by Frost Kay
“Never,” Tehl breathed. His expression turned thoughtful. “Although, I am interested in what does control the gender of the child. Is it chance or something more?”
“You don’t believe that it’s in the woman’s control?” Mira asked, putting down her book and pulling Isa closer to her chest.
“It doesn’t seem logical.”
“How so?” Sage inquired, laying her head down in his lap and curling her feet up onto the couch.
Gavriel took a sip of his tea and waited to hear what his cousin would say. Tehl’s mind was a fascinating place.
“The fairer sex—while being fierce, capable, and strong—is designed differently than a man. We are built for domination.” He held his hand up as Sage opened her mouth. “I never said that women are lesser, I’m just pointing out our physical differences. You are like a wine glass, while I am a beer mug. It got me thinking, if men have a physical advantage, why wouldn’t they be the one to control what kind of child was developed? It’s our seed that takes root, is it not?”
“A crude but astute observation,” Mira commented. “I’ve thought something similar myself over the years. Most men would never think or admit such a thing. It’s easier to blame their wives for not bearing them sons.”
“Barbarians,” Tehl muttered.
“Indeed,” Sage said with a smile.
Gavriel set his empty cup on the floor and nodded toward Mira. “Are your arms dead yet?”
She smiled softly and stared down at Isa, tracing her fingertip along her plump cheek. “Not yet. I’m enjoying the cuddles. It’s not every day that I get to experience something like this.”
“Welcome to your life,” Gav said as he looked up and locked eyes with her. Warmth passed between them until Sage cleared her throat.
He broke the connection and arched a brow at his sister-in-law, who now sat up straight on the couch with narrowed eyes.
“What the bloody hell was that?” she demanded.
“Love, let’s…” Tehl began.
“I have eyes, husband. I’m not dumb and neither are you.” Sage crossed her arms, her attention bouncing between Gav and Mira. “What is going on?”
Gavriel shrugged and looked in the healer’s direction. He’d let her lead this one.
Mira made a face and carefully pulled her left sleeve up, revealing the cuff he’d placed on her wrist two days prior. Satisfaction moved through him at the sight of it.
“WHAT?” Sage shouted.
Isa stirred, and Mira rocked her and glared at Sage. “Keep your voice down.”
“When did this happen?” his sister-in-law hissed.
“Recently,” Mira commented.
Sage glanced at Tehl and studied his profile. “How long have you known?”
Gav chuckled but turned it into a cough when Sage tossed a glare his way.
“Not exceptionally long, wife. Gavriel and Mira asked me to keep it confidential,” Tehl answered stoically.
Sage tossed her hands in the air. “I can’t believe you kept something like this from me. Mira, why didn’t you say anything? I would have kept silent.”
That was interesting. While Gavriel had spoken to his cousins and uncle at length about the betrothal, Mira hadn’t told anyone.
Mira ignored his pointed stare. “The last few months have been…overwhelming in so many ways. I needed time to process everything. Plus, Gav’s proposal was quite sudden, and it took me some time to wrap my head around it.”
Sage’s attention snapped to him. “Sudden? You haven’t been courting her in secret?”
He winced. “We’ve been friends our whole life. It was easy to fall for her.” The words tumbled free. His heart raced as he met Mira’s gaze. “She is my family.”
Mira swallowed hard. “We suit each other.”
A moment of silence passed.
“Well then,” Tehl interrupted the stillness. “When do we start making the preparations?”
“Nothing big,” Gav said, breaking the connection with Mira. “We both want something simple. Something soon.”
“Soon,” Sage drawled. “How soon?”
“This week,” Mira answered at the same time Gav said, “Tomorrow.”
They looked at each other.
“Tomorrow?” the healer said.
He pointed to his knee. “My leg aches when the weather is about to change for the worst. It doesn’t ache tonight. Tomorrow will be a beautiful day. We should take advantage of it.”
Mira nodded. “Okay.”
