To Have a Wife
Dragonsfall Weyr
Amber Hills Hold
Vintner Hall
Healer Hall
Hidden Meadows
Dolphin Cove Weyr
Dolphin Hall
Emerald Falls Hold
Harper Hall
Printer Hall
Green Valley Hold
Leeward Lagoon Hold
Barrier Lake Weyr
Sunstone Seahold
Citrus Bay Hold
Writers: Anaria
Date Posted: 16th May 2011
Characters: Rignaer
Description: Rignaer receives news that he is to marry
Location: Amber Hills Hold
Date: month 1, day 21 of Turn 6
Rignaer read, and then reread the piece of hide in his hands, before
letting it fall limply to the floor. He had 23 turns, and he was
unwed. While his father was so busy at the Weyr that he had forgotten
about his son's lack of a wife, his mother had certainly remembered.
And it was just his luck that she had recently run into a childhood
friend of hers at the Weyr. They had gotten to talking, and she had
found out that the woman's 22 turn old daughter was too old to stand
for Hatchings and more, and was heading back to Amber Hills. The three
women had gotten together and negotiated a contract for Rignaer to be
married to the girl, in just a few short sevendays
Rignaer sunk down into his cot, a stunned expression on his face. The
only thing that scared him more than the thought of marrying a woman
that he'd never met before was the thought of marrying a woman who'd
been at the Weyr. Who knew what kind of ideas she'd have about
crafting and her own responsibilities. And who knew how many men she'd
been with while she was a candidate?!
And those were just the surface issues. Rignaer had never really taken
an interest in a woman short of a few casual dates. He preferred to
spend his time tending to the baby plants in his nursery, and studying
to hopefully some day become a Master Farmer. A wife would expect him
to spend time with her! He didn't want to jeopardize his free time!
Shards, he wasn't even sure that he didn't like men!
Rignaer sighed, picking up the note from the floor, and re-reading it
quickly. Her name was Zarene. Prior to being Searched, she had wanted
to be a foster mother. He swore under his breath. Kids?! He wasn't
ready for kids! He knew that some Holdbred started having children
when they were turns younger than he was, but he had never fancied
himself the type for fatherhood.
He wondered idly to himself if there was any hope of talking his
mother out of the idea, but the note was sternly written. He was 23
years old, he wasn't a little boy any more. He didn't have much in the
way of looks or wealth, and he was a simple crafter. The chances of
them finding a better match for him was nearly non-existent, and as
such, his mother wasn't about to take no for an answer. Not to mention
the fact that it would offend Zarene's family tremendously.
**I should have found a girl that I liked and settled down...** he
thought idly to himself, as he folded and unfolded the note
thoughtfully. **At least then I might have had some choice in the
matter.**
Standing up, he walked over to his clothes press, and began looking
through the few pieces of gather finery that he possessed. His mother
had included a few marks in case he needed something for the Wedding,
but he had intended on trying to save them for any expenses that he
incurred when his new wife arrived. He had no idea what she looked
like - not even her hair or eye color. He had been told that he had
met her as a child, but he didn't remember anything about her.
"What if she's ugly?" He asked aloud, cringing at the sound of his own
voice. It sounded so vain, so trivial to him. He wasn't the most
attractive man at the Hold, he counted himself as solidly average.
Tall, and well build, with dark skin and curly dark hair, he was
guaranteed to stand out in a crowd, that was for certain. But being
quiet, and reserved, he generally didn't keep people's attention for
very long. "What if she thinks _I'm_ ugly," he added with a frown.
Two sevendays. Zarene would arrive, they would meet for dinner, and
they would be married later that evening. He would need to prepare
everything for her arrival, starting with getting larger quarters for
the two of them to share. He wasn't sure how one prepared for the
arrival of a wife. What if she hated the wall hangings or was
expecting more from him as a husband?
Shaking his head, he shut the clothes press with a loud **BANG** and
stalked out to the nursery. Thinking about things before they happened
wouldn't fix anything, and would just serve to make him more nervous
about the whole thing. He would try and distract himself with his
plants, and try not to think about it until Zarene had arrived.
Last updated on the May 20th 2011