The Last Unicirim’s Bride

by Hollie Hutchins

“And, we’ve been a little busy… what with the two dead dragons, you having to rush around warning everyone, us training, seeing that you were tired, and enjoying our time together… it just didn’t seem that important...” her voice trailed off.

  “Get to the point.”

  “I… well… before the dragon attack, you remember that ring I got, right? Which I’m not wearing now… hmm.”

  “Yes. I remember.” Instantly, a horrible thought entered his mind. What if she’d found a spot weak enough for her to enter her realm? What if she was happy because she could vanish at any point?

  “I managed to get some signal on my phone – the black box. Signal as in being able to communicate with someone over long distances. I spoke to my mom.”

  He waited for her to say something. When she didn’t, he said, “You… did? That’s… that’s great.” He attempted a smile. Yes, it was good she’d gotten into contact with those who missed her, but it also meant dividing her interests further. Pulling her away from him.

  “I couldn’t tell her the truth. I mean, how can I? Taken by an evil water horse to a realm with dragons and unicorns and werewolves is crazy talk where I’m from. But… I let her know I was alive, I was okay. That I was trying to find my way back to her.”

  Taking some deep, careful breaths, Renne nodded. “I’m sure you miss her.”

  “Of course I miss her, she’s my mother,” Maya snapped, likely picking up on his mood. “Look, Renne. When I ended the call, and I had to, by the way, before she started asking questions I couldn’t answer – I realized something.”

  “What?”

  Her leg bumped against his again under the table, more aggressive than before. Like a light slap. “I realized I don’t want to leave here so soon. All I longed for was for her to know I lived. Like… I couldn’t get it out of my head for long before I’d be thinking about her crying herself to sleep at night, hitting the wine bottles, my dad threatening to hunt down the people who took me if there were people responsible, my friends posting everywhere about how devastated they were...”

  She paused for a moment, pushing her cup aside. “Now I know they know I’m alive and safe, I don’t want to leave this world behind. I still want to go back to earth, of course… but… I have magic, and I have you.”

  At this, Renne’s heart, formerly preparing itself for the worst, lurched instead to his throat, so that he felt his pulse pounding in his ears, his cheeks. “You don’t want to leave?” He reached out for her hand, and they clasped fingers.

  “As they say in my world, best to give it the good ole college try.” The bottom half of her lips disappeared into her mouth, before she said, “And… maybe I’ll try the marriage thing, too. If it’ll help.”

  Resisting the urge to pinch himself, Renne’s smile grew like a sunrise. “Maybe I better get that signed in writing before you change your mind.”

  “Better hurry, then. Offer’s good for one hour,” she said with a deadly serious expression, until he leaned forward to kiss her on the lips, bubbling with joy.

  It was, of course, around that moment that Yvonne chose to enter the room, and she announced, “Nice to see you two sucking at it. About time, too.” She placed herself beside Maya, elbows on the table, black makeup as smudged and intimidating as ever. “Might advise you to avoid the open affection until we’re sure you’re both married because some people will take issue.”

  “You don’t?” Maya grinned at Yvonne, moving away from Renne to elbow the water witch in her ribs.

  “I’m from Zorin. Our culture’s different. We don’t have pony boys and girls there.”

  “Isn’t it because you all live in mud huts by swamps and eat poisonous frogs?” Renne said, picturing Yvonne’s skull and bone laden tent, with her ominous shrunken heads hung on strings.

  “Please. Only some of us do that. I suppose the witches are supposed to find themselves in the swamps – frog hallucinogens are great for unlocking power.” She grinned, and Renne suspected she was joking. Or maybe being half-serious. You could never quite tell with that one.

  “You know, I’m just thinking, how did you two meet? How did you end up helping the war effort here, Yvonne?”

  Renne and Yvonne regarded Maya – though Renne wasn’t sure he wanted to explain how. He doubted Yvonne would care, though.

