Chapter Eighteen
“You are happy now,” Tiari said as she and Tomas walked hand in hand toward the large fire in the center of camp.
“I’m not sure that happy is the right word,” Tomas said. “I am relieved that Saigar was not evil. I don’t think I will ever put such trust in another man again, though.” They walked a few more steps before Tomas corrected himself. “Other than Zakiel. He is a man to be trusted, of that I can have no doubt.”
“Yes, I agree with that,” Tiari said. “But I don’t agree that you aren’t happy. You seem quite happy to me. Your aura is even a little pink around the edges, a sure sign of happiness.”
“Oh,” Tomas said, stopping and pulling Tiari gently around to face him. “I see what you mean. I am, in fact, very happy, Tiari, but it is because of you, not Saigar. I am not as happy as I could be, but I am happier than I’ve been since I was a child, before my parents passed to the beyond.”
“Why are you not as happy as you could be?” she asked.
“Do you think I should be happier than I am right now?”
“I think you should be as happy as it is possible for you to be,” she said. “Tell me what is needed to make you perfectly happy.”
“Are you certain you wish to know?” he teased.
“Of course, else I would not have asked,” she replied.
“The only thing that could make me perfectly happy would be for you to say yes when I ask you to marry me.” Tomas finished the sentence in a low voice, his nerves ramping up us he said the words he’d been rehearsing in his mind for days. When he saw her face light up he relaxed. A little.
“I see,” she said with a mock frown. “I am not sure if I would say yes, or no. I think we must perform a test first.”
“Test?” he asked, beginning to feel nervous again. “What sort of test?”
“You must kiss me,” Tiari said. “After that, I will give you my answer.”
“I certainly have no objection to performing this test of yours,” he said, smiling. “Under one condition.”
“Condition?” Tiari asked.
“Yes,” Tomas said. “I would know the purpose of this test. Just so that I know what type of kiss to give you.”
“Type of kiss?” Tiari asked. “There are different types?”
“Oh yes,” Tomas said. “There is the type of kiss you give to a child. The type of kiss you give to a parent. Then, there is the one you give to a friend, or relative.”
“But I am none of those things,” Tiari pointed out.
“No, you are not,” Tomas replied. “You are the woman who holds my heart in her small and tender hands.”
“Is there a kiss for that?” Tiari asked, her voice falling to a whisper.
“Absolutely,” Tomas said. “Several, in fact. There is a kiss of love and tenderness. One of passion. One of joy. There are others, but you get the idea.”
“Yes, I think I do,” Tiari said.
“So you see the difficulty. I must know which one you want for this test.”
“Yes, I understand now,” Tiari replied. “Unfortunately, I don’t know the answer. Karma said that when the right man kisses me, I will know it with my whole heart, mind, soul and body. So, whichever kiss will do that is the right one.”
“That is a tall order to fill,” Tomas said.
“So you will not perform the test?” Tiari asked archly.
“I most certainly will,” Tomas said, stepping closer so that they nearly touched. “However, for this type of kiss, we require privacy. Would you like to take a little walk with me?”
“Of course,” Tiari said, proud of how calm she sounded since her heart was suddenly pounding as loudly as a drum. She felt Tomas take her hand and lead her gently across the camp and into the grove of trees. They walked for a time, until she began to hear the sound of water running in the distance.
“Where are we going?” she asked.
“To the river,” he said. “It’s not much further. Do you mind?”
“No, not at all,” she replied. A couple of minutes later she heard the sound of water more clearly, and tilted her head slightly as she breathed in the cool, clean air. “I love the smell of water and grass.”
“I never noticed such things before,” Tomas said, stopping as they reached an area where he knew they would not be seen. “When I’m with you, the world around me seems so much more beautiful than it was without you.”
Her smile in the pale light of the moon took his breath away. He lowered his head until his mouth was so close that when he spoke, his lips brushed hers. “I love you, Tiari Zora, with all that I am, and all that I ever will be,” he said. “With this kiss, I beg you to consent to be my wife, that we may be joined as one, forevermore.” Then he pressed his lips to hers, moving slowly, savoring each detail of this very special moment as they kissed for the first time.
