Choices (Mists of the Fae Book 6)

by Jaime Marks

  He watched her drink and he could feel the connection pulsing between them, her love and devotion. Every part of her was open to him and he knew every part of himself was open to her. If he thought he loved her before he couldn’t even find the words to express what he was feeling now.

  She emptied the chalice and handed it to Mythos. He felt the bindings had loosened and looked to his wrist seeing the hair and fabric had somehow woven together and were no longer binding them. Mythos lifted the fabric which should have been stained with their blood but instead it had turned gold and was lined in vibrant colors which he assumed represented their lineage.

  “Your bond is complete. It can never be broken. Your souls are forever joined and can never be separated even by time or distance.” He placed the fabric against Byryn’s chest inside his robes. “You are one. Kneel before the Fae and the Divine and take your rightful place upon the throne.”

  They turned and he took her hand in his as they knelt, unable to resist touching her a moment more. Steph stepped behind him as Mythos spoke and placed a crown on his head. “Lord Byryn a Grifyn of the Grifyion Lines of Lucerna, Head of the Verthyrion Lines, I crown you Prince of the Night Throne of Balance.” Byryn blinked in surprise at the new addition to his title but held himself steady. He hadn’t realized they were going to make such a public acknowledgement of his Mother’s lineage.

  They stepped behind Staryana as Steph placed the crown on her head and Mythos continued. “Lady Staryana a Marcus of the Cymarcion Lines of Lucerna, I crown you Princess of the Night through of Balance, Heiress to the throne of Lunya. Rise, united as one from now until eternity.”

  A warm white Light enveloped them and for the first time in his existence he knew and understood the truth of the Divine. The way everything in life related to and worked with one another. The balance of Night and Light. His breath caught in his chest as they rose and he could feel her going through the same realizations.

  The Fae knelt around them as two Priestesses came forth adding accents and gems to Staryana’s gown tacking the fabric carefully. When they were done Shala appeared before her and shook her head offering him a quick wink. She flew around her encircling Staryana in a mist of white Light before flitting off. When the mist dissipated, her gown was elegantly adorned as if it had been made that way and matched his robes perfectly.

  “Well Byryn, are you going to just stand there dumbfounded or are you going to kiss my niece?” Mythos teased.

  Byryn smirked at the challenge. “Now that I can do so without the threat of having my head cut off for going too far, you mean? You’re just lucky we need to stick around for her parents’ Bonding.” He pulled her close whispering in her ear, “Come here, baby.”

  He kissed her deeper and more passionately than he would ever have risked in front of her uncle, Dad, and Cymeryn before and scooped her up into his arms. He carried her over to stand beside his Father never breaking the kiss. He had loved her from the moment he saw her. She had owned a piece of him from the moment she was born and now that they were bonded he would never let her go. She was his entire world, the part of him that made him whole, that made him worth a damn. As long as they were together, he could do anything.

  Chapter 26

  Reyana smiled seeing how happy Star and Byryn were. She wondered how Marcus was handling this. She knew he adored Byryn, but he was highly protective of Star. Though truthfully, right about then he should’ve had other concerns to occupy himself. She watched Mythos and Steph preparing the altar for her Bonding. They were working on shifting it sideways in favor of the view for those in attendance. The athame and chalice were being replaced along with the addition of other blessed vessels to accommodate the changes in the ceremony.

  She wished she could look at them. Marcus always seemed to be confident and secure in this but it wasn’t all that long ago that he’d been worried he’d lose her to his brother. The three of them together in this way was still very knew but there hadn’t been any issues and with the pregnancy it wasn’t as if it could ever have been any other way, any more than it could have been any different in her heart. They both owned a piece of it and she only ever truly felt complete when they were both with her.

  Cymeryn, while he had resented her connection with Marcus in her last incarnation, now knew and understood the truth of it. He had come to accept this eventuality as Shade before Reyana could even fathom the possibility. His only concern with the three of them Bonding now as Fae was that not all their subjects would accept it. They were about to find out exactly how much resistance they would see.

