Forged in Fire (Destiny's Crucible Book 4)

by Olan Thorensen

  Yozef’s face clouded. “Assholes.”

  Maera smiled. Yozef’s translations of some of his people’s curses were . . . earthy. He had told her he was surprised by the Caedelli expletives being relatively dainty for a people so close to the earth and otherwise unabashed.

  “Yes, they were assholes, and things are different here in Keelan. Father would say the entire Moreland Clan are assholes, with their prickly natures and self-righteous attitudes. Under normal circumstances, once Ana spent more time here, she would have found a decent man to marry. A problem is that the surplus of women over men already makes that more difficult and, like it or not, we will certainly lose more men before this is all over with the Narthani.”

  “Surely, Anarynd will find a suitable husband, if she wants to. She’s attractive and a lively person once she relaxes. And she’s from a prominent family in Moreland, even if they’re assholes.”

  “I expect there will be a problem with her meeting such men, if they exist and are not already married.”

  “Well, there’s always the multiple marriage option,” said Yozef. “At least, that would expand the possibilities. Of course, that may only be a variation on the basic problem, in this case, of finding the right couple. Realistically, a wife will be hesitant to bring Anarynd into the household.”

  “Yes. There would have to be some way to know the two women would be able to live together with the husband.”

  Yozef ears pricked up. He recognized a tone in Maera’s voice that showed she was going someplace with this conversation. Where is she going?

  “Put yourself in the place of a man looking for a wife. What would attract him to Ana? What do you see as her qualities?” Maera asked as innocently as she could.

  “As I said, obviously attractive. Lively when she’s at ease. It took some time for her to relax, and don’t think I didn’t notice her withdrawal from me and other men at first, though most of that seems to have faded. I think I can see now that laughter used to come easily to her. I can also see the two of you teasing the boys and the men, or Anarynd anyway—not in a cruel way, just good-natured. I think she’s smarter than on first impression, although no candidate for scholastics. Most impressive is a core of strength that I doubt either she or others would have suspected was there, from your descriptions of her as a good-hearted but somewhat flighty girl and young woman. Think of what has happened to her, and yet she not only survived but led the escape with the other women, killed a Narthani to do it, and has looked after the other women. And something else. Some might think it an act of desperation, to leave her family and clan, but it can also be seen as an act of courage. Looking at it from that perspective, she made a leap of faith to look for a better life elsewhere—willing to give up on one life and jump off a cliff in the hope for something better.”

  Maera was surprised but shouldn’t have been. She had no idea Yozef had thought much about Ana, except as the friend of his wife. Obviously, he had great respect for her. Encouraging, she thought.

  “Of course, if she does find a husband, she would move. I would miss her and her help with Aeneas. And let’s be honest, Yozef, the house would be less cheerful. I know I have good qualities, but reveling in creating a homey atmosphere is not one of them.”

  “She might still live nearby.”

  “Or far away. In either case, things would change here.”

  Maera took real and figurative deep breaths and leaped. She set down her fork, looked seriously at her husband, and spoke firmly.

  “Yozef. I’ve been thinking carefully for several sixdays. We have talked about many problems and issues that might seem unrelated, but they have a single solution.”

  “What problems and issues?”

  “All the ones I’ve just been talking about,” she said in exasperation.

  Yozef looked blank—his mind tried to recall the last few minutes of conversation. “I don’t see the connections . . .” he finally said.

  She gave up trying to be subtle.

  “Anarynd doesn’t think she will ever have a good marriage and family. She and I are best friends, closer to each other than we are to our own sisters. Both Ana and I want to stay as near to each other as possible. You and I need someone we trust to look after our home and Aeneas and maybe more children in the future, when we travel and work. Children need a good mother around all the time, and I admit that even under more normal times, I’m not completely the mothering type. With my duties in resisting the Narthani, I will have less time. Also, while I believe you mean well and will be a good father, you will have so many demands on you that you’ll struggle to spend time with the children, even if we survive the Narthani.”

