by Bailey Dark
Today, we were walking down the throne hall and declaring her a Princess of Bristola. It wasn’t really a marriage ceremony. It was the alliance ceremony. There would be a much bigger wedding celebration with her family from Serpul in a few weeks, but this was at least fanfare for the people of Bristola, who needed a bit of celebration after the pirate attack and somber funeral pyres.
Ceritha looked absolutely beautiful. She was wearing a dress a color mixture of turquoise and aquamarine, our two ocean waters. I had given her a gold necklace with an opal on the end, ensconced in rubies that matched her hair. She had chosen to wear it today with the dress and I was honored. The dress flowed around her feet like she was actually walking in waves. We still hadn’t found Murex and we feared he was dead, or at least well hidden by the pirates that had managed to pull out and escape before we flew out to overcome their vessels with my one speeder. Cowrie escorted her down the aisle, with Ilisa a step behind. She and Ceritha had spent a lot of time together in the last week, which I was grateful for; they would be good influences on each other, and it was one way for Ceritha to get to know me better as a Commander, through one of my most prized students.
Of course, every spare moment I had, I was spending with my Princess. We had been sailing on StarChaser, we had gone out to more nesting grounds to take blood samples. I had followed her every word as she explained scientific measurements to me in the lab, I had invited her to command room meetings so she knew where we stood with tracking down the remaining pirates, we had gone horseback riding, we had gone flying in my speeder, and we had spent every night together in her bed… She had yet to come to mine, though. I was hoping she would feel comfortable enough to do that tonight…
Regardless, she was beautiful, strong, and smart, and she was mine.
As she came to stand before me, her eyes alight with joy at the ceremony, the whole of Bristola’s nobility and military elite gathered in the throne room, Catari overseeing the ceremony, I marveled at how far we had come so quickly from the woman who wanted to shove me out of her sailboat on Serpul. She loved me. I knew she did.
I took her hands and the lights in the throne room flickered.
Our mental connection was real. It could shatter glass.
“Princess Ceritha of the planet Serpul, King Kajo of Farian and your father, Ganot of Serpul have deemed an alliance marriage between you and Prince Commander Axis of the Bristola Oceans is necessary to preserve the oceanic species of our two planets. You have agreed to this arrangement, say Aye.”
“Aye.”
“Prince Commander Axis, say Aye.”
“Aye.”
“Serpul and Farian have long served each other as friends and allies, but this union will preserve this loyalty, pressing it forward into the future, making an even more beautiful relationship, with lasting rewards and sustaining a mentorship and collaboration across fields for the symbiotic progress of both planets, both of you say Aye.”
“Aye.”
“Bristola has a long history of the maritime…” Cartari launched into a history of Bristola and I held onto Ceritha’s hands.
“You are my Destin. I will be beside you forever.”
“I will protect you, too, you know.” She responded without hesitation to my words, but still hadn’t said she loved me.
“Oh yeah?” I liked her taunting.
“Hand-to-hand combat, remember?” Her eyes were laughing at me, her lips in the most irresistible shape that I wanted to kiss.
I smiled at her. “You are quite skilled, I know. And we can practice, often.”
“I’d like that.”
“…say Aye.” Cartari paused and we looked at him.
“Aye,” we chorused.
“Princess Ceritha,” Cartari’s eyes were shining with true admiration for the Princess and joy for me. “I declare you an official Princess of Bristola. Welcome to our shores.”
I held up Ceritha’s hands and the entire congregation cheered. I swooped her into a hug and kissed her long and hard. Sparklers had been passed out before hand and soldiers lit them as we walked back down the aisle, raining us in sparks that seemed no different than those that our kiss ignited magically on its on.
As we exited the throne hall, all the people swelled out behind us, congratulating us as we paused for the receiving line, before we made our way to the grand banquet hall.
Time to party.