  Mythos stood before the room seeming to gather himself but turned to her before he began. He spoke quietly enough that only she would hear him, “Are you certain, Reyana? Once I begin this way there will be no doubts and all in this room will know.”

  “I know, Mythos. This is what I want. The Divine Being has proclaimed it and I am prepared to deal with the consequences if they arise. I won’t lie and hide the truth from my young, nor will I make them feel as though they have to.”

  “You know the twins will not be happy with this and I am not certain it is wise to allow others to know of such weakness,” he attempted once more to dissuade her from her announcement.

  “Our enemies already know the truth of it. This is my choice and I have made it.”

  He nodded in resignation but smiled warmly for her, “Alright sister of mine. Are you ready?”

  She nodded with a nervous smile. “Yes and hurry up this robe is getting hot.”

  He chuckled. “It is not the robe, sister. Your aura is forming as you are with young but it will not be long.” He turned back to the room and walked forward a few steps before beginning in his regal tones, echoing through the room.

  “Recent cycles have brought us much change at the will of the Divine. These changes have saved the Kingdom of Light from ruination. They have unearthed the truths of our species and provided the route to save it. The realms and territories are nearing a balance we have not found in nearly a century. This realm has been opened to us providing many with a safety and security never thought possible allowing us to plan for and prepare our defense and strategy in ways never possible. Lines of Lucerna once thought lost have been in some ways restored. We have seen those we once thought forever condemned to the Shade Redeemed and for the first time in our existence been able to offer the young of the Shade freedom from the fates of their birth. Many of you have witnessed both Redemption and the awakening of the Gray. None of these occurrences however could have been possible if not for the rebirth of mine sister, the Queen of Balance, Reyana a Mythion.

  “But while Reyana is Fae, she is not and has never been merely Fae. She is the incarnate of the Goddess Lunya comprised of both Dark and Light to restore balance to our world by the will of the Divine Being. She is the sister of both the Goddess Lucerna and the Dark Lord Lazurys. It is a difficult concept to grasp, but now that we are coming to understand that Darkness was never meant to be the corruption that it has become, that it was never meant to be this evil that it is now, we can begin to understand. It would be more accurate to state today that Lunya was comprised of Night and Light, as Darkness has begun to mean nothing more than evil to us and Night has become the definition that Darkness was originally to have.”

  He breathed deeply as he allowed his words to sink in before he continued, “Everything about Lunya embodies balance including the Divine Being’s choice of protectors and mates who were meant to rule herein at her side. They were meant to be placed as a means to protect the Divine Being’s treasured daughter from her brother’s greed and malice, but before they were old enough to realize their destiny, the Dark Lord was able to act against her. To protect Lunya the Divine Being sent her to live hidden amongst the Fae and for that I am ever grateful because in doing so he granted me the joy of my beloved sister Reyana. Though I held her in my arms once she past from this life one hundred years ago I have no doubt that Reyana is indeed my sister reincarnated; nor do
I doubt that she is also the Goddess Lunya sent back to us to save the Fae and restore balance to our world.

  “I tell you this because there have been many questions about the relations of the Queen and Kings of Balance since the Kings were crowned by the Divine Being. Questions that we are about to answer, but the answers may not be easy for some of you to understand, while others may already have assumed and accepted this. You have all come to know that the Kings of Balance, Lord Cymeryn a Cymarcion, King of Night, and Lord Marcus a Cymarcion, King of Light, were bound to the Goddess Lunya as protectors of the realms, balance and the Goddess herself and in this truth you accept them as your Kings to rule by Queen Reyana a Mythion’s side. You have accepted this because she is both Night and Light, because she is the Goddess Lunya, and it is the will of the Divine.”

