Wish Granted Ch. 05

Agathi was kind enough to help her adjust her clothing, and then she opened the door for her. As Danetta shyly walked back to the altar, the doctor announced, "She's fine! I don't see any recent marks. She's not pregnant, and I see absolutely no sign of any diseases."

Danetta couldn't stop herself from thinking that this physician wasn't polite at all, and she could use some advice on patient confidentiality.

Her betrothed was the first to react. He nodded and said, "Thank you."

Her father clapped his hands together. "Everything's moving along so swimmingly. I'm truly blessed."

And then, there was the marriage ceremony. It was simple. The priest gave the bride and groom short lectures on morality and faith. Then he asked them if they truly wished to "unite under the God of Marriage." Of course, they both agreed. Then the priest announced that they were married, and all that was left was to sign the paperwork.

Three copies had been made out beforehand. Everyone had to sign each one. There wasn't a grand ceremony. There wasn't an assemblage of best men and bridesmaids. There were no guests, no flowers, no dinner, no music. When everything was done, her new husband put his black glove to her hand, and he put her hand in the crook of his elbow. He didn't offer his new father-in-law any goodbyes. She simply began walking his bride out of the temple.

Before they made three steps, however, Danetta's father caught up to them and said, "I assume I'll see you again in Henrisk? The Social Season has only just begun."

Duke Adurant paused, which meant that Danetta also had to pause. He didn't turn his covered head to look at the man. His voice seared her, even though he wasn't speaking to her. "I'm not certain, Sir."

"Not certain?" Her father's smile was clearly an imitation of something. "Your Grace ... ah, Son?" Danetta heard one of her husband's gloves creak as his fingers tightened into a fist, but her father went on. "Don't be cruel to your new wife. She should enjoy the enchantments of the capital while they're still here. Otherwise, she'll spend a whole year without them."

"Dear Wife?"

Oh. That's right. She was a wife now. "Yes, Your Grace?" Her voice didn't have as much air in it as usual.

He pointed at a window with his cane. "Stand over there."

Danetta was unsure of his motives, but she was willing to obey any command he gave her, no matter how forceful he was. She separated from him and curtsied. "Right away."

She walked a few feet away from him, right to the complex, geometrically colored window. She turned around, folded her hands together, and watched her new husband.

Duke Adurant's cane rose very quickly, so quickly that Danetta barely registered the movement. Then the flat end drove into the side of her father's face, knocking him down to the floor with a whacking sound, his own cane clattering to the floor. Danetta's breath was sucked in so hard that it hurt her chest.

The priest and doctor called out their protests, but the duke silenced them. "Before I intervened, this man ruthlessly lashed out against his own child, marking her precious flesh, and now he accuses me of mistreating her!"

Danetta's instincts told her to disobey her husband, even though it was the opposite of what she had so firmly decided to do only moments before. Her shoes tapped the stone floor in a song-like rhythm as she hastened to his side. "Your Grace! Please! Forgive him, I beg you! He meant no harm!"

Duke Adurant's black covered hand turned upwards, jerking at her, non-verbally warning her not to interfere.

Her father was the one who managed to appease him. He cried out, "I was wrong! I was wrong to question such a righteous man!" His fist was pressing into his cheek, massaging the spot. Panting, he got to his knees. His eyes had a wildness to them, but they remained downcast. "All I can do is ask for your forgiveness."

"I'd rather forget you than forgive," her husband said. Then he put Danetta's hand back to his elbow and left the temple with her, leaving behind a mumbling father-in-law.

Straightaway, Danetta was led from the temple to a carriage with her husband's family crest bolted to the doors. He helped her inside, and then he joined her, taking a seat across from her. He closed the door and beat the roof of the interior with his cane three times. The vehicle jostled as it started down the street. The familiar sound of horses' hooves clunking was the only noise for a moment. Danetta couldn't think of anything to say.

