by Kumar, Lisa
Once Maggie was out of sight, she glanced around the corner to see if the king headed her way. She exhaled in relief. He still stood near the wall, his profile visible. A faraway look played across his thoughtful countenance, belying his previous nonchalance before he turned and walked off in the opposite direction.
Just what was that all about? Maggie and Talion sniping at each other was nothing new. She shrugged. Well, Relian did say his father enjoyed matching wits with Maggie.
Chapter 33
Cal stood with Relian, high up on a balcony overlooking the palace grounds and the town below. As she looked out over the landscape, the fact that winter hadn’t yet set in hit her with all the delicacy of a brick. Back in her world, her reality, the season would already be in full throttle.
“Why is it still so temperate? I thought time passed roughly the same way here as it does on Earth.” Cal’s voice rose from within the nest of Relian’s arms. Though their bonding ceremony happened tomorrow, both were in accord they snatch some time together before the event. It felt good to be in his arms again, and she didn’t realize how she missed these moments until now.
Amusement colored his voice. “If you remember, my people—soon to be our people—have some measure of control over nature. You were so surprised at the enchantments we placed on our windows, allowing fresh air and light in but keeping out all that is undesirable. We influence the weather in much the same way. We would never stop the seasons, for to do so would be folly, but we can blunt them where we will.”
“Wow, that’s one neat trick. So winter is not as brutal here as back where I come from?”
A smile spread over his face before he dropped a kiss on her nose. “While it is no magician’s trick, I guess it might seem so to you. Winter will visit, but the worst will only last for a week or so, at least in populated areas. The remainder of the season will probably be more temperate than what you’re used to and much shorter also.”
“Populated areas?”
“We no longer have the power to encompass larger areas, even if we desired to do so.” A softer and more introspective tone crept into Relian’s voice. His seriousness settled over her like a mantle.
She fidgeted with one of his braids. “Just one of the effects of the waning magic?”
“Yes.”
“Oh.” To Cal, everything gleamed less bright in the setting sun and only served to depress the atmosphere more. It was a heavy matter she didn’t want to have to dwell on right now. The upcoming ceremony was enough.
“Let’s talk on more pleasant matters, my dear.” He turned her around and framed her face between his hands. “I’m delighted our bonding will soon take place and that we’ll be together in mind, body, and soul.” Relian glanced away, disquiet overtaking his face.
Concern trickled through Cal. “What is it?” Through their tenuous bond, strong discomfort—one that had grown stronger over the past few days – flowed to her. She sensed it before, but when questioned, Relian evaded giving a real explanation.
He gazed over her head into the distance. “The uncompleted link is next to driving me mad.”
“What?” She couldn’t keep the astonishment out of her voice. He was in pain because of her and their unfinished bond and hadn’t told her about it?
“I didn’t want to influence you with the knowledge it has steadily grown stronger since your arrival here. We’ve rushed you into so many decisions no one should have to make. I couldn’t add this to the growing list of mitigating factors.” He shook his head in disgust. “I don’t know why I just told you when it will all be resolved soon.”
“Oh, Relian.” Cal breathed out a sigh and lightly slapped him on his chest. “I want to know these things. I’m not heartless. I desire to look after and care for your well-being.”
He pressed his lips to her forehead before bringing her hand up to his mouth. “That’s precisely why I didn’t inform you earlier.” He glanced down through the sweep of his lashes. “So you are not too angry with me?”
She battened down on an errant giggle trying to work its way loose. He sounded so like a child asking his parent if he were in much trouble. “I would like to say I am, but I don’t want to be angry with you tonight of all nights. I also understand your reasoning.” She poked him in the chest, so he didn’t get any ideas. “But it doesn’t mean I like it. Don’t make it a habit.” She fixed him with a steely glare. “Like you have been.”
“Yes, my lady.” The subservient tone of his voice caused her to laugh, and soon his laughter joined hers as he pulled her down into his lap.