  She took a deep breath. “The solution is obvious.”

  Obvious to Maera, perhaps, but Yozef was just getting a glimmer. Maera recognized it.

  “Yes. The obvious solution is for you to marry Ana. We marry Ana.”

  It was the first time she had ever seen Yozef dumbfounded.

  “M . . . marry . . . Anarynd?”

  Yozef had put down his utensils and stared at his wife. She waited patiently, now that her plan was out in the open. She waited almost two minutes while Yozef cogitated on whether he had heard correctly and then searched for something to say as his mind wandered back to the ground. In his mind’s confusion, he remembered watching a few episodes of the TV series Big Love, where every episode seemed to give reasons why three wives wasn’t a good idea. Then he remembered a line from the comedian Richard Lewis who commented about the TV show and the concept of more than one wife. “Are you fucking insane?” Lewis had offered. Not to mention the creepy family in the TV reality show Sister Wives.

  “Why the hell would I want to do that?”

  Maera didn’t speak, waiting for Yozef to continue. It took several moments.

  “I . . . must admit this is not something I would ever have expected. I hope you don’t think I’m not happy with you as my wife.”

  Maera dismissed the question with a hand wave.

  “It’s a logical solution to several problems.”

  “Logical, perhaps, but with several flaws.”

  “Like what?”

  “Well,” said Yozef, recovering from the initial surprise, “for one thing, what if I don’t want a second wife? What if the one wife I have is all I want?”

  As much as Maera felt a warm glow at the comment, she was in full planning-logic mode.

  “I realize I’ve suddenly hit you with a new idea, but you can think about it. Just because it would never have occurred to you doesn’t mean you might not change your mind after some consideration. People in our position have responsibilities beyond what they might want. This would be a responsible decision. It also would encourage other Caedelli to be more accepting of multiple wives. You already encouraged Bronwyn to marry her sister’s husband, and you’ve commented to me and others that the relative shortage of men will only get worse with fighting the Narthani and that the extra women joining existing marriages is one solution. Are you now going to say that what is good for others is not for Yozef Kolsko?”

  Yozef shook his head. “Even if I were so inclined, it adds complications. It’s difficult enough for one man and one woman to be married. Add a second woman, and the complications can increase enormously. There is an old language, spoken by a people far from here.” China’s a long way from here, he rationalized. “This language uses different symbols for each word. Some words are made by combining other symbols. The symbol for ‘trouble’ is the symbol for house, inside of which are two small symbols that mean woman—two women in a single house equals trouble.” Yozef remembered reading there was controversy whether such a symbol and meaning existed on Earth, but it was too appropriate for the moment, and Maera wouldn’t know the difference.

  “I’ve never heard of this ‘China,’” said Maera, “but we have a similar saying, although it’s about the husband’s wife and mother living in the same house. I know there is a potential for problems, but Ana and
I are so close, I don’t believe the problems would be so difficult to make the expanded marriage unworkable.”

  “What about Anarynd? What does she think about this idea?”

  “I haven’t spoken of it with her, but I believe she would seriously consider it. She has told me several times she’s happy I found a good husband and that I’m so pleased with my marriage. While you do not fit what she would otherwise have imagined as a potential husband, now that she has been around you these months, I think she has great respect for you. Let’s be honest. She’s not going to get a better offer of marriage, and being with us permanently might be the best thing for her.”

  All very analytical, thought Yozef. Logical, but where’s the emotion? For that matter, where was the emotion for me and Maera at first? Neither of us used the word love to the other until after Aeneas was born. I’m not complaining, but our marriage was, in many respects, a rational one. She needed a husband she could respect, and I needed a wife to solidify my position here. We got along well together—probably better than either of us with anyone of the opposite sex we were going to meet—and all that has worked well. Now that we’ve both shared our love for the other, why would we want to add a complication?

