Obi-Wan's Shotgun Wedding
Part 3
"May your soul rot in the underworld for a thousand eternities,�Zoe cursed, pulling her hand away and spinning around to face her father.�You son of a she-ulfa.�King Imilachil backhanded her across the mouth, then shoved her into the arms of one of his warriors. �Take her to the women and have them get her ready. Let�s put these two to bed.�
As the warriors crowded around him, pushing him playfully on the shoulder and making obscene jokes, Obi-Wan felt sick. They guided him up the steps and into a bedchamber, positioning him at the end of the large bed, then began to strip his clothes off, one after another, until he was completely naked and his face was aflame with embarrassment. To his relief, however, the king himself wrapped a piece of blue cloth around his chest that reached to his knees, tucking it in under his arms so that it stayed where it was.
The door opened again, and a group of giggling women came in, propelling Zoe with them. She was dressed in exactly the same blue cloth, and her hair had been unbraided and fell in a black wave down her back.
"Bring her here,�said the king, and they pushed Zoe to stand next to Obi-Wan. He stared down at the floor, not wanting to look at her, and he knew that she was doing the same.
This can�t be happening, Obi-Wan thought, wishing fervently that he was anywhere else but here, about to be shoved into the same bed as a girl that he despised. A vision of Jenan-Kahan flashed into his mind, and he remembered her modest blush and the way her earrings had danced around her neck when she�d giggled. Scarcely noticing that the king had taken his left arm, he glanced up in surprise only when the manacle locked around his wrist, and discovered that King Imilachil had just handcuffed him to Zoe.
"These will come off only when I see proof that the marriage has been consummated,�the king smiled, and Obi-Wan stared at him in sheer astonishment. Then the king and one of the women pushed them backwards at the same time so that they landed on the bed in a heap, and with screams of laughter, everybody left the room.
"Get off me, you great oaf!�Zoe cried angrily, pushing him to one side with her free hand even though Obi-Wan was already scrambling to do just that. He had a bad feeling that those handcuffs were going to stay on for a very long time.
Zoe reached under the bed and pulled something out, then jabbed the point of it into Obi-Wan�s chin. He sat up with a start and saw that she was threatening him with a knife.
"Right,�she said.�You swear an oath to me that you won�t lay a finger on me, and I�ll swear an oath to you that I won�t cut off vital pieces of your anatomy while you�re asleep.�
"You don�t need my oath,�Obi-Wan protested.�I wouldn�t even dream of touching you!�
"Give it to me anyway.�
With a sigh, Obi-Wan repeated,�I give you my oath that I will not lay a finger on you.�
"Then I give you my oath that I won�t hurt you while you�re asleep.�Zoe pushed the knife under her pillow.
"Do you always take a knife to bed with you?�Obi-Wan asked in amazement.
"Yes,�she snapped.�I don�t trust my brother. He takes after his father.�
"What about the--ah--proof? I don�t want to be chained to you for the rest of my mortal life.�He didn�t even want to wait the few days until the Getrans had left, when Qui-Gon would be free to rescue him without endangering the evacuation.
Zoe reached up suddenly and ripped the earring from his right ear, tearing it straight downwards through the flesh.
"Ow! What did you do that for?�
She scooted to one side, then indicated the spot where she had just been sitting.�Put your head down here.�
"What?�
"The proof, you idiot. The blood! You didn�t think I was going to cut myself for it, did you?�
Obi-Wan laid his head on the sheet and let his ear bleed into it for a minute, hearing Qui-Gon�s voice saying �one little thing�. One little earring...
"More,�said Zoe, forcing his head up and milking several additional drops of blood from his earlobe. �There. That should be proof enough. Now get over to your side of the bed and stay there.�
Turning away from her, Obi-Wan closed his eyes and thought of Getra.
*****
They were awakened the next morning by a gaggle of servants. Reaching for the blue cloth, which had somehow come completely undone during the night although he was sure he had not moved, Obi-Wan managed to cover himself, then tried to stand up. On her side, Zoe was getting out of bed as well, and their handcuffed arms held both of them back. The servants laughed, and Zoe came around to Obi-Wan�s side, clutching the blue cloth to her chest with an angry expression on her face. Taking the bloody sheet, the servants went out again, and almost immediately, the king entered, grinning all over.
