by Lucy Roy
Her heart soared and she couldn’t help the silly grin that lit up her face. “I love you, too, Aer.”
“One moment, I just need to make sure she’s decent!”
Freya bolted upright at the sound of Lea’s voice in her room.
“Shit!” She scrambled out of bed, shoving Aer’s arm off when he laughed and tried to pull her back under the covers. They’d gotten so wrapped up in each other that they’d lost track of time, and now the clock was moments away from chiming the ninth hour.
“You’re about to become royalty, Freya,” Aer mumbled. “People wait for you, you don’t rush to them.”
Scowling, she tugged on her robe. “That’s easy for you to say. You aren’t about to be fussed over and prodded for—” she checked the time on the clock on his mantel and groaned “—the next six hours.”
The door to his room burst open. Freya was just about to duck when she saw Laz and Collin.
“Into your room, Freya,” Collin said, glancing back into the hall. “Get cleaned up. The queen is on her way now.”
“Yes, yes, I’m going,” she said, just as there was a light knock at the door that connected Aer’s room to hers.
“Freya!” Lea hissed through the heavy wood. “Now!”
Checking to make sure her robe was straight, she leaned down and gave Aer a quick kiss, then rushed into her room.
“Come on in, Kallan!” Lea began ushering Freya toward her washroom. “She’s just taking a quick bath!”
“Thank you,” Freya mouthed as she shut the door behind her. She heard the quiet rumble of Kallan’s voice, along with the bell-like tones of Rini and Tyna’s. More voices filtered in, so Freya picked up a rag and dipped it in her water basin and began bathing herself, scrubbing her skin with rose-scented water until she was sure Aer’s scent was all but washed away. She paused as she brought the rag across her collarbone, then gently touched her fingers to the spot where her and Aer’s blood had been the night before. The voices in her room faded away as she thought back on the sheer insanity and boldness of what they’d done. She had no regrets, nor did it seem Aer had any, but the fact that they’d bucked tradition so thoroughly surprised even her. When she told him she wanted to break molds together, she’d meant it with all her heart, but she’d never, not in a million years, thought that this would be how that began.
Her small smile turned into a grin.
There was a quick rap at the door, then it opened and Lea stepped in, shutting it immediately behind her.
“You look like the cat that ate the canary, Freya,” she said. “I hope you’ll be able to keep your head out there.”
Freya set down the rag and slipped her robe on. “It’ll be fine, Lea. You worry too much.”
“Oh?” Lea arched a brow and folded her arms. “Tell me, how do you plan on hiding the fact that you’re already bound when the priest performs the ceremony later?”
“Aer is going to meet with Florian beforehand,” Freya said, ignoring her friend’s chastising look as she started running her brush through her hair. “It’s a bit unconventional, but we’re going to treat it as a bond renewal. The guests will be none the wiser, and our wedding vows will remain the same.”
“I’ll go out on a limb and assume you’ve already discussed when you’ll try for children?”
“I won’t cycle again for another year, at least, but regardless, we both started taking a tonic a few weeks ago.”
“Well, you two have thought of everything, haven’t you?” Lea gave an amused shake of her head, then froze. “Wait, did you say Florian?”
Freya laughed. “Yes, according to their majesties, our officiant has come down with a case of food poisoning. As Florian has performed many weddings and mating bonds for the Harridan line already, they’ve chosen him as the replacement.”
“I’m going to assume, based on your expression, that you find that as questionable as I do?”
“I do. I’m not concerned that he’ll try to harm us, but I am a bit concerned that he’s here to prevent us from being harmed.” She set her brush down. “I didn’t think the king or queen would allow anything to happen at our wedding, but to replace the officiant suffering from food poisoning with a poisoner is a bit… odd.”
Lea bit her lip in consternation. “Understandable, but Florian isn’t the type to poison someone just so he can officiate a wedding. If anything, I would say he’s not a bad person to have looking out for you, so I suppose that’s something.” She cocked her head toward the bedroom. “Come, there’s someone here to see you.”