  He hesitated glancing back to her before facing the room once more. “None can question the will of the Divine. We have all witnessed the truth and miracles in all that has occurred. Now I will show you another miracle. Reyana, sister of mine, will you come forth please?”

  She rose nervously and went to him allowing him to take her hand and guide her to the center of the room where they stood on the Emblem of Balance under the skylight. This was something she had decided on last minute. No one else wanted to announce the twins directly but she wouldn’t deny the truth of this. If they were going to do this, they would do so openly and honestly from the beginning. There was no more hiding. Slowly he removed her robe revealing her bonded gown for the evening. The aura of pregnancy had definitely formed. She could feel it easily and it was so bright she nearly had to blink.

  “The Queen is with young, but this blessed gift of the Divine is more than any could imagine. Shala?”

  Reyana watched as the faerie flitted down in a small orb of Light and became the three foot pixie that she had come to adore. She bowed before her and turned to the room hovering up off the ground so that all could more easily hear and see her.

  “A blessed gift the Divine Being has sent, but balance must prevail do not forget. The Queen Reyana is with young tis true, she carries not one blessing, but two. Twins born of twins to set things right. One born to the King of Night and one to the Light. A dual bonding has been decreed. A union of strength none have the right to impede.” She turned to Reyana. “Your Father, the Divine Being wants all to know, this is his will and he will now let it show.”

  A bright swirling Light engulfed her from the skylight and all bowed in awe or shock as her Father’s presence flowed through all in attendance. She wasn’t really sure what they were thinking, but all she felt was relief and peace and she hoped they felt the same. She watched Shala shrink and flit away, leaving her standing wrapped in her Father’s essence.

  Mythos moved to face her, standing between her and those in attendance. “Queen Reyana a Mythion. A request for the rights to your Bonding has been proffered by the Kings of Balance. Lord Cymeryn a Cymarcion and Lord Marcus a Cymarcion request to bond as one with you together. As it has been decreed and accepted by the Divine Being and he has tested them both finding them worthy and with honor, none save you have the right to challenge or deny them.”

  A soft murmur whispered through the room as realization set in. She scanned the Fae for a reaction but most where either reverently keeping their heads down, or they were watching in surprise and devotion. She still couldn’t tell how they felt otherwise but really it didn’t matter.

  Mythos met her eyes and smiled warmly. Despite his misgivings about this he knew how much it meant to her. “Reyana a Mythion will you accept the Kings of Balance, both Fae of worth, binding yourself to both of their essences as their mate from now unto eternity?”

  “I will so bind myself to them, Lord Mythos, as they do so to me. I accept King Cymeryn a Cymarcion and King Marcus a Cymarcion both as my bonded mates from now until eternity.”

  “Then let us begin. Step forth and join your mates at the altar.”

  He motioned behind her and she walked to stand between Marcus and Cymeryn where they stood ready and waiting. The Light of the Divine seeming to follow her, swirling around her. Mythos took two crystal bowls from the altar handing them to Steph and took two small athames. Reyana watched as she held both bowls over her head and chanted in the Sacred Language of the Fae in amazement. She knew Steph would be assisting but she hadn’t realized that she would be involved in the ritual itself. She watched as the bowls began to glow in her hands and she stepped close to Reyana holding the bowls on either side. Mythos stepped up closely behind Steph.

  “Your arms,” he requested.

  Reyana positioned both her arms, one over each bowl wrist up. Cymeryn stood at her left and placed his right wrist besides hers and Marcus stood at her right offering his left. Mythos said a few incantations causing both daggers to glow warmly and placed them against both of her wrists meeting her eyes before cutting deeply across them in outward slices opening all four wrists at once. He stepped back as Steph stood gathering the blood in the bowls until they were full. When she was done she stepped back and placed the bowls on the altar. As she processed through the Blessing of the Blood, Mythos stepped forward and cut the two slips of fabric from her gown and bound her wrists, one to Marcus’ and one to Cymeryn’s.

  When he stepped back he glanced between the twins. “Marcus, Cymeryn your arms, please.”

