When he could finally read the tiny letters engraved near the bottom of the circle, he gasped. Lily Elise Rose was the maiden name of one of his cousins; she was the fourth-born child of one of his father’s younger brothers. She had married a fourth-born healer from the Philothean royal line, and moved to a small village in Philotheum quite some time ago, long enough ago that their two young children had both been born there.
Nathaniel had been working with Lily and her husband, Graeme, as they established a medical clinic in their village there.
How would her pendant have ended up in a market stall in Bay Run? They hadn’t visited since Sarah’s Naming Ceremony. They had sent kind regards and a gift for Hannah’s Naming, but Graeme’s sister had been full-term in her own pregnancy at the time, and both Lily and Graeme had wanted to be there for the birth of that baby.
He couldn’t make it make sense. Perhaps they had already traveled near the capital city and were staying with relatives? Maybe she had dropped it along the way, and some wayward thief had picked it up? It had to be something like that. Certainly, she wouldn’t have sold it. It still didn’t sit right with him, but he decided he would just return it to her and ask about it when she arrived for the wedding.
~ 12 ~
The Wedding
“HOW ARE YOU BEAUTIFUL ladies doing?” Thomas asked, walking into Linnea’s room. “Anyone need any more help?” He looked around at the flurry of activity in the room. Quinn, Linnea, and Rebecca were all here, getting dressed and ready for the wedding. Mia was standing behind Rebecca, doing something to her hair.
With Rebecca sitting down in the form-fitting dress she was wearing, Thomas could see something he had been suspecting: a tiny bump was forming between her hips. He smiled. Rebecca caught his gaze and followed it. Her cheeks flushed slightly pink as she gave him a glare he would dare not disobey today. “Actually, Thomas, since you’re just standing around, would you please fetch my wrap for me? I accidentally left it on the bed in my room.”
“I can get it, Master Thomas, there is no need for you to …”
“It’s not a problem, Mia,” he interrupted her. “You have enough to do, and I have time. I’ll be right back.”
He hurried down the hallway, still grinning. He wondered if he would soon be meeting his first niece or his first nephew. Knowing his sister, she hadn’t yet shared her news so she wouldn’t detract from Simon and Evelyn’s big day. Rebecca had been the first of his siblings to marry, and now there would be a grandchild for his parents. He wondered how long it would take Simon and Evelyn to produce an heir.
Rebecca’s wrap was easy to find, on the bed exactly where she had said she’d left it. The bathroom door in the apartment was closed, but even as thick as it was, he could hear Howard’s deep voice as he sang to himself in the shower. Thomas chuckled.
He was walking down the hall back to Linnea’s room when he heard footsteps behind him. He glanced around, and then quickly wished he hadn’t.
“Thomas!”
Gavin was several years older than Thomas, though he didn’t usually behave like it. He was the son of one of Charlotte’s older brothers. Like Thomas, he was a fifth-born, but Thomas liked to think that was where the similarities ended.
“Hello, Gavin.”
“Letting those girls use you as their servant-boy again?” Gavin asked, eyeing the purple fabric in his arms.
It wasn’t easy, but he managed to restrain himself from sighing out loud. “I try to help where I can.” He tried reminding himself that Gavin was the youngest of five boys and didn’t have any experience with sisters, but it didn’t help much.
“So, after the wedding, are you still going to be tied up doing girly things with your sisters, or will you be up for meeting some real girls?”
“You know me, Gavin. I wouldn’t know what to do with a real girl if I found one. Have fun, though.”
“I don’t know about that Thomas. I heard you’ve got that Quinn girl here with you in the castle again. Surely, you’ll be keeping her entertained tonight. Or is she free?”
His blood ran cold for a split second before it began to warm up again – violently. “Watch your words, Gavin.”
Gavin chortled. “Or?”
“Or we’ll watch them for you.” He hadn’t heard Maxwell approaching, but his older brother now stood behind him.
“Take it easy now, Max. It was just a little friendly man-talk.”
Gavin always had been a coward when he was outnumbered.
“Let’s just agree to keep that kind of ‘man-talk’ outside the castle then.”
“Of course.”
“Thanks, Max,” Thomas said, when Gavin had disappeared down the hall. “Not that I couldn’t have handled him, but it’s probably better I stay clean for the wedding.”
“Probably,” Maxwell chuckled. “He’s not worth it, anyway.”
“I know.” Sometimes it felt like it might be, though.
* * *
The late-morning sun was high in the sky as Quinn followed Linnea and climbed into a carriage outside the castle. Thomas lifted Emma, Alice, and Sarah in with them before he latched the door and re-secured the garland of flowers that hung from the outside. They watched as he walked up to the next carriage and climbed inside to sit down next to William. Rebecca and Howard sat across from them.
A long line of identical carriages, all drawn by white horses, stretched out before and behind them. At the very end of the line were two very large enclosed carriages. These were white, with elegant silver trimming, and heavy purple curtains that covered the windows. The first carriage would carry Simon, the groom, and his parents, the King and Queen of Eirentheos.
Inside the very last carriage, already hidden from view, were the bride, Evelyn, and her parents, who would escort her to the wedding dais.
