by Jen L. Grey
Claire looks at me with a concerned expression.
Maybe she’s not wanting to stay after all. “What’s wrong?”
“It’s after four. Why are we drinking coffee?” She looks truly perplexed.
I laugh. “It’s never too late for coffee.”
We head into the kitchen, and Mother pours us each a cup. Just then, the front door opens, and Logan comes in.
His eyes land on Claire. “Hey, baby.” He grabs her and kisses her lips.
I burst out laughing at my mother’s face.
She is standing there, dumbfounded.
Claire pulls away and blushes.
Now, it’s Logan’s turn to be confused, until he looks over and notices Mother standing in the kitchen with us.
“Oh, hey. Ummm… how are you doing?”
She shakes her head and then the biggest smile I have ever seen crosses her face. “I never thought I’d see this day. Come on, girls. Let’s go.”
We meander back to my room, and Claire is still bright pink from her embarrassment.
Mother grabs her hand and leads her to a chair to begin her primping. She removes the crown of braids on top of her head and curls it into loose waves that cascade down her back. She puts light brown eyeshadow on her eyelids, which makes her blue eyes pop.
When Mother is finished, Claire is breathtaking.
Claire looks at me with a happy face. “It’s your turn now, Ari.”
For once, I don’t mind getting worked on, since Mother and Claire are bonding over my torture. By the time they are finished, I have tan eyeshadow, light red lipstick, and my hair is styled in loose waves as well.
Mother and Claire are happy with their work, and Mother leaves us so she can get ready.
When things calm down, I need to escape and glance at Claire. “Want to go see my favorite spot in the garden?”
“Yeah, I do. I want to see this special spot of yours.” She waves her arms. “Maybe we will find another prince to fall in love with.”
We sneak out of the house, not wanting Logan to hear us. He would try to stop us, or tag along, and neither of those options are appealing to me at the moment.
There is a lot of commotion going on in the hallways while people prep for the meal that will start very soon. No one pays us any attention.
When we get to the garden, Claire takes a deep breath. “No wonder you love this spot.”
We weave through the trees and come upon my most favorite place in the entire world. I head over to the tree I like to lay under and lean against it, not wanting to mess up my dress. I close my eyes, needing a moment to connect to the nature all around me.
Claire waits on me, not rushing the process at all.
I need to center my thoughts and get in the correct frame of mind for whatever lies ahead.
After being here for a little while, I open my eyes to find Claire just staring at me. “What’s wrong?”
“I thought I’d seen this before, but we were always in a rush to get home, so I assumed it was just the lighting.” She takes a step closer. “Your eyes are glowing. They are gorgeous.”
I fidget. Are they really glowing? I don’t want to deal with this information right now. “We need to get back before Logan loses it.”
On our way back, Claire follows and stays quiet while I process the information. When we get back to our quarters, Logan is not happy with us sneaking out.
Before he can say anything, Claire steps in front of him. “You will not give her a hard time. She’s about to walk into a very difficult situation and needed time to decompress. Deal with it and be quiet.”
Mother laughs and heads to the door. “Come on, kids. We need to get to dinner.”
The last thing I want to do is go to dinner. It doesn’t help that the uncomfortable sensation from earlier is now back.
Claire notices the change, and Logan comes over, enveloping me in a hug.
Once again, I’ve left our link open, so he knows how I am feeling. I slam it shut, because I don’t need his attention focused on me more than it already will be.
He leans down to my ear, his tone soft. “I hate that you figured out how to do that, but I understand that there are some things you want to feel without my involvement.”
Thank goodness he’s not pushing this. Maybe he understands that there are some things I need to do on my own.
We haven’t even told Claire about our bond. It’s not that we don’t trust her. It’s for her own safety. If anyone were to ever discover we have this type of bond, they wouldn’t be pleased, and we would be the focus of unwanted attention. There are several reasons we try to remain unnoticed.
Well, I did until now.
“Come on. We are going to be late.” Mother’s tone is a little sharp and panicked.
Claire pulls me away from my protective brother. She and I walk with our arms linked, heading to the dining hall.
She is focused just on me because she isn’t marveling at the palace again.
When we get to the dining room door, my father and Emerson are waiting for us.
Ugh, today, we will be sitting with the royal family, showing that our families will be bonded the next day. Tears threaten to take over, but I focus on the thrum of my power.
Father has a puzzled look on his face when he notices Claire.
Logan steps up beside her and wraps his arm around her. “This is my date, Claire. Claire, this is my father, Gabe, and sister, Emerson.”
Knowing we need to get seated, Father ignores Logan and escorts Mother to our table, which is adjoining the royal family’s. Logan and Claire follow right behind them. Emerson and I bring up the rear, making our way to our seats.
Emerson makes a point to sit right beside me. She leans in close to me. “I have a feeling we are going to need to comfort each other tonight. The whole family has been acting strange all day.”
At this, there is commotion, and Orlon royal family walks in to take their seats for the meal.
When Sam walks in, he winks at me, letting me know all is well between us.
I’m so glad we’re okay. I’ve been worried ever since the last time we saw each other. Everything had turned into a disaster.