  And she didn’t. “He came seeking his mother in Zorin some years back. Twelve or thirteen years ago, I think. He broke away from the royals and the army, all rebellious teenager and emotion, doing something they all told him not to do but did anyway. That about right?”

  “Yes,” Renne said between gritted teeth. He couldn’t tell Yvonne to stop talking, though, not with how interested Maya appeared. Practically begging for more information of their past.

  “I can picture you as an angsty teenager,” Maya said. “Listening to emo music, slouching around in black clothes with chains everywhere if we knock a few years off you...”

  “I don’t know what you mean, but that sounds like a terrible way of dressing. Chains?”

  “Please continue,” Maya said, waving a dismissive hand at Renne’s objection.

  “Renne looks Zorin enough, but the moment you hear him speak – he’s all haughty noble Albanese. Some of the locals thought it funny to trick him to go to the Keening Swamp, claiming his mother was there. The Swamp’s very dangerous for outsiders, home to a lot of witches, many of them going through their magic unlocking ceremonies, and many of them drugged up to their eyeballs.”

  “This is getting good…” Maya rubbed her hands together gleefully. Yvonne basked in the attention, placing a tongue on the bottom edge of her top teeth as she considered her next words.

  “The interesting thing is – I actually knew his mother. Not well – she was some third great aunt’s cousin twice removed or something to that effect, but I did know she’d died some years back. I never knew she had a son. Imagine my surprise when I’m out in the swamp, gathering some herbs and putting frogs in a jar to sell back in the village, since I happened to be a recently full fledged witch and all, and could navigate the swamps with little danger – and I spot this idiot, right – up to his neck in the bog.”

  “Wow!” Maya said, her hazel eyes wide. “You saved him?”

  “Sure did. Used my magic to get him out of there, but he was feverish, hallucinating – bitten by a leech which gives Swamp Fever, so he needed about three weeks to recover in my house.”

  “Holy shit,” Maya said. “And that’s how you became friends?”

  “Not exactly,” Renne said, checking to make sure Yvonne didn’t plan to interrupt him. “I thought she was some savage. It wasn’t until I asked her if she knew of my mother that we… became more than acquaintances. She told me about my mom, what she did know, anyway. And that to the Zorin people, family is everything. They don’t like to settle in other places unless there is family there, or they’re with someone. And she, I suppose, found a great excuse to explore another land through me.”

  “I like using my powers for something other than rescuing idiots out of swamps and selling frogs,” Yvonne said.

  “I can imagine,” Maya replied, an amused glint in her eyes. “That’s actually really sweet. You left everything behind to help Renne.”

  Yvonne’s lips twitched in a sardonic smile. “It was more to help myself, but he turned out to be a good egg. So no regrets.”

  “It’s nice. I met all my friends either in school or college. A lot of them I faded out of contact with. Others I hung out with a lot. But… I’m kind of envious of you two, actually. I feel like you two are the friends I’ve never had.”

  “Friends? She’s rude and vulgar,” Renne said. “She bullies me at every opportunity she gets.”

  “See? Friends.”

  “She’s right, you know,” Yvonne said.

  They made it outside after eating breakfast to train some more. First Yvonne with Maya sparring together in a manner that caused Renne sometimes to look away, since one wrong slip from
either of them, and he’d have a dead lover or friend. For all of Yvonne’s skill and flexibility, she had a hard time dealing with Maya who used lightning and ice arrows as they were the least likely to kill Yvonne if they did land. Arcane and fire were too dangerous. Renne trained with Tara and Janus in both human and unicirim forms, Tara with her twin blades, Janus with his spear, Renne with his sword. During their training, they saw the steady stream of troops through the city, positioning ballistae upon the battlements, taking food and stockpiled water underground to avoid them being burned, warning citizens, allowing them to escape, seek to join the army, or reinforce their homes against dragons. The richer citizens could afford fireproofing charms, and Witslaw had ensured every one of the royals and his generals carried fireproof charms. Only two dozen charms in the entire city of Bastion and two went to Maya and Renne.

