by Bonnie Lamer
“Still afraid of Dragons, cousin?” Kallen asks. His face is lit up in amusement.
Kegan glares at him across the counter. “Simply because I am cautious while around fire-breathing beings does not mean that I fear them.” That answers that question. They do breathe fire. The giant pen in my mind can scratch that question from the list.
Kegan’s eyes expose his lies. He’s afraid of Dragons. I start to laugh until I realize that I’ll probably be terrified of the things as well. “Maybe you won’t run into any Dragons.” The look he gives me tells me that he did not find comfort in my words. Okay, I’m done feeling sorry for him.
“I will send two guards with you,” Dagda says with real concern in his voice. Funny, I always assumed he didn’t care about Kegan like he does Kallen because of the Cowan blood thing. That’s what I get for assuming, I guess.
“Thank you,” Kegan says.
Dagda gives him a curt nod. “Be ready to go in an hour.”
Isla turns her eyes to me. “Good, now we can move on to the hand-fasting. Assuming you have not made any more deals with Angels?”
Chapter 2
Hey, is she teasing me? She kind of looks like she’s teasing but I don’t know. She was pretty tense a moment ago. I give her a sour look in case she’s not. “No, I haven’t made any more deals.” I give a quick peek in Kallen’s direction to make sure he believes me. He doesn’t look bothered by Isla’s teasing.
Mom floats to my side and puts her bitter cold hand on my shoulder. “What about the wed…hand-fasting. What needs to be done?” I think what she’s really asking is if it’s like a wedding back home.
“The hand-fasting will take place at the palace,” Dagda says in a voice that implies there is not another option.
“I will not have my daughter get married under your roof,” Dad growls.
“Xandra is a princess in this realm and needs to behave as such. Whether you like it or not,” Dagda growls back.
“Does my opinion matter?” I ask in my best snarky tone.
“No!” both men growl. Geez, I thought I was the one getting married.
“Gentlemen, I am sure we can reach a compromise,” Isla says with her best diplomatic voice.
Kallen must be feeling like me. “I believe where the hand-fasting takes place is between Xandra and me.” There’s some steel in his voice with sharp edges. Both Dad and Dagda look a little stunned. I try not to look like I am as well. Turning to me, Kallen asks, “Where would you like the hand-fasting to take place?”
I’ve never really thought much about my wedding plans. I mean, my prospects were pretty slim back home of even meeting a guy to go on a date with let alone marrying one. So, honestly, I don’t know what I want. “Um, a quiet ceremony on the beach would be nice.” That’s where we did our left hand-fasting.
“A princess does not have a ‘quiet ceremony,’” Dagda says.
I glower at him. “This princess does.”
Isla gives Kallen and I a stern look. “As much as the two of you have grown fond of flouting our customs, this is an instance where you may need to look beyond your own interests. Xandra, you may rule as Queen here one day and your behavior now could affect how loyal your subjects are then.”
Thanks, Isla, I needed more to freak out about today. “Brr,” I exclaim, stepping off my stool and backing away from Mom. I think she meant to squeeze my shoulder but since she can’t really do that her fingers went through me. It’s like an icicle sprouting inside of me. I think she may have frozen a couple hundred thousand of my red blood cells.
Instead of addressing me, Mom turns to Dad. “Isla is right. Xandra is a Princess and should act like it.” Dad is fuming. If ghosts could spontaneously combust, I think he would.
“Fine,” I grumble, “But only if Dad can walk me down the aisle.”
I expect an argument from Dagda but he surprises me when he says, “Of course.” Smart man.
Dad visibly relaxes. “Then I guess it’s settled.”
Isla gives me an approving smile. “Then it is time to start planning.”
“I will leave that to you while I put together a team to escort Kegan,” Dagda says as he heads towards the backdoor. Kegan follows.
“What do we do?” I ask.
“Perhaps I should go with Kegan,” Kallen says as he slides off his stool.
I grab his arm. “Uh uh. If I have to help plan, then so do you.”
“It is tradition for the bride to plan.”
I snort. “Then lucky for you that I’m not traditional.” Mom and Isla are both trying to hide smiles as Kallen contemplates possible escape routes.
He can’t think of one so he sits back down on his stool with a ‘woe is me’ sigh. “What must I do?”
I’m tempted to pull his stool out from under him. “You must find a new bride if you’re going to be that enthusiastic about marrying this one.”
He grins. “Would that get me out of planning?” And now he’s on the floor because his stool is lying on its side.
Mom shakes her head and says to Isla, “I wonder how long it will be before he gives up on stools altogether.”
Isla chuckles. “I fear I have not instilled in him enough common sense to stop teasing her when he is sitting on one.” Kallen gives her a dirty look as he stands up and places the stool back in its original position. She and Mom just laugh. Dad snickers a little too.
