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“What, Bennofen?” Dalinna asked, looking up from her desk. She’d been going through inventory lists all night and trying to verify what still existed, and her Assistant Whermaster… or Chief Wherhandler… they hadn’t decided… had stopped four times now to stare at her and huff before walking away. “There’s something scrambling around in that brain of yours, and you might as well let it out so you can get back to work.”
“No, I ah…” Bennofen shifted his weight before leaving again, only to return moments later. “It’s personal. Not Wherhold-related.”
“And yet you need to tell someone,” Dalinna gestured at the chair across from her desk, currently covered in a precariously balanced pile of metal grommets. “How can I help?”
Bennofen scooped the grommets into an empty mug from the desk before sitting down. “It’s my niece. Well, my father’s cousin’s grandchild… I call her my niece. Prenatta. The one from Greystones, in the east.”
“Yes, that’s where Greystones is. Didn’t you just go there?” Dalinna reached forward to take the mug full of grommets and set it on a shelf behind her.
“Yes,” Bennofen answered. “Prenatta was married to a minor holder last spring.” He pursed his lips, pausing before getting to the heart of the matter. “It is not going well.”
“What do you mean? He’s ugly? She’s a holder’s wife. Arranged marriages are always a bit rough at the start,” Dalinna replied.
Bennofen shook his head. “She sent a letter with a courier. Desperate to leave. Her new husband… isn’t respecting her physical boundaries.”
The Whermaster squinted at him. “What is that? Is that a young people thing? Drawing lines on the floor of the chambers or something?” She knew that she was out of touch, but he should know that as well. What was he trying to say, and why wouldn’t he just say it?
“The young man is using his physical strength…” he cleared his throat uncomfortably, “and routinely forcing her…” he stared at the Whermaster, silently begging her not to make him say such a horrible thing out loud.
“Oh shit!” Dalinna stood up at the desk once the pieces finally clicked into place, knocking the mug to the floor with her ample behind. Of course Bennofen’s waffling had to do with that - her assistant was such a prude he could barely admit he had parents. But that didn’t change what was happening. This niece, Prenatta, was in danger. “Holder or not, husband or not, no means no! Where in Greystones? Give me the visual. We’ll go get her right now.”
“Don’t you want to plan this out? What if he catches us?” Bennofen asked, alarmed by Dalinna’s sudden call to action. Sure, they could just sneak over there and steal her from her chambers - it was already dark in Greystones. But right now?
"If that bastard tries to stop us," Dalinna grinned maliciously, nearly as intimidating as her wher, "he might learn a thing or two about respecting boundaries.”