Trying to be inconspicuous, I decided to
dress in neutral tan. Exploring the kingdom was an exciting idea,
until I remembered all those emotions angrily judging me when we
entered the castle. Maybe there wouldn’t be too many people out …
it was still early. I put my hair up in a ponytail, and opened the
bathroom door. Gavin’s faced glared just inches from mine in the
doorframe. My hand flew to my heart.
“Are you trying to scare the bejeebers out of
me?” I said through a smile. His protection lashed out with power
and irritation, and I was confused … until I traced my thoughts
back.
“What do you mean ‘angry emotions judging
you’? Is that why you put your shield up as we entered the
kingdom?” he asked in that low tone that always meant trouble.
“Gavin, you must be reasonable. I am someone
who comes from a place known only as the dark, evil world that the
Dokkalfar flourish in. I’m sure the kinsmen believe that there
isn’t anyone on earth worthy of their prince. The queen even tried
to close the portal to keep you from mating with someone like me.”
His eyes suddenly were cold. “The queen has changed her opinion,
and it is my hope that everyone else will come to realize their
misconceptions on their own. For all they know, you brought home a
floozy.” I grinned again at the Edna lingo coming through.
His anger kicked up, and I sighed.
You
cannot forbid the kinsmen to think angry thoughts of me; their
thoughts are their own.
“Can’t I?” his voice was soft and menacing.
Gavin’s lips narrowed to a thin line. I put my hand to his face and
stroked his jaw until it eased. He needed to try and understand
their side.
It does no good to think negatively of
your people.
I could feel his emotions swirling; he didn’t
exactly agree, but he did see my logic. He tried to rein it in, but
was annoyed. We held hands during breakfast, and I kept our circle
open as we talked about our day.
“We’re going to go to the courtyard and view
the statues, and then we’ll go to the Ancient One and see if he
will allow us to visit. We will then visit the oldest garden in the
kingdom, where the rarest creatures dwell. And then, if you wish,
I’d like for you to visit Mia with me. She doesn’t know of the
queen’s approval, and I’d like to tell her before she hears it from
someone else. It’s my hope if she meets you, she will try to
understand. It may backfire, though.”
“Are her parents alive?” I asked, thinking
maybe if she had a support system it would help.
“Her mother died at childbirth. The energy
needed to carry a child is immense, and unfortunately the death
rate of mothers is much higher here than on earth. Her father did
not do so well without his source. He was a leader in the guard,
sort of the queen’s Elias. Losing his mate and his source was too
much for him. He died a short while later.”
My heart stopped. Surely Gavin had to see the
similarities of our lives. Mia’s fate had been the same as
mine.
There was a difference, I noted. Mia had a
kingdom that loved and adored her. She had a place of her own and
every resource at her fingertips. I let my compassion for her
plight run through, but finally I said the words I longed to say
two nights ago.
It’s not your fault. Her pain is not your
fault. The situation is difficult, but you cannot control how she
reacts, and if she chooses to do something rash, you must not allow
negativity to rule. I will try to help as best I can, but I fear my
presence may hurt her even more. What does the queen think?
“She doesn’t know what to think,” he
admitted. “She’s in pain because she helped raise Mia, but she
cannot deny I’ve never felt for Mia as she hoped I would. My mother
understands I would not have claimed a mate if I never met you. She
shares the same sentiment. Mia would have fallen into despair
anyway.
What are her thoughts on Mia meeting me?
Gavin took my hand from his chest and kissed
the finger that held his ring. “She fears as you do. But I think if
she could meet you, she would understand we are meant to be
together. I will respect your decision if you choose not to go.” We
wound our way down to the living room.
Rena and Tark stood, waiting in the hall.
Their standard silver uniforms gleamed in the limited light; their
eyes remained forward.
“I have a guard at all times, even throughout
the kingdom. They are going to help clear the area around the
sculptures so we may speak to one another.”
“Will that anger the people?” I asked, now
worried.
