A/N : This is based on the epilogue of 'The Battle of Evernight' by Cecilia Dart-Thornton, part three of the Bitterbynde trilogy. To those of you who have never read this book (I expect that is most of you) it is set in Erith, a group of islands in a far off world. Very good read.
There are two races, the humans and the Faêran, the Immortals. Just thought I'd clarify that. And the Pendur Sleep is a deep and sometimes lifelong sleep that the Faêran go into to escape from the world until the time that they see fit to come out of it.
Normal narrative is in normal type. Thoughts are in italics.
This will be only one chapter long cause that's all it needs to be. Please R&R!
I dedicate this to W.M.A.D. Some of you may know who she is. Some of you may not. Just think about it.
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"Wilt thee, Ashalind na Pendran . . . "
Is that my name? I think for a second. Of course it is!
" . . . Lady of Sorrows, take His Royal Highness Edward IV of the House of D'Armancourt and Trethe, High King and Emperor of Greater Eldaraigne, Finvarna, Severnesse, Luindorn, Rimany and Namarre, King of His other realms and territories . . ."
I gaze deeply into my beloved's eyes. So lovely and blue. He had already taken his vows, now there were only mine to go.
". . . To be thy lawfully wedded husband in marriage?"
I do, I do, I do! I glance around the room, a quick sweep with my eyes. Most of my friends are here, including Rosamunde. Poor Rosa. Everyone thought that Edward was going to marry Rosa. Until I returned. Returned from where?
"Wilt thee obey him, and serve him, love, honour, and keep him in sickness and in health, and . . ."
Hurry up!
". . . Forsaking all other, keep thee only unto him, so long as ye both shall live?"
I take a deep breath. "I . . ."
"Ashalind Goldhair!" A loud voice commands from the back of the room. I look up. Who is he?
A tall man stands there, more beautiful than the night, black hair spilling over his shoulders and blue eyes piercing mine. A snowy white owl hovers gently over his left shoulder.
"You must not do this. You are mine!"
Me? I am his?
"Edward, I loved thee as my own son, and this is how you repay me? By marrying my bride?" He says it in a gentle tone, yet still commanding
Edward, his son? They buried Edward's father seven years ago, after . . . After what? Why is my mind so clouded and somehow distant from me?
I go dizzy for a second. Then it all becomes clear. Angavar?
"I am sorry Angavar. We all thought you slept forever." Edward's voice seems broken. I look into his eyes once more. They are still blue but now filled with tears.
"When the Gate was reopened, I stirred from my Pendur Sleep at Eagle's Howe. You know the boon as well as I Edward. Goldhair must be returned to me as my Queen."
Queen? He is a King? King of whom? King off what?
"I know my boon High King of the Faêran."
I hear a gasp from the wedding crowd. Obviously they did not know of this man either.
Faêran? What are they?
"I will return thy Queen to thee."
"But Edward . . ." I stutter. I go dizzy again, but this time I fall. A pair of strong arms catches me.
"Thorn?" I whisper.
"I am here Goldhair. I will always be here."
He kisses me, and it still feels as wonderful as it did the first time, when I was still Imrhien. When I was still deformed, and the Bitterbynde was still upon me. My memory is fully returning now. What happened? Who did this to me, changed my memory?
I was once boy or the drudge, then Imrhien, as named by Sianadh after I escaped Isse Tower. Then Rohain Tarrenys, Lady of Sorrows as I went to court. After that I became Tahquil to hide from the evil Lord Huon, who I thought wanted to kill me.
At Huntingtowers, I found out my real name, Ashalind na Pendran, and that I was one of the Talith, the Lost Race. I also learned of my one thousand and seventeen and a half year history with the Faêran, and with their Crown Prince, the Raven Prince, Morragan. Yet I still used the name Tahquil, just in case anyone should find out. When the battle was finally over, I became Ashalind once more, and I was to marry this Immortal Faêran in front of me.
Yet somehow I locked myself in the Faêrie Realm, and I stayed there for seven Erith years. When I returned, I met Edward once more, and somehow he tricked me into becoming his wife.
"Thorn!" I whisper joyfully.
Angavar, Thorn, James in his later years, they are all one man. Yet not a man. A Faêran. An Immortal being.
He pulls me gently to my feet.
"Farewell Edward," I hear myself say. "I loved thee, but my rightful King has come to claim me."
Angavar holds out his arm to me. I take it gladly, still feeling slightly dizzy. We start to walk, then Angavar stops suddenly in front of a small blonde haired woman.
"Thank you Caitri Lendoon," he says. "Your great help to me and the Faêran will not be forgotten."
Caitri stands up and curtsies graciously. "My Lord," she murmurs, then turns to me. "My Lady Ashalind."
"Cait," I reply. "Thank you. You tried to tell me about this once before did you not?"
"I did my Lady."
"And I did not listen."
"No my Lady."
"May we . . ."
Angavar already knows what I will ask of him. "Yes," he answers simply.
"Come Cait."
"My Lady?" Caitri does not know what is to happen.
"Would you like to come to the Faêrie Realm with us?"
"Yes my Lady, very much."
"Come then Cait."
The three of us turn and leave the hall, never to return.
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A/N : There you go.
Please review, even if you have never read the books and don't have a clue what that was all about. Please?
Willow Edra x x x x x