Chapter 68
After leaving the emperor's private reception chamber, Taeron parted ways with Stryfe and Amyr, the former hurrying away with his scrolls grumbling about all the work his father had made for him and the latter planning to visit with his son. Taeron returned to his own room where he lay on his bed staring at the ceiling in abject misery, concentrating on the angles dying rays of the sun made to keep from thinking of his future, and when they had disappeared and he was in the dark, he was forced to acknowledge what he could not change. By this time the following evening, he would be lying here with Keilana, doing with her what his body forced him to do while his heart yearned for Dijana. Would his bond destroy his love for her? Would he love Keilana? Had Staefyn grown to love Xuxa? The thought churned his stomach and he sought a pot to empty what little he had put in it that day.
He was just raising his head when his mother walked in with garments over her arm. Seeing what he had done, she set them aside and hurried to draw him into her embrace. "I am sorry this is causing you pain," she murmured as she brought his head down to her shoulder. "If there was any other way, we would have chosen it."
"Is there any better way to be sentenced to die a long and painful death?" he asked. He breathed in the comforting scent of his mother, and remembering what she had said and how the males of house Caron had looked at her, Taeron wondered how long it would be before they stripped everything away that she had earned with hard work and determination, two qualities that were completely foreign to the males of house Caron. Their brusque treatment of Keilana had not escaped his notice, so Taeron knew it would not be long before they destroyed the progress Trey had made during his reign.
Larya continued to hold him, combing her fingers through his long hair. "You have always been so devout in your belief of the gods. Do you not trust them this time to commute your sentence?"
Taeron wanted so badly to believe in the gods, but very soon he would give his oath to Keilana and he would not be able to back out of it. "I am trying, mother." And failing, but she did not need to know how wretched he felt.
She squeezed him, kissed the top of his head and then moved him back. "You are not a coward, Taeron."
"This is not a battle I can win," he told her.
"You enter into marriage, my son, not a battle." She went to the clothing she had brought in. "I made this for you, and because I don't trust that oaf, Amyr, I made one for him that will fit him better than the tunics I make for you."
She was holding the two garments in either hand and Taeron could see that she must have put hours of work into the stitching on the ornate dark purple and gold tunic she had made for him. Amyr's was gold with purple stitching, a perfect complement although less ostentatious. Taeron thought of Amyr's comment about wearing a sweaty old tunic to the banquet and he nearly laughed aloud at his mother's probable reaction.
Before Taeron reached her, Amyr walked in followed by Apolo, and Amyr snatched the darker tunic before Larya could stop him. "My favorite color, Lady Larya!" He kissed the top of her head. "I thank you."
"Give that to Taeron, you fool!" Larya looked in exasperation at her husband for help, but Amyr laughed and tossed the clothing to Taeron who let it hit him in the middle of the chest before sagging to the floor.
"Taeron! It will be crumpled and you will look as if you rolled out of bed after wearing it to sleep." She shoved Amyr's clothing at him and went to retrieve the garments, and as she did, Taeron crossed to greet Apolo who grasped his forearm before pulling him into a hug.
"My sister has arranged this grand evening for you," Apolo told him. "She will not be pleased if you are disheveled."
"Lady Arora has returned to the palace?" asked Taeron anxiously. Was there time to speak to her, to ask her to intercede on his behalf?
Apolo shook his head. "She directed the palace staff from Edgeland Fortress these last few days." He smiled and put his hands on Taeron's shoulders to look into his eyes. "Be at ease, Taeron. She has arranged a spectacle that you will never forget." He released him and looked over his shoulder at his mate. "I often wonder if Larya would have liked an oath ceremony as grand as the one my sister has planned for you."
Larya straightened and shook out the tunic and pants. "You do not need to wonder, Apolo. Exchanging our oaths in the light of second sunset beneath the Guerani hills is one of the happiest memories of my life."