His voice rose to a low aggressive growl. “I
do not care. It is my wish to have the courtyard cleared, and it
will be so. Nora, I will not fear what people think. I am the
Prince of the Alfar and they will hold their opinions of my future
mate, or they will bear the consequences. That’s the way it is,” he
said, his voice rising with anger. Rena winced.
“Excuse us for a moment, we’ll be right
back.” I pulled Gavin back to the sitting room and faced him. The
door clicked quietly closed, and I tried desperately not to get
frustrated.
“Gavin, please hear me,” I pleaded. “I would
love to see the sculptures, and I will send you my thoughts. We
will communicate as we do; we can talk when we get back here. The
mating ceremony is less than three weeks away, and afterwards we
will change a few rules once the people get to know me. But if you
usurp their day so that we can have convenience, it would be
selfish.” His features became chiseled.
“I love you, but this is not leadership, it’s
tyranny. Please, listen with your heart. Let’s respect everyone
here. I don’t want your people to think I’m in anyway greater than
they are, for I’m not.”
I searched his expression and watched as his
eyes softened, but they still had an edge to them. I understood
he’d never thought of his people the same way I did. He was born at
the top; I was born at the bottom
“You will not keep me from your thoughts, or
I will have the courtyard cleared. Even if you sense someone’s
anger, you are not to shut me out … agreed?” He softly
commanded.
I finally understood he thought that I’d kept
this from him. Honestly, I was so relieved to get him alone with
webs around us; the anger when we first arrived wasn’t really a big
deal. I touched his face and searched deep into those green eyes I
loved so.
You are the best man I’ve ever known. You
cannot control how people treat either of us, but you can control
how you react to it. I choose to react as Edna has taught me, with
dignity and grace. It’s part of who I am.
His eyes warmed and he finally understood. I
wasn’t being critical … I was just being me.
We held hands as we walked through the
palace. Elves kneeled as Gavin passed, but I was relieved to see
the anger and judgment I felt the first day was not as obvious. As
we grew near the courtyard, the place became more crowded. Gavin’s
creature seethed with curiosity.
I can’t smell if I breathe through my
mouth.
That seemed to disturb him more, and I started to wonder
how to salvage the day.
The two-story massive sculptures depicted
historical scenes that were significant to the Alfar. Now that I
tried my hand in this art form, I had a greater appreciation of the
craftsmanship.
The ancient ones did these, didn’t
they?
Gavin shook his head.
They are magnificent.
The one that held my attention was the first
sculpture closest to the castle’s gate. The main theme was a great
battle in which unicorns and centaurs fought great winged
creatures.
Tell me about it in bed tonight. That
should distract us
. He grinned. I tried to ignore the people
who were bowed at Gavin’s feet. The courtyard emptied and my eyes
snapped to him.
“That wasn’t me, it was the queen,” Gavin
whispered. Queen Lera briskly walked with her guard through the
front entrance. Suddenly, I thought I shouldn’t have been so
insistent. Gavin was the expert here, and I hoped I hadn’t offended
the queen by milling about with the common folk.
Her brows furrowed, and her jaw set as
annoyance glared. The similarities in her and Gavin’s features
suddenly were very apparent. His irritation stirred at their silent
conversation; adrenaline kicked in. The guards bowed, saluted, and
then walked away.
“Nora, it has come to my attention you wish
to speak with the Ancient One. I ask why you would like his
counsel,” she harshly demanded.
I bowed immediately and brought my shield a
little lighter than fog. “Forgive me, Your Highness. I meant no
offense.” I mumbled, trying to make my intent as clear as
possible.
“The ancient ones made the Mighty Oak the
Keeper of the King and his descendants. The tree sensed I was the
prince’s source and allowed me the protection meant for your
family. The Mighty Oak protected us from the Dokkalfar for three
nights before the Elite Guard arrived.” She gasped. “The lake is
the Keeper of the Gate, and through its power I was blessed with
Alfar qualities that will fortify the future king … I am grateful.”
Gavin’s sentiment coursed through me, and my voice deepened with
the effort of focusing on my intent and managing his surging
emotions.
