Four

~Aderyn~

The morning came for Brynn to be knighted and I felt absolutely wretched. The day he had been dreaming of- the day I, myself, had looked forward to since we were only children came upon us and my mood was a curse I couldn't shake free of.

We had passed by each other more times than I had wished and each time I tried to avert my eyes, as he did as well. He purposefully brought Elizabeth around once, and I knew this because of how he doted on her; like they were on their honeymoon it seemed. But by this time I was so seeped in fury that I felt nothing but betrayal; no sense of jealousy, sadness, or loss even sparked in my mind.

The size of the crowd who came to watch the knighting ceremony was colossal; the largest crowd I had ever seen. My father took his seat on the throne and ushered my mother and I forward to begin the ceremony. Unlike Brynn's wish for me to knight him, my mother, the queen, had the lovely task to perform. I, however, did have a gift of my own to present.

SIX YEARS EARLIER...

Nobody should ever have to experience the pain of death at such a young age. It was a grief that mother had told me could turn even the warmest of hearts black.

As my best friend stared down into the cedar box containing his mother's beautiful, lifeless body, it was almost too much for me to bear. No twelve year old should have to stare down at their beloved mother in a cold box. But Brynn did.

And I wept right along with him. Lady Anneliese was just as beautiful in death as she was in life although the difference was as vast and endless as the horizon. Her once creamy skin and rosy cheeks were gray as ash and her silky black hair—like Brynn's—rolled over her shoulders in long waves and curls, one section pulled back by a shiny red ribbon.

Moments before she died she told her husband that she wished to be buried in her favorite dress; a bright red velvet beauty that she looked stunning in.

Her husband honored her wish and that was the last thing we ever saw her wear.

Brynn's father was the first to say goodbye, sliding a white Lilly between her hands before kissing her and turning and walking away, where he disappeared for a week afterward.

Brynn refused to say goodbye until everyone else did. Perhaps maybe it was to hang on to the farce that she was still alive for just a few more moments.

The crowd soon cleared and Brynn stared down at his mother's face; I stood just a few feet behind him. His twelve year old body looked so fragile—like glass. I looked up at Lady Catherine, who had attended the funeral service with me, and she nodded for me to go comfort him.

I stepped up next to him and placed my hand on his shoulder. It was all I could think to do and it felt awkward. I held my breath as I looked down at her up-close for the first time. And then Brynn did something peculiar that I didn't understand.

He reached down and gently caressed his mother's cheek, kissed it, and then reached up to that single red ribbon that wound through her hair. He tugged at it gently and it unraveled and hung limply in his hands. He stared down at it for a long while and then turned to me, his red-rimmed eyes pooling with more tears.

I pulled him into a tight embrace and felt his hot tears roll down my shoulders and collarbone until they soaked into my black dress.

I don't know how long we stood there for but it didn't matter; Brynn needed me and I would be there for him as long as that need was there.

But soon enough he pulled back, took my hand in his and curled my fingers back so that my open palm faced upward. Then, ever so gently, he tucked the ribbon in my hand, closed my fingers around it, turned, and walked away.

I snapped out of my memory and back to the present where I was staring down into the small gold trunk where the ribbon now rested.

I wore white, as was the tradition, but tied the ribbon around my right wrist and tucked it under my loose sleeve before heading for the great hall where the crowds assembled.

When my father had ushered us forward, I stepped up to the left hand side of my mother and gazed down the aisle at where Brynn stood at the back of the room. My mother held her hand out for him to come and the thundering applause of the crowd made him glow with pride; even my heart swelled for him.

My face grew hot when he knelt before us and the crowd, now quieted, took their seats. Warm words of encouragement and adoration poured from my mother's lips as she opened the ceremony in her own personal style. When I looked down at Brynn he gazed up at my mother with the utmost respect and I secretly wished that he would look at me.

My wish came true.

I was willing to set everything aside to give him this happiness. I smiled at him softly but his face reflected no emotion at all that I could detect. I blinked back tears and rested my gaze on the crowd where I unfortunately caught the eye of Elizabeth. I looked at her as a rich man might stare at a single coin; disinterestedly. She seemed to take the hint, straightening her spine some and turning her attention back to the ceremony.

Then came the moment we had all been waiting for. Everyone sat forward in their seats and a servant stepped forward to hand my mother a sword.

With a tap on each shoulder Brynn's face lit up with an expression of both triumph and relief.

"Rise, Sir Brynn Terris of Lockford," she announced and the crowd roared once again. I turned slightly to look at her and she nodded only once. After rising and facing the crowd as a knight for the first time, he turned back to my mother and I and bowed to her first and then me, and finally to my father.

"One more thing," my mother announced and at once she had everyone's attention. Brynn's face flooded with utter confusion as I stepped forward and reached out for his hand. He curiously offered it freely to me; in my peripheral vision I could see Elizabeth squirm in her seat.

I tugged loose the ribbon and I could hear his breathing stop as he recognized what it was at once.

Ever so gently I tied the ribbon around his wrist, bowed my head to him, and then took a step back where I was once again next to my mother.

He held his wrist up and stared at the silky ribbon that once belonged to his mother.

Was it shock written on his face? Confusion? Anger?

I wasn't quite sure. But what was done was done and I heard him slowly exhale as he turned back towards the on-lookers and held up his wrist for all to see.

Taking that as a clue, however confusing, they erupted into one last roar of applause before everyone was dismissed for food and entertainment in the dining hall.

I was faintly aware of someone trying to get my attention, but I blocked everything out and as quickly as I could manage, without attracting attention to myself, I fled to my chambers.