"I knew I picked the right man for you, Zoe,�he said.�Able to defend himself, able to withstand pain...�
As one, Obi-Wan and Zoe extended their hands in a silent plea for release, and King Imilachil unlocked the manacles, then went out again, still grinning.
Down in the great hall, seated at one of the long tables as far away from Zoe as he could get, Obi-Wan had scarcely finished his breakfast when King Imilachil summoned him to the high table.
"It must have been a rough night, Tohar-Kahan.�he said with a grin.�You look like you barely got out alive.�
"What do you mean, Your Majesty?�
"Your ear. Where�s your earring?�
"Oh.�Obi-Wan reached inside the pouch at his belt and produced the heavy golden decoration that he�d tucked there for safekeeping, hoping he wouldn�t have to wear it again.�Your daughter was very...opposed to the marriage, Your Majesty.�
"Yes, I�ll bet she was!�The king and most of his warriors rocked with laughter, and then he said,�But you managed it eventually, I see.�
"We...came to an arrangement, Your Majesty.�More laughter.
"Arrangement! That�s a good way of putting it!�
King Imilachil called for the Healer and after the tear in Obi-Wan�s ear had been closed, the king commanded one of his servants to pierce it again. Taking the wooden block without protest, Obi-Wan held it behind his ear lobe and concentrated on the Force as the servant hammered an awl through the flesh, then jammed the pin of the earring through the resulting hole and fastened it on the other side. He just hoped Zoe wasn�t going to pull it out again that night.
*****
It was afternoon, two days later, and Obi-Wan had retreated to the bechamber to meditate. He didn�t like this place. It was strong with the dark side of the Force, and he was afraid that it was starting to affect him as well. But his attempts to concentrate on the Force and feel it flowing through him, bringing peace, were only partially successful. Reaching out for Qui-Gon, he felt the bond between them, as strong as it had ever been. That reassured him somewhat, but he still found himself listening for the sound of a ship, wishing that rescue would come soon, even though he knew he had to wait until the Getrans were on their way. He was tired of waiting. He was tired of being patient. He was tired of being a hostage.
The Imilachil warriors were divided in their opinion of him. Some of them treated him with a sort of rough sympathy, as though they were thinking about his marriage to Zoe and saying,�Better you than me.� The others did not actually mistreat him, but whenever the king was not looking, they found ways to show him how much they despised Getrans in general and the prince in particular. He�d been tripped and shoved and spit on more often than he could count, and they�d pulled his Padawan braid so many times that he�d finally tucked it inside his tunic to reduce the temptation. One of the warriors had also spit in his food once, and he�d wanted to throw it in the man�s face. Instead, he�d dumped it on the floor in disgust for the dogs to snap up. The whole situation was making him irritable and it was becoming harder and harder to keep his temper.
"Don�t do it,�he warned, opening his eyes and catching her hand just as Zoe was about to yank his hair. Of all the warriors that tormented him, Zoe was the worst. The few days that they had been married had seemed like an eternity already.
"What are you doing up here?�she asked, twisting out of his grip.
"Meditating.�
"Meditating!�she scoffed, then said,�My father wants to see you below. Right now!�
Obi-Wan did not have a good feeling as he went down the steps, and his unease intensified as he entered the great hall and saw King Imilachil sitting on his throne in his robes and headdress.
"Tohar-Kahan,�the king said.
Coming forwards, Obi-Wan went down on one knee.�Yes, Your Majesty?�
"My garrison tell me that the whole city is buzzing with a new word. Enkerra. What do you know about it?�
Obi-Wan thought fast.�Nothing, Your Majesty.�
"Don�t play games with me, Tohar-Kahan. Tell me what it means.� "I cannot tell you what I do not know, Your Majesty.�The king didn�t know! The knowledge puzzled Obi-Wan, and then he realised that of course the Imilachil would have no reason to remember where the founders of Getra had come from. In the same way that the Getrans had forgotten the way back to that city, the Imilachil had probably forgotten its existence altogether. Obviously, information did not flow back and forth between the two cities at any great speed, and by remaining silent, Obi-Wan would be able to buy the Getrans precious time to escape.
"I know that your father confides in you, and you cannot convince me otherwise.�
Thoughts, ideas, and memories whirled in Obi-Wan�s head, and he tried to come up with a satisfactory explanation.