When Kallen’s seated again, Isla starts talking wedding plans. Mostly to Mom. “Dagda will have his staff decorate the palace appropriately. It is customary to have all white flowers during the ceremony but if you would like to add your own touch with a splash of color that could easily be arranged.”
“I think all white would be beautiful,” Mom says.
“As for the guest list…” Isla begins but I cut her off.
“What? What guest list? I thought we’d just have a quiet ceremony with friends.”
Isla tilts her head. “Again, you are a Princess of this realm. This hand-fasting will be remembered in history.”
“Okay, let it be remembered that it was a quiet ceremony with just family and close friends.” I do not want a big wedding.
“It will be in your best interest to invite some of the most powerful and loyal Fairies. You do not want to snub your future allies.”
“Grandmother, I agree with Xandra. It is bad enough that our hand-fasting will fall under the shadow of Tabitha’s kidnapping. I do not think expecting us to entertain guests is a reasonable request.” Now I’m really glad I made him stay. Kallen knows the right way to say things to get Isla to listen.
There is disappointment in her eyes but she knows she won’t win this one. “Of course. Perhaps a large reception in a couple of weeks would be better. We will invite only a handful of the elders for tomorrow. I will have Dagda’s staff prepare the invitations and deliver them.” Providing we make it back from the Dragon realm she means.
Isla moves on to the menu for dinner after the ceremony. “Is there anything in particular you desire?”
I look at Kallen and shrug my shoulders. I’m not really that picky. “Do you have any ideas?”
Sadness touches his eyes. “There are several dishes I would prefer but they are Tabitha’s recipes. It would not be the same to serve them without her present.” I nod in agreement.
“Then I will instruct Dagda’s kitchen staff to prepare standard hand-fasting fare. That will include roast lamb, steamed oysters and ocean trout. It would also be nice to have both pasta and potatoes as well as fresh fruits and vegetables.”
That doesn’t sound so bad. As long as I don’t have to eat the oysters. Or the trout. Okay, maybe I’m a little picky. But if that is the type of food the Fairies like then I’m all for it.
“Now we should talk about the dress,” Isla says.
“I would like to design my own dress,” I say before my brain even registers the thought.
Isla and Mom both look nervous now. Even Kallen is looking at me with raised brows. �
�As beautiful as I am sure you will look in your creation, I prefer not to be wearing the same thing.”
Geez, you put a guy in a bikini or a dress a few times and suddenly he thinks you’re incompetent. Even though he does have a point. Creating a wedding dress is probably harder than creating a pair of jeans. “I didn’t mean that I’d make it. I just want to design it.” There’s a collective sigh of relief around the counter. I give them all snarky looks.
“Alright,” Isla says. “You provide me with a drawing and I will do my best to create it.”
Great, now I just have to figure out what I want and then how to draw it. I’ll worry about that in a minute. “Can we have the ceremony as early as possible so we can get to the Dragon realm tomorrow night?” I still don’t feel right about waiting the whole two days.
“There are appearances to consider,” Isla says.
Appearances? She keeps bringing that up but this is so not the time to worry about appearances. “Wouldn’t the appearance of a Princess who is willing to give up her wedding day in favor of rescuing a loved one be a better appearance than partying all day and night like I don’t have anything else to worry about?”
“Again Grandmother, I must agree with Xandra. As happy as I am that the hand-fasting will take place tomorrow, my mind will still be focused on how to rescue Tabitha and how soon we can get to it.”
“A morning ceremony seems reasonable,” Mom says and Dad nods in agreement.
Isla looks like she wants to argue but she knows she’s outvoted again. She may have had a chance if Dagda had stayed to argue with her. But he didn’t. “Then we will hold the ceremony at eleven. We can serve lunch instead of dinner and excuse the guests by two. That will give us time to prepare and be on our way before dinner.”
I nod. “That sounds good to me.” I look up at Kallen.
“Perfect,” he says with a smile. So, I guess we’re getting married in the morning then.
Chapter 3
An hour later, I’m sitting in the great hall of the palace near the river and the humongous mountain ash tree that grows in the center. Isla and Dagda are off talking to various staff people and Mom is tagging along. Dad really didn’t want to come here so I assured him that he could leave all this stuff to us and only come for the ceremony tomorrow. When I say us, I mean everyone else making the plans and doing all the work, and me sitting on this bench trying to design a wedding dress.
“How is it coming,” Kallen asks. He sits down next to me.
I pick up the pad of paper and hold it to my chest. “You’re not supposed to see my dress until the wedding?”
His brow scrunches up. “Why not?”
“It’s bad luck.”
He laughs and kisses me on the cheek. “Do you really think it is possible to have any more bad luck than we have already had?” That statement is going to come back and bite us both in the butt. I just know it. “We will deal with whatever comes to us,” he whispers in my ear and then puts his delicious lips on my neck.
