Wedding Night

Writers: AL, Ames
Date Posted: 7th April 2011

Characters: Kaya, Wirnan
Description: Kaya and Wirnan must deal with the after-effects of their surprise wedding
Location: Amber Hills Hold
Date: month 1, day 14 of Turn 6

Wirnan

Kaya slipped into Wirnan's quarters. She'd been there twice before. The
first time, she had burst in unexpectedly. The second time, she has
sneaked in unexpectedly. The third time, she was there as expected, but
there was no doubt in her mind that Wirnan was not happy. He had been
forced to marry a girl, a girl he had known less than a month. She was
not his wife. Her eyes traced their way over to a trunk that had been
delivered earlier in the day. Her trunk. Her things. Her dowry. Well.
That was proper, since they were married and all, but Kaya knew she
couldn't take the trunk with her.

Not that she would be able to leave any time soon. She had only a couple
of weeks window according to her schedule and how she had worked things out.
Threadfalls had fallen happily at times when she was sure she could find
shelter. And the weather would have remained warm long enough that she
wouldn't have to worry about getting caught in the cold later on. Now?
Now it was too late and when she looked at the Threadfall, the falls were
timed that she wasn't certain about whether or not she'd be able to get
somewhere safely. And the last thing Kaya wanted to do was be caught out
in Thread.

A shiver danced up and down her spine at that thought. And then there was
the issue of supplies. That was the bigger problem than Thread. There
were those slim possibilities of her making it somewhere safe in time...but
the supplies...those that she had gathered originally hadn't been noticed as
missing because she had been able to hide behind the organised chaos of
the Turns End and Turns beginning activities mostly. This time she didn't
have a big celebration to help her. This time, she was going to have to be
more careful, which meant that gathering supplies would be a much slower
process. That would take her even later into the turn, and by then, it would
be too late to leave before the snows began to fall and she would have to
travel through them.

No, Kaya would have to wait, have to endure until the weather turned warm.
At least she was now free from the tyranny of her father, a man she once
loved, but who had changed once she became a woman. She was no longer the
same in his eyes. She no longer the same in hers.

The young woman sighed then winced. Deep breaths still hurt. Her father
had beaten her regularly since he had found her with Wirnan. To teach her
a lesson, he said. To teach Kaya her place. To soften her up for Wirnan
for surely he would do the same to her once married.

Except that he wouldn't. Kaya knew that. She didn't know why she knew,
how she knew, just did. Wirnan wasn't like that. For as little time as
she knew him, she just _sensed_ that he would never lift a hand against
her. So she had born the ill treatment with little protest. Soon she
would be free from her father. Now she was free from her father. And in
a few months, she and Wirnan would be free of one another.

Her eyes lifted from her trunk to rest once more on the man who was now
legally her husband. Legally. But that was it. Only on parchment.
Never in true life, for her heart belonged to another. As much as she liked
Wirnan, she didn't love him. They hadn't known each other long enough for
her to love him. So yes, only on parchment. And she would see to it that
it remained that way.

Nothing else could possibly have added to mess of this day, these past few
days. Wirnan stood by the side counter in his rooms...no...they weren't
just his anymore. His eyes darted over to the woman who now shared those
very rooms with him. His jaw tensed at the sight of her, and he had to look
away. In the span of a few moments she had upending his entire life and he
honestly didn't know if he could forgive her for it.

"You can use the bedchamber," he stated in a weary tone as he kicked off
his shoes and loosened the ties on his best dress garments. "I'll sleep out
here this eve, then I'll see about some other arrangement in the morning." He
moved with ease to the bottles that he kept on the side table. They
weren't often used, but he did enjoy a good drink now and again. Lifting one,
he poured himself a glance and all but downed it's contents in one pull. His
hands moved to refill the glass even as he stood, his back to her, his eyes
closed at the thoughts that whirled around his mind. He'd not really
spoken to her since that fateful day, and truth be told, he didn't know what
he wanted to say to her. She'd tricked him, destroyed everything and he still
couldn't fathom why she had done it. Part of him wanted to rail at her for
her foolish actions, another part wanted to storm out and never look back,
and yet another part of him wanted to draw her into his arms and truly
make her his. Yet, now, in that moment, the only thing he could focus on was
the glass and bottle that rested within his grasp.

