The Arrival: An Epic Fantasy Romance

by Nicole MacDonald

  Watching Iggy with the centaurs made Kassie want to laugh, the General Guard Lieutenant clearly had little-man syndrome when it came to the cavalry. Kassie bit the insides of her cheeks to stop from smiling. It was almost as funny as everyone greeting her as Lady Kassandra. It sounded ridiculous, but then Cat is introduced as Alek’s betrothed and that sounds just as silly, Kassie thought. She couldn’t wait to talk to her after the receiving line finished. She turned her attention back to the guests, admiring some of the beautiful outfits.

  A water sprite couple were introduced to Alek, very curious looking creatures; humanoid figure but quite slender, with webbed hands and feet. Their silvery blue skin had a pattern that hinted at scales yet still looked soft and pliable. The female had longer hair, if you could call it that; it looked like long slender spines, plaited, hanging over her shoulder. Pearls and other glistening stones were woven into the plait. Kassie strained to hear their voices over the music, her eyes drawn to the guests dancing in the middle of the room. Giving a wistful sigh she watched the dancers.

  Rumal glanced down at hearing that little sigh. Kassie stared out at the dancers. He gave her hand a gentle squeeze. 'Not long, Kass, then we can dance'.

  She looks stunning. He felt a twinge of annoyance at how long this took. He’d much rather be holding her in his arms on the dance floor. She looked beautiful, the fabricer had really out-done herself on the girls’ dresses. Shifting a little to relax his back, Rumal fixed a pleasant smile on his face while he kept what he’d said to Kassie running through his mind. Not long now.

  It felt easy to smile genuinely at the last people in the receiving line, the sense of relief when Yakov gave the nod that we could go and dance was great. I beamed up at Alek while he led me to the floor and we joined the others dancing.

  Chapter Thirty Five

  Now the ball was fun! The dances were easy because all of them just required you to follow your partner. It proved helpful with my mind stuck on my ring. I couldn’t wait to show it off when the girls finally caught up with us. Alek and I both turned red as the men teased us, while Sian, Kass and Loi exclaimed over the ring and gave me tight hugs. 'Happy, Cat?' Sian gave me a firm look.

  I nodded rapidly, feeling the tears prickle again. 'Yes, yes!' We hugged again with Kass and Loi joining in, making onlookers chuckle at their excited squeals.

  'Soo happy for you, Cat.'

  'Can’t believe it!'

  Alek could see she was happy, everyone could. Rumal, Daron and Sabyn had given him knowing looks before they congratulated him. They were all in a similar place. When he finally got Cat back from the girls, more people pushed forward to congratulate them. It would be a long night, but a happy one. Cat caught his eye, giggling when he rolled his eyes up and he took the opportunity to pull her in for a kiss. 'Happy?' he whispered in her ear.

  She laughed. 'Everyone keeps asking me that, surely you can see.'

  He chuckled; true, she hadn’t stopped glowing since saying yes. 'Can I steal you away at the end of the night?'

  She arched an eyebrow. 'Hmm?'

  'I thought I might show you my room.'

  Her eyes went from happy to sultry, she gave him a slow smile while her energy went a deeper red. 'Really?' she purred. 'Love to.'

  'There they go again,' Sabyn commented in amusement to Loi. She turned her head to see what he talked about; Cat and Alek wrapped in each others arms in a passionate embrace. Guests gave them a wide berth while looking on in amusement. Oh well, they’re entitled to, she thought, it couldn’t be any more out in the open than this. One woman didn’t look impressed, glaring at the couple. Now where have I seen her before? Oh right, at the Beautens. She and Cat pointedly ignored each other.

  'Who’s that?' she asked Sabyn, indicating the scowling woman.

  Sabyn looked over her head then chuckled. 'That’s the Countess Stranson. She’s been very open in her quest to catch Alek.'

  Loi laughed. 'Too late.'

  She glanced back the couple. Cat glowed a soft red while she danced with Alek. I know how she feels, Loi thought, leaning her head against Sabyn’s chest as they danced, enjoying once again the sensation of feeling so small beside someone else. With Sabyn she felt delicate, petite and absolutely beautiful.