  The best training came from getting Maya to ride him firmly strapped to his back so she could practice shooting arrows from the air and test out what distances to expect when she fired off. Her accuracy improved to a point where she could reliably pick out moving targets at a range of fifty or so yards and calculate their trajectories. Longer ranged arrows were more hit and miss, but dragons were huge targets. The other things they tried was how Renne worked with the magic, and if they could communicate mentally.

  I gain powers when she uses them, Renne thought, feeling heat lace through his horn, and a red sheen film over his eyes. Speed… strength… my horn. Though he didn’t think the horn would make a good weapon in the air. No – she needed his speed. To get in close without damage, flying faster and more nimbly than what a dragon could manage.

  Maya. Can you hear me?

  He heard a buzzing in return, as he dipped through the air, heading towards a swaying target set in the open window of the main castle in Bastion, some eight floors up. An icy arrow sped through the window, slamming into the sandbag target.

  It still didn’t seem like they could hear one another, but he kept trying anyway, constantly thinking towards her and testing how she fared when he spun in the air. Not well, since he heard her cursing at him when they flew straight again.

  … Stupid horse… Renne let out a neigh of excitement. Maya’s voice had punched through.

  Maya! I hear you! Can you hear me? Maya? Maya?

  … Hear…

  He flew in lazy loops and both of them completely ignored target practice to perfect their communication instead.

  Within an hour, they touched down upon ground again, and Renne stretched out his wings which ached slightly.

  I swear, Renne – you do a barrel roll in the air again and I’ll rip off your stupid horn.

  No need to be so vicious. We might need to do a move like that if it’s the difference between life and death, Renne replied in thought, waiting for Maya to tug off the saddle before he turned into human.

  “Took long enough to get us speaking in the air.” Maya closed in on him, wrapping her arms around his body, glowing with excitement and arousal. “And, gotta say, I like the idea of riding you...”

  He stole a hasty kiss with her, clutched her body close until their breaths mingled before pulling away. “Not in public.” He indicated two of the soldiers training with spears nearby, watching them both with disgusted expressions. His heart sank slightly. “I’m not winning any favors with the troops here.”

  Maya scowled at the two men. Several others were discreetly peeking at them as well. “They need to get those sticks out of their asses.”

  “It won’t happen. Not until we’re officially married.” Though he could picture a future with her now. A future of them lying together in bed, bodies facing one another. A crown upon her head, standing regal in front of a coronation rally, people cheering their names…

  Before, the image seemed hazy. Unobtainable, somehow. Now, though… he had someone who could see deep into his soul. Deep into what made him function as a person, deep into the feelings he often didn’t understand himself.

  Maybe they’d die tomorrow. Maybe they’d live. A victory would legitimize their campaign, and bring the hope of a true victory for the first time in decades. Failure might squash attempts for decades afterward.

  “Can we just get married now? I don’t want people staring at us like that when we show affection in public.” Maya looked earnestly into Renne’s eyes, her hand tracing the stubble on his chin.

  “You’re serious?” They had been getting on a lot better recently, but he still had the impression she wanted to wait longer. Even if he didn’t.

  “Yeah, yeah I am,” she said, nodding, her lips pursing together slightly. “As soon as possible. We can do that, right?”

  “Um… yes. We need to register with the local druid, though. Permission from a servant of nature or a god, you see. We can go to Bastion’s High Temple today.”

  “Sounds good.” She grinned, and it took all his willpower not to just kiss her passionately on the spot. Legitimizing their Bond would peel away so much pressure. And Bastion’s High Temple was the place to go to petition for their marriage.

  Informing Wislaw, Callum, Artur and Yvonne of their intentions had to be one of the best feelings, just to see their pride. Walking down the temple street with Maya an hour later, holding her hand, also rated high in his list of positive experiences. They walked into the Bastion High Temple, a building that appeared white on the outside, with the entrance supported by four pillars, leading into a grand room. If they didn’t have Bastion, it would have meant marrying outside the country, but here, being in control of the city, it meant they could formally request. The druid in charge of the temple was a kindly, middle aged woman. The two guards assigned to watch over them glowered in the background at anyone attempting to gawk inside the temple at them.

