A Match for the el Maiens Ch. 11

"What does't mean," Arianna sniffed suspiciously. "When he fought el Parva - my friend? That is what means't by 'having an eye over my honour'. I hardly call that a piece of loving kindness and care."

"I mean exactly that," Tashka let her shoulders go and lay back in the grass, throwing her arms behind her head and staring at the turned head, the fair face flushed with tears and annoyance into warm beauty, of her sister by marriage. "What-for do you suppose Clair did it? What does he care for a bloody poem about your virtues as an housewife - other than to be cross that anyone would not realise what a dreadful housewife you are and credit him with the orderly management of the household!" She sniggered and Arianna could not forbear a laugh in reply. She had rolled around the sitting-room sofa aching with laughter when she first read el Parva's epic celebration of her supposed domestic virtues. But Tashka had raised a quizzical eyebrow and Clair stalked out of the sitting-room with his face livid with fury, had packed and gone straight to court without speaking about it. She had thought he was angry with her for allowing el Parva to develop the ludicrous infatuation he had fallen into then she heard that he had fought with that bird-brained young fool and had actually cut him in the face. They had one of their worst quarrels about his duel with someone whose languishing looks she had put up with only for the sake of getting to talk about politics and literature, someone who would not go on for hours about how somebody ought to have used some different strategy to kill more people in a horrific battle.

"It is disgusting to try to take a life over such a matter," Arianna said now with a curl of her fine full lip. "And such hypocrisy! After the way he has behaved."

"Oh yes," Tashka said drily. "After the way he has behaved anyone might imagine you are entitled to take whoever you wish to your bed - and after the way our mother behaved while living here in the castle without an husband to keep an eye over her honour. But Clair knows you do not care for men constantly throwing their favours at your feet and so he made it plain that if anyone pushed you to give up a favour, he would give them his glove. When he marked the cheek of another member of the high nobility for merely writing you a poem, he told everyone that your honour remains under his eye. He did not choose to have your honour bestowed on him nor did he shirk the responsibility, he took you under his eye along with me and all of the dependents he is always considering. Think what they imagine he would do to any lesser bloody aristo or officer who came sniffing at the skirts of his Lady wife if he did that to el Parva van Selaine over a poem!"

Arianna was still cross. She said curtly, "it is an outrage that he supposes he may behave in so inhuman a fashion after the way he has played about." Her full bosom heaved and her head lifted, she was proud Lady el Jien - apart from the tearstains still evident on her flushed cheeks.

Tashka answered, "oh well, I know nothing of any humanist argument against it of course. I am only grateful that first el Maien van Sietter and latterly el Gaiel van H'las have made it plain that they will give the glove if my honour is stained. It saves me the nuisance of men who will leave it at looking on me out of fear of crossing some oldest son of the high nobility who holds my happiness dear. And that is even though I am famed for the skills with which I can defend myself if any man try to snatch my favours."

Arianna moistened her lip with her tongue. "There are always silly young men hanging about me," she pointed out. "Clair does not give them the glove."

"Silly young men, yes," Tashka replied, still in a lazy drawl, "and sometimes an old man who ought to be wiser - like van H'las," she flicked a slantwise blue look at Arianna. Arianna looked sideways back at her and they both sniggered, "but not hard-hunting older men. Not men who know how to trick a woman into giving up more than she meant to and how to compromise her while keeping themselves unentangled so they can leave a woman dangling when her husband is obliged to break their marriage."

Arianna frowned down at the castle walls, awash now with full morning sunshine. She could see movement on the battlements and in the courtyards. She would have been missed but the guards would say she was with my Lord's brother and a contingent of men at arms would not be riding out to secure her person. She still felt resentful of it, that she was dependent for protection on the very system of masculine violence to which she was fundamentally opposed and which occasionally came disturbing her peace of mind in some aggressive flirting behaviour. She had always had an irritatingly clear mind. She was obliged to acknowledge that after el Parva van Selaine's brush with her husband there had been fewer casual male visitors of a kind she had found troubling. It was not reasonable to be resentful that she had to depend for this on Clair el Maien, the man to whom she was least willing to feel grateful for anything. She was reluctant to admit that this was not because of the manner in which he had behaved towards her but because it was easier to quarrel with him than to admit to any softer feeling for him.

