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Post by Leona Redwyne on Oct 12, 2012 19:18:57 GMT -5
"NO doubt there are. But you've not exactly given me a reason to want to marry you."
He was still griping her shoulders.
"You must think highly of yourself to assume I will just do as you wish."
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Post by The Forgotten God on Oct 12, 2012 19:22:44 GMT -5
"I do think very highly of myself. I am the most beautiful woman in the Iron Islands, my father is old and has no son, and so two of my sons could one day be lord. I am also...completely...devoted to our god. I am sad you value a sand-grubber more highly than the gods." She says it all purely-matter-of-factly.
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Post by Leona Redwyne on Oct 12, 2012 19:31:59 GMT -5
"I have done nothing to incur the Drowned God's wrath," he said. "It is our way to take salt wives, as you well know. I simply do not wish to lose one."
He paused and looked deep into her eyes.
"How could a woman hope to understand? It is a man's custom, A salt wife can service her man when his rock wife is heavy with child, or sick, or otherwise unable to perform her duties in the marriage bed. It means, also, that you wouldn't be compelled to spend all your nights in my bed. Unless you wished it, of course. I'd not object to having you in my bed every night if you wanted to be there."
He leered at her.
"And salt wives perform a lot of the labour around the castle, which means the rock wife has more time for her own pursuits. But you know all this. The Dornish wench...she has spirit, for one of her kind. She amuses me. Besides, it would take a while to get another wench as well-trained as she is. It would be a wasted to kill her, right when she's perfectly trained to do my bidding."
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Post by The Forgotten God on Oct 12, 2012 19:36:41 GMT -5
"My father has two dozen salt wives. They lay about popping out babies and making racket. I hate racket. You shall be gone reaving and fighting long enough; why should I not want you in my bed when you are home? We use thralls for cleaning and cooking. All she is is a little Dornish slut who has led you away from the Drowned god. I am offering my body, my life, my devotion, and my father's lands one day. I ask you give something to me that is precious to you."
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Post by Leona Redwyne on Oct 12, 2012 19:43:15 GMT -5
He released her and folded his arms across his chest.
"Give me your maidenhead - before the marriage blessing - and I'll do it. After all, that is a woman's most precious possession, is it not?"
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Post by The Forgotten God on Oct 13, 2012 3:03:15 GMT -5
Hannah narrowed a single eye. "Only if I may drown her before the wedding. I rather thought it would be a nice thing to do after waking up from our marriage bed."
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Post by Leona Redwyne on Oct 13, 2012 3:10:58 GMT -5
"Hardly. My dear girl, a nice thing to do after waking up from our marriage bed would be to ravish you until the point of exhaustion."
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Post by The Forgotten God on Oct 13, 2012 3:13:49 GMT -5
"I will make you a deal. You may have me and this Dornish toy of yours together, once, before the offering is made. Disgusting as it may be to me, I need a...puissant lord to make sure that my father's holdings don't go to my slut legitimized sisters and their useless husbands." Her hand unbuttoned the a single button on her dress.
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Post by Leona Redwyne on Oct 13, 2012 3:27:34 GMT -5
He was silent for a while as he considered her words.
"I will not have a woman dictate to me," he said. "Be very clear on that point, girl. I will have obedience from my wife."
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Post by The Forgotten God on Oct 13, 2012 3:30:45 GMT -5
"I am not your wife yet. Negotiations prior to a marriage are a perfectly acceptable part of our culture."
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Post by Leona Redwyne on Oct 13, 2012 3:36:35 GMT -5
"Maybe so, but it is the father's duty to make them. The bride has no part of such decisions," he countered. "If your father has as many saltwives as he claims, surely he would wish me to take more, not get rid of one."
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Post by The Forgotten God on Oct 13, 2012 3:46:14 GMT -5
"He can't get a son, that's why he takes them. Eighteen daughters between trueborn and salt wife-mothered. I will give you an heir in nine months...if we please the Drowned God." Hannah shrugged. "If not, I suppose I shall have to discuss my terms with Lahndo Greyjoy. Living out of sight of the sea, even a little bit, would displease me, but I will not have my father's good name wasted on imbeciles and unbelievers." Hannah stuck her chest out unconsciously as she talked.
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Post by Leona Redwyne on Oct 13, 2012 3:54:22 GMT -5
His fingers twitched as she stuck her breasts out. His eyes lingered there.
"I am neither an imbecile nor an unbeliever. I'd be a better match for you than a land-dweller. Our ancestors came first to Old Wyk. What could be a better omen than that?"
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Post by The Forgotten God on Oct 13, 2012 3:57:07 GMT -5
She beams, as though his words had merely confirmed what she'd been saying all along. "Exactly! True believers of the Drowned God are rare now, though. Devotion is shown by deeds and sacrifice, not by words."
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Post by Leona Redwyne on Oct 13, 2012 4:23:52 GMT -5
"Perhaps that is so," he mused. "I have always felt that our culture went downhill when Harren the Black burned at the Field of Fire. I have always dreamed of a time when our people could be as strong as we were before the dragons came."
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