Everyone laughed, and so did Tronuck.
He said, “Oh, be still Mark. I said that I was not offended. If you wish to insult me, I’m sure that you would have found a better way to do it… and with fewer words! Let me put it this way. People, I think that this ‘other village’ has a good idea. Maybe we can learn from them. Tell me, shout it out. What will happen if we abolish the bride price in our village, as long as all men swear to treat our women as a Princess of Helium? What will happen to the village?”
Someone shouted, “I for one will declare for a second mate!”
“You will?”
“I will! My heart has been stirred. I swear, I will treat my first mate as a princess and when she says that I’m ready, I will ask for a second. What do you say, princess? Will you make me a better man?”
“I will!”
Tronuck said, “Hmm, well, that sounds like a reason to do what we consider. Shout it out. I like this new way. What will happen if we abolish the bride price?”
Someone said, “Without a bride price, we will not go into battle to negotiate on a day when all we want is… well, you know.”
Another said, “As a woman, no one will argue ‘Oh, she’s not worth so much, take less.’”
Tronuck said, “You make it sound like a very good idea.”
After more of the same, I got up and stood beside Tronuck and said, “Councilman, the proof is in the doing, is it not? Shall we try it and see what happens? If the fruit is good, do what you all think best, and if the fruit is bad, we’ll know it right away.”
Tronuck looked at me quizzically.
I said, “Let me declare for a new mate, with no bride price and let’s see what happens!”
He said, “You would have another? Tonight?”
I leaned in and whispered, “At least one, my friend, and perhaps more,” and I clapped him on the back.
Tronuck stared at me in wonder. Then he turned to the platform and walked toward it and said to the crowd, “Mark has asked us to try this new way and see what will happen. Let us try it. Dorel, you are First Councilwoman, do your duty.”
Tronuck took his seat and Dorel stood. She said, “Mark, take your seat. I will call Aeyli-ah-Mark, Torani-ah-Mark, and Beyla-ah-Mark. Please come and stand before the council.”
When they stood before her she said, “Now, it has been the custom since the Fall of Time that the mates of a man appear periodically to see if a man should be encouraged to take another into his house. But, by law, we have no need to do so if a man willingly wants it. In this case, he may take as many as he may wish, as long as his current mates are happy and agree to the new declaration. Your man, Mark-ah-Aeyli-ah-Torani-ah-Beyla has asked the council to consider petition for a fourth mate to be added to your household. We’ll do this the old way. I ask you, does this man make you happy enough that you will agree to another if he chooses?”
Aeyli answered, “As first mate, I will answer. We have discussed this matter. We know the girl. We also know that Mark has not touched her, not even to touch his finger to her shoulder, though she did accidentally brush her hand against him in innocence once. We declare that we three are made very, very happy in all respects, including in the furs and we most eagerly invite this new princess to our home. I will add that even if he asked for six more in one night, we are convinced that we would all be happy!”
The crowd gasped and laughed at her declaration and at the thought of so many girls and the ‘happiness’ that Aeyli said that they would all have.
Even Dorel looked surprised when Rani and Belle nodded enthusiastically and said, “Oh yes. Without question!”
Dorel said, “Then, we must approve. Mark, come stand before us with your mates.”
I got up and joined them in front of the platform.
Dorel said, “Mark, call your choice and ask her your question, and if she will come join you, we will consider the mating and give you the advice of the council.”
I said, “Friends, one of your fairest has captivated me. I cannot remove her from my mind. From the moment I saw her, and when I first heard her voice, I knew that I must ask for her hand and could only hope that she would accept me. My heart pounds within my chest, just as it does when I see these princesses who already bless me with their love and beauty. And the beauty of this girl makes my eyes want to pop from their sockets! I cannot stand to wait any longer! The girl I want has taken a vow of silence for a time, so she will not speak, but we will know her answer by her actions.”
I paused and took a deep breath and said, “Alexia, will you come stand beside me and let me take you to my house and let me call you princess?”
The crowd was silent, but small gasps could be heard here and there. Alexia stood to her full height, and looking at no one but me, walked to my side and I gave her my arm and she clung to it. She clung to my arm, but even so she stood as tall and straight as she could, looking every bit a princess.
I whispered, “I hurried. It was faster,” and she smiled at me and squeezed my arm. Then I whispered, “My princess, I would also speak for Sashar tonight if you will approve. If not, I won’t do it.”
Alexia’s head snapped up to look at me in surprise and she nodded enthusiastically. I was glad. I didn’t know how this would go.
Dorel didn’t hesitate for a second, but said to the council, “Show me your hands. Do you approve of the mating?”
Every hand shot into the air. She said, “Then it’s done. Alexia-ah-Mark, we wish you every happiness!”
Aeyli handed me an anklet that matched the others and I knelt and fastened it to Alexia’s foot.
A voice shouted, “Mark has asked to see what will happen if we abolish the bride price, let us show you!”
We turned to see who spoke and both Narhu and Oshen rushed down from the bleachers and onto the floor.
Narhu said, “This is a great surprise! It will make the village very happy and it makes my friend Oshen the woodworker exceedingly sad. He has lost a fine craftsmen because we assume that as a princess of the House of Mark, she will not return to his shop. Sorry Oshen. But, here’s what he and I together propose. As a gift to Alexia-ah-Mark, the wood-crafter, we ask that the village gift the small house behind the House of Mark as a workshop for Alexia-ah-Mark and for whatever other purpose that they may have for it. My friend Oshen and I will repair it and outfit it for any work that Alexia-ah-Mark wants. It is our gift to her because she is like family to us.”
Oshen said, “In this way, though my shop loses a great worker, the village will not. Narhu and I will hire new apprentices and it will be a gift to all of us, as long as Alexia will continue to consult with us and lend her eye for building and woodworking to us from time to time. That’s what we propose as a gift. That is what happens with this experiment where no bride price is negotiated.”
Tronuck came down and said, “Oh, well, we have a proposal. This is a thing that concerns us all. What do the people say? Do we gift the little house to Alexia-ah-Mark and the House of Mark for a workshop and do we take advantage of the offer of Nauru and Oshen to repair it and furnish it? Alexia is like a daughter to us, isn’t she? I had never thought about it, but yes, I suppose that we are all her family because she has no one else.”
All hands went up. Tronuck said, “Council members do you approve or see any reason that we shouldn’t do this? No? Then that’s what we’ll do! Now we know what will happen. From now on, no bride price will be negotiated for a mate. All fruit will be the same in the market and we will all be blessed. This is a good thing.”
Someone shouted, “Alexia has a prince! It signals the Start of Time for sure! Congratulations, Alexia-ah-Mark! Congratulations!”
Dorel said from where she sat, “Yes, congratulations. We are all very happy for you. May your vow of silence be ended soon so that we can hear from you about your happiness. But there’s another matter as well. The ah-Mark maidens have said that they will be happy and approve if Mark takes even six more, so I will not question them again. Mark, what else is in your heart tonight?”