Despite his insistence that they treat the more seriously injured first, Master Destarion eventually rounded on Zachary, insisting that he bandage the wound on Zachary's shoulder. Zachary relented, partly because the rest of the menders seemed to have the other injuries taken care of but also because the wound truly was painful. Master Destarion tried to convince him to go to the mending wing, but he resisted, knowing that much remained to be done in the dining hall. Eventually, the mender conceded, leading Zachary to a small side room so he could clean and bandage his shoulder. Zachary had to admit that it did feel considerably better once he had done so though it still pained him.
When Zachary returned to the dining hall, Karigan was frowning at something on the ground near where he had been lying. "What is it?" he questioned.
"There was a light, right before the demons disappeared. It came from beside you." She bent down, grabbing something from behind an overturned chair. When she stood, Zachary noted that she held the dark moonstone. Or rather, the object they had been calling the dark moonstone—the title was inaccurate now, for shadows no longer swirled in its depths. It pulsed with a faint white light, but Zachary felt none of the nausea or headaches he had begun to associate with its presence. In fact, it almost seemed like his shoulder had stopped throbbing quite so painfully.
"Do you think that was the source of the light?" Zachary asked.
"It makes sense. But I don't know why it suddenly lost its darkness."
"Perhaps Garcia could help us figure it out." Karigan nodded, tucking the moonstone into her bag and slinging it over her shoulder. Zachary watched her for a moment, noting the blade she held loosely at her side, a blade that was only ever meant as a wall decoration. The full weight of what had just happened, of what he had almost lost, hit him suddenly, and only years of training allowed him to keep his face neutral.
Zachary gave a few final instructions to the captain who had come with the soldiers Estora brought before stepping towards Karigan. He grabbed her hand, squeezing gently, and her brow furrowed in confusion. With a nod of the head, he indicated she should follow him, and she did to a small door set into the back of the dining hall. It led into a darkened corridor, but Zachary did not bother with a torch, having walked the hall many times as a boy. He stopped at the first door, opening it wordlessly. Donal, one of the few Weapons who had not gone to the mending wing, pushed ahead of him, briefly checking the room before letting the couple enter. As soon as they did, Zachary shut the door behind them and pulled Karigan into his arms.
"Zachary, what-"
"I just need to hold you, just for a minute." Zachary managed to keep his voice steady, but it was difficult. They were supposed to be safe in the castle, surrounded by Weapons. Her life should not have been in danger. But it was—in fact, it had almost ended. The demon had come much too close.
She obviously sensed what he was feeling, for she dropped the sword and bag and wrapped her arms around him as well. "I'm okay," she assured him. "We're both okay."
He breathed deeply, relaxing slightly now that he could feel her heart beating against his. "I know." After a few more seconds of silence, he finally released his hold somewhat, allowing him to pull back and press his lips to hers. The kiss was gentle, but he still poured all of his love into it, feeling that they both needed such an expression after the events of the evening. Eventually, he broke away, smiling at her.
"What is this place?" she questioned, glancing around. He shrugged.
"Most recently, it's just been used for storage. However, I heard rumors that it was at one point a place used for. . . discreet meetings between the monarch and certain visitors of the opposite sex. There used to be a door that led to the back of the royal quarters just down the hallway." Karigan turned to him, eyebrows raised, and he grinned. "The door has been barred for many years."
"Good," she said. She stepped further into the room, her curiosity obviously piqued. Zachary hung back, letting her explore, knowing they had a bit of time before someone would start looking for him, for he had given the most critical instructions. Perhaps figuring out some of the secrets of the room would be a welcome distraction.
"Are you looking for anything in particular?"
"Just. . . curious. You don't mind, do you?" She turned to him, obviously worried, and he smiled.
"Of course not. I have no secrets from you. Though we probably should not spend too long exploring or people might start to ask questions."
"Perhaps we should reopen the door to the royal quarters then." Zachary gave a startled laugh at the suggestive comment, unused to such statements from his fiancée. Karigan, too, seemed a bit surprised by her own boldness, but he smiled, happy she was feeling comfortable enough to tease him.
"I hope to not need such measures for our. . . exploring soon." Zachary remarked, giving her a significant look. It was her turn to laugh as she relaxed, turning back to the items in the room. Zachary noticed that she bypassed the older items, turning instead towards a corner near the door that looked like it had the room's most recent acquisitions. She stepped towards an ornately-carved wooden box, running her fingers over the delicate lines on the top. "I believe that was my mother's," he said, moving closer to her so he could get a good look at the box as well.
"Oh." She pulled her hand away, but he shook his head.
"I told you already that I have no secrets where you're concerned. Open it." She did as he asked, revealing a large stack of letters. She removed the top one which Zachary noted had been sealed by a green sigil he did not recognize. Someone had obviously already read it, however, for the seal was broken. Karigan unfolded the paper and began to read.