***
So many people. That thought kept reverberating in Cal’s head. She wanted to slam the door shut, but there was no door to slam. Only the flaps of the tent’s entrance she poked her head from were available. She felt naked, exposed with only that flimsy covering. She wanted stone walls between her and the crowd.
The king was holding the ceremony on the same grounds where the celebration occurred—the same celebration they crashed by their arrival. Cal cringed and hoped for better luck this time.
Bowers of flowers, silk, and tulle were scattered about the clearing. Lamps hung from branches, whose leaves were only starting to turn color. Overall, it was a beautiful effect. Too bad she couldn’t enjoy it fully. She gripped the flaps between white fingers. She couldn’t go out there. She just couldn’t.
Maggie, Arrein, Vana, and the assorted handmaidens handpicked to serve for this occasion long stopped their attempts to comfort her. Ever blunt, her dear friend told her nothing would end her jitters except finalizing the bond through ceremony and consummation. Maggie grinned wickedly while saying this last part and caused all the attendants to giggle. She’d wanted to curl up in her elaborate dress but didn’t. She dared not do anything to wrinkle her dress or destroy her appearance.
She looked her best and knew it. Arrein had arranged her hair artfully. The simplistic yet elegant style suited her. The gown flattered her figure, the flowing fabric hugging her curves in strategic places. She shuddered at the amount of work that had gone into her ensemble. Tiny seed-like crystals, held in place with gold thread that gave off a soft metallic sheen, ran their way across the jacquard ivory silk overdress. The underdress matched and was plain except for the glint of light that played off the material.
A voice sounded behind her. She flinched, not thinking to hear a male voice in the tent.
“My dear, we aren’t going to attack. Don’t look so petrified. There is naught to worry about.” Talion came over to her and took her hands between his. They were warm and reassuring.
“Believe it or not, you hold my son’s heart in your hands. That is a very rare and precious thing.” He looked down at her hands, spreading them beneath his. “These hands, though small, were strong enough to accomplish something no other female has been able to do. Relian is strong in body and spirit, and his match could be nothing less, Daughter. I hope you will honor me by addressing me as father.”
Cal’s gaze flew in Maggie’s direction. Her friend watched with shock-glazed eyes. Her mouth hung open, and Cal was sure hers was, too. Talion…his words. They were so sweet, so overwhelming. She never expected to have a father-in-law who looked barely years older than his son. Who dressed in robes that were literally fit for a king. Even his small circlet-type crown emphasized who and what he was.
“I would be honored, Sire.” Cal corrected herself, “I mean, Father.”
He released her hands, clapping his together. “Good. All will be ready in a few minutes.”
She nodded, and alarm rose in her chest again.
Talion chuckled and shot a smirk at Maggie, addressing her. “It seems your observation is correct, my lady.” Maggie’s cheeks stained with crimson, and her eyes spit sparks at him. “I don’t think anxiety will be overcome until the ceremony is over, and they’ve retired for the night.”
All the women—elf and human—froze at his words. He walked out the tent, still chuckling.
***
Cal’s gaze met her immortal future across the clearing, gray and green held steady by each other. His eyes, so intense, glowed against the backdrop of the tent he just vacated. That image made the gathered crowd recede for a blessed moment. Only he existed.
Her sight remained fixed on his, her peripheral vision belatedly taking in the magnificence of his appearance. His circlet, similar to the one she wore, was gold, and its elegant lines highlighted his features. Dressed in an ankle-length ivory tunic belted over loose trousers, he wore an open robe of royal blue over it. How appropriate. The color suited him. It was an absurd thought that kept floating through her mind. Then reality intruded. And suddenly, he seemed so far away.
All eyes were upon them. The stares seeped into her awareness, causing her pulse to beat to a wild tempo that barely allowed for breath. This was it. If she completed the ceremony, there’d be no walking away, not that she really could anyway.
Needing something on which to focus, she repeatedly whispered to herself the vows Henril taught her. The distance between her and Relian appeared insurmountable. She waded through sand, through air, that suffocated her.
