“Tell me. Tell me.”
His hands held onto me and embraced me. It was only when he moved away to look into my eyes again that I found my voice.
“Yes Fitzray.”
Chapter 9 - Meeting
No sooner than I had said the word, plans were being made for the Ceremonial Trial. Fitzray was hoping we would have it by the time we returned home. But for now he told me to sit tight and wait to hear what our Allies had to say. Tonight they would tell us why we were called here and hopefully we could resolve any problems. Fitzray told me to stay clear of Pete, which wasn’t a problem at all. He wasn’t talking to anyone and hadn’t shown his face since the night before. I didn’t even think he would attend the meeting, but I couldn’t be sure. It was only noon.
I sat down on the bed brushing my hair. Fitzray promised me a walk around Averous and that was just what I needed.
“The Ceremonial Trial is going to work for us.”
“I hope so.”
“All I really want is to see Pete on his knees begging for mercy for all he’s done to you.”
“You don’t have to be so harsh on him. He could have done worse.”
“That’s my point. I can’t standby and hope he won’t do anything else.”
“What he did shouldn’t lock him up.”
“You’re right. It should be a worse punishment than that.”
“I know he’s done wrong, but he’s still your brother.”
“And my brother took what was dear to me. I deserve to have you as my Eternal Mate. I deserve to be King. Haven’t I proven myself enough to have that?”
I put my brush down surprised at how he said King as if it was his title of power. “You being King has nothing to do with this.”
“I know,” he said, buttoning his cuffs. He shrugged on his jacket and I walked up to him. “But I will make a good king.” I adjusted his collar, remaining silent. He tilted my chin up to face him. “I’ve been waiting for too long.”
“I know you have.”
He smiled, hugged me. “Do you want to skip our walk?”
“Why?”
He didn’t respond. He only brushed my hair away to kiss my neck.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m protecting you.” He kissed my forehead.
“I don’t understand.”
“It’s called the pre-ceremonial kiss. No one can have physical contact with you until after the Ceremony and my phases are over. It will protect you.”
“What happens if I come in contact with someone?”
“I will feel it and I will instinctually come.”
I touched my forehead. “And that’s it?” He nodded.
“But the Ceremony is sooner than you think. Tomorrow we’re heading home.”
“But we just got here!”
“There will be other meetings. They’re annual anyway.”
“You just want to get home and get the Ceremony underway.”
“Is that a crime?”
“No.”
“It was expected we’d only stay a couple of days anyway. The Allies need to get back home too.” I looked down and started to take my shoes off. “What’s wrong?”
“You said we weren’t going for a walk.” I remarked, disappointed. He stopped me and pulled me to my feet.
“I had other plans in mind.”
“What kind of plans?”
“I have a surprise for you.”
When he saw my expression brighten, he took my hand and ran with me outside. It was there among the flowers and tall grass where my dragon stood. He looked down at me. I hoped he remembered me. His eyes instantly softened, his soft lips parted, nostrils flaring.
He launched, took flight, and when he landed before me he bent his head low to smell me. In disbelief, he gathered me in one of his claws and blew his smoky breath over me. When he placed me down, he wrapped his neck around me, pressing me to his warm body as if to hug me. I placed my hands on his large face, tracing over his marvelous scales and rested my head against his nose. He didn’t say anything to me, but he didn’t have to. I was also lost for words.
I saw Fitzray stopping himself from instinctively launching at my dragon. He held onto a wing of the dragon beside him. I turned to face the dragon, squinted my eyes, unsure of whom this dragon really was. It was Citrus. Her brilliant orange scales were darker and she seemed different. She looked upset, almost angry. I was sure she was just reacting to Fitzray’s emotions.
“I’m going to talk with Minx.”
He lifted his hand off his dragon’s wing to show his approval. I walked with Minx to the back of the building where the heated pool was. There I sat beside my dragon. He arched his neck over me and nuzzled my chest. With one talon, he felt for the chain around my neck until he reached my Dragon’s Soul.
“You still have it. You kept it.”
“Why wouldn’t I still have it Minx?”
“I wasn’t sure if Pete took it from you.”
“No, I still have it. I’m just surprised Fitzray didn’t take you for himself and care for you.”
“No, he would never do that. He knew you would come back. He did take Citrus under his wing only because she was still very young and she grew with him.”
“Fitzray is going to perform the Ceremony with me when we get back.”
“Is that so? Lucky he sent for us. You’ll be home even sooner now that Citrus and I will fly the two of you back.”
“Yeah, he wants to get back as soon as possible.”
“You’re not nervous?”
“No, not yet.”
He lifted his head boldly. “I’m glad you’re finally performing the Ceremony with Fitzray. Pete was so dangerous. Even I felt uneasy around him.”
“I just hope the Trial goes well.”
“You worry too much.” He stood up and took a leap into the pool. “Coming Mistress?” I followed him. He swam after me, his body nearly taking up the whole pool. I grabbed onto his neck and swam onto his back where I rested.
“What ever happened to Jasper?”
“Jasper? No one has heard from him.”