The feel of her soft, warm lips against his own was almost too much for him. He stilled for a moment to collect himself. It would not do to rush this.
He cleared his mind and focused on Tiari. Her lips against his, her gentle breath on his cheek, the feel of her slender shoulders beneath his hands reminding him how frail and delicate she was in spite of her inner strength and courage. He ran his tongue lightly over her plump, silky lips, seeking entrance, and they parted in surprise. He quickly took advantage, sliding his tongue into her mouth, stroking her tongue with his, this first taste of her sending his senses reeling. He wanted more, so much more, but he didn’t want to push her or, worse, frighten her. Reluctantly, he withdrew his tongue from her mouth, reminding himself forcefully of her innocence.
Then her tongue boldly followed his, her arms going around his neck as she attempted to hold him in place, and his good intentions flew away on the soft evening breeze. When she stroked his tongue the way he’d stroked hers, his entire body shuddered. Without thought, he took control of the kiss again, his tongue sweeping across hers, then waiting for her to return the caress which she did eagerly. He groaned. Her hands tightened around his neck in response. He slid his hands down to the small of her back and pulled her body more tightly against his. She moaned into his mouth and arched against him. He thought the top of his head was going to explode at the feel of her soft heat pressed against his hardness.
His sweet, innocent Tiari had unplumbed passions to equal his own. Never had he imagined a woman like this. Both sweet and hot. Innocent and passionate. Shy and, at the same time, bold. In that moment he knew that if she refused his proposal, he would spend the remainder of his life trying to change her mind. There could be no other woman for him. He would go to his eternal sleep craving this woman.
A moment later he broke the kiss, knowing that if he didn’t, their combined desire and need would lead them to a place they could not yet go. They stood for long moments, leaning against each other as they fought for breath.
“Oh,” Tiari said, her shoulders trembling beneath his hands.
“Oh?” he asked. Maybe he’d gotten too carried away. Maybe he should have kept it lighter. Maybe he shouldn’t have kissed her at all, and then he could go on pretending that one day she would love him, too.
“I’m afraid that Karma was wrong,” she said, still panting. “Either that, or it wasn’t as wonderful and...intense...for her as it was for me.”
It took a moment for the meaning of her words to sink in. When they did, Tomas let out a relieved whoosh of air and his heart began beating again. “Minx,” he said. “You frightened me.”
“I’m sorry,” she said, instantly contrite. “I did not mean to.”
“I know you didn’t,” Tomas said. “Don’t worry about it. I can breathe now and that’s what matters.”
“Yes, I suppose that is important,” she said with a smile. “Anyway, in answer to your question, yes, I will marry you, Tomas. You are the only man I ever could marry, since you are the man I love.”
Tomas had to close his eyes for a moment as he tried to contain the enormous feeling
s of love, happiness, and relief that swamped his entire being at her words. When he thought he could speak normally he opened them again.
“Thank you, Tiari,” he said simply.
“Why are you thanking me?” she asked, perplexed.
“For loving me, for agreeing to marry me, for being the answer to all of my dreams, including those I never even knew I had.”
Tiari blinked back tears. She wasn’t sure how, or why, she’d gotten so lucky, but she had no intention of questioning it. From the first moment Karma and Kapia had entered her tiny, dark hut she had decided to reach for everything life offered her, and enjoy each minute of it to the fullest. And right now, life was offering her true love and happiness beyond her wildest imaginations. Tomas loved her, as she loved him, and wanted her to be his wife.
“How long before we can get married?” she asked. “Is it a ceremony? Or something we do ourselves? Does it take a long time? Do we have to do anything special?”
Tomas laughed. “Slow down, Tiari-mena. I cannot keep up with you.”
“Sorry,” Tiari said, though she didn’t really feel sorry. Now that he’d asked her to marry him, she wanted to do it. Enough of her life had been wasted. She wanted to start their lives together right now.
