by Alia Johnson
He replied, “Because Odesha can't stand the heat of Baklan. It would be like a heat dungeon to her.”
“She faced Vladeric in a heat dungeon. When will you give your sister credit? It's like the squabbles you four used to engage in when you were younger!” Desmond argued.
Endemion snarled, “I won't let Odesha come to harm! She will find Saphira and I will go to Baklan. It's too dangerous there! I can meet Odesha at the Bijou Forest and travel with her from there.”
“NO. We will go to Baklan.” The shout was loud enough to fill the entire throne room.
A woman walked towards them. Wearing only tight black clothing, with a symbol of a flame on her breast, she walked confidently to the throne while passing the gaping crowd. Her short pixie hair stood out among the people, her graceful steps carrying her before the Prince. The Prince leaned forward, interested at what the tiny sprite had to say.
“Why would I go to Baklan with a pixie?” asked Endemion curiously.
The lady snorted, but still replied, “The better question is, why would I let you come with me?” She continued to walk to the throne.
Endemion laughed menacingly. “Nobody lets me do anything, they are told what to do. I have the power here. Who do I have the…pleasure…of meeting?” He lifted a brow, waiting on what retort she would use next. Sparring with the sprite was invigorating.
She lifted her nose in the air and hesitated. “Rainey of the Incendie Tanssijja.” A gasp echoed through the throne room. An Incendie was a fire dancer from Romule, an assassin trained in the arts.
“Ah. That explains much then,” Endemion acknowledged sarcastically.
Kunchok tilted his head. He asked, “Why would you want to go to Baklan?” The female eyed the fey up and down, raising a surprised brow at his position in the queen’s throne beside the Prince.
“I'll make a bargain with you, Prince. I will tell you everything I know if you help me find Vashti and Saphira,” Rainey announced, ignoring Kunchok.
Endemion leaned forward, his forearms placed on his knees. He watched her thoughtfully. A slow smile edged his mouth, his sharp teeth apparent. It reminded Kunchok of a cow beast about to attack.
“And why would I make a bargain with Princess Rainey of Romule?” Several of the miners present paled at Endemion's revelation. They remembered the Blood War well. Their family members had been taken to Romule only to pass under horrifying circumstances. They had paid the price of Romule's blood magic and wanted no part of any of their ilk. The Blood Treaty was a shaky one at best, forged under pressure from both sides many years ago. The whispers of the miners increased throughout the room, the people wondering why Rainey would be here. What was she hiding? The people were terrified of what her presence meant.
Kunchok worried about his brother being alone with her if what he had heard about the Blood War was true. He moved to tell the Prince of his concern, when Endemion held his hand up to stop him, tilting his head in thought. Kunchok winced, knowing whatever the Prince had decided wouldn't be good for Rainey, no matter what she thought. Her bargain had been in the Prince's favor.
“You have a bargain, Princess,” Endemion answered finally.
She shook her head, her short hair feathering across her face. She placed her hands on her hips. Rainey stood up straight with her slight form and informed him, “Just Rainey, please, Your Highness. I am here only as an Incendie.”
“Very well. You will be treated as an Incendie would, then.” Endemion stood up to shake her hand. He held out his clawed hand, waiting to see what she would do. His long sleeves and cloak hid most of his form from view. “Be ready to leave tonight after the celebration. I seem to find myself in a rush.” She took his hand firmly, his rough hand giving her pause. Having thought to meet a pampered scholar, finding instead a warrior swirling with black magic, had changed everything. It unnerved her.
“I'll be ready, Prince Endemion,” she replied, a shiver racing through her voice that she tried to hide. But he knew. His sinister smile told her as much.
He leaned forward, still holding her hand, whispering for her ears only, “And so will I.”
