AN: So a little change in point of view.
There was a sudden flurry of activity in the wing where the Princes' and their wives resided in the palace. Dastan had been in his room, laying low from his brother and Shraga. Tus earlier in the day had come into the room showing his appreciation for having his brother home. While Dastan was ecstatic about the return of Garsiv, he wouldn't help but feel very uneasy about it. Maybe it was just her that made him uneasy. Not Iryanna, the girl seemed sweet enough. It was Shraga that made his gut twist. As they all stood in the throne room to receive Garsiv and his new wife, Dastan had witnessed the storm brewing behind Shraga's green eyes. So all he had done was give Tus a satisfied smile and agreed that they were all lucky to have Garsiv back.
He had been right to feel edgy. While he readied himself for sleep there had been a sudden screech and then the crashing of what sounded like the breaking of furniture from down the hall. By the time he pulled the door open to find where all the noise was coming from, there were servants crowding Garsiv's door with Tus in the middle of the crowd pushing himself through. The door to his brother's room stood open, which allowed the exit of more disturbing crashing sounds and more screaming. What was going on?
Tus made it in first and Dastan found himself trying to push himself through the crowd of servants as well. Once inside the room he found himself trying his best to take the scene of Shraga hip tossing Garsiv into a shelf covered with scrolls not to be hilarious. The problem was he did think it was funny. A sharp laugh erupted from not only him but as well as Tus. He was not alone in finding the hilarity of situation. After breaking a few shelves on the way down and scattering many scrolls on the floor, Garsiv sprang back to his feet.
Dastan could have sworn that Garsiv growled when he spoke, "Shraga if you dare attack me again I swear-"
"Swear what? That you will go out and find yourself yet another wife?"
So there it was. This actual fight was because of Iryanna. What else could it have been over? Well there was their marriage night when Shraga had attacked Garsiv. Dastan would be a liar if he didn't think that Shraga just had a skewed sense of foreplay. Another laugh erupted from his lips but a quick angered look from his older brother shut him up. There was such a heat behind Garsiv's brown eyes that it actually scared Dastan a bit. Tus must have seen it too for his laughter died off as well.
Yet now after her harsh inquiry in the presence of many Garsiv stood ramrod straight with a dark look on his face. Dastan could have sworn that if they put wood around Garsiv right now, it would catch fire because of the intensity of his anger.
"Leave," he demanded of the servants who complied to his wishes without any questions. Once the door was shut behind them he turned back to his wife. They regarded each other with infuriated stares. Neither seemed to want to back down from the other. He wasn't surprised that both were having this problem. Both husband and wife were bullheaded so it made sense that they both butted heads.
Dastan looked to Tus out of the corner of his eye. He felt like they shouldn't be witnessing this, and he also felt that Garsiv was being much harder on her due to their presence. He made to move hoping to leave but Garsiv raised a hand stopping his movement towards the door. Dastan sighed and stopped as suddenly as he had started.
"You are my wife and I expect you to obey," he stated in a tone devoid of emotion.
A redness spread over Shraga's face. At first one would think it was a blush. He had spent enough time in her company over the last year to know that redness was no blush. It crept up her neck to spread across her entire face. It was fury. He could tell, and he wondered if Garsiv could. One thing he could also tell was that Garsiv was using their presence to humiliate her. Both Tus and Dastan understood this now. By the looks of it too, Garsiv's plan was working.
"I have hurt you, and I apologized," stated Garsiv. "I am not expecting your forgiveness. Yet I do expect that the next time you want me to kiss you that you don't try to kill me afterwards."
Now the redness in her cheeks darkened. Shraga was blushing now. Tus and Dastan hadn't the slightest clue what had happened before they had entered the room, but by the looks of the splintered desk, the overturned lamp, and the now broken bookcase there had been one harsh fight between them. They all watched as she nervously pulled her lower lip between her teeth nervously. Dastan had spent a lot of time with her, and he had never seen her look this way. He wasn't sure how to describe how she looked but it was rather attractive of her. Dastan felt like laughing again. The thought of his sister-in-law looking cute when she did that was hilarious. She was a deadly skilled warrior. Cute wasn't a word he would ever use to describe Shraga.
