Chapter 5 The Favor of the gods

Voloukh was clutching another jar of wine as he approached the temple attendant in charge of taking down names. The young man was yawning and staring at the names on his paper as he dipped his quill on the ink.

"Hello."

The man stared up and froze.

"Voloukh."

"W...What?"

"My name is Voloukh."

"O...Okay? Can I help you, s...sir?"

"Shouldn't you be taking my name down?"

The man blinked in realization and horror. "You're to be wed too?"

"By the mayor's orders."

The young man stared blankly at Voloukh for a moment and then gulped.

"Excuse me for a moment."

He scurried off and Voloukh could see him communicating to an older man who was obviously his superior.

He returned, still looking astounded.

"I'm so sorry, mister. Please what did you say that your name was?"

"Voloukh."

"Please can you spell it, mister?"

Voloukh gaped at him blankly.

"Mister?"

"I do not understand what you request me to do."

"I want you to spell your name, sir."

Voloukh grunted in frustration.

The young man quickly wrote down something and showed it to him.

"Is this how your name is spelled, sir?"

Voloukh stared perplexedly at the paper.

"I cannot decipher these symbols."

But he wished he could. Badly.

The young man nodded.

"Well, are we done?"

"Do you have any other names, sir?"

"No."

"Then we are done."

As Voloukh left, he noticed the people behind and around him, who were also frozen and staring at him in shock just like the young man who took his name. He found the nearest tree and sat under.

Then he began to hear the hushed whispers.

"He is also getting wed?"

"My goodness!"

"I pray to the gods that my daughter does not end up being the unfortunate woman to be married to this monster."

"What was the mayor thinking when he decided to wed the beast of the woods?"

"I pity the poor girl who will be wed to him. Will she even be able to bed him? I mean, look at the huge bulge on his breeches."

Voloukh cursed. This was a wasted effort. The people were right. He was a monster and could not possibly have a wife without hurting her.

He stood up and went back to the temple attendant. On his way, he saw the unwilling bride that had bumped into him a few hours ago, surrounded by grinning men as she called out her name.

As he went forward, people cleared the way for him until he was face to face, not with the young man who had left, but with the superior that he young man had communicated with before putting down his name.

"I would like to withdraw my name."

The man looked up, bemused.

"I'm sorry, sir. That is not possible."

"Not possible? Do you really want someone like me to bed one of your town girls?"

"I am just as surprised and unwilling as you are but the mayor said that received the message from the gods."

"Fuck your gods. They are as useless as the piece of paper you clutch in your hands"

"Please, calm down mister."

Voloukh stomped out. As he went back to the tree, he realized that he had not really observed his surroundings as this was the first time he was ever out in the sunlight. He looked around. White and red triangular flags had been hung on strings around the town square. The women scurried about in their white gowns and the men in their white shirts and breeches. Uninteresting booths were set up around the square selling wine, mead, assorted meats on steaks and baked food. The flute players were still playing their soft tunes and little children danced and ran about.

It wasn't a very interesting sight.

His eyes fell again on the unwilling bride with the violet eyes. The men had finally left her but she was still closely guarded as she walked towards a nearby tree.

He studied her features. She was so slim and small and as she walked it seemed as though she was being swayed by the light breeze. He noticed a large bump on the side of her face which was bleeding and he frowned. What on earth had those scoundrels done to her?

...................

"Leila?" Gideon stood up, looking shocked. "What are you doing here, in a white gown? You can't possibly be getting married. And who the fuck did that to your face?"

"Apparently, the mayor wants me to be a part of the community." Leila sighed as she sat beside him. "And he recruited William and his gang to force me into submission."

Gideon gritted his teeth. "I should kill those men one day."

Leila laughed, observing him. His face was blotchy and his corneas shone blood red. He had obviously been crying.

"So, you've heard the news about Eris?"

Gideon grunted. "After slaving for that old fool so that I could be in his good books. How dare he just die on the one day that he was supposed to help me?"

Leila sighed. "And Iliana?"

Gideon's lips quivered and tears rose to his eyes."

She is resigned. Says that she would have to accept whoever the gods give her."

"It's not right, you know? You both love each other. Why would the said gods want to pair the both of you with other people?'

"I made friends with some other temple attendants as I attempted to please Eris and hinted my intentions with Iliana. Hopefully, one of them would be the ones to do the pairing. But if they choose otherwise and I get paired with some other woman, I am going to run away somewhere with Iliana."

Leila gasped. "You would elope? What about your livestock business, and your political career?"

"None of those would make sense if I am not with Iliana."

"Have you told her your intentions?"

Gideon shook his head. "Not yet, but I doubt she would refuse if I eventually would have to take that route. But forget me, what about you? Why would the mayor suddenly want you to wed in this town? I thought they all hated you."

"Who knows? Maybe I am not as hated as I thought I was."

Gideon laughed. "No, Leila, you are hated more than you think you are. Do you know how many times people have told me that I could ruin my political career by virtue of my friendship with you?"

Leila laughed. "And you still stick around?"

"I would never abandon the people I love for something as fickle as money and power."

Something soft and warm stirred in Leila's heart.

"May the gods grant you the woman you love, Gideon."

Gideon grunted and leaned on the bark of the tree.