Nixiesocean: So, I really have nothing important to say.
Responses:
Scoutcraftpiratess:D :: sheepish face:: Whatever do you mean? Certain others? Lady Sera isn't born yet…
Rush of Waves: You have seriously demented outlook if you think that was a cliffie. :D Jk, jk. If I say mean stuff you won't let me borrow books (tear, tear).
Onto the story!
Chapter 17: Rain
The palace was frenzied. Cyrun hurried through the mob, confused as to why they were suddenly in a tizzy. She couldn't figure out why. No one whom she stopped said much, except that they were too busy to talk and they were quite sorry that they couldn't explain but could she please find someone else to question? She sighed at the silliness of it all. She finally reached her room.
Bamien was sitting, reading, in a chair. "Hey, sweet." He said as she shut the door. "I heard it was crazy. What's wrong with them?" They still spoke in their previously native language. Neither could bear to speak in common, for fear they'd forget it.
"I don't know! That's the problem! No one would talk…" She trailed off. Somehow, Bamien had moved swiftly and embraced her smaller form. She was soothed by his scent, the "manly" smell of it, the spiciness. She breathed deeply. He smelled lightly like fresh rain.
It hadn't rained all day, or yesterday.
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I read the book. It was in Common. I hadn't read Draconic in a long time. I was sitting on a puffy couch. It was quite interesting, as interesting as a human book could be.
It spoke of fey in the forests, ones who tricked men into coming nearer and then spiriting, pun intended?, Bamien asked himself, them away, leaving no trace of their disappearance. It spoke of the mysterious dragons that fought knights for the hand of maidens. How skewed the prospective on dragons was! Only evil dragons took maidens as their consorts. If you could call it that. His ears perked up as Cyrun entered the room. He looked up, she was breathing heavily.
"Hey, sweet." He said, smiling. He was glad to see her back. She grinned. He stood and came closer. "I heard it was crazy. What's wrong with them?"
He response was in Draconic. "I don't know!" She sounded stressed. "That's the problem! No one would talk…" He hugged her closely. She was smaller, but not skinny. She was well muscled, something that carried over from her, well, previous, form. She smelled like rain. A smell he hadn't caught in a long time.
It wasn't natural rain.
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My mother commanded the chaos of servants. I told her "within the week" I guess she thought that meant "as soon as physically possible". Katharine clung to me, except for the dress fittings, which I wasn't allowed to see. She, however, oversaw my wedding outfit. I presumed it was something women were born with. Then again, this was her wedding day too, so I let her perfect it.
She was having five fittings in one day. For once, Katharine was true woman. One concerned about her outward appearance, one that worried about the wedding décor and who was being invited. I heard from the servants that she was forced to sit down by my mother and was being watched over by her new lady-in-waiting.
The head of sewing oversaw a legion of women who were busy sewing the new couples' wedding attire. It would be finished by the next morning. I think my mother was having the women working overtime during the night. No one could possibly have a bride's dress finished in one day and one night! Even my tunic and breeches weren't entirely plain! I suspected Katharine's dress had already been started.
Speaking of Katharine, she leaned into me. One of the few times today we'd been able to settle down. We were in her extra-ordinarily temporary waiting room on a ruby-colored couch. She had a different type of life; one I assumed was the product of our soon-to-be-marriage. She turned her face upward. I obliged. I kissed her lips tenderly. She smiled.
"I'm glad I took off the time limit, Lance." She whispered. "This is much better."
I kissed her midnight hair. "I am too, sweetling."
"Sweetling?" She asked, curious. She was smiling, despite her curiosity.
"Well, Kathy just doesn't suit you." I replied, complimenting my beautiful bride-to-be.
She blushed and coughed, quickly changing the topic. "Did you know your mother insisted that the wedding be tomorrow?" Katharine asked innocently.
"I didn't!" I laughed. "Is she so anxious to have you be her daughter?"
"I think she said something about scaring me away." Katharine said, a grin plain on her face. "Did you happen to scare away a possible bride?"
This time, I blushed. "She got cold feet." I said. Katharine snorted. "What?"
"Your mother said it was you." She laughed heartily. "Don't worry, I'll be able to hunt you down myself should you try to run." Her face was full of realization. "Is that where you were when Asnarinith napped you?"
So, my beautiful and smart birde-to-be figured it out. "Yes." I said. "She was one of those foreign princesses. I would've thought your father would've told you!"
"I was away trying to save Lady Serena." Katharine said blandly. "Sir Gavin saved her."
"I think I did her about that. Didn't they get married?"
"Yeah," She replied. "Aren't we though?"
I kissed her again. "But we weren't classic love-at-first-sight were we?"
"No. We weren't." Katharien agreed. "More like hate-at-first-sight," She snuggled closer. "I wonder how long it'll take Bamien to propose to Cyrun." She mumbled; she was getting sleepy. I could tell. From all the time out on the trail, I could tell when she was plain exhausted.
