“Sorry to wake you, sir,” the young man in the red city guard uniform said. “You have visitors, and they said they can’t wait until a more decent hour.”
Excitement rose in Aibek’s chest. He’d seen his aunt a few times since the battle, but still held out hope that his uncle was somewhere inside the city. Perhaps that’s who had woken him?
“Very well,” he answered, trying to sound more regal than he felt. “Give me a moment to dress and collect my boots.”
“Yes, sir.” The guard turned his back when Aibek opened the door to his bedchamber.
A few of the officers had voiced concerns about Aibek and Marah sharing a room. Since they weren’t married, many felt it wasn’t quite proper. Given Aibek’s place as the election director (as he’d named himself), they said it would be best if Aibek either married her or took a different room, perhaps on a different hall. Aibek had thanked them for the advice and made no move to follow it. He’d marry Marah as soon as things settled down, if she’d have him.
He hadn’t asked.
The mere thought of her saying no made him feel lightheaded and nauseated.
He’d have to ask her soon, he knew. If he didn’t marry her before they returned to Nivaka, her brothers would probably kill him. In fact, he wasn’t sure they wouldn’t do that anyway, just to finish the job they’d started in Kainga.
These thoughts occupied his mind while he tugged on his boots and laced them up. They kept him worrying the buttons on his sleeves during the walk to the sitting room where his guests waited.
He worried and picked at loose threads until he swung the door open — and froze.
There, sitting in front of a roaring fire in the palace, was Serik. Alive. Breathing.
“Serik! You’re alive!” Aibek barely managed the words around a gasp and tears of joy. “I’m so sorry. How did you recover? I thought you were dead.” He swept into the room and gathered his mentor in a hug to rival one of Valasa’s.
“Faruz found me and Valasa saved me.” Serik said when Aibek released him. “I’m not quite as I was, but I’m well enough for now.”
“The Bokinna told Gworsad that you won the battle in Nivaka,” Aibek said, moving forward and clasping Faruz in a welcoming hug.
“We did. I could use a hot drink. How about some tea? It’s awfully cold out there for flying.”
Ahren straightened up then and asked, “What about famanc? That would be perfect.”
Aibek smiled and pulled the rope to call a maid. “We don’t have famanc, but we do have some very good tea. I’ll have them bring in a tray.”
He stood awkwardly for a moment, unsure how to greet her after the warm hugs he’d shared with Serik and Faruz. She didn’t seem eager to embrace him, so he extended a hand and waited until she grasped it.
“It’s wonderful to see you again. I trust your family is well?”
“They are, thank you. Father is overseeing the repairs in Nivaka with both you and Faruz away, and Dalan is taking on more of the Gadonu’s healing duties.”
“I’m happy to hear it.” The stilted formality chafed against his friendlier nature, but Aibek decided not to let her unpredictable moods bother him. His friend was alive. The battle had been won on every front. And the love of his life would awaken at any moment. He was going to be a father. He still couldn’t quite believe it.
Another woman stood to take his hand as soon as he’d released Ahren’s.
“Oh, Koviom it’s good to see you looking so well.” She used her grip on his hand to pull him into an awkward hug. “You’re a touch skinnier than the last time I saw you.”
Aibek flushed and searched his memory. “Iriz, right? I’m sorry, it’s been too long, and I’m terrible with names.”
“Aye. You do know me.” She released him and settled onto the sofa beside Faruz.
“What news do you have for us?” Faruz asked after the maid had left to gather the tea tray.
“Well,” Aibek glanced over at Ahren, who sat picking at a loose thread on the divan and studiously ignoring him. Why had she come? “I’ve refused the crown, though they try to shove it at me every day.”
“I told you.” Faruz nudged Iriz. “Go on. What else have you done that I predicted?”
“I’ve set myself as the election director, so I’ve promised to stay in the city until a new king is chosen.”
“All right, I might not have predicted that one, but it doesn’t surprise me, either.”
Aibek couldn’t keep his eyes off Serik’s face. The time had aged him faster than all the years they’d spent together, but he was alive!