"Terese, it's good to hear that things are settling down there. I know you were worried that you wouldn't find a place, but it seems that you worried too much. As usual. I hear that Dav is even planning to return home since he feels you have settled in sufficiently."
"Dav?" Zachary questioned, his ears perking up at the name.
"Yes. Do you know him?"
Zachary shook his head. "But my middle name is Davriel. I always wondered where it came from since I found no mention of another Davriel in the Hillander line. Mother always said that she chose it because it was the name of her favorite cousin. I never met him though."
"Terese was your mother?"
Zachary nodded, peering at the date of the letter. "This was before she and my father began courting though after she had moved to Sacor City, it sounds like."
"Where was she from, your mother?"
"Her father was the leader of a small tribe on an island near Hillander. Despite its size, though, he was very rich, for the land he governed has one of the only known gold deposits. My grandmother arranged the marriage. When my mother's father died and the land passed into her hands, she and my father assimilated it and the people into Hillander and thus into Sacoridia. It helped greatly to replenish some dwindling coffers."
"So you're not the only Hillander marrying for money." Karigan smiled at him, and he laughed. "What is your mother's family like?"
"I always wanted to meet my mother's family, but I never had the chance," he said. "I don't even know exactly where the island is except that it's somewhere south of Hillander. It does not actually appear on any maps of Sacoridia, and most of the people are very private. They have a couple ships that bring the gold to the main land every month or so and take back a variety of other goods, but they wouldn't talk more than necessary with the people in Hillander. I once got the notion of trying to stow away on one of the ships so I could visit, but Liam found me out and stopped me. And then after I was appointed Lord Governor, I just never had the time to even consider it anymore." He skimmed the rest of the letter, noting that it was the typical communication between two young women of marrying age. It did not have much more information about his mother, but it definitely intrigued Zachary. He had extensive knowledge of his Hillander ancestry, knowledge drilled into him by both his father and grandmother, but his mother had always been surprisingly reticent on the subject of her family. And since she had died when he was only twelve, he had not had much of a chance to ask. Perhaps the other letters could have some additional insight.
"Maybe this is your chance to learn more about them." She set the letter back in the box and closed it before holding it out to him. He took it from her with a small smile. Turning, he led the way out of the room and back into the dining hall where chaos still reigned.
Fortunately, no one seemed to have noticed their absence. Zachary spent the next hour dealing with the aftermath of the attack, helped from time to time by Karigan. He was happy to note that she was growing more confident in her leadership role, and by the end of the night, she was no longer looking to him for every command she gave. They learned that there were no fatalities from the attack, news that cheered them both. Unfortunately, there were a number of serious injuries, mostly to Weapons, for it seemed that the dining hall had borne the brunt of the demon attack. Ben was apparently running himself ragged trying to heal everyone, so Zachary sent Master Destarion to make sure he took care of himself as well. Most of the nobles and their families had escaped unscathed or with only minor injuries, for most had avoided the worst of the fighting. A couple had been taken to the mending wing, including Timas Mirwell. Zachary could not help the small bit of smug satisfaction that he felt when he learned that though he quickly suppressed it, knowing it was unbecoming of him.
It was nearing midnight before everyone had finally dispersed. Zachary had stepped up security around the castle though he felt further attack was unlikely. Only when he was sure he had done everything he could did Zachary finally allow the weariness to show on his face. Only he, Karigan, and two Weapons remained in the dining hall. "It is late," he said, turning to Karigan. "We should retire for the night. I feel that tomorrow is going to be another busy day."
Karigan nodded. "I will probably try to find Garcia tomorrow morning. I'm hoping she can tell us more about why the dark moonstone is no longer dark."
"I hope more than ever that our mission to find the Eletians is successful. They know a great deal of such things."
"We should get married soon," Karigan blurted suddenly. Zachary's eyebrows rose at the apparent non-sequiter. She colored but continued speaking undaunted. "I was just thinking about the Eletians, about how you said that we would need to wait until we were married before one of us sought them out. I agree now that makes sense, but it just seems like we something we need to do sooner rather than later." Zachary considered that for a moment.
"While I would love to marry you as soon as possible, we should wait at least a short period to stop any. . . unsightly rumors. We will also need to appeal to the moon priests for a date."
Karigan's brow furrowed. "Why? Neither of us are overly religious."
Zachary sighed. "Alas, there are certain traditions that even a king must abide by. I would not worry too much about it. The moon priests have never before refused to pick a date."
"There has also been no precedent for a king marrying a commoner."
"True. However, they are more concerned with heavenly matters than earthly ones. I doubt they care much about our relative social statuses." When Karigan still looked doubtful, Zachary offered, "Why don't we go and see them tomorrow? We'll appeal for a date and see what they say."
