“I certainly didn’t force your sister to do anything,” Rahl said. “I don’t like being blamed and threatened for what she wanted to do. I never promised anything.” He took a step forward, holding the knife low. The afternoon light coming through the windows glinted on the polished dark iron.
Rahl could sense the other’s fear. In a strange way, that amused him, how Jaired had been so sure of himself when he’d thought he’d had the only weapon and the upper hand. Was confidence all about who believed himself to have more power?
“You can’t do that to her,” Jaired said.
“I’m not doing anything to anyone,” Rahl said. “I’m just saying that you can’t force what you want on me.” He took another step forward.
“This isn’t over,” blustered Jaired.
“I tell you what,” Rahl said quietly. “You just get out of here, and you think about things over the end-day, and so will I.”
“You better think hard, scrivener. You’d better.” Jaired backed up to the half-open door, then turned and left, hurriedly, but not quite at a run.
As soon as he was certain Jaired was well away from the house and workroom, Rahl replaced the binding knife with a shudder of relief. Then he quickly hurried to his sleeping chamber. There he reclaimed his truncheon before returning to the workroom. He laid it on the side of the copy table.
Should he tell his father and mother? He might as well-or at least suggest part of the problem. They’d find out before long and not necessarily in the way least unfavorable to Rahl. But…when…that was the question…and how much?
He didn’t know how much time had passed, but it wasn’t long before the workroom door opened and Khorlya peered in. “I was coming up the road, and I saw someone leaving…”
“That was Jienela’s brother Jaired.”
“What would he have been wanting?”
“To know if I intended to ask for Jienela’s hand. I don’t know where he got that idea.”
“It might have been that you spent more than a little time in the orchard with her.”
“I never said anything about consorting her, and I said so. He wasn’t happy when I told him that. He threatened me with a truncheon.”
“He’s concerned about his sister.”
“That doesn’t give him the right to barge in here and demand I consort with her.”
“Rahl…I told you that you shouldn’t see her.”
“I stopped seeing her-eightdays ago. Jaired didn’t like that, either.”
“He always has been a hothead, but-”
“From what I’ve heard, he’s always been hot elsewhere.”
“Rahl!”
“Yes, Mother.”
“Did you sleep with her?”
“She’s a year older than I am,” Rahl pointed out.
“You’re not answering the question.”
“I did…once.” That was partly true. He had slept with her once, then several times more. “She surprised me.” That was totally true, not that he’d been displeased.
“Rahl…” His mother shook her head. “This could make things very difficult.”
“You know that when you told me not to see her anymore, I didn’t. And I didn’t promise anything.”
“Sometimes, actions are promises,” Khorlya said tiredly. “What you do is more important than what you’ve said.”
Rahl could feel himself getting both angry and irritated. “She was the one who started things, and now Jaired and you are both blaming me. I wouldn’t have done anything if she hadn’t been the way she was…and I didn’t let it last very long.”
“Rahl…what’s done is done. Who was more to blame isn’t the question.”
Rahl disagreed with that-violently-but there wasn’t any point in saying so. The idea that he might have to consort Jienela because she’d been the one who wanted to sleep with him was wrong. He’d even tried to make sure that she didn’t end up with child. And now, his mother, his own mother, was telling him that he might have to consort a girl she’d not wanted him to consort.
“Your father should be here in a moment. I thought I saw him heading up from the harbor. He’s not going to be pleased.”
That was an understatement, Rahl knew, and he certainly didn’t want to talk to his father about Jaired and Jienela, but there was no help for that.
Within a few moments, Kian stepped into the workroom. His eyes went from Khorlya to Rahl and back to his consort. “What’s the matter?”
Khorlya shook her head. “Jienela’s brother was here. He wants Rahl to consort Jienela because he slept with her.”
Kian looked at Rahl.
Rahl could feel the combination of anger and sadness. There wasn’t much to say. “She took me by surprise. It was her idea, and after that I broke it off as quick as I could.”
“That doesn’t help much.” Kian’s words were hard and condemnatory.
“Ser…I didn’t know much about women…”
“You were told. You were warned.” Kian’s voice increased in volume. “All you had to do was keep your trousers on and call on Bradeon’s daughter. But no, first you play in the orchard and then you start visiting the chandlery. You don’t think I didn’t hear about that, too.”
“I never even kissed Fahla,” Rahl retorted, “and I did what you wanted.”
“It was a little late for that,” Kian said sourly. “You may have made your future far harder than it ever had to be. You might even have to consort a girl who has nothing and never will.”
“Why?” asked Rahl. “She was the one who encouraged me.”
“You let her. It takes two, as you should have discovered,” replied Kian sadly.
“But she-”
“It doesn’t matter. Don’t you understand? If someone tells you to hit someone with your truncheon and steal his wallet, does that make it all right?”
“No…but I didn’t hurt anyone, and I didn’t steal. If anything, she’s trying to steal what I might do.”
“Most people won’t see it that way, not in Recluce. All you had to do was to say no.”
All he had to do? When she’d been taking his clothes off and kissing him?
“Your mother and I will talk it over, and then we’ll see what can be done. We might be able to get one of the magisters to look into it. There are precedents…but I wouldn’t count on that.”
“What about tomorrow?” asked Rahl. “I was supposed to call on Shahyla.”
“Yes, you were, but this…” Kian frowned. “Have you told anyone else?”
“No, ser. Jaired was just here.”
The scrivener nodded. “We still might have a chance…” He looked at Khorlya.
She said nothing.
“If you can keep your trousers on and promise Shahyla nothing,” replied Kian, “then a simple visit can’t make matters any worse than you have. Or has she encouraged you as well?”
Rahl flushed. “No. Nothing like that.” He could feel that his mother didn’t agree with his father about visiting Shahyla, but she said nothing.
“You can finish the page you were copying before supper. Your mother and I have some talking to do. And you aren’t going out tonight, not anywhere.”
Rahl had already figured that out, and right now he didn’t need to do anything else to get them even more upset.
XI
On eightday morning, Rahl was careful to say nothing that was not deferential and polite, and he was scrupulous about doing his chores and straightening and cleaning the workroom. Only when he was certain that he had done everything required did he wash up and prepare for the long walk to Bradeon’s holding to see Shahyla.
As Rahl was preparing to leave, his mother appeared with a plain basket, containing two bundles-one of brinn and one of sage.
“Herders can always use brinn and sage, and Bradeon’s a practical man.” Khorlya looked at Rahl. “Your father and I don’t agree about this, but it may be that you won’t have to consort Jienela. I don’t see how we can avoid that, but…he thinks he may be able to work something out. Don’t promise anything to Shahyla today, and don’t say anything about Jienela. And for darkness’ sake, don’t make matters worse. Keep all your clothes on.”