Apparently it was one Garsiv would use because his face softened towards his wife. Yet when she spoke all of their jaws dropped and they were all left speechless.
"Yes well I didn't expect you to be captured by the enemy and then bring home another wife. I suppose my dear husband we don't always get what we expect."
Yes, that was the woman he knew. If Garsiv was going to use their presence to humiliate her into 'learning a lesson'. She was going to do the same to him. The problem was they all knew that Shraga wasn't going to back down and if it had to come back to violence she wouldn't hesitate act again.
"I think the two of you need to be alone," stated Tus.
"I disagree, I think they need time apart," mentioned Dastan.
There was a long moment of silence and then Garsiv decided for them all what was best.
"Goodnight Shraga," he said as he looked away from her. The next thing though that was said by Garsiv cut everyone in the room. "Before you go to bed, send Iryanna so I can say goodnight to her too."
Dastan was sure for that moment that he forgot how to breathe. He couldn't imagine how Shraga was feeling at that very moment.
"Garsiv," started Tus, but he didn't know what else to say so he just stopped talking. He too was speechless. They all watched intently as Shraga squared her shoulders and raised her chin. She crossed the distance between herself and Garsiv. She was slow and methodical in her movements. There was nothing demure or obedient by the look in her eye.
"As my husband wishes," she stated before raising her fisted right hand into the air. She was so quick, like a striking viper. She pulled back her fist and then slammed all her weight into swinging her fist straight for his face. Her knuckles connected with Garsiv's cheek and the skin split instantly. None of them had ever seen a woman hit that fast nor hard in their life. With the amount of blood that was gushing suddenly from the wound there was no questioning that he would need to be sewn.
She did not stay to see what needed to happen, nor to receive her husband's anger. After turning on her heel she stormed from the chamber leaving the three brothers alone. Garsiv ended up on the floor and once Shraga was gone Dastan didn't stop the laugh that came from him. He could not help it and in his opinion Garsiv deserved the punishment his wife befit of him.
"I swear if you don't stop laughing Dastan I will have her attack you too," threatened Garsiv as he held his cheek in hopes to stifle the bleeding. That didn't stop Dastan from laughing and it didn't stop Tus from starting in too.
"Dear brother, I would say you deserved that," Tus said once he caught his breath again.
"I already explained to her, I am not explaining myself again to either of you."
"I don't think we were looking for an explanation," Dastan said before the door opened to the chambers and Iryanna eased into the room with a look of fear on her face. Upon seeing the situation she rushed forward with nothing but concern and fear writ on her face. She pulled a scarf from around her waist that was used to cinch the dress she wore to her frame. As she knelt beside him on the floor and moved his hand from his cheek. She replaced his hand with her scarf so she could hold better pressure and soak up the blood.
They were like water and fire, Dastan thought as he found himself comparing Iryanna and Shraga.
"What happened?" she asked as she looked to Tus and Dastan for the truth. Dastan gave her credit, she knew if she asked Garsiv he would lie to her. It was Tus who answered that Shraga had hit him. She held Tus' gaze for a moment then gave him a small nod of thanks.
"Do not blame her Garsiv, I don't think you truly thought about how this marriage would affect her. Not only does she suddenly have her husband back, her husband brought her home a sister that she didn't want. She now has to share the man she hardly got to know before he left her for war. I am not blameless either I fear. I should have thought more about your proposal."
"Very wise of you my lady," Dastan said drawing her attention to him. She gave him a soft smile. He wasn't sure how he felt about this woman, but she did seem sweet. That and she obviously was smart enough to recognize the anger that came from Shraga was indeed warranted. The look on Garsiv's face though told all of them that he felt betrayed by them. He didn't voice it though. He just let her tend to his wound in silence, which ended up not needing to be sewn, and then he asked her to retire as well with an unfriendly goodnight.