Twenty
Ceritha
The sun was setting on the Declaration Ceremony day and it was just Axis and I left at the party, holding hands, looking out over the bay from the gazebo, splinters from the busted rafters still on the ground beneath our feet. I nuzzled my head into his shoulder and pulled his arm closer in between my breasts. He traced my cheek and jawline with his fingertips, then turned my chin up so he could kiss me sweetly and slowly, teasing my tongue at the end of the kiss with his tongue, snatching a pepper of kisses quickly and then dotting one on my nose.
I laughed and snuggled into him tighter. Goodness sakes… I just… I just adored him so much…
I took a deep breath. “I’ve been waiting to tell you something.” I kept my face buried in his chest. He soothed my hair softly and when I finally looked up at him, he was smiling. He gave me a little nod of encouragement and he took a deep breath, as if he were nervous and excited, as well.
“I have had a breakthrough with the blue. I think I know where it’s coming from in the scarlet firefin tribe.”
His brow furrowed, eyes narrowed, chin dropped and he looked down a moment. His mouth opened but he was quiet. “That’s… That’s good.” He cleared his throat. “What’s the breakthrough?”
“It’s in the shrimp population. They are carriers, eating the corral that is right by the frevel slue. The frevel is infected. We need to treat it. I know you said you had treated it before, but I think it is has mutated since then. The shrimp aren’t impacted, because they are too small, too simple of creatures. They don’t have the right type of cellular structure to impact. But when the firefins eat them, they are infected. I believe I can formulate a cleansing solution that won’t hurt the shrimp or any of the other coral, but will cleanse the—”
“Ceritha.”
I looked at Axis, realizing I had been clenching and unclenching my hands on his arms. The taunting look was in his black eyes, the laughing one that made my heart leap.
“I’m happy you had the breakthrough. But, stop distracting yourself. Just tell me you love me, damnit.”
“I…I…” My face flushed and my throat choked. Butterflies fluttered all through my stomach. While that was what I wanted to say… I just… That was so… Could I do it…? I wanted to… Because, I knew…
Axis leaned his head into mine, our foreheads touching…
“I love you, Ceritha…”
I closed my eyes and breathed in deeply, placing my hands on his cheeks and I felt every emotion in his body, let it calm me, let it make me feel at home and safe.
“I love you, Axis…”
I did it. I said it. I smiled at him and we watched the sunset, happier than I could ever have imagined.
Also by Bailey Dark
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Chapter One
Briar
I sit still as Laurel leans over me to paint a red stain on my lips. The paint is cool, and her touch is soft. It’s something she’s done many times before, but today is different. Today I can see her hand trembling. My own stomach roils with nerves, but I try to push them down unsuccessfully. At my feet, Sera manicures my nails and massages the arch gently. She’s trying to calm me, I think. It won’t work.
"Gods, can you imagine?" Rose, my oldest sister, sighs, dramatically. She fiddles with my hair a
s if to help the servants do it up. "I bet he smells like rotting corpses."
I bite the inside of my lip, careful not to ruin the stain Laurel so carefully painted. She’s drawing kohl around my eyes now, giving me a dramatic look. She’s silent while Rose convinces my second oldest sister, Delphine, of King Kane’s horrific stench. I can see the worry in Laurel’s eyes. I reach out and pat her knee, quickly so my sisters don’t see. They’ve never approved of my friendships with the servants.
“Do you think he really has claws and horns?” Delphine asks. Her naïve voice is sweet but strange; it’s always come from the back of her throat.
I watch in the mirror as Rose rolls her eyes. “Of course he does, you ninny. He’s got horns all along his back and a tail too.”
“A tail?” Delphine gasps, looking horrified. Her eyes flash towards me worriedly, but Rose wraps her arm in a vice-like grip.
"Don't worry about Briar, he wanted her, remember?" Rose cuts her eyes towards me. "Maybe he's a shapeshifter and will wear a skin to please her."