"I owe him nothing," she muttered, more to herself than to Tashka. "His scandalous affairs have been notorious! The Church Council would not hesitate to break my marriage."

"Then why do you stay," Tashka said mockingly. "Leave Clair to be reliant again on that miser van Sietter for his allowance."

"Oh yes, go back to Iarve and be bestowed on some other region where Prianne wishes to make a tie," Arianna scoffed. "At the least of it Clair is not home much ... until recently," this was the feeblest of arguments. With his son in duty bound as well as his son in blood now resident in the castle, Clair was unlikely to spend much time away at all for the next few years. Arianna frowned down at the grey castle walls and the dots of colour moving about them, anxiously biting her lip.

"No no," Tashka said softly. "You could go to court, my dear, and continue to work with your brother Hanya on this matter of the merchants. You are sufficiently strong-minded to resist attempts on Prianne's part to bestow you away again."

Arianna's face was suddenly lit up by a secretive smile. Her face, tear-stained and pale with sorrow, became sexily alluring in the early morning sunlight with that secret smile on her full red mouth. "I know that knowest what it is I am about," she said. "Your Lieutenant is from a family who are in the cloth trade, the Leins of Port Ithilien. Vadya was about to say something of it to van Sietter the other night, I had to pretend to throw my wine in van Sietter's plate to stop him blurting out that knowest all about the cloth merchants' schemes from Hanya, the nephew of Master Lein in Carneo, Iarve. Does it trouble you, that I am mucking about with the merchants?"

Tashka grinned and shook her head. "I am not van Sietter," she replied. "I like merchants. And you are my sister, I will defend your right to do whatsoever you will, even with my glove. No, no, do not quarrel with me about duelling! Anna, listen. Why do you not tell Clair what it is you are doing? If you go to court with Clair's ring still on your finger you will be saved a lot of grief."

"But," Arianna took her full red lower lip up in her teeth, her eyes looked anxiously downwards. "It is so important, what Hanya and I are doing. And I love it so! What if Clair refuse to allow it? And there is my other work ... I mean, I mean nothing."

Tashka burst into snorting laughter. "Oh yes!" she exclaimed. "And you are such a biddable wife, you will do whatsoever your Lord and husband tells you! How can you think that Clair would presume to say, This is not women's work. Go back to your cakes and your 'broidery. How can you think that Clair might prevent you if you wish to dabble in politics? And whatever other work you are engaged in, Clair would support you in it. What work is it you are doing?" Arianna muttered something about just a pastime. "Clair is the one brought me up a soldier, who gave Ladda Marin the chance to write that wonderful book of verse, who is the close friend of old Lady el Farin van P'shan and who defended Lallia el Farin against her husband's tyranny even though el V'lair is his friend," but Arianna glanced narrowly sideways at the mention of Lady Lallia el Farin, renowned beauty of high intelligence.

"I am not Clair el Maien's beloved brother ... sister," she said coldly. "I will be the future sworn Lady, unless as suggests't I am such a fool as to fall into the clutches of some disgusting old man who is able to use me and toss me back to Prianne to bestow off wherever else he pleases." Tashka raised an eyebrow but said nothing to this, lolling with the ironic laugh in her eyes over the grass. "Perhaps ar't under Clair's eye in matters of your honour," Arianna pointed out waspishly, "but that has not saved you from being bestowed wherever van Sietter wishes. Has't suffered sufficiently yourself from the whims of the elders of the high nobility as to what ar't permitted to do or not do." She regretted this as soon as she had said it, she saw Tashka wince and turn her head away. She leant immediately over to take Tashka's arm and say penitently, "I prithou pardon me, darling. I am so cross the day! with so much to distract me from work I believe in and never have time for. I am so anxious that Clair will find out of it and prevent me doing it - never mind how he might, he can if he wishes. My dear, tell it me wills't pardon me saying such a thing when ar't so awkwardly placed. But if Vadya el Gaiel is looking on you with eyes, do not be such a fool as to give his favours the go-by when it is plainly evident that loves't him with your body as well as heart. It is so, is it not? Loves't him with a passion, ar't only troubled for a code of honour which has been written for men and officers, not for all humanity, not for us women - nor for the lower ranks of people. Has't served as el Gaiel's Captain for years always within the code and now, through no fault of yours but because those oldest sons who hold your honour in their hands wish it so, has't been offered his body for your own. His is a lovely body and he has a gentle heart to boot and a good mind. I have heard him talk of his people and the potential for wealth in his region intelligently, he will be the one to take H'las to the full heights of wellbeing. He will need an one like you by his side so he can concentrate on the region without having to bear the army in mind as his father has to. If wants't him, go take him, my dear. It would make my heart glad to see you honourably bestowed on so sweet an heart and a man so much to your preference."