The maid returned and set a tea tray on the sideboard. “Miss Marah is awake, sir. Should I bring her in?”
Aibek grinned. “Yes, I’d appreciate that. Thank you.”
The girl left, her blonde curls reflecting the firelight as she swept from the room. Aibek turned back to his friends.
“That’s something you might not have predicted. I’m planning to marry Marah.”
Faruz squeaked and jumped up. “I knew it! I knew you two had something going on. And she said yes? She’s willing to marry you even though you’re a complete nutter?”
“Well, that’s the thing. I…”
“You haven’t asked her yet, have you?” Serik’s soft voice cut through the clatter of dishes.
Heat filled his face and Aibek hung his head. “No.”
“Asked who what?” Marah’s voice rang from the doorway.
Aibek cursed under his breath. “I… It wasn’t supposed to happen this way. Oh, well.” He stood and reached for her hands. “Marah, I love you. One lifetime’s not enough. I want to love you until the end of time. Will you marry me?”
Marah pulled her hands free and clapped them over her open mouth. Tears streamed from her amber eyes, and Aibek thought she was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen.
“Yes. Yes, I will.”
Aibek’s chest swelled with excitement, and he wondered how much happiness one man could take before he just exploded from joy. He had to be nearing the threshold. He grabbed her in a gentle embrace and kissed her lightly, aware of his friends’ eyes on his back.
“Well.” Faruz cleared his throat. “I guess now we have a wedding to plan.”
Marah laughed and pulled free, noticing the others in the room for the first time. “I guess we do. Aibek, I’d take some of that tea, if you don’t mind.”
“Of course.” Aibek handed her a freshly poured cup, along with the cream and sugar she liked.
They spent the morning catching up on gossip and the events in Xona and Nivaka, until Aibek called an end to the visit by claiming he had to go to plan the election. And a wedding.
The next morning, Aibek rose at dawn and dressed without a sound. Since Faruz and Serik had arrived in Xona, Aibek had been anxious to talk to them in private. He craved more news of Nivaka and the people there, and he wanted to tell them all that had happened with his parents.
Careful not to wake Marah, he snuck out the door and hurried down the hall to the sitting room Serik and Faruz had shared. Along the way, he stopped a maid and asked for a tea tray to be brought in.
Half an hour later, he grinned at the return to their previous habit. He shared a comfortable sofa with Serik, who still looked pale and drawn, and Faruz sat across from them in an overstuffed leather armchair. The tea tray sat empty and abandoned on the low table between the seats.
They’d spent the time on small talk and had avoided the more difficult subjects, until Faruz leaned back and sighed. “All right come out with it. You’re dying to tell us something, I can tell. What is it?”
Serik raised his bushy eyebrows and adjusted his position on the couch so it was easier to maintain eye contact.
“Well, there’s a lot more, actually.” He hesitated, drew a calming breath, and launched into all that had happened in Xona after the battle, beginning with Marah’s revelation. He teared up when he relayed the news of his father’s demise and his mother’s plan
to reincarnate.
“I don’t think I’ll see her again,” he finished.
Faruz sat, stunned and speechless for the first time Aibek could ever remember. Serik gave a sad little smile.
“It looks like I’ll get to take care of another generation of Nivaka’s mayors, after all. I’m not sure how long I’ll be able to stay, though.”
Aibek furrowed his brows in confusion. “What do you mean? Where are you going?”
“Ah, child. I’m older than you can fathom. And the injury in the Bokinna’s clearing broke me in ways I cannot explain and that can’t be healed. No, I will only have a few more years in this body, if that.” At the sorrow in Aibek’s eyes, Serik placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. “Don’t worry. It’ll be a while yet.”
“I’m so sorry for what I did to you.” Aibek whispered. “I never got a chance to tell you how sorry I am.”
“Don’t be so hard on yourself, boy.” Serik handed him a handkerchief. “You did nothing wrong. You introduced me to a being I’d wanted to meet since I arrived in the Tsari. You gave me the chance to fly on dragons. I have no regrets.”