I keep my face a still mask, an expression I’ve mastered. Rose is trying to comfort me in her own way, but she’s always been too self-centered to practice it. Now, her attempt is half-hearted and clumsy. “I’m sure it will be fine,” I murmur.
Sera rises from her knees and inspects my hair. She tuts, giving me a familiar, scolding look. I almost smile, relieved that we can at least pretend it’s a normal day and not the Day of Collection. “What shall we do with these tangles of coal?” She asks lightly.
Rose sniffs at Sera’s teasing words. “Mind how you speak,” she says through pursed lips.
“How do you think he would like it?” My heart drums rapidly in my chest and I touch my hair tentatively.
Sera’s shoulders stiffen at my question. “A man would be pleased to run his fingers through your hair. But perhaps we should make him work for it.”
“Alright,” I say, a small grin on my lips.
My tutors have taught me the mechanics of pleasuring a man, or at least mentioned it, but the details of it escape me. For most girls, it’s the eldest sister who takes the leap of marriage and beds a man first, but today it’s me. We’ve known since my birth that it would be me, and so my sisters have moved on from the slight. No one postpones an engagement to King Kane to simply marry the other sisters off. No one would dare. Despite his reputation and my fear, there’s a yearning in me to please him, to make him happy that he chose me twenty years ago.
Sera makes quick work of my hair while Laurel finishes my makeup. Delphine sighs happily at the sight of me, clapping her hands together. “You look as pretty as a princess,” she says.
I grin at her. We’ve told each other that since we were children, it always made us giggle that the commoners compared beauty to a princess. I open my mouth to reply when Rose ushers Sera away from my hair and puts on the finishing touches. She bites her bottom lip and pulls a pearl pin from her pocket. I inhale sharply in surprise as Rose slips it into my hair, completing the look.
“Mother would have wanted you to have it,” she murmurs. “And perhaps it will bring some luck with the Dead King.”
“Rose, it’s yours,” I protest. “I can’t take it.”
“Then let me lend it to you.” She steps out of reach. “And give it back to me when you return.”
Silence weighs heavily in the room. None of us know if I ever will return. No one knows what awaits me when King Kane arrives to collect on the deal he made all those years ago, the deal that saved my mother’s life for a time. I touch the pin in my hair tentatively. He can’t be that horrid, not when he saved my mother’s life and gave her sixteen years with us. Of course, he did it all in exchange for her lastborn.
“Come,” Laurel says politely, urging me to my feet.
I shiver in the thin, elegant gown, I’ve been laced into, and step in front of the long mirror. My sisters and servants study me appraisingly. I hardly recognize myself. The ivory gown accentuates curves I never knew I had, making my breasts look full and supple. Sera has done my hair into a halo around my head, little wisps of my black locks captured by the light. My eyes, already doe-like, are prominent now, and my lips look perfect and pouty. Everything compliments my pale skin and Laurel has left my rosy cheeks on full display.
I steel my shoulders. It doesn’t matter now, but it will matter later when King Kane and I perform the Unveiling in the privacy of his castle. For now, only my sisters and most trusted friends will see me before he claims me. The last in this realm of the living to truly see me. I swallow hard.
“You look beautiful,” Rose says stiffly.
Delphine nods encouragingly, her wide, innocent eyes silver with tears. “If he’s absolutely horrid, I’ll cough twice.” She takes my hands in hers and holds them tight. “Stay strong, Briar.”
I put on a strong smile even though I don’t feel it. Sera and Laurel return with my veil. A piece of fabric that will cover me from head to toe. It’s red, by the request of King Kane himself, and absolutely covered in precious gems and metals and pearls. The veil is thick and will be heavy with the additional decorations. Delphine places a tall, thin crown on the top of my head. The crown isn’t for decorative purposes, but to hold the veil off of my hair so it won’t ruin the styling.
I brace myself for the heavy fabric. Sera and Laurel drape it over the crown and I wobble under the sudden weight. Rose catches me. “I told you to exercise more, you weak little girl,” she hisses.
