The Bounty Hunter

Chapter Forty Three

Chapter Forty Three

Three days before Safita discovered Ultuc in Rhynlli, Finred was waiting nervously in his room, running his hands repeatedly through his hair. Varenna had arrived the night before and, as he had been assured many times by various people who didn’t understand why he was apprehensive, everything was in place for his wedding that afternoon. His silk shirt sat uneasily on his shoulders and he paced his bedroom in a panic, jumping when the door opened.

“It’ll be alright Finred,” Favia said as she leant nonchalantly against the wall.

He let out a strangled chuckle and replied, “That’s easy for you to say. You’re not marrying anyone, you never will if I remember rightly.” She smiled, nostalgia filling her eyes as she studied the carpet. “I was always very stubborn about that, wasn’t I?”

“You still are,” he reminded her as he ran his hands through his hair again.

“Well you know… not many men are willing to accept that their wife prefers women,” she sighed. “I don’t want anyone anyway; I’d hate to lose my independence. Besides it’s more fun to watch my mother struggle in vain.” He laughed and ruffled his hair yet once more. “You should stop that,” she said sharply. “You look like you’ve been dragged through a hedge backwards.” Finred lowered his hands to his side and sighed as he remembered what Safita had said one day in the middle of a storm, the same thing his mother had always said to them when he and Arthan had come in from playing with Favia.

“I’m sorry,” she said suddenly, obviously remembering his parents too.

“It’s fine, they always wanted me to marry,” he replied. “Although I do think they thought they’d be there when it happened…” They both lapsed into silence before Favia drifted across his room and took his arm. “Come on then,” she said, rousing herself from their reverie and supporting him, “let’s get this over with.”

“It’s not exactly a short term agreement Favia,” he muttered as she dragged him out of the room. “It’s hardly easy to ‘get over with’.”

“Come on Finred, I’m only trying to help. I can’t do much else… It’s not my fault Safita left and you’re marrying Varenna,” she complained. “She could be far worse.”

“I know, I know… I’m sorry Favia. None of this is your fault. I’m sorry I’ve been so miserable lately.”

“Don’t worry, you’re entitled to a bit of misery now and then,” she replied as she led him down the stairs and towards the palace chapel. “It hasn’t been the best time for anyone really.” Despite the cheerful tone of her words, Finred thought her voice sounded a bit strained and, as she cleared her throat, he asked her if she was alright. “Yes, I’m fine,” she replied quickly. “Why?”

“You sounded a little off… maybe a little ill, that’s all.”

“Oh. No, don’t worry about me. I’m fine.”

Inside most of the congregation had already gathered, their fine clothes dappled by the light of the stained glass windows, and they turned as one to crane their heads and peer at their king when he entered. “I can’t do this Favia,” he murmured as he smiled at them, inclining his head every now and then.

“You can and you will,” she said beside him, far more courageous than he could ever be. They approached the altar, climbing the steps in front of it agonisingly slowly, and Finred wondered if this day would ever end. Varenna was kind and generous and he knew that she would make not only a wonderful queen but a wife with whom he could get along and be friends; she promised to make this one of the better arranged marriages and under any other circumstances he would be happy to marry her but, as it was, she represented everything that he had wanted to escape.