Apprehension flared, and she froze. She looked toward him, and somehow he stood before her. Standing so close, his breath upon her face. His hands were warm upon hers, comforting and grounding her.
He led her toward the main bower in the clearing. They stopped before the cleric who would help officiate the ceremony. Relian took both her hands in his and turned her to face him. She was now uncomfortably aware their profiles faced most of the audience.
She glanced past Relian’s shoulder, and a familiar face met her gaze. As the father of the groom, Talion had his role to play. He gave her a reassuring smile. She also knew somewhere behind her, Maggie stood nearby. Since Cal’s family wasn't there, her friend would stand in as a relative.
Talion stepped forward, as he was not only king but also host of the affair. His voice resonated through the clearing. “Beloved guests, we are here for a joyous occasion. Complete bondings are rare, and we have not been blessed with one for over a century.”
A century? Cal received a jolt at that new snippet but forced herself to listen.
“Any bonding is a cause for celebration, and the one of our prince and his bond mate, Lady Calantha, is doubly so.”
At the signal of the cleric, Talion and Maggie both came before them, a length of ribbon in their respective hands. First went Talion’s ribbon around their left wrists, and then Maggie’s around the right. As they did this, the cleric spoke. “Before us is the symbolic uniting of two lives, two souls still uniquely individual but inexorably linked. Let none seek to tear it asunder.”
Relian spoke his vows next, the same ones Cal would repeat to him. His face remained grave, but was that a hint of a smile lurking in his eyes? His voice came strong and clear, warming away the cold that took hold of her body. “No one can tear our bond asunder except through death. Even then, in the afterlife, it will exist, waiting for you to fulfill it. It cannot be torn for long, for what is eternity in the afterlife but a splash in the ocean. This I pledge to you.” He squeezed her hands. The encouragement helped but not enough to settle her nerves.
Cal swallowed. Her turn now. Relian sounded wonderful while reciting the vows, but she’d probably sound like a stuttering nutcase. She prayed to get through this quickly and without too much embarrassment.
Though she faltered slightly at the beginning, by the end her voice was calm and steady. It helped that she focused on his eyes, nothing else. They guided her and supported her.
Then Maggie and Talion stepped back to their sides, unwinding the ribbons. As Maggie finished, she whispered, “You did it.” She gave an impish smile. “Well, you’re half-way through.” Cal tried to glare, but it came out a smile. Relian favored Maggie with his own smile, as he seemed to overhear her words. Talion responded to it all with a quiet laugh. Cal's heart rate slowed down but only by a notch.
Talion lost no time in calling them forward. “It is with much happiness that I present the Prince and Princess of Eria, Relian and Calantha.” She was again startled to hear her full name, but she had to admit it sounded far more regal than Cal. She watched Relian closely and mimicked his actions. Nearly everyone she’d spoken to told her that was the safe way to satisfy proper etiquette until she learned all the rules herself.
After that came the well-wishers and with them, more names than Cal could keep track. It seemed everyone desired to greet and talk with them. Her head swam, but as she looked around, there was no end in sight. Happy, nervous, and overwhelmed, she wanted to break down in tears. She wouldn’t let herself; she couldn’t.
Relian stroked the back of her hand with his thumb and bent down to whisper during one rare lull, “While I’m afraid we can’t escape yet, I think I can arrange for the feast to start soon. After that will be dancing. We’ll be expected to partake in a few of those before we can disappear for the evening.”
Cal’s cheeks warmed at the mention of disappearing for the evening, but she was glad for any chance of escape. But the thought that everyone would know what they would be doing caused even more heat to flood her face.
Relian’s mouth twitched. “Come, let us see about food.” With that, they quickly set forth toward his father before anyone could waylay them.
As it turned out, Talion had just given the orders for the feast to be set up. Many of the tables were already in place, as were the applicable plates, bowls, cups, and silverware. The tables only awaited the various foodstuffs the servants would place on them.
