The formal ritual of acknowledgement of the Wyld was performed at dawn. Shendla saw to it in her usual perfunctory manner, with no wasted word or gesture. It seemed the whole nation had turned up to attend the festivities; the palace's courtyard was bursting with people, most of them former slaves, but Sharans of all origins and status filled the streets of the Capital as well.
Bao and Neya would be married soon, in the gardens. It was spring, and they couldn't have hoped for a more beautiful setting, in Kal's estimation. Not that it mattered much to him of course. This was all a grievous mistake, as far as he was concerned.
Neya was getting ready in Taimaka's room, with Torn and himself to assist. Taimaka was doing Neya's hair; it had to be something practical that would accommodate for the crown she would have to wear after the coronation, which would take place later in the afternoon.
"Are you sure about this?" Kal asked her for the umpteenth time. It didn't matter to him that Bao had accomplished the prophecy, not since Neya had revealed who he truly was, just a few days after they returned from the Hearttomb. One of the Forsaken could not be the Wyld. He had known something was off about the man, but this was worse than he had anticipated. Demandred was walking among them and ruling over Shara. He was planning to have them fight for him at the Last Battle. For the Shadow. Kal wanted to go to Galbrait, to urge her to have him removed somehow. Against four hundred Ayyad, surely Bao wouldn't stand a chance, even with the relic he'd acquired in Rai'lair. But Neya had convinced him not to. How could she stand to be so close to the Shadowsouled? To actually share his bed? It was beyond him. Kal found it difficult to even be in the same room with him. If this whole wedding business was part of a bigger plan, Neya hadn't informed him of it yet.
"Yes, I'm sure. Stop worrying, I'm nervous enough as it is," Neya told him.
"Not for the same reasons, I'll wager," Torn put in heartily. He seemed as unconcerned as Neya. Didn't they realise what was at stake here? They couldn't possibly be Darkfriends, not them. Kal was almost certain of that. Almost.
"You're insane," he muttered darkly. "Both of you."
"Don't be like that," Taimaka scolded him. "It's her wedding day! You should be happy for her."
He stared at her in disbelief. "Happy? She's about to marry Demandred, for crying out loud! The man who is going to destroy us all! How is that something to be happy about?" Light, they were all mad! Had the Shadowsouled poisoned their minds with the Power?
Taimaka shrugged lightly. "The Wheel weaves as the Wheel wills. There's more to people than what the eye can see."
Kal shook his head. "If you think marrying him will change him, change what he is, you're wrong, ina. I see that you love him, or you think you do, but this is madness. He certainly doesn't love you back. The likes of him are beyond saving, beyond redemption. He will lead us to our doom and you, more than anyone else, will suffer from it." He hated to be so harsh to her – he had come to consider her as a friend, if not quite as a surrogate mother, like some of the other Ayyad – but someone had to make her see. Better to be hurt by the truth than comforted by a lie, as the saying went, especially if that lie meant their lives.
Neya turned to look at him, looking outwardly cool and collected, despite her earlier claim that she felt nervous. "I know all that, Kal. Believe me, I do. But what would you have me do? Kill him in his sleep, when he's vulnerable, now that I have his trust? You think it never occurred to me that I could do it, and how easy it would be? How many lives I could potentially save with one swift stroke?"
No, he didn't think she had, as a matter of fact. Light, he kept underestimating her, even after all this time. It made it all so much worse. "Neya–"
"If you think you can do it, then do it," she told him earnestly. "I won't blame you. I will hate you for it, Light help me, but I won't blame you. But I couldn't. Not now, not ever. I know it will all end it tears. I know he's doomed, no matter the conclusion. And I know there will be casualties, although I intend to make sure there are as few as possible. I will deal with my own share of responsibility once we receive the butcher's bill. I haven't given up on the world, however. I'm not ready to do that just yet."
What could he say to that? He hadn't realised she was so conflicted about the man. How could he have, when she stared at him all moon-eyed whenever he was around?
"You don't have to attend the ceremony," she went on. "You don't even have to be here. I told you that before. You're free to go. You could have left days ago, when I told you who he was."
"And yet I didn't. Where would I go, anyway?" he said wistfully. "No. We're all in this together. We follow the madman, and we'll do what we can to stir him on the right path, I suppose. Whatever happens, we live or die together."
"We live or die together," the future bride repeated softly.
