Unattainable

By SchiffThomas and Co Writer ReapingGrin

Vernon Truillefou stood in his tent looking at the smaller man that was seated on a mound of pillows. His wife stood next to him holding a small child in her arms. The boy fussed in her arms.

"So it is agreed than?" Vernon asked. "Will your wife agree?"

The man shrugged. "I don't see how it is any of her business."

"It's her child." Vernon's wife said angrily.

"Quiet woman." The man said. "It's agreed." Vernon looked down at his son before looking to the man.

He stood from the pillows and held a hand out to Vernon. "They shall be wed on my daughters sixteenth birthday."

The shook arms. Vernon looked to his wife a moment. She didn't seem happy about this at all.

"She will be coming here I take it?" Vernon asked. "When she's of age?"

"Mm.." He said with a firm nod. "My boys will bring her. She will make a fine wife for your son...." He glanced to the young Child.

The boy looked back at him his fingers in his mouth. He hugged his mom shying away from the man.

Stroking his beard he eyed the boy then nodded to Vernon in respect. "I'll take my leave... Good day."

"I can't believe you!" Vernon's wife Drina said angrily at her husband.

"This is a matter of the father. I chose his wife and that is final Drina. I do not wish to hear a word of it!" Vernon told his wife firmly.

"Who do you think you are?" Drina asked. "You think you're all high and mighty as the king? The king of what? The king of vagabonds and gypsies. Since when do we force our children to marry?" She asked.

"That is enough!" Vernon said. "The decision has been made and that is that!" He said angrily. "He will be married when he is nineteen and that is final." He left the tent throwing the flap open. She watched it fall back shut and sat down on the mound of pillows with her son in her arms.

"I'm so sorry Clopin." She said holding him to her even though he fussed to be put down. In sixteen years time he'll be married to a girl he didn't even know.
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Marriage, that was the only reason for this trip. Her father had promised her to a man when she was merely three days old. Nadya sat quietly in the caravan as she waited her sentence. The young woman felt as though she was being sacrificed to the gods as two other older woman fussed with her hair and the dress she wore. They made comments to her on how lovely she looked and how lucky this man would be to have such a bride. She was growing sick of hearing such words. She could have sworn that as the caravan came to a halt so did her heart. Dread washed over her.

She swallowed and moved to the exit of the caravan. Her heart pounded in her chest. This was it. This was her new prison. To serve a man she didn't know for the rest of her life.

As she pushed the flap of the caravan open she was met by her eldest brother. He held his hand to her helping her down. Her eyes moved around the area they had stopped. She was confused.

"Don't worry...This is where they said a guard would meet us to take you to the court. We are not allowed to acompany you...." He said and traced the palm of his hand over her cheek. "Your guide is here..." He said nodding to the large gypsy man that seemed to come from nowhere.

"You're not... coming with me?" She asked.

"We were told by father we were not to follow you." He said then looked to the guide. "The goodbye would be less painful He said...." He shook his head and turned his back to the baby sister. "Go with him now... there can not be a wedding without you..."

"Good." She said. "I don't want there to be one. I don't want to marry this man." She said tears springing to her eyes.

Her eldest brother merely shook his head. "You have to.... Father warned you... That if you did not... You would never be welcomed home again..... Now GO Nayda before I have your guide make a fool of you and carry you over his shoulder into the court!"

"I can't come home anyway." Nadya argued the tears now falling down her cheeks. "Please don't make me go."

"Stop acting like a stupid child!" He snapped at her then pointed in the direction of the guide. "Now go! Before this new husband of yours gets the notion to whip you for making them wait!"

Nadya flinched from her brother looking absolutely horrified at the way her brother spoke to her. Never in his life had he treated her as such. She clenched her teeth and stood up straight. "Fine... if that's what you want." She turned to the guide whipping her tears from her eyes.

It was hard for her not to look back to her brother. She still had her pride. Holding her head high she closed her eyes tightly, She wanted to just go home to her family.

