“Gone with the Wind, huh? Not 50 Shades of Grey? It’s much more…fun?” he offered with a cheeky grin as he wiggled his brows.
“I don’t think I’d want to watch that with my brothers around, all things considered. Synthia and I watched it, though; Christian is, uh, hot,” she laughed as his face scrunched up. “Oh, you know he is.”
“I’m hotter, trust me. He needs to work on his knots.”
She laughed until her eyes caught sight of Blane who watched them from across the camp. Her laughter died off immediately, as her smile fell. “I think I’ve had enough air for now; besides, I’m sure the couple doesn’t want me at their wedding.”
“You’d be surprised,” he said softly. “The women are going to bring you a dress later so that you can attend it. I’ll be supplying the alcohol.”
“Really, I don’t want to ruin their wedding. Blane said it’s a big thing here and I’ve never even actually been to one yet. Synthia and Ryder’s was going to be my first.”
“Sorry, sugar tits, your presence is required at this one.”
“Did you steal my words?” she scoffed.
“Shit yeah I did, I like it. It pissed Fyra off so bad after it that I’ve called her nothing else since.”
“Then, by all means, continue using it,” she laughed as he smirked.
Once they were back at the tent, he produced a jug of sweet-tasting alcohol that she drank with him. It wasn’t strong, but the more she swallowed, the less she cared. In fact, all her worries faded away until she felt as free as a child.
“What the hell is in this stuff?” she asked as she watched a large tub being brought into the tent.
“Who cares?” he laughed, pushing the bottle towards her.
“I think I’ve had too much; you’re starting to look tasty,” she snorted with laughter as his eyes went large and rounded. Another woman entered the tent and dumped a pail of plumeria petals into the water. Ciara stood up, moving to the tub as the woman left. “Is this for me?” she asked with a small hiccup.
“Yes, they’ll be in soon to help you,” he explained, and then gasped as her clothing vanished and she stepped into the tub. “Or you can just jump in when you’re ready. Pay no attention to the fact that we’re alone and you’re naked. Not like it’s not my life on the line if we’re caught or anything. Feel free to do a spin, though, yeah?”
“You’ve seen me naked before.”
“So I have,” he admitted as he scratched his head. “The women, though, they’re supposed to help you prepare for the wedding.”
“I can prepare myself,” she giggled.
“And what else can you do to yourself?” he asked as he lay back on the pillows watching her.
“That got awkward fast,” she laughed as she stood up, stepping from the tub as she glamoured her hair in loose braids that lifted into an updo. She dressed in a red dress, which flowed to her ankles in soft silk waves. She turned in a full circle as his eyes heated to a deep shade of green as he watched her.
“I don’t think you could be awkward if you crab-walked backwards while trying to escape a flying lizard,” he laughed. “Drink,” he ordered, standing to pass her the alcohol.
“I think you’re trying to get me drunk, Remy.”
“Of course I am. It’s a wedding, everyone will be drunk,” he laughed as the women entered the room and paused as they took in Ciara in her finery. She looked royal again; her makeup was lightly applied to make her eyes pop as the mascara framed her violet eyes. They were a rarity in the Fae, let alone the Horde. Her lips were as red as the gown she wore and flavored cherry just for shits and giggles. “You bring the dress? She got a head start on you.”
“She has to be bathed in the petals,” the woman argued.
“She got in,” he argued and shrugged. “Don’t look at me like that; it wasn’t like you were gone long enough for us to do anything. Besides, his dragon would have sensed it and ended me if it had. Drink, Ciara,” he urged as he lifted the bottle to her lips, watching as she gulped down the red liquid until it dripped down her chin.
“Bring the dress and tell them we are ready,” the woman whispered. “If she drinks anymore, you’ll be carrying her down the aisle, Remy. She’s had enough.”
Twenty minutes later Ciara was dressed in a white gown and staring at Remy with an irritating look. The dress was made of a diaphanous white fabric that was Grecian in design with a low-plunging neckline and secured with two thin straps around the waist and falling gracefully to the floor in a wispy burn out pattern of dahlias that swayed and flared with every step she took. She peered down at the jeweled shoes being slipped onto her feet.
“They’re missing the bottoms,” Ciara pointed out, noting the ground was warm beneath her feet.
“You’ll go to the king on your own feet, girl,” the gruff old woman complained. “It’s tradition.” She finished fluffing the skirt and then stood back, admiring Ciara before she moved to a small box at the foot of the bed. She opened it, pulling out a sparkling tiara that wasn’t much more than a line of diamonds that she placed in her hair. “Beautiful, all things considered,” she murmured. “Bring her,” she snapped and watched as Remy stood up, staring at Ciara as he offered his elbow to her.
“Our traditions aren’t the same,” he started absently. “You’ll stand with Blane at the head of the guests, and say a few things. After that, you’ll stand in the blessing waters and say a few more. Okay?”
