Read All that Glitters (Stavin DragonBlessed Book 1) for Free Online
Authors: Loren K. Jones
asked sarcastically.
Stavin looked at the floor and cleared his throat. "Shari, I beg your forgiveness for my inattention and obtuseness. I had considered no other women to be my wife while I was pursuing Dorvina. My obsession was such that no other woman registered on my consciousness, but now I see that you have always been there, always at the edge of my perception." He took a deep breath and said, "I give you right of refusal without reservation."
Sharindis' gaze stayed on the short figure between the two tall ones. "And if I should refuse you, who then will you ask?"
"No one." Stavin looked at her from across the room, knowing she couldn't see his eyes but not caring. "I will go to the lowlands and seek an outlander bride, for no other girl of our people draws me."
Sharindis let the silence grow for a moment, then said, "I do not refuse you, Stavin."
Stavin let out a breath that he didn't know he had been holding and heard two other sighs of relief as well. "I greet you, wife, and give to you my name, and with my name all that I possess."
Sharindis completed the ceremony in a voice that was strangely muffled. "I greet you, husband, and receive from you your name, returning my father's name to him as a woman must. My dowry is modest, but I do not come empty-handed."
That caught Stavin off-guard and he looked at Barvil and Charvil, but neither man seemed fazed in the least. Taking a breath, he answered, "Your dowry is yours to do with as you wish."
Sharindis suddenly giggled. "That's good, since it's mostly bedclothes and a goose-down comforter. There is some coin, though not much, and a few knick-knacks as well." She transferred her attention to the third shadow. "Who is there?"
"Barvil," he answered, then added, "Mistress Sharindis," after a brief pause.
"It's true, then?" she asked in a breathy voice. "I heard people talking—"
"It is true, Mistress Sharindis," he assured her.
"Shari, take the rest of today and the next two off to settle your household," a voice said from the doorway, and the men turned to find the Master Scribe behind them. "Allow me to be the first to offer you my congratulations on your marriage."
"Thank you, Master Kel'Zorgan," Sharindis replied in a bright, happy tone.
Stavin bowed and said, "I also thank you, Master Kel'Zorgan. Since I have others to see to my needs, I will not be depriving you of your assistant."
"I wouldn't have allowed you to, Stavin. Shari is much too valuable to me to allow that." Glancing at Barvil, he nodded once, sharply. "You'll see to it that I'm not deprived of my assistant, won't you?"
"As my master and mistress command, Master Scribe," Barvil said. His voice was properly respectful, but there was a gleam in his eyes.
"Considering how hard I had to lobby the Elders to get her, I find that comforting." Turning his attention back to Sharindis, he let his smile show. "Run along now, Shari, and tend to your household."
Sharindis had been putting away the tools of her trade while the others were talking, taking extra care to put her crystal in its box and latch the lid. Her hand reached out unerringly to grasp her staff as she stood, but she didn't use it as she threaded her way confidently through the cluttered office to Stavin's side. She reached out to grasp his arm, but stopped when her hand encountered his mail. Her fingertips explored it lightly, running up his arm and across his breast plate. "Armor?" she asked.
"He can explain when you get home, Shari," her father said. "It's a good tale, one I'm sure you're going to be writing several times."
Turning her head toward Stavin, she grasped his arm firmly now. "I shall be most interested to hear it."
Chapter 7
S TAVIN AND S HARINDIS DIDN'T SPEAK AS they walked out of the town hall. They didn't need to. The news of their marriage had spread quickly. A large crowd had formed, but they were silent until a female voice shouted, "Good catch, Shari!" Then everyone started shouting their congratulations
Stavin looked at the floor and cleared his throat. "Shari, I beg your forgiveness for my inattention and obtuseness. I had considered no other women to be my wife while I was pursuing Dorvina. My obsession was such that no other woman registered on my consciousness, but now I see that you have always been there, always at the edge of my perception." He took a deep breath and said, "I give you right of refusal without reservation."
Sharindis' gaze stayed on the short figure between the two tall ones. "And if I should refuse you, who then will you ask?"
"No one." Stavin looked at her from across the room, knowing she couldn't see his eyes but not caring. "I will go to the lowlands and seek an outlander bride, for no other girl of our people draws me."
Sharindis let the silence grow for a moment, then said, "I do not refuse you, Stavin."
Stavin let out a breath that he didn't know he had been holding and heard two other sighs of relief as well. "I greet you, wife, and give to you my name, and with my name all that I possess."
Sharindis completed the ceremony in a voice that was strangely muffled. "I greet you, husband, and receive from you your name, returning my father's name to him as a woman must. My dowry is modest, but I do not come empty-handed."
That caught Stavin off-guard and he looked at Barvil and Charvil, but neither man seemed fazed in the least. Taking a breath, he answered, "Your dowry is yours to do with as you wish."
Sharindis suddenly giggled. "That's good, since it's mostly bedclothes and a goose-down comforter. There is some coin, though not much, and a few knick-knacks as well." She transferred her attention to the third shadow. "Who is there?"
"Barvil," he answered, then added, "Mistress Sharindis," after a brief pause.
"It's true, then?" she asked in a breathy voice. "I heard people talking—"
"It is true, Mistress Sharindis," he assured her.
"Shari, take the rest of today and the next two off to settle your household," a voice said from the doorway, and the men turned to find the Master Scribe behind them. "Allow me to be the first to offer you my congratulations on your marriage."
"Thank you, Master Kel'Zorgan," Sharindis replied in a bright, happy tone.
Stavin bowed and said, "I also thank you, Master Kel'Zorgan. Since I have others to see to my needs, I will not be depriving you of your assistant."
"I wouldn't have allowed you to, Stavin. Shari is much too valuable to me to allow that." Glancing at Barvil, he nodded once, sharply. "You'll see to it that I'm not deprived of my assistant, won't you?"
"As my master and mistress command, Master Scribe," Barvil said. His voice was properly respectful, but there was a gleam in his eyes.
"Considering how hard I had to lobby the Elders to get her, I find that comforting." Turning his attention back to Sharindis, he let his smile show. "Run along now, Shari, and tend to your household."
Sharindis had been putting away the tools of her trade while the others were talking, taking extra care to put her crystal in its box and latch the lid. Her hand reached out unerringly to grasp her staff as she stood, but she didn't use it as she threaded her way confidently through the cluttered office to Stavin's side. She reached out to grasp his arm, but stopped when her hand encountered his mail. Her fingertips explored it lightly, running up his arm and across his breast plate. "Armor?" she asked.
"He can explain when you get home, Shari," her father said. "It's a good tale, one I'm sure you're going to be writing several times."
Turning her head toward Stavin, she grasped his arm firmly now. "I shall be most interested to hear it."
Chapter 7
S TAVIN AND S HARINDIS DIDN'T SPEAK AS they walked out of the town hall. They didn't need to. The news of their marriage had spread quickly. A large crowd had formed, but they were silent until a female voice shouted, "Good catch, Shari!" Then everyone started shouting their congratulations
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