Once they where out of sight of her brother the gypsy turned to her. "You have to put this over your eyes." He said pulling out a piece of cloth. "You can not know where we're going." He said.

She grew more annoyed with this. "I'm to live here and I'm not to know how to get there!?" She questioned the man harshly. "How am I to know how to return if I leave that place!"

"You won't be." The man said. "Put it on."

Swallowing hard she wanted to fight against him more but her brothers words ran in her ears. Grabbing the cloth she placed it over her eyes.

The man tied it behind her head and continued to lead her to her new home.

Nayda held firmly onto the mans arm. The walk seemed to last forever and the smell she experienced on their way to the court was less then pleasent. The cloth was finally removed and her eyes slowly opened. They moved over the court. This was her home... A hole in the ground.

"Where are we?" She asked.

"You're in the court of miracles." He said simply.

"Yes I got that." She said. "But where is it?"

The man laughed. "If you where to know that I wouldn't have blind folded you now would I?" He lead her across the court. "Clopin should be around here somewhere. Just follow me."

"Clopin?" She sighed deeply. "So that's the name of this thing my father is forcing me to marry..." She followed the man. As they made their way through the court she took in many things. the people seemed to pay her little attention.

The man came to a stop Nadya almost running into his back. "Clopin." The man said. "She has arrived." He said simply. She looked around the large gypsy and saw a small group of gypsies sitting at a table. Even with the small group she knew which was to be her husband.

The scrawny man sat in a chair with his right foot propped up onto another with some little strumpet in his lap. His skin was darker than hers though lighter than most others in the court, his nose was large and his face was long.

"You are Nadya I presume?" He asked. The girl in his lap moved to get up but Clopin held her there.

She stopped abruptly looking to her guide a moment then taking a step back. Nayda turned her attention to the man who addressed her but her eyes followed the woman that tried to rise from his lap. She kept herself from frowning as she looked back this Clopin fellow. "Were you expecting another wife?"

Clopin smiled. "Ah... a witty woman with a sense of humour." He said. "How... refreshing." He said sarcastically.

"Mm... A man with no sense of humor and a whore in tow... How bland..." She shot back at him. They were already off on the wrong foot.

"I actually have a very good sense of humour." Clopin said. "As for the whore... I really have nothing to say to that." Clopin said nonchalantly.

"It's no wonder your father had to arrange this. If a whore that ugly is the only one that will take you..." She paid no attention to the woman on his lap She stared right at him.

"You better watch it girl." The guide said quietly to her. "The king has a pretty nasty temper when pressed. I mean he can take an insult as good as the next guy but don't press your luck. He can make your life a hell of a lot more miserable than it needs to be."

"He already has!" She snapped then turned sharply on her heels. Not only was she unhappy about being forced to marry a pig, a small bit of jealousy rose up within her.

"What you think I'm happy about this arrangement?" Clopin asked. "I don't like it any more than you do."

"THEN WHY AM I HERE!" She shouted she could not stop the tears from whelling up. "You are the 'King' Call it off! Send me back home!"

"I can't." Clopin said simply.

"Why not?" She asked angrily.

"I won't disrespect my father." He said. "Not again." There was something in his voice that made her pause.

She turned back to him. "You are with that thing on your lap."

Clopin flinched. Never in his life had someone stood up to him the way she is at this moment. "Get off me." He said to the woman on his lap. She looked to him and leaned into him. Clopin pushed her off of him startling her.

Placing a hand to her hip she smirked slgihtly watching the woman hit the floor. Her eyes once again moved to Clopin and she waited for his next remark. "Are we finished here?"

"Tavis" He said turning to the gypsy that had lead her to the court. "Take her to her tent. Give her the day to herself, we will be married tonight." He said. "And if you're planning on trying to escape I wish you luck." He said with an odd smirk.

"....." The way he said that sent an odd chill down her spine and she allowed Tavis to lead her away.