Six

I didn’t want to be anywhere near the noble women the next day but I didn’t have a choice, I needed to know the other wives of Orel fellow leaders, I just have to be present.

That didn’t mean that I would be the joke of meeting, I will not show any weakness again, if the ladies think they will be able to degrade me today, they will be shocked at who they will see.

I walked into the morning room where everybody was gathered and as soon as I entered, the room dissolved to muttering as I gritted my teeth and walked into the room with a smile on my face.

“Pray do tell me what so funny, I cannot wait to see if I can share it with my warlord.” I said breezily, immediately the side talks and laughter stopped as I pasted a worried look on my face while I smiled within.

My words worked like a charm.

“What’s wrong?” I asked taking my seat at the other end of the table directly opposite the merchant queen and Estrid. She doesn’t deserve me adding the title lady to her name whenever I refer to her.

“Nothing” the strained voice of one of the women replied me when I refused to leave the issue alone when they tried to change the topic.

“Yours?” Estrid scoffs but I narrowed my gaze at her.

“Yes. He is mine, he is my husband and although he should have been yours that doesn’t change the fact that he is mine now.” I replied to her as her cheeks burned red with what I was sure was anger. I saw two ladies exchanging looks filled with humor and when they noticed my gaze, they nodded and introduced themselves.

“I am Catherine, the ambassador wife.” The lady with the green sharp eyes said as I nodded to her.

“And I am Mary Ann, the wife of the master healer” the woman who looked so out of place but held herself with a certain grace that nobody could question her added.

I waited until Estrid picked up a wineglass before I replied. “And I am Themis, the wife of the warlord” I watched as the glass shattered in her hands with my face impassive so I would not laugh.

“You might be his wife but know that all he did was to use you to escape a marriage” Estrid said heatedly as I smiled.

“I know but at least I am useful to him and I don’t blame him, you are vile enough that he had to try desperate measures to ensure that he is not shackled to your like through the rest of his life.”

Estrid said through clenched teeth. “Vile, how Dare you?”

“I dare because it is the truth. If you don’t respect yourself, I will drag you by your hair to explain yourself to my husband, he is already at the end of his patience with you, you might find yourself without a head if you don’t cease your mindless statements about power as if you have more than me.” I cautioned her.

“You are adept at making threats, ‘Lady Themis’” lady Lillian said as if she would rather say something else than her name and title. “Threats you have no means to issue.”

I smile at Lady Lillian “My husband is also angry with you Lady Lillian, it was pure luck that your servant came back alive you know. If you want to test that luck, I suggest you inform my husband of your words just now, he will give you the answer to whether or not I can.”

“You little bitch, are you trying to threaten me too?”

“No, it is what Orel will do, we all know it, so I suggest you keep your mouth shut before you get yourself into a bigger trouble that you will not be able to get out of.” I replied and when Lillian opened her mouth to say something which she would regret, Catherine cuts in, disrupting our little spat.

“Calm down and Lillian, I am sure that our husbands will not like us to be at odds with each other, I suggest we put this behind us and welcome Lady Themis into our fold because whether we like it or not, she is one of us now.”

“And you have been a consort much longer than her, you should not exchange words with her, you should be trying to keep peace, I am disappointed in you.” Mary Ann admonished as Lillian snapped her mouth shut but refuse to stop glaring at me.

I return her gaze with mine unflinching, if she wanted to insult me, I will return the courtesy to her. This gathering will leave us as enemies.

OREL POV

“What am I hearing about you choosing a Maiden Of The Hunt as your bride, we do not marry them, and we burn them.” Brogan, the ambassador said in a brash tone that made Orel eyebrow to shoot up, he was expecting a few words about his choice of a bride he wasn’t expecting that is what they will use to welcome him the moment he stepped into the room.

“No, you violate innocent women then burn them.” Orel corrected with rage at the thought of a tradition which his generation had turned to entertainment and made the tradition to lose its meaning.

Baxter the master healer turned his face away and shifted uncomfortably, the process of burning people alive always made the master healer uncomfortable. Brogan waved his hand in a dismissal manner as if the correction was of no importance. “You still are not supposed to choose one of them as your wife.”

“And please do tell, why should I not have done it?” Orel asked wanting to know if the man was on the right tracks.

“She doesn’t add to your worth in any way. I understand that you got out of the betrothal and congratulations are in order but you just shackled yourself to another woman.”

