The feast for that day ended as the sun set and so the preparation for the wedding night started. Xhemin and Darryl left the great hall and their guests to retreat to their chambers, on their way, Xhemin confronted the beast."Darryl why did you promised the Chieftain a grandchild?" She asked while they were walking side by side.
"Why not?" Darryl"s was amused with her question.
"I told you we are not—"
"Well, you only told we are not going to do it tonight," Darryl pointed as he looked at the Little Miss whose expression wore that of a raging crocodile ready to eat. "The I thought perhaps we can do it tomorrow night then?"
Xhemin was stunned in his conclusion, "I can"t believe you!"
Darryl only smiled at her and the way he did made Xhemin"s chest tightened as if all the breath in her was swept away. She was very annoyed with her husband and at the same time she couldn"t ignore his charms and that only made her more upset.
"And what should I have told the Chieftain provided with the circ.u.mstances?" Darryl asked of her "As much as you don"t want to upset him, I too don"t want to make the old man sad"
"Well you could have at least made some excuses," Xhemin suggested, trying to avoid her eyes from his as he was drowning her with his perfect set of hazel eyes.
"Like what?" Darryl raised a brow.
"Like…" Xhemin thought of something and carelessly uttered the words that hit her troubled mind first "That your family had problems with bearing children and because of that you might also have problems to make one,"
Xhemin didn"t saw how Darryl"s expression changed and continued mercilessly "Right… that"s one of a good excuse…at least by that he would understand that we cannot make children right away…"
"Milady," Darryl took a step close and caught Xhemin"s wrist, "Have you carefully a.s.sessed the words you just said to me? You are hurting my feelings"
Xhemin shut her mouth and ended biting her lips. Why the heck did she say that?
She turned to look at her husband and apologize "I"m sorry I didn"t mean to—"
"Save your apologies for later," Darryl told her, and his once bright face was gone replaced by a cold blank expression.
"Darryl I—"
"Princess please come with us," Handmaid Si together with some handmaid"s came right when Xhemin wanted to explain herself. "We need to start preparing for the wedding night,"
"Go on," Darryl said before he left that the only thing Xhemin could do was watched him walked away. She closed her eyes feeling so guilty for her inconsiderate words, but the damage had already been done. Perhaps tonight when he enters their chambers, she can have a word with him.
***
Darryl went to his previous chambers and found that Enoch and Baruk Tam was there waiting for him eagerly.
"There you are!" Enoch hollered when Darryl stepped in. "I thought you had already started your wedding night early!"
Baruk Tam laughed at this. "Brother Enoch don"t be too shameless. Of course, brother Dee would abide with tradition and let the healer do the rituals first with her handmaids!"
"I don"t understand these rituals," Enoch expressed his disapproval, "If I am to get married one day, I"ll cut of the rituals and make the wedding night happen without more waiting!"
"I cannot believe you"ll be the next Chieftain!" Baruk Tam replied with a loud guffaw. Darryl understood that both Enoch and Baruk Tam were drunk and that"s why their words were a little bit off for a leader.
"Baruk Tam, I don"t think its good for a child like you to drink too much," Darryl scolded the young boy.
"Brother Dee I"m a Baruk and a Baruk ought to drink specially when its their brother"s wedding" He told him and extended a hand to the Lagdameo heir, inviting him to join them on the floor. "Come here. We actually brought you something that"s why we are here,"
Darryl sat on the floor with his two brothers, wondering what the two had for him. However, he saw a bottle of drink and a gla.s.s on the floor and he realized the two wanted another round of drink.
"Don"t tell me you intend to make me drunk on my wedding night," Darryl confronted the two drunkards before him. During the festives, Darryl realized that the Manggan Tribe loved to drink and the amount of liquor they could withstand was rather too alarming for his standard.
"Brother, this bottle is no ordinary drink," Baruk Tam started, his eyes were playful as he said this. "Brother Enoch risked his life to get you this,"
Darryl looked at the bottle that Baruk Tam was flaunting. It was an old bottle and there was no rather special on the way it looked.
"Care to tell me what that is?" He asked curiously as to why the drink was so special.
"Brother," Enoch said in an almost a whisper. He was aware that handmaids were guarding at their door and so he doesn"t want them to hear their little secret. "This drink is the secret why Father had so many children despite his old age."
Darryl looked at Enoch with unbelief while the latter gave him a victorious grin.
"We call this a wild gin," Baruk Tam joined in explaining "It"s a rare kind of drink and definitely hard to make that"s why only high royal bloods have this, like the Chieftain,"
"Where did you get that?" Darryl was now worried. From the looks of it, the two seemed to have stolen it from somewhere.
"Don"t worry father don"t use this anymore," Enoch revealed. "This bottle was meant for me in case I would end up having hard time making children in the future"
"Only the chieftain"s household had this," Baruk Tam added. The wild gin was made of a special plant that only grows once in a decade that"s why the Manggan People had limited stock of it. With that, this gin was only made specifically for the Chieftain"s household to secure their bloodline "You told us once your family was having problems with making children that"s why we decided to let you have a taste,"
Darryl couldn"t believe his brothers" actions, but they were too determined that Darryl don"t want to look ungrateful for their efforts.
"But isn"t this meant for the Chieftain"s heir only?" Darryl tried to sway their decision as he don"t want them to catch trouble for this mischief.
"It"s a big bottle. You can have few cups and we will return the rest," Enoch suggested as Baruk Tam opened the bottle carefully. He poured some on the gla.s.s and gave it to Darry.
Darryl accepted the gla.s.s and watched the violet like liquid danced as he slightly tilted the cup. He was not sure whether Baruk Tam and Enoch"s claims were true, but he doesn"t want to hurt their feelings. Without hesitation, Darryl drink the wild gin and his faced grimaced when the concentrated chemical hit his throat. It was too strong but very flavorful.
"Tastes just right," Darryl said and the two—Enoch and Baruk Tam smiled crazily over it.
"Have some more!" Enoch hollered with a grin and let Baruk Tam pour another cup