“Andry’s married? Who to?” Rohan didn’t bother to hide his astonishment. Tobin and Chay, as uninformed on the subject as he, were going to be furious.
“Did I say he’d Chosen a wife?”
Rohan looked at Morwenna, who nodded grimly. “That’s why we left. Not because he didn’t marry the girl, or even because he’d gotten her with child. But it was the way he did it and the future which it implied that shattered all for us.”
“For me,” Urival corrected. “You wanted to stay and try to talk him out of it. Perhaps that would have been the right way. I don’t know. But I couldn’t stay there any longer. Not when he’s using the first-ring night to sire a son on a girl no older than sixteen!”
Rohan’s wine cup nearly dropped out of his hand. He stared at the faradh’im, too stunned to speak.
“You know about that night, of course,” Urival went on. “The boy or girl calls Fire formally for the first time in front of the Lord or Lady of Goddess Keep. That night they’re virgins no longer.” He glanced briefly at Morwenna. “She has been one of the more enthusiastic initiators of boys into the delights of being men.”
Morwenna tossed her black braid from her shoulder. “And, of course, they had to drag you kicking and screaming to the same duty for more than a few girls!”
A smile flitted across his face. “That’s many, many years ago.”
“But I’ll bet you still remember!” Her manner was sharp, but her dark eyes danced.
“Memories to warm an old man’s long, cold nights,” he riposted easily. Then he turned to Rohan again. “The guise of the Goddess is used to hide identity from the virgin.”
Rohan nodded. “Sioned . . . spoke of it once or twice, a long time ago. She never knew.” He recalled his own disgraceful behavior of—could it really be twenty-five years ago?—when he’d found out that his Chosen lady would not come virgin to their marriage bed. He looked on the memory from a bemused distance now, amazed to think that it had meant so much to him at the time. Of course, at the time he had been barely twenty-one, unsure of himself both as a prince and as a man, and desperately in love.
“She never knew,” Urival echoed softly, holding Rohan’s gaze with his own.
And the High Prince suddenly realized that one of the sweetest memories to warm the old man’s nights was the initiation of Sioned. He felt blood heat his face, and told himself sternly that at his age he should be long past the curse of a fair complexion. Urival gave another fleeting half-smile.
“Of course she didn’t,” Morwenna said briskly. “None of them do. The point here is that Andry’s changed tradition. At least as far as the girls are concerned. We’ve always been very careful to time that night so no child comes of it. And the duty is parceled out among several men. But Andry’s reserved the right to himself and two others. When I questioned him about Othanel’s pregnancy, he flat out admitted he arranged it so she’d conceive!”
“And then declined to marry her.” Urival was grim-faced again. “Told me that she had agreed to bear his child—was honored, in fact. As what ambitious woman wouldn’t be, to have the child of so powerful a Lord of Goddess Keep, and a close kinsman of the High Prince into the bargain?”
Rohan thought this over for a time. Then he asked, “How many others feel as you do?”
“Quite a few. They stayed.” Morwenna shrugged uncomfortably. “We’re here because of your son—Urival to train him, me to be Urival’s company.”
The old man added, “Ostensibly I’m in retirement. Morwenna’s along to keep an eye on me, as she said. At least she’s not had to lie.”
“Then Andry doesn’t know—”
“He suspects.” Urival shrugged. “His suspicion may be a certainty by now. But officially he can’t take any notice. I go where I like and do as I please. I gave over my keys as Chief Steward to one of his friends. Trained the boy myself, so he knows his work. Sorin met him in 719.”
“The Fironese? The one who had so many fine ideas for rebuilding Feruche?”
“Torien’s his name. And now that I’ve left, he can do to the Keep what Andry’s doing to the Sunrunners themselves—remaking the entire structure of both.” Urival shook his head. “I’m too old for this, Rohan. I don’t like so many changes.”