Heirs of the Gods

Ch 67: Out-of-luck wishing well

Ella laid on her back, arm pressed tight to Briar's, staring at the gauzy lilac canopy around the bed, and the butterfly windchime hanging from one of the posts, twinkling softly.

Eyes still puffy and reddish, Briar had eventually calmed. She'd drifted into a state of thoughtful quiet. Ella remained silent, allowing for her to speak on her terms.

It was a while before she finally broke the silence again. "I've never spoken of this to anyone, you know."

"Does it make you feel better?"

"Yes. I mean, at least I can make more sense of it. It's not better, per se, but it's clearer." She shrugged and turned on her side. "You're fortunate, you know."

Ella turned as well, pillowing her head on her elbow. "What for?"

"I don't think Callan would have you married off. I can't see him forcing you to do anything." Her lips stretched into a warm smile. "He dotes on you so much, even more than my father, who's rather lenient with me. He gives you much more liberties than normal."

"He does dote on me," she conceded.

Even by faerie standards, Callan was unorthodox in his permissiveness. Ella had access to her estate, she had a place in court, and she had the liberty to come and go as she pleased. It was positively unheard of. Callan gave her privileges usually only awarded to male heirs.

"Still, I also have duties," she said quietly. "Marriage is something I will have to do in some future, regardless of whether Callan enforces it or not."

Ella had not yet debuted in High Elven society. It was something they'd decided to push back, fortunately for her. But once she did, she would officially be presented as part of the Aeron House, with all the duties befitting such a role. Marriage, for one. This was not up to Callan and it was not up to her either. It was a responsibility she had to the bloodline and the Kingdom. She knew this as a fact of life.

"You'll have choices," Briar assured her, squeezing her hand. "He won't let his Council members decide when you'll marry or to whom. I can imagine you'll have more leeway on that front. I'm fortunate my father hasn't pushed for me to marry yet," she pursed her lips. "But I know who the candidates are, who the council members will push for, once the time comes."

"I don't believe your father would marry you without giving you some opinion," Ella frowned. "He adores you. I can't see him foisting you upon a man without taking your wellbeing into account."

Marriages were arranged in terms of suitability. A desire to produce the healthiest heirs and maintain the bloodline. Despite this, few families were cold enough to only think in terms of pedigree and wealth. They tended to look for polite young men who were suited for their daughters, similar in terms of interests and temperament. And still, a woman wasn't usually forced to accept the suitor, rather, her parents would find another. There was usually at least some choice in the matter.

This matchmaking wasn't made out of ruthlessness on the parent's part. In a way, they did it out of love. They wanted their daughters to be provided for and taken care of. These young women could not work to sustain themselves otherwise. In their eyes, securing their daughters a proper match was protecting them.

Few families cared only for the alliance, above their daughters. Harrion, for one. Ella's betrothal to Jonas had been in the works since she was as young as fourteen. By then, she'd known that once she was old enough, she'd be married off. A man old enough to be her father, infamous for his vices and vicious streak.

She could never imagine King Fraser, who so adored his children, doing something so heinous to Briar, just to secure an alliance.

"I know he loves me. I think he would have married me off as soon as I turned eighteen otherwise. Here in Cereas, it's custom for other nobles to do that. I've been given much more liberty than other noblewomen. I was surprised he even let me go to your birthday the other day, I have to thank Gidden for that one," she smiled softly.