Karigan nodded. "That sounds good."
"Good. I'll meet you in my study after my morning meetings. Say, first hour?" Karigan nodded, still frowning. Zachary gave her a small smile. "Trust me, my love, this is only a minor hurdle. Just wait until you see the list of guests that simply must be invited." She turned to him, eyes wide in horror, and he laughed loudly.
Just after the first hour the following day, Zachary heard his study door open. He looked up from the papers he was reviewing, smiling when he saw Karigan walk in. However, his smile quickly turned to a frown when he noted her stormy expression. "What is it, love?" he asked. In answer, she stepped aside, gesturing behind her. Mara moved to stand next to her, looking a bit sheepish.
"I made the mistake of telling Mara what I was doing, and she insisted on accompanying me so she could 'chaperone' us. Despite the fact that we're going to see priests and you spend all of your time surrounded by Weapons. It's not like we'd actually be anywhere alone!"
"You know that people would just claim the Weapons are ineffective as chaperones, for they are loyal to the king. And while you may be going to see priests, you are starting the afternoon in the king's study without them." It was clear Mara had already made the same arguments, but Karigan still stared at her mutinously, arms crossed. She turned to Zachary. "I hope you don't mind, Sire. I just thought it was in Karigan's best interests. I know how vicious the gossip can be."
"I do not mind at all. It's a good idea." Zachary turned to his fiancée, stepping around his desk to take her hands. "Peace, Karigan. Mara is right. Now that we have announced our courtship, we need to tread carefully. Everyone is watching us closely, and we need to make sure everything we do is above reproach so they have no reason to stop us from moving forward."
Karigan relaxed slightly with his touch though she still did not smile. "But chaperones? We're both adults! It's not like we're going to do anything."
"It does not matter what we will or will not do—sometimes, it is just how things look." Reaching out, Zachary tilted her chin so that their eyes met. "What are you really upset about?"
Karigan caught her bottom lip between her teeth. "It doesn't matter."
"There's a silly rumor going around the Rider barracks about how Karigan got herself in a. . . situation so that you would be forced to marry her," Mara said. Karigan turned to glare at her. "He has a right to know," she protested. Turning back to Zachary, Mara continued, "Needless to say, I have already dealt with those spreading such lies."
"Maybe we shouldn't get married," Karigan said. Zachary looked at her sharply. "I just mean. . . I know it's not easy for you politically. Perhaps it will be better all around if we just call the wedding off."
"No," Zachary said vehemently. "The only reason that I would call off the wedding now is if you tell me that you honestly do not want to marry me. Can you tell me that?" Karigan paused for a moment before shaking her head. "That is what I thought. We have the support of nearly all the council now—including the Eastern Lords." Karigan looked up at him, surprised, and he grinned. The three formidable men had visited that morning, and Zachary had heard only a slight hesitation in Lord Coutre's voice as he remarked that Karigan would be a fine queen. "It seems your actions last night made quite the impression on the nobles present, particularly Lady Estora."
Karigan blushed faintly. "I just did what anyone would do."
"No, you just did what comes naturally to you. You are a very special woman, Karigan G'ladheon, and you will make a very special queen. It will take others some time to learn that, but I suspect they will come to realize it soon enough. However, that does not change the fact that there will always be people who are not happy with us, so we will need to make sure they have no true grounds for objecting to our actions."
"I promise to stay out of your way," Mara added. Karigan glanced between them before sighing in resignation.
"Fine. But I still think it a ridiculous tradition."
"You will not hear an argument from me on that one." He smiled before holding out an arm so she could tuck her hand into the crook of his elbow. "We should get going. I sent word this morning that we were planning to visit the moon priests today, so they should be expecting us."
"So how does this work exactly? Do they just hear Aeryc's voice pronounce the date we're to be wed?" Karigan's voice dripped skepticism. Zachary shrugged.
"Honestly, I do not know. I've never had to go through the process before." He led the way out of his study. Mara fell into step behind them with the Weapons bringing up the rear. Zachary could tell Karigan still was not happy about their followers, but she did try to ignore them. "Were you able to see Garcia this morning?" Zachary questioned. Karigan nodded.
"Unfortunately, she doesn't know more than we do. She's doing some further research on the subject, but she does agree that it's likely the reason the demons disappeared when they did. She also suggested that perhaps it could help with some of the taint we're seeing with our magic. I know she wanted to have it nearby when attempting to create the wardings."
"I had not considered that," Zachary admitted, "but it does make a certain amount of sense. Is she ready to move forward with those now?"
Karigan nodded. "She wanted to start with the castle. It's already built to withstand a siege, and it gives a relatively limited area to work with. I gave her permission to move forward when she was ready. I hope you don't mind."