  A soft cough separated us, I looked down in surprise. Ada beamed at me. 'Hi, Cat,' she chirped. 'I brought Audi over to say hello and congratulations.'

  Alek and I thanked her then laughed when we looked down to Audrey. My normally vivacious dog seemed to be making a rather good effort to hide behind Ada’s legs.

  'Audrey,' I cooed. 'Come say hello to me.'

  She crept out, I felt Alek squeeze my hand hard while he resisted the urge to laugh. Little Audi was decked out in a pretty pink gown that matched with Ada’s dress, and boy did she look miserable.

  'She seemed to be really enjoying herself until we got here,' Ada said, anxious to assure me.

  I smiled at her. 'I’m sure she was. Audi’s just rather sensitive about being laughed at.'

  'But it’s all been good laughter.' Ada looked upset. 'Lieutenant Belsesus thought she looked great.' I reassured her that Audi would be fine, Ada ducked off to greet a few more people before she headed back to her room.

  Kassie and Rumal had chuckled at Audi, the poor dog seemed to be dying of embarrassment.

  'It’s a pity that Nnelg couldn’t be here,' Kassie suggested, Rumal shook his head.

  'Nnelg will be exhausted. He’s run himself ragged keeping the fires going for this. With the requirements of the kitchen, cleaning staff and the sudden influx of guests, it might be time to hire another fire dragon to help him.'

  Kassie turned to see if Audi was still there then gasped in surprise. Is Alek glowing gold? The couple spun with the music, she realized it must have been something reflecting from one of the mirrors that lined the walls. It created a fantastic illusion, making the ballroom seem never ending. It also gave you a great opportunity to study what people wore, without appearing to stare at them and Kassie made the most of it.

  The Lieutenants of the Cavalry wore formal blazers of deep yellow with dark blue accents; the General Guard Lieutenants wore the same only with the colors reversed. At first they appeared quite striking, but compared to what their wives and partners wore they soon looked dull. Not the Griffon Guard though, thought Kassie as she looked Rumal up and down again. I can understand Cat’s obsession with men in uniform now. Rumal in particular, in the ebony uniform; it complimented his dark skin and liquid gold eyes. She admired him again, catching his eye and laughed when he gave her the same look back. 'Our place tonight then?' he murmured in her ear making her energy flush out.

  'Mmm, but there’s so long to wait.'

  He brought her hand to his mouth and gave a sucking kiss to the underside of her wrist smiling when her energy deepened in color. 'Worth it.'

  Sian watched the centaur women, admiring their costumes. They wore tunic style tops that wrapped around their torsos and had long skirts that hung over their forefeet. Around each of their hooves hung beautiful bracelets. Some wide and thick like an Egyptian inspired cuff and others, thin, delicate chains. They were very fond of gold. Their braided tails had a variety of pretty objects woven into them.

  Sian caught sight of Gredel and Citaan in one of the mirrors. Citaan looked stunning and Gredel’s eyes stayed fixed on his beautiful wife’s face. The dress Ada created for Citaan was exceptional, highlighting her slender arms and white décolletage while slipping over her baby bump. Not that it wasn’t noticeable, but this way it wasn’t the immediate focal point which would make Citaan happy. She’d complained to the girls last week that everyone greeted her belly first then her.

  Alek felt a tap on his back and turned to find Artama and his daughter Nikol smiling up at him.

  'Happy Birthday, Your Highness, and our congratulations to you and the Lady Catherine.' Artama chuckled when Cat rolled her eyes at the title. 'I think it becomes you well, my Lady.'

  'Stop it, you’re
taking the attention away from this lovely lady,' Cat smiled affectionately at Nikol. The young woman beamed at her, adoration clear in her eyes. She’d been present at most of the training sessions they'd had with the General Guard and, like so many in the castle, regarded the girls with awe.

  I thought Nikol’s dress very pretty, a lovely shade of ivory that made the hint of green in her skin a little stronger. The goblin and elven blood she had made her a very beautiful looking creature.

  'Will you start to train with the Guard soon?' I teased her. 'You’re there so often.'

  She shook her head. 'No. I’ll stick to archery, but I do like to watch your practices.'