“Okay,” Sage drew out, rubbing at her temples. “That’s not much time at all. Tehl, we need to get things ready.”
“Simple,” Mira stressed. “I just want to put my best dress on, gather wildflowers on the way to the ceremony, and marry in a pretty glen. Nothing more.”
Sage stood from the couch and crossed to Mira’s side. She hugged the healer from behind and kissed the side of her head. “You know what I desired for my own ceremony. Simplicity it shall be. Congratulations, Mira, and welcome to the family.”
Chapter 20
Mira
Sage kept her word.
Mira smiled down at the simple white silk dress her friend had managed to rustle up for her. She ran her hand across the soft fabric and tugged at her right lace sleeve that ended at her wrist. The high waist and gauzy train that trailed behind her made Mira feel like a princess. Jasmine had even convinced her to wear some pretty undergarments, although nobody would see them.
But you want him to.
She ducked her head, her cheeks heating.
Sage reached out and squeezed her right bicep. “We’re almost there. Are you all right?”
Mira nodded, butterflies taking flight in her stomach. Today was the day she married. She never expected it to come, let alone to one of her oldest friends. She eyed Sage’s pale face.
“I should be asking you if you’re all right. You look like you’re about to pass out.”
Her friend waved a hand at her. “Just the sickness that comes with carrying a child.”
Jasmine snickered from Mira’s left side, carrying the little sleeping Lana in her arms. “I told you it was bad.”
“Shut up,” Sage muttered.
Mira shared a smile with Jas who wiggled her eyebrows.
“Who knows. Maybe soon you might have a little one of your own.”
For the first time in Mira’s life, she didn’t feel a stab of sorrow at the idea of not having her own child. Today, she gained a daughter.
“I wouldn’t be too sure about that,” Mira answered, the wild herbs tickling the bottoms of her feet as they made their way toward the forest’s edge.
Now it was Sage’s turn to snigger. “I’ve seen the way Gavriel looks at you. He won’t be able to keep his hands off of you.”
If only that could be the case.
Brushing away the morose feeling, Mira focused on the positive. Today was a happy day. “Even if that’s not the case, Isa will become mine today and I can’t wait!” She loved the little girl to death.
Mira caught sight of her father as he stepped from the shade of the trees and watched their approach.
“I still can’t believe you didn’t wear shoes,” Sage said.
“Leave her alone,” Jasmine interjected. She bumped her shoulder against Mira’s gently and winked. “If I could get away with not wearing any clothing, I would. Shoes are just a little thing.”
They reached her father and Sage pulled Mira into a huge hug. She stepped back and adjusted the flower crown resting on Mira’s head.
“You look beautiful.”
Next, Jasmine crowded in, pecking her on the cheek. “If you want to run, just say so. I’ll spirit you away.”
Mira grinned at the twinkle in her friend’s eye. “Not a chance.”
“I thought so.” Jas waved and followed after Sage into the trees.
Her hands shook as her father moved to stand in front of her, the light reflecting off his spectacles. He held out a large bouquet of
wildflowers.
“Here you go, dearest,” he said. “I picked them myself. They looked like you.”
She took them from him, emotion clogging her throat. “Thank you, Papa.”
He smiled softly at her as he took her in from head to toe. His eyes glazed over, and heat pressed at the back of hers in response.
“You look beautiful, Daughter.” A tear dripped down her cheek, and he wiped it away. “No tears. This is a happy occasion.” Mira nodded and swallowed thickly, trying to get her emotions under control. Her father clasped both of her cheeks. “You are the most precious gift in my life. It’s always just been you and I.” He gave a watery laugh. “I am a lucky man indeed that you fell in love with a man that will not take you from my side. I don’t think I could bear it.”
Love. The word rang in her ears.
Despite how she tried to convince herself otherwise, Mira loved Gavriel, for better or for worse.
