"I must go. There is no avoiding it."
"But you explained things to the emissary already. Surely that is…."
"Not after all I've done. I'll spend the rest of my life, such as it is, making up for all my transgressions."
"Making up to who? They are not the only ones you wronged." Dierdre's voice carried downstairs to the sitting room where Riley and Ashley were trying to play a game of chess.
At least, they had been. When Ashley's parents had started arguing loudly enough to be heard in here, the couple's game paused indefinitely.
"Should I close the door?" Riley asked softly. It was rude to eavesdrop, even though the servants were doubtlessly doing so. Ashley sighed.
"No, we might as well go and join the discussion." She rose from her seat and glided out of the room with Riley reluctantly at her heels.
"Mother's right, you've wronged many people," Ashley broke into the tense silence that now reigned between the older couple, "To make it up to Mother and myself, you'll take us with you on your journey to the Sea."
"Pardon me?"
"What?"
"Oh!"
The three other people in the room spoke over each other, but Dierdre won out.
"That's a marvelous idea, Ashley. Heart, I hereby give my endorsement of the trip, provided we accompany you," The woman grinned.
Riley's eyes roved around the group. Was he to be left behind? He didn't think he could take time away from the army for such a trek, and he'd already pulled what strings he had to get Peter on the journey with Mayra.
He wondered fleetingly how that was going. He must have looked a little distracted, because Ashley elbowed him in the side.
"Hmm?" He asked, focusing his attention on his wife.
"Don't you think it's a great idea?" She prompted. His eyebrows drew together.
"I'm not sure–OOF!" His thoughts were interrupted as her elbow caught him again, but harder. "I mean, yes, sure, absolutely. It's a fantastic idea," Riley said with sarcasm that only his wife caught.
"I'll go start packing!" Dierdre exclaimed, with Lysander hot on her heels.
"My darling daughter, I love you. You shouldn't encourage your mother in these things," He said on his way out the door.
"I thought you would become less violent as a married woman," Riley teased, rubbing the elbowed spot in his abdomen.
"Didn't you always say I'm far too weak to hurt anyone?" Ashley batted her eyes innocently at him.
"Even a weak person can do injury with a weapon like that. Your elbow's sharp!" He accused.
"My poor soft Bear," Ashley put a hand up against his cheek, "How can I make you feel better?"
"I can think of a way," Riley wiggled his eyebrows at her, and she giggled.
"Shhh… My parents will hear." She hushed him.
"Then shall we take our discussion of healing methodology to a more private venue?" He suggested, sneaking an arm around her waist and pulling her closer.
"Mmmm, let's."
________
Caspian mucked out the small barn behind his house mumbling angrily to himself. It was absurd! He replayed the conversation in his head again, seething over its result.
"What do you mean I can't go?" He had asked his father.
"You're a newlywed. We're leaving tomorrow, and you must finish out your marriage week. You will come next trip."
"Please! Father, I want to come. Without going to sea, I am incomplete." He had tried to play on his father's sympathies.
"You may not leave your wife during the first week. It is your marital duty to be with her." Haf had insisted.
"What if I came along? Would that be allowed?" Naomi had come back from fetching water at that moment and interrupted the conversation. Both men had turned at her and stared.
"Absolutely not," Caspian had responded automatically. Women were only allowed on the ships on extremely rare occasions.
"Perhaps," Haf had hedged, drawing Caspian's stare. "It is not commonly done, but if that is your desire, it can be a wedding gift to allow you to be on the sea with your husband for a day."
"That is my desire," Naomi stated unequivocally.
"What? Since when?" Caspian had demanded.
"Since you are incomplete without it. If this is the way, then it is my desire." She had looked at him with frustratingly steady eyes.
The little minx was calling his bluff! He had wanted to get away from her and she'd invited herself on the trip like an unwanted houseguest!
Which she was, in a way. One he was permanently stuck with. The sea was to be his escape, not a confined space with her.
His father had seemed satisfied with the decision and walked away to change around some plans to accommodate Naomi's presence on board for the sailing.
"Ridiculous," Caspian mumbled again. How did he get stuck like this? Was the woman determined to glue herself to his side?
He'd had to come work in the barn just to get away from her. He insisted there wasn't enough room for them to work side by side in the space or she would have come anyway. She finally seemed to get the message and said she'd go tend the garden.
She'd already scrubbed every surface in his home. Did she pause for breath? Was she even human?
He paused to seriously consider that for a moment. The tale was that Rhone had been ruled for years by an evil creature from another world masquerading as a human. Perhaps there were others amongst the Rhone. Maybe he was married to one.
That would be plenty of cause for the marriage to be declared invalid, wouldn't it?
He couldn't see any reason in the move, though. No powerful creature from another world would make itself homeless and destitute just to marry him…
Unless it knew about the ships. If the news was widespread that the people of the sea needed brides, it would make sense to pretend to be one to infiltrate Ceto and gain access to the sea.
There was a certain, cold logic in it that he couldn't quite set aside… but the secrets of his people had surely been guarded much too closely.
Still. He would have to keep an eye on her, particularly when she was on the voyage she'd inexplicably been able to weasel her way into.
Finally, he finished, and threw water on his face and chest from the trough before donning his shirt and going inside his hut. His hand went automatically up to rub his sore shoulder, and a fresh wave of resentment overcame him.
He would likely lose sleep again tonight sharing a bed with that maybe-woman-maybe-creature.
Caspian had to admit, that aside from loss of sleep, so far certain parts of having a wife were downright convenient. Especially right now while she was out of sight watering the vegetables. He hadn't bothered to tend that patch of plants since his mother planted it for him; he only harvested what happened to survive long enough for him to notice and collect.
He sat down on a chair and continued working the sore muscles. He was hoping the laboring in the barn would work out whatever stiffness he had. It didn't quite work.
He hadn't bothered buttoning the top several buttons of the loose shirt when he'd pulled it on outside, and slid his hand underneath the fabric to rub his shoulder better.
"Is your shoulder injured?" He flinched at his wife's voice from the doorway. It seemed her work in the garden was done.
"It's fine," He said flatly, not even turning towards her. She walked past him and disappeared into the bedroom, and he heard her washing her hands. As she returned, she drew a small jar from her apron pocket.
"May I?" She asked, indicating his shoulder.
"What do you have there?" He eyed the jar with some trepidation. The Darkness-creature was said to use magical herbs for nefarious purposes.
"I noticed you favoring your shoulder this morning. Mayra is a doctor's assistant in Klain, so after I finished in the garden, I asked Mayra if she had anything that might help you. She gave me this ointment to apply." Naomi looked unsure of herself now, and he wondered why.
He shrugged, and winced slightly at the stiffness when he did so. He slid the shirt fully off of his shoulder and looked to find his wife… staring. And blushing. Deeply.
"What is it?" Caspian tilted his head in confusion.
The question shook her out of her stupor and Naomi opened the jar and dipped two fingers into it before delicately spreading it across the area he'd been rubbing. The substance was oily and a little slippery. He didn't look forward to getting it on his shirt, but he guessed laundry was no longer going to be his problem.
"Mayra said I need to massage it in for it to begin working," She said apologetically. Caspian was beginning to enjoy how uncomfortable she seemed. A little bit of payback for his own discomfort having her in his home.
"Well?" He said impatiently.