by Ann Mayburn
Giggling at her mom’s antics, she nodded to the bag in her arms. “What’s that?”
“I had the computer design a replica of the dress that your great grandmother wore.”
Lacey let out a little gasp. “The one in the picture on the mantle?”
“Yes indeed.” Her mother visibly fought back tears as she said, “I remembered how much you loved it.”
The old black and white photo had always entranced Lacey, and she’d loved to look at her great grandmother’s wedding photo and imagine how happy she’d been on that day. Her great grandmother had come from substantial money, and the dress she’d worn had been the height of fashion in the nineteen forties. Long and sleek, it fell in a waterfall of white satin over her mother’s arms. A wide crystal belt shimmered around the waist, and the sweetheart neckline dipped low in the bodice. Originally the dress had a lace panel over the shoulders and chest, but Lacey was guessing her mother had the chest part removed so Lacey’s bondmark would show.
“I love it. Where’s Jillian?”
“Getting ready with her Grandpop and Grandpa, Karwin and Phin. They’ll help her nanny wrestle her into her dress while I help you get ready.”
Glancing at her mother’s bondmark, she turned and shimmed out of her teal dress as she said, “Mom, what was it like? The ceremony?”
Her mother’s movements behind her paused as she said, “I don’t want to spoil it for you, but it made me believe in magic.”
“Magic, huh?”
When her mom didn’t respond Lacey turned around and recognized the distant expression on her mom’s face as someone communicating with their mind. Gwarnon and Chel had assured Lacey that she would get used to it, and soon be able to hold conversations both in her mind and in person without breaking a mental sweat. In the meantime, she, much like her mom, had trouble focusing on more than one conversation at once. Her mom blinked rapidly, then pursed her red lips in irritation.
“Mom?” Lacey asked, “is everything all right?”
“Everything is fine. Gwarnon requested a change in venue. It’s no big deal, just had to rearrange a few hundred million things.” She waved her hands, her red nails glistening in the light. “But you don’t need to worry about none of that. All you need to do is show up and look pretty.”
Lacey rolled her eyes before her mom slipped the dress over her head, pulling it gently down until the skirt pooled on the floor at her feet. Right away, Lacey could tell the fabric wasn’t satin, but some Kadothian material that was incredibly soft and fit her perfectly. Her crystal implant tried to give her information on the nanotechnology that made the dress, but she ignored it and mentally adjusted the settings so it would shut up during the ceremony. Smoothing her hands down her hips, she smiled up at her mom as she fastened the crystal belt around her waist. Since her kidnapping, her body had slimmed down, but also gained new curves, and she felt pretty in the gown.
It was a nice feeling, to love oneself, to be happy with who she was and how she looked.
Taking a step back, her mom placed her hands over her heart and sighed. “You look beautiful, of course, but you’re also glowing with happiness. I am so, so happy you found your husbands.” Her mom giggled. “Okay, that sounds weird, but it’s true. I want only the best for you, and I know Phin and Gwarnon will give it to you a million times over.”
Lacey gave her mom a kiss on the cheek, then a pinch on the butt. “No crying.”
Her mom swatted her away with a laugh but managed to blink back her tears. “Right. Oh, I almost forgot.” Her gaze went distant again, but only for a moment. “Holy moly, that Orushel can be a nag. I’m telling her, I’m telling her. Sheesh. Anyways, Orushel says to tell you that belt is part of your winnings, and it was made by the—um, Holy Empire or something like that? Anyways, Orushel said you should wear it as a way of saying thank you. It is considered a great honor to have ones craftsmanship adorning a bride and they will be honored to see you wearing it.”
Tracing her fingers over the sparkling stones, she said, “This thing costs a fortune, doesn’t it?”
“Karwin said you could probably buy a couple of the smaller, junkier planets in the Bel’Tan Galaxy for that belt.”
“Yikes,” Lacey said. “Great, now I’ll be worried about breaking it.”
“Don’t be. According to Orushel it’s more than just a pretty bauble. When activated it will provide you with an invisible energy shield that will act like a bulletproof vest.”
She stared down at her waist. “Am I in danger?”