Admon entered the room to hear the last words of Brogan so he level a frown at Brogan who shifted uncomfortably at his seat now. “I hope you use a better level of finesse when negotiating with other empires, if not god help us all.”

“Admon” Cale said as they all stood while the high priest the same person who was present when Orel made his strange request for a bride and the person who presided over the maiden hunt ceremony.

“Sit all” Admon said and when they finally sat down, he looked at Orel with his eyes drawn in which gave physical efforts of him being tired.

“What is this I am hearing about your bride hair being silver?”

Brogan snorted at that. “He married a Maiden Of The Hunt in your presence and the only thing you are concerned about is her hair color.”

“Shut up Brogan, if you don’t know about the traditions and history of our people then you are not fit to be in this room.” Admon said as Brogan clamped his mouth shut but confusion was still evident.

Orel knowing what Admon was saying chose to stall a little “A warrior that participated in the hunt can chose one of its maidens as his bride. The maidens are actually honored as the release of their spirits in the pyre are meant to cleanse and protect the land. It didn’t come about because we are naturally blood thirsty and like to kill women from the tribes as a way of keeping them in servitude.”

“Answer me.” Admon growled at Orel as soon as he finished explaining to Brogan who looked a little red from embarrassment that he actually thought it was the second reason.

Orel sighed as he looked at Admon in the eyes as he delivered his answer. “Yes, my wife hair is White.”

“The white doe.” Admon said under his breathe but they all heard it. “I should have suspected it happening soon with the trouble from the west.”

“What is going on?” Baxter asked noticing the agitated state of Admon.

Admon ignored Baxter concern as he turned to face Orel. “Did you know about her hair color when you chose her?”

“Her hair was brown, I was attracted to her grace and movement, and I hadn’t seen her anywhere before the hunt, so no. I didn’t know her hair was white until she had bathed after we reached my tent.” Orel said as Admon grew more agitated.

“Will somebody tell us what is going on here?” Cale said with his loud voice that made Admon turn to him.

“There is a prophesy that only a white doe can save the Dar empire after a true warrior save her life, without this doe, the Dar empire will be lost, destroyed and forgotten within a hundred years.” Admon explained as the rest started to pay attention.

“Orel wife is not an animal” Brogan said as Orel shook his head.

“She is as fast as a doe, I almost didn’t catch her before she reached the other said of the forest.”

“The maidens of the hunt are known as the Does of Dar while the warriors that participate in the hunt are known as the lions of the hunt.” Admon explained as they all started to talk at once asking questions. “Silence, one at a time.”

“What does this say about our empire?” Brogan demanded, “Do we have to sacrifice Orel wife in a special ceremony.”

“You are not invited anywhere near my wife.” Orel ordered, “I will not allow her to be sacrificed.”

“No need for that, she doesn’t not need to be sacrificed.” Admon said as his face carried a thinking look. “Do you know where she hails from?”

“Yes, she comes from Sagedge.” Orel answered as Admon face lightens with hope.

“There is rumors that a linage powerful dreamers went to Sagadge, they had white hair.”

“Themis, my bride told me that very woman in her mother family had her color of hair.” Orel said.

“Your bride is a seer, you need her to share her dreams with you. Only then will you know what path to take. Brogan, I suggest that you start storing food because this war might be long.”

“What war, we are not at war.” Brogan said as Cale glare at him

“Think Brogan.” Baxter said. “The prophesy of war is about to start, we might not be at war but that doesn’t mean that the scales will soon be tipped towards that direction.”

“Okay, negotiations about food we can store and weapons. What about aides?” Brogan asked.

“I will take care of that,” Orel said but when Admon started to complain. “Warfare is my field, I will handle everything relating to that.”

“You need your army to secure the empire.” Cale said.

“I will do that then I will get the aides, we will not lose this war.”

“So you say but it all depends on your wife.” Baxter said.

“Yes it does, I am sorry that you might not get the opportunity to meet her but I will send your greetings, I will start with the preparations after this meeting.” Orel said.

“Maybe after you get her a companion or a slave, I have some female slaves from Idrom, they can wield a pretty good blade and I have some blades fit for a person of Lady Themis stature.” Cale said as Orel pause then gave a nod.

“We will visit your stall as soon as I find her after this meeting.” Orel said as Cale nodded. She planned to make back the amount he spent on purchasing his wife servant back.