Her father released Mira and pulled something from his pocket. She gasped. It was one of his wedding cuffs. He held the simple silver and leather band out to her.
“You were just an infant when my wife and I decided to take you in. I know you don’t remember her because she passed before you were two summers old, but she loved you very much. We had a good marriage full of love and laughter. I still miss her to this day.” He gently took her free hand and laid the cuff on her palm. “It’s a Methian custom for the father of the bride to give a family heirloom to his daughter on the wedding. I hope this symbol of love brings you as much happiness and contentment as it did for myself.”
“Thank you, Papa,” she whispered as another tear fell down her cheek.
“I love you, Mira.”
“I love you, too.”
He wiped her tear away and held out his arm. “Are you ready, dearest?”
She nodded, not trusting her voice, slipped the cuff over the bottom of her flowers, and looped her left arm with her father’s right. He steered them into the trees, shuffling along a worn pathway. She smiled as she spotted their friends in the glen ahead. Her breath caught as they paused. Trees encircled the tiny meadow. Lanterns hung from their branches, swaying in the breeze. A few tables were set up with food and fresh flowers.
Simple but perfect.
A violin began to play, and she turned her attention back to the aisle. Gav’s family as well as her own watched her with happiness. She looked toward the end of the makeshift aisle, and her heart stuttered.
Gavriel, dressed in black velvet and leather, waited for her. His violet eyes seemed to drink her in, and she couldn’t help the blush that heated her cheeks. He was too handsome for his own good.
Isa released his hand and raced down the aisle. Mira let go of her father and stooped low to hug the little girl close.
“You’re going to be my mama!”
Mira blew one of her soon-to-be daughter’s curls out of her face with a smile. “I am. Are you ready to begin the ceremony?”
“Yes!”
“Would you mind holding my flowers and your papa’s cuff?”
Isa released her and beamed as Mira carefully handed the little one her things. She took Isa’s free hand and then took her father’s arm once again as all three of them walked down the aisle.
Her heart picked up speed and she struggled to keep a sedate pace the closer she got to Gavriel. Not once had he looked away from her. Her father gave her a quick kiss on her cheek and hugged Gav before moving back to be with their friends.
“You’re stunning,” Gavriel whispered.
“Thank you.”
Isa held the flowers out to Mira, and she took them once again. Gav took the little one’s free hand and the three of them faced the king.
“And so we begin,” the king said.
She couldn’t believe she was about to marry.
Chapter 21
Gav
Gavriel couldn’t believe he was married.
He had a new wife. He thought there would be guilt, but all he experienced was peace, happiness, and fierce satisfaction that the gorgeous creature holding his hand was irrevocably his.
The ceremony was all a blur. All he could focus on was his new wife, despite the fact he was being hugged.
The king entered his vision and he released Mira for a moment, hugging his uncle. Marq clasped his shoulder, his expression bittersweet.
“Your father would be proud of the life you’ve built,” his uncle murmured. “You’ve done well, Son.”
Gav choked back his emotion. “Thank you.”
The king stepped aside so Lilja could hug him, but he barely heard what she said, because he only had eyes for his new wife.
He loved her. Always had, but in the last few months, it had changed even when he fought it. He was a lucky bastard.
The next few hours passed by in a blur of congratulations, feasting, and dancing. The sun disappeared and stars graced the sky like diamonds scattered over inky silk.
Gav nursed a cup of mead and leaned against the nearest tree, his gaze glued to the center of the lush glen where the women danced and laughed together with Mira and Isa in the center. Someone approached him, and he tore his gaze from his wife, only to discover the prince of Methi also watching Mira.
He knew nothing was going on between his wife and Raz, but he couldn’t help bristling. The man tried to steal her away. If he’d succeeded… Gavriel’s fingers tightened around his cup.
“You gained something precious today,” Raz said softly.
Nodding, Gav turned his attention back to the women and practically salivated when Mira held up the train of her dress so she could move better, flashing her legs. He knew how special she was. Jasmine waved her hands in the air, and then Mira twirled into Mer’s arms.