“No, you’re not one bit sorry,” Tomas said, chuckling. “I would love to marry you right this very moment, but we cannot.”
“Why not?” she asked. “I’m sorry if that is a dumb question, but I know nothing at all about such things.”
“No, it is not a dumb question,” Tomas said. “Weddings do take a bit of planning, but that is not the reason. The reason is that you are Maiden of the Sun.”
“Oh, yes,” Tiari said. “I’d forgotten about that. I suppose there’s no getting around it. But we will be able to marry after I claim it, right?”
“As far as I know, yes,” Tomas replied. “I think we should ask Karma to check with Samyi though, just to be safe.”
“Why did you not ask her to do that tonight?” Tiari wondered.
“Because I had to ask you first,” Tomas replied. “Now that you have said yes, we will work together to determine the best time for our wedding.”
“You are very thoughtful, Tomas,” Tiari said. “I am a lucky woman.”
“I am the lucky one, Tiari-mena,” Tomas said. “Thank you so much for saying yes. You have made me a very happy man.”
“What does that mean? Tiari-mena?” she asked.
“It means Tiari mine,” he said.
“I like it when you say that, Tiari mine,” she said, smiling shyly.
“I’ve only known you a few short weeks, but I have waited my whole life for the time when I could say that to you, Tiari mine,” he said. “Now you are mine, and I will never get enough of saying so. However, we should return to camp now, before people come looking for us.”
“We don’t want that,” Tiari agreed, letting Tomas take her hand and guide her back the way they’d come.
“No, we don’t,” Tomas agreed.
Tiari still didn’t fully understand the concept of reputations, but she understood quite clearly that they were important. She needed to keep that fact in mind so that she never did anything to embarrass or shame Tomas.
“There are some heavy clouds coming in from the northeast,” Tomas said. “I think it will rain tomorrow, which will make traveling more difficult for everyone.”
“Yes, I thought I smelled rain on the breeze,” she said. They discussed the weather as they returned to camp, though Tiari barely remembered a word she said. She had never felt the way she did at that moment, and wanted never to forget it.
“I am so happy, Tomas,” she said when they paused at the entrance to the women’s tent.
“As am I,” Tomas said, reaching up to wind an errant curl around his finger, then letting the silk slip gently off as he pulled his finger back. “Sleep well, Tiari-mena.”
Tiari felt her face heat as it always did when he touched her hair. She wasn’t sure why that was, but she liked it. “Goodnight, Tomas,” she said.
Tomas stood staring at the flap of fabric covering the entrance to the tent for several minutes after Tiari went inside, savoring the moment when she’d agreed to marry him, memorizing it. He wanted to remember it forever. Finally he turned and walked around the tent, checking the guards, speaking with a few of them, taking his time so as not to miss anything. When he was finished he noted that the light in his small tent was out, indicating that Lashi and Caral had gone to bed, which meant that both Tiari and Kapia were settled in for the night. He always tried to stay outside until then so as not interfere with their usual routines. Now, he entered the women’s tent by the front entrance and stood for a few moments, listening to the rhythm of the night around him.
A noise from Zakiel’s tent caught his attention and he stepped to the connecting doorway and looked inside. Zakiel sat on a cushion with his charts laid out before him, a glass of wine at his side. He looked up at Tomas and waved him over.
“I hope I’m not interrupting you,” Tomas said as he took a cushion opposite Zakiel and glanced down at the intricately drawn charts between them.
“Not really,” Zakiel said. “I was just double checking a few things. I think it will take us three more days to reach the foothills of the Hidden Sister instead of two, unless the weather holds out.”
“Yes, that’s what I thought as well,” Tomas said. “From the way the clouds look tonight, we’ve little chance that the rain will miss us.”
“I know,” Zakiel said with a sigh as he began rolling the charts up. Tomas would have offered to help, but Zakiel was wearing the only pair of gloves required to keep the charts from being damaged.
