Aery kept her eyes on the floor, not wanting to see the murderer who was to be her husband. Realistically, she supposed, they all were murderers. But still. Beating a fellow into the dirt over a girl? That was just… monstrous.
Aery shyly glanced up at the girls who were to be her sister-wives. The fierce fire gem and the other wind girl. Perhaps it wouldn’t be so bad; the three of them could draw strength from each other. They could figure out how to survive whatever the man might do with them. And maybe, maybe it wouldn’t be so bad. Maybe he’d turn out to be nice.
Aery realized the man was waiting for her name. She shook her head, not wanting to say it. But… She’d heard of other brides who’d refused to tell their names. They were given hateful ones.
Aery spoke up, her quiet, high-pitched voice wavering, scarcely more than a whisper. “My name is Aerienna, Aery, of the house Silverheart, if it please my lord.” She ducked, half hiding behind the other girls. She cursed her own shyness and inability to form coherent thoughts for the terror pounding in her chest.