Road to Zanzica: A Fantasy Adventure Novel

Chapter 1: An Extraordinary Proposal

Perth nodded. "I am here with my older brother, Cinbar."

"Where is he then? Is he not eating?"

Perth scuffed the toe of one well-made leather boot into the dirt of the eating room floor. "He is unwell, and that is what I wish to speak to you about."

"I hope you don't think I know any healing arts. If so, you are much mistaken."

"No, what I hope is that you will accept a proposition."

Leeze started to rise from the table before Perth's arm shot out and pulled her back down. "Not that kind of proposition."

Leeze thought of the Holden landholding, so in need of funds to maintain and expand what her father had begun. Would it hurt to hear out this young man who in other circumstances she might have allowed herself to think of as handsome? Perhaps this would be a way to help Holden.

"My brother is actually Cinbar, Lord am Machal. Our family has a large landholding close to Zanzica, where my mother and two sisters live, my father having recently died and Cinbar coming into the title then."

Leeze nodded, but stories of the aristos and their title succession rarely interested her.

"Cinbar is upstairs – dying. He fell from his horse the previous sun cycle and the healer gives him only a few watch cycles more to live."

Some healer, Leeze thought, although she knew a healer could do little if the body chose to die.

"And what does this have to do with me?"

Perth tore off a piece of bread, studying it before popping it into his mouth and chewing.

"My father didn't approve of Cinbar's activities – my brother spent all his time away from our land, enjoying pleasures available to an heir. In order to make Cinbar take an interest in the estate, my father's will made it incumbent on Cinbar that to keep the title and the land he had to marry within 13 moon cycles after succeeding to the title. If not, the estate would pass to my father's younger brother."

Leeze held up her hand. "Wait a minute. Why not pass to you?"

Perth turned his head to stare out the nearest window, then turned back to Leeze.

"My father thought I could influence Cinbar but chose not to. Thus my father created this 'encouragement' for me to get Cinbar to settle down. If I couldn't get Cinbar to accept his duties and marry within the 13 moon cycles following our father's death, I didn't deserve to inherit."

"And you failed?"

"Exceedingly so, although there is a moon cycle yet in which I might have succeeded."

Leeze stared into the face of the young man across from her. He didn't look dissolute, so what had been the problem?

"You brother didn't care to keep his inheritance?"

"I assume he would have married somebody within the next moon cycle, then ignored her for the rest of his life."

"Did he not like women?"

Perth shrugged. "Who knows? But he liked better his own pleasures, whatever they were."

"And how do I come in?

"Marry my brother right now."

Leeze's body jerked in surprise. Marry his brother?

"Before you say anything, let me explain."

Leeze gulped down wine, reminding herself that she had only to listen to be polite, then retire to her room for the evening and continue to Zanzica tomorrow.

Leeze waved a hand at Perth to continue.

"If you marry him tonight, he will have fulfilled the terms of my father's will in time. Then I will inherit as the next in line."

"Oh, so it is for your benefit that you ask this."

Perth shook his head. "It is for the benefit of my mother and my young sisters. My uncle, if he inherits, has his own family. He is unlikely to tolerant my family on the landholding."

This gave Leeze pause. She knew how she and her mother struggled. If Perth told the truth, how could Leeze not try to help another woman and her daughters even if there were no benefit for Holden?

"What would be required for marrying your brother? And what if he doesn't die?"

Perth smiled. "You needn't worry about a wedding night. He can barely lift his head let alone any other part of his body."

Leeze looked down at her hands, holding in a sigh of relief.

"And when you see him, you'll understand why it is very unlikely he'll survive until tomorrow morning, let alone any longer. And then I would be happy to escort you to Zanzica in your male or female persona."

"Won't he have to agree to this charade?"

Perth stood up, holding out his hand again. "It won't be a charade – there is a magistrate staying here who can perform the vows. And he is alert enough to know he owes it to our mother and sisters, if not to me."

Leeze thought about her marriage prospects as a widow rather than a never married woman. The truth was, with Holden such a small wedding portion, she was unlikely to have any good prospects. And she didn't truly need to marry because Holden, as small as it was, provided enough sustenance for her, her mother and their two helpers.

Her father had taught her to always help others if she could. As she had no money to help others, why not help out Perth's family in this way?

She nodded and rose, allowing him to take her hand while he looked her over.

"First, I think," he said, "it would be best if you change into female garments, which I assume you have with you?"

She nodded. Her mother had insisted she do so in case such an occasion arose. This clearly qualified as such an occasion.

***

A half of a watch cyle later, dressed in her female garments, Leeze stood on the upstairs landing as Perth came towards her, followed by a woman dressed in magisterial robes.

As he came up to Leeze, he took in her garments that she knew showed her to advantage.

Perth smiled. "Oh, yes, I forgot to mention one thing more. Although I will succeed to the title, you will become the Dowager Lady am Machal and the titular owner of one-half of my family's landholding. We will be dependent on your goodwill."

"Unless you do away with me as soon as your brother dies. Then you will inherit everything."

Perth hooked her hand into his elbow. "How could I do away with such a charming dowager?"

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