After everyone is settled, the Agrolon royal family makes their entrance. Nick appears to be limping and is wearing warm clothes when it’s burning up inside. Elizabeth prances in and smirks at me as she walks by, causing that disturbing feeling to surface again. The only time she pays attention to me is when something terrible is going to happen.
Everyone in the royal family takes their seat except for the king. He remains standing in order to give a speech.
“Good evening. I am pleased that so many of you were able to attend and participate in this joyous and rare occasion. First off, it has been an honor hosting the Orlon family. I’ve enjoyed their time here and feel we have made a strong step toward realigning our kingdoms. Even though they are leaving after my son’s wedding, we will be in touch and other visits will soon follow.”
I’m sure they will be. The king wouldn’t allow it any other way. He has to make sure his hooks are in them.
The king motions to Emerson and Nick. “Also, Prince Nicholas is set to wed the lovely Emerson tomorrow morning. The prophesized Savior will be our future queen.” The king then locks eyes with Nick. “I knew from the day she was born that she was destined to be my son’s wife.”
Nick flinches at the attention and looks down in response.
“Let us feast and enjoy our many blessings that have been bestowed upon our kingdom,” he finishes, then he sits and waves to the servers to begin the meal.
The food is served, but neither Emerson nor I can eat. We both are charged, though for very different reasons.
Emerson catches my eyes and softly speaks. “I’m so sorry, Ariah. This is so hard, but what happens next will be harder.”
Wait. What comes next?
She looks alarmed. “Did Mother not tell you?”
Mother hears Emerson’s question and moti
ons for her to be quiet.
Logan has seen everything, though, and I can count on him not to let this drop.
“What happens after this?” Logan asks.
Father, unaware of the tension around the table, chews on a mouthful of food. “Oh, the wedding rehearsal. We are attending the rehearsal after dinner.”
My stomach drops. It’s bad enough having to watch Emerson marry him tomorrow, but now I have to watch them practice. I force myself into an expression of indifference and make myself take a bite of food.
Claire looks at me with concern evident in her gaze.
I take a deep breath, steadying my emotions, and can feel Sam’s watchful eyes on me.
Soon, dinner is over, and people are preparing to leave.
King Percy rises from his seat and walks over to our table. “Are you all ready for the rehearsal? The Orlons have also agreed to play a role, signifying that they are aligning with us.”
The king is overjoyed at what is happening. He knows, by locking in the Savior, he will be the ruler over the entire country again. I wonder what the point of our collapse was to begin with, if the country is going to be taken over again by the same greedy family.
As he turns to walk away, his attention lands on Claire. “Who is this?”
“This is my date, King Percy.” Logan takes her hand. “She will also be attending the wedding with me.”
The king looks annoyed but shakes his head. He turns to Claire. “Are you from the village?”
Claire stands and curtseys while nodding.
The king is pleased with her manners, so he turns and walks away.
I let out a sigh of relief while trying to absorb the information that both royal families will be involved in the wedding. It seems as if it’s a disaster in the making. At least, Sam will be near during the whole thing.
“Come on.” Father opens the door. “Let’s go ahead and go into the throne room. That’s where the wedding will take place.”
As we head to the rehearsal, Nick looks my way. He has a beaten look on his face, but I pretend I don’t see him.
We make our way to the throne room, and I’m speechless. The thrones have actually been removed, and the window that is hidden is unobstructed. They show a view of the garden, and the beautiful flowers are visible clear across the room.
There is a golden stage that will be used for the wedding ceremony that frames the most gorgeous view of the gardens, with matching flowers decorated all throughout the room. It is breathtaking and made for a princess.
Soon, the Orlon family makes their way into the room, and Sam heads over to me. My father assumes he is coming to talk to him, but Sam completely bypasses him.
He walks up beside me. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”
Not wanting to be ignored, Gabe comes over, not realizing Sam has said anything to me. “Prince Samuel, how are you this evening? The king and I were talking and thought it would be appropriate if you walked Princess Elizabeth down the aisle.”
Sam turns to look at my father. “No, sir, I will not. By doing that, people will speculate that she and I will soon marry, and of course, that is not the case.”
My father shakes his head. “But it would make the most sense if you all did, and Princess Elizabeth is a beautiful young lady.”
“She may be beautiful, but I don’t want people thinking she could be my wife. I was hoping that I could walk Miss Ariah down the aisle.”
Sam’s parents are not surprised by this request, even though his mother is not pleased, but both my mother and father are completely caught off guard. “You want to walk Ariah down the aisle instead of Princess Elizabeth?”
My father looks at me and back at Sam.
Sam’s eyes soften. “Yes, it would be an honor. I believe it would be appropriate for Logan to walk with Princess Elizabeth, since he is the brother of the bride and she is the prince’s sister.”
My father simply nods, at a loss. “Yes, that would work fine. I guess, I wasn’t expecting your request is all.”
Of course, he wasn’t. Why would someone want to walk me down an aisle or be associated with me in any way? Even though Father has kept me at a distance my whole life, shouldn’t he at least feel something toward me?
