Astrid didn't release her until they entered her father's solar. Though there were chairs aplenty, no one took a seat. Arthur joined his brother Lancer, who stood beside their father. Astrid stood close to the blazing hearth, her cloak discarded over a chair. Elaine stood with Veviva to the side.
Robert stood in the center of the gathering, stiff in posture and resolve, and with a shout ordered his daughter to his side. "Vevina, here, now!"
She obeyed without question, as she had for as long as she could remember. For a moment she feared he might raise his hand to her, but then realized he would not do so in front of the Sinclares. He demonstrated his authority over her for all to see and know that his daughter was loyal to him and would do as she was told.
Robert spoke directly to Scott. "You will recall how adamant I was when the documents were drawn up that it be stated that my daughter would wed the next Chieftain."
Scott nodded. "I do recall that, but Astrid is a woman as we all know, and your daughter has wed my son Arthur. Why did you see that as a problem?"
"I only see a problem when you vowed to give the eldest your title."
"You know I can't break my oath."
"Then Astrid can take Arthur's place, she's a twin of him after all. Arthur can still make her produce children for all I care, but it's Astrid who she must belong to," Robert said. "We don't have to pretend that your daughter is not into women, do we? People in all the highland knows so. In fact, she's more of a man than any of your clansmen."
"Bold words!" Lancer growled and stepped forward with his sword, "I can cut your tongue right now and feed it to the wolves."
Scott raised his hand up to stop his son from acting out.
"It's true that Arthur was never mentioned in the agreement. The vows were between the next Chieftain and Vevina. Arthur simply represented the next Chieftain of the Sinclare clan, but when Astrid returned and without Rohan, the rights belonged to his sister, who is the eldest and rightful heir."
"I agreed to no such arrangement," Astrid spoke at last. "You'd rather let your daughter marry a woman for her title than a man she loves?"
Vevina listened, her heart beating madly. They could hardly say there was love between Arthur and her, but what Astrid said was more or less true. Robert was too power-hungry that he must have what he planned to have.
"That makes no difference," Robert protested. "Your father agreed and with him being the leader, his decision is a law."
Vevina swallowed hard. This couldn't be happening to her. She couldn't be wed to Astrid Sinclare, a woman, she never knew, and yet was still up for Arthur, her twin brother.
"I will not wed the frightened little mouse," Astrid said defiantly.
Robert smiled smugly. "You are already wed to her. Ask the cleric, he will confirm the truth of it."
Was that how he saw her? A property? And object to be traded?
"I want no wife, Arthur does, he's a man," Astrid said, raising her voice. "She is his wife."
Robert's jaw set tightly. His eyes went bleak. "Fine! Then no one can have Vevina. I will take her back to my castle tomorrow. And remember, you broke the agreement, therefore, no one of you shall reclaim any of her dowries. Everyone should know what the Sinclare clan is made of. Deceitful!"
Robert turned to grab his daughter by the elbow.
"Wait," Scott said. "We did agree to take Vevina as a Chieftain's wife, and we will honor that agreement."
Robert looked back at the man with a raised brow.
"In some other clans, brothers take one wife," he continued. "I see what you want it to be. Your daughter can be married in name to my daughter who shall become to Chieftain, but she is also wedded to Arthur, her first husband, and will perform all duties as his wife."
"That is ridiculous," Lancer said. "Do you mean she is legally married to Astrid according to the agreement but Arthur is the real husband?"
"Yes, because then we break no rules," Scott said. "We only made adjustments."
"Is this kind of thing allowed, Father?" Arthur said. "What would our people think?"
"Our people listen to me and the cleric," Scott replied calmly. "Elaine, will you please bring the cleric here, my dear?"
She turned with a nod and left the solar.
"I only asked the agreement to be honored as written," Robert said confidently with a shrug.
"Why?" Astrid asked, walking over to him to stand in a similar fashion, arms crossed over her chest. "Want to rid yourself of the little mouse?"
Vevina glared at her, wishing she had the courage to defend herself. Robert snatched Vevina's wrist and twisted it.
"Let her go," Astrid ordered.
The angry growl was more animal than human and her stepfather eased his hold, though he did not release her. Vevina saw that Astrid had stepped closer, as had Arthur and Lancer. They stood beside their sister ready to follow her lead almost by instinct.
"Do you claim my daughter as a wife?" Robert challenged.
"I'm not a man if you couldn't tell that already," Astrid said.
"It doesn't matter if you're a man or not," Robert said. "You're the next Chieftain, that's all that matters to me and that's what the agreement says. If you do, then your brother can have her produce his children or do whatever you want of her. If not, my daughter obeys me."
"What kind of a father are you?" Astrid hissed and made a move to step forward, her bright golden eyes burning into Robert, and to Veviva's surprise, she felt her stepfather back away.
The door opened before Astrid took another step, and Eliane hurried in, followed by a frantic cleric. The short, skinny man, his face full of wrinkles, shook his head.
"What madness is this? I claimed this pair man and wife."
Scott Sinclare stepped forward and detailed the problem for the cleric. The man listened intently, nodding now and again.
Robert added his opinion. "You do recall our talk before the ceremony? I expressly made it known how the vows were to be spoken and confirmed."
"That you did," the cleric said. "And you provided the signed marriage papers as proof of the arrangement."
Vevina didn't like the sound of what she was hearing. She couldn't be Astrid's wife, in name or not. She was a woman for god's sake! Were these men as crazy as her stepfather? She wished she had never set eyes on any of the Sinclares.
"Then my claim is valid," Robert said. "Vevina belongs to the next Chieftain."
"She is wed to Arthur," Astrid protested.
The cleric shook his head. "Robert is right by law. The documents state Vevina was to wed the next leader of your clan, therefore, Arthur proved to be a proxy for his sister Astrid, since Astrid has returned, taking over Rohan's status as firstborn heir."
"This is nonsense," Astrid argued. "You can't possibly support this same-sex marriage, can you?"
The cleric appeared mortified, his thin face turning bright red. "The documents are binding. Unless you're dead then Arthur can wed the lady."
Astrid pointed to her twin brother. "She is my brother's wife!"
"That's enough!" Scott cried. The heated moment was temporarily interrupted. "Astrid, do your duty as the next Chieftain of Clan Sinclare and as...a wife to Vevina in by-laws. Arthur can decide later whether he wants any part of this."
Then Astrid turned to Arthur. "Do you love her?"
"I barely know her."
His words hurt Vevina's heart, though they were the truth. There was no love between them. She had hoped perhaps there could be in time, but Arthur was nothing more than an acquaintance, and Astrid was still a stranger to her.
"Then none of that matters," Robert demanded. "This is more about the union between our peoples. Why do you care who she is wed to?"
The lack of fatherly love was too embarrassing to bear, and Vevina could feel pity in Elaine and Scott's eyes as they looked at her.
Scott stepped forward, his children moving aside in respect not only for their father but also for their Chieftain.
"Leave us, Robert," Scott ordered firmly.
Robert bristled. "I have a right to protect my daughter's rights."
"No longer," Scott said calmly. "Vevina is now a Sinclare, wife to Astrid. You no longer have a say over her. Now leave and join the celebration."