Short description:
What is the most reasonable solution for Akkarin after Sonea's graduation from the University - just marriage ;)
Warning:
Rated M for nudity and bed scenes.
Explanations:
It's worth adding that Sonea and Akkarin weren't caught after Sonea had killed Ichani woman.
Author's explanations:
I know that such idea was already used few times but I've wanted to write my own story.
It was supposed to be an OS but it turned out to be long one story (as always in my case, I cannot write short stories) so I've decided to publish it in parts. The whole story is already written, but it's still under translation. I will try to do it fast.
Sorry for my gramma, still haven't improved my English skills : ) But Sophia Cooper is doing now some beta-reading for me so I hope I will update a corrected version soon.
Duties of a Husband
Chapter 1: Sonea
Sonea shuffled into the basket for already done medicaments the last finished oinment, which she had been perpetrating the whole day on her service in the Healer's House.
'I've finished' she said to the older healer.
Suddenly, before her eyes flickered black spots and she felt dipped in a cold sweat, though it seemed that there is unbearably hot in a small room. She slipped to the nearest chair, breathing deeply.
'You are pale.' She heard Lady Vinara's concerned voice above her.
Sonea shook her head, sending some healing power into her body. Her pulse was weak and the body was lacking for air. She speeded up the flow of blood, still breathing deeply, and after a moment she felt a surge of forces.
'I feel better already.' She recalled the smile on face, that probably came out as pale as pale her skin seemed to be, because Vinara's expression has remained intransigent.
Healer bundled a cup with nutrient mixture under her nose. It had a sharp, intoxicating smell.
'If the High Lord see you in this state, he will think that I am forcing you to a slave labor, much beyond your strength.'
Sonea scowled.
'It's nothing, just a brief weakness, Lady Vinara. I've slept a little recently and there is happening so much in my clinic... I did not think that so many among the poor will be eager to healers' services. We made barely.
'Of course they are willing. Whoever rejects free aid? During those six months, since you started the nursing work in the poorer part of the town, your tenacity and enthusiasm had achieved more for magicians' reputation among the population of Imardin that the Guild over the past century. But what else to expect from the High Lord's wife.' She smiled broadly, taking the empty cup from Sonea's hands.
Compliments from Vinara's mouths were so rare that she had lost her voice to the sensation. However, the superior healer didn't have to lie. Becouse of her clinic the poorest began to see in magicians not only the evil. The very clinic was credited to the influence of Akkarin and unfortunately not without significance for its existence was that hospital was led by her – the High Lord's wife.
The healer touched her forehead.
'I think you are already better' she said.
'Better' Sonea nodded. Mixture really helped. 'I should go now.'
Vinara narrowed her eyes.
'Or maybe you're pregnant?'
Sonea cursed mentally that such a pleasant conversation suddenly drifted away on a such shaky ground.
'No' she replied quickly.
'But you are trying for a baby, right?'
Sonea felt that her cheeks are getting hot. Sometimes she hated the woman for her unrestrained directness. She recently heard similar questions more frequently, but could not blame people's curiosity. If only it had been a normal marriage, such questions wouldn't have made her heart beat faster and blush from embarrassment. However, in this situation...
'There is nothing to be ashamed, girl. Everyone knows what the marital bedroom serve for.' Under the seemingly cool, instructive tone of Vinara's voice echoed the hint of amusement. 'I should examine you. It will be better if you lie down.'
Healer's words worked better than the nourishing poison, accelerating the flow of blood in her veins. Sonea wriggled out of the range of Lady Vinara's hands, slipping from the chair and standing next to it.
'There is no need. I'm sure that's none of these things. I'd know about it' she replied, a little too quickly, terrified of what woman might discover.
'And still... Healers have such a bad habit to forget about their own bodies, devoting themselves completely to the others.
Sonea imagined the shock, which would have surely occurred on Vinara's face, if she had discovered during the examination that she still has her maidenhood. There would be no reasonable explanation. Both she and Akkarin agreed that they should keep the others in the belief that they take marriage out of love. Nobody would have believed in nothing less, because after all what for the High Lord of the Guild was going to get married with the low-born girl? Only because of passion, and passion was inextricably associated with bed.