I ran my fingers through her silky hair. "I wonder how long it'll take you to fall asleep." I commented. But her words gave me food for thought. They seemed to be a typical couple, save the fact that Cyrun is a dragon-gone-human. I looked down at my fiancée. She was sleeping. She had never responded to my comment. She slept so peacefully that I couldn't bear to move. So, I settled on making myself comfortable as possible with a warrior on my chest and tried to sleep.
I did. I woke up, worried that a servant would see us. It was evening. No one was there to see me awake. Katharine hadn't even woken. I gently nudged her. "Love, we have to get downstairs for dinner." I whispered, tenderly kissing her cheek. We hadn't moved an inch, and frankly, my arm was asleep.
She yawned. "It's dinner time!" She practically screamed. "What? Why didn't you tell me?" She jumped up, moving around, throwing clothes out of her wardrobe in order to find a good one. I slowly moved away to the washroom to tame my hair and wash my face. "Grah!" She yelled. "Caroline!" She yelled. "Come here!" Caroline, her handmaiden, practically jumped out of thin air. If she noticed me, she said nothing. The Captian of my Guard have obviously been warned and warned others about spreading such rumors.
I left. I made my way to my rooms to change quickly and head downstairs. I came down the stairs, resisting the urge to jump two at a time.
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I was dressed in a pale green dress. It made my hair seem darker than it already was.
"Caroline, please speak, I cannot bear silence." I comment while she curled my hair.
"Well, my lady, I have nothing to say." She responded. I had told her to be frank with me. I detest disillusioned women. They bug me, like the court ladies who are forever whispering about my "unladylike tendencies". Fighting, for those that couldn't figure it out. I ignored them; they bothered me far too much.
"I don't know, just talk about whatever you have on your mind." I told her. "I'm bored."
I could see her face contort a bit as she decided what to speak about. "Well, I was wondering about the prince…" She trailed off.
"About why he was here, in my rooms?" I asked. She nodded. "If you're wondering, I'm still pure." I said dryly. "Why do people make such a deal about it? They don't trust me? I could fend off Lance if he tried."
"I don't know, my lady, all I know is that these courtly ladies are forever worried about status, power and position." She said. "You're ready, my lady. Go enchant your prince." She whispered into my ear. I took one look at my reflection.
Tonight, my last night single, I had allowed Caroline to paint my face. I had felt like a court-jester, but now I had changed my decision. I looked beautiful. For once in my life, I truly felt like a woman, not like a knight. I touched the mirror, amazed. She had but a bare amount of eye shadow, a lightly darker color than my skin. My lips were slightly redder and my cheeks slightly blushed. I smiled. I was truly beautiful.
I got up from my chair and my pale dress swirled around my ankles. My slippers were a soft green as well, matching perfectly. I grinned and left my room.
Lance had never seen me with paint on my face. I cherished the thought of his amazement.
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I was joking with my mother and father. Everyone quieted as the son-to-be bride of the Crown Prince came down the staircase. Everyone, except maybe one or two women, were amazed by her transformation.
Her hair was delicately curled, giving her a more formal air. She also wore a simple green dress, one that showed her curves. It wasn't either of the extremes. Just right for her. As she slowly made her way toward me, I noticed something subtlety different, something that accented her beauty. Her eyes were slightly darker, her lips slightly redder. She neared and I rose to pull out her chair. I chastely kissed her cheek as she sat. She smiled and the meal commenced.
I couldn't focus on the food. Katharine's leg was brushing up next to mine and it greatly distracted me. Finally, my mother stood. "Attention!" She said. Everyone stopped talking and looked at the queen intently. "Prince Lance shall be wed to the Lady Katharine at exactly noon tomorrow!" She informed the audience. They burst into clapping. I had been a bachelor way too long to get this much applause. I smiled gratefully and stood.
"I don't mean to be a party-spoiler, but this wedding won't be as grand as normal weddings go," Everyone was silent. "We cannot simply forget that my sister is still missing." I said. A few gasps were heard. "Therefore, our wedding shall take place at noon, yes, but in a private chapel." My mother glowered. She had wanted a massive wedding, but I talked her out of it.
Katharine smiled and took the spotlight. "As my fiancée said, it will be in a private chapel, but you all may wait outside to greet and congratulate us outside. I thank you for whomever sent men to find my soon-to-be sister-in-law. She is already a sister to me." She sat and the meal continued. I got a few more kisses before we were sent to bed.
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Cyrun lay in my arms. "Sweet," She whispered. "Why do you smell of rain?" She asked, kissing my neck.
I sat up. "I smell… of rain?" I asked. "You do too, Cyrun." I said.
"I do?" She asked. "Do you remember anything about it? Anything special?" She asked.
"No." I said, angry. "That's the thing! Something in my mind, a place I can't reach!" She snuggled closer to my chest. I wrapped my arms around her body. "The wedding is tomorrow, love." I whispered. "We'll need our sleep."
"Aye, Bamien," She replied. I looked around. It seemed lighter in here than before. Had someone lit a candle?
I lay back down and tried to sleep. My body wouldn't let me.