  'You’re very welcome to. I look forward to when you can teach me archery.' That seemed to please her and I waved goodbye when she and Artama headed off. 'They didn’t stay long,' I mentioned to Alek, he gave me an amused look.

  'It’s getting close to midnight, Cat, I’m sure that’s late enough for Nikol.'

  'Really? It’s that late already?' After the long receiving line the rest of the evening had flown by.

  Daron led Sian to the refreshments table, while they stood chatting the others came over too. Sian glanced at Cat. 'How’s it going? Not too overwhelming?'

  'Honestly it feels like a dream, I’m sure it’ll hit me tomorrow.'

  Sian hugged her. 'It’ll hit us all tomorrow; a new beginning.'

  Gredel and Citaan arrived at the table, Citaan smiled sleepily at them. 'We’re going to head upstairs,' Gredel said. 'Citaan’s had enough.' Sian and the other girls hugged Citaan and Kassie made Gredel blush when she insisted on kissing him on the cheek. They watched the couple make their way out of the ballroom. It’s very clever how the rooms are designed, Sian thought. With the mirrors lining the walls you couldn’t tell the room had been pieced together.

  Loi felt a bit tired too but Sabyn told her they had a few more hours yet. At midnight there would be a cake and other food brought out, some speeches then fireworks in the courtyard. In the meantime there was dancing and chatting.

  Gazing around the room at all the elegant guests she caught sight of Elena and Yakov dancing. They made a very handsome couple. In the room full of dancing pairs they stood out with their skill and grace, almost looking like they were on ice. Their body language seemed rather suggestive, she wondered again if they were a couple. Elena looked beautiful, as always, in a one shoulder, wine colored gown. It might sound silly, but Loi had been rather relieved when she had learned that the Sorceress was so old. It made her feel less intimidated by the woman’s beauty. Maybe because it seemed more appropriate. Loi shook her head, berating herself. Of all the things to think, I must be tired. Her eyes caught a glimpse of a woman watching her via one of the mirrors, she blinked in shock.

  Feeling Loi start in surprise, Sabyn looked down. 'What’s wrong?'

  She glanced up. 'What? Oh. I thought I saw someone, but I must be more tired than I realized. When I blinked they were gone.' She laughed at herself, he smiled.

  'Not to worry. The rest of the evening will go by before you know it. I can promise you, the fireworks will be spectacular. That’s why Nnelg isn’t here at the moment. He’s resting up before he gets to set them off.'

  Rumal introduced Kassie to the water sprite couple after he’d noticed her studying them yet again. It was fascinating to look at them without feeling rude. The only embarrassing part was how impressed they were with Kassie herself. It felt rather bizarre to be looked upon as a celebrity. V’Merna and his wife Vn’Orli were delighted to meet her and more than happy to answer the questions she had. She was surprised to see their faces looked quite human, with delicately shaped brows, high jutting cheek bones, slim lips and a wide smile. They had large gold eyes and two sets of eyelids. Though the second set were translucent. Their lips had a touch of pink to them beneath the blue skin. Both wore garments that flowed over their slim figures. The fabric appeared to change color when they moved, from a dove gray to a crisp white.

  'What is that fabric?' she demanded, staring.

  Vn’Orli smiled smugly. 'Do you like it? It’s a fabric created by an arachnid faerie.'

  Rumal looked at V’Merna in surprise. 'Where did you find the faerie? Citaan’s been hunting for them for months but had no success.'

  The elegant sprite gave Rumal a solemn wink then laughed. 'I’ll have a chat to her tomorrow then. But we’ll have to make sure she keeps it a secret. Otherwise there’ll be none left for us.'

  His wife nodded, her face earnest. 'You know how popular it is, Rumal.'

  I can see why, Kassie thought. She noticed another woman studying the costumes, a tall blonde with a fantastic figure. She looks like a supermodel, thought Kassie, though she couldn’t see her face. She went to move to get a better look when Rumal touched her shoulder.

  'Did you want another glass?'

  'Oh! Yes, thanks' She smiled at him then turned back. What? How’d she vanish so quickly? Kassie looked around trying to catch a glimpse of her. The woman had appeared quite tall, but she couldn’t catch sight of her at all. 'Weird.'