Frowning, Freya tightened the belt on her robe and followed Lea into the room. When she saw who was waiting for her, her eyes widened in delight.
“Aunt Ana!” she exclaimed, launching herself into her aunt’s open arms. “Oh, I was worried you were going to miss it!”
“Never, dear!” Ana squeezed her hard, then pressed a kiss to her cheek. “My ship was a bit delayed, so I had to fly most of the way. It took a good deal longer than I’d hoped.”
Freya grinned, then bounced on her toes. “Oh, I’m so happy you’re here!”
Ana smiled fondly and laid her hand on Freya’s cheek. “I wouldn’t have missed this for the world, Freya,” she said softly. “Now, let’s see what contraption your dressmaker has come up with, shall we?”
Recalling that her room was currently occupied by several other people, Freya stepped back and smiled in greeting at the queen, who now stood beside her aunt. She held a look of wistfulness, and, if Freya wasn’t mistaken, a bit of melancholy.
“Your Majesty, I’m so happy to share this day with you,” she said sincerely. “The last few months planning… I can’t thank you enough for all you’ve done.”
Ordona smiled. “You’ve given me more than you know, Freya.”
Ana took in the exchange with a bit of surprise, but she quickly masked it. Considering her last conversation with Freya had involved not wanting the royal court to change her, her surprise was understandable.
It hadn’t been that way, though, Freya realized. She’d adapted, learned from her queen and her experiences living at court, but she didn’t feel as though she’d been inherently changed. True, she’d only been back a few months, but the way she’d fallen so effortlessly into her new friendships and her relationship with Aer made her feel as though her concerns, though valid at the time, were unwarranted.
Taking a deep breath, she smiled at both females. “Well, where do we begin?”
“Hair and makeup first, of course,” the queen said. “I’ll be going back to my own chambers to prepare, but you’ll be in good hands here.” Stepping forward, she held out her hands, waiting until Freya took them to speak. “I’ve waited for this day for a long time, Freya,” she whispered. “I hope you know how thrilled I am for you to truly join our family.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty,” she whispered.
Tears burned in Freya’s eyes as she let Ordona pull her into a hug. When she pulled back, Freya thought she detected a hint of sadness, despite the warm smile that graced her lips.
Her heart sank a bit as she realized the queen had likely figured out what she and Aer had been up to the night before. This wedding—seeing her only child joined with his mate—was something Ordona had been looking forward to for years and, perhaps selfishly, Freya and Aer had taken away a part of that experience.
It was for us, Freya reminded herself. No one else.
“I think it’s about time you started calling me Ordona, don’t you?”
Freya gave her a small nod as she thumbed a tear from the corner of her eye. “I would like that very much.”
She squeezed Freya’s hands one last time, then rattled off a few more instructions to Kallan, his assistants, and Rini and Tyna before leaving. Once she was gone, Freya turned her smile on the pixies. “Are we ready to begin?”
“Yes, yes,” Rini said, gesturing toward a chaise. “Sit, your breakfast should be here soon.”
Lea picked up a bottle of wine and
sat down next to Freya, then filled glasses for all of them. Once they were settled, she sent Freya a pointed look. “So, Freya, would you care to fill your aunt in on your activities of late?”
Eyes narrowed, Freya took the proffered glass and sipped, avoiding Ana’s eagle-eyed gaze as she sat on the edge of Freya’s bed arching a blond brow.
Glancing at Kallan and the pixies, she sighed.
“It’s alright, my lady,” Kallan said, barely suppressing a smile as the pixies tittered their small laughs. “You’ll find no judgement here.”
“What—” Squinting, Ana leaned forward and sniffed. “Freya Balthana! You didn’t! Whose idea was this?”
Seeing the accusation in her aunt’s gaze, she tilted her chin up an inch. “Mine, actually, so there’s no need to go rushing off to verbally castrate the prince.”
