Candescent (The Opalescent Collection Book 1) (8 page)

T
he memorable smells of the palace soon filled my nose again and expected commotion was all I heard on the first floor. I escaped to my room for some peace and quiet. On my bed, I found a rose and attached to it was a note. I opened it and in Fitzray’s handwriting, it read,
Wait until tonight.

              Tonight?
That meant that the Ceremonial Trial was to be held tonight. I shook my head and rushed to the door surprised to see him about to come into the room.

“What is the meaning of this?”  I shoved the piece of paper in front of his face.

“The Ceremonial Trial is tonight. I told you I was making plans.”

“But why tonight? We haven’t even settled in yet.”

“It was going to be later but I decided it was best to be done as soon as possible.”

“I don’t even know what to do.”

“Don’t worry. All you have to do is tell your story of what Pete did to you.”

“We don’t even have any time to prepare.”

“All I want from you is for you to rest. That’s all.”

“But-,”

He put his hands on my shoulders and backed me up to the bed. “Sit,” he said. He went to my closet and returned with a dress. I looked at it, mouth agape. It was the gold dress I wore to Sebastian’s Ball. This was the dress I was killed in.

“You must wear this for me.”

“I wore that when I was killed.”

“I know. That’s why you’re going to wear it.”

He set the dress down beside me. “I’ll be getting our plans finalized and then I’ll be getting ready. I hope that once I return you’ll be ready too.”

He left me alone with the dress. I took it in my hands, shook it out, and stepped into it. When I looked into the mirror, I saw the reflection I had last seen of myself. The once beautiful dress people and creatures envied now served as a symbol of my horrid death. Now my dress was ruined in all ways possible. It even had a bloodstain on its lace at my chest where I had been stabbed. I saw the matching shoes were fine, but the white fox shawl was stained as well. I touched my neck. When I first wore this dress, Pete’s chain bound me and I would have to say that tonight. I’m sure I had to say everything that he did wrong.

Fitzray returned in a marvelous cape and beneath it resembled the clothes he had worn when Pete threw him over the Bridge. These clothes were just as bad as mine, also symbolizing death.

He led me to one of the rooms in our palace where I had rarely visited. It was commonly spoken of as the meeting room. It was large and looked to me as though it resembled a courtroom. There was nothing there that did not consist of gold or marble. Even the benches where the witnesses of the Trial could sit were all crafted of marble and fitted with velvet cushions. The chairs where we sat were similar, but the chair that was at the very front of the room on a podium, overlooking the creatures, was more like a throne. It was made of silver and gold fashioned into the shape of a chair. It was studded with precious stones and laced in pearls. Its cushions were a few inches thick, probably filled with the down of the wild peafowl and the arms of the chair were large sculptures of lions with manes encrusted with thousands of small diamonds that continued down the legs of the chair and glittered at the feet of whoever stood there.

The people of our palace and even some outsiders filled the benches to watch. An old, experienced vampire stood in the front of the room, almost like a judge. It was up to him to see if Pete was guilty or not. Together Fitzray and I took our seats before the vampire and so did Pete. The lead vampire took his seat at the head throne before us. He quietly introduced himself to us as Valon.

He waited for the creatures to sit and then quieted them down. He said a few words to why all had gathered to witness this rare trial and then proceeded to start. He told the creatures the scenario, why we were here and that we wanted a Ceremony and then he turned to Pete and explained why he was being accused. The creatures all booed and hissed in his direction.

“Pete,” he began, “you are here to be tried against by your brother and your own Eternal Mate. What you say will be held against you and if you are pleaded guilty your punishment will be decided.”

He turned to us. “And you, Fitzray and Chenille, have issued this trial to break his bond. He has been disloyal and abusive toward his Eternal Mate, as Chenille will tell us. So let’s have this trial underway.”

