"WHAT?! She's fifteen! What do you mean, get married?"

"Holy Mère, calm down," he chuckled. "It was a joke."

"A joke? A joke? Right now, you think this is a time for making jokes?"

"Listen, don't worry about her. Cherina is safe, okay? She's probably already on her way South with him, we'll see them a month or so."

"A month?!" I shrieked. "So you kidnapped me, made all my decisions for me, took my sister on a transcontinental journey , and now you're threatening me if I don't help you?"

"Pretty much, yes. So you'll help?"

"Do I have any other choice?"

"No, I don't think so... Unless you would like to see the King... But that wouldn't end nicely, would it?"

"No..." I admitted grudgingly.

"So we'll set off tomorrow. I'll set all our things in order, you should get some rest. Supper will be ready soon."

Stripped of all my choices, I had nothing to do but to lay on my cot and dread the trip we were to set upon by dawn.