“Or someone.”
“Or someone,” she agreed. “Maybe it was Kris. That’s who my memories say it was.”
“I have a lot to thank him for, and not just that,” he said thoughtfully.
“Hm?”
“You learned from him about loving before those beasts hurt you.”
“It helped,” she said, after a long moment of thought.
“Loveling, are you ready to go through with this?” he asked after a pause. “Are you sure?”
For answer she kissed him with rapport still strung between them. When they came up for air he chuckled, much more relaxed.
“Hedonist,” he said.
“At least,” she agreed, wrinkling her nose at him, then sobered again. “Yes, there are scars—but you have them, too. The wounds are healed—I’m not the only Healer of minds, you know—just the only one that’s a Herald as well. Rynee—she’s very good, as good as I am. Besides, I refuse to let what happened ruin what’s between us—and really, all they did was hurt my body, they didn’t touch me. What happened to you was worse—Naril raped your soul.”
“That’s healed, too,” he said quietly.
“Then leave it in the dead past. No one goes through life without picking up a scar or two.” She nestled closer to him as someone else came to offer their congratulations.
Then suddenly sat up. “Gods!”
“What?” Dirk asked, anxious until he saw that there was no sign of pain on her face. “What is it?”
“Back on my internship—that business with Maeven Weatherwitch—she ForeSaw something for me, and I couldn’t even guess what she meant, then. Now I know! She said that I would see the Havens but that love and duty would bar me from them—and—”
She faltered.
“And?” he prompted, gently.
“That—my greatest joy would be preceded by my greatest grief. Oh, gods—if only I’d known—if only I’d guessed—”
“You could never have anticipated what happened,” Dirk replied with such force that she shook off her anguish to stare at him. “No one could. Don’t ever blame yourself. Don’t you think that with all the ForeSeers among the Heralds if there had been any way of preventing what happened it would have been done?”
She sighed, and relaxed again. “You’re righ…” she said, slowly. “You’re right.”
* * *
The celebrating continued on well past dusk, until at last, by ones and twos, the wedding guests began to drift away. Some were heading for other gatherings—like the one Talia and Dirk knew their fellow Heralds must be having somewhere. Some had more private affairs in mind. Finally, Talia and Dirk were left alone, a state with which they were not at all displeased.
She rested contentedly on his shoulder, both of his arms lightly around her, and watched the stars blossoming overhead.
“It’s getting chilly,” she said at last. “Are you cold?”
“A little.”
“Well,” he chuckled, “They’ve certainly made it easy for us to depart unnoticed.”
“I’m fairly certain that was on purpose. All that cheering was embarrassing enough, without shivaree, too.”
“It could have been worse. Think of the flower-bedecked platform! Think of Companions in the High Temple! Think of the life-sized sugar replicas of both of us!”
“I’d rather not!” She laughed.
“Ready to go?”
“Yes,” she said, putting her arms around his neck so that he could lift her.
He took her up the stairs to her rooms—now their rooms—this time taking them one at a time, and slowly, so as not to jar her.
To their mutual surprise, they found Elspeth seated on the top step.
“What on earth are you doing here?” he asked.
“Guarding your threshold, oh, magnificent one. It was the students’ idea. We took it turn and turn about since you left this morning. Except for during the ceremony itself that is—we left the staircase booby-trapped then. Not that we’re suspicious of anyone, mind, but we did want to make certain no one could get in to play any little tricks while you were gone. Some people have very rotten ideas about what’s funny. Anyway, that’s our wedding present.” With that, she skipped down the stairs without waiting for thanks.
“The caring heart,” Talia said softly. “She’ll be a good Queen, one day.”
Dirk nudged the door open with his foot, placed Talia carefully on her couch inside, then turned to close it and throw the latch.
“Not that I’m suspicious of anyone,” he said with a gleam in his eye, “but a certain earlier performance of yours makes me wish to be certain that we’re undisturbed.”
“Not quite yet,” she said with a smile. “First I’ve got a bride-gift for you.”
“A what?”
“One good custom of my people. The bride always has a gift for her husband. It’s over there—on the hearth.”
“But—” for a moment he was speechless. “Talia, that’s My Lady. She’s your harp, I couldn’t take her!”
“Look again.”
