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So many people. That thought kept reverberating in Cal’s head. She wanted to slam a door shut, but there wasn’t any door to slam. Only the flaps of the tent’s entrance that she poked her head from were available. She felt naked, exposed with only that flimsy covering. She wanted stone walls between her and the crowd.
The king was holding the ceremony on the same grounds where the celebration had occurred—the same celebration she and Maggie crashed by their arrival. Cal cringed and hoped for better luck this time.
Bowers of flowers, silk, and tulle were scattered about the clearing. Lamps hung from branches, whose leaves were only starting to turn color. Overall, it was a beautiful effect. Too bad she couldn’t enjoy it fully. She gripped the flaps between white fingers. She couldn’t go out there. She just couldn’t.
Maggie, Arrein, Vana, and the assorted handmaidens picked to serve for this occasion had long stopped attempting to comfort her. Ever blunt, her dear friend had told her nothing would end her jitters except finalizing the bond through ceremony and consummation. Maggie grinned wickedly while saying this last part and caused all the attendants to giggle. Cal had wanted to curl up in her elaborate gown but couldn’t. She dared not do anything to wrinkle the dress or destroy her appearance.
She looked her best and knew it. Arrein had artfully arranged her hair, and the simplistic yet elegant style suited her. The gown flattered her figure, the flowing fabric hugging her curves in strategic places. She shuddered at the amount of work that had gone into her ensemble. Tiny seed-like crystals, held in place with gold thread that gave off a soft metallic sheen, ran their way across the ivory jacquard-silk overdress. The matching underdress was plain except for the glint of light that played off the material.
A voice sounded behind her. She flinched, not thinking to hear a male in the tent.
“My dear, we aren’t going to attack. Don’t look so petrified. There is naught to worry about.” Talion came over to her and took her hands between his. They were warm and reassuring.
“Believe it or not, you hold my son’s heart in your hands. That is a very rare and precious thing.” He looked down at her hands, spreading them beneath his. “These hands, though small, were strong enough to accomplish something no other female has been able to do. Relian is strong in body and spirit, and his match could be nothing less, Daughter. I hope you will honor me by addressing me as Father.”
Cal’s gaze flew in Maggie’s direction. Her friend watched with shock-glazed eyes. Her mouth hung open, and Cal was sure hers was, too. Talion...his words. They were so sweet, so overwhelming. She’d never expected to have a father-in-law who looked barely years older than his son and who dressed in robes literally fit for a king. Even his small circlet-type crown emphasized who and what he was.
“I would be honored, Sire.” Cal corrected herself, “I mean, Father.”
He released her hands then clapped his together. “Good. All will be ready in a few minutes.”
She nodded, though alarm rose in her chest again.
Talion chuckled and shot Maggie a smirk, addressing her. “It seems your observation is correct, my lady.” Maggie’s cheeks stained with crimson, and her eyes spit sparks at him as he continued. “I don’t think her anxiety will be overcome until the ceremony is over, and they’ve retired for the night.”
All the women—elf and human—froze at his words. He walked out of the tent, still chuckling.
***
Cal’s gaze met her immortal future across the clearing. Gray and green were held steady by each other. His eyes, so intense, glowed against the backdrop of the tent he’d just vacated. That image made the gathered crowd recede for a blessed moment. Only he existed.
Her sight remained fixed on his, her peripheral vision belatedly taking in the magnificence of his appearance. The elegant lines of his gold circlet, similar to the one she wore, highlighted his features. Dressed in a calf-length, split ivory tunic belted over loose trousers, he wore an open robe of royal blue over the duo. How appropriate. The color suited him. The absurd thought kept floating through her mind. Then reality intruded. Suddenly, he seemed so far away.
All eyes were upon them. The stares seeped into her awareness, causing her pulse to beat at a wild tempo that barely allowed for breath. This was it. If she completed the ceremony, there’d be no walking away, not that she really could, anyway.