Quinn felt self-conscious, riding amongst the royal children, but Stephen and Charlotte had been insistent that she was welcome among them, that she need not ride further forward in one of the carriages that carried extended family, mostly people she didn’t know.
All at once, the carriages began their procession forward, winding through the front grounds of the castle before passing through the grand stone archway onto the main street of the capital city.
The stone road that stretched between the castle and the church was lined on either side with long garlands of white and purple flowers. Throngs of people stood behind the garlands, waving and cheering. Most of the quaint, stone-and-wood houses had been decorated for the festivities as well. The whole city seemed to have been covered in flowers and purple and silver banners.
Alice sat quietly, her hands folded across the deep purple folds of her dress, but Emma and Sarah both had difficulty staying still. After twice returning the toddler to her seat, and watching her nearly fall as she stood to look over the side of the moving carriage, Linnea gave up and pulled Sarah onto her lap.
Emma, though old enough to know to stay in her seat, was a constant blur of motion. She bounced and kicked her feet, and her head darted from side to side so quickly that it made Quinn laugh. Emma had to see everything. After a few minutes, she realized that the bouquet of exquisite purple and white flowers Emma was holding might not survive until the wedding, so she reached out and took it.
The little girl looked up at Quinn, appropriately abashed, and settled down in her seat.
Linnea raised her eyebrows and chuckled at her little sister. “What do you think? Two minutes?” she asked Quinn.
Quinn snickered. There was entirely too much to see to expect the inquisitive Emma to sit still for a whole two minutes. “Less,” she said.
It was much less.
Fortunately for the little girls, the ride through the city to the massive church was short. One by one the carriages wound their way through the crowds of people lining the city streets and stopped at the bottom of stone steps that had been draped with a purple carpet. Quinn accepted help down from a tall guard who was decked out in a full, intricate
purple uniform. She recognized the circular royal crest over his heart.
William and Thomas came up to meet Quinn and Linnea. Thomas lifted Sarah into his arms, while Linnea took Emma’s hand and William took Alice’s. The Rose siblings, plus Howard and Quinn climbed the steps and entered the doors together.
Once inside, the church was nothing like Quinn had been expecting. The sanctuary was an enormous circle with three identical entrances. Each entrance opened onto a wide aisle that led down to the center platform. Most of the curved pews were already filled, save for the first few rows in two of the three sections. She followed Linnea and Thomas down the aisle, her cheeks turning pink when she realized they intended her to sit with them in the second row.
In the section to the right of where she sat with the Rose children, sandwiched between Alice and Emma, she recognized some of Evelyn’s siblings, whom she had met two nights before at a formal dinner and dance. She smiled at the sudden sense of familiarity the bride’s family in one section, the groom’s in another. Not everything about this wedding would be different from one on Earth.
She glanced over at the third section, which was packed to overflowing – several more rows of people were packed into the space behind the pews, prepared to stand for the entire ceremony. The tall, wooden doors to that entrance had already been closed.
Suddenly, an enormous purple-and-silver banner dropped over the entrance Quinn had just come through, while at the same time, a curtain of purple and white flowers – there must have been thousands of them strung together to create the effect – closed over the remaining entrance. A hush fell over the crowd.
Though she hadn’t seen him sitting there – hadn’t it just been empty? – A familiar figure rose from the row in front of Quinn and stepped up onto the platform. It was Alvin. He was cloaked in velvet robes of dark purple, accented with silver trim. On his head was an odd square-shaped purple velvet hat, with three silver tassels dangling from the sides and back.
“Dear Ones,” he said, his voice ringing out clearly over the now-silent crowd. “We have gathered here together today to celebrate a momentous occasion. The joining of two who have declared their love for and commitment to one another, and who have chosen to seal that bond in the name of the Maker is a monumental undertaking, one whose importance cannot be overestimated. The future of any people, of any kingdom, lies in the hearts of those who come together and create a family. You are here today to witness the combining of two families through the power of love, and from that, the birth of a new family.
“It is from the union of these two souls, so dear to the Maker, that the future of your kingdom will spring forth.”
He paused, and smiled at the crowd. “And what a glorious future it looks to be!
His pause was longer this time, and the already-quiet crowd somehow grew quieter, almost as if they’d stopped breathing.
“Every morning, the sun rises in the east, in celebration of the new day and the new chance the Maker has granted us. It is a precious reminder of all he has given to us already, and all of his promises to come. From the east, we usher in a new life!”
At these words, the curtain of flowers parted in the middle, revealing Evelyn, resplendent in a flowing purple gown, a silver tiara atop her dark, rippling curls. A low note rose within the crowd, and soon grew into a beautiful melody as the entire cathedral filled with song, a thousand voices singing in unison while Evelyn’s parents led her slowly down the aisle.
The voices, raised in celebration of sunrise, and the one who provides it, tapered off slowly, ending just as the bride reached the platform. Her parents gripped her hands tightly, tears running freely down both of their faces. Evelyn turned and kissed her father, and then it was her mother’s turn. Together, they wrapped their daughter in a fierce hug, an unbreakable circle. When they finally parted, the tears had ended. Each parent took one of their daughter’s hands, and they walked together up onto the dais.