I grimace apologetically, meeting her eyes. All I see is cerulean blue, completely opposite of my gray eyes, before the veil shrouds me in darkness. I can hardly see the glow of light through the threads of the veil. My heart is in my throat as panic sets in. I've never been one for dark or small, cramped spaces. I wring my hands together out of sight until I've calmed. Sera sticks her head under the veil, and I look down on her, panic clear in my eyes. She smiles encouragingly and mouths that she’ll miss me. I nod desperately and force my eyes away before I fall into tears.
It’s all real now. I’ve been thinking of and preparing for this moment my entire life, but somehow, I’m not ready for it. All year, I felt nervous and excited about meeting my future husband, wondering what he looks like and how he speaks. I’ve dreamt about the sound of his voice. But, Gods, I would give anything for just one more year at home.
“Come, Delphine,” Rose says. “We must put on our own veils.”
“Yes,” Delphine whispers. She leans close to me. “Remember, two coughs.”
According to custom, all unmarried women must be veiled during the Collection so as not to distract the groom from his bride. My sisters will wear detailed and lovely veils, but they will be the traditional ivory. The door snaps shut, and I know they’ve gone. I sag a little, revealing my fear to my friends.
“Don’t listen to them,” Laurel says. I feel her hand through the veil as she rubs my arm. “King Kane won’t have fangs, or claws, or a tail.”
“He’ll be handsome and kind,” Sera promises.
“Thank you,” I murmur, grateful that my two, true friends wouldn’t try to fill me with fear before I meet him.
“And remember, if you don’t wish to be wed after the three months, you can come home, no questions asked,” Laurel says eagerly.
I swallow thickly, throat dry. If I did that, my father would never forgive me, and no suitor would want a tainted woman. But I nod for them, to put them at ease. They make a few adjustments to my veil, making sure it truly does cover me from head to toe. The stone floor is cold against my feet, and I shift nervously. Brides don't wear shoes, entering barefoot into their groom's home.
I hear the door creak open, and Laurel and Sera guide me towards it. There will be a guard on the other side to escort me to the throne room where the Collection will take place. I shuffle behind the guard, between Sera and Laurel. They hold my elbows when we gingerly descend the many stairs leading from my room to the main floor. I miscalculate the distance for a step and scuff my bi
g toe against the stone. I hiss, pain flaring and settling into a dull throb.
The guard’s loud footsteps halt and I know we’ve reached our destination. My stomach is filled with butterflies, so many that I fear I’ll vomit the meager lunch I was forced to eat. I’m grateful, for once, for the thick veil that hides my panic-filled eyes from view. I don’t want my father to see how terrified I am. I think I’m practically green.
I feel a strong arm around me and lean into my father’s embrace. “Remember, what you do, you do for your mother and Ryrn,” he murmurs.
I nod fiercely, fighting back the tears pooling in my eyes. I can’t cry. It will ruin my makeup. “I know, father,” I whisper.
He pulls away and I’m filled with fear again. “Don’t be afraid. You’re a Princess of Ryrn.”
His words mean little to me now that I’m already drowning in anxiety, but I nod anyway. My sisters enter the throne room first, their heeled shoes tapping on the floor as they’re escorted by servants. My father follows, and the door closes behind him. I wait alone, Sera and Laurel were sent away. Through the door, I can hear my father’s booming voice as he discusses the terms of the Collection with King Kane. He makes a swift speech about the ties between our kingdoms. And then the door opens again.
I take a hesitant step forward, my feet never lifting from the ground, so I don’t lose my footing or sense of direction. I walk as regally as I can into the throne room, holding my head high. It’s the cold that almost stops me first. I hesitate, fear coiling around my heart. I’ve never felt cold like this before, the kind that creeps over you like a snake. I shuffle forward until I reach the soft padding of a carpet; my spot.