“Whatever floats your boat, dragon boy,” she mumbled as she let him lead her to the large assembly. Once there, she froze and pulled against Remy’s arm. They stared at her, and every one of them was standing. There was no seating, just a wide open area with everyone standing off to the side watching as she was led down the trail of petals.
“It’s okay, I got you,” he whispered. “He’s waiting for you, Ciara.”
At the end of the aisle, candlelight burned brightly. They were placed on round logs, set flat upon the earth. A willow tree held floating lanterns, a nod to the dead who couldn’t be there so that their light blessed the couple saying their vows.
The sun had begun to set behind the falls, creating a breathtaking view as she allowed Remy to walk her to where Blane stood waiting, in dress armor. Once she’d made it to him, Remy placed her hands in his and bowed low at the waist before he stepped back, joining the crowd.
They had some weird ideas on what happened before the bride and groom took their places. She stared at Blane who watched her with a mixture of wonder and unease. He looked handsome in his dress armor. Dragons in flight covered his chest plate, while the decorated blade hilt that hung from his hip was an entire dragon head with sparkling blue gems. His hair was pushed back from his face, held with a strap of leather.
“Are we ready?” a man asked as he stepped forward from beneath the willow tree with a silk cloth in his hands.
“Yes,” Blane said softly as he rearranged his hands, holding hers with his as the man slipped two coins between their palms.
The coin was cold, but the moment Blane held his hand tightly against hers, it warmed. She looked up at him as something tugged at the back of her mind. Next, the silk was placed on each hand and secured in a knot. The man began speaking to the assembly, and Ciara eyed the empty side of the gathering, where no one stood.
Either the bride or groom was a really sad person, or had lost their entire family somehow. Her heart ached for them, being married with not a single person to stand on your side. She smiled to herself, making a mental note to go stand there once their part in this ceremony was finished. Not that they’d want her there, but maybe she could make them feel not so alone here, as she did.
“We gather here today in the grace of the Gods, to witness this ceremony and binding of two souls. The ropes bind them, the soul coins unite them. The Gods bless them and this unio
n and no one shall tear them apart. As dragon’s law, should one intervene or part them, a death wish will be given to the one who remains. A wish for the life of the one who tore the souls apart,” he paused as the gathered assembly shouted their agreement. “A death wish is absolute and unforgiving; it finds whoever broke their souls and delivers a swift punishment. Now and here, these souls will become one, unbreakable and bound from this day forward. A dragon mates for life; his eternal flame is never extinguished even in death. This marriage shall not be questioned by any in this land, for the souls of these two will remain bound as one. He will pledge his sword to protect her, to keep her safe from his enemies from this day forth. She will bear his children; tend his hearth and his every desire. Now we will hear their vows to the Gods.”
“I, Blane, in the name of the Gods that reside within Faery and this realm and within all of us, by the life which flows within my veins and blood and pumps through my heart for you, take thee, Ciara, to my hand, to my heart and within my spirit to be my chosen one. I will desire thee, and be desired by thee, to possess thee, and be possessed by thee, without shame or sin. You are mine from this day forth, and should any seek to take thee away, I will use my birthright to call forth a death wish to avenge thee. I am given to you by choice, for my will is to take you within my protection, to shelter and cherish you from this day forth. You are given, as I have taken thee.”
Ciara smirked and lifted a brow at his words and then looked at the man who stood gazing at her with open curiosity.
“This is where you say yes, my lady.”
“Yes?” she asked.
“You must mean it,” he said as he looked at Blane for direction.
“Oh, well, yes, of course,” she laughed. She looked up at Blane who watched her with amusement. “I guess now the actual couple comes out?” she asked in a hushed whisper. His lips twitched as he held his hands out to the man, forcing hers to go with his.
“Now the cleansing of the past as the blessing waters purifies and blesses this marriage against anything that occurred before it as they begin their new life together.”
Once the ribbons had been removed, and the coins returned to a wooden chest, Blane picked up Ciara. She tensed and then relaxed against him as he carried her towards the water.
“You’re beautiful, Ciara,” he murmured.
“You’re kinda hot today too, but that might be the alcohol talking. I’m pretty sure Remy was trying to get me drunk.”
He stepped over a stack of stones that were piled in front of the water. She smiled, blessing stones for the ones getting married today. Blane placed her in the water, and she swore under her breath as she watched him gazing down at her.
“Why are we standing in the freezing ass water?” she whispered in a hushed tone, or what she hoped was one.
“It’s a sacred blessing pool,” he murmured as he pulled her close and smiled down at her. “You’re being blessed by one of the first pools created in Faery.”
“Like the tree,” she said as she stared down at her jeweled feet. She lifted the hem of her dress and splashed him. He smiled at her as she backed up and laughed, her lips parted, and her eyes lit from within without glowing as she looked at him.
“Gods, woman,” he whispered as he remained still.
“The Gods have little to do with anything,” she replied. “But really, Blane, the water is freezing.”
“Come here,” he ordered, pulling her to him as his lips touched against hers in a chaste kiss. “I bless thee as mine from this day and every day forth. Bless me, Ciara.”
