for self-control.
“You are right, Arianna. She deserves a good
beating by her father, but we should not send her to her husband
with bruises on her body. And I do hope,” Aloise breathed, her rage
not really cooled at all by Arianna’s intervention, “I hope Sir
Thomas has a strong arm and a large stick to keep you under
control. You finish dressing her, Arianna. I cannot bear the sight
of her another moment. Sir Valaire and I will return later to
escort her to the church. And, praise to heaven, after today I need
not see you again for a long, long time, Selene.”
“Thus you need not watch a young woman grow
up while you grow too old for lovers,” Selene hissed at her
mother’s departing back. Apparently Aloise had not heard her, for
the bedchamber door closed with a smart click, and Selene’s tense
stance relaxed a little.
“Must you always antagonize her?” Arianna
asked. “You need not quarrel so much, if only your tongue were a
little less sharp.”
“It doesn’t matter any more. After today,
I’ll only see her to say a formal good-bye. That is the only happy
thing about this marriage. I will no longer be under my mother’s
rule.”
“She is not so wicked as you would like to
pretend, Selene.” Arianna was struggling to separate the thick
folds of the gown so she could lift it over Selene’s head. Selene
made no move to help her. “Your mother has always been kind to
me.”
“That is because you are not her daughter.”
Selene raised her arms and waited for Arianna to put the dress on
her. It took a while. The gown was made of heavy silk brocade that
had been brought from Byzantium at great cost and then worked into
the latest style by Lady Aloise and her serving women. It was pale
green, with a blue and yellow flower pattern woven into it,
shimmering here and there with gold threads. The bodice was loosely
fitted, with a wide, round neck. It had wide elbow-length sleeves,
bordered in gold, which allowed the longer, tighter cream sleeves
of the underdress to show. There was a belt of gold and green
threads embroidered with jewels to wrap twice about Selene’s slim
hips. Below the belt a hugely full circular skirt fell in stiff
ripples to the floor, hanging long enough in back to trail after
her when Selene walked. Arianna knelt to arrange the skirt.
“You look beautiful,” she said, looking up at
Selene. She rose, and taking up a wooden comb she used it to smooth
and arrange Selene’s hair until it fell straight down her back in
gleaming, midnight-black splendor. A short veil of sheer white silk
went on top of her hair, then a narrow gold circlet, symbol of
Selene’s rank.
“Will you wear the necklace?” Arianna
asked.
“I suppose I must,” Selene sighed, watching
while Arianna lifted Thomas’s wedding gift out of its silk pouch
and held it up. It was of intricately worked swirls of gold – Welsh
gold, Thomas had said – and it was set with emeralds. To match her
eyes, he had told her when he gave it to her the day before. But
jewels meant nothing to Selene, nor did all the festive
preparations for the wedding. Because they would take place in an
abbey, the celebrations would not be as boisterous as usual, and
for that was Selene glad. She pulled her mind away from her own
gloomy thoughts long enough to notice Arianna’s subdued manner as
she held the gold and emerald necklace, straightening it before
placing it around Selene’s neck.
“Are you jealous?” Selene asked, and watched
Arianna’s fingers grow perfectly still, holding the heavy gold. “Do
you wish it were you, marrying some fine nobleman? I can tell you I
am envious of you.”
Arianna stepped behind Selene to fasten the
necklace, and Selene could no longer see her face.
“Why should you envy me?” Arianna asked.
“Because you have no dowry and therefore you
will never be forced to marry. You will never have to bed with a
man.” Selene felt Arianna’s hands on her shoulders, the fingers
digging into her,
“You are right, Arianna. She deserves a good
beating by her father, but we should not send her to her husband
with bruises on her body. And I do hope,” Aloise breathed, her rage
not really cooled at all by Arianna’s intervention, “I hope Sir
Thomas has a strong arm and a large stick to keep you under
control. You finish dressing her, Arianna. I cannot bear the sight
of her another moment. Sir Valaire and I will return later to
escort her to the church. And, praise to heaven, after today I need
not see you again for a long, long time, Selene.”
“Thus you need not watch a young woman grow
up while you grow too old for lovers,” Selene hissed at her
mother’s departing back. Apparently Aloise had not heard her, for
the bedchamber door closed with a smart click, and Selene’s tense
stance relaxed a little.
“Must you always antagonize her?” Arianna
asked. “You need not quarrel so much, if only your tongue were a
little less sharp.”
“It doesn’t matter any more. After today,
I’ll only see her to say a formal good-bye. That is the only happy
thing about this marriage. I will no longer be under my mother’s
rule.”
“She is not so wicked as you would like to
pretend, Selene.” Arianna was struggling to separate the thick
folds of the gown so she could lift it over Selene’s head. Selene
made no move to help her. “Your mother has always been kind to
me.”
“That is because you are not her daughter.”
Selene raised her arms and waited for Arianna to put the dress on
her. It took a while. The gown was made of heavy silk brocade that
had been brought from Byzantium at great cost and then worked into
the latest style by Lady Aloise and her serving women. It was pale
green, with a blue and yellow flower pattern woven into it,
shimmering here and there with gold threads. The bodice was loosely
fitted, with a wide, round neck. It had wide elbow-length sleeves,
bordered in gold, which allowed the longer, tighter cream sleeves
of the underdress to show. There was a belt of gold and green
threads embroidered with jewels to wrap twice about Selene’s slim
hips. Below the belt a hugely full circular skirt fell in stiff
ripples to the floor, hanging long enough in back to trail after
her when Selene walked. Arianna knelt to arrange the skirt.
“You look beautiful,” she said, looking up at
Selene. She rose, and taking up a wooden comb she used it to smooth
and arrange Selene’s hair until it fell straight down her back in
gleaming, midnight-black splendor. A short veil of sheer white silk
went on top of her hair, then a narrow gold circlet, symbol of
Selene’s rank.
“Will you wear the necklace?” Arianna
asked.
“I suppose I must,” Selene sighed, watching
while Arianna lifted Thomas’s wedding gift out of its silk pouch
and held it up. It was of intricately worked swirls of gold – Welsh
gold, Thomas had said – and it was set with emeralds. To match her
eyes, he had told her when he gave it to her the day before. But
jewels meant nothing to Selene, nor did all the festive
preparations for the wedding. Because they would take place in an
abbey, the celebrations would not be as boisterous as usual, and
for that was Selene glad. She pulled her mind away from her own
gloomy thoughts long enough to notice Arianna’s subdued manner as
she held the gold and emerald necklace, straightening it before
placing it around Selene’s neck.
“Are you jealous?” Selene asked, and watched
Arianna’s fingers grow perfectly still, holding the heavy gold. “Do
you wish it were you, marrying some fine nobleman? I can tell you I
am envious of you.”
Arianna stepped behind Selene to fasten the
necklace, and Selene could no longer see her face.
“Why should you envy me?” Arianna asked.
“Because you have no dowry and therefore you
will never be forced to marry. You will never have to bed with a
man.” Selene felt Arianna’s hands on her shoulders, the fingers
digging into her,
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