the hessian cilice that tied his waist and hid the truth of his nature chafed terribly as they passed through rougher patches in the road but it chafed less than the reason for his wearing it did. he gasped as a jolt dug the fabric into his skin and though it comforted him to think that he was paying due penance for the lies his family were propagating to keep from losing their land it did not change the true and horrible fact that even as the home of his soon-to-be husband came into view none of those involved had any thought to turn around. keeping his head down he pressed one hand to a particularly sore spot over his right hip. he was to do as his grandfather's grandfather did as the sheep that provided the wool that made the dress he wore now still did for silver, for peace, for family honor and for convenience. digging his fingers into the spot he prayed to god for forgiveness for turning away the religion of his mother and himself and be given to some foreign brute in the manner of the culdees. looking up again he saw the roof was visible but now so was the stones and windows of the top floor of his new home. it made him ache to be back in his own land surrounded by the comforts of his mother and his nanny and though he knew he'd not be allowed to see either again he took this too to be apt punishment for not being the one to fall from the bluff last spring and for not throwing himself from it when he was told he would be taking his dear sister's place