I dived back into the water. Minx joined me. Jasper was probably filled with shame and refused to return. When I popped up from the surface, Minx was attentive. His focus was on Fitzray who waded up to his knees in the pool.
“Come on Chenille. We have to get ready.”
“Ready for what?”
“The time for the meeting was changed. We have to go.” He put out a hand to me. I looked at Minx.
“I’ll still be here when you get back.”
I took Fitzray’s hand and he escorted me back to my room.
“Did you catch up with Minx?”
I smiled. “I told him about our plans.”
When we reached my room, he waited for me as I got ready. When I was done, he looked me up and down and commented how I looked.
“I have to get ready too. You can go to the dining room and I’ll meet you there.”
I did as I was told. The Allies were silent around the table. There was a sense of formality tonight. When Pete and Fitzray entered, our Allies rose to their feet and when Pete sat so did the rest. After everyone said their greetings, the reason for our travel had been brought up and so was the issue we had to address.
“There have been rumors that the public knows about our system.” Rasha said.
“There has been information spoken of, spreading through Catastrophe. This information was of what we spoke of at our last meeting. Our systems of ruling and the way things were handled after Chenille’s death were spoken of and for months the public criticized how we handled it.” Olend said.
“Let’s get to the point,” Pete hissed.
“Such information was only spoken of here in this building, meaning that the information leaked. The servants and attendants of the building have all been questioned, but we find them all innocent. It was someone else.”
“This is what I came across the sea to hear?
” Pete stood up and I was convinced he was about to leave.
“This is dangerous,” Tassie protested.
“If anyone finds out about this Ceremony thing between Fitzray and Chenille,” Rasha started quietly, “think of how you’ll be affected. For people to find out before anything is even done, could spell chaos. You will be shunned and pitied even before your plans are made to escape and hide before it all happens.”
Pete looked down. He didn’t like what he heard. He looked as though he actually believed that what Rasha told him was true.
“What do we do then?”
“We find the person responsible. From now on we will have to be more cautious of what we say…and what we do.”
“Now from various parts of Catastrophe we can all listen for anymore leaking information. It will be reported back to the rest of the Allies if anything is heard.” Rallen said.
Pete stood up again. “Now that the main issue has been addressed, I will be leaving.”
I looked after him astonished. It was unlike him to leave a meeting. It was as if he was giving up his title as King already. Fitzray turned to me.
“You can go too if you don’t want to stay.” Frankly, I did not want to hear any more. I should have felt joy to see Pete being stripped of his pride and dignity from one of our own Allies, but I didn’t. We were in no way equals anymore, not that we ever really were. I stood up and went to my room. He wasn’t there, though I didn’t expect him. I dressed into my night robe and laid my head onto the pillow.
We would be going home tomorrow. When we got there the vampire that turned me into who I am would be further stripped of what he had, and according to Fitzray, on his knees begging for mercy. Fitzray told me this would be getting back at him for the way he treated me, but I knew he only wanted to protect me and was just over-possessive of me. He was to be brutally penalized for that?
I wanted to tell Fitzray, but I couldn’t be sure how he would handle it. He would either convince me that this was what must be done and remind me of all the wrong Pete did, or he would call the Ceremony off, call me insane, and leave me with Pete. I pressed my face to my pillow in silence.
Pete walked into the room and threw himself over me. He kissed me and laid his head against me, his breathing turning to weeping. He stayed that way for only a couple of minutes and then returned to kiss my face. I could see through the dancing candlelight, the defenselessness in his face.
“For all this time I caused you distress and pain. After I killed you, you still returned after I promised change that was not possible. And now you will never belong with me unless you perform the Ceremony with me. But I know that will never happen. I have lost you.”
He looked down at me, touched my face, noticing that it was wet. “I’m sorry Chenille. I’m sorry for what I’ve done.”
“Fitzray will be coming.”
“Have I ever told you the story of when I turned you into a vampress?” he whispered. “Did I ever tell you about that cold night, when I had to wrap you in my jacket just to keep you alive? Did I tell you that when I had to leave, I vowed never to leave you alone again?”
“Don’t tell me this, not now.”
“Do you know what they’ll do to me? This Ceremonial Trial will torture me. They’re going to kill me and I might not come back,” he said through clenched teeth. The footsteps became louder and he knew Fitzray was coming for him. “Until then I’m still in the next room over if you need me.”
The door flew open, but he was already gone. Fitzray was there and Pete’s scent filled the air. I pretended to be asleep as he looked me over and touched my face, still wet. I heard him let out a sigh. I opened my eyes a crack and saw him with his hands behind his head, pacing the floor before the bed, silently cursing Pete’s name.
Chapter 10 - Trial
The memorable smells of the palace soon filled my nose again and expected commotion was all I heard on the first floor. I escaped to my room for some peace and quiet. On my bed, I found a rose and attached to it was a note. I opened it and in Fitzray’s handwriting, it read, Wait until tonight.
Tonight? That meant that the Ceremonial Trial was to be held tonight. I shook my head and rushed to the door surprised to see him about to come into the room.
“What is the meaning of this?” I shoved the piece of paper in front of his face.
