a Pleasure Rites, #1 by Ines Johnson (top ten books of all time TXT) 📗

Women didn't need to pledge anything to men. The third gem was simply a symbol of status. Rianald told her that the larger the diamond the more wealthy the woman. Chanyn's diamond was huge.

She was married.

The ceremony had been lavish, but brief. She had to do nothing but walk out in a lovely gown of white. She looked virginal, innocent, naive. That would have been true a week ago, but it was no longer. Chanyn knew that the people who shared your blood could be callous and devious. She knew that life could take the worst and put power in their hands, and then take the best and put weakness in their hearts. Chanyn itched to take the gown off, but the night was far from over.

The crowded ceremonial hall held more people than she'd seen in her entire life. People coming to gape at the wildling found outside the city walls, no doubt. Lump that in with the spectacle of being bound to two of the city's most notorious sons. There were a good deal of gasps, a few snickers, but mostly they just stared.

Rianald, Tem, and Brent outdid themselves on Chanyn's hair and makeup. Her gown showed all her best features, lifting her breasts and accentuating her hips. Her hair was a soft halo around her head. Her make up took her own breath away when she looked in the mirror. The onlookers may have come to gape, but Dain's manservants made sure they left envious.

She was married.

She had to keep repeating it to herself just to make it true.

She was married. It was nothing like she'd dreamed. First, she was married to two men. Second, neither of them were her true love. One of her husbands she felt a deep kinship to, while she shared a speculative truce with the other. The man she loved hadn't even come to her wedding. But at least one of her relatives had.

At the end of the ceremony, as Chanyn, Dain, and Khial took the felicitations of well-wishers, Merlyn made her way to Chanyn. A handsome young man with red hair, green eyes and golden skin trailed behind her.

"Greetings cousin," Merlyn said. "I bring glad tidings from our family."

Chanyn's shoulders jerked in surprise. "Really?"

Merlyn hesitated and then shook her head once. "No," she admitted. "But custom dictates that when a family member is bonded they should have representatives from their family as witnesses."

Merlyn recited the facts as though she read them from a book. Her speech pattern reminding Chanyn of her mother's. What differentiated Merlyn from Chanyn's mother was the hint of compassion in her eyes.

"So, because of custom," Merlyn lifted a delicate shoulder not quite meeting Chanyn's eyes, "here I am. I wouldn't want your bond made illegitimate on a technicality."

Chanyn reached out a hand to Merlyn's shoulder. "That was very kind of you."

Merlyn stared at Chanyn's hand. Chanyn pulled her hand back, afraid she'd broken some custom. Chanyn's mother hadn't liked any forms of touch and Chanyn frequently forgot to keep her hands to herself despite years of admonishments.

Chanyn glanced over Merlyn's shoulder. "Who's your friend?"

Merlyn followed Chanyn's glance. "Oh, that's just Liam. He's my betrothed." Merlyn threw out the comment casually.

Chanyn held out her hand to the young man. "It's nice to meet you, Liam."

Liam looked at Chanyn's hand in utter shock.

"Whatever are you doing?" asked Merlyn, her head cocked to the side like a bird's.

Chanyn pulled her offensive hand away, cradling it to her heart. "I was greeting my soon to be cousin-in-law."

Both Merlyn and Liam stared at her. Off to the side Chanyn could see Dain grinning good-humoredly in her direction. She raised her brows high as though to say, What have I done wrong now? Though she couldn't hear it, she saw Dain's chest tremble with a chuckle. Chanyn couldn't help but note how well he looked after a couple of days rest.

"I think you might be as feral as grandmother says you are."

What did she have to lose? Chanyn leaned in conspiratorially. "I think you might be right."

Merlyn blinked, and then laughed. The sound seemed to startle her and she took a moment to collect herself. A small grin remained as she looked once more at Chanyn. With Merlyn's face relaxed she saw the family resemblance, the high cheekbones and full lips, the same brown-gold inquisitive eyes as Chanyn's reflection.

But then Merlyn's face sobered. "I hear you're being trained by a Pleasure Hound." She whispered the words Pleasure Hound as though they were some sort of obscenity.

Chanyn nodded. Merlyn stepped in closer.

"I used to know a hound," Merlyn confided. "Well he wasn't a hound when I knew him. He used to work on the estate. But then there was an... incident."

Over Merlyn's shoulder, Chanyn saw Liam bristle. His shoulders stiffened and his jaw clenched.

"He was sent away. He entered the pleasure temple sometime after that." Merlyn wouldn't meet Chanyn's eyes as she continued. "I don't suppose you know him?"

"My hound's name is Jian." Her hound. If only.

"Oh," Merlyn's face relaxed. "That's not him. In any case, good luck on your wedding night. I have heard that with a hound present it won't be as unpleasant." Merlyn ran an envious gaze over Chanyn. "It once was the accepted custom for a newly bonded triad to employ the services of a hound. Grand Mother would never allow a hound near any of her daughters. She believes males should never have any control over a female."

"Our mothers didn't love our fathers?"

Merlyn blinked, her expression uncertain as though she were trying to determine if Chanyn made a joke or stated a fact. "Oh, Chanyn,” she said finally. “You say the most peculiar things. All the women in our family had mates selected using a very scientific process. Grand Mother does a complete genealogical study to determine male intelligence and obedience. Once she finds my second mate, I'll be bonded and expected to breed. But," and now she came in closer to Chanyn, closer than custom dictated. "I have