Ana rolled her eyes and gulped down the glass of wine she’d just been handed. Pointing at Freya with the hand that was holding the glass, she shook her head. “Your father will be beside himself if—who am I kidding—when he finds out. Traditions exist for a reason, Freya! Did you even consider the possibility that mating vows are the type of thing a parent—or an aunt—may want to witness firsthand?” Ana sighed and shook her head. “I’m not worried about your father’s disapproval, Freya, I’m worried about hurt feelings.”
Freya looked down at her hands and let out a breath. “I understand, truly, but Aunt Ana, this was for me and Aer. The rest of the day—it’s not for our benefit, it’s for everyone else. We needed something just for us.” She stared at her aunt, beseeching. “Please don’t tell him.”
Ana and Lea exchanged wary looks before a look of resignation filled Ana’s face. “Did he at least remember to hide the sheets?”
“Oh dear god,” Freya groaned as Kallan gave an uncomfortable cough and Lea and the pixies snickered. “Yes! Now, let’s move on before poor Kallan has a fit.”
“It’s quite alright, my lady. This isn’t my first wedding, after all.”
For the next several hours, Kallan put the final touches on Freya’s dress as Rini and Tyna busied themselves with her hair and makeup. They’d gone through several rounds of fittings, deciding which look would be most appropriate for the dress Kallan designed—a thing he’d yet to show Freya in its entirety, but Rini and Tyna had finally come up with a plan for her hair and makeup. As the hairstyle Tyna had chosen to go with was a complex one, she started on it first thing.
Dina delivered lunch around midday, which Lea and Ana insisted on spoon-feeding to Freya so she wouldn’t muss her makeup.
“This is utterly absurd,” she groused around a mouthful of roasted lamb. “I’m perfectly capable of feeding myself!”
“Shush!” Rini chastised. “You move far less when you aren’t fussing with forks and knives, and I need you sitting perfectly still if Tyna and I are to manage what Kallan has put us up to.”
Freya narrowed her eyes at the small pixie hovering in the air in front of her, her tiny teeth digging into her lip in concentration as she gently applied a shimmering pink rouge to Freya’s cheeks.
“You’re lucky I like you, Rini, or I would’ve chucked you through the window by now.”
Rini’s expression didn’t falter as she muttered a quiet “Mmm-hmm” before flitting to Freya’s side to adjust the coloring at her temples.
“I like her,” Ana commented as she watched Rini continue her work. “She’s sassy.”
“Why do you think I plan to keep her on as my attendant after the wedding?” Freya said, exchanging a grin with Lea as Rini fluttered around to face her again, her eyes wide in shock.
“Truly, my lady?” She clapped her small hands in glee, all irritation forgotten. “Oh, thank you so much! Tyna will be with Lea for the remainder of the academic year, and I was so hoping you’d become a permanent assignment.” Clasping her hands against a cheek, she did a quick twirl in the air, her gossamer wings fluttering. “I’ve got so many plans for that hair of yours!”
“Well, if we’re discussing assignments, Freya,” Lea said, sliding a look at Ana, “I believe your aunt has some news you may find quite interesting.”
Curious, Freya turned to her aunt, then winced when Rini tapped her cheek with her brush to keep her still.
“I can still fire you,” Freya warned before looking back to Ana. “What news?”
Ana sat down beside her on the sofa and took her hand. “Well, your father and I have been talking the past few months about my plans now that you’re gone and I’ve moved back to Iston. Since we have a Valkyrie queen as our incumbent, your father feels your employ should have at least one of your own kind.” She grinned. “As your current palace physician intends to retire when Salazar and Ordona step down, would you do me the honor of allowing me to replace him?”
Freya’s eyes widened, and it was only fear of another flick on the face by Rini that kept her from leaping into her aunt’s arms.
“Aunt Ana, I would be honored to have you here. Elated, even!”
“Please, my lady, don’t make her cry,” Rini lamented to Ana. “Her makeup is nearly done!”
“Shush, you,” Lea hissed. “They’re having a moment, can’t you see?”
“And this is why I do hair,” Tyna muttered from behind Freya.