The creatures mumbled among themselves, a low roar of chatter echoing against the high ceiling. I swallowed hard as Valon turned to me. His hand was up to silence the creatures. I caught Pete’s glance as he rolled his eyes in my direction and then sank back into his seat. I sat tongue-tied as hundreds of eyes stared, waiting to hear what I would say.

“Pete did many things.” The low mumble turned to silence as they eagerly listened. “He took me to a planet he called Verneil where he imprisoned me and attempted to perform the Ceremony by force. He made me forget my life with his poison. He ended the eclipses. He started the raid between the mortals and us because of his book. And he killed me without a thought.”

“Tell him how he scratched you and he pushed you down the stairs! Tell him how he killed your mother!” Someone in the crowd yelled out. 

“Whoever speaks will be thrown out! This is not your story to tell!” Valon glared over the group of creatures and when they were quiet again, he looked at Pete. “Is there anything you’d like to add?”

Pete only stared at the man and gave him no reply so he was ignored and Fitzray stood to speak.

“I have something to add.” He turned to the creatures.

“When I originally went to fight him to claim Chenille as my own Eternal Mate, I thought I would be promised a fair battle as every vampire is. I met him on the Bridge of Secrecy and before I could even start, Chenille’s brother, a werewolf, attacked me. If a vampire is in a defenseless state, it is customary to have a rematch, so to speak, so that way the odds aren’t in favor for the opposing vampire, but instead I was thrown over the Bridge.”

Valon sat at the edge of his seat, his fingers digging into the marble lions and nearly shook in rage, now glaring at Pete who seemed unfocused and unaware of the commotion around him. He knew he wouldn’t win this trial, nor did he even attempt to rebel or disagree. He knew with every comment his punishment would become more and more severe.

“What he did was not only against the rules, but it is against everything we believe in regarding our Bridge. Our Bridge is made for peace and if you do anything horrific enough to betray what our species has done to come together, not to make our Bridge, but to take what it symbolizes between species-,” As his voice became higher he was accompanied by the raging cheers and he stopped speaking. I found myself understanding what bad Pete had done and after all these years I realized that I had not comprehended the passion the creatures of Catastrophe felt for what the Bridge symbolized. I felt myself become angrier toward him and I joined the creatures in their hatred against him.

“Mind control,” I found myself saying and Valon had heard me, his face expressed with even more disgust than before.

The creatures and immortals stood up in fury and raised their fists chanting in the same tone. “Half-mortal! Half-mortal! Give him the heart of a dead man! Take away his powers! He doesn’t deserve them! He doesn’t deserve Chenille!”

Others said, “Get that disgrace off our planet!”

Valon looked over them, his fists remaining tight on the lions. His face was tight with anger. I could tell he wanted to join their chanting, but he was not allowed, as the keeper of peace. They raged on, several creatures attempted to climb over the benches to the front, trying to grab Pete’s cape, trying to throw anything they could in his direction. Valon actually left his chair to stop those who managed to reach him and tried to pull him out of his chair, probably to drag him across the Bridge themselves. A few creatures would risk it if they knew there was a band of hundreds behind them who burned with the same passion and hatred toward him. I wasn’t sure how Valon could silence them all, but I knew he had experience with these kinds of things so I was sure calming the revolting creatures came natural to him.

They were eventually quiet, but I could tell there was still adrenalin pumping through them. Valon was out of breath as he turned his head to scan the fueled crowd and could not even look at Pete even though he was addressing him.

“I have decided and it seems so have the witnesses. Pete’s bond will be broken with Chenille so she may perform her Ceremony with Fitzray. Depending on the punishment, Pete may not have the opportunity to say he will ever have an Eternal Mate again, but if so, then he may perform a Ceremony.”

There were several shouts from the crowd regarding his punishment. “Without a Ceremony we can throw him over the Bridge and he won’t be reincarnated.”

Others seemed pleased with this idea and started to suggest it. They all started to yell it and waited for Valon to approve it. Instead, he raised his hand, closed his eyes and waited for silence. The creatures could not quiet themselves down fast enough, and sat patiently for him to speak.