They exchanged a loving glance from which Taeron had to look because he would never feel that way for Keilana. Amyr caught his attention and he nodded to the bathing chamber, so they left his mother and her husband to wash and change into the ceremonial garments. She had provided every item, each of the finest quality, but Taeron felt uncomfortable once he was dressed. When he reached for his sword, Amyr warned him that the emperor had forbidden weapons at the ceremony. Taeron did not trust any man or woman of house Caron, so he suspected that they would be carrying their weapons despite the emperor's edict, yet he would not disobey Trey.
As he reluctantly turned away from his sword, Amyr winked at him. "I have a place in mind to put it so it will be at hand when things turn ugly."
"When things turn ugly?" Taeron raised a brow. "Do you think I will not go through with this? I broke my oath once before, but this time I will not."
"You may change your mind when you are looking into Keilana's ice cold eyes." Amyr grimaced. "Just in case you do change your mind, I will have your sword nearby."
"How do you think your father will feel about that?"
Amyr's response was a shrug of his shoulders which did not surprise Taeron since Amyr had never made pleasing his father a priority.
When he returned to his room, he found Lord Duo waiting with his wife. Trynity was discussing something with Apolo, but they stopped talking when he entered.
"Did you test my blood?" he asked Lady Trynity sardonically.
"We were just discussing your blood," Apolo told him. "Trynity tells me that you have unique healing properties."
"My brother has holy paladin blood," spoke up Jeshed who had come in with Stryfe.
"You took your blood from him," remarked Trynity before Taeron could voice his annoyance at their insistence that he had become some magical being. The only magical being in the room was Jeshed. "Yet you do not have the same properties in your blood."
"I was not chosen," said Jeshed.
Taeron rolled his eyes and his father chuckled.
"Well," said Duo. "The hangman is waiting."
If that meant there was a man waiting to hang Taeron, then he would gladly put his head in the noose rather than look Keilana in the eye and give her his oath to make her his mate.
Larya curled her arm around Taeron's. "Trynity, I do not know how you bear living with that man."
"He is a habit I cannot break," she said with a sigh.
"A good habit, I am sure," laughed Apolo.
"A bad habit," corrected Duo. "A very bad habit."
Taeron was not in the mood to laugh with the others, especially when his father took his other arm to lead him to the hall that had been filled with tables and benches, all elegantly decorated with cloths and festooned with flowers. Vines entwined with flowers and glowing crystals were stretched across the ceiling, and if Taeron weren't so miserable he might have been awed by the beauty of the reception hall. The tables were already crowded with men and women from the great houses of Calabria, and as they turned to watch him enter, Taeron felt uncomfortable under their scrutiny. Keilana had voiced what he knew they all thought about him, that no matter what he did or where he went, he was still a bastard. What was worse, he did not have his sword on which to rest his hand, to give him the confidence to face what he must.
The emperor's table was set at the head of a large open area before which Taeron would give his oath to Keilana. Two tables were set at either side, one for Lord Duo's family and the other for the members of house Caron. He had been told that the first part of the ceremony consisted of a formal greeting between the two houses joining.
Trey had been sitting at the table with his daughters, but seeing Taeron enter, he left to join his party with Shamara and Chaela following, their lovely dark heads together as they whispered something that made them smile.
"You have done a fine job, Larya," Trey said as he put his hands on Taeron's shoulders and looked at him from head to foot. "I despaired that Amyr would ever let you wear your own clothing."
Amyr moved around Taeron. "Look, papa, I am a grown boy! I have my own!"
Trey grunted with annoyance, but Taeron could see the amused light in his eyes, but that light faded when he looked at Apolo. "Where have you been? Did Larya not tell you that I wanted your counsel? And where is Arora? Will she be here? I have not heard from her in days! Why has she not responded to my calls to the fortress?"
"I would not want to be in your shoes," remarked Duo. "I don't think Trynity brought any more of that special medicine you need, so you are going to have a hell of a night if not next few days."
Trey glared at him. "I have heard enough of your voice today, Maxwell."
"That is too bad because I had a lot more to say."
Apolo cleared his throat, but Taeron could see that he was trying not to laugh. "Arora promised to be here."
"She may have been attacked on the way." Trey was clearly anxious about his wife's safety.
"I could take out a patrol to find her," suggested Taeron.
Trey glared at him. Taeron did not think he would agree anyway, but he did catch Shamara and Chaela's amused smiles.