“How is Bredon doing?” Tomas asked, accepting a glass of wine from Timon with a nod of thanks.
“He expected to reach Darkly Fen today,” Zakiel replied with a worried frown. “We will know more tomorrow morning, providing Kapia was able to speak with him tonight.”
“Do you know how long it will take him to reach the center?”
“At a guess, three days,” Zakiel said. He set the rolled chart aside and leaned over one that had been beneath it. “See here,” he said, pointing to a large dark circular area on the map. “This is Darkly Fen.”
“There are no markings within the circle,” Tomas noted.
“That is because no one knows what is inside these borders,” Zakiel said. “We have only rumor and hearsay. The most reliable source of information we have is Nikura, and he ventured within its borders only once, nearly a thousand years ago.”
“So all we know is that it is reputed to be filled with demons, and a dark fog,” Tomas said.
Zakiel nodded. “Would that I could send a dozen men, or half a dozen, or even one to aid him,” he said. “But I cannot. Our quest to save Rathira must take precedence, and we need every man we have.”
“I do not envy you,” Tomas said. He chuckled softly. “Strange to say that, when I have spent much of my life envying you.”
“Much has changed for you in a short time, Cousin,” Zakiel said. “For the better, I think.”
“Definitely for the better,” Tomas said. “Please understand though; I did not envy you your wealth, or title, or rank.”
“I know,” Zakiel said as he began to roll up the last chart. “You envied Kapia and I because we had each other, as well as one parent left to us, while you were alone.”
“You are even wiser than I thought, and I have come to realize that you are wise indeed,” Tomas said. “Yes, I envied the unconditional love you had, that I had lost and would never regain. Or so I thought.”
“Tiari loves you unconditionally,” Zakiel said.
“Yes, she does,” Tomas said, his voice filled with wonder. “It is almost impossible to believe, but I know it to be true.”
“Still, your changes began before Tiari joined us,” Zakiel pointed out. “I think Saigar made you take a closer look at yourself.”
“Yes, that is als
o true,” Tomas said. “After my parents died, I saw the world in terms of what I had lost, and I never changed that view, never questioned whether it was right, or wrong. Until Saigar. For the first time, I doubted myself. But even though I had doubts, I had no idea what to do about them. I had questions, but no answers.”
“Until now,” Zakiel said.
“Yes, until now,” Tomas agreed. “Cousin, I have news.”
“Do you?” Zakiel asked with a grin. “Shall I guess or do you want to tell me?”
“I would prefer to tell you,” Tomas said, returning the grin. “Tiari has done me the great honor of agreeing to become my wife.”
“You have my most heartfelt congratulations, Tomas,” Zakiel said, reaching over to clasp hands with his cousin. “I could not be happier for you.”
“Thank you, Zakiel,” Tomas said, his heart so full of joy each time he thought of Tiari that he couldn’t hold it in. “We must wait until after she claims the Sun Orb, of course. But we need to know whether it is safe to wed then, or if we should wait until after the orb’s final use.”
“I’m sorry we did not think to ask Samyi that tonight when we spoke with her,” Zakiel said. “I will ask Karma to get an answer for you as soon as she can. I know that waiting will not be easy for you or Tiari, and I would have you know precisely how long that wait must be.”
“Thank you, Zakiel,” Tomas said. “As for the wedding itself, I’ve no idea how we are to go about it. I don’t think that the woman who performed the ceremony for you and Karma would be willing to do it for us.”
“I don’t know about that,” Zakiel said. “However, it isn’t necessary. Have you forgotten that, besides being your cousin, I am also Prince of Isiben and therefore qualified to perform the wedding ceremony for a citizen of Isiben?”
“Actually yes, I had forgotten that,” Tomas replied. “If I ever knew it at all. You would do that for us?”
“Of course,” Zakiel said. “You are my only close cousin, Tomas. My family. There are only four of us, counting Father. That is why Father insisted that you live with us after your parents passed to the beyond. We must cherish what family we have.”
Quest for the Sun Orb Page 25