Page 107 of The Seeker
“I don’t speak in riddles,” she said. “There is no hidden meaning. You know already what it is she needs. You do it already. Just… do more.”
Roch’s eyes reflected the grey clouds overhead. He shook his head and muttered under his breath, but he said nothing more. Without another word, Ata handed Rhys and Meera off to Roch like so much luggage. Then she turned and poled off into the misty swamp.
“And that was that,” Roch said. “How was your trip, kids?”
“Interesting,” Meera said. “And that is not that.”
Roch looked Rhys. “What did I miss?”
“She’s coming to Havre Hélène in four days,” he said.
Meera pulled out the sat phone. “And my parents need to arrange a mating celebration before that happens.”
Roch blinked. “Well, I do miss things when I stay on the boat.” He started up the engine. “Let’s get home. You can fill me in on the way, and I’ll let you know what Bozidar and his little bastards have been up to.”
“You wantus to arrange a formal mating celebration in four days because you’ve invited the chief of the Uwachi Toma to be a guest in our haven?” Patiala rose to her feet and loosed her tongue on her daughter in a language Rhys did not understand.
But… he understood.
Maarut sat silently beside his mate, grimacing and trading uncomfortable looks with Rhys as Meera and Patiala argued.
The angry interchange stopped when Maarut stood up and stepped between his daughter and his mate. “Enough,” he said. “My love”—he turned to Patiala—“she’s not asking for the pageantry of Udaipur. We both know she would never want that anyway. She is only asking for our blessing and song over her mating to this scribe whom, I will remind you, we selected for her.”
Rhys frowned. “Selected?”
Maarut turned to Meera. “My beloved daughter, I am so happy you have found yourreshon. I hope you understand that the facilities here are more rustic than those of Udaipur and thus the celebration will be more modest.”
“That’s fine,” Meera said. “I’m not asking for anything elaborate.”
“But you invited Atawakabiche here!” Patiala said. “A legend among Irina is the guest of honor at my daughter’s mating celebration, and we havenoretinue,nochefs,nostaff,noguard—”
“We have all those things,” Meera said. “Just not in the quantities we have at home. Think of this as a…” Meera turned to Rhys with wide eyes. “Destination wedding?”
“Yes. Excellent way of putting it.” Rhys stood and put his arm around Meera. “And to be fair, the woman has been living on a very nice shell mound in the middle of the Atchafalaya Swamp for several hundred years. I don’t think she’ll be scrutinizing the menu.”
Well, that wasn’t a popular opinion with his new mother. “Is there anything I can do to help?” he added quickly. “I am at your service, Mother.”
Calling her mother softened the hard-eyed look Patiala was giving him, but only for a moment. The next one, he was kicked out of the library with Maarut.
“Clean yourself up!” Patiala said. “And then clean this place up. We’re having a banquet in four days.”
Maarut turned to him. “I’m pleased my daughter has chosen you to be her mate. You should consider keeping the beard.”
“I’m thinking about it. What kind of clothes am I going to need for this?”
“Since this is short notice, I’m sure Patiala will do a simple ceremony. Only three outfits for two feasts.”
“That’s the short ceremony?”
Maarut chuckled. “Talk to Chanak. He came with us from Udaipur. He and his mate are magic with needle and cloth. They will take care of you. I need to get to work on the property.”
Rhys frowned and looked over the sweep of lawn, the green cane fields in the distance, and the graceful alley of oak trees that framed the house. “Honestly, this place is beautiful. What do you really need to do?”
Maarut gave Rhys a smile and a hard pat on the shoulder. Then, without another word, he walked around the corner of the porch and disappeared.
Rhys saton his small porch with Roch, watching the haven rouse into action. “This is mind-boggling.”
“You should see the place at cane harvesttime. These women are demons of efficiency. I just shut up and do what they say.”
