A Mere Wife

By Zoe Cannon

Two sisters, forced into arranged marriages by their cold and profit-minded father.

 

One runs away to join a mercenary band. The other goes meekly to the arms of her cruel husband.

 

The first sister quickly makes a name for herself. The other learns to cook fancy treats and smile prettily for her husband's business associates… and never to provoke her husband's temper.

 

The first sister is dangerous.

 

The second is deadly.

 

This short story is 12,000 words long. It is also available in Not Your Heroine, a fantasy short story collection.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Zoe Cannon
• Release date: Feb 24, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215470695

Book preview

A Mere Wife

Zoe Cannon

© 2023 Zoe Cannon

http://www.zoecannon.com

All rights reserved

This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters and events are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons living or dead is entirely coincidental.

A Mere Wife

Hanna felt a chill despite the roaring fire in the hearth, but this time it wasn’t because of her old bones. As she watched the two girls, her girls, from across the thick wood dining table—almost women now, but not yet, she refused to believe they were ready to grow up yet—she wrapped herself tighter in the blanket she had knitted for herself while watching them sleep all those years ago.

Their father shot her a warning look. After how long she had worked for him, he could read her with a look, could tell when she wanted to object to how he was raising his daughters. The advantage, for him, of having a nurse instead of a wife to raise his children was that he could always overrule her objections. Sometimes Hanna wondered how upset he had truly been to lose his wife after Ashlinde’s birth, the only person who could have raised a fuss about his decisions without the risk of losing her position.

Ashlinde, as always, was oblivious to the tension at the table as she played a game with herself, something involving how many candied almonds she could catch in her open mouth in one go without spilling any. A child’s game, because she was a child—they both were, no matter what their father thought. Sorrelin, though, saw everything. She always did. Hands neatly folded in her lap, head bowed in the perfect image of the obedient daughter, she shot Hanna a look of concern from under her brows. Hanna couldn’t tell her the truth, but she could hardly tell her everything was going to be all right, either. She lowered her own eyes. The picture of deference, just like Sorrelin. The stern glare their father aimed at her told her Sorrelin was more convincing at it than she was.

Their father cleared his throat. Tonight is a special occasion, girls. I have important news for you both.

Figured something had to be going on, said Ashlinde through her mouthful of almonds. Candied almonds. You only put them out when you want us to stick around long enough to listen to what you have to say. Usually because it’s something deadly dull. She made a face. Bits of almond fell out of her mouth.

Sorrelin’s brows drew together. She didn’t say anything—she wasn’t the type to interject her opinion where it wasn’t asked for—but her disapproval was obvious without words.

Their father opened his mouth, like he thought he might object, then closed it again with a small shake of his head. Maybe he was counting his blessings that they wouldn’t be his to worry about for much longer. Not that the worrying had ever been his job. He had handed down his edicts, had sat at the head of the table with his back straight and regal as if his wooden chair were a throne and his trade empire an actual empire with laws and borders. But the worrying… that had all belonged to Hanna.

I’ve been in meetings with the Merchant Lords’ Council all week, their father said, pointedly ignoring the almond crumbs on the table in front of Ashlinde, and we have come to an agreement.

Trade routes, the price of silk, and so on and so forth. Ashlinde made a wagging-mouth gesture with her hand. You put out the candied almonds so you could talk to us about business?

Sorrelin put a hand