Part of her wanted to applaud him for assaulting her father. Another part of her pitied her father. A third part of her honestly wanted to enjoy the Social Season in Henrisk. She didn't like the idea of being stuck in a castle for a whole year, maybe even more. Her husband had apparently been abstaining from the excitement. That's probably what that haughty woman at the Auction Hall meant when she said she won't be seeing her again. She had known that Duke Adurant remained in his castle all year long.

Well, maybe he'd let her visit Lealna on occasion? Danetta's cheeks relaxed as the thought came to her. Certainly, Lealna had its own pleasures. It was a city with shops, theaters, restaurants, and parks. Her husband was coarse, but he didn't seem inhumane. It was highly likely, almost a guarantee, that he'd let her go to Lealna whenever she wanted.

"I wish you'd give me your thoughts," her husband said, his head turning to look out a window.

Danetta decided it wasn't a good idea to start off the marriage by begging for something. She chose a less confrontational subject. "Your Grace, forgive me, but I must ask why you chose to purchase me as a bride."

A rough, rattling sigh, then his shoulders moved up and down. "Once I tell you, you'll consider your husband to be a fool."

Her head shook so fiercely that her neck hurt from it. Her hair trembled and swung about her person. "No, Your Grace. Your wife will listen with kind ears."

"Hm? I suppose I must tell you, then." His covered face moved away from the window and pointed to hers. Danetta tried not to feel intimidated ... or aroused. "Not even a full day before you arrived at my estate, an old man trespassed. He was unarmed, and he apologized. He said that he was a prophet of the God of Hope."

Danetta's eyebrows rose and her heart seemed to forget what the word calm meant. "Oh. Did the man sell a prophecy?"

"He gave it freely. He told me that on the next morning, as I hunted with my men, I would hear a man scream, 'Nobody will save you, you stupid little bitch!'"

Danetta flinched and looked down at her feet. "Such a cruel thing to say."

"Then the self-proclaimed prophet told me that I'd find the screaming man at a tree with my name carved into it. He'd be tall with dark hair, and he'd be assaulting an innocent woman. The woman would be gentle and beautiful, and she'd be my wife. The old man left then, and he didn't accept any of the hospitality I offered."

"Could this be a self-fulfilling prophecy, Your Grace?"

"I don't care."

She looked back up at him. His black covered fist was tightening around the handle of his cane. He said quite firmly, "It's done. I'm satisfied. Don't fret over your destiny, Wife."

Danetta was starting to wonder if she should make a donation to the nearest temple that catered to the God of Hope. "Your Grace, no matter the reason why you chose me, I'll accept you."

"That's quite a lovable statement, but you should be more suspicious of me." Duke Adurant chuckled. Then the chuckle turned into a few dense coughs. He tapped his chest with his fist a few times, and then he gave an exhale of relief. "We're going to stop at your father's house so you may gather anything you wish to take with you. Then we'll move on to your new home."

"I remember the castle well, Your Grace. It's a glorious estate."

His voice rushed out of him. "I'm your husband, damn it! Address me as such!"

A short yip escaped her lips. Her hands layered against her chest.

Duke Adurant groaned and scratched at his head, but it probably wasn't an effective try. The cloth on his head, combined with his gloves, all seemed to make a good scratch impossible. He tried rubbing at his head instead. "I'll accept Husband, Sir, or even Master if you're feeling particularly humble. Even so, I hope that one day we'll find comfort in using our names."

Danetta bowed in her seat. "My husband is truly kind."

It didn't take long for them to reach her officially former house. Danetta waited for her husband to give an approving nod, although it took him a long time to do so. He had apparently expected her to simply leave the vehicle without any approval.

Danetta didn't have very many belongings. She only packed up one large bag. Then she climbed back into the carriage with a puff of breath and a moderately sagging posture. As the carriage went back into movement, she straightened her body and put the bag on the seat beside her.

And again, her husband was the one to start a conversation. "My appearance is your concern now, Sweet Madam. Will you ask me why my face is concealed?"

"I suppose I should." Danetta crossed her ankles and put her hands on her thighs. "Why does my Master conceal his flesh?"