  “I’m not looking for a decision right now. Just that you think about it,” prompted Maera.

  Having nothing else to say, Yozef agreed. “Yes. I need to think about this, but I’ll be honest, it’s not something I’m inclined to do.”

  “Good,” said a pleased Maera. “I think I’ll have some more of those vegetables. Please pass me the plate.”

  Considering Maera’s Proposal

  Yozef didn’t see Anarynd until the next evening. He had been thinking about what Maera proposed, in between all the ongoing demands on his time. He almost felt annoyed at Maera for bringing this up, now that there was so much to do. Obviously, Maera believed in the idea, but Yozef didn’t—seeing it as more complications and obligations in his life than he needed or wanted. Nevertheless, he had told Maera he would consider it.

  When he did see Anarynd again, it was in a different light. He realized he had come to take her for granted as part of the household. That evening he paid more attention—observing her more than usual. The opportunity was complicated—or simplified, depending on one’s view—by there being two couples eating with them that evening. As usual, when around people whom she was less familiar with, Anarynd was quiet at first, but by the time they finished the soup she had relaxed. Anarynd clearly bestowed a cheerier cast over the meal. Not that Maera was dour—she always tried to convey congenial treatment of others—but it was Anarynd who chatted effortlessly with anyone on any topic and could draw out even reticent speakers. As he watched Anarynd interact, for the first time Yozef thought that the household would be less warm without her. But was that enough reason to consider Maera’s proposal?

  It was another several days before Yozef felt sure of his own basic preferences. Strictly in terms of his own feelings, he did not favor the idea. In contrast, he could not dismiss Maera’s arguments, and those that related to demands on Maera’s time were compelling—at least, until the Narthani threat receded. He already felt uncomfortable with how little time he spent with young Aeneas, not to mention Aragorn, whom he had not seen for half a year. Since he had children, he felt responsible for being a father—or at least in Aragorn’s case that he should be a regular part of the child’s life. Yet that hadn’t happened, and he feared it would only get worse in the future. Likewise, he saw Maera’s time with Aeneas constrained by what others needed her for. It might seem cold and unfair to Aeneas, but her contributions to the Caedelli people as a whole outweighed the baby’s needs.

  He concluded that they, he and Maera, arguably needed Anarynd. But would bringing her into the marriage be a solution for them or for her? What was fair for Anarynd, or were her needs not that relevant either, if a greater need trumped them?

  Yozef didn’t know the answers. When Maera finally pressed him on his thoughts, he didn’t say no, but neither did he say he was in favor. A necessary question, and one that let him put off taking a firm stand, was how Anarynd would respond to such a proposal. In retrospect, he realized that his answer to Maera gave her the impression he was inclined, if Anarynd was interested.

  Several evenings later, Maera brought Anarynd into the discussion.

  CHAPTER 20: GOOD IDEA OR NOT?

  Three?

  Maera gave Yozef an enigmatic smile as the three of them sat at the smaller dining table. Anarynd obviously felt nervous—fiddling with a cloth napkin and quieter than usual. Yozef suspected that Maera had spoken to Anarynd about the “solution” to so many problems—as Maera conceived of them. The two women, rather than the staff Maera had hired and trained, would serve tonight’s meal: a type of meat stuffed dumpling in beef gravy, steamed mixed vegetables, and the ubiquitous heavy bread and butter. Maera also brought out two flasks of a same Mittack wine that Yozef favored. Yozef had praised before but didn’t realize Maera had obtained any. He would find out later that Hetman Mittack had given her a supply, along with a promise for future replenishments.

  They ate quietly, Maera still with her fixed smile. Anarynd slowly relaxed and cast occasional looks at the others. Yozef hesitated to broach the subject, so Maera jumped in.

  “Yozef. Ana and I have been talking about the future. Neither of us wants to ever be away from the other again. We think the best way to ensure that is for Ana to join our marriage.”

