Scarlett still couldn't believe her good fortune as she sat down at the table. Saanvi had told her in private how she'd managed to get Arjun to back down on his insistence at an examination, and though her mother had been cagey as to the methods she'd used to put her husband in his place, Scarlett was not complaining in the slightest. It meant she could enjoy her evening, and, even better, Ishan and her friends had been allowed to attend. Ishan was still looking a little peeved following his abrupt dismissal earlier in the day, and Scarlett's heart ached. But she didn't dare offer any words of sympathy, lest her father miscontsrue her motives again. The problem was soon solved when Ihenri arrived a few minutes later, and he spoke a few words to the still-grumpy forest elf, words which brought a smile to Ishan's face, and Scarlett let out a soft sigh of relief as her fiance sat next to her, kissing her on the cheek in greeting. "He's still got ruffled feathers," Ihenri said in a low voice, "but he'll come around. I've no idea what my esteemed future father-in-law was thinking, but it shouldn't happen again."
Scarlett sighed again. "Thank you," she said. "I didn't want to say anything, in case Father blew his stack again."
"Have no fear of that," Ihenri said. "I can assure you, your father will never raise hand or voice to you again. Once you're my wife, you will come under my protection, and he will not be able to do a damned thing to you without it rebounding on him and adding to the already heavy burden he carries."
This went over Scarlett's head, but the declaration of protection was good enough for her. "Thank you," she said again. "I don't know what I'd do without you."
"Flounder," Ihenri teased, and Scarlett laughed.
Arjun came into the room a few minutes later, and once he'd sat at the table, dinner began. Saanvi had outdone herself, and Scarlett was in awe of her mother as the staff began serving everyone. How she'd managed to get such an impressive spread laid out in short notice was amazing, and Scarlett admired her mother for her inventiveness. Conversation flowed freely, though it was somewhat stilted by Arjun's presence, and Scarlett felt herself hating her father again. But she stomped her bad feelings down; she wasn't going to let her father ruin things. Besides, Ihenri had all but said that his future father-in-law would have no say in their marriage, and that was enough to keep the worst of the hatred from bubbling up. Still, Scarlett couldn't wait for the meal to be over so she and her friends and fiance could converse in relative quiet. 87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7ekCkK71hM
Arjun killed that prospect after dinner. "I'm sure you would all love to continue this," he said, rising and nodding to the guests. "But it is late, and there is still much to accomplish before the night is over. Scarlett, I will see you in my study, privately. The rest of you, thank you for coming."
Had he tried, he couldn't have killed the good mood any more than he did at that moment, and Scarlett bit her lip as Ihenri helped her rise. She managed to get in a few goodbyes before Arjun silently intimated it was time for the other young people to retire, and she felt like she was treading on her own heart as she followed her father into the study. "Shut the door," he instructed, and Scarlett swallowed dread as she did so. He had something up his sleeve; she could see it on his face, and his first words proved it. "You will be wed to Ihenri on your sixteenth birthday," he said, turning to face her. His voice was level, but Scarlett knew better than to trust his seemingly even temper. Something was nagging at him, and he was riding a knife's edge between keeping his cool and blowing his stack. "You will continue to recieve your contraceptives until such time as I am satisifed you are a good and loyal wife," Arjun continued. "To this end, you and Ihenri will make your home here. I will not have you making a home away from my supervision, and I intend to make sure you are obedient in every way. You will not entertain any thoughts about conceiving, and I have instructed the staff to film you taking your contraceptives each day. I ... trust that you are actually swallowing the tablets and not just hiding them under your tongue until you can spit them out in private, so I will not insist on them checking your mouth afterwards, but that is a courtesy I am only allowing on the insistence of your mother. If I had my way, I would have you treated as an aminal and wrapped in a towel with the tablets forced down your throat, so do not abuse this trust in any way. You may, of course, sleep with Ihenri as much or as little as you desire; it will take you some time to become fertile when I do allow you to be taken off the contraceptives. It matters not to me what you do in or out of the bedroom, since you cannot conceive until such time as the council deems you fit."
Scarlett swallowed as she nodded. "I understand, Father," she said, keeping her voice as steady as she could. "May I get to know Ihenri before our wedding day?"
"You may not," Arjun replied shortly. "You have had ample time to get used to the idea of marrying him, and he seems to have taken a shine to you, although I cannot understand why. In any case, I am ... satisfied that you are ready to be mature, so there is no need for you to spend any more time with him until you are ready to be married. You may, of course, continue to spend time with your friends, but Ihenri will not come around again until the day of your wedding. And you will not use your friends to pass messages back and forth; if you are caught doing so, your friends will be asked to leave, and you will not see them again until after you are married. Do I make myself clear?"
Resigned to a long eight months, Scarlett had no choice but to concede. "You do," she said, once more making an effort to keep her voice level. She hated the whole thing, but she remained confident that Ihenri would keep their marriage as stress- and father-free as possible.
Arjun nodded. "Good," he said. "You're dismissed. But be warned; you will be watched very closely until the day of your wedding. I have no ... immediate plans for cancelling it, but if you put a toe out of line before the day, I will make you and Ihenri sleep in separate rooms, and you will be permitted no time alone with him at all until the council deems it is time for you and he to consummate your marriage. Now go."87Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfpnbZHYxu3
Thus dismissed, Scarlett left the study, and only when she was in the safety of her own room did she permit herself to curse her father until she was out of breath. Things, she knew, were about to get a hell of a lot worse.
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