“Inanna, I’d like you to meet Beircheart Laird”
Unattractive was the first word that came to mind; unattractive and unappealing.
He was orange, and white – not at all to her taste and the polar opposite of her beloved Eamon.
He was big too and his skin freckly and weathered.
He had an oversized beard and she wondered what was hidden beneath his hat.
His head was big and round, to match his 6 foot five build.
To Inanna he was uninviting and very plain – there was nothing exotic about him at all.
No depth to his eyes, no beauty to his soul.
It was very clear he was after one thing and one thing only and Inanna was sure it wasn’t an intelligent conversation.
He eyed her learingly – it was both distasteful and arrogant.
He took off his hat, smiled and nodded politely.
Inanna stood looking in disbelief.
“Inanna” her father hurriedly prompted.
She curtsied.
A look of disgust was written all over her face and her father was getting more livid by the minute.
How dare she embarrass him like this after all the hard work he’d put into finding her a husband.
He looked for a man who he thought could ‘handle’ Inanna. Someone tough, someone who could sort her out, so to speak. Keep her in line.
There was no way he was going to raise a headstrong daughter to be the town healer, the resident witch. He would have none of that.
His view was that a woman’s place was in the home – tending lovingly to her husband.
“Inanna, this is your husband. He is of good stock, I think the two of you will be very happy”, he pronounced proudly.
“A land-owner” Inanna thought given the surname Laird. Her father was always enamoured by the wealthy – she not the slightest bit interested.
“Ha” she laughed in her father’s face, a wry smile gracing her lips,
“Over my dead body”.
She cursed, turned and left the room.
When her father had shown Beircheart to the door he promised him Inanna would be ready to marry him next month as planned and then he went immediately to find her.
Thankfully this time her mother knew what was in store for her and locked her in her room, refusing to let her husband enter. She calmed him and said she would speak to Inanna and have her ready to wed within the month.