“No.” She returned to her planned discussion. “He is one of four sons, and has three uncles.”
“Seven males in two generations?” her mother asked with sudden, sharp attention.
“I’ve checked the best one can, and his three uncles and one set of split-off aunts all have sons, somewhere between a confirmed two and a rumored five.”
“You argue your case well.”
“He has thirty-one sisters and brothers, all healthy as horses, sharp-eyed, quick-witted-sound teeth-pretty enough to put most of the peers to shame, hardworking, polite-”
“Enough, enough.” Queen Elder held up her hand. “You said ‘chaste’ earlier. Are you sure?”
“‘Perhaps it is my vanity speaking, Mother, but I cannot imagine him refusing me after accepting another woman.” She caught her mother’s look, and found herself blushing hotly. “I wanted him, and pressed him close. He allowed kisses-no-he delighted in kisses, but for his family’s sake held the line on further pursuits.”
“Dear, how many times have I told you? Don’t dabble before marriage, or you’ll be blinded by your heart. As Eldest, you have to be the clear thinker now.”
“He was very sweet. With his father gone, he tends the babies as if they were his own, and he is gentle, firm, and loving with them. He understands honor, pride, and loyalty. He can withstand the pressure of a wanton princess when he is but poor landed gentry.” She found herself scrambling for more, for her mother’s look was hardening. “He is the one that went down to the creek and carried Odelia home because his younger sisters left him and his baby sisters alone.”
“And you’re already in love with him.” The look was stone-cold now.
Ren closed her eyes, hoping her mother would not deny the suit based on that alone. “Yes, I believe so.”
“And what does Odelia think of this wonderment? Did she meet him? Kiss him?”
“She lay in bed an extra day in hopes he would come nurse her through. I don’t think she managed to obtain a kiss; I think she would have gone on at great length if she had.”
“I see.”
“Please, Mother, let us consider him. He is almost sure to throw healthy children with good chances for a boy or two. He would certainly be a good father. His royal blood balances the thieving soldiers turned landed gentry. He seems to have the strength of will to be the royal husband-he can resist temptation and do the right thing. He is beautiful-very, very beautiful.”
“Let me consider.”
With the statement. Ren fell silent. Any further ar-guing would only damage her cause. After that royal decree, one could only retreat, wait, and hope.
Queen Mother Elder gave her verdict later that night. “If your sisters agree, you can marry him. I will send for him, on pretense of a reward for saving your sister. There is no need to taunt his family with hopes of a match that might not come about.”
“Thank you. Mother.”
Chapter 6
“Rider! There’s a rider coming in!”
The call echoed over the farm. Jerin came to the kitchen door to see the solitary rider coming up the lane. His youngest sisters and little brothers stopped their game of “recon” to stare out toward the road.
Middle and elder sisters came drifting out of the barns and outbuildings. Before the rider had reached the bottom of the hill, Heria picked up Kai, took Liam by the hand, and started toward Jerin. Doric followed reluctantly, throwing curious glances over his shoulder. Eldest went into the house via the front door and came back out wearing her pistols.
Princess Ren’s captain of the guard. Raven Tern, cantered her horse up to the beaten dirt of the barnyard. She pulled her horse to a halt before Eldest. “Eldest Whistler, greetings to you.”
“Greetings to you. Captain.”
“I carry a message to you and your sisters from the Queens.”
Eldest took the message with a trembling hand, broke the seal, and read it. When she reached the end, she took a deep breath, and tension went from her. “I’ll have to talk to my sisters about this. Birdie will help you stable your horse. You’re welcome to dinner and to spend the night.”
“Thank you. I’d like that.” Captain Tern dismounted. “If you decide to accept, I’m to provide escort.”
Eldest looked surprised, then schooled her emotion. “That would be an honor.” Eldest signaled to Corelle. “Show her where she can put her things, and get washed up for dinner.”
Corelle led Captain Tern off, clearly annoyed that she’d be the last to learn what the Queens’ letter had to say. No sooner than Captain Tern was out of sight did the rest of the family gather around Eldest.
“What does it say? What does it say? Are we getting knighted?” The youngest bounced in place from excitement.
Jerin clasped his hands together hard in order not to tear the letter from Eldest. The letter was good news- that much was clear from Eldest’s relief-and Captain Tern was going to act as an escort, so someone was going to Mayfair. Suddenly his heart was like a caged wild bird, beating madly against his ribs, crying, “Ren! Ren! Ren!”
Eldest held up her hand, signaling for silence. “The Queens send thanks for saving the princess Odelia’s life,” she started, once her gathered family fell quiet, “and as a token of their thanks, they’ve invited us to bring Jerin out at the capital. Jerin and I, and one or two others, would stay at the palace and be sponsored by the Queens.” Eldest was shouting now to be heard. “It would allow us to meet the most influential families in Queensland, and thus make the best possible trade of brothers.”
As his sisters whooped and hollered, Jerin stood, stunned silent, hands clasped so tight they were white.
Eldest caught sight of him, and sobered. “Get ready for dinner,” she told everyone. “Remember we’ve got company. Go on!” As she spoke, she caught Jerin’s shoulder and guided him away. “Are you all right?”
“I don’t know.” Jerin felt a strange hollowness in his chest, as if that wild bird of his heart had burst out, leaving nothing behind. “For a minute there, I thought that maybe Princess Ren was sending for me.”
Eldest cursed softly. “Oh, Jerin.” She looked down at the letter still in her hand. “This is a shining coin, Jerin. You’d be presented as an equal to all the nobles in the land. We could never match this again. If we refuse this, we only have common country bumpkins, the likes of the Brindles, to choose from.”
“Holy Mothers, no!” Then, fearing she misunderstood, he caught her wrist and said as clearly as possible, “I do not want to marry the Brindles! I hate them! They’re like rabid dogs!”
“I wouldn’t give you up to someone who would hurt you.”
“They might not turn on me, but it’s nearly a sure thing that I’d have to watch my children grow up to be just as mean. People are saying Balin tumbled his mothers to father his sisters. It’s not like the Brindles would tell us, if it was the truth; we’d have to wait until after the marriages to know for sure, and then it would be too late, at least for me. Besides, they say apples only come from apple trees; the family might have practiced incest for generations now. They all could be inbred monsters.”
A smile quirked onto Eldest’s mouth. “Well, it would explain why they’re all so gods-awful ugly.”
“Eldest, please, please, don’t make me marry them!”
“I’m not asking you to. We’re invited to the palace, remember?” Eldest rumpled his hair. “Quite frankly, Jerin, I’d rather marry a pig than Balin Brindle. I don’t understand what Corelle sees in him. He’s a smug, ugly little thing, and his sisters have always made my skin crawl. I’d hate to have a houseful of children that looked like them.”
Jerin giggled.
Eldest held up the Queens’ letter. “Will you do this?”
“It’s not like I don’t want to marry. I just want to be picky!” He winced as he realized he was whining.
He tried a more adult tone. “I want a family of clean breeding, one that doesn’t fight, well, at least no more than we do. and-and ten to fifteen wives at the most. None of this thirty wives or more! Mothers above. I’d feel like a whore! I’d have a different woman every night for a month mounting me.”
She laughed a moment, then gazed sadly at him. “I hadn’t thought of the Brindles in quite that way. I’m glad
