Guillen had made sure the horses were safely returned to the stable, then left in search of the trio who were shopping. Even given that the city was no more than a mile across in any direction, Aelfeva thought that his odds of finding them, even with suggestions from the stablemaster, were low—but she still wished she’d gone with him.

The Cristovals’ helpful maid had sent a stableboy running with the message for Herlinde, asking her to please make time to talk to them, they weren’t trying to get out of the arrangement but they did have a time-sensitive question.

After which Aelfeva and Teoda and Ilduara had visited the bathhouse again—this time keeping hair pinned up out of the water. She had to admit, that was some consolation. It was just impossible to stay tense when soaking in that wonderful hot water.

When they’d returned, Melisend and Vituccia had insisted that they all have lunch together at the Cristovals’ townhouse.

Vituccia greeted Aelfeva warmly, and ushered her and the sisters towards the dining table where Melisend waited. Aelfeva had heard her referred to as one of the most beautiful women in Rosebridge, and didn’t think it was because her raven hair and light brown skin and slender body were exotic. Where Melisend dressed well to reflect family status, Vituccia dressed with care as the hostess of the inn and the mistress of kitchen and brewhouse, to present herself as impeccably clean and reputable. That might be part of the reason she liked to wear pale colours of various shades, her hair smoothly braided and coiled or in a neat bun.

The range of possibilities for difficulties and awkwardness was just dizzying, trying to keep straight who knew what.

“The whole cover story completely and utterly failed,” she told her mother. “My friends know me too well and they figured it out. Josceran’s time up north and encountering a seidkona there gave him the key piece of the puzzle.”

“Aelf may have a bad habit of trying to do everything alone without asking for help,” Ilduara said affectionately, “but that doesn’t mean it always works, and mostly it only does when it’s possible to avoid contact.”

“I’m Aelfric,” Aelfeva told Vituccia. “Herlinde wanted me able to marry Jos since Leo isn’t available.” She braced herself for disbelief or rejection.

“I’m afraid I know,” Vituccia said, with a hint of sheepishness.

“You what? How?”

“Your mother was deeply upset, which would be understandable given Leofeva’s behaviour, but it slipped out that there was more to it. I’ll keep it to myself. We did talk, however. It’s a difficult situation all around, but I’ll do what I can to help.”

“You... will?”

Vituccia smiled. “The world is tilted in favour of men. Women need to stand by each other. I don’t see how days or decades matter, we’re all facing the same expectations and obligations and limitations. And since Leofeva didn’t return with you, I take it that it remains likely you’ll be facing those indefinitely.”

“Um... yes. We...” Aelfeva took a deep breath. “She was horrified and offered to give up and come home. I told her to stay in the cloister and I’d marry Jos so she doesn’t have to.” Telling them what else Leofeva had said seemed like a bad idea—if Herlinde agreed, Ferrand and Guillen could explain. If she didn’t, then sharing that relationship with others could have consequences.

“Why under the sun did you do that?” Melisend demanded. “This is some silly idea she’s gotten into her head, she’ll grow out of it in time, but by then it will be too late! You could have brought her home, she’d marry Josceran, who’d be an excellent match for her, you’d be yourself again in a few days, and we could all get on with our lives!”

“She isn’t going to grow out of it,” Aelfeva said gently. “She has known what she wants for years. She got tired of talking about it because no one took her seriously. Even I didn’t, not really.”

“Except Osgyth,” Ilduara said. “Who thinks she’ll be an excellent healer and herbalist and midwife.”

Aelfeva nodded. “She genuinely does not want to get married, ever. She has been saying that, to anyone who will listen, for years. This is not just a passing fancy. This matters to her. She offered to give up and marry Jos for my sake, but then what? Even with Jos trying his best, she’d be miserable. There would never be children—she is just not interested at all in children or in men, and Jos would never force her or pressure her. She’d do what she had to, but she’d hate her life every day. How do I sentence my little sister and one of my best friends to that?”

