Read Online Rise (War Witch Book 1) by Cain S. Latrani - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Cain S. Latrani
Ads: Link
People still did this kind of thing?
"I don't love Hale, Mom!" Chara yelled. "When are you going to get that through your head?"
"Of course you do," Kate said, waving her off without looking at her. "You're just too selfish to know it. You'll see after you've had his baby."
"Kathleen, would you listen to yourself?" Diem barked. "Really, just listen to the words coming out of your mouth!"
"I hear them fine," she shot back. "Maybe you would do well to stop chasing after that one's ass and tend your rebellious daughter for a change." She waved the spoon at the warrior, who stared at her in horror.
How had she gotten dragged into this? She was just a guest in the inn. Passing through. What had Father dropped her in the middle of?
Diem pulled himself up, glaring at his wife in outrage. "She hasn’t got a damn thing in the world to do with this, so you mind your tongue this minute," he warned.
"Have his baby?" Chara screeched. "Mom, he smells like guts and pig shit!"
"She has everything to do with this," Kate seethed. "Ever since she's arrived, our daughter has gotten it in her head that she can go gallivanting about the world and throw our traditions to the wind. It's all her fault!"
"By the Gods, woman," Diem gasped. "Where have you been for the last eighteen years? She's always been that way!"
"Yeah," Chara nodded, then stopped and thought about it a moment. "Hey! Whose side are you on?"
"Mine, now shut your trap," Diem growled, jabbing a finger at his daughter.
To everyone’s surprise, Chara did just that. She’d never seen her father so angry in all her life, and for the first time ever, felt silence was her best option.
"She’s old enough to start thinking about the rest of her life," Kate stormed, her voice low and hard. "It’s past time she put her silly ideas away and acted her age. Hale is a good young man who will treat her well. What more could she ask for?"
"How about love?" Diem countered. "Or have you forgotten what that is?"
"How dare you," Kate snarled.
"I dare, woman, because your father put me through all the Hells when we wanted to marry. Have you forgotten that? He wanted you with Edger, the Potter’s son, not a broken down old soldier. We had to fight to be together, because we loved each other! Who are you to tell your daughter she can't have the same?"
"Wait, what?" Daniel cried from where he’d been loitering in the corner. "My dad was almost Icky Eddy?"
"Daniel, shut up," Kate snapped.
"But," he started.
"Do as your mother says, son," Diem bellowed. "Shut up!"
The young man sunk deeper into his corner. The warrior really wanted to join him.
Kate smoothed her hair back, trying to bring her tone down to conversational. "If our daughter had someone she was interested in, I would, of course, let her be with him. But she doesn't, Diem. She has her head full of fantasies. It has to stop. She has an obligation to this family, and this town."
"Maybe she just hasn't met the person she wants to settle down with," Diem said, also trying not to yell as he grasped his wife’s shoulders. "Pushing her into marriage is only going to make her bitter and resentful. Give her time to find her own heart. Why are you forcing this now?"
Kate chewed her lip for a moment. "There were Demon Seed, less than a day from here, Diem," she said at last. "Who knows what could happen next? She may never get the chance to fall in love like we did. Worse, the way she's acting now, she might try to run off and get herself killed by Gods know what. I won't let that happen."
"There are some things in this life you cannot control, my love," he said, suddenly understanding her motives. "Children are one of them. You must let her live her life, and be true to her own heart."
Kate looked for a moment as if she might weep, but it faded quickly, replaced with a steely resolve. "No. I'm sorry, Diem, but no. She's going to marry Hale. The sooner, the better. It's settled, and I'll not talk of it again. She needs a man
"I don't love Hale, Mom!" Chara yelled. "When are you going to get that through your head?"
"Of course you do," Kate said, waving her off without looking at her. "You're just too selfish to know it. You'll see after you've had his baby."
"Kathleen, would you listen to yourself?" Diem barked. "Really, just listen to the words coming out of your mouth!"
"I hear them fine," she shot back. "Maybe you would do well to stop chasing after that one's ass and tend your rebellious daughter for a change." She waved the spoon at the warrior, who stared at her in horror.
How had she gotten dragged into this? She was just a guest in the inn. Passing through. What had Father dropped her in the middle of?
Diem pulled himself up, glaring at his wife in outrage. "She hasn’t got a damn thing in the world to do with this, so you mind your tongue this minute," he warned.
"Have his baby?" Chara screeched. "Mom, he smells like guts and pig shit!"
"She has everything to do with this," Kate seethed. "Ever since she's arrived, our daughter has gotten it in her head that she can go gallivanting about the world and throw our traditions to the wind. It's all her fault!"
"By the Gods, woman," Diem gasped. "Where have you been for the last eighteen years? She's always been that way!"
"Yeah," Chara nodded, then stopped and thought about it a moment. "Hey! Whose side are you on?"
"Mine, now shut your trap," Diem growled, jabbing a finger at his daughter.
To everyone’s surprise, Chara did just that. She’d never seen her father so angry in all her life, and for the first time ever, felt silence was her best option.
"She’s old enough to start thinking about the rest of her life," Kate stormed, her voice low and hard. "It’s past time she put her silly ideas away and acted her age. Hale is a good young man who will treat her well. What more could she ask for?"
"How about love?" Diem countered. "Or have you forgotten what that is?"
"How dare you," Kate snarled.
"I dare, woman, because your father put me through all the Hells when we wanted to marry. Have you forgotten that? He wanted you with Edger, the Potter’s son, not a broken down old soldier. We had to fight to be together, because we loved each other! Who are you to tell your daughter she can't have the same?"
"Wait, what?" Daniel cried from where he’d been loitering in the corner. "My dad was almost Icky Eddy?"
"Daniel, shut up," Kate snapped.
"But," he started.
"Do as your mother says, son," Diem bellowed. "Shut up!"
The young man sunk deeper into his corner. The warrior really wanted to join him.
Kate smoothed her hair back, trying to bring her tone down to conversational. "If our daughter had someone she was interested in, I would, of course, let her be with him. But she doesn't, Diem. She has her head full of fantasies. It has to stop. She has an obligation to this family, and this town."
"Maybe she just hasn't met the person she wants to settle down with," Diem said, also trying not to yell as he grasped his wife’s shoulders. "Pushing her into marriage is only going to make her bitter and resentful. Give her time to find her own heart. Why are you forcing this now?"
Kate chewed her lip for a moment. "There were Demon Seed, less than a day from here, Diem," she said at last. "Who knows what could happen next? She may never get the chance to fall in love like we did. Worse, the way she's acting now, she might try to run off and get herself killed by Gods know what. I won't let that happen."
"There are some things in this life you cannot control, my love," he said, suddenly understanding her motives. "Children are one of them. You must let her live her life, and be true to her own heart."
Kate looked for a moment as if she might weep, but it faded quickly, replaced with a steely resolve. "No. I'm sorry, Diem, but no. She's going to marry Hale. The sooner, the better. It's settled, and I'll not talk of it again. She needs a man
Similar Books
