CHAPTER FIVE #3
He didn't respond, and after a few moments of thought, Briella said, "Imagine a chief so great that he comes to be called The Ruler Over All."
"Over all?" he repeated.
"Yes. He is so wise and powerful that the people have given him this right, and this title of The Ruler is given to his children, too."
"Does this ruler's children deserve to be called this because of their great deeds?"
"No," she answered simply. "It is passed down the family line, it being assumed that if The Ruler was so good, so will his children be, also."
"And, do his children live up to this man's legend?"
"Some," she explained. "But, not all. Now, over time a people can come to regard this ruler as different from them, and he might even insist they support him with food and other services."
"This is a bad system, since it gives a man who could be weak what he does not deserve.
It is different when a man gives to the poor, but to give what one has earned rightly to a man simply because his father was great will lead a tribe to its doom, I fear, since a fool might lead them into doing wrong. "
"Yes," she said, "perhaps. Still, this is the foundation of my father's society. There are those who rule over others, expecting others to support him simply because he exists or because they think he is wise."
She felt Red Fox shrug. Then he asked, "And, your family has this title?"
She nodded. "It is so."
"So this man, who has done nothing to deserve this distinction, has merely to purchase it from your father by marrying you?"
"Yes," she answered.
Again Red Fox said nothing, until after a long pause, he asked, "And, what of the bed that makes a man and a woman married?"
"What of it?"
"Do you need to bed him to complete the marriage?"
"I…I do not know. I hadn't thought of this aspect of our arrangement, but I think after the vows are said between us, it is expected…otherwise the marriage is not looked upon as a marriage, in truth, by the church."
"If this be so, and you bed him, I fear this would make a mockery of our love and of me."
"No! Never would I do this to you."
"Would you not? You say this, but I know that if you must bed this man, I would not even be looked upon as a sits-beside-her-husband."
She giggled, but only a little. How could she not? Red Fox was knowingly or unknowingly making a joke on a sits-beside-him-woman, a Pikuni man's first wife. He, on the other hand, did not laugh at all, not even a little.
She answered his question, saying, "Well, it is the only way I could envision which would allow me to accomplish what I had to do so I could return here to you."
"I know of no woman who has ever had two husbands at the same time."
"Well, could I be the first? Please, Red Fox.
I know you say there might be another way for us to be together, but if there is one, I do not know what it is.
Yes, we must both pray to the Creator about this.
But, please consider what I am suggesting.
I did not know of any other path to take that would bring me back here to you. "
"I know," he said as he brought his arms up around her to hug her and pull her more fully against him.
"But, it was not fully your doing. I was involved, too.
Perhaps, had I approached your father before I did we would not now have these difficulties.
But, do not be deceived about this: because of my failure to unite us two winters ago, you were left to do the best you could.
But, hear me now, to marry this man in fact is wrong because it is you and I who are in love.
Do not do it. We must find another way. Will you allow me to find this way? "
"Yes, of course," she answered at once, placing her head back against his shoulder.
"But, time is short. My father and my eldest brother are expecting me to marry Maximillian within seven to fourteen days or as soon as a priest can be found to come here to witness the marriage and perform the ceremony. "
"And yet," he countered, "you must not marry this man who appears to have little intelligence.
How could he suggest this arrangement to you?
To require you marry him while he carries on with another woman whom he does not choose to make his wife, in truth.
Is he a worthless man to have not perceived the value of you? "
"You still think I have some worth?"
"Of course. So much of this do you have, I wish to spend the rest of my life with you. But, this…marriage between you and this other man must not take place. Pray to your God. Ask for His help.
"Now," continued Red Fox, "I have one more question for you: what is this prenuptial agreement you speak of?"
"Oh, that. It is an agreement between his family and mine. On paper, we give him the title he desires and he gives us the financial gain we have both agreed upon beforehand. We both sign it, we marry and he leaves, never to see me again…nor I, him."
"Again, you do not mention this man bedding you."