“She chose you,” Raziel murmured.
He glanced over at the prince.
Raz gave him a wry smile. “I did everything I could to get her to accept me. She could have continued as a healer in my kingdom. I was okay with not fathering my own children.” A sigh. “I offered her everything and yet she insisted on staying here with you and Isa. She chose you. You’re a lucky man.”
“Do you love her?” Gav blurted.
The prince shook his head. “No, not the way a husband should love his wife. I care for her.” His eyes narrowed. “I trust that you will care for Mira and love her as she deserves.”
That was a threat if Gavriel had ever heard one. While it may have bothered other men, Gav understood the sentiments behind the veiled threat. Mira was loved and cared for. She would always be protected, even if he was not around.
“Understood.” He took a sip of his mead and arched a brow. “Just so you know, if I ever catch you acting in an untoward way with my wife, there will be blood, and it will not be mine.”
Raziel grinned and slapped him on the shoulder, breaking the tension. “Well said. I can respect that. Plus, I know when I have been beaten. That woman loves you.”
Did she, though? She was amiable, but every time he tried to get closer, she pushed him away.
Both men fell silent as they watched Sam saunter into the circle of dancing women, Lana in his arm. He twirled Sage around and she grimaced, looking a little green. Tehl joined the dancing and saved his wife from Samuel, slowly swaying with her.
A peal of Isa’s laughter cut through the merriment, and Gavriel smiled as Mira and his daughter held hands, spinning in a circle.
Their daughter.
“Have you told her?”
“What?” he asked, not looking away.
“That you love her.”
Gav frowned at the Methian prince. “Of course. She knows I love her. I always have. She’s my closest friend.”
Raz raised one brow. “But have you told her that you love her as a man loves a woman?”
No, he had not.
That sobered him. He needed to rectify that soon.
Once again, the Methian prince clasped him on the shoulder. “A word of advice, my friend. If you want thin
gs to go well, you need to use your words.”
“I tell that to my cousin all the time,” Gav muttered. Oh, the irony.
“Good. Tell that woman you love her. If you’re worried, I promise it will go better than you think.”
“Come dance with us!” Jasmine called from the dance ring, holding her hand out.
Gavriel set his cup on the nearest table and pushed away from the tree to join the fray. “A fair maiden calls.”
He held Isa in his arms. His daughter was out cold, her little mouth hanging open. She had a full day.
Gavriel glanced up and watched as Sam and Mira danced, talking animatedly between the two of them. Mira fit perfectly in his family, like she was made to be there. It amazed him that he’d never noticed before.
The song ended and she scanned the area, her gaze finally landing on him. Mira strolled their way and gently pulled a stray lock of Isa’s hair from her cheek that was dangerously close to being sucked into her mouth. Gentle snores buzzed in her nose.
“Are you ready to go?” Mira asked, her attention still on Isa.
Stars, she was beautiful.
He shrugged a shoulder. To be honest, he was content to sit there and watch her celebrate. “I don’t mind staying.”
Mira glanced down at him, and heat moved through his body when she gave him a gentle, intimate smile. “If I’m honest, my feet started to get cold a while ago. So much for not wearing shoes.”
Gavriel cocked his head so he could peer down at her feet. She lifted the hem of her dress, exposing dirty toes. It made him smile. “Let’s head home.”
His wife hustled away, buzzing to each of her friends to say goodbyes.
Tehl approached Gav as he stood from his seat and hugged him quickly, followed by his uncle, and finally Mira’s father. The old healer kissed Isa on the head and then clasped him on the shoulder, his copper eyes shining.
“I’m happy to have you as a son and Isa, my granddaughter. Welcome to the family,” Jacob said gruffly.
“And I you,” he responded.
Mira hustled to his side and embraced her father one last time before they waved goodbye and ambled toward the horses grazing just inside the trees.