Relian led Cal to the main table. He procured a seat to the left of his father, and Cal wearily folded into the chair on Relian's right. She was glad when he scooted her chair in for her. She didn’t want to move. Her clouded head threatened to drift away. It was probably from her lack of sleep the night before, as she’d fallen asleep in the early hours of the morning.
A servant, with an ewer of wine, topped her glass. Cal eagerly reached for that little bit of oblivion.
It burned a lively path through her body, jolting her into a somewhat more aware state. Cal looked curiously around the table. She hadn’t paid much attention to the seating arrangements. To her relief, Maggie was nearby, partnered with Kenhel. Or was it Avrin? She couldn’t be sure as both sat by Maggie, and all three engaged in conversation.
The wine wasn’t half-bad. The fortifying sips instilled a kind of courage in her and bolstered her mood. She wasn’t particularly hungry, but with Relian piling her plate with food, she ate more than she anticipated. She glanced over at his. If anything, he supplied himself with less. That wasn’t fair. She shrugged and speared another forkful of meat. The food was delicious. She never deprived herself, so why start now?
Of course, she needed to wash that down with another mouthful of wine. The glass remained quite full, and she only noticed a servant replenishing it once. She quite liked that new pattern: a bite of food chased down by a sip of wine. She happily followed the pattern until her plate became sparse.
She set her fork down, done until dessert arrived. When the server arrived with his thoughtfully full ewer of wine, she didn’t make a quibble when he went to refill it. That was until a hand came down in front of her glass, and a softly spoken “no, thank you” sounded next to her.
“Hey.” Cal squinted at Relian. “I wanted more.”
He gazed at her skeptically. “I think you passed ‘more’ after the second glass.”
“Second?”
“Yes, this would’ve been your fourth. You usually don’t drink heavily, so no more would be wise.”
“Oh.” She thought for a moment and frowned. “That’s too bad.”
“I think you’re tipsy.”
Cal stilled, and her grimace slipped away into a happy grin. “Yeah, I think you may be right.”
“Definitely no more for you tonight.”
“Spoilsport.”
He leaned near her. His breath fanned hot against her cheek
. “I can think of one thing you won’t call me spoilsport in tonight.” His voice, laden in promise, raked down her spine. Soberness crept back into her mind, mingling with the tipsiness.
“Oh,” she squeaked. But some little devilish spirit propelled her to meet spice with spice. “Well, I’ll hold you to that. I expect good showmanship in all areas.”
He chuckled. “If this is how you become when you drink, I’ll have to make sure the wine flows freely around you.” His voice took on a seductive huskiness. “And I promise I’ll live up to any particular requirements you may have.” He grinned wickedly. “We might have to invent a few new categories to test. What say you?”
“Sounds like a deal, my elf lover boy.” She giggled and then snapped her mouth shut. She didn’t want anything else to slip out.
He chuckled and slung his arm casually over the back of her chair, hugging her shoulders. She guessed the time for formality was over, at least for a while, and sat in contentment as conversation buzzed around her.
The sound of musicians tuning their instruments rang in the clearing. Relian sprang lithely from his seat and held out a hand. “Come, my lady, it’s time for us to dance.” She took his hand and let him pull her from her seat.
A thought struck her fuddled mind, an important one everybody had neglected. “I don’t know how to dance, especially not elvin style.”
Relian seemed unconcerned. “Don’t worry. I will lead and do most of the work. Just follow and you’ll be fine.”
He guided her to the middle of the clearing, which was free of tables. Talion already stood there, ready to address the gathering crowd. Official dancing then commenced.
True to his word, Relian led her through the first dance without any undue trouble. He kept the footwork simple, and most of the other couples followed suit. The twirls and spins made Cal dizzy, but his arms held her securely, lifting and making her glide throughout all their movements. She supposed she could’ve been more graceful, but the wine and the many eyes on them didn’t help. On second thought, the wine probably did help.