"Your Majesty,�he said.�Several days ago, I was practising sword-fighting with my friends. I tripped over my own feet and banged my head on a table. They told me that I was unconscious for two days and that they thought I was going to die. But I--I was healed. Directly afterwards, my father sent me here with the wine tribute. There was no time for his confidence. That is all I can tell you, Your Majesty.�
"There must be more to it than that,�said the king.
"If there is more to it, Your Majesty, I do not know what it is.�
*****
Running his fingers along one of Obi-Wan�s ribs, the king stopped, positioned the nail, and banged it in with the hammer. It penetrated the rib about halfway, and Obi-Wan screamed despite the Force barriers in his mind against the pain. How many of those short, thickish nails had they pounded into his back now? Eighteen? Twenty four? He�d lost count. Every breath, every movement brought pain he had never experienced before.
"Give me the whip,�King Imilachil commanded. He came around the side of the table, holding the whip so that Obi-Wan could see it, and demonstrably counted the strands.�Eleven, Tohar-Kahan. Do you want to tell me about this Enkerra before you find out the hard way what I have planned with these eleven strands?�
"I don�t know anything about it,�Obi-Wan whispered, and it was the truth. A picture of Jenan-Kahan floated into his mind. What would King Imilachil do to her if he caught the Getrans trying to flee their slavery? He could imagine that it would be a lot worse than what the king was doing to him now. As the king, and somebody else with him, began to tie the strands of the whip to the nails in his back, Obi-Wan shuddered.
They finished, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw the king climb up onto the table, standing with his feet on either side of Obi-Wan�s legs. Then King Imilachil yanked on the whip with all his strength, pulling Obi-Wan away from the table until the chains on his wrists and ankles prevented him from going any higher. Suspended only by the nails in his ribs, Obi-Wan hung a hand�s breadth above the wooden surface and screamed with agony. The king shook him back and forth a little until the nails loosened and popped out of the bones, and Obi-Wan slammed down again.
"Tell me what Enkerra means!�King Imilachil commanded.
When Obi-Wan refused to speak, they did it again with the rest of the nails in his ribs.
Coming down from the table, the king took the strands of the whip in his hand and pushed them close to Obi-Wan�s face.�Look. The strands are still tied around the nails. Now tell me what Enkerra is or I�ll whip you with this!�
Obi-Wan shut his eyes, checking for the Force barriers in his mind. They were still there. He had to make sure they did not collapse.
The whip came down, the nails ripping his back open, and he screamed.
"What about Enkerra?�
"I don�t know anything.�His voice was hoarse already.
The whip came down again. The barriers were starting to shake now. He had to keep them upright.
"Enkerra, Tohar-Kahan, tell me about Enkerra!�
King Imilachil whipped him again and again, each time with deliberate pauses, then stopped suddenly. Obi-Wan�s barriers were crumbling now, cracking, ready to fall apart.
"Here, set this on fire.�
Obi-Wan watched as the whip changed hands, and the warrior held it in the fire. When every strand was burning along its entire length, he gave it back to the king, who held it at Obi-Wan�s eye level for a moment, then laid it, gently, across his back.
*****
The next thing Obi-Wan knew, he was drowning. Then the water poured off his head and left his mouth free, and he gasped for air, groaning in agony.
"He�s awake again, Your Majesty,�the warrior reported, placing the empty bucket on the floor.
"He can withstand a lot, but I knew that before. Get the salt. We�ll let him rest overnight and start again at dawn, and then I�ll decide whether he�s telling the truth or not.�
They were slathering something moist and grainy over his back now, something that caused almost as much agony as the torture had, and Obi-Wan screamed again.
"Are you going to kill him now?�he heard Zoe ask.
"I thought I told you to stay upstairs.�The king released the chains around Obi-Wan�s wrists and moved around the table to do his ankles.
"Well, are you?�
"Don�t get your hopes up, Zoe. Your punishment isn�t over yet,�said the king.�Here, you, take him upstairs. We�ll let his wife take care of him for the rest of the night. Remember, though, Zoe, torture is my work, not yours. If he�s any worse the next time I see him, you�ll be on the table in his place. And don�t think of having him healed, either, to get back at me. The Healers have their instructions to leave him alone. Understood?�
"Yes,�came the grudging reply.