Rainey blushed, wondering at his meaning. He released her hand. “Have some food and drink, Incendie. The main attraction is about to start.” Rainey nodded, turning away from the throne room, threading through the people that continued to stare at her as if she had three heads. It made her uncomfortable, just like everywhere else she went. She kept her head high, going to the drink table to sip the brew lightly. She coughed when it hit her tongue, the strong flavor bursting through her mouth.
“Good, eh? My own recipe.” The dark demon beside her enjoying himself pointed towards her drink.
She swallowed roughly, but her answer was truthful, “It's something I've never experienced before.” It was vile.
“Ah ha! I told them all it would be the latest rage in Antiqua.” He held out his hand to shake hers. “I'm Desmond.”
Rainey sputtered, dropping into a curtsy hurriedly. “Your…Your Majesty! It is an honor to meet you!”
He shushed her, looking around, ordering, “Just Desmond in private. If you can just be an Incendie, I can just be Desmond, right?” His wild uncombed hair looked strange with his appearance. He looked like he had gotten dressed backwards, without a mirror to help guide him. The clothing didn't exactly match, but he had the softest eyes. Like a newborn puppy.
“R…right,” Rainey agreed. A trumpet sounded its call, announcing the arrival of Princess Odesha and her entourage. Rainey took a deep gulp of the brew she held to the encouragement of Desmond.
It was going to be a long night.
Chapter 24
Fanni threw Odesha's door open without knocking, the new loma she had been introduced to by Desmond swirling precariously over the side of the giant chalice she had acquired. It had been a welcome present to Antiqua.
Also, from Desmond.
He had become a favorite of hers. They shared the same interests, mainly loma. Dek always accompanied them on their jaunts, keeping both of his unruly charges safe, even from themselves. They made a great trio. Fanni was already planning on introducing them to some of her tribe members. She believed Desmond was just lonely, that's why he was so jovial all the time. He was hiding a broken heart, but she hadn't voiced her options to Dek yet. In her heart, she knew she was right.
“I brought some loma for you to try, Halana. Oh! What's wrong with Mira?!” Fanni hurried inside. She placed her chalice on the bedside table to keep it safe. Mira was bent over at the waist, sobbing on Odesha's old bed. Kunchok and Odesha had recently moved into the larger master bedroom, but this was the room the group had chosen to get ready in.
Halana tried to talk over the sounds Mira was making. She patted Mira on the back softly. “Mira…was asked questions by Halafren about Ranna. Mira is upset because there is no way she could be with Halafren unless she learned Ranna.” Fanni froze, startling Odesha. She let out a whoop of excitement. Fanni ran to the other side of Mira, landing on the bed with a bounce.
Fanni yelled out, “I knew it! We had discussed this earlier, Mira. You have nothing to worry about. We helped Odesha with her dance and we will help you with yours.” Odesha handed her a handkerchief to mop her tears.
Mira blew her nose and whispered brokenly, “You…you will?”
“Of course, we will help,” Halana said. “I love my brother very much. If he wants to be with you, and you him, I will help.” Mira stopped her crying, crisis averted, hugging both Fanni and Halana to herself. She blushed, apologizing to Odesha for her behavior.
Odesha reassured her, “Don't be sorry, Mira! I'm glad you're happy with Halafren. We'll work on your dance after the celebration.”
Mira nodded her head. She said, “Your Highness, I brought fabric up from the royal coffers for Halana to craft. I hope you don't mind. I had heard she is quite skilled, so I wanted to use her services.”
Odesha waved her hand, dismissing Mira's concerns about the cloth. She s
hould have thought of that herself. “It's alright, Mira. We have enough fabric down there to clothe the entire tribe if necessary. We need to use it before it mildews.”
Halana excitedly stood, reaching for the packages she had with her. She was nervous to show her friends what she had made for them. For Fanni she had made a long, yellow dress. It was a conservative piece that fell off her shoulders becomingly. Halana had made herself a knee-length, rose-colored dress that fell in soft pleats. Mira's was a harder one to craft. It was ice blue, falling in soft waves to her feet. Odesha’s dress was special. It was purely white with sparkling beading threaded throughout the skirt. The fitted top was littered with the sparkles.
