Chapter 7 Discovery

• "Will you marry her?" Lexi asked Karl over dinner.
• Karl choked on his wine. He hadn't seen that coming. Lexi! She always had a little mystery to her silence. Regaining himself, he asked, "What would make you think that, Lexi? She's a princess, one that should get married to a prince. I am merely a mercenary. I'm too low for her kind."
• "But you're a soldier."
• "A soldier of fortune," he reminded his wife. "A soldier of fortune."
• "Doesn't matter. Court ladies, I've heard do wed knights," she said.
• Karl shook his head. Would she ever understand? As beautiful as she was, she was also naive about a lot of things in this world. "This particular princess can't just marry a mere knight. She's above them also."
• Lexi arched a brow to this and faced her meal.
• "You've barely touched your meal," Karl said.
• "I'm not hungry," Lexi said, a sad expression written on her face.
• "Oh, God. What is it?"
• Lexi lifted her violet gaze to his. "I heard you spoke rudely to my father."
• Karl also hadn't seen that coming. At least, not tonight. "So, that's what is bugging you?"
• Lexi nodded. "You shouldn't have spoken to him so. He is the chief."
• From what Karl had learned about ladies, it wasn't good prolonging an argument. "I'm sorry. He wanted what I couldn't give to him."
• "What was that?" Lexi asked with a furrowed brow.
• "He said pleasure wasn't meant for a lady. I said otherwise. He said it could lead to your death. Again, I dared him to try and take your life. Well, I didn't give him the opportunity because I got this job."
• Lexi just sat staring at him now with a bland expression, and he wondered about what was on her mind.
• "You know it's illiteracy that's doing this to your people," Karl said. "If you were readers, you'd be the strongest, and wisest tribe in the north."
• "God cursed man because he ate of the tree of knowledge of good and evil," Lexi said. "The law of my people states that we should keep ourselves free of learning anything new, that all new knowledge is a curse, and we already have enough pain as it is. They said we shouldn't compound any more curses upon ourselves by desiring pleasure, else, we'll be struck down by lightning."
• Karl couldn't believe this. Man was supposed to know more so as to avoid doing things he didn't know were evil. It's why the tribe had sex with their women in the open while the rest of the village watched. It's why women had no say and why the men did subject them to all kinds of pain. It's why the North Hill Tribe never went to war, but they delighted in killing those who broke their fragile laws, shrinking their population.
• It was all so clear before Karl. In a few years, a superior nation would conquer the north, and they would rid them of all their practices. No gods would save them. Nothing they believe in would come to their aid.
• "Do you believe you mean something to me?" Karl asked.
• Lexi nodded. "You paid so much for my bride price. That says a lot. You bought me."
• Karl placed a hand to his head. "No. No, I didn't buy you. I paid your bride price. It means, you're my wife."
• "Yeah."
• It wasn't clear if she understood. He just didn't know how to explain it to her. Maybe, a new company would help.
• "Do you have any adornments?" Karl asked.
• Lexi shook her head. "Before you came, merchants usually brought those to my village to give to my father. He would reject them and give them what they wanted for free instead."
• "Which was?"
• "Our girls. If you notice, we have a lot of girls, so we give them out for food and farming equipment. Father said it's the way of Adam."
• Karl didn't know what to say. If Adam were here, what would he do to this tribe that idolized him and his wife? Goodness.
• "Okay," Karl said. He had to find a way around this. "You're my wife, and you stay inside your tent too much. I would have you meet people. Go out. Be yourself. And keep an open mind. When next the princess visits, I'll introduce you to her." There was a side of him that hoped the princess takes a liking to Lexi, and a part that wished she didn't. He didn't want Lexi to embarrass herself before Alex. "Do you read?"
• "Gina used to teach me how to, but my father warned me that—"
• "Yes, knowledge is bad. I get it. Do you still know how to?"
• Lexi nodded. "I was opportune to know the basic."
• "Good."
• And before Karl could suggest it, Lexi said, "I'd like to tour the city to see if they have a library."
• Karl arched both eyebrows.
• "I'll like to read," she said.
• "Oh wow. Uhm, wow. Okay." Karl searched for words. "Yes. Sure. Uhm, I'll speak to the queen to see if you have unlimited access to their greatest collection."
• "How long will we be staying?"
• "I have to put down rebellion, kill a king, and steal for the queen. It may take weeks, or months. But not a year, or more than six months."
• Lexi grinned. "Okay. When will I be starting?"
• "Tomorrow, if it's okay with you?"
• Lexi sprang to her feet with a smile on her face 
• "Where are you going?" Karl asked.
• "To rest and look at the stars. I sometimes read them."
• "Oh. Well, if you don't eat, you could die just staring at the stars. Besides, if your brain is going to be collecting so many new things tomorrow, you'll have to feed it."
• "But food goes to the tummy," Lexi said.
• "Eat, Lexi," Karl said, "or no library. I won't have you inflict a headache upon yourself."
• Lexi sat back down as if a balloon had been deflated in her.
• "I'm sorry," Karl said. "I'll never use that to threaten you. Just eat. You always look beautiful when you eat."
• This made Lexi smile, and she stole a glance at Karl.
• "See. The look I need." And then, he knew he was on the way to discovering the hidden mysteries behind his wife.