Torgan Wine Ch. 50

"Your brother had many questions about your treatment, your Grace. I assured him you seemed content before you were poisoned. When I returned you were already asleep. I spoke with another maid in the halls and decided to fetch Master Hodrim for any festivities tonight."

"Thank you, Ximesra." Isonei inclined her head, grateful that the woman had translated.

"The festivities will be tomorrow." Rogath adjusted Kas in his arms. "Tonight the Arrangements will be dictated and signed. Yornaith and the Kamruses will be attending to be certain no one is being forced to accept the terms."

"Only one Arrangement will be dictated tonight, the one currently in place will be amended." Isonei corrected him gently.

"My father would have ours redone." Draeseth ran his hand down her back.

"The old one would need to be dissolved first, and I'm not willing to make a new one at the moment." Shaking her head she refrained from reminding him she'd been pressed to make the first one. "I need time to grieve and recover from my loss before I consider it. Amend the old one and-"

Rogath cut her off with a displeased sound, "My father will insist."

"Would he force me while I'm in mourning?"

"You will not be forced." Draeseth stepped away from her with a frown. "It can be amended tonight and renewed when you are no longer in mourning."

"Thank you."

There was a moment's silence before Ximesra spoke, "Did you fix your hair, your Grace, or did you simply cover it?"

Blinking at her for a moment, Isonei tilted her head. "I covered it. No one can see it, it doesn't matter that it's a little unruly."

"We should fix it properly before dinner." The Munian woman escorted her back into the bedroom. Isonei's hair was being brushed when Lislora came in to perch on the bed.

"Is he upset that I'm only willing to amend the Arrangement?"

"I think he may be disappointed. I know," the Torgan woman fidgeted, the movement of her legs was all Isonei could see in the mirror. "I know you were pressed to make the first Arrangement. I think he wants to have one that you enter willingly."

"I can't give him what he needs, Lislora. I can't even give him what he wants right now." Isonei desperately wanted to change the subject. "He mentioned that you asked him for money to buy the gift for Hodrim?"

"He said he does not have enough for me to spend so frivolously." Lislora sounded deeply disappointed.

"Would you have enough if you sold my Torgan jewelry? The handpieces he gave me no longer fit and they're too small for you. Selling them for a worthy cause would be something I-"

Draeseth gave a growling grunt as he entered the bedroom. "I will not allow you to sell your jewelry to buy gifts for the orphan."

"Are they mine or are you taking them back?" Isonei turned her head and fixed him with a frigid look. "If they are mine I will do what I please with them. Lislora wishes to give him a gift equal to the gifts I gave. If they fit her I would give them to her to wear, but since they no longer fit either of us I will have them sold so that your second Duchess may have the funds she requires. In return, all I would ask of her is to offer kindness to others."

Lislora murmured something to him and the only word Isonei caught was Sellac.

He grunted and studied Isonei's face with a sour expression. "They are yours. But if you do not know the value you will not get a fair price."

"I was going to allow Lislora to sell them."

"I will do it, Isonei. Men argue less with me." His glower made her lips twitch as she inclined her head.

"Unfortunately, your wives tend to do it recreationally." At her faintly impish smile his eyes began to glitter.

"One more than the other." Draeseth moved toward her closet. "I will fetch them. I would not have you get impatient."

"It's not as if I can stroll into the market to find someone to sell them to." Isonei turned to look back into the mirror allowing Ximesra to begin braiding her hair.

"No, but you might..." He came out holding a box. "When did the clasp break?"

Frowning, she turned her head again and answered very carefully, "The clasp?"

"The longer of the carcanets I gave you, the one you kept."

"I haven't worn it since... since we were in the Strecur."

His frown deepened and he looked at the piece with concern. "There are superstitions about the knives and the carcanets. They say when one breaks so does the other. I would have this repaired as soon as possible."

"Of course." Isonei lifted her head as if she were trying to look into the box before she asked, "Is the knife being repaired? Were you able to find a jewel to replace the old one?"

"I sent it to the jeweler. I will have Krouth take this to him as well."

Forcing herself to relax back into the chair, Isonei heard him go back into the closet as Ximesra hurriedly braided her hair, pinning it into place before affixing the ragged cloth over it all again.