Needing something on which to focus, she repeatedly whispered to herself the vows Henril taught her. The distance between her and Relian appeared insurmountable. Apprehension flared, and she froze. It felt as if she waded through sand, through air, that suffocated her.
She looked toward him. Then somehow he stood before her, standing so close, his breath upon her face. His hands were warm upon hers, comforting and grounding her.
He led her toward the main bower in the clearing. They stopped before the cleric who would help officiate the ceremony. Relian took both her hands in his and turned her to face him. She was now uncomfortably aware their profiles faced most of the audience.
She glanced past Relian’s shoulder, and a familiar face met her gaze. As the father of the groom and as the king, Talion had his role to play. He gave her a reassuring smile. She also knew somewhere behind her, Maggie waited. Since Cal’s family wasn't there, her friend would stand in as a relative.
Talion stepped forward. His voice resonated through the clearing. “Beloved guests, we are here for a joyous occasion. Complete bondings are rare, and we have not been blessed with one for over a century.”
A century? Cal received a jolt at that snippet but forced herself to listen.
“Any bonding is a cause for celebration, but the one of our prince and his bondmate, Lady Calantha, is doubly so.”
At the signal of the cleric, Talion and Maggie both came before them, a length of ribbon in their respective hands. First went Talion’s ribbon around Relian’s left wrist and Cal’s right one. Maggie then performed the same act but instead reversed the whole procedure—starting with Cal’s left wrist and ending with Relian’s right. Once they were finished, the cleric spoke. “Before us is the symbolic uniting of two lives, two souls still uniquely individual but inexorably linked. Let none seek to tear it asunder.”
Relian spoke his vows next, the same ones Cal would repeat to him. His face remained grave, but was that a hint of a smile lurking in his eyes? His voice came strong and clear, warming away the cold that’d taken hold of her body. “No one can tear our bond asunder except through death. Even then, in the afterlife, it will exist, waiting for you to fulfill it. It cannot be torn for long, for what is eternity in the afterlife but a splash in the ocean? This I pledge to you.”
He squeezed her hands. The encouragement helped but not enough to completely settle her nerves.
Cal swallowed. Her turn now. Relian had sounded wonderful while reciting the vows, but she’d probably be a stuttering nutcase. She prayed to get through this quickly and without too much embarrassment.
Though she faltered slightly at the beginning, by the end, her voice remained calm and steady. It helped that she focused on his eyes, nothing else. They guided and supported her.
Then Maggie and Talion stepped back to their sides, unwinding the ribbons. As Maggie finished, she whispered, “You did it.” She gave an impish smile. “Well, you’re half-way through. The fun part will come later tonight.” Cal tried to glare, but it came out a smile. Relian favored Maggie with his own smile, as he seemed to overhear her words. Talion responded to it all with a quiet laugh. Cal's heart rate slowed down but only by a notch.
Talion lost no time in calling her and Relian forward. “It is with much happiness that I present the Prince and Princess of Eria, Relian and Calantha.”
She was again startled to hear her given name, but she had to admit it sounded far more regal than Cal. After that came the well-wishers, and with them, more names than Cal could keep track. She watched Relian closely and mimicked his actions. Nearly everyone she’d spoken to had told her that was the safe way to satisfy proper etiquette until she learned all the rules herself.
It seemed everyone desired to greet and talk with them. Her head swam, but as she looked around, the crowds stretched on. Feelings of happiness, nervousness, and of being overwhelmed swirled around in her blood. She wanted to break down in tears but wouldn’t let herself, because she now had a very public role to fulfill.
Relian stroked the back of her hand and bent down to whisper during one rare lull. “Though I’m afraid we can’t escape yet, I think I can arrange for the feast to start soon. After that will be dancing. We’ll be expected to partake in a few of those before we can disappear for the evening.”
Cal’s cheeks warmed at the mention of disappearing for the evening, but she was glad for any chance of escape. Still, the thought that everyone would know what they’d be doing sent even more heat to her face.
