari tried to suppress a smile, not very successfully.

“I have not made my decision,” Vanu said. “I won’t bring him home if we do not all agree.”

“Are you sure you can trust him?” Susami asked. “I know Tirtu is trustworthy, but Tirtu didn’t choose him. And Davanu was trustworthy, but Davanu has been killed. Are we sure the boy really comes from him?”

Vanu shook his head. She was voicing thoughts he’d had himself.

“Who else would he come from?” Mikhi scoffed.

“Da has many enemies,” said Susami. “Or have you forgotten why we are living inside Umtúshta these three years?”

“I haven’t forgotten! But why would anyone send a little doll like that to try to harm Da?”

“Because they were hoping Da would like him,” said Atari, giving Mikhi a look as if she couldn’t believe her sister was so naïve. “They know Da is not easy to kill and that they must use trickery.”

The three girls looked at Vanu for a moment, and he felt he ought to say something.

“He had a set of throwing knives on him when he came over the wall,” he admitted.

“He’d just come up the mountain. It can be dangerous on the roads,” said Susami reasonably.

“They were hidden under his skirt.”

“Nice,” said Mikhi. “I’ve always wanted to do that.”

Susami tsked. “You’d have to flash your legs at everyone before you could throw your knives.”

“Sure. Distract them.” Mikhi wiggled her eyebrows.

“Maybe,” said Atari, sticking to the topic at hand, “you should ask him what he wants, if he wants to marry you or not. He might not realize he can go home. If he really was sent by one of your enemies, I think he’d probably rather do that.”

It was a simple solution, and no one could find fault with it.

“Atari is wise as usual,” said Susami.

“And if he says he doesn’t want to go home?” Vanu prompted.

Susami smiled. “Then I say he’s welcome here.”

“Me too,” said Mikhi.

“Will we have a wedding?” Atari asked.

“If he says yes,” said Vanu. “We will have a wedding. I’ll bring him home to live with us, and we will see how we all suit one another. If he’s unhappy and wishes to leave, I’ll send him home. If any of you are unhappy and he is the cause, I’ll send him home. Fair?”

“Fair,” said Mikhi, and the other girls nodded.

“What if you are unhappy?” Susami asked.