Apolo reached out to touch his hand and Taeron saw the calm wash over the emperor. "Her way is clear to the city, Trey. We have increased patrols. Staefyn and his warlord have been quiet lately, so I think they are planning their offensive."
"We will be planning our own as soon as this business is settled," stated Trey. "As for Arora, she had better have a good reason for not being here." There was suddenly a commotion near the door. "If that is not her, at least house Caron has arrived." He glanced at Taeron. "Try not to look like a sword has been rammed through your belly."
"I think the sword was rammed through his heart," said Jeshed with a mournful sigh and Taeron gave him a grateful look. Jeshed well understood his feelings.
Trey turned to greet the members of house Caron, but he made a sound of disgust that drew Taeron's attention. He was surprised to see Queen Neria approaching wearing a brilliant, multicolored gown, her dark wings spread out behind her. The men and women of the court were only too well acquainted with her, but the large male walking behind her, his own gold-tipped ivory wings spread out in glorious splender made them burst into excited conversation. Taeron and his father were the only men in the room that could look Prince Consort Roehan in the eye and Taeron did not feel up to doing that at the moment because he might demand to know why they kept Dijana from him. He refused to believe that she had chosen of her own will not to accompany them to Calabria. Neria looked nothing like her daughter, but a glance at Roehan hurt Taeron when Dijana's beauty came from the winged warrior.
"By the gods, what are you doing here?" demanded Trey with ill-concealed displeasure.
"How very nice to see you again as well, my lord," purred Neria sarcastically. "In answer to your question, we were invited."
"Invited? Invited by who?"
` They did not answer but turned back to the wide double doors that led to the steps down to the plaza. The doors were open, letting moonlight flood in, and into that moonlight stepped a woman who they could not see at first, but when she stepped into the crystal lighted hall, a hush fell over the men and women of the court. Lady Arora came forward, her dark beauty never so evident in the pale gown that clung to her as she walked with purposeful steps to her husband. Taeron wondered if Trey had ever seen his wife as she was now, not the imperial guard that had spent many years at his side, protecting him, bearing his children, sharing his life, but as an alluring female that could make any unbonded male gape with desire.
Even the emperor's mouth was ajar. "Arora?"
She glanced at Larya and gave her a smile before looking at her husband, so Taeron guessed his mother was responsible for the change in Lady Arora. "I have invited the ruling house of Teralon to the banquet. You may be displeased by their actions of late, but Teralon is a functioning, vital part of your empire."
Trey stiffened at the political lecture, probably not expecting it to be delivered by a woman whose gown clung to every curve. Taeron was sure that he had never seen Lady Arora dressed in such a revealing garment although many women of the court wore them daily. He could see that even Shamara and Chaela were disconcerted by what she was wearing.
Finally Trey cleared his throat. "There is little to do about it now that it is done, but you should have consulted me on their inclusion at this ceremony."
Her dark brows arched. "Was I to consult you on all the guests?"
"You know what I mean!" Trey wiped his palms on his tunic and Taeron could see that a sweat had broken out over his forehead. The man might not make it through the ceremony, not with his mate flaunting what she had withheld from him for the last several days.
Ignoring his reaction, she directed his attention to the winged visitors. "You are well acquainted with Queen Neria, but you have yet to meet her husband, Prince Consort Roehan."
Trey tore his gaze from his wife to look up at the warrior standing behind Neria. For a moment he said nothing and Taeron hoped that he would not chastise Roehan publically for the broken treaty. He must have thought better of it. "I was informed that you arrived with a battalion of warriors," he said although his gaze drifted back to his own wife.
"My men have been training with your warriors at the fortress. They have learned much of ground warfare that may aid them in battle to know how best to cut down their grounded enemies."
His gruff words made Trey start and look back at Roehan. "In the service of the empire, of course."
Roehan's emerald gaze moved past Trey to meet Taeron's gaze "Of course."
Was that a threat? Taeron wondered how many more times he was going to be threatened before the day was over.
"It is unfortunate that our daughter could not join us," remarked Neria and she gave Taeron a sympathetic glance.
