I cried out some incomprehensible shout of disgusted alarm. Jarik’s hand was immediately on his weapon when he heard my cry, and he looked about frantically to see where the threat was. I grabbed his arm and dragged him with me to where the man continued to beat the woman on the ground. Once Jarik saw what was occurring, he understood why I had cried out. He swung his fist and sent the man to the hard stone ground.
I knelt beside the woman and tried to calm her. She shrieked at my touch, her face hidden under her bone-thin arms. “Hush,” I said over her cries. “I’m not going to hurt you. I’m not going to let him hurt you any more,” I said in as soothing a tone as I could with my fury behind it. She soon looked up at me, and I could tell she had no idea who I was. I had spent all of my recent days in full view of these people, and she stared at me as though seeing my face for the first time. I suspected that she had not set foot out of her old home during any of the construction.
Jarik had his sword drawn and pointed at the man on the ground, who stared up furiously in return. Guards had surrounded us, as had a crowd of gawkers.
“Arrest that man,” I shouted. “He was beating this woman. I witnessed it myself.”
The guards held their ground, looking at me in obvious discomfort. One asked the man if he was married to the sobbing woman I shielded in my arms. The man declared that he was.
“That makes what you just did all the more hideous,” I snarled.
The guard who had asked the question went on his knee beside me and said, “Majesty, we cannot arrest him if she is his wife.”
I looked at him, stunned into momentary silence. Then I proclaimed, “You can and you will!”
The guard shrank back a bit at my angry stare but kept his eyes respectfully on mine as he said, “Majesty, the law allows for a husband to punish his wife as he sees fit.”
My eyes grew wide in shock. I had seen no such law in my studies, though I recalled that Kordos had required me only to read a specific few books of law. I had not bothered to read beyond that, having been much more interested in getting my hands on the books of biology and other sciences that he did not want me to read.
I looked to Jarik, who had lowered his sword but still held it ready in case the man saw fit to attack me. “Did you know of this, Jarik?”
He glanced at me quickly and then turned his eye back to the man, who was rising to his feet. “Yes. But never before have I seen such a revolting interpretation of that law. A man who strikes any woman lacks honour. A man who strikes his wife is a filthy mongrel. But, yes, Your Majesty, the law technically gives him the right to do so.”
I looked down at the woman in my arms. Bruises and scars covered her arms, her hands, and her face. I had to suppress a shudder when I imagined what marks covered the rest of her poor, thin body. Clearly, she had not just been beaten; she had been kept locked up somewhere out of the sun and likely without a great deal of food. She had heard the others refer to me as “Majesty,” and thus knew now who I was. She removed herself from my embrace and sat up on her own, looking at me in shame.
I stood and brushed the dust from my dress. Then I looked out on the people who were gathered around and loudly proclaimed: “That law ends today.”
“Forgive me, Majesty,” said the guard who had informed me of it, “but it is not a law of Endren. As a law of all Keshaerlan, it can only be changed by a majority vote of the entire Council. We cannot hold this man, nor can we take his wife away from him unless she requests sanctuary.”
I looked to the woman and said softly, “You can do that. You can ask me for sanctuary, and I’ll grant it. I’ll have a physician see you and ensure that you are kept safe and well and are given full meals. Do you wish to ask for sanctuary?”
To my surprise, she looked to her husband instead of answering. When he glared at her, she withered in fear and whispered, “No.”
“You don’t have to fear him. I won’t let him harm you if you ask it,” I said in empathy. She kept her face to the ground and said nothing as her husband came to her and roughly grabbed her arm. I stepped between them and smacked his arm away. He looked at me with a great hatred, which prompted Jarik to jump in front of him and shove him backwards.
“She is my wife, and by your own admission you cannot keep me from her!” the man shouted. Jarik remained in front of him. I suspected Jarik was giving him a cold look of violent threat, because the man looked at him, paled slightly, and backed away.
