A lithe, pale man quickened his pace across the mess hall, through the soldiers quarters and beyond, passing the napping soldiers without notice. Down the attached hall was Head Captain Blight’s sleeping quarters where Pike found him reading a small book bound in a creamy leather. It was the heavy latch of his door closing that alerted the young captain of the intrusion. His annoyed expression swelled in to a delighted smile.

      “Afterwards Blighty,” Pike spoke seeing the Captain had made a logical assumption. “But, I think I solved your matchmaking problem.”

      Blight shifted upright and over to make room for his guest. Most of his energy had been spent riding from town to town delivering the King’s offer only to return with a pile of rejections. His inner thighs were bruised enough he now needed assistance moving great distances. “Please.”

      Pike planted himself down quickly grazing Blight’s right leg earning a loud groan. It was patted down apologetically.

       “We’ve got word that ol’ Brand’s got a taste for similar kin which got me thinking: we don’t have to ride out and find a poor maiden when we got a half dozen rooms filled with potential mates!”

       “The king’s wards already said no,” the captain raised a confused brow.

       “Listen, why don’t we make the offer to the prisoners? Brand is a-well let us not mince words, he’s a ripe cunt but so are they. Real birds of a feather!”

      “That...that is not a poor idea at all. Most reasonable people are scared and put off by the death dealing yet-” The Captain’s nods grew steady with approval.

      “Exactly! A murderer wouldn’t give a second thought to all that! Might even find it endearing. And there’s no reason to subject the common folk to all that. We have been looking for the wrong type of man. No, we need a scoundrel...but a desperate one.”

      “Desperate?”

      “A man at his wits end, willing to do anything to get out of the hole. Forget the money. Desperation makes men move mountains. With the right price-”

      “Freedom,” Blight said locking eyes with a man who had drawn the same conclusion.

      “Those men would do anything if it meant amnesty, even marry a cunt.”

      “It will be hard to convince the King to agree to a full amnesty. We will have to draft out clear conditions for a full release. There are some troubling inmates in our cellar.”

       “Naturally, but that will be the job for the more intelligent man among us.”

       Captain Blight smiled shyly. “Tell me, do you have any inmates in mind?” Despite the dark hood Blight felt Pike’s infectious grin take hold of him. He sprang off the bed taking Blight’s arm with him.

       “Wait! Let me get my cloak!”

       “Been a while hasn’t it eh?” Pike’s gruff voice stirred the solitary man seated against the far wall of a narrow, damp cell.

       Captain Blight looked over the sentence for the grime coated man seated menacingly beyond the iron bars. One decade was handed down for committing homicide in a drunken rage one late evening. While the inmate was not a violent man in nature his short temper was well documented among local businesses and brothel’s alike. At present the surviving witnesses are still unsure what sparked the inmate’s rage that clear night, they only recall the sight of an innocent man choking on his blood as it fountained out of the holes in his throat.

       “Why don’ you give me your name ol’ chap?” Pike gave him the hand signal that permitted the prisoner to stand and approach. Complying the inmate spat on the ground before him.

      “Kinley. James Kinley.”

      “Been here some time Kinley?”

      “Three winters.”

      “Aye, and I take it you have reflected a great deal in all that time.”

      “What do you want of me?” Kinley huffed.

      “You married Kinley?” Pike asked masking his eagerness poorly.

      “No, an I ain’t got any bastards.”

      “Have you ever given it any thought? Marriage?”

      “Never really gave it much thought,” Kinley spoke a little candidly, his shoulders relaxing.

      “Would you get married if it meant you could go free?”

      Kinley straightened up. “Honest now? That simple? I can just marry a nice maid-”

      “There are some terms but yes, although,” Captain Blight interrupted. “This offer is only available to the first man who can agree to all of the rules. Please think carefully.”

      Kinley drew closer gripping the bars of the cell as his face eased into a hopeful gaze. Captain Blight cleared his throat.

     “Do you agree to respect and honor the word of your spouse?”

      “Yes, yes anything,” Kinley nodded feverishly, repeating for every question until…

      “Do you agree to being engaged in a legally binding marriage even though your betrothed is a man?”

      Kinley’s smile twisted into an incredulous look. He waited for the two court officers to suddenly be seized by a fit of laughter and tell him it was all in good fun. Pike and Blight waited patiently for his answer. “Should I repeat the question?” Blight asked nervously.

      “What kind of fucking degenerate do you take me for?! Marry a man? I’m a murderer, not a hedonist! Has your head gone soft?!”

      Kinley continued his string of obscenities until Pike made the motion that he would enter and silence him if Kinley refused to obey.

      “I’ll stay here until these walls turn to sand if I have to!” Kinley backed away from the bars and sat down in the middle of his cell.

      “I think we’re playing this too smart,” Pike thought aloud. “Too many questions makes it look like a trap.”

     “Agreed, and I’m electing we remove “going to bed with another man” from our list.”

      Pike nodded. A harsh charcoal line smothered the discarded question and as the days passed new lists were drafted until Pike and Blight had their list committed to memory.

     “Any luck Blighty?” Seated in a quiet hall the young captain shook his head.

     “Many seemed interested until they learned exactly who they were promised to. Same on your end?”

       Pike shrugged, his physical signal for ‘yes and no’. “Had a curious meeting with one of our nastiest and it…”

       Blight slid closer on the long bench so Pike had a place to lean back and lament. “We have to be deceptive about all this. There’s no avoiding it.” Pike settled in the crook of Blight’s left arm.

      “What happened?”

      “You remember Lawson? I asked him. Had no issue marrying a gent either but brought up an interesting point. He is worried about Royal’s temperament, rich coming from a man who slaughtered three other inmates, and asked “if he committed a slight against the man would he be killed without due process?” You’d think a man like him would be fearless but Royal’s...unpredictability has the likes of him worried.”

       Pike fell silent, crossing his arms as he ruminated. “No doubt he’s a ruthless sadist but the War changed him. He came back quiet...as if-” Pike uncrossed his arms to gesture at the word that escaped his thoughts.

      “Detached?”

      “Yeah that’s the one. He’s cold towards everyone but he’s lost his malice. Then again the fucker is massive. Most are scared he’ll split them in half if they dare cross him.”

       “He speaks to me now.” Pike turned towards the captain in shock. “No funny business, promise.”

      Pike sighed leaning back in to Blight’s chest. “It’s usually serious yet on the odd occasion he has made light conversation.”

      “Something went sour in that man’s soul,” Pike scoffed.

      Blight smiled wryly. “I have a meeting with the King tomorrow about the activity Kane has been tracking in recent weeks. I’ll report our findings-”

      “Your findings.”

      “Our findings and let him decide what to make of the idea. We cannot offer amnesty on our own in this situation; the royal family is deeply involved in the matter. If he agrees than it should give the prisoners solace. We must hold out a little longer. God willing, Royal might grow a conscience during the honeymoon.”

       Pike huffed crossing his arms once more.