“The Ceremonial Trial is tonight. I told you I was making plans.”
“But why tonight? We haven’t even settled in yet.”
“It was going to be later but I decided it was best to be done as soon as possible.”
“I don’t even know what to do.”
“Don’t worry. All you have to do is tell your story of what Pete did to you.”
“We don’t even have any time to prepare.”
“All I want from you is for you to rest. That’s all.”
“But-,”
He put his hands on my shoulders and backed me up to the bed. “Sit,” he said. He went to my closet and returned with a dress. I looked at it, mouth agape. It was the gold dress I wore to Sebastian’s Ball. This was the dress I was killed in.
“You must wear this for me.”
“I wore that when I was killed.”
“I know. That’s why you’re going to wear it.”
He set the dress down beside me. “I’ll be getting our plans finalized and then I’ll be getting ready. I hope that once I return you’ll be ready too.”
He left me alone with the dress. I took it in my hands, shook it out, and stepped into it. When I looked into the mirror, I saw the reflection I had last seen of myself. The once beautiful dress people and creatures envied now served as a symbol of my horrid death. Now my dress was ruined in all ways possible. It even had a bloodstain on its lace at my chest where I had been stabbed. I saw the matching shoes were fine, but the white fox shawl was stained as well. I touched my neck. When I first wore this dress, Pete’s chain bound me and I would have to say that tonight. I’m sure I had to say everything that he did wrong.
Fitzray returned in a marvelous cape and beneath it resembled the clothes he had worn when Pete threw him over the Bridge. These clothes were just as bad as mine, also symbolizing death.
He led me to one of the rooms in our palace where I had rarely visited. It was commonly spoken of as the meeting room. It was large and looked to me as though it resembled a courtroom. There was nothing there that did not consist of gold or marble. Even the benches where the witnesses of the Trial could sit were all crafted of marble and fitted with velvet cushions. The chairs where we sat were similar, but the chair that was at the very front of the room on a podium, overlooking the creatures, was more like a throne. It was made of silver and gold fashioned into the shape of a chair. It was studded with precious stones and laced in pearls. Its cushions were a few inches thick, probably filled with the down of the wild peafowl and the arms of the chair were large sculptures of lions with manes encrusted with thousands of small diamonds that continued down the legs of the chair and glittered at the feet of whoever stood there.
The people of our palace and even some outsiders filled the benches to watch. An old, experienced vampire stood in the front of the room, almost like a judge. It was up to him to see if Pete was guilty or not. Together Fitzray and I took our seats before the vampire and so did Pete. The lead vampire took his seat at the head throne before us. He quietly introduced himself to us as Valon.
He waited for the creatures to sit and then quieted them down. He said a few words to why all had gathered to witness this rare trial and then proceeded to start. He told the creatures the scenario, why we were here and that we wanted a Ceremony and then he turned to Pete and explained why he was being accused. The creatures all booed and hissed in his direction.
“Pete,” he began, “you are here to be tried against by your brother and your own Eternal Mate. What you say will be held against you and if you are pleaded guilty your punishment will be decided.”
He turned to us. “
And you, Fitzray and Chenille, have issued this trial to break his bond. He has been disloyal and abusive toward his Eternal Mate, as Chenille will tell us. So let’s have this trial underway.”
The creatures mumbled among themselves, a low roar of chatter echoing against the high ceiling. I swallowed hard as Valon turned to me. His hand was up to silence the creatures. I caught Pete’s glance as he rolled his eyes in my direction and then sank back into his seat. I sat tongue-tied as hundreds of eyes stared, waiting to hear what I would say.
“Pete did many things.” The low mumble turned to silence as they eagerly listened. “He took me to a planet he called Verneil where he imprisoned me and attempted to perform the Ceremony by force. He made me forget my life with his poison. He ended the eclipses. He started the raid between the mortals and us because of his book. And he killed me without a thought.”
“Tell him how he scratched you and he pushed you down the stairs! Tell him how he killed your mother!” Someone in the crowd yelled out.
“Whoever speaks will be thrown out! This is not your story to tell!” Valon glared over the group of creatures and when they were quiet again, he looked at Pete. “Is there anything you’d like to add?”
Pete only stared at the man and gave him no reply so he was ignored and Fitzray stood to speak.
“I have something to add.” He turned to the creatures.
“When I originally went to fight him to claim Chenille as my own Eternal Mate, I thought I would be promised a fair battle as every vampire is. I met him on the Bridge of Secrecy and before I could even start, Chenille’s brother, a werewolf, attacked me. If a vampire is in a defenseless state, it is customary to have a rematch, so to speak, so that way the odds aren’t in favor for the opposing vampire, but instead I was thrown over the Bridge.”
Valon sat at the edge of his seat, his fingers digging into the marble lions and nearly shook in rage, now glaring at Pete who seemed unfocused and unaware of the commotion around him. He knew he wouldn’t win this trial, nor did he even attempt to rebel or disagree. He knew with every comment his punishment would become more and more severe.
Candescent (The Opalescent Collection Book 1) Page 6