The Offer and the Decision

Writers: Heather, Miriah
Date Posted: 17th April 2019
Series: The Hallmaster's New Wife

Characters: Enamra, Thayde
Description: The two come to a decision regarding their future at the Dolphin Hall.
Location: Dolphin Hall
Date: month 10, day 21 of Turn 9
Notes: Mentioned: Jylanya, Irabel

Enamra

Thayde

***

Enamra sat on the edge of the dock, staring mutely over waves. She
didn't really see them, not like she usually did. It wasn't fair, she
decided, not to Master Thayde. None of it had been his fault; he'd
just been trying to help her.

But what could she do? Jylanya was right; she didn't have much choice,
if he did decide to make the offer. If he didn't, her siblings would
still be taken care of, but their reputations would be just as ruined
as her own would be. They'd lost enough. But if he did, she would
have to marry him. What other choice did she have? None at all. Not
really. Her eyes studied the horizon, wishing with all she was worth
that Hista had never come to her room.

Thayde stood on the other end of the dock, hands shoved into his
pockets, hair whipping about in the breeze coming off the waves. He'd
spoken with the Headwoman, and then with the Hallmaster about Enamra
and the options that had been given to him. The Hallmaster was nothing
if not a traditionalist, and he had revealed to Thayde how protective
he was of the young people that came to the Hall, be they drudge or
student. Because of that, Thayde had been given two options- leave the
Hall and go back to his former posting at Jade Harbor, or marry Enamra
for the sake of her tarnished reputation and stay at the Hall.

If he took the first option and went back to Jade Harbor, he could go
about his life as normal. His dolphin had already been familiar with
the pod that lived there once, so it wouldn't be a great burden to
move there again. But the first option was also the coward's way out,
he thought. He could move to Jade Harbor, reputation untouched, but
that would still leave Enamra behind at the Dolphin Hall with hers in
tatters, trying to care for her orphaned siblings. From what limited
information he had about the person who had gotten Enamra pregnant,
that had already happened to her once, being abandoned, and Thayde
couldn't do that.

Walking out to where she sat on the dock, Thayde lowered himself to
sit down beside her, letting his feet dangle off into the water.

"How are you?" he asked.

It took a moment for her to work up enough courage to answer him, but
her voice was only a whisper. "Jylanya said you might come
to..uhm...talk to me." The moment she heard his arrival she went
utterly still, even as he sat beside her. She wasn't able to look at
him, but hid behind her hair, staring down at her feet."I'm so sorry,
Master Thayde. I told Jylanya that it wasn't your fault. You were just
trying to help." She swallowed hard.

"Neither of us did anything wrong," he stressed. "If anyone is to
blame it is Hista." Thayde's dislike for the drudge had tripled since
the incident. He sighed a little as he looked out over the water. "I
could leave the Hall," he continued, glancing sideways at her bowed
head, "but I am not sure that would help you."

It wouldn't help her. "You should have never started helping me. If
you hadn't you'd be okay." She rubbed at her eyes, but still kept her
face hidden behind her hair.

"Maybe..." he trailed off, glancing sideways at her again. Should he
marry her? If he did he could not only provide for her and make sure
she received an education, but he could do the same for her siblings
too. He thought of what Endarin had said about Enamra being more
protected as a Master's wife. "Maybe," he continued, "we should
consider marriage."

She finally turned her head, showing her face. One side was slightly
swollen from the fight that had occurred; Hatilda had hit her with all
of her strength. Somewhere deep inside, Enamra hoped that she had
yanked the girls head around so hard that she still had a headache.
As she had thought before, if she accepted the offer, she would have
to... he would want to...stomach again knotted. It would be his right
if they did. But if she could stay with her siblings...was it worth
it? And he would want babies. Men did. But he was kind and what he
was offering....Jylanya was right, she'd ever get another offer, not
being ruined as she was.

She looked back down at her feet, sucking in her lower lip. It was a
chance. And she thought, maybe, that when he wanted _that_, then she
could bear it. He was kind and always had been, at least to her. And
Jylanya was right about him being nice looking. She _had_ noticed. If
he had to take care of her as a wife, then he would deserve it. He was
sacrificing more than she was. "Maybe...maybe we should. "

"I am willing, if that's what you would want. We could tell Jylanya, I
am sure she wouldn't mind setting up a small ceremony for us." Thayde
said, a frown beginning to turn his lips as he caught sight of her
face. "The Headwoman said you were in a scuffle," he reached out to
inspect the bruise.

She looked back at him the moment his fingers touched her chin. Her
large brown eyes stared at him. She would be his wife if she said yes.
But if she didn't...it could be much worse. At least she knew that he
was kind. She made her decision. "If you'll have me, Master Thayde.
I'll try to be a good wife." She winced as he touched the bruise. "The
other drudges were making fun of me. Hista told them that we were..."
Her cheeks reddened. "...that I was like a tavern girl with you. They
kept on and I got mad and..." She squirmed and her voice lowered. "I
kind of pulled Hatilda's hair and everything kind of happened at
once."

He winced imagining it. "I wish you had at least got a good fist into
Hista's nose," Thayde admitted, something sparking in his dark browns
eyes.

"She's bigger than me and she wasn't there. If she had been, it would
have been worse. She's been assigned to the privies for the next week,
though." She couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction about
that. Her only worry was when Hista got back. Her hand went to her
hair at the thought and she stroked a lock.

She studied the Master Dolphineer's face. "So...what do I do now?"

**A week?** he thought. **That's it?** He would have shipped Hista off
to the Weyr to get her foul presence out of the Hall, but then, he'd
also been the dummy that had closed the door to Enamra's rooms and
caused the problem to begin with.

Thayde focused back on Enamra and her question. "You can let Jylanya
know that we'll be getting married and I'll inform the Hallmaster." It
felt weird to say the words, 'getting married' as he hadn't imagined,
after Irabel had left, that he would ever say those words.

"When?" She had to prepare herself in someway. Get adjusted to it. "I
don't...I mean we don't need any huge ceremony or anything. Uhm...will
I live with you or would you want me to stay in the Hall?"

"I have room in my quarters for you and your siblings if you want to
stay together." As a Master Crafter, Thayde had a suite of rooms, made
for a family, that centered around a small living area. "As for the
when," he exhaled, "I suppose as soon as you're ready, and as soon as
Jylanya can get things prepared."

"Its best right now for them to stay with a foster mother." She
swallowed. "The drudges were talking about them too, so... they don't
need to stay with me for a while. But I can still see them." She
offered a bit of a smile, which dropped as he exhaled. "Okay. I'll
talk to her and let her know."

Last updated on the May 3rd 2019

[Prev: The Fragility of a Reputation] Series: The Hallmaster's New Wife [Next: Wedding bells...Ding Dong..]

Welcome to Triad Weyrs!

The Offer and the Decision