In Which Severin Is a Witness Without an Event

June 4, 1181

"Well, this is a first: an unexpected visit from an in-law who doesn't make me want to change my name and leave the country."

A clear laugh--enough like Alina's to be familiar and comforting, but not so similar as to be unnerving--rang from Renata's mouth as they embraced. "I don't plan to subject you to the Laralita treatment, if that's a concern; I'll be staying with my son, and no longer than a week at that."

"Yes, Nora told me." But it had been clear that there was more to tell, and when Severin asked her, she'd said it would be best if Renata herself gave him the details. "But I'm curious; what could you possibly hope to accomplish here in less than a week?"

"Straight to the point, I see." She pulled away and eyed the door. He'd locked it--she'd seen him lock it, he was sure of it--but if it was serious as Nora's tone seemed to hint, he couldn't blame her. "Are you familiar with a nobleman called Lord Frandred?"

"The lord on the Carvalli outskirts? I've heard of him." And never in a particularly flattering context. "Why?"

"Arkon used to have some dealings with him. Just routine business--nothing too remarkable. Or so we thought until Abrich received word from him last summer." Renata sniffed in distaste; Severin braced himself. "You're aware that Arkon was always rather... fond of his ale?"

Well, that was one way of putting it. At least for Renata's sake, he'd been a fun drunk rather than a violent one. "It wasn't exactly a secret."

"Mmm. Well, he was a smart enough man when he was sober, but the drink did make a fool of him, and even I never knew just to what extent until Frandred's letter. It turns out that Arkon had gotten into some financial tight spot with some dubious characters. For the sake of my husband's memory, I don't care to repeat the details, but he ended up going behind my back and borrowing the money from Frandred."

"I see." At least, he thought he did. He hadn't known Arkon all that well, but he'd never struck him as a man who kept his expenses well-managed. Arkon had run into more 'dubious characters' than he'd originally thought. "I take it he never repaid the debt?"

Renata shook her head. "Exactly, but that's hardly the worst of it. Under Carvalli law, which Frandred follows, a money-lender who has not been repaid in five years is entitled to make a claim to any dependent of the debtor, so long as he or she is older than twelve."

"So he wants Alina." His sister-in-law nodded; Severin tensed. "How old is she?"

"Eleven, and eleven months. I offered myself in exchange, but it turns out he wants children, and I'm hardly likely to produce any more at my age; he plans to make his claim the day she turns twelve."

Well. Shit. "That's just sick."

"That's what we told Frandred, but he told us he doesn't make the laws and will take what's 'rightfully his'." She practically spat the last two words. He wished she could have spat them into Frandred's face, right before he himself drove a fist into it. What sort of depraved pervert took a little girl to wife, even if the law took no issue? Some twelve-year-old girls were still too busy with dolls to be bothered with babies and disgusting old husbands. Hell, even those twelve-year old girls with no interests at all shouldn't have had to busy themselves with that fate! And certainly not because anyone had a 'claim' to her!

And what sort of twisted monster even wanted to marry a twelve-year-old? "So you can no doubt understand why I chose to bring her with me."

"I would have worried if you hadn't." Poor girl. Poor, fatherless little girl with her mother's pale hair and her beloved aunt's name. She had to get out of this. It barely even mattered how. "Renata, if you need to borrow money--"

"That won't be necessary. I did a little research in my father's library and I found a loophole."

"Thank God."

"Precisely my reaction as well. Carvalli law allows for the the guardianship of a fatherless child to be transferred to another adult male under certain circumstances, and as it turns out, the law Frandred addressed only applies if the child's guardian is of lower rank than the money-lender."

"So you intend to find Alina a guardian who outranks Frandred." Well, that ruled him out; if Arkon hadn't outranked Frandred, he certainly didn't. Lorn? He was Arkon's nephew, after all. Or Roderick? As unfortunate as that might have been, he was her uncle by marriage... "What are these 'certain circumstances' you mentioned?"

"Oh, uh..." Her eyes meandered to the wall as a red flush swept across her face. Severin blinked. The sight of an embarrassed Sadiel sister was not an event in the lifetimes of most. "Well... if he marries her mother..."

Well. That was interesting. "So... you're basically just here to propose to..."

"More or less." Huh. Of all the matches he'd never thought he'd see if everyone he knew swapped sexual partners daily. "If he's willing, of course. I know he's still in love with Holladrin and he probably wasn't planning to remarry, but it's my daughter who's at stake; I have to at least take the chance." Well, he could hardly argue with that. If it was the only way to help one of his daughters, he would have married Medusa. Or hell, even Laralita. "Besides, if I was willing to marry Frandred to get her out of this, clearly Octavius is no problem."

"From what I know of Frandred, I see what you mean. But Octavius's family has some serious problems of its own; I don't doubt he'd be sympathetic to your plight, but that may be too much for one man at once."

"I know. And if he tells me 'no', I'll cut my losses and search elsewhere." She forced a small smile. She wore it as well as any knight wore his shield. "I wasn't planning on remarrying either, and I certainly don't expect him to love me, but we always did get along well enough and I'd rather a friend than a stranger if possible."

Of course she did. Any stranger could have come with his own set of unfortunate surprises, and she'd had more than her fill of those. "Fair enough."

"Should he agree, would you witness? Your wife said she would, but the Carvalli prefer at least two witness to be present."

Severin nodded. As for as marriage went, the motivations were hardly unreasonable, not when there was a little girl's future at stake. He just hoped this wasn't about to blow up in Renata's face. "Should he agree."

"Thank you. That's all I needed to hear."

But she didn't sound satisfied, and of course she wasn't. She had witnesses. Witnesses meant nothing without an event.

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