“Darling, I hate to say it, but we are always in danger here. This is a different world than the one we’re used to, perilous and volatile with laws that may seem barbaric to us.” Her mom sighed as she went to a hidden door in the wall and opened it to reveal a gorgeous cape that looked like it was made out of shimmering rose petals carved of crystal. “But for every bad, there is a good, every evil a heartbreaking beauty. It is traditional for the Kadothian male to provide his wife with a wedding cloak. The male that first met his bride is the one who gets the honor of providing her with her wedding cloak in some traditions. Gwarnon says the material for your cloak came from a colossal beast that roams ancient river channels deep beneath the ground in Kadothia. He had to fight it by hand, and made the cloak for you, faceting each scale himself.”
Lacey’s jaw nearly dropped as her mother attached the cloak to the shoulders of the dress, then turned her to a wall that had transformed into a mirror.
Reaching up slowly, she marveled at her reflection, barely believing she was looking at herself. The woman in the mirror’s eyes sparkled with happiness, their color a shifting blue and green in the Kadothian lights. Her skin shimmered a golden hue that almost matched her hair, and her teeth gleamed as she smiled at her reflection. Her past self-doubts slipped away, buried beneath the realization that she was beautiful. Looking at herself with the eyes of someone who was genuinely loved, she could see her good qualities that her men were attracted to, could see why they would desire her. Why she was worthy of their love.
Suddenly eager to get this bonding over with as quickly as possible, she turned to her mother and smoothed her shaky hands on the dress, hoping sweaty palm stains wouldn’t show on the fabric.
“Let’s go.”
“What?” Her mom laughed, but she followed Lacey out the door.
“I’m ready to get married, let’s go.” Lacey smiled over her shoulder at her mom.
When they entered into the hallway, the guards on either side of the wide wooden door grinned as Lacey’s happy and eager emotions poured out of her. The wide hallway was oddly quiet, with guards in what looked like their fancy uniforms standing two abreast the entire length of the hallway. It was quite an impressive display, especially when they all saluted the women in unison. To her surprise, her mom took it all in stride, giving what Lacey had come to think of as her mom’s ‘royal wave’—the one Tara had used back when she was a teenager doing beauty pageants like every other girl her age.
Growing up, Lacey had loved to watch a video of when her mom and late dad were part of their high school’s homecoming court. They didn’t know it yet, but Lacey was also in that video as a little tiny life just starting to grow inside her mom. She loved watching her young mom smile with such innocent happiness, seeing a father she barely remembered, but knowing that she’d been a part of that special night. Somewhere she hoped her dad was watching over her and was proud of the woman she’d become.
Her mom gave Lacey’s bare arm a rub. “You need a moment?”
“No,” she smiled and hugged her mom. “I’m good.”
Phin and Karwin, wearing dress uniforms similar to Gwarnon and Chel’s, but with more pins as befitting high-ranking officers, stepped before her with a smart click of their heels. They both bowed, then did a step back, revealing a beaming Jillian dressed in a rainbow. The dress appeared to have a full skirt made of clouds, the colors all swirling together without mixing, creating an ethereal effect. She had a
basket of flowers on one arm, and a tiny dagger strapped to her waist via a jeweled belt.
Lacey knew it was a toy dagger, but she still rolled her eyes at Phin, who pretended not to see. Jillian already had her grandfathers wrapped around her little finger, and she knew it. Phin had argued that on Kadothia kids learned to use weapons at an early age, and Lacey had argued back that Jillian had almost blinded herself with a potato peeler three months ago. They compromised on a training dagger for Jillian, who decorated it with glitter and wore it everywhere she went.
“Jillybean.” Lacey crouched down and held out her arms. “You look so beautiful.”
Hugging her tight, Jillian then did a twirl, her hair a normal brown for once flowing around her like a ribbon.
“Lovely,” Phin said while Karwin nodded. “I have never seen a more beautiful fairy princess.”
“Thank you,” Jillian said with a wobbly curtsey.
A throat cleared nearby, and Lacey turned to find Wythe, dressed in the shiny black armor of a Warrior. He gave them a brief bow.
