As the cheering continued, Ilika looked around while trying to swallow the huge lump in his throat. Mati must have heard the merchant’s words, as she had her head buried in Kibi’s arms, sobbing deeply. Boro and Sata had looks of shock on their faces as the problem became clear.
Looking back toward the ceremonial circle, Ilika could see the girl trying to pull Rini toward her tent, but he was standing his ground and wore a frown of confusion. Ilika took a deep breath, stepped into the circle, and approached the couple. The cheering and clapping began to die down.
“Rini, did you intend to perform a wedding ceremony with this young lady?”
In the past, Ilika had seen Rini wear many expressions, including red-faced rage when the wolf threatened Mati and Tera. But Ilika had never before seen Rini white with fear.
Even as Ilika spoke, the girl kept trying to pull her beloved away.
“Uh . . . n-n-no . . .” Rini managed to stutter out. “We . . . were just . . .
dancing and . . . playing . . . weren’t we?”
A large and richly dressed man of obvious importance stepped into the circle, hands on his hips. He spoke loudly and clearly, and the crowd fell silent.
The merchant entered the circle and translated. “This is the girl’s father.
He demands to know why his newlywed daughter and her husband are being bothered on their wedding night, instead of running off to her tent to . . . um
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. . . take their pleasure.”
Ilika took another deep breath. “This lad, my charge, thought he was just dancing and playing, as he did earlier with several of the youth. He had no idea this was a wedding ceremony.”
The trader translated while the father and all the people listened.
The girl immediately burst into tears and ran into the arms of a woman on the edge of the circle. The woman held her sobbing daughter while looking daggers at Rini. The crowd began jeering and pounding sticks against the ground.
The father looked ready to chew nails, and with smoking eyes glared at Rini and spoke.
“He asks,” the merchant translated, “if this . . . um . . . this pathetic wimp of a boy — his words, not mine — intends to fulfill his marriage vows . . . or not.”
The people around the circle laughed and jeered.
“Rini,” Ilika began, then paused to gather his thoughts. “Rini, regardless of what you knew or didn’t know, you now must decide if you are willing to be married to this girl, and fulfill all the responsibilities that go with marriage.”
Rini’s eyes were wet and swirling with panic. He spoke with a broken voice. “Um . . . I can’t . . . I already . . . belong to . . . Mati . . .”
Mati was still sobbing and shaking in Kibi’s arms and didn’t hear what was said.
The merchant translated for the father and his people.
An angry rumble ran through the spectators, and Ilika’s right hand approached his bracelet.
Suddenly the girl’s father raised a hand and the people quickly fell silent.
He spoke loudly, slowly, and clearly. The crowd murmured approval.
“There is an old tradition that has not been used in many years,” the trader said, translating. “A man that refuses to fulfill his wedding vows must give three years of service as a slave, one for hurting the girl, one for offending the mother, and one for offending the father.”
Rini’s head fell onto his chest and he started crying.
The father spoke again.
“The girl may yet take him to her bed if he now finds the courage to be a
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man,” the trader said.
“I wish to offer a third option,” Ilika announced loudly, and the trader translated.
The father spoke a word and cocked his head. The people remained silent.
“This lad is small and not a strong worker, but I have use for his skills. An old tradition in my country is that a gold piece may take the place of a year of service. I offer three gold pieces to replace the offense this lad has caused.”
The merchant from the kingdom to the west again translated Ilika’s words.
The father appeared thoughtful as he went to his wife and daughter and spoke in hushed tones. A disagreement of some kind passed between the parents, but Ilika and his students had to wait until the merchant spoke.
“The lad has three choices. Go to his marriage bed and be a good husband, be a slave for three years, or smash the wedding cup from which he and the girl drank and place three gold pieces in her hand.”
Ilika had to shake Rini several times to get him to focus on the decision at hand. He repeated the terms, and added that the three gold pieces were in Ilika’s pouch if he needed them.
It took Rini a minute to wipe his tears and focus his mind. “Which . . . do you think is best, Ilika?”
The captain of the Manessa Kwi thought for a moment. “The first or the third, as you choose. The second option, slavery, I will not allow.”
Still white, Rini looked around. The girl was in her mother’s arms, but had ceased crying and was looking at him. The wedding cup stood alone on the small table nearest the girl. Mati had also ceased crying and was peeking out from under Kibi’s cloak, face tear-stained and hair tangled.
On shaking legs, Rini moved forward, picked up the ceramic cup, and knelt down at the first rock he came to on the edge of the circle. He glanced up at the girl, then back at Mati, and smashed the cup onto the rock, cutting himself in the process, but not feeling it.
The girl started crying again, but didn’t hide her face or take her eyes off Rini.
Ilika found the only three gold coins in his pouch and went to Rini’s side.
When Rini slowly stood, shaking all over, he looked at his teacher with sad, wet eyes. Ilika held out the coins and Rini opened his bleeding hand.
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In a fog of emotions, Rini somehow managed to take the last few steps toward the girl and her mother. The stern look on the woman’s face nearly made him bolt. The girl, crying loudly with tears that had completely ruined her gown, held out her hand.
Rini placed the three blood-covered gold coins in her hand, then closed his eyes and let Ilika lead him away.
Deep Learning Notes
To solve the problem, did Ilika work within the local customs, or did he violate them?
What situation caused Ilika to consider violating the local customs (when he thought about using his bracelet)?
How did Rini make his decision?
In our world, citizens of powerful countries often expect their governments to intervene for them when they get into trouble in foreign countries. This sometimes happens if the person has wealth or power, but in theory, we are all subject to the laws of another country when visiting it, and if we go to prison there, it will be to THEIR prison, however good or bad their prisons might be.
Why didn’t Rini feel it when he cut himself?
Was there any way Rini could have made everyone happy in that situation?