I was struck by an idea. I asked the woman, “Did he keep you locked up in your home?” She looked at me but did not answer. “You can tell me this. Did he keep you locked up, unable to leave of your own free will? Did he make you work for him while keeping you under lock and key?”
She hid her face in her hands and nodded.
I turned to the guard who seemed so familiar with the law. “Is it not an offence under Keshaerlan law to keep a slave?”
“Yes, Majesty, but—”
“And do the laws not define a slave as any person who is forcibly confined for the purposes of unpaid labour?”
“Yes, Majesty, but she is his wife.”
“Ah, but the law says ‘anyone’ and does not allow for the exclusion of wives under that definition. I declare then that this man has broken the law by keeping a slave. That should be sufficient for you to arrest him and keep him under arrest until the Council meeting in three weeks’ time, at which point I shall do whatever it takes to convince the Council to repeal that barbaric law and replace it with one making it illegal to strike one’s spouse except in self- defence!”
I helped the poor woman to her feet and put a steadying arm around her. She sobbed. “He won’t ever harm you again. I promise you that,” I said.
The guards arrested the man, and he began calling out curses against me. Jarik shouted over him to add treasonous threats against the Queen to his charges. They dragged him away, and at the sight of it, the woman fell against me in her grief. I held her up, trying to soothe her, but she was inconsolable. Jarik came to me, and I asked him to lift her. She looked tiny in his arms, more like a child than a woman.
“We shall take you to the Temple,” I said to her softly. “They shall care for you there, and when you are well you can come to me, and I’ll help you begin a new life. You aren’t alone anymore.” I held her hand as we carried her through the streets of Endren to the Temple. We created quite a stir, but I didn’t care.
Once she was in the able hands of several priestesses, I let Jarik take me home.
* * *
Convincing the Council to change the laws was not as difficult as I had anticipated. Aelwin and Cael of course agreed with me immediately, Aelwin being particularly horrified at the tale I told of the woman in the market. The only real dissension besides questions of how to carefully word the law came from Bresh. The old man infuriated me, but thankfully his diatribes of women as “property” enraged the honourable men present enough to turn their votes in my favour. I thought more than once that Aelwin was going to strangle him for his words, and I would have gladly supported her in the act.
Kurit said little on the subject, but I suspected that was more out of anger at me for raising yet another unpleasant issue than out of any disagreement. He voted in favour of the change in law with the others.
After the meeting, I spoke at length with Aelwin. I told her that I was upset with myself, for I kept discovering terrible things, such as this law and the east end, that I had been completely ignorant of until I found myself immersed in them. She told me that I should be proud of myself for doing something about them, but I replied that I feared what other ugly laws or dirty little secrets I would discover.
“Aenna, you can’t know everything,” she said kindly.
“I know. But this whole unpleasantness makes me wish I had the time to comb through the law books to find other injustices.”
Aelwin chuckled. “You’ll go blind trying or insane from the drudgery of such a task. I have an extensive law library in Maellorn, two
adolescent sons who could well use tasks other than running about wildly after young ladies, and a seven-year-old who loves to read. They are good-hearted boys, and I have raised them to have a healthy respect for what is honourable and decent, so I am sure they will devote their energies willingly once they hear of this outrage. Let me take on the task and share it with them. Then perhaps I can be the one to bring this ‘silly women’s talk’ to the Council,” she said, mocking Bresh.
I laughed. “You imitate him too well.”
“‘Women are too soft. You’d let the nation fall to the Wusul if they brought you a pretty hair comb’,” she continued, puffing out her cheeks the way Bresh did when he became angry.
“Stop!” I said, laughing loudly. “Oh, Aelwin, you should have seen the look on your face when he said that! I thought you were going to rise and strangle him.”
“I wanted to! But did you see your Kurit? I’ve never seen such a cold, hard stare. Not from that boy. I remember when he used to laugh at everything. There was a time when he would have laughed out loud at Bresh’s nonsense, and—why, Aenna, dear, whatever is the matter?”