One of the warriors gripped Obi-Wan by an arm and a leg, and swung him across his shoulders like a sack of grain, then trotted upstairs to the bedchamber and dropped him roughly on the bed. Obi-Wan fainted almost instantly.
*****
Something roused Obi-Wan from unconsciousness. He felt the Force flowing through him, conveying peace and reassurance and something else that he couldn�t identify at first. Then he realised woozily that Qui-Gon had felt the pain of his torture through the Master-Padawan bond. Now, his master was trying to help him in the only way he could, by sharing his own life-force with Obi-Wan, giving him strength and helping to dampen the torment. He received the offering gratefully, struggling to respond somehow, but his fragile concentration was broken when the door to the bedchamber opened and two people came in.
"What did they do to him?�The voice was female, very young, and very shocked. For a moment, Obi-Wan imagined it was Jenan-Kahan, and forced his eyes open. It was not. In the lamplight, he could see that it was a girl, about ten or eleven years old, staring down at him in open-mouthed horror.
"Don�t look,�said Zoe, twitching a sheet up to Obi-Wan�s neck. He couldn�t help moaning at even that light touch.�Don�t ask. Just heal him.�
"But the king--�
"The king will never know, if you don�t tell him. You�re not a Healer yet and you haven�t received any instructions from him. Nobody will suspect anything if you just keep your mouth shut!�
Hesitantly, the girl came forwards and reached out her hand, placing it on Obi-Wan�s head and closing her eyes. He felt the Force moving towards him in short, timid bursts which gradually became longer and stronger before the healing began with a tingling feeling. But the girl could not maintain the Force, and it faltered several times, then died away altogether.
"I can�t!�the girl burst out.�It�s too much! I can�t!�
She fell to her knees and vomited violently across the floor. When she�d finished, she sat back, trembling all over.�His pain was too great! I couldn�t conquer it!�
"You did what you could,�said Obi-Wan, sensing her exhaustion.�It�s better now, really.�
She shook her head, seeing only her failure.
"All right, then get out of here,�said Zoe.�And if anybody finds out, it will be your own fault, not mine.�
The girl fled immediately, and Zoe threw a bundle of clothing at Obi-Wan which hit him in the head.
"Get dressed,�she said.�We�re going.�
"Going where?�Obi-Wan sat up cautiously. The girl had progressed the natural healing of the body by several days, but it was not completely finished. Still, it was an improvement, and he could move, very slowly and very carefully.
"To Getra.�
"What?�
"To Getra! To your home, you fool! Now get dressed!�Zoe came closer to the bed.
"Now? It�s the middle of the night.�
"My father is planning on sending a troop of warriors to occupy your city until the tribute is paid. They�ll be allowed to take any women they please. If we hurry, we can warn your people, and the women can hide somewhere.�
Something wasn�t right here, but Obi-Wan didn�t know what. He did know, however, that King Imilachil would send out a search party if he was missing, and that could ruin everything. Was it to-night or to-morrow night that the Getrans were planning to leave? If he�d ever known, he couldn�t remember now.
"I can�t come with you,�he said.�I gave my word to your father that I wouldn�t leave without his permission.�
"Your word! Don�t make me laugh! Do you really want to stay here and have my father torture you again to-morrow?�Zoe crossed behind the bed, but Obi-Wan moved before she could slap him across the back.
"Of course I don�t want to! But I gave him my word! Why don�t you go on your own, if you�re so worried about the Getran women?�
"I�m not worried about them at all. I�m just doing this to get--to get back at my father. But you should be worried about them. They�re your people after all! Anyway, I need you as security, otherwise I�ll never get past the guards.�
That part was true. Obi-Wan could feel that, so why did he have such reservations about the first part of her story? Something just didn�t make sense, but he couldn�t figure it out. He was tired. He still hurt, and all he wanted to do was sleep. Waving his hand at Zoe, he stated,�I am not coming with you.�
She didn�t respond to the mind trick. Either her own will was too strong, or Obi-Wan was too weak. Instead, she said,�Oh, yes, you will. One way or another.�
Then she whirled on her heel and stamped out of the room. Relieved, Obi-Wan laid down again, trying to get comfortable on his stomach, and concentrated on the Force to finish healing what the girl had begun. He was only vaguely aware when the door opened again, and somebody came in, and then something crashed into his skull.