"Very unfortunate, indeed," huffed Trey. His opinion of Dijana's rejection was well known to Taeron, and while Trey had washed his hands of the female he had once insisted he marry, Taeron could not so easily forget her. "I have much to discuss with you in the manner in which my daughter was treated on your planet as well as my lord prince."
"Father!" Chaela reached out to pluck at his sleeve. "I have found peace. Can you not let it rest?"
"I should have liked that bastard brought to me in chains so that I could mete out my justice," snarled Trey, shaking off her hand. "I would have demanded the right to take my own vengeance on the bastard."
If Neria was going to comment about the vile son she had butchered, she did not have a chance because the members of house Caron appeared in the doorway.
Lord Rendael escorted his daughter, his wife having died when she was only a child, and Taeron noted that house Caron had no other females. Keilana had not spoken of her family although Taeron had tried to learn something of them during the stilted conversations that had served as his courtship. He knew that there were rumors circulating around court about Keilana's mother, but he had not paid them any heed. Now, he wished he had listened because he was tying his life to a female whose family inspired almost as much gossip as the emperor. They were flanked by Aevan and Caerl who wore smug smiles of satisfaction that made Taeron shift uneasily, wishing he had his sword at that moment. Once Keilana was his mate, Taeron was going to need Amyr to watch his back.
Rendael stopped short of the group already assembled. Dressed in an unadorned black tunic, his piercing dark gaze moved over Neria and her husband who seemed to be usurping their place. The meeting was awkward, and Keilana shot Taeron an accusing glare before Arora indicated a table nearby for the Teralonians to sit in a place of honor. She left with them for a moment and Taeron noticed Trey watching her, his mind far from this banquet hall, but when Taeron turned his attention back to his future wife's family, he saw that Rendael was watching Arora, a smile curving his lips that made Taeron's blood turn ice cold.
When she returned, Rendael was the first to speak. "Lady Arora, you look ravishing tonight."
She did not look at him, nor did she respond, but she stepped closer to Trey who did not seem to notice her sudden discomfort. Taeron's father was glaring at Lord Rendael, his earlier anger hardly abated. This was feeling more like a confrontation of battlefield emissaries meeting to discuss terms for a surrender that would be rejected before the start of the war.
Apolo was frowning, but he nodded in greeting to the head of house Caron. "Rendael, you have not been to Imperia in many years. My duties have kept me at Edgeland Fortress so I have not had a chance to meet with you since your return to court. You may be interested to hear that in the last few weeks there were several promising offers for your lovely daughter's hand in marriage that might have pleased you."
Rendael reluctantly took his gaze from Arora to look at Apolo. "Our female is here to marry the crown prince. I am finished entertaining offers for her."
Trey gave Apolo a censorious frown and Taeron wondered why Apolo had made such a remark.
"We all know what we are here for," spoke up Duo, his jocular tone strained for once. "I, for one, came for the food. Why don't we sit down, eat and then do whatever else needs to be done."
"Very tactful," muttered Trey with a glare at his imperial guard.
Duo ignored him. "The servants are waiting and I don't think any of us wants to get between the court and the delicacies from Teralon."
Although he seemed reluctant, Rendael nodded in agreement and turned on his heel to lead his people to the table set aside for them to the right of the emperor while Lord Duo led the way to the facing table to the left.
Taeron sat between his parents while Amyr chose to stand behind him. To his annoyance, Amyr leaned forward to pick food from his plate almost as soon as it was served, and when he was hovering over him, he whispered in his ear.
"If you need to clean out your teeth, I have a pick close at hand."
Duo turned his head to look at Taeron, having heard Amyr. "You have not ignored Trey's warning against blades in the hall this night, have you?"
Before Taeron could confess to what they had done – he was awful at lying or keeping secrets at court – Amyr shook his head. "He would not do such a thing, my lord father."
Duo looked at him for a moment longer as if expecting Amyr to confess to wrongdoing, and then he turned back to his meal. "Babe, pass that juicy spider over here. I heard the imperial chefs have made a tasty sauce."
