Tansy of the Wilds

Chapter Thirty-Five

Ricktus, Tansy's papa was sitting at the table, his expression foreboding and hard. Archibald sat to the right of him, giving both her and Xer'tal a smile, and her mother, Miriam to the left, a small frown of disappointment on her face. Her three brothers and Rose sat off to the side, their gazes judging and angry.

"I will not apologize." Tansy's voice was firm. "What you asked of me was wrong. You have told us all to marry for love and to grow wild gardens in our hearts. You do not get to take that from me, you do not have that right because it is not fair to ask that of me and no one else."

"Tansy, it was selfish." Her papa's voice was low, angry and upset.

Tansy nodded, not willing to deny it. "It was. It was selfish but so were your own actions. You decided to barter me, to sell me off, expecting me to fall into your wants without a sound. That was selfish, papa. I only returned it in kind." She looked up at Xer'tal, squeezing his large, war roughened hand in hers. "Our marriage might have been born out of the whirlwind of desperation caused by your actions but I love him, papa. Deeply and truly. I want to grow a wild garden with him in my heart, lovingly tended to for years as it blooms." Her voice was gentle as she leaned against Xer'tal, knowing he was right there beside her supporting her.

"You do not get to make these choices, Tansy." Her papa's voice rose, "You have acted rashly, running off like a child without seeing the damage it can cause. It has caused. Tenzin wishes to leave, he feels slighted by your rejection, especially when you reject him for an orc."

She immediately scowled at the words, "Xer'tal is a good man, nothing matters but that and if Tenzin is more upset about the race of my choice then he is not a very good person. We judge people on the quality of their character, papa, not by how they look." There was a chastisement to her voice and she lifted her chin. "If you feel the same as Tenzin then you are not the papa that raised me." She spoke firmly even as her mother and sister Rose gave gasps of shock at the denouncement. Archibald simply smiled proudly as he watched, as if he had been waiting for this moment for a long time.

"If ya have a problem with me, Ricktus, ya best bring it to me, don't be goin' through Tansy." Xer'tal's voice was a deep growl of agitation. "Tansy's happiness is worth more than any deal or gold ye'd ever trade, especially with a waste of fuckin' space like that shit carver." The agitation grew deeper in his voice and Tansy squeezed his hand gently. "She ain't somethin' to barter, she ain't property. But right now, she's my wife and it'll be a cold day in the great hells before I let someone give her shit for choosin' to be happy."

He turned to Tansy and she looked up at him, a soft smile on her face and she watched as that stern, aggressive countenance melted slightly. His eyes kindled with adoration as he wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her close. "Our love wasn't rash, Tansy. Doesn't matter what they think, or whatever bullshit Tenzin's blabberin' about leavin', fuck him." His gaze hardened, "Ya ain't gotta prove anythin' to them. Ye are everythin' ya ever needed to be, Tansy. And I'm fuckin' proud to be yer husband." She smiled up at Xer'tal with all the love overflowing her heart, he was just so wonderful.

Ricktus grunted and scowled, "And what do you bring to the family except another mouth to feed, Xer'tal? Tenzin would have guaranteed us more sales, more trades. You bring what? Your axe?" The words were almost sneered and Tansy gasped in outrage and Archibald raised a hand.

"Yes, he brings his axe and his devotion to protect our Tansy from any and all threats." The chastisement came out as a rasp. "If you cannot see the merit of an axe of war instead of wood during these times you are a fool, Ricktus. What good would a chisel do against a marauding band of defectors or bandits? What good would gold be when arrows rain down around us? Tansy's choice is very valuable indeed, do not be so foolish as to not see it." He leaned back in his chair, his frail arms crossing over his chest as he glowered at Ricktus.