She eyed the crowd and then touched his forehead. “You’re blessed.”
“Say what I said, but to me.”
“I don’t really want to bless you, though.”
“Ciara, the sooner you do it, the sooner you get out of the cold water,” he hissed.
“Why didn’t you just start with that? I bless you, Blane, from this day, and every day forth,” she replied as her brain tried to put everything together. He picked her up again, splashing the water as he marched her through it and back to the place they’d stood before.
“My good people, I give you Blane, the born Dragon King, and his bride, your new queen, Ciara, Queen of the Dragons.”
“Wait, what?” Ciara asked as she turned to stare at Blane.
The crowd cheered as Ciara put it together slowly through her drunken mind.
“Got ya, wife,” Blane purred.
“You son of a bitch!” she screamed as she brought her foot up before he could react, kicking him in the balls. She howled as he screamed in pain. Her foot burned with pain as she struggled to reach him through the man who now held her back. “You fucker! What the ever-loving fairy fucking bullshit is this! You can’t marry me; you don’t have the king’s permission!”
“I am the king here, Ciara.”
“You’re not my king! I am Horde, and I sure as hell am not marrying you! Remy, I’m going to fucking tear you apart!” she hissed as she turned to find him in the sea of people.
“You’re my queen; like it or not, our souls are bound,” Blane growled as he grabbed her hand and pulled her to him. “For eternity,” he mused huskily.
“Or until one of us is dead,” she snapped angrily as tears burned her eyes. “You son of a bitch, how could you?” she whispered as she tried to pull her hand away from his.
“I told you that you were mine. I bound our families together, and you are the key to securing peace for my people. If your brother kills me, he will kill half of you too.”
“Undo it now,” she demanded.
“Dragons do not divorce, Ciara,” he retorted as he pulled her with him towards a decked-out table.
“I’m not a dragon!”
“No, you just carry our symbol on your ribs. You care to explain that?” he seethed.
“What?” she asked as she stalled and yanked her hand away from his. “Impossible.”
“I saw it when I watched your father cut one out of your fucking chest, Ciara,” he shouted and the assembly hushed, turning to look at her.
Her breathing intensified as her heart pounded in her ears. “Fuck you. What my father did to me is between me and the Gods, not you. Not your people. Alazander was a monster, the worst in creation, but I survived him. I will survive this too.”
“I know you will,” he whispered as he pushed his fingers through his hair. “Now sit and drink with me,” he offered as he pulled out a chair at a large round table. “Wife.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
Ciara sat at the table, watching as tray after tray of steaming food was piled atop it. Blane ate, but no one celebrated their wedding. It wasn’t a wedding of choice, but of need. It was enemies uniting for peace. She was a pawn again, but on the bright side, if there was one, she’d given her virginity to her husband.
“Eat,” Blane said as he pushed a plate in front of her.
“I’m Fae,” she said, letting her eyes glow as she turned to face him, knowing the entire table was watching her every move. “I prefer to starve than eat what I need for dinner.”
“It’s to show those who prepared it that you are thankful for their contribution,” he whispered against her ear. “They’re waiting for your approval as Queen,” he amended.
“Queen,” she laughed as tears filled her eyes. “Gods save me.”
“Most women would kill to be queen,” Fyra snapped beside her.
“I never wanted to be a queen,” she replied icily. “I wanted to be left alone, to train to fight so that I was never weak again.” She picked up the silverware and started to eat, smiling as she made eye contact with the women who watched her, nodding her thanks. Once they’d vanished from sight, she tossed the fork down and moved to stand.
“You’re my queen now, like it or not. You will remain with
me until I retire with you, Ciara.”
“They don’t want me here, Blane. None of you want me here, and all I am doing is ruining the fun they’d have if I wasn’t here. It’s a celebration, and your people should be able to celebrate as is custom.”
“Stay.”
She sat there, listening to the people who spoke in hushed tones around them. Music started up, and she turned her head towards it. She loved music, the escape it provided. She stood, ignoring Blane as he reached for her, before standing with her as she made her way to where a few people were playing renditions of human music with their instruments made for folk music. She stood there, silently gazing up at the stars as she felt Blane’s heat behind her.
“They traveled to learn the music, then brought some back on a supply run,” Blane stated from close to her back.
“Remy said you go often to gather supplies,” she replied softly. “Why not just go where the Horde could not follow?” she turned, watching him as he frowned.
“This is our home too,” he replied harshly.
“I wasn’t saying it wasn’t yours, Blane. I was asking a question. I considered going when I was a child, but it was overwhelming, and I feared they’d eat me.”
“Who did you fear would eat you?” he asked.
“The humans,” she admitted with a smile on her lips. “I feared they would be like my father to women. That I’d be no safer there than here, and I wish I had gone. Escaped him somehow, but he’d have found me eventually. He always did when my brothers ran away from him. Staying was better than even the chance of leaving and being found by him.”
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