He did—and realized that there was a second harp hidden in the shadows. He pulled both of them out into the light and scrutinized them closely.
“I can’t tell them apart,” he admitted at last.
“Well, I can, but I’ve had My Lady for years, I know every line of her grain. No one else can, though. They’re twins, made by the same hand, from the same wood; they’re even the same age. No—” she held up a warning hand. “Don’t ask me where or how I found it. That’s my secret. But in return for this one, you’ll have to promise to teach me to play My Lady as well as she deserves to be played.”
“Willingly—gladly. We can play duets—like—”
“Like you and Kris used to play,” she finished for him when he could not. “Love—I think it’s time for one last gift—” and she touched his mind, sharing with him the incredulous joy that had marked Kris’ passing.
“Gods—oh, gods, that helps… you must know how much that helps,” he managed after a moment. “Now if only—I wish I could know for certain that he knows about us—about now.”
He lifted her from the couch to move to the bedroom.
“If I were to have one wish granted, that would be mine, too,” she replied, her cheek resting against the velvet of his tunic. “He told me once that it was his own dearest wish to see the two people he loved most find happiness with each other—”
She would have said more, but a familiar perfume wreathed around her, and she gasped.
“What’s wrong? Did you hurt something?” Dirk asked anxiously.
“There—on the bed—”
Lying on the coverlet, in the middle and heart-high, was a spray of the little flowers known as Maiden’s Hope. Dirk set her down on the bed and she picked it up with trembling hands.
“Did you put this here?” she asked in a voice that shook.
“No.”
“And no one else has been here since we left—” In hushed tones she continued: “When Kris gave me this ring, it was around a Midsummer bouquet of those flowers. I’d never smelled anything like them before—and he promised he’d find some for my wedding garland if he had to grow them himself—but I’ve never seen them anywhere around here—”
“There’s more to it than that, little bird,” Dirk said, taking the flowers from her and regarding them with wondering eyes. “This flower only blooms for the week before and after Midsummer. We’re well into fall. They can’t be grown in hothouses. People have tried. To find even one bloom, much less as many as this, would take a miracle. No human could do it.”
They looked from the flowers to each other—and slowly began to smile; smiles that, for the first time in weeks, had no underlying hint of sadness.
Dirk took her into his arms, with the flowers held between them. “We’ve had our wish—shall we give him his?”
She carefully reached behind her, and inserted the blossoms into the vase on her nightstand.
“Yes,” she breathed, turning back to him, and beginning to touch him with her rapport even as she touched her lips to his, “I think we should.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mercedes Lackey is a full-time writer and has published numerous novels and works of short fiction, including the bestselling Heralds of Valdemar series. She is also a professional lyricist and licensed wild bird rehabilitator. She lives in Oklahoma with her husband and collaborator, artist Larry Dixon, and their flock of parrots.
www.mercedeslackey.com
ALSO AVAILABLE FROM TITAN BOOKS
THE COLLEGIUM CHRONICLES
Mercedes Lackey
Follow Magpie, Bear, Lena and friends as they face their demons and find their true strength on the road to becoming full Heralds, Bards and Healers of Valdemar.
Book One: Foundation
Book Two: Intrigues
Book Three: Changes
Book Four: Redoubt
Book Five: Bastion
“Lackey makes a real page-turner out of Mags’ and the collegia’s development… this book’s outstanding characters, especially Mags, will greatly please Valdemar fans.” Booklist
“The tone, characterization, and rampant angst recall Lackey’s earliest Valdemar books… this is a worthy entry in the overall saga.” Publishers Weekly
“Lackey’s Valdemar series is already a fantasy classic, and these newest adventures will generate even more acclaim for this fantasy superstar.” Romantic Times
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Mercedes Lackey
Mercedes Lackey’s bestselling fantasy series set in an alternative Edwardian Britain, where magic is real—and the Elemental Masters are in control.
The Serpent’s Shadow
The Gates of Sleep
Phoenix and Ashes
Wizard of London
Reserved for the Cat
Unnatural Issue
Home from the Sea
Steadfast
Blood Red
“Fantastic… this is Lackey at her best.” Publishers Weekly
“Intriguing and compelling.” Library Journal
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“Innovative historical fantasy.” Romantic Times
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Heralds of Valdemar (A Valdemar Omnibus) Page 86