Two Crows Watch from the Gallows Tree (part 20)

Rana and Lia's heads both immediately snapped to their father. Was that an option? They could go? They desperately hoped he'd let them and shifted anxiously waiting to see if he'd excuse them.

Gowan made eye contact with them both briefly but made no move to get up. Shea and Forrest departed, and he continued to eat.

"So what have you been up to in the past year, Ewan?" he asked conversationally.

Ewan took Shea's seat, which was across from Rana. "Not much, frankly, sir. I've been working on a book for awhile now, but the Ash-Loquitur war and now this one have made travel a bit difficult and that makes it hard to research."

"Fascinating." Gowan speared a potato with his knife. "Have you done any searching for a husband or wife in that time?"

Constance's eyebrow quirked up a notch. Arianna glanced at Gowan, as did Maxwell. Ewan took notice of this; his eyes darted to the three of them almost too quickly to notice.

"I'm afraid there hasn't been time," he said with a polite smile. "But when the time is right I will be looking for a wife, yes."

Lia bit back a sigh when it became clear that they weren’t going to be allowed to go, and quietly went back to picking at her plate.

Rana froze at the reaction from the Barrasters at her father’s question. Why were they acting like he’d said something wrong? Surely two lesbians wouldn’t think it imprudent to ask their son if he was interested in a husband? That seemed intuitive.

Though come to think of it, it was a little weird that Father had phrased it that way. Husband or a wife. Why hadn’t he just said spouse? There were other options outside of husband and wife, Father should know that. Or did the Northerners not understand gender non conformity? They did seem a little stuck in the past. Or maybe —

Ewan answered. He was straight. Even less of a reason to be embarrassed by the question. It was perfectly normal for a man a little older than her to be looking for a wife. It wouldn’t be long before she herself—

The realization hit her like a ton of bricks and her head snapped towards her father. Was he implying —? Surely not.

… surely.

Arianna closed her eyes. Ewan, no. He certainly saw where this was leading. But he'd chosen honesty over tact.

"Oh?" Gowan's lips quirked up in a smile. "That's good to hear. Spouses are such a strategic asset; it'd be a tragedy to miss out."

"But he'll not be seeking a spouse for quite some time," Constance interrupted. "Ewan's very busy, Reputation Gowan." Arianna saw Ewan's shoulders tense slightly; she knew it embarrassed him how swiftly his parents rushed to correct his mistakes.

"Of course, of course." Gowan cast a meaningful glance at Rana. "Take your time, my boy, by all means. I just wondered if you were doing all you could with the war effort, I mean. War is a good time for alliances to be forged, don't you know."

"I do know." Ewan fixed his gaze on his plate.

Rana was mortified.

Her face flushed a deep crimson and for the first time in her life she wished she had her face powdered so it’d be less obvious.

Or, maybe, she just wanted the ground to open up and swallow her whole.

She fixed her gaze studiously on her plate and focused on keeping her breath even. Every fiber of her being wanted to bolt. But it’d only get worse if she did. Gods, she hated this. Hated him. He hadn’t warned her that she was the trade he was looking to make up here.

"Of course. Your parents taught you well." Gowan smiled and pushed back his chair. "Well, I'll be off to bed now! Thank you so very much for this meal. Northern hospitality astounds me every time I come up here, miladies. I will see you in a few hours, and then we can get down to proper business!" He wrapped his cloak around himself. "Come along, girls, you ought to rest as well."

"It was a pleasure to meet the two of you," Constance said, rising to shake their hands. Arianna stood as well, eyeing Rana. She was too young to make much of a wife yet, anyway. Constance frowned upon betrothals longer than a year, so it was unlikely Gowan could get his daughter's hooks into Ewan unless he tried again when she was of age. They'd have to move fast if they wanted to block that, and come up with a counter-offer to exchange for his help instead.

“You as well, ma’am.” Rana didn’t look up as she stood, so she didn’t notice the offer of a handshake. Instead, she offered a rushed curtsy and hurried out of the room.

Lia blinked, genuinely confused by the interaction. What the heck had just happened? Why was everyone so mad? What was happening?

“The pleasure was all mine.” Lia offered a smile and shook Constance’s hand, then offered her hand to Arianna as well. Best to just rely on habits when she didn’t know how to act.

Arianna returned the handshake from Lia. This one had a lot to learn. Doe-eyed and caught off-guard by most things, it seemed she was much better off in the East where the looseness of that culture would allow her to slip into some drug-addled euphoria and live out her days among her equals. That or she'd have to pull herself up by her shoe-ribbons when the time came.

"Come, come." Gowan ushered Lia out of the room, hurrying to catch up to Rana.

(Awww come on now Arianna she’s just a baby lol)

Lia offered an awkward wave to Ewan and Maxwell, then trotted after her father.

(Arianna's a grouch)

Maxwell returned the wave, but Ewan was still staring downward.

"Rana!" Gowan jogged as fast as he could. "Stop right there, I am going to talk to you!"

Rana’s face was still burning and she wouldn’t have slowed down if they’d been home, but she realized she didn’t actually have any idea where she was going. She petulantly turned on her heel, face in a scowl.

He caught up to her and grasped her tightly by the shoulder, steering her in the opposite direction and then to the left, down a slightly wider hallway that led to a set of nauseatingly steep and curving stairs.
"The bedrooms are this way," he said snidely. "Running off like that, ignoring Lady Constance--you embarrassed me back there, Rana!"

“Embarrassed you?” She hissed, squirming in his grasp as his fingers dug into her flesh. “What about you? You said you wanted an alliance, not to pawn me off in a frozen wasteland! What was that supposed to be?!”

Lia gaped.

"An ultimatum! You--" he snarled, then cut himself off and lowered his voice. "We will discuss this in my room, away from prying ears. Be silent, will you?" He started up the stairs.

Rana clamped her mouth shut and stormed up the stairs after him, fuming.

Lia bewilderedly followed behind.