To say Kaya was relieved was an understatement. She had been prepared to
make it very clear that she was not going to allow Wirnan to touch her.
Part of her cringed, however, at the tone he took with her. She had liked
him. Now things had gone so very wrong. But he had been a part of her
plan failing and her only options were to be married off to...oh she
didn't even want to say his name! She shuddered again, leaving the
Steward to guess as to why. One hand slid up and down the opposite arm.
Here it was done. Now she was face to face with the reality of her
decision and she was so uncertain. "Thank you." She managed, the sound
curt, not because she was angry, but because she was feeling so torn. She
glanced back at him and then to the trunk. She opened her mouth and
started to ask for help, then shut it tightly. Might as well just do it
herself.

There was no way she'd be able to lift that trunk. She couldn't carry it.
The size and shape made it too awkward and with her things in it, it was
far too heavy. So instead of trying to lift, she moved around to the end,
took up the handle, then began to pull with all her might toward the
bedroom. It was slow going, and the wood and metal creaked painfully
against the stone floor.

He glanced up quickly at the grating sound that seemed to fill the room.
Seeing her actions, he closed his eyes in an effort to try and gather his
patience around him. Leaving his half empty glass on the table, he moved to
the end of her trunk.

"Let me," he said without much feeling behind his tone. The trunk was heavy
and after trying to lift it on his own, Wirnan decided that dragging it
might actually be the better way after all. He found he had nothing to say
to her as he pulled the trunk behind him with ease. If he opened his mouth
he thought he might lash out at her or let her see the true extent of hurt
he felt within him, something he had buried when he knew that this fate was
inevitable. It wasn't that he hadn't cared for her, in fact he _did_ care
for her quite a bit, but he had hoped to get to _know_ her before he had to
call her his wife.

When the trunk was moved into the bedchamber, he turned and looked to her
with a sadness in his eyes. "I'll leave you to it then. Perhaps when you are
done, I can retrieve a few of my clothes and some bedding for the night." He
moved to leave the room, to leave her before he acted on any of the impulses
that ran through his mind and body as he looked at her.

Kaya watched him go, then sank down on the bed. She stared at surroundings
she had seen only once, and then she had been in such a hurry. It was a
very...manly room, truly. Her mother would say it needed a woman's touch.
She supposed she was that woman, but she wasn't going to be there forever.
She shouldn't change it from the way he particularly wanted when she would
only be there less than a turn.

The girl stood again and winced. Trying to pull that trunk had made it
worse, but the contortions of her face could have easily been attributed to
struggling with the item. Now, she bent down, keeping her back as straight
as she could while she rummaged through her things. It was late. Well, it
wasn't _that_ late, but she'd gotten very little sleep the night prior. Her
father had made sure of that. The twinge of her back reminded the beating
he had given her, and the reminder that she needed to know her place or her
new husband would surely do the same to her.

Except he wouldn't. Kaya just knew he wouldn't. Wirnan wasn't like that.
As mad as he was, he could have struck her, but already he refrained. That
told her that she was right all along. Once her bruises healed, she would
be free of any sort of treatment like that again. Free. And soon, Wirnan
would be free of her. He wanted that, she could tell. And really, did she
want to be stuck with him? He wasn't Ristin. Yes, he was kind. Yes, he
refrained from raising his hand to her when he was so mad she was sure her
father would have beaten her ten times over had he felt the same. Sure, he
had made the Turn's end celebration more fun, she had enjoyed her time with
him when he showed her about the hold, but...but...