“She has been told many times,” Ilduara said softly, “that when, not if, when she married and had children of her own, she would feel differently and they would become her life. We’re taught all our lives that all mothers love their children more than anything. Even a look around Rosebridge is enough to prove that it isn’t true, although some try harder to be responsible than others. Completely aside from being appalled by the idea of sex with a man, she is unwilling to have a child on the grounds that common wisdom says she will inevitably love it after it’s born even if she doesn’t want it until that moment—because if she doesn’t, she has nothing except duty and kindness to motivate her to be a good mother to a helpless infant, and she doesn’t feel that’s enough.”

“Everyone’s different,” Teoda said. “I don’t think it’s fair to say that all women want something any more than all men or all southerners or all innkeepers. I think we’re going to just have to respect that Leo knows what matters to her, and has known for a long time, and support her decision.”

“This one has consequences beyond her own life,” Melisend argued.

“Mostly to me,” Aelfeva said. “You still have one son to carry on the Glaedwin name. With current inheritance laws, it doesn’t really matter otherwise, although I suppose no one’s likely to elect a woman as reeve. Jos and I can make this work better than Jos and Leo could. I’m not making promises about children, I don’t know if that’s even possible and that is really too far off and too big to think about right now. But there’s always a way. Adoption, for example. Hrethe’s temple would probably be delighted to let a well-off couple with no heirs adopt an orphan or two. Marrying Jos wasn’t what I planned to do with my life, but then, my plans for my life were all about doing my duty to my family and friends and community anyway, and that’s essentially what this is.”

She was absolutely not going to get into those feelings that Josceran said were attraction. That was private and besides, she hadn’t figured any of it out yet to try to explain it.

That argument didn’t stop there; it continued over an otherwise pleasant salad and soup with still-warm bread and fresh fruit and nuts. Melisend, willing though she was to support Aelf through this, was not at all prepared to concede that Leofeva’s actions were anything but childish. Even Vituccia, having listened to her daughters and Aelf, tried pointing out gently that perhaps an open mind would be the wiser course, with no success.

The interruption when Guillen, Richold, and the Denisot brothers arrived still didn’t entirely stop it.

“Hello, boys,” Vituccia greeted them. “Did you have much luck shopping?”

“Oh, definitely,” Richold said, stooping to give Teoda a kiss on her cheek. “And we stopped to eat while we were out. We brought back some very tasty small cakes for Dara to try, and yes, we remember where we got them.”

“They must be good, if you went to the trouble,” Ilduara chuckled. “Did Guillen tell you about our visit to Leo?”

“He did,” Ferrand confirmed.

“Josceran,” Melisend said. “Would you not rather marry Leofeva?”

“No, ma’am,” Josceran said.

“You wouldn’t? But...”

“I would rather marry whichever one has the better chance at being happy with me, and that’s not something I can determine. That’s between Leo and Aelf.”

“That is not how marriage works. Cooler heads make a sensible choice, the two who are marrying can decline if they see a good reason but should try to respect their elders, and then all involved work at learning to compromise and live together. People choosing who to marry based on whim or attraction or other frivolous reasons that fade leads to any number of difficult situations. Abuse, abandonment, inheritance complications, being unable to support themselves...”

“It can,” Vituccia said. “And there are good reasons for considering many factors in a potential marriage. But the most rational arranged marriage with consent all around can also be a terrible failure. I think you’re going to have to accept, Meli, that the world is changing.”

“Isn’t it always? They aren’t always useful or positive changes.”

“I grew up in a large inn near the Midland Sea and on a great trade route, seeing the world pass through and unable to visit any of it myself. That included musicians and storytellers who entertained to pay for their stay. The songs and stories that have been popular south of here praise marriages based on personal compatibility and mutual consent and shared experiences. My own mother sang them to me, so she could hardly be surprised when I chose a man a decade and a half older than me, an ex-soldier who wanted peace and a new start, over the man my father had in mind, the son of one of his business partners. The son was a thoroughly unpleasant sort who made it clear my only value would be in bearing as many children as possible as quickly as possible, preferably sons. My mother helped me leave with Ximeno, and we didn’t marry properly until we were far away and encountered an old friend of his who was willing to claim he was my guardian. I got to see a number of places, some of them as wonderful as I’d hoped and some rather disappointing but I was still glad to see them for myself. We discovered that I was pregnant with Guillen while we were near Rosebridge, and decided to buy the old tavern and settle down. And I do not regret a single day of it. Ximeno respects more than my ability to reproduce and did not care how much property I could bring, and the children we have are unique treasures, not numbers. Those songs and stories are creeping north and marriages based on affection are going to be a new reality. And they can be successful.”