“My Lady Lacey, if you will please follow me? Your bondmates impatiently await.”
Laughing, she took a deep breath and fell into step behind him, their footsteps and the rustle of fabric the only sound.
Lacey sent her men a message through her crystal implant. “Hold your horses, I’m on my way.”
“Hold your horses?” Chel thought back. “What are horses?”
Gwarnon’s mental voice was much deeper, and held an odd note, “Hurry, my bride.”
“Gwarnon, is everything okay?” she sent back.
“Yes…I…I have a feeling that we need to get bonded as soon as possible.”
The wide double doors at the end of the hallway opened up, revealing a pathway through the nighttime darkness that looked like it was made of stars. The long path led to an outdoor temple of sorts built among the ancient branches of the mammoth trees. Glowing plants and softly shining orbs of light bathed the scene in a romantic glow, and little tiny shimmering butterflies filled the air above them.
Lacey paused for a moment, absorbing the beauty of the scene before her gaze locked on her men.
Guards bearing the heraldry of House Taylor lined the walkway, and they all snapped a salute as Lacey walked past. She glanced over her shoulder, realizing her mother had stopped and moved off to the side, where a small audience of people were gathered. Lacey gave a discrete wave as she realized they were the crew of Gwarnon’s ship, along with a few of her mother’s friends from the manor. Even though she knew there was no way Chel or Gwarnon would invite Lady Melissi, Lacey said a prayer of thanks to God for keeping her away from the wedding. Lacey could only imagine how furious the crazy woman was, and how much she would want to destroy Gwarnon if she had the chance.
By this point, she reached her bondmates, and without even thinking about it, she reached out to them, grasping their hands in hers, standing between them before the High Priestess of the Lord of Life.
Lacey’s crystal implant informed her that the woman inspecting her with deep violet eyes and green skin was a Liothian, and that she was both very old and wore her experience like an aura of wisdom. Not that you could tell how old the High Priestess might be, not by looking at her youthful appearing face. It wasn’t until one looked at her hands, which were wrinkled and crooked, that she could guess what her true age was. Instead of hair, like most of the humanoid races she’d seen so far, the High Priestess’s hair appeared to be more like strands of silly string than hair. An odd look, but one that suited her.
A fine tremor ran through the High Priestess as she lifted her hands toward the sky and began to chant in an odd tone and language that Lacey’s crystal could not translate.
Gwarnon and Chel looked up as well, and Lacey followed their gaze, gasping when the stars began to fall to the Earth. At least that’s what it looked like at first, but then she realized these sparkles were materializing out of thin air, then drifting down like what she imagined the snow in heaven looked like. She would have reached out and touched one, but her hands were held tight by her bondmates.
The High Priestess lowered her hands, then spoke in a heavily accented voice that Lacey was able to understand. “The Lord of Life has heard your plea to bind your souls, and he has found you worthy. Do you, Lacey Taylor, daughter of Lady Tara Taylor, pledge yourself to these men? To be bound to them until the end of time?”
“Yes,” she smiled, the combined joy of her husband’s rejoicing filling their bond. “Absolutely I do.”
The question was repeated to Gwarnon and Chel, and they both responded with an enthusiastic yes that had the watching crowd laughing.
The High Priestess smiled, or at least Lacey thought it was a smile and said, “Then may the Lord of Life bless this bonding. May neither man nor time tear it apart.”
Gwarnon grabbed her first, kissing her hard as Chel wrapped his arms around them both. A moment later Chel’s lips replaced Gwarnon’s, then all three of them shared a kiss as best they could. Unable to contain her joy, Lacey let it out, everyone around them gasping as her overwhelming romantic love for her husbands hit them like a powerful wave. An odd, tingling icy sensation on her chest had her looking down in awe as her bondmark formed, right in the center of the slight valley between her breasts. It was somehow both strong and feminine, thick lines and primitive swirls that came together to form an eternal pattern. The black mark shone like liquid ink or the shiniest of latex, and she ran a wondering finger over the surface of her skin.
