The troll leaned back in his chair and folded his arms.
"From there, it goes downhill. She gets some new clothes and wears them, but the husband either doesn't notice or doesn't comment ... possibly because he still resents having to pay for what he thinks is a needless purchase. Therefore, buying new clothes ... her surface solution ... doesn't work because she still feels ignored and unhappy ... and a little angry and frustrated that her husband doesn't seem to appreciate her no matter how hard she tries. Her husband, in the meantime, senses that she's still unhappy so that giving her money ... his surface solution ... didn't work. He feels even more bitter and resentful because now it seems that his wife is going to be upset and unhappy even if he 'gives her everything she's asked for.' You see, by trying to deal with the problem with surface, cosmetic gestures without acknowledging to themselves the real issues, they've actually made things worse instead of better."
He smiled triumphantly as I considered his thesis.
"So you're saying that marriages don't work," I said carefully, "that the concept itself is flawed."
"Not at all," the troll corrected, shaking his head. "I was saying that getting married under the mistaken impression that love conquers all is courting disaster. A proper match between two people who enter into a marriage with their eyes open and free of romantic delusions can result in a much happier life together than they could ever have alone."
"All right," I said. "If love and romance are bad bases for deciding to marry someone because it's too easy to fool yourself, what would you see as a valid reason to get married."
"There are lots of them," Chumley shrugged. "Remember when Hemlock first arrived here? Her marriage to Roderick was a treaty and a merger between two kingdoms. It's common among royalty, but you'll find similar matches in the business world as well. In that case, both sides knew what they wanted and could expect, so it worked out fine."
"Sorry, but that seems a bit cold to me," I said, shaking my head.
"Really?" the troll cocked his head. "Maybe I'm phrasing this wrong. What you don't want is a situation where there is a hidden agenda on either or both sides. Everything should be up front and on the table ... like with the Hemlock/ Roderick marriage."
"What's a hidden agenda?"
"Hmmm ... That one's a little hard to explain. Tell me, if you married Queen Hemlock, what would you expect?"
That one caught me totally unprepared.
"I don't know ... nothing, really," I managed, at last. "I guess I figure that it would pretty much be a marriage in name only, with her going her way and me going mine."
"Good," the troll said emphatically.
"Good?" I echoed. "Com'on, Chumley."
"Good in that you aren't expecting anything. You aren't going into it with the notion of reforming her, or that she'd give up her throne to hover around you adoringly, or any one of a myriad of other false hopes or assumptions that most grooms have on the way to the altar."
"I suppose that's good," I said.
"Good? It's vital," the troll insisted. "Too many people marry the person they think their partner will become. They have some sort of idea that a marriage ceremony is somehow magical. That it will eliminate all the dubious traits and habits their partner had when they were single. That's about as unrealistic as if you had expected Aahz to stop being a money-grubber or to shed his temper just because you signed on as an apprentice. Anyway, when their partner keeps right on being the person he or she has been all along, they feel hurt and betrayed. Since they believe that there should have been a change, the only conclusion they can reach is that their love wasn't enough to trigger it ... or, more likely, that there's something wrong with their partner. That's when marriages start getting bloody. At least with Queen Hemlock's proposal, nobody's kidding anybody about what's going to happen."
I mulled over his words for a few moments.
"So you're saying that you think I should marry Queen Hemlock," I said.
"Here now. Hold on," the troll said, leaning back and holding up his hands. "I said no such thing. That's the kind of decision that only you can make. I was just commenting on what I see as the more common pitfalls of marriage, is all. If you do decide to marry the Queen, there are certain aspects that would weigh in favor of it working ... but you're the one who has to decide what you want out of a marriage and whether or not this is it."
Terrific. I had been hoping that Chumley's analytic approach would simplify things for me. Instead, he had simply added a wagon load of other factors to be considered. I needed that like Deva needed more merchants.
"Well, I appreciate the input, Chumley," I said, rising from my seat. "You've given me a lot to think about."
"Think nothing of it, old boy. Glad to help."
"And you're all set with the assignment? Guido told you how to hook up with Pookie?"
"Right-o."
I started to go, but paused for one more question.
"By the way, Chumley. Have you ever been married yourself?"
"Me?" the troll seemed genuinely surprised. "Gracious no. Why do you ask?"
"Just curious," I said, and headed out the door.
Chapter Seventeen:
"What am I supposed to do with all this gold?"
MIDAS, REX
AT THIS POINT, I had to admit that I was more confused than ever. It seemed that everyone I talked to had a different view of marriage, which wasn't making my decision any easier. One thing everyone seemed to agree on, though: A bad marriage could be a living Hell.
Of course, defining what a good marriage was and how to avoid a bad one seemed to defy simple explanation ... or, at least, one simple enough that I could grasp.
The problem was, as limited as my experience with the opposite sex was, my knowledge of marriages, good or bad, was even sketchier. I could barely remember my own family, I had left home so long ago. The only married couple I had met on my adventures was the Woof Writers, and realizing they were werewolves I somehow didn't think they were a valid role model for me. Then again, Massha and Badaxe were talking about getting married. Maybe they could provide some insight for me.
I was considering this possibility as I wandered across the palace courtyard, when a voice interrupted my thoughts.
"Hey, Partner!"
I had to look around for a moment before I spotted Aahz waving at me from one of the palace's upper windows.
"Where were you this morning? We missed you at the session with Grimble."
"I had to talk to Chumley," I called back. "Guido got hurt, and I had to ask Chumley to stand in for him."
"Whatever," my partner waved. "Go see Grimble. It's important!"
That sounded vaguely ominous, but Aahz seemed chipper enough.
"What's up?"
"Day of the eagle," he yelled, and disappeared from sight.
Terrific!
As I redirected my steps toward Grimble's office, I couldn't help but feel a little annoyed. I mean, with all the other problems plaguing me, I really didn't need the added distraction of talking to Grimble about some bird sanctuary.
"Hi, Grimble. Aahz said you wanted to see me?"
The Chancellor glanced up to where I was leaning against the doorway.
"Ah. Lord Skeeve," he nodded. "Yes. Come in. This shouldn't take long."
I eased into the room and plopped down in the offered chair.
"What's the problem? Aahz said something about eagles?"
"Eagles? I wonder what he was referring to. No, there's no problem," Grimble said. "If anything, quite the contrary. In fact, the new tax collection process is working well enough that we're now in a positive cash flow situation. What's more, I think that except for dotting a few I's and crossing a few T's we've got the new budget pretty well nailed down."