The wedding ceremony was done in the House of Kongsidi – as it was simply named – but involved very little religious nonsense, thankfully. To Neya's delight, Mintel had offered to perform the ceremony himself. The old man was beaming so much he had trouble keeping track of his words. When he was done with his part, he asked her if she wanted to add something. Taimaka had explained that it was customary for the bride and groom to come up with the marital vows in their own words, so she had been working on a little speech. She was incredibly nervous at having to speak in front of so many people, but she figured it would help convey the importance of her words.
"Bao, I never thought I'd say this, but I'm glad that you brought me to this blasted, Light-forsaken land after all," she began after Power-enhancing her voice to carry to the end of the hall. That brought some laughs. "I will forever look after you and care for you, as best I can," she went on more seriously. "I will always keep your best interests at heart and do whatever is in my power to make your life as happy as possible. I will always love you, and only death will part us. Or it won't, depending on your belief regarding the afterlife," she amended. "But before that happens, I vow to make you choke with laughter." That brought more laughter from the assembled crowd and a round of applause. She wasn't done, however. "This I swear, under the Light and by my hope of salvation and rebirth." She fixed her eyes on Bao as she spoke. He looked slightly startled by those last words, although she doubted anyone noticed. There was no oath stronger than this one, for one who walked in the Light – or thought they did.
"I shall ever protect and shield you from harm. I shall care for you and look after you and our children to the best of my ability. My heart belongs to you." He hesitated for a moment. "This I swear, under everything I hold true." She knew very well he couldn't reciprocate her oath, but this was more than she'd expected from him. That was quite enough for her.
He looked so earnest she felt her heart break a little. My heart belongs to you. Light. She had always made fun of people who cried at weddings but this was… Oh well. Nobody would blame her if she wept. She was pregnant, after all, and pregnant women could afford to appear overly emotional. She had no idea what was in store for herself after the Last Battle was fought, but she knew she would have a hard time getting over it.
"Well, it looks like you got it all covered," Mintel told them warmly. She grinned at him through her tears. "You may kiss him now, if you wish," he added with a grin of his own.
"Kiss him?" she repeated with mock horror. "Peace, no one said anything about that!" Laughter broke once more amongst their guests. Bao didn't wait for it to die down before kissing her, however. She didn't think they were supposed to kiss like that, either.
"Alright, alright, you don't have to consummate the marriage on the altar, my friend!" Torn called out mirthfully.
Everyone cheered as they left the gardens to join the female Ayyad in their own building, where the coronation would take place. She still had trouble getting her head around it. She, a flaming queen! Of Shara, of all places! It was a fine joke. Mat will roll on the floor with laughter when he finds out, she thought wryly. If I ever see him again, she amended sadly.
Galbrait herself placed the crowns on their heads. They were magnificent, both made of light, polished metal and woven in intricate patterns. Bao's represented complicated symbols associated to the Wyld that matched the tattoos on his hands. Her tiara was a maze of exotic flowers. There were tiny scintillating gems of various colours incrusted in hers. Their crafting must have taken long hours. It seemed Bao – or had it been Shendla's idea? Neya found she didn't really care anymore – had been planning this for a while.
She had talked to Shendla before the festivities began, mainly to inquire about the formalities of the different ceremonies, but also to submit a theory to the older woman. A Worm, in isleh, was called a wyrm. In the Old Tongue, wyrm was a word for dragon, although admittedly not the best known one – aman had been more commonly used. Still, it got her wondering. Could Bao have become the Wyld after slaying the jumara, the Dragon of Rai'lair? Shendla studied her for a long moment, looking thoughtful. "I hadn't considered that," she said eventually. "Perhaps you are right. Only time will tell, I suppose." She made a dismissive gesture, as if it didn't matter at all. Neya left feeling a little disappointed. She had been quite excited when she'd figured it out. She would talk to Mintel; the abrishi might be more inclined to discuss it. She might even broach the subject with Bao – my husband, she thought giddily – although she suspected it wouldn't change anything, even if he embraced the idea.
They were in the bath, soaking in the blissfully warm water after a long day – that had been followed by an equally long wedding night. How odd, she mused. She had never given marriage a second thought before, and now she was married to one of the Forsaken, to Demandred himself, and queen of a land she had discovered only a few months past. She was going to be a mother. What strange places the Pattern can carry us to, what mysterious twists life can take.
