with the Angleni. The beauty of his face shone like one of Ywa’s messengers, yet it seemed strangely familiar.
The gathering room grew silent when he entered, and the pipes and drums slowly halted. He strolled toward Our Matchless Family, who greeted him warmly. The eyes of the Pagatsu clan all turned from Taer to the stranger and then to Taer again. But Taer’s gaze turned toward the Third Wife and her son Sio. The young boy’s apparent joy at the stranger’s presence was evidenced by an admiring smile. I understood suddenly why the stranger seemed so familiar. I thought, Sio is the stranger’s son.
Loic turned to me and whispered, “Yes, he is. This is Noam, my father’s captain and former friend, now his dearest enemy.”
“If he’s your father’s enemy, why is he here?”
“Because my father has designated Sio as the Bridegroom’s Friend. Because Noam is one of my Father’s Valiant Men. Because of Father’s actions, I must now endure him for the next seven days and must feast with—”
He stopped speaking when Theseni Queen Butterfly loudly greeted the newcomer. “Of all Taer’s Great Ones, only you, Noam, could come to the full-wedding? What has happened to the famous camaraderie of the Valiant Men?” She looked at me as if the absence of the other Great Ones was my fault.
Noam answered her, “Are Heldek and Ganti are not here?” How gentle his voice was. He called out to Taer, “But it is understandable. A wedding hall cannot be filled when a boy and his betrothed dare not wait.”
A groan of disapproval arose, and the room became silent. Noam’s words were purposely lacking in etiquette.
Taer did not answer him, but Our Matchless King said, “Jobara! Indeed most of Taer’s Valiant Men are here. The Seventy Warriors, the Thirty Masters. But, know that Heldek is away on a mission to the Angleni King. As for Ganti, well, you know the Desai.”
Noam nodded. “Ah, yes! The well-known Desai reclusiveness. Even so, any who wished to attend still would have had a hard time of it. The event was so hastily—”
King Jaguar raised his hand and his voice. “Enough, Noam! I excused your rudeness before, but you insist on straining etiquette by pushing your point. The girl is honorable, and what if the marriage was hastened? They have been betrothed to each other since their youth. Why should they wait another year?”
Noam immediately stopped speaking, but resentment marred the beauty of his face. He walked towards the Matchless Family and bowed low before the king. After that, he whispered something I could not hear but which set the queens to arguing. Third Queen White Star, the Ibeni Queen, suddenly began gesticulating at Butterfly, who seemed relentless in pressing some point. Sweet-as-Jasmine, the Doreni queen, tried to make peace but after several attempts sat silent.
After a while, the king lifted his hands and pointed to Noam. “With a simple phrase, Seared Conscience,” he said, “you have returned my Queens to their old quarrel.”
None of the queens paid attention to their husband, and White Star seemed at the point of tears. “Husband King,” she said, “will you allow that woman to insult my people as she’s doing?”
“White Star,” the King answered, “you are well able to defend yourself against Butterfly.” He called out to Loic, “How wise you are in choosing to marry only one wife, my boy! Do you see what I suffer? Only my dear Sweet-as-Jasmine understands my need for peace. Nevertheless, at my coronation, these were the women I chose. What a lovely week I had bedding them all. Now they disrupt the loveliness of your wedding.”
“Don’t speak so ill against your wife, Jaguar,” Loic answered. “All in our land bless you for your wisdom in choosing such honorable wives.”
Then I added, “Matchless King, I am honored to have arguing queens at my wedding. We Theseni say it is not a true Doreni wedding if no fight breaks out.”
Everyone laughed at this, and Our Matchless King shouted, “Taer, your son has found a Thesenya with a Doreni sense of humor. A hard thing, that.”
Loic smiled but whispered to me, “Consider carefully what Noam has done. Jaguar rebuked him publicly just now. This is not something we Doreni often do because a shamed friend becomes a harsh enemy. Even so, Jaguar is king and he can do what he wishes. Notice how Noam responded to the king’s rebuke. To avenge himself, he started a disagreement between the queens.”
I eyed him askance. “Come now, husband. You are finding machinations where none exist.”
“You do not know Noam as I do, my wife. In everything he’s too easily offended and when offended he must win. His name among our people used to be ‘Slippery as Oil’ because he was so shrewd, but now everyone calls him ‘Seared Conscience’ because he is often cruel in avenging himself. Especially in small slights.”
“If he is so dishonorable, why hasn’t anyone killed him yet?”
Loic pointed to the jade bracelet on Noam’s arm. “We Doreni are warlike, but—it’s a paradox, but it’s true—because we are involved in so many blood-feuds, we do everything to avoid vendettas. Like me, Noam is a first-born son. The son of the Therpa clan chief. To kill him would cause clan warfare with a great and powerful clan, a clan with many alliances. Who would want to start warfare now, considering the Angleni are still scheming to take our land?”
As he spoke, I noticed that several warriors were slapping Seared Conscience’s shoulder amiably.
“He seems very loved,” I said.
Loic nodded. “That he is. It is quite difficult to dislike Noam. Even when one distrusts him.”
“Cuyo!” Noam greeted us from across the room. “May the Wind blow good things toward you, and evil things far away!” He strode toward us and extended his arm to stroke Loic’s shoulder. My husband recoiled as if Loic’s hand carried a taint or poison. In response Noam smiled, as if my husband’s reaction amused him. He turned his green eyes toward me and my half-moons. His eyes roamed over the landscape of my body as if I was a new land he had discovered, a land that was all his heart had ever wanted. Ashamed of being the object of a lust so freely shown, I turned my eyes toward the ground.
“Cuyo.” Noam still kept his eyes on me, although he was speaking to my husband. “Is it true the year mark was eliminated because your father fears for your health? A healthy son would surely preserve the headship for you. Yes, considering your health, your father was right thing to forego the Restraint.”
Loic squeezed my hand so hard my fingers hurt. I looked at his hands. They were trembling and his veins were taut against his skin.
“Hasn’t the king told you to cease all talk on this topic?”
Noam grinned, obviously amused at my husband’s words. I clutched my husband’s agitated hand and gently rubbed it tight.
Loic’s shoulders relaxed and he closed his eyes. Like shut doors they were, refusing to be opened. Loic, you must learn to be a good warrior, I thought. Put bravery on your face and steady your hand. He looked at me as if he had seen my mind, and smiled.
Like a child stalking a pet, or a favorite uncle, Mad Malana was creeping up behind Noam. She held something behind her back. She touched Noam’s arm and he swung round wildly, his dagger immediately drawn. She jumped back, spilling the berry mukal glass on the carpet. “Noyu,” she screamed, “it’s me, your little Malana. Do you