Her husband's knees spread, but reasonably so. He seemed to be trying to find a comfortable position. His cane was held out between his legs, the bottom placed against the floor, the handle covered by his gloved hands, one on top of the other. He began his explanation calmly, his voice like a tame breeze on a dewy morning.

"Over five years ago, my parents were alive, and I was betrothed to His Grace, Duke Bransted's sister, Lady Bethaline Bransted. The man wasn't a duke at the time, but you know him as one."

"Was Lady Bransted the woman with Duke Bransted at the Auction Hall?"

He nodded. "Of course. They're very close." He tapped the floor with his cane once. "One night, I couldn't sleep. I rose from my bed, dressed, and quit the room. I had hoped to find something to distract my mind. I received more than I'd expected. After a time, I smelled smoke."

A reasonable conjecture came to Danetta's mind. She sighed and put a hand to her cheek. Her poor husband had been burned.

"The smoke came from the music room. The door was blocked by fallen furniture, I believe. I had to break it down. The flames inside had already destroyed most of the room. My parents were on the floor, and I tried to remove them, but a blazing shelf of sheet music collapsed on top of me. I panicked then. I can't quite remember the details after that moment, but my next memory was of Tilly weeping over me. She wasn't the housekeeper at the time. She was a maid, but after the incident I promoted her. She wasn't the one who rescued me, but she was the one who nursed me."

"Did your parents die from the fire?"

Inhale, exhale, another tap with the cane, and Duke Adurant said, "Both of their heads were bashed, but it was decided that what killed them was the smoke. An oil lamp was blamed for the cause of the fire, but the injuries to my parents' heads were questionable at first."

Danetta resisted the urge to shuffle over to him and hold him close.

Duke Adurant's head tilted back, and he held his cane close to his body. "However, there was a plausible explanation for both injuries. My father's cane. While the fire had ruined it, the wound on my mother's head matched its shape. My father's injury was more severe. It was essentially a burn combined with a blow. Something heavy and burning had made contact with his head. The conclusion reached was very upsetting. My parents fought each other and accidentally set the room on fire as they did so."

A frigid knot of slime was forming in her belly. Her feet, legs, and thighs seemed to grow numb. She closed her eyes and lowered her head.

"My mother was an explosive woman. I have no qualm in saying I'm glad you've never met her. She had shown me cruelty more than once in my life. My father defended me eagerly, often with beatings."

She leaned against the window as pity overwhelmed her.

"Thanks to the fire, most of my flesh turned hideous." His leather gloves loudly squeezed around the cane. "I was ashamed, but I thought I could find comfort in my betrothed's company. Lady Bransted screamed when she saw me. She called me an ogre, and she told me she never wanted to see me again. While I could've understood her refusal of me, for it's difficult to keep an attraction to a misshapen creature, I couldn't understand her brutal method. I rose my voice. I accused her of overreacting, and when she continued to berate me, I called her a bitch."

Danetta gasped. She straightened up and looked at him with wondering eyes.

"Lady Bransted left me, and she spent the next day telling everyone she knew that I was a disgusting monster, a barbaric creature not fit for society. She even claimed that I threatened her life. And for the past five years ... I ... I've mostly been home." Duke Adurant shrugged. "That's where I've been. I've visited Lealna when I needed to, and I go to the Royal Court when called, but I rarely am. My life has mainly consisted of my castle. All but one of my friends pretended to forget about me." He held his cane out again and nodded his head. "Marchioness Lillitu Masen, the Lady of the Kloen Province, has been managing the townhouse I own in Henrisk, and, of course, she still writes to me. Sometimes she visits."

Everything seemed to be explained. Danetta was satisfied, upset that her husband had suffered so unnecessarily, but satisfied. She smoothed down one of her eyebrows with her fingertip, even though she didn't really need to. "I don't have any comment, Sir."

"You don't?"

"I don't think there is anything I could say to improve your position."

He groaned and pushed his curled fingers into his covered cheek. "At least you're honest."

***