  The woman, clad in heavy white robes, wearing huge eye glasses upon her nose which magnified her eyes to almost double their size, thumbed through the temple register and another obscure chart before her finger pointed at a date. “Day after tomorrow is a full moon. To bring maximum blessing and power to your marriage, especially as you two are Bonded, this is when you will marry. My chart here predicts the most auspicious days for you.” She stabbed at the book next to the dates where symbols of planets and stars were drawn in tandem with images of creatures and humans. Nothing that Renne understood.

  “You practice astrology?” Maya raised both her eyebrows, clearly dubious at Albalon’s idea of wedding planning. “Can’t we just get married today?”

  “No,” the woman said, again pointing to the meaningless symbols. “You have told me your season of birth, what you are, and the hopes and expectations that rest upon you. I will not jeopardize you by marrying on an unlucky day.”

  “Just roll with it,” Renne muttered to her. “Or we won’t get married at all.”

  “This is so stupid,” Maya said under her breath to him back, before smiling. “Thank you so much! So we’ll see you the day after.”

  If we survive, Renne thought with a jolt of unease. Anything could happen. He squeezed Maya’s hand, trying not to think about when he might be touching her for the last time. They needed more moments. More time.

  He feared not getting enough.

  The druid bowed towards them. “Thank you, young prince and princess to be. Great blessings upon you. Now… if you’ll excuse me.” She bustled past them, in time to confront a woman with a man trailing behind her, probably in his early twenties. The woman was in tears, though trying to hold herself together. The young man appeared unable to watch the woman, and instead examined them with peculiar orange eyes.

  Maya, you hearing me?

  Yes, she replied, her words brushing over his mind. Unlike the spoken word, they had a way of caressing over him, sending a warmth inside. Though the thoughts did take more effort than just simply speaking.

  You see that man’s eyes?

  They moved themselves slightly closer to the druid and her temple attendants.

  I do. That is a strange color, she though
t back.

  “I just wanted to light some prayer incense,” the woman in her brown shawl was saying. “It case it helps him find his way home.”

  “I understand,” the druid woman said, smiling with her wrinkled face. “But don’t forget, it’s a long distance to travel for him. I’m sure he’ll be fine.”

  “He was due back a week ago...”

  A missing husband, Maya thought. Wonder if it’s anything to do with the dragon we found in the mountains.

  A coincidence, Renne thought. But not one we can ignore.

  Don’t attack them, Maya’s thought hissed at him. I can sense your anger.

  Renne grimaced, annoyed she felt it, even though he couldn’t hide anything from her. Just… even picturing a dragon made the old rage boil up. Sorry. How do we do this? Approach them and hope for the best?

  I think we should try this the Yvonne way, Maya replied.

  Yvonne way… That sounds like a terrible idea.

  Maya, who used to be a little less willing to get herself involved in anything, strode up to the woman and man, and said, “The prince and I would like to have a word with you two in private. It’s regarding who we believe is your husband.”

  The woman’s eyes went wide, both with fear and hope. The man, however, showed his teeth in a silent snarl.

  “I advise you not to pull that kind of face in front of a prince,” Renne said to the man. “Or to a woman who can kill you in an eyeblink. Relax. It may be nothing, but we’d like some of your time.”

  Anxiously, the two followed Renne and Maya to the corner of the large congregation hall, far away from the druid and the few other worshippers praying in front of lit incense sticks on the green carpeted floor.

  When sure that they were not at risk of being overheard, knowing that people would feel safe in a place of worship, Renne said, “Is your husband a dragon?”

  A gasp issued from the woman, and the man stepped in front of her, his orange eyes seeming to glow in the dim light of the temple. Maya gently pushed Renne backwards, and he realized he was tense, hand on his sheathed sword, ready to spring, to kill.