  Reyana’s brow rose but she remained silent as they moved causing her arms to bend into her slightly so they could place their arms beside one another. Steph stepped forward with another glowing bowl and placed it under their arms as Mythos made a single cut across them both. He then cut a swatch of fabric from each of their robes. When Steph moved back to the altar he bond their wrists together using both fabrics.

  “You bind yourselves this day, the three of you as one, strengthening the connections and bonds between you all,” he proclaimed. “Reyana, what favor do you offer your mates?”

  She had to think for a panicked second, uncertain how to do this without hands but then simply bowed her head forward far enough that the two sections of hair she had separated out fell forward as she spoke, “I offer them each a piece of my being so that they may always hold me close despite any distance.”

  He walked around behind her and cut both sections of her hair, handing one to Steph. They moved to her arms and she watched as they tied the hair around the bindings connecting her to Marcus and Cymeryn. She could feel her essence reaching out to them, the connections between them strengthening.

  “What tokens of your hearts do you offer the Queen?”

  Cymeryn and Marcus rose their brows at one another and then looked to Mythos as he stood there facing them expectantly. Reyana almost had to laugh as she wondered how in the realms they were going to manage this one.

  Finally they turned to face her. Cymeryn spoke first, “We did not know how we could come up with one item to express how we both feel for you. It is nearly impossible to express the love we share in words separately.”

  “So we decided that we could not possibly create one token of our affection. Instead we created three,” Marcus continued. “Lord Mythos in the breast pocket of each of our robes if you would be so kind?”

  Mythos smirked and reached into Marcus’ pocket laying a white gold bracelet over her and Marcus’ wrists with a pendant made of sunstone and diamonds in the shape of the sun. Then he reached into Cymeryn’s and drew out two items. The first he lay on her and Cymeryn’s wrists. It was another white gold bracelet but with a crescent moon pendant made of opals and moonstone. The second item was a modest princess style necklace that held a pendent of sunstone, diamonds, opals and moonstones arranged in the Emblem of Balance, the Symbol of Lunya that adorned the walls and floors of the Palace.

  “Our love is always with you, Reyana, even when we are not. These tokens serve as a symbol of our bonds and are meant to remind you that we are both with you always, separately and united as one,” they spoke in unison and she had to force herself to blink bac
k the tears that wanted to flow from her as she looked between them.

  “The necklace is a symbol of the bond we share with you together as one,” Marcus offered.

  “And the bracelets each embody the bond that each of us shares with you separately,” Cymeryn finished.

  “And what do you give of each other to complete the bond, binding you as one?” Mythos requested.

  Speaking as one again Marcus and Cymeryn responded, “We give our joined blood and a piece of our being.”

  Mythos handed one of the daggers to Steph and walked over to Marcus as she walked to Cymeryn. Reyana watched as they separated out a small section of hair from each of them, only a quarter of the size of each of hers, and cut it close to the scalp. They walked over tying the hair around their bindings and the Steph approached the altar and brought back the bowl of their blood. Mythos dipped his dagger into the blood and Reyana watched as he wiped the blood on the hair and bindings before taking the bowl and walking around to the other side of the altar facing them.

  He placed a large chalice of crystal in front of him. It was three times the size of the normal chalice for this ritual. He chanted a few times and the chalice began to glow. Changing the chant he took the first two bowls, the ones that were filled from her bindings to the twins and slowly poured them into the chalice. Then he took the last bowl, the one containing Marcus and Cymeryn’s joined blood and poured it in. He stirred the chalice with the athame while Steph collected the jewelry and took it to him holding the bracelets and necklaces as she watched him. Once he was finished he took the necklace and bracelets from her and submerged the in the chalice lifting them back out and chanting until the blood absorbed into the stones. He then walked back to her and placed the bracelets on her arms and fastened the necklace around her neck. A warm glow spread through her and she could feel them both so strongly.