“Mm mmm, you are not helping me concentrate on my dress,” I complain with no intention of making him stop.
“If we get married sky-clad then you can focus on this instead of that pad of paper,” he says and he nips my ear playfully.
I push his head away with my shoulder. “And have ever female Fairy in the room lusting after your naked body? I don’t think so.”
He laughs as he sits up straight. “Point taken. I do not believe I would like every male Fairy in the room lusting after your body, either.”
“Am I interrupting something?” Alita asks with an amused smile on her face. She works at the palace as Dagda’s dark magic detector. She gets a searing headache whenever she’s around it. Not the best job in the world but she’s happy with it.
“Nothing we cannot finish later,” Kallen says with a wink.
Alita’s cheeks color slightly as she shakes her head. “You two are never going to come out of your room after the ceremony.”
“Only to find Tabitha,” Kallen says and Alita’s face sobers.
“I am so sorry. What can I do to help?”
Kallen starts to say something but I cut him off. “Do the Dragons use black magic?” I ask.
Kallen thinks about it a moment. I’m pretty sure he knows where I’m going with this. “Yes and no. Their magic is very old so it is difficult to tell the good from the bad. There is only a fine line between the two when using ancient magic.”
“Do you think I would be able to tell?” Alita asks. She looks excited that she may be able to offer real help. So Kallen had better say yes even if he doesn’t think she can.
He doesn’t disappoint. “I believe you would be a powerful asset in our rescue party.”
Alita is beaming with pride. Her magic is weak and she always feels inadequate because of that. I try to convince her that it doesn’t matter but she has lived in this realm her entire life where almost everyone can outperform her magic-wise, so it’s a tough sell.
“I will be ready whenever you need me,” she says.
“We’re going to leave about mid-afternoon tomorrow. After you’ve been my Lady in Waiting at the hand-fasting,” I say. It’s like a maid of honor for a princess.
“Really?” she says shyly.
I laugh. “Since you’re my best friend and the only female friend I have, I think you’re pretty much the clear choice for the job.”
Alita raises a teasing brow. “Always good to know I have been picked because you are incapable of making other friends.”
I can’t resist. I stick my tongue out at her. “Don’t you have work to do?”
She smiles and nods. “Yes, I do and I should be getting back. I just wanted to congratulate you two. And despite the fact that I am your only choice, I would love to be your Lady in Waiting.” She leans her tall, willowy frame down and gives me a hug. She gives Kallen a hug as well and then she’s off, strolling the halls looking for any sign of dark magic.
As soon as she leaves, Kallen puts a finger under my chin and turns my face towards him. With a look in his eyes that sends warmth through my body, he says, “I am so happy that you are going to be my wife tomorrow. I love you.” As he speaks, his lips get closer and closer to mine until there are no more words. Just our lips and tongues communicating how happy we both are to be getting married tomorrow.
“May I remind the two of you that you are not right hand-fasted quite yet,” Dagda drawls.
I can think of a million things I would like to do to my biological father at the moment. None of them pleasant. That was a really nice kiss and I resent having to end it. Turning in my seat so I am facing him, I say, “Does that mean that after tomorrow you’ll never make a snide comment about us kissing again?”
Dagda’s brows rise slightly. “No, it does not.” Well, that was honest. “Xandra, this is Clarice, my personal chef,” he says indicating a short Fairy with a hook nose and no smile on her deeply wrinkled face. Even though she looks as old as time itself, she still has hair the color of tar. I don’t think it’s natural. And I don’t want to know what made it that color because I’m pretty sure they don’t have hair dye in a box here. Probably squid ink or something gross like that.
“So you are the one all the fuss is over. You look like a scrawny little thing to me,” she says through all the sandpaper that must be in her throat to make her voice sound like that.
I give her a snarky look. “You’re pretty scrawny yourself. Is that because you don’t eat your own food? If that’s the case, maybe we should get someone else to cook.”
I expect Dagda to yell at me, not burst out laughing. To my greater surprise, so does Clarice. “Oh, you and I will get on just fine. Come on, off to the kitchen with you.” She gestures with a hand so skinny and frail it looks like it’ll blow away with the next strong wind.
“You’re not going to make me do dishes are you?” She seems like the type that will give me a sponge and tell me I might as well help get some work done while we talk.
>
Now I get the surly look from Dagda. “I have a full kitchen staff. You will not be asked to perform physical labor anywhere under this roof.”
Geez, bite my head off why don’t you. The cackling from Clarice assures me that my mumbling was loud enough to be heard. I stand up, still holding my wedding dress picture so that Kallen can’t see it. “Are you coming?” I ask him.
He shakes his head. “No, Clarice does not allow Kegan or me in her kitchen.”
Clarice narrows her eyes to slits as she looks at Kallen. “Absolutely not. There is never anything left when they leave.”