Tashka raised her blue eyes and looked mutely through her impossibly gorgeous long lashes at Arianna.

"I must go back now," Arianna said with a sigh. "van Sietter and van V'ta have gone, thank the Angels, but there are still your so-beloved-yet-not-in-that-way Commander and his father to entertain. Swear to me, I beg it of you, I know there is some thing you soldiers swear on that means shall't never break the vow, swear wills't not tell Clair of my feelings for him." She put her hand on Tashka's arm and stared pleading into her blue eyes.

Tashka turned her head about and said, "well ... only because I know he will guess it. He is not a baby in the ways of love, you know! I swear I will not reveal to him your heart ... on ... my Commander's life." She looked down as she made this vow, her rose-petal mouth pouting out against the unaccustomed tears in her eyes.

Arianna said softly: "Think on what I have said. Do not give the chance of happiness the go-by for the sake of cold honour or because in some stupid confusion, el Gaiel made the mistake of giving you the glove instead of the sensible sympathy he always gave you before now. He is not agreeing to take you regardless in some arrangement of his father's without caring a copper coin's curse whether woulds't prefer to marry his best friend rather than himself, is he now?" The tears were rising in her eyes again, she pushed the heel of her hand impatiently into the sockets of her eyes, expecting Tashka to give her another tongue-lashing designed to stop her sinking into useless self-pity but Tashka caught hold of her skirt and gave it a tug. She looked round into Tashka's face. To her amazement Tashka looked shy. Birdsong was rife all around them, the sun was falling full on the hillside and on First H'las' camp and on the castle.

Tashka leant close to Arianna and pressed into her embrace. Arianna felt a small round breast press to her side, she turned her head to Tashka's.

"Once," Tashka whispered. "I ... I met Vadya in the morning. It was early, I was swimming in the river and he came riding out of the mist. He had been at dinner with Maive el Staten and ... and had stayed all night. I had taken all my clothes off, he nearly saw me! I had to lie in the shallows on my front so he would not, I was scared he might want to come and swim with me. And ... and his face was all soft, Anna, because he had been making love with Maive. He asked me to break fast with him. We did not say any thing of Maive. He wanted to talk of it but ... I turned it aside. All day he was a bit careless in his thoughts and smiled sweet if you asked him any thing. All day, Anna, I was ... miserable. Because he was not giving his full mind to the troop business," she added hurriedly. Arianna smiled but did not say anything. "Maive is a pink-fingered slut," Tashka added in a sudden spiteful spurt. "How could Vadya have thrown away a favour on a bloody vixen of an el Staten. Angels! she is a younger child, he is lucky he did not get that lord-hunter bestowed on him, he would have gone crazy trying to keep an hand on her reins.

"I was angry with my Lieutenants. Hanya Lein was new to the Quarter, he had got in some tangle about his Unit's provisions. I gave him the night sentry duty! just for that. Poor Hanya. Then I had to go and sit with him all night on sentry duty to make it up to him. And Vadya never noticed how mean I was to Hanya, he never said any thing of it." She leant her cropped dark-haired head in the green hard hat against Arianna's shoulder and Arianna put up a gentle hand and rubbed her cheek.

"And loves't him only as your senior officer?" she asked.

Tashka made no reply.