“In the middle of the day comes a point when the sun is at its zenith. It is the time when the sun’s heat is strongest, often the most trying and difficult time, but also the time that the most light and life emanate from it. If we can endure this fire, it will refine us, strengthen our crops and our souls, it will make us who we were meant to be.
We must take this new life, and bring to it the strength to endure, to change, to grow, to become something greater than what it started as.”
The great purple curtain opened, and there was Simon. He stood one step ahead of his parents. A long, purple robe trimmed with silver fur hung from his shoulders, the heir’s crown was atop his head. His face was solemn at first, but as he looked down at the platform where his bride stood between her parents, he broke into the biggest smile Quinn had ever seen.
It was with that same feeling of joy that the crowd broke into song again, this time a song of strength, of trial, of triumph. It ended as Simon reached the platform with his parents. King Stephen laid a hand on his oldest son’s shoulder, and Simon turned to face him, and then knelt low in front of him. As he knelt, his father pulled a delicate silver circle from within his robes. From where she sat, Quinn could see tiny purple gems embedded in the silver.
King Stephen placed the circle on his son’s head; it rested perfectly just inside the heir’s crown. When the band was in place, Simon rose, and his father wrapped him in a hug before turning him over to Charlotte.
There were no tears on Charlotte’s face. Her gray eyes were alight with joy and pride as she embraced her son. The happiness emanating from Simon and his parents was so obvious and overwhelming that Quinn could feel it rising up in her own chest. She glanced over at the rest of the Rose children. Even tiny baby Hannah seemed to be grinning.
King Stephen and Queen Charlotte took the hands of their first-born son, their heir, and led him up the steps where his bride stood, waiting for him. They paused as Simon knelt before Evelyn and kissed her fingers tenderly. Then they and Evelyn’s parents walked to the back of the platform, where four cushioned chairs were waiting for them – four seats of honor where they could witness their two families becoming one.
~ 13 ~
The Reception
THOMAS SMILED AND WAVED as the procession of carriages wound its way back from the church to the castle. The streets were swollen with well-wishers and friends. Simon and Evelyn’s wedding ceremony had been beautiful, and Thomas could not remember when he had been more proud of his oldest brother. Evelyn was a kind, intelligent woman, and she and Simon appeared to be an excellent match. He couldn’t wait for the chance to get to know his new sister better.
He had been looking forward to the wedding and the party afterward for ages. He’d been especially excited since he had known that Quinn was going to be there. Now that it was here, though, he was worried that he was going to be too distracted to enjoy it.
Lily’s pendant sat in his pocket, feeling heavier with each moment that passed. She and Graeme had not been among the massive number of out-of-town guests that had been arriving at the castle in the last few days. He had managed to keep it at the back of his mind until they weren’t at the dinner party the night before last. All of the excuses he had been making to himself about how the necklace could have ended up in the market stall no longer made any sense. If he didn’t see her at the wedding party…
He hadn’t wanted to share his concerns with his parents or older brothers before the wedding, still holding on to the hope that he would find her at the party today and there would be a reasonable explanation.
He would have talked to William about it, but his brother was being so … pig-headed about the whole Quinn thing that he had barely been around. He had been spending most of his days in the main medical clinic in the city, though one morning he had gotten up early and headed all the way to Mistle Village without telling anyone where he was going.
Thomas had tried to reason with him, but William was adamant that they were putting the girl in danger by “encouraging” her to be here. He’
d rolled his eyes at that one – Quinn was fine. William said that the girl didn’t know what she was getting herself into, straddling the fence between the two worlds and that she was going to regret it.
Thomas had stopped listening to William’s litany of reasons for limiting his contact with Quinn after about five minutes. His brother might be fooling himself, but Thomas had seen the look on his face when he had realized what Quinn was about to do in that tree. He had also heard the tone in William’s voice whenever he mentioned Zander Cunningham – which had been unnecessarily often since the first time he had come back from Bristlecone after Quinn’s last visit.
No, none of William’s behavior had anything to do with protecting Quinn. Even now, sitting beside him, Will’s eyes were on the girl in the carriage behind theirs, although he probably didn’t even realize it.
* * *
Quinn had always thought the back gardens were the most beautiful part of the castle grounds, but today they astounded her. Giant purple and white cloth banners hung over the entire patio area, creating a sort of tent that shaded the party from the sunny day in the places that weren’t already protected by the shadows of the many large trees. Long garlands of the exquisite white and purple flowers wound their way around every trunk.
Small round tables dotted the patios, draped in purple and topped with bouquets of pretty white roses. The smell in the air was intoxicating. A small orchestra had begun playing lively music, and the enormous white gazebo was now a dance floor.
The little girls ran off to join the throng of children as soon as their feet touched the ground.
“They’re not excited,” Quinn said, grinning at Linnea.
“They’re just glad to be running around after all of that sitting and trying to be still.”
Roots of Insight (Dusk Gate Chronicles -- Book Two) Page 10