Each dress matched their wearer perfectly. They each dressed behind the screen individually, chatting away while the celebration became louder. When they were done, they each filed out separately down the stairs.
Odesha waited until her friends left, fixing pieces of her straight hair that had separated. She fastened the empty bloodstone around her neck, thinking of Vashti.
As Odesha walked down the stairs, the music died down to a soft lull. The crowd became quiet, a hush descending through them. Desmond waited at the bottom of the stairs for Odesha. She looked curiously at him. When his hand reached out to take her own, she became worried.
“What's going on?” Odesha whispered. The smiles and stares from the crowd of miners and fey were unnerving. Gamble was mopping at the tears in his eyes. Mira patted him on the back. Odesha didn't understand why everyone was so emotional.
“Now don't be upset, dear heart,” Desmond reasoned, leading her to the end of the room. The crowd parted, allowing their regents by them.
“You're scaring me.” Odesha tried to peer around people to find Kunchok. Maybe Endemion was testing his magic out on him again. She stopped walking; the scene in front of her caused her to fall against her father in awe. The entire room was decorated in beautiful swaths of white fabric. Beautiful flowers of pale rose with ivy flowing from the stems littered the tables and walls. In the center of their destination stood Kunchok. Beside him, Endemion stood. A rare smile graced his face.
Desmond leaned down to whisper, “Are you ready to get married? Kunchok planned this with Endemion. He wanted to give you the wedding you deserved, in our custom. He wanted to be joined to you every way he could.”
“What about Vashti and Saphira?” Odesha worried out loud. She wanted them to be by her side. It didn't feel complete without them.
Desmond straightened. He knew she would miss her sisters. “I wish they were both here. We had planned for them to be a part of the celebration. I suggested to Kunchok to have two ceremonies where we would all be present. This could be a joining of houses, of worlds together finding each other again.”
Odesha nodded, relieved. She grasped Desmond's outstretched elbow. Dede and Evie walked towards them, holding a beautiful bouquet of flowers for Odesha to carry. They held their smaller bouquets, moving in front of the adults to guide them towards the walkway lined with flowers. Odesha's hand shook with her nerves. It had been a secret dream of hers to have a beautiful wedding to the man of her dreams, and it was finally happening.
She was marrying her husband all over again. Desmond and Odesha walked down the makeshift aisle of people standing at attention. Halana, Fanni, and Mira stood beside Endemion. They held candles, a symbol of the couple's undying love. At the side of Kunchok stood Dek, Boni, and Halafren with folded hands held on their swords, a symbol of their trust.
Odesha reached the end of the aisle, looking for a place to put her flowers. A lone girl with short hair stood by herself uncomfortably. Odesha reached out to her, placing the flowers gently in her arms.
Rainey stared down at the flowers in horror. She had never met the Princess before, and the flowers landing in her arms seemed like an omen. When she looked up at Endemion to judge his reaction, his eyes that had been watching her shifted away.
Kunchok walked towards Odesha, nodding to Desmond respectfully. He grabbed her hands to lead her towards Endemion. He watched her face the entire time. Endemion softly began the marriage rites that had been taught to him through his training. Staring into her eyes, Kunchok marveled at how far they had come since he had first seen her running through the forest, a blood trail leading him to the cave she hid in. He had a family. The tribe had a home. They had plentiful food and tasks the people loved to do. He was in love with his beautifully brave mate and would cherish her for eternity, he promised in his pledge. Odesha watched her husband make his promise, her own love shining brightly in her eyes. She was sad her sisters weren't there, but inside her heart they would always stay. They were there in spirit. Vowing her own love, her thankfulness that she had found him, and her own promise to be at his side through any trial, she showed her people that their differences didn't matter. They were one in each other’s hearts.