“I asked Gavin if I could thank the Ancient
One personally, for these are gifts I will forever cherish.” Gavin
put his finger under my chin, forcing me to meet his gaze. Respect
seeped into every cell in my being.
“You will bow to no one,” his voice huskily
commanded.
The queen took my hand. Her solid purple
irises were now warm. “It seems an apology is in order. The Ancient
One only communicates with me in times of peril or strife. For a
moment, I questioned your motives thinking you wished for some
knowledge or gain. I am humbled at the purity of your intent, and I
ask your forgiveness.”
“There’s nothing to forgive, my queen. Your
burden is great, and you must always put the best interest of your
people as priority. I completely understand your hesitance in this
unusual request. If you wish for me not to try and speak with the
Ancient One, I’ll respect that.”
She shook her head. “If he will speak with
you, you may do so. Now … while we’re out here, what do you think
about having the ceremony in the middle of the statues? We could
put a platform here so that everyone could see in the round. It
will be very crowded, but I think it is better than at one end of
the yard. What are your thoughts?” We strolled through the
courtyard talking of where we should put what.
“It is our custom to have a reception before
the joining ritual. This daylong celebration introduces the
betrothed to the kingdom. The nobles will have an opportunity to
greet you during the luncheon, and then you will address the
kinsmen from the royal balcony. A ball will take place that
evening. Is this agreeable with you?” My palms grew slick with
sweat. My head bobbed up and down in approval, as I suddenly found
it difficult to speak. She smiled and patted my hand.
Queen Lera’s enthusiasm couldn’t be curbed,
and so we started discussing the menu and the arrangements for the
ball. I didn’t realize Kailmeyra had such a large population, but
the queen spoke as if this was going to be the celebration of the
century.
“We will be dining a little later this
evening. I have a cabinet meeting that will last longer than
planned. What say, around eight?”
“That’ll be fine.” I was truly relieved that
she wasn’t angry. She turned to Gavin and touched his arm. I could
feel forgiveness swirling in his emotions and knew that they were
all right as well. Rena’s stance never wavered, but her curiosity
glared.
Gavin, would you let Rena know
everything’s okay, and I’ll fill her in later?
His hand
squeezed mine, and we walked back through the castle, turning down
a corridor that held no art or furniture.
Blue lights from the energy orbs softly
radiated. The moisture in the cool air caused my shirt to cling to
my back. Stalactites speared from the cavern’s ceiling. Gavin put
his arm around my waist, as the ground beneath our feet grew rocky.
We turned down a crude passageway, and Rena and Tark stopped at the
entrance.
“From here we go alone,” he whispered. My
eyes widened, and I searched my innermost being for fear, but there
was none to be found.
The dark tunnel stretched into oblivion as we
walked deeper into the heart of the mountain. I felt the damp, cold
walls, and automatically the blue radiated from the stone.
Hello, power of the mountain
. Gavin startled, and I squeezed
his hand in reassurance.
I would like to thank the Ancient One for
permeating the elves last respite with the power that spared my
life. Do you think that may be possible?
The mountain shuddered
in understanding.
Gavin gaped at me, but I could not meet his
gaze right now. My mind was on my shield. I decided to keep it this
foggy blue, but something warned not to go any stronger. For the
first time, Gavin heard the instinct that had driven my many
decisions.
“Maybe we should leave,” he urged,
uncertainty ringing in his voice.
“I think we’ll be all right,” I muttered. As
soon as the wall heard my voice, an arched entrance appeared and
opened. The room was nothing more than a large cave, but the art
was endless.
“Hello?” My voice was a little higher than
normal.
“Come in, Nora of Light,” a voice as old as
time whispered, causing an eerie echo in the vast chamber. Gavin
held my hand, and the guards were now at the door’s entrance.
“Bring your mate, but no others,” he softly
commanded. I could feel the conflict swirl in Rena; she obviously
thought this was a bad idea. Gavin’s emotions didn’t fare much
better. I cleared my mind and was ready to completely shut down if
I needed to.