Welcome to Gaia! ::

The young reaver was anxious but delighted that Thorgrim had agreed to speak to Taraxa about an arranged marriage between Ulrika and him. Part of him felt guilty that he hadn't asked his father, but he knew that Gunnar would have been reluctant. As admirable a reaver as his father was, Gunnar always seemed baffled by romantic entanglements.

While Thorgrim had some good advice (including the preposterous injuction to never hit Ulrika, which was unthinkable to begin with), his advice was of a very ... practical nature. He hadn't told Halvar how to woo Ulrika at all, and while Halvar thought that Ulrika probably would agree to an arranged marriage he wanted her to be happy about it.

Halvar rather gloomily thought that Thorgrim already judged him flower-blooded, though. Thorgrim would be disgusted if Halvar asked him how to win Ulrika's heart.

When Thorgrim mentioned arranging an engagement between their grandcub and Ulrika, Lena was overjoyed. So overjoyed that she set out to find Halvar and give him her congratulations immediately.

She had already discussed the possibility of future matchmaking with her dear friend Akatta, but she hadn't even thought of fixing Gunnar's cubs up with likely females. If she had tried harder to find a wife for poor Gunnar, he wouldn't have ended up with that outlander that Thorgrim seemed to hate so very much.

Spotting young Halvar, Lena beamed. "Halvar Gunnarsson," Lena called, smiling at the young lion who looked so very much like her. "Thorgrim told me the good news about young and Ulrika."

Halvar started, whipping his head around. Who had heard?! He relaxed only slightly upon seeing that it was his own granddam.

"Shhh," Halvar said, trotting over to her. It might be disrespectful to shush his father's mother, but he didn't want this getting out! "I haven't talked to her about it yet. I don't want anyone to tell her before I do!"

Of course, Thorgrim might talk to Taraxa about it at any moment and that would spoil his chance to ask Ulrika himself, but Halvar would rather that than Ulrika hear about it through the rumor mill.

Lena laughed, unperturbed by Halvar's rudeness. "Of course, of course." It was sweet to see her grandson so flustered. Lena knew that toughness and strength were to be admired, but she always loved to see a lion that adored his mate. Or soon-to-be mate, in Halvar's case.

"Are you going to ask her yourself, then? Have you been courting her?" Lena asked. She didn't know Halvar or Ulrika well enough to know what their relationship was, but she didn't think Halvar would be so anxious if Ulrika was as head-over-heels for him as he obviously was for her.

"Not ... really," Halvar said, hanging his head. He had wanted to court Ulrika, but no one had ever told him how to or arranged any meetings for the two of them. He knew that his father and Taraxa (and most likely Ulrika herself) were well aware of his infatuation with the lovely lioness, but Halvar had never known how to go about courting her officially.

Inspiration struck. "Grandmother, you know what wives like," Halvar said desperately. "How do I ask her to marry me? Thorgrim said she would agree because it's her duty to marry, but what if she says no?"

To Lena, who would have been shocked by a lioness refusing a decent proposal of marriage, there was simply no other option. But she knew that females were uncommonly headstrong these days. Truth to tell, they had been headstrong when she was younger, as well ... but Lena had never been one to buck the status quo.

"I'm sure she will agree," Lena said gently. "But you must ask with confidence. Be kind, but be confident. All good Freeborn females want a strong lion, a lion that will lead and protect their family. She won't say yes to a male who comes to her stammering and fidgeting."

Halvar, who had fidgeted through Lena's little speech, made an effort to still himself. "I know she needs a strong lion," he said, nodding. "I just don't know what I'll do if she refuses. It would be..." His voice trailed off as he struggled for the right words. It would be humiliating, for one thing. Surely the other reavers would expect him to demand her compliance. But if Halvar insisted and dragged Thorgrim and Taraxa into it to force Ulrika to marry him, she would hate him forever!

Halvar would rather be humiliated than hated.

"How do I win her affections? I think she's a dutiful lioness, but I want her to at least like me."

While Lena could hardly have objected to a grandson willing to march up to Ulrika and demand that she marry him immediately, she was touched that Halvar was so worried about Ulrika's feelings. Thorgrim might think it soft, but Lena approved of lions that took the feelings of lionesses into consideration.

"I'm sure Thorgrim told you to bring her trinkets, but you should give her gifts made just for her, too," Lena said. "You have to show her you're interested in the things she likes." She frowned, thinking. "And you must let her have her way with small things ... the den and the cubs and so forth. Unless it's very important that you be obeyed, a lioness should have her way with the keeping of the den and the raising of the cubs. Be firm with her if it's something urgent, but she will love you for letting her be a leader in the family as well." There was something else, too ... "And even if you think she's being unreasonable about little messes or muddy pawprints, agree with whatever she says. It will save you trouble."

Halvar, a lion raised without a mother or sisters to fuss at him, had no intention of telling Ulrika what to do with their den. The information about muddy pawprints was new though, and quite useful. He didn't see what was so objectionable about the occasional muddy pawprint, but clearly Lena thought it was important.

"Thank you, grandmother," he said seriously. "Thorgrim said I should get her a thrall ... do you think she would like one?" He didn't really want to start his married life with a third party hovering over his shoulder, but Ulrika would certainly demand a thrall in the fullness of time.

"Without knowing her, it's hard to say ... some lionesses get very picky over what kind of thrall they want." Lena laughed. "I've known lionesses to be jealous because their thralls are too pretty, and I've known lionesses to be angry because their thralls are uglier than their friends' thralls! You'll have to ask her what she wants."

Her smile faded and she regarded Halvar soberly. "Oh, and Halvar. I know you're a Reaver, but you must be sure never to dally with another female in the pride. Unless you take a saltwife, of course. Some females are sly cats ... they'll go with a male after a feast or a raid, and then torture his poor wife with it. It's your right to take a saltwife, but you mustn't shame Ulrika with another female." This last was said quite firmly. What males did on raids was understood to be separate from their affections towards their wives, but she had seen too many happy couples ruined because a male thought he could carry on with the females at home as well.

Halvar was mortified.

Grateful for the tip on avoiding flirty girls after feasts while his judgement was impaired, oh yes, but mortified.

"O-of course not, grandmother," Halvar said weakly. He was surprised his fur wasn't turning red with his blush. "I don't think I'll ever take a saltwife, either ... both of Ulrika's parents were warriors, she'll keep me in line." He forced a grin, still horrified by Lena's stern orders not to dally with females.

Halvar looked just about ready to flee. Lena hadn't wanted to embarrass the young lion, but she thought it needed to be said. Being embarrassed by a nosy grandmother would be a good sight better for him than being scorned by his own wife!

"Go on and talk to her, then," Lena said, smiling at Halvar. She reached out and smoothed his mane a bit with her paw. "There. Very nice. Now go claim yourself a wife."

"Thank you for your help," Halvar said, bearing up stoically under the mane-grooming. "I'm glad you and grandfather Thorgrim came back from the outpost." With a shy smile at Lena, Halvar turned and trotted off to find his Ulrika.