After the vows were exchanged, the musicians struck up a soft melody. Their instruments strummed a beautiful sound. Kunchok softly kissed her mouth, guiding her to the center dance floor in front of the throne. He took her hand, holding her waist as they danced across the floor to their own rhythm, smiling softly to each other. More couples twirled on the floor joining them in their celebration.
“Are you happy?” Kunchok whispered, leaning into her embrace.
Odesha smiled. “This was a dream of mine, to have a happy life with my husband who loves me. The reality is better than the dream. I can't imagine my life without you. I still can't believe you put this all together.” She looked around in wonder at all the details he had added through the room.
“I did this for us. I wanted the whole tribe to see our love.” He leaned down to brush his lips against her own. Her heart swelled with the emotion that crowded inside her.
He cleared his throat and whispered, “Would you mind if we retired early tonight?”
“Not at all,” answered Odesha quickly. A tingle of anticipation raced through her.
Kunchok nodded. “Good, because we are leaving tonight. We are going to go on a journey.”
“We are?” Odesha asked, confused.
“We need to rescue my new sister,” Kunchok said with a smile. Odesha laughed joyously, jumping into his arms to the cheer of the crowd.
“I love you, Kunchok. Now and forever. Let's go on our adventure.”
“I love you more, Odesha. Vo lo cos suti ba suta.”
The couple made their way up the stairs to exit their wedding with a flourish, sealing their love with soft kisses and promises they planned to keep…forever.
THE END
COMING SOON…
VASHTI’S STORY
Author’s Note
I hope you enjoyed Odesha and Kunchok’s story! Vashti’s story is next. After that, we will visit Saphira. Endemion, that complicated soul, will be last. You will get to read about Odesha and Kunchok, together again, in Saphira’s story. The Reawakening scene, when Vashti calls Odesha, will be in the second book. (Why did Vashti need her?) We can’t forget Esmerelda! She left a lot of clues to what is going to happen next. I love that spunky pirate! Maybe someone else will love her too…
GLOSSARY
Kaia (place)- The entire world
Merdi (place)- A multi-cultural kingdom between Antiqua and Romule, includes a shipping port, ruler is King Desmond
Romule- Kingdom of the magisters, began the blood war, ruler is King Rion
Antiqua- The northernmost kingdom, multi-cultural, the people mainly mine salt for Merdi
Baklan- The southernmost kingdom of Kaia. Neighbors Romule.
Forest of Bijou- Borders Romule and Baklan.
Blood Treaty- A peaceful agreement signed between Romule and Merdi to end the Blood War
Reawakening- Ritual to convert vampire children from food to blood. It is needed when the child becomes sick.
Orik- Large stork-like bird that builds nests in bundles that hang on snow trees branches. It has metal plates and grey/white feathers.
&nbs
p; Evian- Bird used to deliver messages. They were used by families across kingdoms during the Blood War.
Bloodstone- A clear crystal that can accept blood from a donor. The donor can be summoned by whoever has the stone, until the blood dries.
Incendie Tanssijja- A fire dancer from Romule. Some call them assassins.
LANGUAGE GLOSSARY
Bulvo- Hunter
Shousha- Soul
Densho- Silence
Lisha vo- Thank you
Dunka ari ro bov- Stay with or die
Yemi- Eat
Vo riwa- You sleep
Vo lo cos suti ba suta- You are mine now and forever.
Loma- A drink similar to alcohol
Ramdak- Banishment
About the Author
Alia Johnson was born in Southern Illinois to two amazing parents that took her on different adventures every year. She used to love cheerleading under the lights of the home football games when her husband played. (Check out his fishing page Carp’n.) They have two amazingly talented children who surprise her every day. She is best friends with her brother, hates when her food touches, loves gardening, and plans to keep showing her readers the experiences that visit her every night while she dreams. Thank you, Mr. Sandman. You will always be my muse.
Facebook Page | Email | Official Website