Griffin's Daughter

go away.

I agree. You will accompany your husband to Sendai, then?

Yes. Ordinarily, he would expect me to stay behind to run things in his absence, so I must come up with a good excuse; also, there are my three youngest children to consider. It’s a very long journey.

The girl needs protection as well, protection only you can provide.

My son would disagree, I think! He and the girl are to be married before we leave.

I still think that’s a mistake, especially if we are to use him in the Working.

My son will do what’s necessary.

You should tell him the truth now.

No. When we are all gathered in Sendai, I’ll tell him. I’ll not take away his happiness any sooner than I need to.

There is still the question of the girl’s paternity. Has your husband decided what he is going to do?

He is torn. We all know what a scandal this will cause, but my husband won’t lie to his oldest friend. Also, he swore to help the girl find her kin, and he won’t go back on his promise.

Try to get him to reconsider. This could complicate matters immensely.

He won’t.

Then I suppose we’ll just have to find a way to deal with the consequences.

Ai, Goddess! How did we let this happen? Why were we not more vigilant? We knew that the Key was due to reappear during our tenure! Why did we not search for it so that it could be secured? And why…why did we allow the wards to fall into disrepair?

We’ve been shamefully complacent. I’ll be the first to admit that, and as head of the Society, I must take responsibility. But now is not the time to indulge in guilt. Protect the Key, continue training the girl, and we’ll all meet in Sendai.

Until then.

~~~

Jelena and Ashinji were joined in a small ceremony held in the family chapel, attended by the Sakehera clan and a select few among Jelena’s friends on the staff. The simple nuptials stood in sharp contrast to the lavish affair that had been held for Sadaiyo and Misune, but this was perfectly proper. Ashinji was, after all, the second born child, and Jelena had no family at all. Still, the simplicity of the proceedings suited Jelena just fine. She needed no spectacle to confirm her love for Ashinji.

That morning, Jelena rose early to prepare herself to become Ashinji’s wife. She began with a leisurely soak in the staff bath house, followed by a light breakfast in the barracks common room, surrounded by the people who had come to mean so much to her since her arrival at Kerala.

When the time came for her to dress, Aneko assisted her with a little help from Kami, who, though recovering rapidly from her illness, still tired easily. The wedding robes Lady Amara had provided were not nearly as sumptuous as the many-layered extravaganza an elven lady of high station would wear, but Jelena thought them beautiful just the same. A sheer undertunic of fine white cotton rested against her skin. Over that went a robe of lightweight, cream-colored silk, embroidered with a simple design of flowering vines along the borders. The main garment-a robe constructed of heavy silk and dyed a glorious yellow-cinched at her waist with a green sash. The image of a crane-symbol of good luck-embellished the back from nape to hem. The sleeves, with their long tippets, were slashed to reveal the delicate pattern decorating the robe beneath. To finish, yellow silk slippers graced her feet.

Jelena declined the headdress of gilt-silver made to look like a cluster of flowering vines, choosing instead to secure her mane with her birth mother’s ivory combs. About her neck, she hung the string of blue Kara glass beads-her dearest bequest from her heartmother, Claudia. Beneath the layers of rustling silk-resting against her heart and secure on its silver chain-hung the ring of her unknown sire. It seemed right that this small thing that had once belonged to the man who had helped create her should accompany her on this, the most important day of her life.

After the last tie had been secured and all the layers arranged to perfection, Aneko applied a rose-colored stain to Jelena’s lips and a light dusting of powdered eggshell to her face. Jelena refused to allow anything more elaborate in the way of makeup, believing she would only look foolish if done up in formal style. She wanted to stand at Ashinji’s side as herself, not some poor imitation of a high-born elven lady.

After one final check of herself in a mirror borrowed from Aneko, she emerged from the barracks to applause and exclamations of admiration.

“ Jelena, I would be honored if you’d allow me to escort you to your wedding.” Jelena, fighting back the tears that threatened to spoil her simple makeup, nodded in assent as she linked her arm with Gendan’s. The gruff Captain of the Kerala Guard stood as living proof that an essentially good heart could be liberated from seemingly insurmountable walls of bigotry, even if those walls had existed since childhood.

With Aneko and Kami trailing behind, Gendan walked with Jelena from the barracks to the castle proper. It was midway through the month of Nobe by the elven calendar, Actea by Soldaran reckoning. Though fall approached, the days remained hot and would be so for many weeks yet. By the time the wedding procession reached the chapel doorway, Jelena felt miserably and thoroughly wilted.

Aneko must have seen her distress. “You look beautiful!” she whispered, and Kami nodded in agreement. Jelena flashed a nervous smile and gripped Gendan’s arm more tightly.

“ Are you ready to become our Lord Ashinji’s wife?” Gendan asked.

“ I’ve been ready since the day I came here,” Jelena answered aloud, but a tiny, nagging worm of doubt plagued her.

I’m sure Ashi loves me and gods know I love him, but is this the right thing to do? Can I, a mere hikui with no name of my own, ever really be worthy of a man like him?

Gendan raised his hand and pounded on the polished wooden chapel door three times, then pushed it open and escorted Jelena out of the sun into the cooler, incense infused interior.

As soon as she stepped across the threshold, she felt the unmistakable pull of Ashinji’s presence and her gaze immediately alighted on his face. His luminous eyes-so full of joy and passion-ignited her body and soul in response.

He held out his hand, and she heard his voice in her mind, clear as a solstice bell on midwinter’s eve.