“It is not only up to me to decide what is best for Pete’s punishment, though that suggestion may possibly be an option to consider. Several other hierarchies and I will find the best punishment suitable for Pete. It will be announced in the palace dungeon. All may attend to see his fate. But before I conclude this Ceremonial Trial is there anything else you may like to add? Chenille? Fitzray? How about you Pete? Any last words you’d like to say?”

Fitzray and I remained quiet, but Pete rose from his seat and turned to face the crowd who gawked in disgust. I waited for the riot to start up again, but they all wanted to hear what he would say.

“All of what I did happened years ago. I was unworthy to anyone years ago and I admit I did some illicit things, but anyone who has been alive to see me rule since Chenille’s death all know that I have changed. Today I would never wish for anything that I did to happen to anyone. Anyone who only sees what I did in the past is blind to see what I have done for this planet in the past years of ruling. You don’t know what a mistake you would make if you just threw it all away for them to have their precious Ceremony-,” he was about to continue when the crowd started up again and Valon raged over them all.

“The Ceremonial Trial is over! Take him away!”

Several immortals came up to Pete, instructed by Valon to take him away. They bound him in chains and led him out to the dungeon. Surprisingly he had accepted this and did not fight them, even as the creatures booed and spat at him as he left.

I was escorted out by several attendants and met Fitzray in the kitchen.

“Are you ready for our Ceremony? I’ve had a special Ceremonial dress made for you. It’s in your room. I’ll come get you when you’re ready.”

Almost as though I was in a trance, I went up to my room to put on the dress, while still feeling the shock of what had just happened and how unjust I felt. I realized I had no right to protest against him when I really had no idea what he had done while I wasn’t alive. I put on the dress, still not completely realizing that I was about to perform a Ceremony. I simply admired the dark red dress that trailed behind me and threw my ruined gold dress back into the closet. I waited for as long as I could, hoping Fitzray would take a while to get himself ready, but I was disappointed to hear him waiting for
me
in the hall.

“Are you ready Chenille?

“Yes.”

“Close your eyes.”

I did as I was told and after a moment, I felt warmth around me.

“Open your eyes.”

I looked around me. Beside me was the blazing fireplace, the white rug, the velvet chairs. I was standing barefoot on cold marble tile. I was in Fitzray’s home. He walked down the stairs in a suit, a jacket with gold buttons and a cape the same shade of red as my dress hung over his shoulders fastened by an emerald the size of my fist. Charlene was perched on his shoulder. When he stepped down to my level, Charlene flew off.

“May our bonds be brought together in this place, for what was broken will now be healed by us.” He paused to put the Ceremonial Ring on my finger. “May you be mine forever, for I am Fitzray Silver.”

“I will be yours forever.”

“You listen to me Chenille. If you feel any pain, you let me know. I know this whole Trial has shaken us up, but I don’t want this to turn into a bad experience.”

I knew that if a vampress were to feel pain from the bite of her vampire during a Ceremony it meant that there was an unsure feeling or fear of her vampire. Though pain was usually not accepted and sometimes ignored or denied during a Ceremony, I felt comfortable enough to tell him if something was wrong. I knew that sometimes pain could even jeopardize the whole Ceremony so I would have to stay calm and make sure my thoughts wouldn’t drift to the Trial.

“Shall we begin?”

I sat down on one of the velvet chairs and nodded my head, constantly reminding myself that this was what I wanted. He held onto the chair and looked at me. His body blocked the firelight. He began his work by rubbing my neck to desensitize me and preyed upon me. I was fine, at least I tried to convince myself I was. He checked in with me while he was still in a good mental state to respect my wishes if I was having any doubts, and when I said I was fine he continued. I sat back to think, wondering what was happening to Pete. What was his punishment? What was he going through? I visualized him back in the meeting room, bound in chains and being spat at.