At that, King Percy and the priest walk into the room, followed by Nick and Elizabeth. Nick notices that Sam and I are standing together with my father, and his face shows his displeasure.
How dare he get upset, when he is the one actually marrying someone else. What rationale is he using?
Needing a distraction, I turn and walk back to Claire and Emerson, trying to divert some of the attention off me.
Sam reaches for my arm, but I side step it. I glance up at him and he takes a step back. He doesn’t push any more at the moment.
“All right, let’s get this going.” The king points up at the altar. “Emerson and Nicholas, please go stand up at the altar so we can make sure everything looks right.”
Emerson takes her spot, and Nick follows behind her.
He turns and looks at me on the way up.
King Percy catches him.
His eyes narrow and his tone is loud. “Get up there, boy. Now.”
Everyone cringes at the sound, it echoing against the walls.
Nick flinches, turning around and jumping onto the stage. A sense of discomfort surrounds the rehearsal.
Why was Nick looking at me? What is he trying to do?
The king continues as if nothing happened, and everyone tries to act normal.
“All right, good. Okay then, of course, Elizabeth and Prince Samuel will walk in together.” King Percy motions for them to walk up and stand beside Nick and Emerson.
Sam doesn’t move and instead addresses the king. “Gabe and I were just discussing this, and I think it makes the most sense if Emerson’s brother walks Prince Nicholas’ sister down the aisle. That way, both siblings are represented and shown together.”
I’m impressed with how eloquently Sam presented that to King Percy.
The king takes a deep breath and shakes his head, looking at the ground. “That wasn’t really what I was thinking, but you’re right. It does make sense.”
“Yes, and I should walk down Ariah.” He points to Emerson. “That way, the Savior’s sister, the one who started the prophecy, walks down with the Prince of Orlon, showing the allegiance of our country to you and your future king and queen.”
Claire is wide eyed and enjoying the show.
King Percy isn't thrilled with his suggestion, but he can see the merit in Sam’s argument. “All right, I hate to ask that from you, but it seems as if you’ve thought this through.”
Nick’s body tenses when he sees his father concede with Sam’s suggestions. He must have wanted Sam to escort Elizabeth down the aisle.
The priest clears his throat. “Okay, let’s first let Emerson and Nick practice saying their vows to each other. All the others can take a break for about fifteen minutes. Royal vows are difficult to learn.”
Whew. Thank goodness, I won't have to watch them practice the whole time. The one nice thing about the throne room is that it is right next to a gorgeous balcony overlooking the village. It is for the king to stand when he gathers the villagers to announce some sort of decree or message.
I head that way, needing a break from everything. When I get to the balcony, a breeze caresses my face and peace floats within me, fighting against all my inner turmoil. The elements surround me, trying to fill me and protect me. I can tell the storm is getting closer, because the wind is picking up and faint thunder can be heard.
A few minutes later, someone joins me. I turn to find Sam watching me. I glance down, which makes him grin.
He walks over to me and stares into my eyes. “You’re beautiful, and I swear it seems like your eyes are glowing.”
Everyone keeps saying that about my eyes, and I have no clue why. There are so many questions in my life.
This may be the last time I see Sam alone for a long tim
e, and I long for him to reach out and touch me.
He must read my expression because, at that moment, he takes a step toward me and cups my face with his hands. He rubs his thumb across my lips, and I’m surprised at the intensity of how I want him to kiss me. He gives me a questioning look, as if asking for permission. He slowly lowers his lips on mine and, for the first time, we truly share a kiss.
I step closer to him, closing the distance between us.
His kiss is different than Nick’s. Nick’s kisses were safe and reminded me of home, while Sam’s is uncertain and protective. We lose ourselves in each other, until the sounds of people moving closer breaks us from our haze.
Sam smiles at me and pulls me into him one last time, quickly kissing my lips. “I’m so sorry. You weren’t ready for that, even if you think you were. You still have some things you need to figure out. Let’s get back before they send out a search party.”
We walk back in, and everyone is talking about where each family member who won't be part of the wedding processional should sit. We make the decisions and practice parading down the aisles. When Sam and I walk down together, I make sure to avert my eyes from Nick because it seems like he is on edge.
When it is all done, I can't wait to get away from everyone. I need some time alone to process what happened between Sam and me, and I need to get a handle on my emotions over Nick marrying Emerson in the morning. I head to my room and take off my dress, putting my normal clothes back on. The best part of wearing a gown is the relief I get when taking it off. Since the dress couldn't hide my necklace with the key, I had put it in the undergarment.
I remove it from the gown and place it back around my neck. When it's back around my neck, the key feels very warm. It has to be because it’s been stuck against my body.
Claire walks in and smiles when she sees that I’m changed for bed. She sits on the bed and looks at me. “How are you?”
“I’m as fine as one could expect, given the situation.”
She gets up and hugs me. “They are both gorgeous. I’m sorry you are going through this.”
I nod, too afraid to speak. Claire is being a good friend, but I need time to myself, and soon.
“Hey, I’m going to go to the garden after everyone falls asleep. I just wanted to let you know, but I need time alone to sort out all my feelings.”