  'What’s weird?' Rumal chuckled when she jumped, handing her a glass of wine.

  'I thought I saw someone, but now she’s gone.'

  He shrugged. 'She’s probably just ducked to the bathroom, Kass. Not weird at all.'

  Sian leaned against Daron, resting a bit. Her feet ached a little from all the dancing but she still felt good, she tugged his hand. 'Let’s go back out.' The music changed to a quicker tempo, making her want to dance. They merged with the crowd, Daron slipped his arms around her waist so he could spin her. Sian gave a tiny squeal and grinned when he chuckled.

  'What?' She gave him a coy look. 'It’s fun.' She broke of with a sharp gasp, staring in shock over Daron’s shoulder.

  Daron spun, looking around. 'What? What is it?'

  The look on Sian’s face frightened him. He turned back, staring anxiously down at her. She had a hand to her chest and a perplexed look on her face.

  'I’m sor-ry,' she half stammered, twisting her head this way and that, looking for something. 'I’d swear I just saw a blonde woman peering over your shoulder. She had the freakiest eyes.'

  Daron froze. 'What?'

  Sian repeated herself. As soon as the words left her mouth the second time Daron hauled her to the furthest corner of the room, close to a door. On the way he slapped both Sabyn and Rumal on the shoulder, giving them a look. Alek and a bewildered looking Cat joined them, followed by Elena and Yakov.

  'What?' snapped the Sorceress. It was the tensest Sian had seen her.

  'She. Is. Here,' Daron hissed the words out.

  Yakov’s eyes went flat. 'That’s not possible.'

  Elena gave a terse nod in agreement.

  'Tell them what you saw, Sian.' She’d never heard this tone from Daron before. The girls watched her, curious. Cat had her head cocked to the side with a look of concern.

  'Umm, I saw a blonde woman,' Sian began then froze.

  Chapter Thirty Six

  Sian stared at me in horror. Before I could ask why, a voice spoke in my ear. 'Hello, Princess.'

  The tiny hairs on the back of my neck stood stiff. The voice, though pleasant, had an underlying tone of malice that made me react before I realized it. I thrust my arm out, pushing as hard as I could with my energy.

  Cat hurled the freaky eyed blonde away, she smashed into the mirrors at the end of the room. Kassie couldn’t believe it. The blonde woman now stood there, without a scratch on her, staring at them with her white eyes, black pupils in stark contrast. The guests hadn’t had time to react, but now pressed themselves to either side of the ballroom. Alternating looks between the thing at the end of the ballroom and the Griffon Guard and Sorceress at the other.

  'Now that wasn’t very nice,' the blonde tsked, as though scolding a child, her weird eyes watching me. I could see the Lieutenants of the Cavalry and General Guard move themselves in front of the guests, attempting to cover as many as possible. I kept my eyes fi
xed on her, staying tense, ready. Alek went to move in front of me, I reached out, gripping his arm.

  'Don’t,' I hissed at him. 'This is our job, remember?'

  He looked at me in shock which dawned into realization and horror. The other men shoved Alek back behind them. I stepped forward with the girls, between the men. We faced the blonde.

  She let out a trill of laughter, the sound making most in the room shudder in disgust. 'Elena, I come to wish the last of the Thalian line a happy birthday and this is how I’m received? Really, have your manners diminished so since my last visit.' She smirked at Alek standing behind me. 'Happy Birthday, Your Highness. I believe congratulations are in order.' Her hands out on either side, I only heard a whisper of noise while she gathered energy.

  Loi threw her energy into a shield at the same time the blonde, who had to be Jenviet, began to scream.

  It happened so quickly. Our group, standing in the protective shield thrown up by Loi, watched in horror while it appeared to play out in slow motion. The scream pierced the air like a knife. Guests dropped to the floor, clutching their ears then all the mirrors in the room shattered, the shards hurtling across to the opposite wall. The aftermath looked like a scene from a horror movie. People lay on the ground, screaming and moaning in pain while pools of blood began to appear. I’d never seen so much blood before, all those who weren’t under the shield were splattered with it.