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I just thought it would be interesting at the start of my story to point out that Aravis's step mother was probably the same as a she given the Calormen marriage customs. Cor and Aravis will apear in the next Chapter
I must say that even as I write this my heart is heavy. My husband Kidrash Taarken is torn between sadness and rage. I am afraid in many ways I am the cause of his distress. It all began when I married him.
When I came to his house I was happy, for Kidrash Tarkaan was a powerful man able to stand before the Tisroc (may he live forever) himself, but at the same time scared, for I was leaving my home. I was somewhat comforted however by knowing that my husband had a daughter near my own age. I had seen her before at parties she had always seemed a bit odd but I thought we would be friends.
I was wrong however. It became apparent when I first saw Aravis at her father's house that she hated me for replacing her mother. I tried to be her friend honestly I did but every attempt at friendship was met with hostility and mistrust. Nor could I find anything in common with her. She was just as strange as she had seemed. She wanted to ride horses and shoot arrows and all around behave like a boy.
It kept me up at night trying to think of a way to make her happy. "There must be something that all girls, no matter what their tastes, desire." I thought. Then it hit me. Of course I could find her a husband who could get her all the things she wanted, even if it was horses and weapons. Even if she did leave the house it was not liker she would never see her family again. And truthfully she spent all the time she was not riding her horse looking at her brother's armor. That could not be healthy, and I thought that perhaps with a house of her own to run and seeing less of me her dislike might fade.
So the next morning I sent word to who I thought was the best candidate. There was a man who had risen high in the eyes of the Tisroc (may he live forever). He was Ahoshta Tarkaan, and it was said he was going to be Grand Visier soon. Surely he was the sort of man any young girl would like.
I received news that Ahoshta was more than willing to marry her. I told her eagerly when I got the news. Her father was so happy but I could never read Aravis. I thought for a day that I had once again messed things up. But then one day after returning from a horse ride she was… well jubilant. She told her father and me how happy she was to be marrying such an important man and that she wished to go and preform the sacrifices necessary before a girl marries. Not only that but she was going to take the slave I had given her to perform the rights.
I slept happily that night thinking that I had finally settled things with Aravis. When I woke up the next morning I was more than displeased that the slave I had given her had slept late and Aravis had gone on without her. I order she be given ten lashings. Still I was slightly uneasy, for it seemed Aravis had taken her brother's armor with her.
This uneasiness increased after the fourth day when she should have returned but then late in that day we received a letter from Ahoshta that he had met Aravis as she finished her rites and being overwhelmed with love took her off to be married. Kidrash was pleased but when I saw him next he was far from it. The letter had been forged!
We did not know who had done it but someone must have kidnapped her during the three days of rites and sent a false letter claiming that she had met Ahoshta and married. Only a Tarkaan could have done it though to have had the message delivered in the way it was. So in a fury born of love for his child Kidrash rode to Tashbaan to find who had taken his daughter. But he could find no trace of her.
Kidrash was sullen afterword not knowing his daughters fate. We heard know news of her. But then after the great autumn feast when Prince Rabadash appeared to all Tashbaan as a donkey one of Aravis's friends asked to speak with us. Her name was Lasaraleen. She told us tearfully that Aravis and ran off to the north with a peasant boy because she did not wish to marry Ahoshta Tarken. She said that she would have remained silent but knowing what those Northern Devils did to Prince Rabadash she could not hold her peace anymore.
And that is why Kidrash is in such a state now. Torn between fury at his daughter and fear at the thought that she mostly likely is at this moment plowing the field of some northerner as a mule or oxen. And in all this I can't but feel guilty for setting up that marriage with Ahoshta. However who would think that she would run off with a peasant? Had she been meeting with him before on those rides she took? Was the boy turned into some other farm animal as well? I shudder to think of the horror Aravis had gotten herself into.