Read Online Chronicles of Logos Quest For the Kingdom Parts IV, V, VI, and VII Revised With Index (Quest For the Kingdom Set) by L. M. Roth - Free Book Online
Authors: L. M. Roth
Ads: Link
good father to
him, treating him and Cort with the same love that he had his own children by
Judoc.
And yet…Brenus
could not agree fully with the reasoning of his mother and step-father. Even if
Melisande did not serve Dominio, surely no harm would come of their union.
Chapter
VII
Forebodings
They married,
but not with the blessing of Dag or Judoc. For the great man from Trekur Lende
held firm to his stance: if Melisande did not serve Dominio, no good would come
of their union. Judoc asked Brenus what land Melisande came from, and he was
dismayed to realize that she had never told him. But did that truly matter, he
asked himself. They had fallen in love so quickly that such questions seemed
irrelevant to their happiness. He trusted her completely.
Shortly before
the wedding day Brenus ventured to sound out Melisande concerning her beliefs.
Although it was not the answer that Dag and Judoc would have liked, Brenus
found it acceptable to him.
“Melisande,”
he began, “I must make arrangements for the marriage ceremony and I need to
know your preference. What kind of service do you have in your homeland?”
She looked at
him blankly, her eyes appearing to look through him and beyond to something that
only she could see. Then she gave a little start and shrugged her shoulders.
“You decide,
Brenus,” she replied. “I have no preference.”
“But I must
know if you have a particular rite that is performed in your land.”
“Rite?” she
wrinkled her nose slightly and frowned. “What do you mean?”
“Rite of
ceremony, a ritual,” Brenus explained.
He found her
response puzzling. Surely she must know what a rite was!
“Why, I have
no inkling,” she answered. “We do not have such things in my land.”
“You do not
have any rites! Why, what kind of land do you hail from, Melisande?”
She bristled
perceptibly as though affronted.
“I hail from a good land! In my land we are free to love and live and laugh! We do not
have any dealings with rites and deities, for all they do is impose
restrictions and rules. ‘Do this!’ ‘Don’t do that!’ That is all they are good
for!”
Brenus
swallowed hard.
“Well, in the
village of Leith, we serve Dominio, the One true God. We must have the proper
rites in the ceremony. What kind of answer is that to give to my mother and
father?”
Melisande
regarded him with something he would have regarded as a sneer in someone else,
but he could not believe her capable of such.
“You may tell
them, Brenus,” she stated in a voice that seemed to drip with sarcasm, “that I
believe in love .”
Brenus pondered
her response. He knew in his heart that neither Dag nor Judoc would be happy
with it. And yet…
“Well, Dominio is Love!” he exclaimed. “He is Love itself. So that is what we shall
tell them!”
And he eagerly
kissed her lips, seeming oblivious to the fact that they were curled in scorn.
That Cort did
not like Melisande was soon evident to Brenus. When he introduced her to Dag
and Judoc a few days before the ceremony they were courtesy itself, although he
knew they were not happy about his choice of a bride. As he presented her to
Dag, her eyes widened at the sight of him, then darkened inexplicably. The
sight of Dag was an imposing one: he stood a head taller than most men, and
still retained the appearance of a bear masquerading as a man with his shaggy
head of brown hair, large black eyes and long limbs.
But to his
surprise Melisande tightened her lips and gave Dag a cold, tight little smile.
Perhaps, he thought, she resents their attitude to the marriage and that is why
she looks at him with resentment. To his further astonishment, the smile
Melisande bestowed on Judoc was warm and rather shy, as she bowed her head
modestly after greeting her. She gave every appearance of a young girl who
wished to appease the mother of the man she was to wed.
His younger
siblings exhibited milder reactions to his bride. Dirk was the
him, treating him and Cort with the same love that he had his own children by
Judoc.
And yet…Brenus
could not agree fully with the reasoning of his mother and step-father. Even if
Melisande did not serve Dominio, surely no harm would come of their union.
Chapter
VII
Forebodings
They married,
but not with the blessing of Dag or Judoc. For the great man from Trekur Lende
held firm to his stance: if Melisande did not serve Dominio, no good would come
of their union. Judoc asked Brenus what land Melisande came from, and he was
dismayed to realize that she had never told him. But did that truly matter, he
asked himself. They had fallen in love so quickly that such questions seemed
irrelevant to their happiness. He trusted her completely.
Shortly before
the wedding day Brenus ventured to sound out Melisande concerning her beliefs.
Although it was not the answer that Dag and Judoc would have liked, Brenus
found it acceptable to him.
“Melisande,”
he began, “I must make arrangements for the marriage ceremony and I need to
know your preference. What kind of service do you have in your homeland?”
She looked at
him blankly, her eyes appearing to look through him and beyond to something that
only she could see. Then she gave a little start and shrugged her shoulders.
“You decide,
Brenus,” she replied. “I have no preference.”
“But I must
know if you have a particular rite that is performed in your land.”
“Rite?” she
wrinkled her nose slightly and frowned. “What do you mean?”
“Rite of
ceremony, a ritual,” Brenus explained.
He found her
response puzzling. Surely she must know what a rite was!
“Why, I have
no inkling,” she answered. “We do not have such things in my land.”
“You do not
have any rites! Why, what kind of land do you hail from, Melisande?”
She bristled
perceptibly as though affronted.
“I hail from a good land! In my land we are free to love and live and laugh! We do not
have any dealings with rites and deities, for all they do is impose
restrictions and rules. ‘Do this!’ ‘Don’t do that!’ That is all they are good
for!”
Brenus
swallowed hard.
“Well, in the
village of Leith, we serve Dominio, the One true God. We must have the proper
rites in the ceremony. What kind of answer is that to give to my mother and
father?”
Melisande
regarded him with something he would have regarded as a sneer in someone else,
but he could not believe her capable of such.
“You may tell
them, Brenus,” she stated in a voice that seemed to drip with sarcasm, “that I
believe in love .”
Brenus pondered
her response. He knew in his heart that neither Dag nor Judoc would be happy
with it. And yet…
“Well, Dominio is Love!” he exclaimed. “He is Love itself. So that is what we shall
tell them!”
And he eagerly
kissed her lips, seeming oblivious to the fact that they were curled in scorn.
That Cort did
not like Melisande was soon evident to Brenus. When he introduced her to Dag
and Judoc a few days before the ceremony they were courtesy itself, although he
knew they were not happy about his choice of a bride. As he presented her to
Dag, her eyes widened at the sight of him, then darkened inexplicably. The
sight of Dag was an imposing one: he stood a head taller than most men, and
still retained the appearance of a bear masquerading as a man with his shaggy
head of brown hair, large black eyes and long limbs.
But to his
surprise Melisande tightened her lips and gave Dag a cold, tight little smile.
Perhaps, he thought, she resents their attitude to the marriage and that is why
she looks at him with resentment. To his further astonishment, the smile
Melisande bestowed on Judoc was warm and rather shy, as she bowed her head
modestly after greeting her. She gave every appearance of a young girl who
wished to appease the mother of the man she was to wed.
His younger
siblings exhibited milder reactions to his bride. Dirk was the
Similar Books