Wiping his face, Aibek nodded, but couldn’t think of a single word to say.
“So, when’s the wedding?” Faruz broke the pained silence. “And do you think you’ll need a bodyguard when we get back to Nivaka? How are her brothers going to take your marriage? I heard they didn’t take kindly to you courting her.”
Aibek laughed, trying not to remember the beating he’d taken in Kainga. The others joined in, and the conversation shifted to lighter subjects. They laughed at the antics of the elderly women in Nivaka, who always managed to keep the council members on their toes with their squabbles and parties. Faruz shared updates on Zifa’s condition and relayed the story of how she’d fallen from her dragon during the battle.
Two hours had passed in banter and laughter by the time a maid knocked at the door to inform Aibek that Marah was looking for him. He asked the maid to bring her to him and bring a fresh tea tray.
The next three days passed in a blur of camaraderie as Faruz and Serik got to know the rest of the dragon riders, including Marah. Aibek organized speeches and debates among the few top-tier military officials who had stepped forward as candidates to take over the kingdom, and Marah spent her days planning for their wedding, aided by several of the dragon riders and Aibek’s aunt Ira. The mood and attitude of the staff improved drastically when Aibek and Marah announced their intention to marry, and all the maids and footmen greeted them with smiles instead of the scowls that had marred their first days there.
The day of the wedding dawned wet and dreary. Aibek stood in the window for a long while, watching the rain pelt the glass and hoping it would stop soon.
A soft hand on his shoulder dragged his attention away from the storm. “It’ll be fine. We can use one of the ballrooms in the palace.” Marah pressed her lips to his neck and gathered her things. “I’ll see you in a few hours.”
A smile crept over Aibek’s face as he watched her go. She’d spend the day being pampered by the palace maids. She deserved every bit of it. Excitement bubbled in his belly at the thought of making her his bride. Was this how Faruz had felt? Aibek’s mind flashed back to that moment when Faruz had been standing under the arch, looking like a child who’d gotten away with robbing the cookie jar. That certainly fit how Aibek felt that morning.
He strutted down the hall to make sure the maids had moved everything to the main ballroom, feeling like he’d been given the greatest gift in the land. Of course, his aunt had everything well in hand, and Aibek returned to his chambers. The palace maids cut his hair and trimmed his unkempt beard, making him look every bit the military officer. He dressed in his school uniform, the red and gold coat having been freshly pressed the day before.
The hours flew by and soon it was time for Aibek to take his place. It felt strange to stand at the front of the room in the palace, with candles and lamps and gleaming crystals in place of all the leaves and flowers that would have decorated a forest wedding. Faruz winked at him when the musicians struck the chord that announced the bride’s arrival, and Aibek couldn’t fight back a grin. Soldiers, dragon riders, friends, and citizens filled the cavernous ballroom to capacity, but all fell silent when Marah stepped into the room. Her dress was fitted at the top and a mass of flowing skirts at the bottom, in the color of the forest’s canopy in summertime. Gold embroidered leaves decorated the sleeves, hem, and waistline.
He’d spent hours working with the palace priests on vows that mingled the city’s traditions and those from the forest, but he couldn’t remember speaking a word of them. All he knew was the happiness in her amber eyes lit by the glow of a thousand candles. Without warning, it was over. Aibek bent and kissed her softly, grabbed her hands, and strode toward the smaller ballroom where a reception had been set up.
His aunt caught him up in a surprisingly strong hug as he entered the room, tears in her eyes. “I’m so proud of you,” she whispered. “Your uncle never said it enough, but he was, too. You’ll always be my little boy.”
Aibek hugged her back and a little of the longing left his heart. His parents weren’t there, but he still had his aunt, and now his wife. An idea crept into his mind, but now wasn’t the time to bring it up. Perhaps at breakfast tomorrow. Whatever happened next, he knew deep down that he’d never truly be alone again.
Epilogue
Five years later:
“Excuse me, Mayor?”
Aibek set down his pen and twisted in his chair to greet the young messenger boy.
“Yes, Akash?”