Zachary gave her a gentle smile. "Not at all. In fact, I am glad you are starting to feel comfortable enough to make decisions on your own. You'll be doing a lot more of that in the future. I have to admit—it is nice to think that someone will share the burden soon."
"So you're marrying me not only for the money but also so I can help with administrative duties." Karigan gave a sly smile, and Zachary threw back his head and laughed. It took considerable effort for him not to pull her into his arms and kiss her senseless, but he held back, conscious of their audience.
"There are many reasons why I cannot wait to marry you, my love," he told her. Leaning closer, he dropped his voice so Mara could not hear the next words. "Some of which I don't plan on telling you until after we are wed." She blushed slightly but still looked intrigued which he considered a good sign. He reached up to squeeze the hand that still held his arm, eyes twinkling as he smiled at her. They fell into a companionable silence for the rest of the journey to the castle temple. Once there, Zachary dropped her hand and knocked on the door.
"Enter," a low voice called after a brief pause. Zachary glanced at Karigan a final time before opening the door to the dark sanctuary. One of his Weapons followed, melting into the shadows immediately, but Mara and the other Weapon stayed in the corridor.
It had been a few weeks since Zachary had been in the temple since Karigan was right that he was not overly religious. However, there were certain state functions that did have a religious element, so he tried to maintain good relations with the priests. The high priest greeted him with a bow when he walked in, and he returned it automatically. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Karigan give a small curtsy, and he could not help but smile slightly. And to think she was afraid she would not do well in court. "King Zachary. Aeryc told me you would be coming."
Zachary decided not to point out that it had been him, not Aeryc, that sent the message that morning. "Yes. I had hoped for his blessing for our marriage."
"Of course. Karigan Helgadorf G'ladheon." The priest turned to Karigan. Once his attention was off of Zachary, he mouthed Karigan's middle name with a grin. She gave him a brief glare before turning her attention to the high priest.
"We would be most appreciative if you would appeal to Aeryc on our behalf," Karigan said.
"It is done already." The priest crossed to the front of the room, searching the shelf that stood there for a moment. He returned holding a large tome. Karigan looked to Zachary, confusion etched onto her features, but he merely shrugged. He was not sure exactly what was going on either. The priest flipped through the pages for a couple minutes, muttering to himself. "Karigan Helgadorf G'ladheon to Zachary Davriel Hillander. Hmm. . . I know it was around here. . . ah! There it is! Seventeenth day of the fourth month." Zachary startled at hearing the date, turning to see Karigan's reaction as well. Her eyes had also gone wide.
"Fourth month?" he confirmed. "You are quite sure?"
"Yes, yes, of course. It is right here." The priest jabbed his finger at the page. Zachary stepped closer to peer at the ledger. Though the writing was an ornate cursive that was hard to read, he thought he saw his name near the middle of the page.
"Isn't that rather soon?" Karigan asked tentatively. The priest gave her a stern look.
"It is what Aeryc decrees," he said firmly. "Do you question his wisdom?"
Karigan quickly backpedaled. "No, of course not. It's just. . that's not much time to plan a wedding." She glanced at Zachary who heard the unspoken addition to her sentence, a worry that plagued him as well, especially given the rumor Mara had told him about a few minutes before. In general, people in the nobility only married quickly for one reason. In fact, most preferred to prolong the engagement for as long as possible, often over a year, both to give the bride and groom time to get to know one another (for a large portion of marriages were still arranged by the families) and to ensure plenty of time to plan a large society wedding.
"Well, I am sure you will find a way. We would not want to anger Aeryc, no?"
"No, we would not." Zachary bowed, deciding it would be best to discuss the unexpected news without the priestly presence. "Thank you for your wisdom. We look forward to the date eagerly. I assume you will perform the ceremony?"
"Of course. It is the proper way."
Zachary nudged Karigan slightly, prompting a final curtsy, before both left the room. Mara took one look at her friend's face as she exited and raised her eyebrows. "What happened?"
"Fourth month," Karigan said. "The seventeenth day of the fourth month."
"So soon?"
"Alas, it is not our place to question Aeryc's wisdom," Zachary intoned, imitating the priest. Turning to his fiancée, he grinned. "Cheer up, Karigan. The one nice thing about marrying so soon is that a lot of people we have to invite won't be able to make it here in time for the wedding, especially given how hard winter travel is. It should make things considerably easier."
Unfortunately, his statement simply caused her frown to deepen. "What about my family?"
Mara squeezed her upper arm gently. "I am sure they will find a way. None of them will miss your wedding day. Now, I have the rest of the afternoon free, so I say we sit down and talk about wedding details. I hear we're going to have to plan quickly." Karigan groaned, and Zachary could not help but laugh.