Her words had cut my laughter short, and I struggled to maintain a pleasant smile. “Oh, nothing,” I said as though it were true. “It’s just been a very long day.”
“Then it is true,” she said quietly, touching my arm softly. “You and Kurit are having problems.”
“What?” I said, stunned that she knew. I tried to laugh it off, but the older, wiser woman saw right through my attempt. “How silly. We’re fine. Whoever told you there were problems?”
“Aenna, your marriage is the most watched in all of Keshaerlan. And anyone who knows Kurit can see he has changed. I had thought perhaps the boy just grew up and stopped being so flippant. But there’s more to it, isn’t there?”
I shook my head.
“You know, Aenna, men sometimes change after they are wed. Sometimes they court with all the love and pageantry that they can muster, only to be bored within the first year of marriage. I don’t mean to pry, truly I don’t, but I can see you’re unhappy. I mentioned his name and your face went pale when it used to light up. He hasn’t taken a mistress, has he?”
I reacted in shock to the suggestion. “No, of course not! Far from it.”
“Forgive me for suggesting it. My Daeren would never have done such a thing either, rest his soul. But his brother did so, as did both of mine.”
“Kurit does not long for another woman,” I said, wanting to add that he didn’t even want the one he had.
Aelwin smiled sadly at me. “Well, then don’t fret, dear. Perhaps he’s just fussy because you’re out all day with your wonderful expansion project and he is stuck inside. I’m sure things will be better once you’re finished.”
I nodded and forced a smile and then said a quick goodnight and went to my chambers. I considered speaking to Kurit of the fact that our problems were becoming noticeable, but I realized it was probable he would only ignore me. So I went on with my days and tried to shut it all out of my mind.
The construction continued, and I hardly spoke to or saw Kurit. The few times that I did spend in my workroom were distracting, as I would usually overhear Kasha speaking to Kurit in his own workroom through the thin door between us. She would drone on about how I was being foolish, how I had not provided him with a second child, and how he should better control me. He hardly spoke back to her, and I wished I knew what his facial expression was. I hoped he was angry with her, but I feared he was silently agreeing.
The week before the final touches were to be put on the new marketplace, Jarik started to behave very strangely. He insisted I spend more time in the palace gardens relaxing and playing with Raelik, even though I told him I had more important things to do. When I tried to leave the palace to go to the site, he stopped me.
“What is it?” I asked, becoming worried. “You’re keeping something from me, Jarik. Something has gone wrong, and you don’t want me to learn of it.”
“Nothing has gone wrong, Aenna. You saw yourself yesterday that the market is almost complete. The people are settled into their new homes and constantly express their delight in that. The rubble of the old houses is being carted away, opening up the new area wonderfully. Your idea has become a great success.”
“Then why can’t I go partake in it?”
Jarik had the oddest, almost mischievous look on his face.
“What is it?” I asked again. “Why do you look like a rascal?”
He smiled. “Do you trust me, Aenna?”
“Implicitly, of course.”
“Then trust me now, and don’t ask questions. Go fetch Raelik, and we shall take him to the gardens and play. You shall relax. You shall have a pleasant few days. You shall stay here at home, and everything out there shall take care of itself,” he said softly, still smiling.
I did not smile. “You are wrong, Jarik. You speak of contradictory things. I am relaxed and have pleasant time when I’m out there working. I am miserable when I have to stay in the palace. And don’t bother to ask why, because I know you have seen me upset.”
His smile faded. He touched my arm softly and said, “I know. I wish there was something I could do about that. Truly I do, Aenna. I wish you would open up to me and rely on me, but I understand that you need to shut your pain away and concentrate on your work. But don’t think of my request for you to stay here for a few days as an imprisonment. I really want you to take some time to be with your son. And I shall remain by your side. We shall go to the gardens. We can stand on the west wall and watch the training grounds behind the palace, if you would like. Or you can go read in the library, and I’ll stand outside and make sure he doesn’t come in to bother you.”