“Sorry to bother you, sir, but someone’s here to see you. He says you know him, and he won’t see anyone else.”
Aibek pursed his lips. Everyone he’d expected had already arrived. “Did he give his name? Never mind, I’m coming. Just let me put this away.” He corked the ink bottle and blotted his pen dry, leaving the letter unfinished on the desk. He stood and followed the tow-headed boy out of the room.
“I had him wait in your den. I hope that’s all right,” Akash blurted out.
Torn between amusement at the boy’s eagerness to please and a hesitance to have strangers unsupervised in his house, Aibek just nodded.
His heart skipped a beat when he walked into the den. Pagi, the old man who’d helped him before the battle who reminded him so much of Serik, perched on the edge of a plush chaise. He swallowed the lump that sprang up in his throat and held out a hand in greeting.
“Pagi, it’s so good to see you again. I didn’t expect you.” Aibek’s words held a question he couldn’t disguise. He’d never told the man where he lived.
“Come, sit with me.” Pagi held out a hand in invitation, and Aibek settled onto the sofa beside him. “You’ve lost a dear friend.”
Aibek swallowed again. “Yes.”
“How much did Serik tell you about his history and what happened when he was so badly injured inside the forest?”
“Not much. He said it broke him, and he aged so fast after that.” Aibek couldn’t force his voice above a whisper. The loss was just too fresh. He wasn’t ready to talk about Serik yet.
“It did. It quite literally broke him in two. It separated his mortal form from his immortal spirit.”
The words didn’t make sense, and Aibek struggled to understand.
“Serik’s father was an immortal being—the son of Zirvesi himself,” Pagi explained. “He’d lived for well over a hundred years before that injury. The old magic he called on separated him.”
Aibek held up a hand. “What do you mean ‘separated’ him? I know it changed him, but how can one person become two?”
“You held the pyre for his mortal form today.” Pagi continued as if Aibek hadn’t spoken. “I am his immortal form. Now that his conscious spirit has been released, I hold all his knowledge and memories. I was drawn to you before, and now I finally understand why.”
It took several minutes for Aibek to process what he heard. W
hen he thought he understood, he asked, “So, are you staying, then? If you’re any part of Serik, then you’re welcome here.”
Pagi laughed. “No, child, I can’t stay here forever. I have a home in the Raksaso Mountains with my father and grandfather.”
“Of course.” Aibek tried to hide his disappointment. “Well, will you stay for the evening? We’re all gathering to celebrate Serik’s life tonight.”
“I can stay for a few weeks, if that’s all right. And I can come back and visit from time to time.”
Aibek nodded. “That’s—"
“Papa! Papa help!” A little girl flung herself into the room and into Aibek’s lap. Her flame red hair had been secured into neat braids down her back that morning but had come loose during the day and framed her face in a wild disarray.
Aibek picked her up and set her on his knee. “What’s wrong, Kiri?”
“Galfrid and Don have a frog, and they’re trying to put it on me!” Her lower lip pushed out in a pout and she put her fists on her hips.
Aibek struggled to keep from smiling. Seconds later, the boys in question ran through the door she’d left open. Galfrid, the older of Aibek’s two boys, held something enclosed in his hands.
“Leave the frog outside, Gal.” The level of patience in Aibek’s voice impressed him, and he managed to keep a straight face.
“Aw, Papa, it’s really cute, see?” He opened his hands just enough for a tiny green face to peek through.
Kiri screamed and climbed up Aibek’s side.
“Outside,” Aibek said, his voice firmer this time. The boy disappeared back through the door, and Kiri settled back down onto Aibek’s lap.
Kiri noticed Pagi on the other couch and gave him a shy smile. “I’m Kiri.” She said. “Galfrid says he’s bigger than me, but he acts littler.” She crossed her legs and tossed a wind-swept, mostly-undone braid behind her shoulder.
Aibek smiled. “Yes, he’s older than you, but only by a few minutes. Kiri, this is Pagi. He’s Serik’s…” Aibek paused, unsure how to explain the situation to the little girl.
The Nivaka Chronicles Boxed Set Page 89