Taeron had tasted the spider on campaign on Teralon when he and his warriors ate like kings in the marshlands, but now he could not put anything in his belly because he was sure it would resurface at a very inopportune moment. Keilana was wearing black like her father which accentuated her pale, delicate skin and he doubted she would appreciate seeing bits of murkwater spider drenching the costly fabric.
"How are we supposed to eat this?" demanded Duo after a search for tableware came up empty. Taeron noted that his father had a very large portion of the spider on his plate and he wondered how he was going to go about eating it. In truth, he was also wondering why there were no eating knives or forks.
"Use your hands," suggested Trey with a laugh from the head table. He raised a bite-sized morsel he must have torn from the beast on the plate set before him, but he turned to offer it to his wife, and when she leaned forward to take the offering with her teeth, she flicked out her tongue to lick the sauce from his fingers.
A growl in his ear made Taeron turn to look at his father to see that he was scowling and Taeron followed his gaze to the table of house Caron where he saw that Rendael was staring at the emperor's table. A male did not look at another man's mate the way he looked at Lady Arora and Taeron grew warm with anger. Did the emperor not see how the bastard was leering at his mate? No, because he was too busy fawning over her.
Resisting the urge to tell Amyr to bring his sword now, Taeron turned to look at his mother who was also watching the unabashed arrogance of house Caron. "Was Lord Rendael bonded to his mate?" The bond would remain after her death, and his need for a female would have died with her.
"His lands are too far from court for anyone to know for certain, although we can guess that he was not." Apolo told him from the other side, and Taeron sensed that he was just as bothered by Rendael's interest in his sister. "Some say that there are slave markets on the farthest reaches of his lands to which he turns a blind eye."
"A blind eye?" spoke up Larya. "I am sure he is a regular customer. Aevan's mother was a pretty female that his father dragged out of the Wastelands on one of his raids and Caerl's mother was a slave Zeno had given Caron who passed her along to Rendael when he was finished with her. Neither of them survived the birthing and some say Rendael grew bored and disposed of them. Keilana's mother was a female of house Wattan who made two unforgivable mistakes. The first was in birthing a female, the second trying to defy him. I have heard that she attempted to flee back to her father's lands, but she never made it."
These imperials were far worse than any clan that had settled on the moon. If Rendael disposed of the mothers of his children, he would have no qualms about removing the bastard that stood between him and the throne.
As the meal dragged on with course after course of the food provided by the Teralonians, the emperor continued to flirt with his wife and Lady Arora shamelessly enticed him. Taeron began to wonder if her behavior were part of a bigger plan, and he dared to hope for the first time that she might somehow rescue him. Yet the growing tension in the hall seemed to insure that the marriage he did not want would be the only way to avoid bloodshed this night if the look on his father's face were any indication.
"I was surprised the bastard came for the ceremony," remarked Duo, his tone low and ominous, his narrowed gaze on the man across the hall. "He was at the palace that night, and I don't know how he managed to escape."
"Rats like him are the first out of burning building," commented Trynity.
"I told Trey to cut off his head," continued Duo, "but he insisted on making peace."
"He was in no mood for cutting off heads," Apolo reminded him. "Trey was sick of fighting and he wanted to be with Arora to raise his children in peace. Forgiving house Caron and acknowledging Rendael as head of the house seemed to be the easiest solution. That was the last insurrection."
"Until now," said Taeron with a sigh. If he did not know the real reason behind Staefyn's rebellion, he might suspect house Caron of having a hand in it. But it was just a very inconvenient coincidence.
The meal was drawing to a close and Taeron had done little more than move the food around on his plate while he tried and failed to keep his eyes from straying to the table where Dijana's parents sat with their two guards standing behind them. Despite the emperor's restrictions concerning weapons, Taeron recognized all the deadly sharp chakrams Queen Neria had cleverly incorporated in her attire. Her consort also had gold bands around his biceps that were probably weapons, so Taeron scrutinized Guillem and Valter, noting that they had concealed thin, sharp knives that they called quills among their feathers. By the gods, were they expecting a battle?