Those last words hurt me, though I know Jarik didn’t intend to do so. The thought that I had to be protected from the presence of my own husband was depressing. Jarik saw my face fall and realized immediately why.
“Oh, Aenna, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that.”
“I know.” I could tell he wanted to embrace me in comfort, but we were standing in the Great Hall, and he was loathe to appear unseemly. I sighed and regained my composure. “It isn’t your fault, so don’t be apologetic. You’re very sweet to try and protect me from anything that hurts, physically or otherwise.” I managed a smile and said, “Fine, then. You obviously have your reasons for wanting me kept away. I know you well enough to know you’d tell me why if you could or if there was a problem or a threat.”
“Of course I’d tell you if there was a danger. It’s much easier to protect someone if they understand the potential threats. I’m asking you to stay in the palace for a few days for a reason I cannot disclose. I was hoping you’d take my suggestion of relaxation without question, though I suppose I knew you wouldn’t. You’re too intelligent and inquisitive for your own good, sometimes. You have to learn to let some things just be.”
He bade me take his arm formally. “Come, then,” he said, trying to lighten my mood. “Let’s go fetch your delightful boy, and we shall watch him run about the gardens.”
I went with him. I managed to have a pleasant day, though I was plagued by curiosity as to what was being hidden from me. I could not imagine what reasons there were for me to be kept away except for unpleasant ones, but I trusted Jarik when he said there was no problem.
Several days went by, and I remained in the palace. I spent time talking with Leiset in my chambers. I had not realized how concerned she had been for me. She confessed that she frequently checked on me as I slept, worried that I was being overworked and fretting too much about Kurit. I teased her that she was mothering me, but the truth of it was her concerns were valid, and she knew it.
I saw Kurit only at dinners, during which we did not speak beyond simple pleasantries. I longed to return to excuses for missing the meal gatherings, for when I was working I often returned to the palace too late for them. It was awkward to have to sit next to him and not be able to speak my mind. It
was made all the worse by the way he glared at Jarik jealously, as though he resented the fact that Jarik could make me smile.
Finally, the day came when Jarik said I could go back to the east end, though not until the afternoon. He presented me with a formal invitation to witness the official opening of the new Endren peasants’ market.
“What in the name of the Temple is this all about?” I asked.
He smiled and said cryptically, “You shall see very soon, Aenna.”
Kurit found us not five minutes later in my workroom, bearing a similar invitation in his hand.
“What is this nonsense, Aenna?” he asked. “I don’t recall printer’s fees as being part of your budget.”
“I don’t know myself what it’s all about,” I replied in honesty.
“The printing house of Grashen and Sons donated the invitations in hopes of having their name prominently seen,” Jarik said. “Every noble in Endren is to receive one.”
“Whatever for?” I asked.
“It was Druin’s idea. He wishes to make an enormous spectacle of the new market to attract people right away.”
“Why did I not know of this?” I asked, surprised so much had occurred without my knowledge.
“A fascinating question, Aenna,” Kurit muttered. He was in a foul mood, and I sensed a fight was brewing before me. “You are supposed to have some degree of authority over these people. Now they’re running about planning parties you’re unaware of? That’s hardly responsible management on your part.”
“Kurit!” Jarik shouted. The fury in his voice and in his eyes was such that Kurit stepped back from the big man. “I want to speak to you in your workroom. Now,” snarled Jarik. I had never heard him address Kurit in such a tone, and it frightened me.
Kurit looked indignant for a moment, and I thought he would refuse. My heart beat rapidly in worry that Jarik would lose control of his anger and injure my husband. But thankfully Kurit had the sense to realize Jarik was not to be trifled with at that moment. They excused themselves to Kurit’s workroom and closed the door behind them.
Sorrows of Adoration Page 35