Relian’s mouth twitched into a minute smile. “Come, let us see about food.” With that, they quickly cut a path toward his father before anyone could waylay them.
As it turned out, Talion had just given the orders for the feast to begin. Many of the tables were already in place, as were the applicable plates, bowls, cups, and silverware. The tables only awaited the various foodstuffs the servants would place on them.
Relian led her to the main table and procured a seat to the left of his father. Cal wearily folded into the chair on Relian's right. When he scooted her chair in for her, she gave a slight sigh of contentment. She didn’t want to move. Her clouded head threatened to drift away. It was probably from her lack of sleep the night before, as she’d fallen asleep in the early hours of the morning.
A servant, with an ewer of wine, topped her goblet. She eagerly reached for that little bit of oblivion. It burned a lively path through her body, jolting her into a somewhat more aware state. Cal looked curiously around the table. She hadn’t paid much attention to the seating arrangements. To her relief, Maggie was nearby, partnered with Kenhel. Or was it Avrin? She couldn’t be sure, as both sat by Maggie, and all three were engaged in conversation.
The wine wasn’t half-bad. The fortifying sips instilled a kind of courage and bolstered her mood. She wasn’t particularly hungry, but with Relian piling her plate with food, she ate more than she’d anticipated. She glanced over at his. If anything, he supplied himself with less. That wasn’t fair. She shrugged and speared another forkful of meat. The food was delicious. She never deprived herself, so why start now?
Of course, she needed to wash that down with another mouthful of wine. The glass remained quite full, but she only noticed a servant replenishing it once. She quite liked her new pattern: a bite of food chased down by a sip of wine.
Just before dessert arrived, she set down her fork. When the server came around with his thoughtfully full ewer of wine, he went to refill her glass. She didn’t quibble. That was until a hand came down in front of her goblet, and a softly spoken “no, thank you” sounded next to her.
“Hey.” Cal squinted at Relian. “I wanted more.”
He gazed at her skeptically. “I think you passed ‘more’ after the second glass.”
“Second?”
“This would’ve been your fourth. You usually don’t drink heavily, so no more would be wise.”
“Oh.” She thought for a moment and frowned. “That’s too bad.”
“I think you’re tipsy.”
Cal stilled, and her grimace slipped away into a happy grin. “Yeah, I think you may be right.”
“Definitely no more for you tonight.”
“Spoilsport.”
He leaned in. His breath fanned hot against her cheek. “I can think of one thing that you won’t call me spoilsport in tonight.” His voice, laden in promise, raked down her spine. Soberness crept back into her mind, mingling with the tipsiness.
“Uh,” she squeaked, but some little devilish spirit propelled her to meet spice with spice. “Well, I’ll hold you to that. I expect good showmanship in all areas.”
He chuckled. “If this is how you become when you drink, I’ll have to make sure the wine flows freely around you.” His tone took on a seductive huskiness. “And I promise to live up to any particular requirements you may have.” He grinned wickedly. “We might have to invent a few new categories to test. What say you?”
“Sounds like a deal, my elf lover boy.” She giggled and then snapped her mouth shut. Good Lord, she didn’t want anything else to slip out.
He chuckled and slung his arm casually over the back of her chair, hugging her shoulders. She guessed the time for formality was over, at least for a while, and she sat in contentment as conversation buzzed around her.
The cacophony of musicians tuning their instruments rang through the clearing. Relian sprang lithely from his seat and held out a hand. “Come, my lady, it’s time for us to dance.”
She took his hand and let him pull her up. A thought struck her fuddled mind, an important one everybody had neglected. “I don’t know how to dance, especially not elvin style.”
Relian seemed unconcerned. “Don’t worry. I will lead and do most of the work. Just follow and you’ll be fine.”
He guided her to the middle of the clearing, which was free of tables. Talion already stood there and soon addressed the gathering crowd. After his short speech about making merry, official dancing then commenced.