The plan was actually pretty good and it was her own idea to ensure Rothen and Lorlen's silence for Akkarin after Sonea's graduation from the University, as well as to provide both of them with the freedom of action to dismantle spies of Ichani, but in fact she had a hidden hope that this will allow to be close to him for a longer time. She was even a bit surprised when Akkarin quickly agreed and began to introduce plan swiftly in life, still before she graduated. Of course, a scandal broke out at the beginning, there was a surprise, indignation and outrage that fructified with the protests of some magicians and Akkarin's family, but eventually stubbornness and unwavering self-confidence of High Lord caused that the marriage had taken place. Only she with Akkarin and also Lorlen and Rothen knew that this matrimony was not true. Thus how Akkarin persuaded Rothen into it, remained to her a mystery until now.
Akkarin even managed to stifle the doubts about their feelings. She remembered very well the one and only kiss he gave her publicly by carefully selected accidentally witnesses, when shortly after the wedding he took her for a walk in the gardens of the Guild for the first time. She remembered, as she walked beside him, casting worried glances around at the magicians who followed them with eyes full of unhealthy interest. Akkarin unexpectedly grabbed her hand and pulled her into a side alley, turning her to stand face to face.
'What are you doing?' she asked, slightly confused.
He leaned to her ear, so that she could not see his face.
'Now I will kiss you' he whispered.
'What? But…'
Even though they disappeared from the main alley, they were still observed.
'We do need to satisfy their curiosity, don't you think? This is just one kiss. If you consider it necessary, right now I'm sorry for what I am going to do will do in a moment.
She smiled, but he could not see that.
'I promise that it will not hurt ' he added after a second.
'So kiss me' she replied, closing her eyes.
He chuckled quietly before his lips touched her. He was very convincing, even for her. The rumor quickly spread, washing out all the speculation. So in the eyes of magicians of the Guild, she was considered the one who seduced the reserved and impervious Guild leader. If only it were that simple, as initially she assumed.
One kiss. I promise that it will not hurt.
He was wrong, it hurt, but only later, when it became clear that he intended to keep his word.
Nevertheless, despite all of these, the plan prove true for a half year after graduating, until now when the new questions began to appear.
'I have to go. Akkarin is waiting for me' she said to Lady Vinara.
She smiled meaningfully.
'The dinner' Sonea added immediately.
Viniara's smile broadened significantly. She nodded.
'I see that High Lord attaches to the marital duties.'
Sonea felt bitter amusement. Yes, Akkarin tried to make this farce, which others called marriage, look truthfully for unfamiliar eyes. Common daily diners, common walks in the Guild's gardens on Free Days, even a shared bedroom to tame long languages of servants. Sometimes he'd also visited the clinic in the slums, unknowingly driving her crew in the state of excitement.
'Off you go.' Vinara waved her hand toward the door. 'You should not let him wait. But if the weakness does not pass, come to me.
'I promise, Lady Vinara' she said, slipping away from the room with a great relief.
Wandering through the Guild gardens, she chose the shortest path leading to the residence. Marriage dinner, Sonea snorted with disdain, directing her steps towards private dining room in High Lord's House. At the sight of Akkarin she felt tickling sensation in her stomach, and immediately afterwards she felt the anger that she led feeling to him to grow to such unimaginable extent. He stood near the shelf and stared at the still-closed bottle of wine.
'I am back.'
He turned when he heard it.
'You're late' he said, pushing a chair for her.
'Something stopped me in the Healers Quarters.'
She sat at her usual place and watched as Akkarin slowly circles the table and sits down opposite her. After a while Takan appeared with first courses. Akkarin waited until servant came out and then he spoke.
'What did you stop?
'Actually, only the Lady Vinara. She praised me for the work at the clinic.'
'Well, that nice of her.' On his lips appeared an cynical smile.
'So… do you think that she wouldn't have been approved of me, if I hadn't pretended wife of High Lord of the Guild?' she asked, staring at him impassively.
'Not what I meant. Vinara can see talented healers who share her enthusiasm. But do not tell me you haven't noticed that many of magicians from our big family submit you their problems with the hope that through you they will get directly to my ears.
Akkarin smile changed, giving him a slightly mischievous expression.
'Do you enjoy yourself?'
He shrugged, still smiling.