“Really, Mother,” Guillen chuckled. “Such disreputable behaviour. Such independence.”

“You’ll be giving us ideas,” Teoda laughed, but she laid her hand over Richold’s on her shoulder.

“I suspect it’s too late for that,” Ferrand said. “You’ve always had ideas.”

“You took an enormous risk,” Melisend said. “Ximeno could have abandoned you far from home. And how your parents must have felt!”

“My father was willing to sentence me to that fate even when I asked him not to. If he had so little concern for my feelings, then I don’t see why I should have sacrificed my life to protect his feelings. My brothers told me it was my place to obey him at any cost, even the one who conceded that it was a brutal fate. My mother shed tears but agreed that it was for the best and gave me her blessing and told Ximeno to cherish me. And yes, it was a risk, and he could have tired of me and left me behind. But a child every year until I was simply too exhausted to survive one of them, or something went wrong, was less of a risk than a certainty that I was not willing to accept. The best decision isn’t always the traditional one, not for everyone. I don’t see how tradition can even apply to this situation. They aren’t children anymore. They are literally only two days from legal independence. Trust them to work out the best solution for them.”

“Thank you,” Aelfeva said quietly.

Vituccia just smiled at her. “It’s your body and your life, dear. Decide what you want to do with them. Off you go, the lot of you. I’m sure you have things to talk about. Ferrand, you’re dining with us tonight, and Jos, you’re with the Glaedwins. Melisend and I already talked to your father about it, it’s all arranged.”

“Thanks,” Josceran said, startled. “That’s... that’s great.”

“Regardless of his opinions of this marriage arrangement,” Melisend said, getting her feet back under her, “there is no reason for him to be as unpleasant as he has been. Einwulf isn’t happy either, but he and Ximeno are introducing each other to business contacts and generally trying to make the best of being in Blaecstan for the sennight. It’s keeping him busy without taking it out on all and sundry who come into range. Not much, at least. We’ll see you this evening, Jos, but yes, go talk.”

With due farewells, they relocated to the garden, which was more or less a twin of the Glaedwin one.

Sadrilde leapt on top of the fence between there and the Denisot yard, and down to join them, inviting herself onto Aelfeva’s lap.

In the bright sunlight, she wasn’t entirely white: her fur rippled with pale blue when Aelfeva ran a hand over it, though there were no defined markings of any kind. It was a fascinating and beautiful effect.

“Guillen gave us a very short version,” Josceran said. “And I don’t know what Sadrilde has heard. Could you pretend we’ve heard nothing at all?”

“Certainly,” Teoda said. “Herlinde should, we hope, already have our message by now that we would very much like to speak to her. Because we really need to.”

Between them, they described the whole conversation, in more detail than they’d been able to give Guillen while riding back.

Sadrilde purred vibrantly and kneaded Aelfeva’s leg with increasing force, and finally writhed over onto her back with her paws paddling at the air. Aelfeva withdrew her hand, reluctant to touch the cat’s stomach in case that was crossing boundaries, but it seemed safe to assume that the cat was delighted.

“That would solve so much,” Josceran said. “We just need to convince her to accept it.”

“Oh, we so do,” Ferrand said, lacing his fingers through Guillen’s. “We aren’t asking her to agree to cancelling anything, just a small adjustment in who’s involved.”

“She already did one adjustment,” Aelfeva said. “With any luck, she’ll only care that all three sides of the triangle are complete and binding.”

“If she’ll do that, then she might be amenable to waiting a few days extra so you can marry Jos as Aelfric instead of Aelfeva.”

“She might,” Aelfeva said noncommittally. “That might be going too far. Unless she can outright break it early, it would mean having to stay here longer—it won’t break until the evening of the same day that we’re supposed to be leaving first thing. We’d have to be in Blaecstan at least an extra day, more likely two. I’m not sure it’s worth the risk of her refusing to go along with the easier swap because we asked too much.”

Sadrilde stopped writhing and twisted herself around fluidly so she was the right way up. She patted at Aelfeva’s hand, and she absently went back to stroking her.

“No,” Guillen said.