Bringing her head up off his shoulder and pulling her knees in close to her, she brought her head down to her knees, her hands holding her head. "Forgive me. I could only think of what I had to do to return to this country and to you."
"You do not need my forgiveness. I understand why you have done what you did.
You had no choice in the matter. But, you have a choice now," he said.
"We are, as of this moment, married. You are now my woman, and I am your man.
We have made this so, because we are now of one heart.
And, if this Pikuni land be your country in truth, you know this is so.
Because of what we have done here this day, I must make you my woman or I risk damaging your reputation…
or worse, if anyone in my tribe discovers I have made love to you and yet you willingly bed another man…
There is a penalty a woman pays for this kind of behavior in my tribe, and I would have no say in what would be done. You know of the penalty?"
She nodded, but said nothing.
He continued speaking and said, "One action we might take is to leave this country forever and go north to make our home with a people who know us not. In this way, I would take away the risk of you coming to harm, not only from the white man's cannon and guns, but from my own people."
She sat in silence for several moments. "I had forgotten. Couldn't we pretend to be only what we were before we made love? Pretend we are only friends?"
"Do you really believe we could be merely friends now? We both have experienced the desire we have for each other. Others can easily witness what is between us. Perhaps you can hide your need from your father, but not from the men and women of my tribe."
"Again, you forget you are speaking of my tribe, too."
"Then, being a part of the tribe, you are willing to suffer the consequences of what we have done here today if we do not call ourselves a man and his woman? Again I ask you, you know what they are?"
"Well, yes, I do, but…"
He placed his arms around her and brought his head down to hers, kissing the top of her head. He murmured, "I will pray to Sun, our Creator, about this and beseech Him to show me a way for us to be together as a man and his wife. I cannot challenge your Maximillian—"
"He is not my Maximillian."
"If he were Indian, I would challenge him to a fight to the death before any of this kind of agreement is set between you. But, he is a white man, and we have already seen what your government does to an Indian tribe when one of its members kills a white man."
"It is not my government."
"I know," he whispered, kissing the top of her head again. "Well, since we already have shunned your culture and mine, I think we should love one another again before I bring you to your father's lodge."
"Must we go there? Could we not run away and be together, at least for tonight?”
“I think not,” he said. “Your father will know you are with me. And, if you stay out with me for the night, I do not think it will go well for you, especially because you are tied to this man by your own promise to him and to your father. And yet, you must not marry him.”
When she didn’t answer, Red Fox went on to say, “No, I must think on this. And I must act quickly.”
“Yes, and I must do so, too.”
“But, until I know what is to be done,”said Red Fox, “I believe it is best for me to take you back to your father’s ranch. You will be safe there.”
He pulled her in close to him. Bending his head toward hers, he kissed the top of her head once more.
"My beautiful, beautiful woman," he whispered in her ear.
"I care little about what you had to do so you could return here.
I welcome you back to my country. I am happy you are back here and in my arms. I will pray to the Creator.
You must pray, too, because you have intended, and still intend, to defy Him.
Speak to Him, tell Him what is in your heart and ask Him to show you how to continue to be married to me.
We will find a way. I will find a way. áa, I will find a way.
But, I must beg you to refrain from bedding this man.
Run away if you have to. I will find you. "
"I will pray, and if I must, I will run away. But, I fear if you can find me, so will they. After all, my brother is as good of a tracker as you are," she murmured.
“Your brother, George, would never betray us. So, run away if you have to.”
“Yes, of course. You are right,” she said as she settled back toward him. “But must we go to my father's ranch so soon? Please, could we not make love once again, just once more before we have to go back into the world?"
She heard him laugh slightly. Then he said, "Of course we will. But, never have I said words with so much truth: I am glad you have come back…"
"To you?"
"áa, to me."
And, as she had asked, so did he give her, and they made love again. Then, beneath a moon full of shimmering misty-silver light, they all five—he and she, their two ponies and the young wolf—set out over the prairie, making their trek toward her father's ranch.