  Well, crap, Yozef thought. Just beat around the bush, why don’t you!

  Anarynd had not looked up from the table as Maera spoke. There was silence for several moments . . . then Anarynd glanced quickly at Yozef. She immediately dropped her gaze, her hands in her lap.

  I’m supposed to say something here? Duh! But what?

  Yozef’s silence brought forth a frown from Maera. He translated the look as, “Well, say something, you dolt!”

  “Uh . . . an interesting possibility. You say you’ve already discussed this between the two of you?”

  “Yes,” said Maera with a roll of the eyes.

  “And you, Anarynd?” Yozef prompted.

  She nodded, still looking forward and down.

  “What do you think of this idea, Anarynd?” asked Yozef.

  Anarynd’s arms were moving in such a way that he thought she might be wringing her hands. She opened her mouth as if to speak, but nothing came out. She swallowed several times, then looked up, first at Maera and then at Yozef.

  “I would like that. Very much.”

  Yozef had thought his and Maera’s courtship had been on the rational side, but it made this round look gooey and love-struck. He wasn’t committed, as yet, no matter what Maera thought and planned. He had no intention of marrying Anarynd, if she wasn’t more enthusiastic than this.

  Maybe it’s Maera? Has Maera been pressuring her into something Anarynd doesn’t want or isn’t sure about?

  “This is a major step, Anarynd—to bring you into Maera’s and my marriage. It would need to be something that you want.”

  Anarynd’s eyes filled with tears, and she looked frantically back and forth between her two potential marriage partners.

  “Oh, yes. Maera. Yozef. I would want this so much. It would be as if God had reached down and blessed me. I have nowhere to go. No family. Just Maera, and now Aeneas . . . and, of course, you, Yozef. I can’t imagine going anywhere else. To stay here and be part of your family is something I want more than anything.”

  Anarynd stopped and looked longingly at Yozef.

  “Oh, Yozef, I promise I will be a good wife.”

  Well, shit. Sounds like more of desperation rather than fondness, Yozef thought. No. That’s not fair. She loves Maera, and the way she dotes on Aeneas, she loves him, too. I might be the odd one out here. She probably is desperate. This might be the best of all places for her, given her circumstances and what’s to come with the Narthani. Besides, it’s not like Maera’s arguments aren’t valid about h
ow helpful it will be to have Anarynd formally part of the household. Just having her live with us indefinitely would leave her without a formal role in society, whereas the wife of Yozef Kolsko and the co-wife of Maera would be as solid a standing as she could obtain.

  He would never have considered this possibility by himself, and even if he had, he wouldn’t have acted on it. The potential to affect his and Maera’s relationship, not to mention Hetman Keelan, would have blocked any serious thoughts. Still, just because it was Maera’s idea and the two of them were so close didn’t mean there was no potential for major problems. It was one of those things that might sound plausible in theory but became complicated in practice.

  In other words . . . I’m not sure if this is a good idea or if I want it, thought Yozef.

  The two women watched Yozef closely. Anarynd began to look distressed that Yozef would decline the offer, and Maera started to suspect that he would back out from what she had assumed they had agreed on.

  Yozef continued to look from one woman to the other. I suppose this is no more a risk than anything else that’s happened to me the last couple of years. I pray I’m not overly optimistic, but it can’t be harder than being dumped on Anyar or involved in a war with the Narthani . . . can it?

  “Anarynd, Maera and I would be happy to have you join our marriage.”

  Both women let out gasps, jumped to their feet, and embraced each other. He couldn’t hear their exact words but didn’t need to.

  What am I, a sideshow here? thought the bemused husband and husband-to-be.

  Several minutes passed while Yozef sat and the two women hugged and murmured. Then Maera relaxed the embrace and, with an arm around Anarynd’s waist, guided her toward Yozef. He rose from his chair.

  Maera was smiling.

  “Yozef, I think it appropriate for you to kiss the wife-to-be.”