Part 29
Dylan paced the length of his room restlessly. After being led to the palace, he had been separated from Beka. He had been returned to the room he had spent the previous night and given clean clothes. He bathed and dressed but had been too upset to eat the light meal a servant had brought him. He had spent the last hour and a half contemplating various ways of escape. He had been forced to discard each one after facing the fact that he would undoubtedly lose his life or the life of one of his crew. If he knew where Tyr was he might have been able to devise a solid plan but without knowing he was unwilling to take a chance on risking Tyr's life. Still, he decided, plan or no plan, he was going to get Beka and Tyr away from these madmen. And somehow he was going to make certain they never hurt anyone else again. Dylan's thoughts were interrupted by a guard opening the door.
"It is time to go, Lord Hunt. The ceremony will begin shortly." The guard said.
Sighing deeply Dylan walked out of the room. He was immediately flanked on both sides by a dozen guards. They led him down the hall and toward the grounds of the palace.
Beka was sitting on the edge of the bed nervously tapping her feet against the side. She had bathed and changed and was now simply awaiting the inevitable. All too soon the guards came to take her to the ceremony.
The Palorians were gathered once again in the gardens behind the palace. While the decorations paled in contrast to those from yesterday, the servants had done a good job in cleaning up the remnants of the explosion. The altar had been set back up and the ceremonial bowl was once again sitting atop it.
Beka looked up to see Dylan standing in front of the altar. Despite the circumstances that had led them here, she felt a warm glow at seeing him. Looking into his eyes as she approached, she could tell his thoughts were running parallel to hers. Somehow, regardless of their situation, this was right.
Dylan watched Beka approach. His heart began to beat fast and his chest felt tight. He found himself unable to look away.
'By the Devine, she is beautiful.' He thought silently. Beka was dressed in a white diaphanous gown with slender straps. The gown seemed to have been made especially for her, it fit so well. No matter what had happened or was still to happen, Dylan knew that he would never regret having the chance to see her like this.
Beka reached the altar and stood beside Dylan. Looking up she found herself lost in his gaze. No one had ever looked at her so lovingly, as if she were the only thing in the entire known worlds that mattered. She vaguely remembered hearing Neffa asking them to join hands over the flames in the bowl but Beka wasn't sure of the exact events of the ceremony. Before she realized what was happening, Neffa was announcing to the gathered crowds that the bonding was official.
"Long live King Dylan and Queen Beka!" Neffa yelled.
The people picked up the litany and began to chant it over again. Suddenly there was a loud commotion to the left of the altar. Before anyone could figure out what was happening, Reenia burst through the crowds.
"I will not allow this blasphemy!" she screamed. "That woman is evil and will destroy us all! She must die!"
Lunging forward, Reenia grabbed Beka. Dylan saw the flash of metal from the blade she carried. He desperately tried to snatch Beka away from the enraged woman but before he could reach them he heard the sickening sound of a blade against bone and watched in horror as both women slumped to the ground, surrounded by a puddle of warm, red blood.
Dylan paced the length of his room restlessly. After being led to the palace, he had been separated from Beka. He had been returned to the room he had spent the previous night and given clean clothes. He bathed and dressed but had been too upset to eat the light meal a servant had brought him. He had spent the last hour and a half contemplating various ways of escape. He had been forced to discard each one after facing the fact that he would undoubtedly lose his life or the life of one of his crew. If he knew where Tyr was he might have been able to devise a solid plan but without knowing he was unwilling to take a chance on risking Tyr's life. Still, he decided, plan or no plan, he was going to get Beka and Tyr away from these madmen. And somehow he was going to make certain they never hurt anyone else again. Dylan's thoughts were interrupted by a guard opening the door.
"It is time to go, Lord Hunt. The ceremony will begin shortly." The guard said.
Sighing deeply Dylan walked out of the room. He was immediately flanked on both sides by a dozen guards. They led him down the hall and toward the grounds of the palace.
Beka was sitting on the edge of the bed nervously tapping her feet against the side. She had bathed and changed and was now simply awaiting the inevitable. All too soon the guards came to take her to the ceremony.
The Palorians were gathered once again in the gardens behind the palace. While the decorations paled in contrast to those from yesterday, the servants had done a good job in cleaning up the remnants of the explosion. The altar had been set back up and the ceremonial bowl was once again sitting atop it.
Beka looked up to see Dylan standing in front of the altar. Despite the circumstances that had led them here, she felt a warm glow at seeing him. Looking into his eyes as she approached, she could tell his thoughts were running parallel to hers. Somehow, regardless of their situation, this was right.
Dylan watched Beka approach. His heart began to beat fast and his chest felt tight. He found himself unable to look away.
'By the Devine, she is beautiful.' He thought silently. Beka was dressed in a white diaphanous gown with slender straps. The gown seemed to have been made especially for her, it fit so well. No matter what had happened or was still to happen, Dylan knew that he would never regret having the chance to see her like this.
Beka reached the altar and stood beside Dylan. Looking up she found herself lost in his gaze. No one had ever looked at her so lovingly, as if she were the only thing in the entire known worlds that mattered. She vaguely remembered hearing Neffa asking them to join hands over the flames in the bowl but Beka wasn't sure of the exact events of the ceremony. Before she realized what was happening, Neffa was announcing to the gathered crowds that the bonding was official.
"Long live King Dylan and Queen Beka!" Neffa yelled.
The people picked up the litany and began to chant it over again. Suddenly there was a loud commotion to the left of the altar. Before anyone could figure out what was happening, Reenia burst through the crowds.
"I will not allow this blasphemy!" she screamed. "That woman is evil and will destroy us all! She must die!"
Lunging forward, Reenia grabbed Beka. Dylan saw the flash of metal from the blade she carried. He desperately tried to snatch Beka away from the enraged woman but before he could reach them he heard the sickening sound of a blade against bone and watched in horror as both women slumped to the ground, surrounded by a puddle of warm, red blood.