'I admit, a little. It's as if they thought that you have an impact on my decisions.'
'And do I not have?' She asked a little bit insolently.
He narrowed his eyes.
'Only if I let it.'
He handed her a plate of meats.
'Eat before everything went cold.'
For a long while they were eating in silence, although in the case of food Sonea rather limited herself to digging dish on a plate. She attained almost the master skills in separating the yellow grains of barley from these smaller, oblong with a brown color.
'You eat little recently' Akkarin noticed.
'I'm not hungry' she snapped.
'What's the matter, Sonea?'
'What?
She lifted her head and noted that he laid down cutlery. He stared at her with interest in black, intense eyes, resting his chin on joined hands.
'I killed the last spy three months ago. Since then no one appeared. From what I've heard, your hospital is becoming more and more popular among the poor, and most recently you've gained two new and willing to voluntary work healers. I see no reason to worry, but still something is bothering you, so I am listening, Sonea, what's going on?
'I talked to the Lady Vinara.'
'And what so very disturbing resulted from this conversation?'
Thinking that she prefers to have this conversation over with, Sonea gathered up the courage and bore hard eyes into him.
'She suspected that I was pregnant.'
She saw that he froze, and for the first time she remarked on his face uncertainty and the question painted in the look.
'You know very well that I'm not. How could I be?' she said, a little annoyed, because she had an impression that his thoughts ran too far.
He cleared his throat.
'It is normal she wonders about it. Undoubtedly she is not the only one' he said, and the corner of his mouth twitched in a half-smile.
Sonea sighed.
'Yes, I know. It's just…'
'Just?'
'Let everyone wonder alone. Somehow they do not ask you when will we have a baby.'
He laughed.
'Just because it's not proper for them.'
'Possible, but I meet up with these type of questions more often.'
'You are very young, Sonea. It is common to not thinking about children at this age. Such an explanation should suffice them.'
'For now, but sooner or later...' She shook her head. 'Besides, I want to have children one day.'
'I know' he muttered.
But you didn't know that with you, she thought. She noted that Akkarin became serious. He grabbed a glass of water and drank it all at once, then he rose from the chair.
'When we both agreed to take a part in this play you knew that there will grow some problems in time. I assumed that you would hold out a little longer than six months. I thought I had more time to come up with some sufficient replacement plan.'
Akkarin approached table, which stood against the wall and opened a bottle of wine.
'It is obvious that there are various speculations about us. We are quite spectacular couple. Did you expect that it will be otherwise?'
She pursued her lips into a thin line, not to say what she really looked forward to when she still had thought that this whole marriage is a good idea. She could not tell him that she was expecting to get from him more, a lot more.
'Dessert, Master.' Takan lifted the tray, proudly presenting his work, and Sonea only now noticed that he had returned to the room.
'Just put it.' Akkarin waved a hand and turned again to the table with wine.
Sonea watched as he poured wine into two glasses. The servant picked up her plate and Sonea perked up, suddenly aware that Takan says something to her.
'Does not like it, Lady Sonea?
'Not now, Takan' Akkarin said.
If the servant became unhappy he did not turn a hair. He bowed and hurried out of the dining room. Before Akkarin sat in his place, he had put a glass with wine before her.
'When you find it necessary, I will free you from the oath. And you will release me.'
Her stomach clenched in a knot in protest against such solution.
'I have no reason to leave and I am not withdrawing from our agreement. I just want to solve this problem somehow and do it before next one will appear.'
Akkarin sighed heavily.
'If you want to, I can whisper to the right ear, we don't want to have children. Rumor will go forth to the Guild and stifle any speculation in the bud.'
It did not solve the issue, but at the moment she didn't have the courage to tell him where real problem laid. Akkarin poured himself another glass of wine, sat down at a table and almost immediately drank half of it.
'I thought you still have a meeting today.'
'I have' he said, frowning.
'Thus, you drink too much.'
Those stuck in it its harsh, uncompromising look, which meant that others before him huddled in fear, and which has no effect on her anymore.
'Now you sound like a wife.'
He put the glass aside.
'You see, I've proved that those magicians weren't wrong, I have influence on you.'
'Only if I let you' he repeated. A slight annoyance echoed in his voice.
Sonea smiled winningly and reached for the dessert. It really looked appetizing.