Lady Arora left her husband's side and moved among the men and women of the court. They might revile her behind her back, but the emperor's wife was a gracious hostess who knew how to plan a celebration. A group of musicians had begun to play as she reached the table where Neria and Roehan sat. As she chatted with the royal couple, the emperor sat at the head table watching her with a dazed look on his face as he ignored whatever Shamara was trying to say to him on his right. Taeron could guess how he felt after she had been gone for several days. He was surprised Trey did not toss her over his shoulder and carry her out.
Rendael rose from his seat and he opened his mouth to speak and Taeron's heart felt as if it would burst in his chest, knowing that the moment had come for his freedom to end, but Arora spun around to look at Taeron.
"My lord prince, I have a favor to ask of you." she announced loud enough to cover whatever Rendael was starting to say. Taeron knew he was going to suggest they perform the oath and he would be glad to delay that as long as possible.
Pushing away from the table, Taeron walked around it to stand before the emperor's table to face her. "You know that I will grant you any favor you ask, my lady." His heart was still racing and he dared not look at Keilana or he might turn and run from the hall. He noticed Amyr exchange an amused look with Apolo and Taeron wanted to beat him for enjoying his discomfiture.
Arora was smiling with encouragement as she came to him. "I was just speaking to Queen Neria about your lovely singing voice. Did you know that males and females on Teralon join their voices in song at their marriage ceremonies?"
"I did not," he confessed. He and Dijana had not spent any time discussing the particulars of joining in marriage, not when they had so little time to be with each other. The courtship ritual of singing made more sense to him now, and his heart lurched to imagine his voice mingling with Dijana's in song. That would never happen now and he tried not to feel even more despondent than he already did.
Arora turned to address the men and women of the court. "You may have heard that our crown prince raised his voice in song during the courtship ritual on Teralon and that they continue to talk about his gods' blessed voice." She turned back to look at Taeron. "On this joyous occasion, Taeron, I would ask that you honor me and my husband with your song of love."
Singing about a love torn away seemed appropriate, so Taeron took a breath and began to sing, realizing as he did that several of the warriors placed around the hall began to hum softly as they had on Teralon, and soon the musicians picked up the melody which was well known to every Calabrian as a song of war. But Taeron did not sing about war, he sang the story of a prince whose love had touched Taeron's heart even as a small child. He once thought he had found his own love, but it had slipped through his fingers. In a matter of minutes he would be doused with the ice water of reality as he pledged his life to a woman he could not love, who despised him.
As the song was drawing to a close, another voice joined his, a husky female voice and at first he thought it might be Arora because as he stopped singing and the other voice took up the song, the words changed to tell the story of a woman whose heart ached because the only man she could ever love was forbidden to her. And when he was taken from her, she ceased to live. But Arora was standing near him and the female's voice came from the direction of the doors opened to the plaza.
Taeron turned slowly and he might have fallen to his knees had Arora not caught his arm. In the light of the two moons stood Dijana, holding her hands to her heart as she sang, her beautiful voice overwhelmed him. As she sang of Arora's love, Taeron stared at her incredulously, his eyes filling with tears to hear of the heartsick loss that the emperor's wife had suffered when parted from him. She sang with such feeling that he was sure she was singing about herself.
And when the last note of her lovely voice faded, she came forward, her gossamer gown swirling around her, she was a vision more beautiful than Taeron had ever seen. Her hair fell around her shoulders in golden splendor, and he imagined how she would have looked with the gold tipped wings that had been taken from her spreading out behind her.
She did not take her emerald gaze from his and he dared not breathe lest this wonderful fantasy come to an end.
But she reached out her hands to him, and when their fingers entwined, he knew that this was no fantasy, that the gods had heard his prayers
"I offer you my life, Taeron, prince of Calabria" said Dijana softly. "Will you accept it?"
"I do," he said, surprised that he could form words, and then he wanted to say more, but a few simple words would suffice. "I offer you my life, Dijana, princess of Teralon. Will you accept it?"
She came closer to him and raised her face to his and he saw the love he felt for her mirrored in her eyes. "I do."
Joy filled his being, and he pulled her into his arms, holding her close and burying his in her neck, breathing in her scent, still not believing that the gods had given him this gift.
He would never let anyone part them ever again!