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Forty-Three

Great Liilia was nearly full, and about midnight shone into the cave, wakening them. Considerably later they got back to the inlet's beach where the other skiff lay. The moonlight showed Jonkka asleep there, a brawny forearm shielding his eyes from the moon. Their skiff scraped the sand and Jonkka rolled instantly and silently to his feet, his sword somehow in his hand. It startled Brokols without frightening him, and he made a mental note to be careful if he ever had to waken the man.

They said nothing to Jonkka nor he to them. The man waited stolidly while they drew the skiff up beside the other, and Brokols' covert glance showed no sign of anger or even sullenness on the bodyguard's face. They walked back to the hamlet together without a word and went separately to bed. Their work here was done. They could sleep late if they wanted to.

* * *

Late that morning a squad of mounted infantry arrived to watch the hamlet for them while they were gone. Nothing was to be disturbed and the soldiers were to stay out of the workshop.

Frimattos and Torissia had already led the kaabors down from pasture and they'd been variously saddled or harnessed. Now they hitched the teams to the wagons they were taking back with them, and on spring seats or in the saddle, rode up the draw to the road at the top.

The day's shower had come early, sparing them and wetting the soldiers instead. The weather was typically humid but less hot than some, and a breeze kept it pleasant. Brokols and Juliassa rode a bit ahead of the others, Brokols remembering the night and wondering what Juliassa was thinking about. He'd worried, as they'd paddled back, that there might be an irreparable breach between Juliassa on the one hand and Jonkka and Torissia on the other. But as far as he could see this morning, the only effect was that Torissia avoided her niece's eyes.

"I'm relieved," he murmured to Juliassa, "that Jonkka isn't mad at you. Or Torissia either."

Juliassa giggled. "She can't be. She woke up when I came in last night and asked if it was me. I told her yes, and she said 'oh,' as if she was disappointed.

"So I put one and one together, her disappointment and the fact that Jonkka wasn't angry at us, and questioned her. Finally she confessed. After we got away, they'd stood on the beach side by side, watching us paddle down the inlet, and she was thinking about what we were probably going to do. Then she realized they were holding hands. Next, Jonkka's arm was around her shoulders and her arm was around his waist. Before long they were undressed." Juliassa giggled. "And after that . . .. She says she's in love with him.

"Actually I'm surprised. Mama's family—Torissia's—are nobles, and have been for a long time, even though they're a minor family. And Jonkka never seemed the type to seduce a noblewoman." Juliassa dimpled. "Especially on duty!"

"Maybe he was doing his duty," Brokols said. "Although enjoying it, I'm sure."

She looked questioningly at him.

"Maybe he was still protecting you." He chuckled. "I don't suppose Torissia will tell on us now, will she?"

Juliassa's eyes widened, then she laughed. "Never. Nor I on her."

Brokols rode along thoughtfully. "Will she feel bad that they can't marry?"

She looked surprised. "Oh, they can marry."

"They can? But—but wouldn't she lose her nobility then? Be outcast from her family?"

"Oh no. She'd lose her inheritance, and their children would be commoners. What would probably happen though is that her family, after they'd looked into his record and gotten to know him, would adopt Jonkka as an honor-nephew. With what's called untenured adoption; they could reject him later for cause. If he abused her, for example. That way any children they had would be noble and she'd still have her inheritance.

"And quite probably they'd appoint him in some supervisory capacity on their estate or in their stone quarry."

Brokols nudged his kaabor closer to hers, reached and took her hand.

"How do I go about marrying you?" he asked.

She smiled and once more his heart melted. "First you ask me. Then, together, we ask my father. After that . . ." Her face turned from sweetly girlish to determined. "After that—we'll see whether any more will be necessary.

"This evening you'll have supper with us; I'll arrange it with my mother. We can ask them then."

Brokols wasn't as nervous at the prospect as he might have expected. Not after last night. He'd fight the amirr for her if he had to. Although clearly, Juliassa was the fighter.

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Framed