It took another hour before Rini and Tyna completed their work. In that time, two more pixies arrived to help Lea and Ana prepare, needing far less time to finish their hair and makeup than Rini and Tyna had needed on Freya.
Once they were done and everyone was fed and hydrated, Kallan announced it was time to dress.
“We’ve just a few finishing touches to add before I let you see the finished product.” He inclined his head toward Rini and Tyna. “If you don’t mind?”
Tyna tapped the center of Freya’s back. “Wings out, my lady.”
Frowning, Freya complied, letting her wings snap out and flare wide. She waited impatiently as Rini pulled out a small, soft brush and began brushing her feathers, ensuring none were out of place, while Freya tried very hard to hide her discomfort at someone else touching her wings. When the pixie was done, she dusted a bit of something across Freya’s wings, then she, Tyna, and Kallan helped Freya into her dress.
“No veil?” Ana asked, surprised.
Kallan shook his head and smiled at Freya. “Meek and submissive are two things our lady is not.”
When they finally moved away and Rini gestured for Freya to turn around, she nearly wept.
Kallan had kept the original off-the-shoulder, form-fitting cut that they’d decided on in silk that fell somewhere between cream and white, a shade that suited Freya’s coloring while also appeasing the queen’s insistence on maintaining some semblance of tradition. A smattering of rose stones and opals so pale they were nearly white began at her breasts and faded downward to her skirt. The back, nearly scandalous in its absence, was completely open to her tailbone, where a lace train fell to the floor, flowing out a dozen feet behind her.
Tyna had woven her hair into twists in a style that made the pink tones of Freya’s hair stand out without taking over her appearance. She’d twisted the lower half into a thick, loose braid that hung down her back just between her wings, while the other half was braided into a coronet woven through with gold webbing. Webbing that took, to Freya’s dismay, a horrendously long amount of time to affix to her hair.
Her wide wings, smoky gray shot through with pink, were glowing.
“How?” Freya whispered, marveling at the way they shimmered.
“Pixie dust,” Rini whispered. “We don’t share it freely, either, so don’t get used to it.”
“It’s…” Freya shook her head, unable to tear her eyes from what Kallan and her pixies had created. “Perfect. It’s just perfect.”
Chapter 46
As she made her way through the palace with her entourage of females, her train held aloft in the air behind her by Rini and Tyna, her heartbeat sped with each step. She’d been raised to be confident, sure in all o
f her dealings, and to never second-guess herself or question her own abilities. By and large, she was successful at those things. Yet, being the center of attention had never been something she wanted or particularly cared for, and today, she was being shoved in front of a crowd of hundreds for all to see and, of course, judge.
Her skin must have looked as green as she felt, because a cool hand slipped into hers, squeezing it in comfort. She smiled gratefully at her aunt.
“Thank you,” she murmured.
“Why are you so nervous?” Ana asked. “You love Aerelius, don’t you?”
“More than, if that’s possible,” Freya said with laugh. “I think… I think I’m used to attention being lavished on me after I’ve accomplished something, not mid-action.”
Lea linked her arm through Freya’s on her other side. “Well, you look like a goddess, so at least you don’t have to worry about what the guests will think of your appearance.”
“And,” Ana said, shooting Lea a look, “I would be willing to wager that once you see your prince at the end of the aisle, everything and everyone else will disappear.”
“It’s true,” Lea said, patting her hand. “My mother said something similar. She saw my father and poof.” She fluttered her fingers in the air. “Suddenly, it was just the two of them.”
“Well, I certainly hope you’re right,” Freya said. “Jittery isn’t a good look for me.”
Ana gave her a sidelong look. “Just focus on your prince, Freya. Ignore everyone else.”
Easier said than done, when a large portion are probably expecting me to fail, Freya thought.
She forced back her doubts, reminding herself that she didn’t care if they thought she would fail. She didn’t care if people questioned her status as a non-royal, if they thought she was too rough to be queen. They were all wrong, and no amount of dubious looks would take that knowledge away.
She let those thoughts swirl in her mind, supplanting her nerves with determination.