Lifting her gaze to Gwarnon, she found him staring off over her head, his lips set in a dark frown.
Abruptly, he shouted, “Sniper! Everyone down!”
Gwarnon managed to tackle all three of them and threw his body over Lacey’s. Her ears rang as a high-pitched squeal cut through the air like scream mixed with the air being let out of a balloon. Above her, Gwarnon let out a harsh grunt while Chel yelled something. The shrieking stopped, and she stared up into Gwarnon’s face, watching the life fade from both his eyes and their bond.
Then he was being lifted off her, and she was screaming, screaming so loud she thought her throat might shred. Dimly, she was aware of Jillian, physically all right but screaming as well, being hustled inside by Wythe and a contingent of guards. She reached out for Gwarnon, now surrounded by Kadothian Warriors in green armor—Healers, her dazed mind reminded her, they were healers like Chel. But as she reached out, she noticed her arms were covered in blood, as was the front of her dress. So much blood that the hem was growing sodden with it, but she wasn’t hurt.
Gwarnon’s blood. She was covered in her husband’s blood. So much…
Black spots danced around the edges of her vision as their newly formed bond strained and groaned beneath the trauma Gwarnon was enduring. She could feel him slipping away, could feel Chel’s panic as he frantically worked on her husband. While she couldn’t do anything for Gwarnon physically, mentally she threw out her energy into the bond between them, straining with all her might to somehow draw him back, to bring him home again.
Phin stepped up behind her, catching her has she swayed. Holding her against him, turning her away from Gwarnon, Lacey was confronted by the sight of the High Priestess, dead on the alter dedicated to the Lord of Life. Her awareness dimly registered that this was like a huge sacrilege, and she wondered if the Lord of Life would smite the bad guys who’d tried to kill her and her husbands on her wedding day.
There was only one woman capable of such treachery.
“Lady Melissi,” Lacey pushed away from Phin, baring her teeth as her heart swelled with hatred. “It was Lady Melissi, I’m sure of it. That fucking bitch just couldn’t stand her son being happy. I’ll fucking kill her.”
Orushel seemed to appear out of nowhere as he stepped from behind a plant and activated a privacy shield. “Actually, my Lady, you are incorrect. I have interrogated one of the assassins. They belong to a growing anti-Earther movement on Kadothia that views human women as a plagu
e that must be exterminated. They believe it is their sacred duty to kill you, that your kind are like the Hive but more clever because you can hide your evil.”
She threw back her head and screamed as pain and betrayal tore her apart. “Why! Why does everyone hate us? We’ve done nothing wrong! You were the ones that came to our planet and took us. You are the ones who forbid us from ever returning home. You are the ones that have done everything in your power to get the Matriarchs from Earth to Kadothia so we can help save your planet. And, this?” She threw her arms out at the carnage. “This is what we are sacrificing everything we know and love for? These are the people that we gave up everything to help?” She collapsed as she yelled so hard her head hurt. “They killed my husband! He isn’t human, he is Kadothian, and he has spent his entire life trying to do the best for his people, despite being raised by a vile bitch. You want to talk about evil hiding behind a pretty face? Take a hard look at yourselves, people of Kadothia. You’re worried about the snake in the grass when you’ve already got a scorpion in your boot.”
Chel came up behind her and wrapped her in his arms despite her struggles, his cool herbal scent reaching her when nothing else could. “Shhh, my alyah. He is all right. Gwarnon will live.”
She stared up at Chel. “What? But I saw him die.”
“No, my love, you saw his body go into hibernation. It is something Warriors are programed to do if we are gravely injured. He has survived much worse. In a few days, he will be as good as new.”
Breaking down completely, Lacey stumbled over to Gwarnon’s still form and placed a wet kiss on his lips. “I love you. I love you so much. Come back to us.”
Gwarnon’s lids flickered as he mumbled, “Not going anywhere. Chel told me about the Earth honeymoon tradition. Want that.”
Her laughter turned to sobs as he was once again put onto a medical bed and taken to the medical ward to heal.
Scooping her into his arms, Chel carried her inside and into her bed. He curled around her as she fell into an exhausted sleep.