~#~*~#~

When Arianna trotted Sweetheart into the courtyard she found Clair sitting at the top of the castle steps, a pair of breeches slung casually on over his nightshirt, little Hanya in his arms. He was watching the stable-boys bringing out the horses for exercise, his grey eyes keenly aware of each horse walking past and whether its coat was combed and brushed to a gleaming shine or if it hobbled and might need the farrier to look at it. Hanya was wrapped in a blanket and fast asleep, his blond head snuggled to Clair's shoulder. Arianna saw her husband's lean face still soft with sleep and love for the baby boy in his arms, his eyes gentle on the castle servants, over whom he had always exercised a consistent and devoted attention, even writing frequently from the battle front to make considered judgement on the pettiest of problems which arose every day in the management of so many people as they went about their tasks. He looked up as he heard the clattering of hooves on the cobbles in the gateway. He made that smile when he saw Arianna which she had sometimes seen him bestow on the children or on Tashka: his lips curving not in an alluring look up to his eyes but in a soft sweet warmth. She could not quite believe he was giving that smile to her for her own sake, after everything he had done to her and the quarrels she was constantly making with him. He was getting to his feet with an effort against the weight of the big-boned child he held secure in his arms.

Arianna frowned as she walked Sweetheart up to the steps, cross because she would have to show her booted leg to everyone in the courtyard: stable-boys, guards, a maid-servant crossing with bowls of tea on a tray to the kennels and Clair himself. Clair would not give Hanya to any of the servants as he would have done with Arkyll because Hanya was still so troubled. One of the grooms came forward to give Lady el Jien his shoulder so she could swing out of the saddle.

Clair saw out of the corner of his eye the magnificent sweep of her leg off the horse; he saw the big booted leg up to the thigh which was creamy with a little layer of fat on it but he realised had a muscular strength. Her back had been very straight as she rode in, her head in a dark blue hard hat held up high. She handled herself with unexpected skill riding astride in the inappropriate saddle. He remembered that when he married her people said she was a good rider and that he had treated this as meaning that she would not have to be nursed through the hunt but could go round the high hedges on her own. She had never joined him in any of his hunting parties, acting the bare minimum of hostess. Considering the nature of the guests he had tended to invite, this was hardly surprising. While he noticed the beauty of her leg and repressed the feelings rising in his own body at seeing it, he also looked rapidly round the courtyard to check that none of the servants were watching her with a degree of interest which might mean he had to go and have words with them. He had often cursed her beauty as he made arrangements for yet another footman or groom or stable-maid to find work elsewhere, pointing out to them in crisp assertive tones that looking was one thing but finding excuses to annoy the future sworn Lady of an entire region when she was busy in her library was a piece of ridiculous folly for someone of their class.

He walked down the steps towards her, saying: "Runaway! Where have you been, with that brother of mine? I will give him my glove if he tries to steal you from me. Or I would if he were not likely to cut me to ribbons and get you regardless." He sniggered.

She looked with astonishment into his face. He was smiling at her differently now, with that alluring curve of the thin lips that went up to his slanted grey eye, lazily teasing because he was still too sleepy to hide an affection for her she could not quite believe was in his eyes. He stood with the big-boned child in his arms, his tan emphasised by the blond head that had rolled softly against his lean cheek.

Arianna looked aside, she could not bear him to be playful with her, it made the hope rise in her heart, and her loins, the blood rise in her cheeks. She felt the old impulse to say something to him that would lead them to quarrel and so hide from him how much she longed for his caress. Then she thought she would try not to quarrel with him although she was not sure she wanted him to guess her true feelings. Clair looked at her head swinging to one side, the tendrils of hair floating from under her hard blue hat, the rosy flush in cheeks that were usually so bland and pale. Arianna was going to take Sweetheart's reins, to escape with the horse into the stables but the groom was there before her and was leading the mare away. She felt so foolish and inarticulate, standing with her own husband flirting with her and unable to think of any light laughing response such as the pink-fingered set tossed easily about. In her confusion she blurted out the first thing that came to her mind.

She turned to him and in that way she sometimes did, she asked him a question that opened up doors to the back recesses of his mind where awful terrors and grief lurked, always coiling in the back of his mind to seize him in that dreadful debilitating despair.