The Phoenix in a Foreign Labyrinth

Chapter 18 – Married Life

The months and the years passed by. They were both kept very busy, but always managed to spend time together each day. Despite Claude’s initial protestations that, with Yune’s tiny frame, bearing his child might pose a serious risk to her health, she insisted on being a dutiful wife. But even though he was no stranger to her bed, especially during the early years of their marriage, they of course remained childless.

When they had first stood outside of the shop, with its name “Enseignes Claudel” already painted in large gold letters on the window, Claude noted that there was still plenty of room to add “et Fils” later on, but it seemed that this was not to be. For his part, he never made any complaint and accepted the situation with good grace, taking care never to say anything that might cause Yune to feel any embarrassment or inadequacy over the matter.

Yune never revealed to Claude the secret of the terrible act that had been perpetrated upon her womb. Indeed, she said nothing at all about her destined fate and the training she had endured, and so she had always pretended to be ignorant in matters of love. Consequently, their lovemaking was always simple, sometimes feeling almost perfunctory to her. She often struggled to concentrate during it too, her mind filling with thoughts of Alice and all the things they had done together.

Sometimes she even wondered if she had made the right decision in marrying Claude, but she always dismissed the idea, telling herself over and over that it had been the only way open to her to repay the huge debt of obligation she had incurred when Oscar had bought her and set her free. Claude was a good man, a kind man, and so it had surely been the right thing to do.

Yune wondered too about Alice and the husband she would have no doubt carefully selected from the inevitable hordes of suitors she would have attracted as she travelled in great luxury from one continent to another. Were they truly happy together, though, or had they reached an accommodation, as Yune felt she had done with Claude, whereby their lives could be quite bearable, even pleasant, but still not truly fulfilling?

She would probably never know, or so she thought. Even though Alice sent her a Christmas card every year, each one postmarked with a different exotic location well beyond the reach of the cold Northern winter, there was never any personal message or dedication, just the single initial ‘A’ to say whom it was from. The lack of a return address on the cards told Yune clearly that no reply was expected, but she still treasured them and had kept every one.

Notes:

“Et fils” means “and sons”.