True to his word, Relian led her through the first dance without any undue trouble. He kept the footwork simple, and most of the other couples followed suit. The twirls and spins made Cal dizzy, but his arms held her securely, lifting and making her glide throughout all their movements. She supposed she could’ve been more graceful, but the wine and the many eyes on them didn’t help. On second thought, the wine probably did help.
She whipped her head to the right. There, whirling by her, was the king. That wouldn’t be cause for alarm except for one little detail—Maggie was the female in his arms. Her friend wore the expression of a cornered animal, though she did an admirable job of hiding it.
Relian followed her gaze. “I don’t know what Father is up to.”
Cal started at hearing the word father. It was strange to think of someone other than her biological parent as father, but she liked it, nevertheless. When she answered, her voice was husky. “Neither do I.”
His pleasure at her for allowing the title father to stand without protest caused a smile to beam its way across his face, illuminating already sculpted features. His arresting face stilled her breath, even though an equal compulsion to look away welled up within her. As his smile faded, disappointment clashed with relief.
A look of contemplation slid over his face. “He doesn’t usually dance and never so soon into a celebration. He always says it’s a hobby for the younger set to enjoy and that his old bones would rather sit in a chair, observing.”
Cal sputtered at his words while gazing at him in disbelief. “That’s an untruth if I ever heard one. He only looks a few human years older than you, if that.”
“That may be true, but he is many years my senior.”
“How much older?” She shook her head in amusement. “Is he older than one of those dinosaur fossils I once saw in a museum?”
Relian looked down his nose at her, and when he spoke, his voice came out a drawl. “He doesn’t predate the dinosaurs. He’s not quite that ancient. I’m afraid that honor rests with my long-departed grandfather.”
At her gasp, the skin around his eyes crinkled in mirth. She leveled a challenging glare at him and slapped him on the arm.
“Nay, Wife, don’t hurt me. I will tell all.”
She flushed at him calling her wife, even as she raised an inquisitive brow. “All?”
“Well, all to this little part of the story.” He winked at her. Winked at her. His formality was sailing right out of the clearing, along with her inhibitions.
“Uh-huh, that’s what I thought. Excuses, excuses.” Her teasing tone held a note of admonishment.
“Yes, sometimes,” he admitted, not seeming the least bit ashamed. Cal didn’t care about this as much as maybe she should. She loved him, regardless, equivocation and all.
“Relian?” Suddenly shy, she gazed down at his chest while one hand fiddled with the embroidery at the neck of his tunic.
“Yes?” The tenderness in his voice stilled the air in her lungs. She gazed at him, and her spirits buoyed.
The cool fire in the blue pupils of his eyes centered her, and she honed in on that. “I love you.”
His unwavering regard didn’t change, making nervousness flood her stomach. Her hands started to tremble as her body picked up the alarming trend. Just before she thought her body would crumble, he spoke. “And I you, you silly woman. You already know that and can feel it.”
Her overwhelmed heart wanted to soar, but its fullness kept it firmly in her chest. An uncomfortably warm heat suffused her face. “I know. Still, I felt as if I had to say it at this moment. And to have you say it back.”
His arms tightened around her. “I’d shout it from the mountains above if it would make you happy.”
She considered his words. “You would, wouldn’t you?” After a pause, she spoke again. “This all...I have to admit it’s turned out for the best.”
He pulled her tighter against him as the dance ended. “Yes, it has.”
His voice was close, and warm air caressed her cheek. Her pulse jumped. Oh, he was breaking her composure, but two could play at that game.
Cal didn’t try to remove herself from his grasp and instead sunk more deeply against him. He groaned, the evidence of his desire resting against her stomach. They stood that way for several seconds since neither of them seemed inclined to do more in this public venue.
The strains of the next song floated toward them as she slid her arms around his neck. She gave him her most wicked smile before pulling his head down to her level. A tremor went through him.
“Come on, old man! I’m ready for you to rock my world.”