But he didn't want her. And her entire plan had been to get _away_. True,
to get away from her father and away from that...that...thing that wanted to
marry her. Yes, he had spoiled her plans but...but...but Wirnan hated her
now. She had been so mad at him, but that anger had dissolved. And because
she had let that anger override her thoughts, she had pushed him away and
now she didn't even have him as a friend.

And she could use a friend. Oh Ristin. Kaya tried not to let the tears
well up in her eyes as she pulled off her dress, carefully though she
couldn't keep the fabric from brushing her back which was various shades of
black and dark purple. She slipped into her nightgown even as she fumbled
with the ties and her eyes went fuzzy with tears. She gave up on the ties
as one hand brushed against the locket and she clutched at it. The touch
merely reminded her of the most important thing she had lost, the man she
had intended to and wanted to marry all along. The man who had given her
her first kiss. The man she had planned on having children with. But he
was gone. And there she was, making a mess of her life, in the bedroom of a
man who loathed her. Unbidden the tears came, racing down her cheeks and
Kaya found herself falling onto the bed, not even able to crawl under the
covers as she sobbed herself to sleep.

When she didn't return for along time, Wirnan sighed. Sooner or later he
_had_ to get some of his things from the room. He was not about to sleep in
his best tunic and breeches. He'd had far too much time to sit and think
while he waited for her to re-emerge. So many questions he needed answers
to, but the last few days had been so trying he didn't know if he had the
energy to even ask them now. Yes, he was still angry with her, but more so
he was confused. Why had she done what she'd done? They had been developing
a good friendship that could have possibly grown into something more, yet
she'd set up some trap for him. Was she so desperate that she felt no one
would want her? Nay, that could not be the case. She was beautiful, she was
young.

Sighing, he placed the empty glass back on the side table as he moved
towards the chamber off to the side. "Kaya?" He called out slowly, not
wishing to walk in on her in a state of undress. He waited. No answer.
Pushing his hand through his hair in agitation, he tried again, "Kaya?" When
she didn't answer, he became a bit concerned and moved to stand in the
bedchamber.

His eyes fell on her form, already sprawled out on the bed. He heaved a
heavy sigh. At least she slept. He feared he may never sleep well again. He
moved soundlessly towards where he kept his clothing and rummaged around for
something that would be suitable to sleep in. He pulled one of his older
tunics out, deciding it would do. He'd prefer to not don such a garment for
sleep, but he also did not think he was ready to sleep in his preferred
manner quite yet. Nay, not until he had some answers. He couldn't chance
something else happening. He knew Zathris did not believe in divorce, which
made things difficult, and though no one would believe he hadn't touched
her, Wirnan would know. Perhaps there would still be some way to dissolve
this marriage before they consummated it. Though he honestly had no idea how
at the moment.

Turning back he looked down on her with another sigh. He turned to leave,
but then dropped his things on a chair and turned back to the bed. Pulling
the covers he moved to pull them over her. _That_ was when her gown shifted
and he caught sight of a blackened bruise on her upper back. He gasped,
dropping the covers without thinking as he stared at the mark that marred
her sweet skin. Who had raised a hand to her? He felt anger stir within him
for another reason. It was so strong it nearly made him want to retch at the
thought. Oh, yes, many southern holders felt that it _was_ the way to keep
their women in line, but the sight of such a wretched mark turned his
stomach.

Turning away, Wirnan grabbed his things and hurried out of the room. His
mind now full of more thoughts that only seemed to add to his distress.
Throwing his things onto the small sofa, he moved to fill his glass once
again, quickly downing it to try and relieve the tightness he felt coiling
inside him. The glass came down much harder on the table than he'd intended
as he braced himself against it, his head hanging low. This would be yet
another sleepless night it seemed. He wished not for the first time since
this ordeal began that he had something to punch, and he was _not_ a man
known for angry outbursts, that was for sure!

Last updated on the April 27th 2011

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Wedding Night