Who's your boyfriend?

The weekend after meeting Kornen, Mary and Firlea met up with Jontak, Tenac and Sinhera. They were going to try out a new bakery. Tenac and Mary had cancelled their usual riding lesson after both Firlea and Jontak had pestered them to join. To call it riding lessons was not accurate.

Now days Tenac and Mary would ride out on shorter explorations of the city and the area surrounding it. Although Tenac instructed or corrected Mary, it wasn’t that often. Mary had become a skilled rider, and she enjoyed the freedom that being on the horseback gave her.

They had a long discussion about what to order. The new bakery had a wide assortment of sweet things. Mary noticed Tenac looking at the selection with a slight frown. She knew he wasn’t that fond of sweet things and was having a hard time deciding what to choose.

“I think you should try that one,” she said to him and pointed at a small dome shaped item.

“You think so?” he asked.

“Yeah, I think you will like it,” she nodded.

They ordered and found a table to sit down and have their treats with tea. Mary watched as Tenac took his first bite and smiled at him as his eyes widened in surprise.

“This is really nice,” he told her.

“I told you so,” she smiled and let her fork glide through her own treat. She had chosen a pastry with a nut meringue that was rolled and filled with vanilla cream and fresh fruits. Mary didn’t have a problem with sweet things.

“I didn’t think you liked sweet things,” Jontak said to Tenac.

“I don’t. This isn’t that sweet. It’s tart and fluffy,” Tenac told him.

“It’s made with lemons and raspberries. That’s why it’s tart,” Mary smiled.

They sat, making small talk for a while. They were talking about Jontak’s next assignment when he smiled and looked at Mary.

“I heard that you have gotten a suitor that isn’t afraid of your father,” he told her.

Mary stopped the teacup halfway to her mouth and looked at him.

“Do you mean Kornen?” she asked.

“I don’t know his name. Honey?” he asked Firlea.

“Yes, he means Kornen,” she sighed.

“Then you are wrong. I already turned him down,” Mary said, taking a sip of her tea.

She saw Tenac watching her, and she raised an eyebrow at him to ask what he was doing. She saw his brows scrunch up, but he looked away. He was seriously one of the hardest men to read, Mary thought.

“No, you said you would think about it,” Firlea corrected Mary.

“Really?” Sinhera said, sounding amused. For some reason, she was watching Tenac, that once again was watching Mary. Mary couldn’t figure out what was going on, so she focused on the conversation.

“No. I told you and Hinat that I would think about it to get you two to stop nagging me. I have thought about it and it’s still no,” Mary said.

“You are no fun,” Firlea complained. “I need someone that can come on double dates with me and Jontak,” she whined.

“Why does it have to be me? Why can’t you get a boyfriend for Hinat, or Sinhera?” Mary asked.

“Don’t look at me, I’m too busy,” Sinhera said, raising both her hands.  

“So am I,” Mary said.

“And you know Hinat has a thing for that merchant. She won’t go for anyone else,” Firlea said.

“Well, I guess you will have to live without double dates,” Mary said.

“No fun at all,” Firlea complained.

“I can ask some of my other friends, honey,” Jontak smiled at her. She gave him a look that said that he had completely missed the point of the conversation. He looked confused, and Mary agreed with him. If that hadn’t been the point of this, then what was the point?

After they had finished, they walked around the city for a while before they decided to split up.

“Are you going home?” Tenac asked Mary.

“Yes, mom bribed me with a home-cooked dinner,” she smiled.

“Want company on the way?” he asked.

“Sure, I would love to,” she said, and they started walking.

“I got a letter from my grandfather yesterday,” Tenac said.

“Really? How is he?”

“He’s fine. He told me they are planning to come to this area in about a month. My grandfather wanted me to invite you out to visit them again,” Tenac told her.

“I would love that. If you won’t mind,” Mary smiled.

“Not at all, if you’re not too busy. I hear you have no time to spare,” he smiled at her.

“That doesn’t include your grandfather. I like him,” Mary laughed.

“Am I to interpret that, as you didn’t like the new suitor of yours?” Tenac asked. Mary wasn’t sure if he was being serious or not.

“I really don’t have an opinion, as I don’t know him. No, that isn’t true,” she changed her mind.

“I found him pushy. I don’t like pushy people, especially in social situations. They make me feel uncomfortable,” she admitted.

“Did he do something that made you feel that way?” Tenac asked, and Mary could see him tense up.

“No, not like that. He was very polite. Even so, I would have thought more highly of him if he had accepted my refusal. They usually stay away when they know who my dad is,” she shrugged.

“He knew who your father was and still asked you out? Well, at least he is brave,” Tenac chuckled.

“I don’t get why everyone is so afraid of my dad,” Mary sighed. They had had this conversation many times before.

“Admit that he is one scary man,” Tenac said.

“I know he puts up the façade of being a big, scary man. I just don’t see how nobody can see through it,” Mary complained.

“That’s why you are his daughter and the rest of us just fear and respect him,” Tenac smiled. Mary smiled back at him.

“So that’s a yes at visiting my grandfather?” Tenac then asked.

“It absolutely is. And if we need to stay over, I can negotiate with the sanctum house mistress and get in a little later on a Sunday,” Mary said.

“Good, grandfather will be happy to hear that,” he nodded.

They said goodbye outside Mary’s home and Mary went inside. She was happy that she would have the opportunity to visit the Che’hul again. She would love to see more of the horse hoards.

“We are in the kitchen, dear,” Mary heard her mother call. Mary went into the kitchen and saw her mother grinding herbs and her father sat at the table sharpening the kitchen knives.

“Hi,” Mary smiled and hugged her mother and walked over to give her father a kiss on the cheek.

“Hi, little one,” he said as she sat down next to him.

“Do you have anything to tell us?” her mother asked.

Mary looked at her and thought about the question. The only news she had was that Tenac had invited her to his grandfather’s again. But how would her mother know that?

“Tenac’s grandfather will come this way again soon and he invited me to visit?” Mary asked.

“That’s nice dear. But I was thinking about your new boyfriend,” her mother smiled.

“My what?” Mary asked.

“Her what?” her father asked at the same time.

“I expected your father to be surprised, but not you, Mary,” her mother said, a bit confused.

“Since I don’t have a boyfriend, I’m feeling confused. Who told you I had one?” Mary asked.

“I ran into Firlea’s aunt yesterday and she told me that there was this new trainee that had asked you out and wouldn’t take no for an answer,” Bettina explained.

“Oh, does everyone know about that?” Mary asked.

“Is he bothering you?” her father asked.

“No dad, he is just stubborn. But he isn’t following me around or anything. He will get the message that I’m not interested,” Mary told him.

“Let me know if he bothers you,” her father grunted. He looked intimidating when he sharpened knives and had that look on his face, Mary thought.

“Sure,” she said.

“And you won’t be accepting his offer?” her mother asked.

“No, I’m not looking for anything like that,” Mary said.

“You know, you don’t have to be interested in marrying a man to accept a date. Sometimes it’s nice to just have a little fun,” her mother said.

“Bettina!” Kopa exclaimed.

“Well, it is. She deserves some fun,” Bettina said.

“She does, but she can have fun with Hinat and Firlea and Sinhera,” he said.

“What am I going to do to the two of you?” her mother sighed, and Mary laughed.

“Don’t worry, mom, I have plenty of fun,” she said, walking over to give her mother a kiss on the cheek.

“If you say so, dear,” her mother smiled.