Red Spell

Chapter Eleven

Hello, everyone!  Sorry it's late again!  Hope you enjoy!

I jerked my head up and stared at Marta. Engaged? A horrible vision of Brog passed through my mind. He was unmarried and not quite old enough to no longer be a suitor and I'd heard rumors that he wanted a wife. Could Da be so cruel? Surely not! I'd run away. I'd exile myself before I married that brute.

"Gracious, Selene, you look as though you've seen the dead," Marta giggled.

"Who is it?" I choked. "It can't be B—."

"Merric."

I felt myself rush from white to brilliantly red. Merric? Merric? How could that be possible? Marta as laughed as loudly as her daintiness would permit.

"Are you surprised?" she asked, half surprised herself.

"Yes," I managed.

"Why on earth? He's practically been courting you for the last two months," she giggled.

"He's barely even talked to me!"

"I said practically. Men are so dreadfully shy," she said with knowing smile. "But they don't stay that way for long," she added with a meaningful glance at the window. I turned just in time to see Merric's blond hair disappearing towards the door. I felt the breath sucked out of my lungs as I stood up abruptly and jerked towards my loft.

"Stop that!" Marta cried. She caught me by the arm and forcibly smoothed my hair and rubbed a smudge from my forehead. "It's too bad we didn't have a little more time," she said. I could barely decide what to feel before Merric knocked on the door and Marta danced over to let him in. I could hardly move as they greeted each other and he turned to me. He was clean and had changed into a shirt with no soot marks from his father's smithy. He smiled and a flash of Amora's enraged face shot through my mind. It was enough to help me compose myself a little.

"Selene, would you take a walk with me?" he asked offering his arm. I nodded and managed a tense smile as I noticed him looking at my bruises and took the arm he offered.

We walked for ten minutes before I felt myself stiffening under the gazes of the villagers who were still angry about the sheep and by the sudden awkwardness I felt walking beside Merric. We passed Amora and this time her enraged look did not make me feel better. Nothing conversational seemed to exist anymore and the silence was crushing. Amidst all these explosive thoughts and feelings I glanced at the sun and saw it sinking closer and closer to the horizon. The miracle of being betrothed to Merric would be shattered if I turned in front of him. I had to get away, but I hated to leave. The thought that someone liked me was intoxicating, though I couldn't envision what life would be like after marriage.

"Perhaps this is abrupt for you," Merric said, breaking the silence at last. I shook my head a little even though he was absolutely right. I would have appreciated a little warning.

"I talked to your father the other night. I thought he would tell you," he said.

"He was a little distracted," I said, thinking of his own betrothal.

"Especially this morning," Merric said with a sideways glance at me. I felt myself wilting until I noticed the slightest smile on his face. He wasn't trying to guilt me. He wasn't like Da. The thought baffled me because everyone had always been like Da, or at least, they had only seen things from Da's perspective.

"I don't want to be too forward, but I would like to talk about the future," he said. I couldn't help a blush. I felt uncomfortable and reluctant and I attributed it to the lowness of the sun and the hostile glares of the villagers. I could see that marrying Merric would not raise me in their opinions, but rather it would sink me lower because I had taken a good husband away from some more deserving girl. I loosened my grip on his arm a little. I wanted to get away for a little bit. I wanted to think about things before I said anything out loud.