“Sorry?”

“You are not using us as an excuse. I’m not sure exactly what’s happening in your head right now, but it’s already been established that you have extremely mixed feelings. You don’t get to avoid figuring it out by pulling a heroic self-sacrifice. This is not the same as deciding about Leo, and you aren’t the only one willing to compromise or take risks for your friends. We’ll take that chance, if it increases the odds of you having a better future. I’m sorry you have so little time to do it in, but decide what you want, and do it quickly.”

“We’ve all pointed out, one way or another,” Teoda said, “that in some ways, you seem happier and more yourself as a girl. We’re all going to support you, whichever you decide feels right, regardless of whether your parents understand. Your life came from them but it’s yours now.”

“Jos?” Richold said.

Josceran shrugged. “It’s not up to me. I’ll accept it and support it, either way.”

“This would be a lot easier if there was anyone to tell me why I even have extremely mixed feelings,” Aelfeva sighed. “That’s obviously not a normal thing,”

“I seriously doubt that it’s a common thing,” Richold said, “but that doesn’t mean it’s bad or unhealthy or anything like that.”

“We always knew you were a bit strange,” Josceran said, flashing her a grin. “It’s never stopped any of us before.” Aelfeva rolled her eyes.

“There is at least a possibility,” Ilduara said, “that we might be able to come out of what looked catastrophic with a future that is actually better than any of us could have anticipated. Until this morning, even Rich and Teoda couldn’t be happy, knowing that the rest of us wouldn’t be. If Ferrand and Guillen can marry, and I can wait for Leo, that means three couples that are right, but how can we celebrate that if you’re miserable?”

“I get it,” Aelfeva said. “Think. Decide.”

“Quickly,” Ferrand said. “We don’t know when or if Herlinde will show up.” He looked at Guillen. “I suppose this law being less than a century old, it has no traditions of its own.”

“We can’t do all the proper traditions here anyway,” Teoda said. “Vows and signing the marriage contract in front of neighbours, and gifts, all with a public celebration and dancing and food, and a new bride being led on horseback by her new husband on foot to their home—or wherever they’ll be living immediately, I suppose, when that isn’t arranged yet. We can’t do anything here except the contract and vows in Aelautha’s temple.”

“And gifts,” Richold added, which made Teoda flash him a smile.

“It’s likely worth doing it properly in Rosebridge,” Teoda continued. “Public acknowledgement in the community matters as much as the contract does, and if all goes well, we’re going to have some explaining to do but we need to make it very clear who is married to whom. By then, we can try to work out a way to adapt it for you two.”

“And meanwhile,” Ferrand said, “Dara gets gifts without the extra nuisance of having to get married first.”

“That seems like an easier way,” Ilduara chuckled. “We were going to live at the inn and I was going to keep working in the kitchen anyway, so it isn’t much change.”

“Aelf,” Teoda said. “There’s a lot of uncertainty, but there is at least a chance that you’ll be wearing Leo’s good dress day after tomorrow, and it’s too short for you. It doesn’t matter so much with the everyday ones, but if it’s the same as the rest, then it’s going to be noticeable. I don’t have anything else I need to do, and I should be able to fix that. Can we go get it, and you can try it on so I can see how much it needs?”

“It would be something to keep us both busy,” Ilduara said, getting to her feet and offering her sister a hand. “The chemise will be short, too. No one is expecting you to know how to sew. We can take care of it.”

Aelfeva spread her hands, then quickly resumed petting Sadrilde with one. “I suppose I can’t argue. I might not need it, but I might. Jos, how do I get free?”

Josceran laughed, and moved over to kneel in front of her, scooping the cat up into his arms. “She’s insatiable.”

“We didn’t tell our mothers about what Leo said,” Aelfeva said, getting up, a little shakily. “If Herlinde refuses, then they don’t really need to know what we asked for.”

Guillen nodded. “Thank you.”

“I have far too much energy and nothing to do with it. Another round of sparring later?”

“Absolutely. It’s trickier, not knowing exactly what you can do and what you’ll do with it. I don’t think you could win all-out yet, but with a little time and practice, we’d be back to even. Just different.”

“You can use a challenge,” Ferrand chuckled.

“I’m sure we’ll be around,” Richold said.