They found a marble bench in a part of the garden distant from the house. There were several tall trees and rosebushes about them. They sat quietly in the sweet air as birds sang around them, and colorful butterflies flittered back and forth. Lara sighed and rested her head on Kaliq’s strong shoulder. They remained that way for some time in the fragrant quiet, the sounds of revelry from the house quite distant.
But then a servant hurried toward them. He bowed. “My master asks that you join the bridal party at the High Board, my lord, my lady.”
“We will come at once,” Kaliq said, smiling at the servant. He stood up, drawing Lara with him. “Come, my darling. This day will be over soon, and we may return home to Shunnar.” Then he led her through the gardens back to the great mansion as the servant hurried ahead of them.
The rotunda was empty as they walked through it, following the liveried man into a Great Hall and to the High Board at the far end of the room. The hall, like the house, was marble. The painted ceiling was held up by a colonnade of slender pillars that encircled the entire hall. Beyond the hall were floor-to-ceiling windows that looked out upon the parkland of the Golden District. The High Board was set with a large white linen cloth and several gold candelabra. The table settings were all gold. The goblets crystal, rimmed in gold.
“Ahh, my dear lady Lara, my lord Kaliq,” their host greeted them. “Please sit yourselves next to the bridal couple,” he invited them, smiling broadly. “What a happy day for us all, is it not?” But he didn’t wait for Lara to answer him, turning instead to the Dominus Cadarn, who sat on the other side of Lady Camilla.
“Mother, you look lovely today, if I have not already said it,” Kolgrim murmured. “Where did you get to? We missed you. Marzina became quite troubled when she could not find you. She was much admired for the way she plied the whip on our entertainment slaves. Several gentlemen were quite entranced by her skill.” He chuckled.
“You are vile!” Lara hissed at him. “How did you manage to get your sister to partake in that disgusting display. I would not have thought it of her.”
“Oh, she was hesitant at first, but she has come to love me well and wanted to please me on this special day,” he said. “I understand her, Mother, and quite delight in bringing the wickedness out in her. It has always been there, but then you knew that, which is why you have tried so hard to influence her, to keep her true heritage from her.”
“She is leaving Hetar, Kolgrim. As soon as her grandparents are ready to depart, she will go with them,” Lara said.
He laughed softly. “Nay, she will not leave Hetar, Mother. She wants to stay with me and be part of the new world that I will create. She is almost mine now,” Kolgrim taunted Lara. “Nor will you depart Hetar, for you will not leave Marzina. You love her.”
Lara closed her eyes for a brief moment. When she opened them again he was surprised to see the steely resolve in them. “Marzina will leave Hetar, Kolgrim. And so will I. Do not attempt to thwart me in this for I will win the battle for my daughter’s soul. You do not want to go to war against me,
“You cannot destroy me, Mother,” he said.
“You are right, Kolgrim, I cannot. But I can cause you more difficulties than you can ever imagine. Remember it is Shadow Prince magic that contains your father and your twin brother, Kolbein, within their prison cell. I am forced to face the fact that Hetar is doomed to the darkness. But I don’t have to make it easy for you, do I? Leave Marzina alone. I shall not warn you again, my lord.” She smiled sweetly into his surprised face then, reaching for her goblet, drained it down.
Kolgrim smiled back at her. A tight smile. “Keep my sister then if you can,” he said. “I have more important matters to attend to than that hoyden. I have a son to create. Do you remember when father mated with you? Did you scream with the pain?”
“What a nasty boy you are,” Lara taunted him back. “At least I wasn’t a virgin like the delicate Nyura. Will you mate her tonight? If you do, you cannot touch her again until the Completion Ceremony. I assume you will want to enjoy her for a while, but then your time is short, isn’t it, Kolgrim.”
He laughed now. “You are right, of course. But my House of Women is newly stocked and will keep me amused until Nyura is free from her duty to me.”
“How fortunate for you, dear. I hope Nyura isn’t the jealous type. If she is, your life will not be pleasant. You must treat her with especial care once she carries your only son,” Lara purred at him. “I will say this about your father. He was always most courteous to me. But then I did not try his patience.”
Kolgrim laughed. “He was too lenient with you, Mother. And then you broke his heart. I shall not be quite so forbearing.”
Now it was Lara who laughed. “Kolgrim, you have much to learn of women.”
“My lord-” Nyura put a proprietary hand on her bridegroom’s arm “-you are ignoring me, and for your mother. What will people think?”
Lara chuckled low and turned to speak with Kaliq, who had been listening to her discourse with Kolgrim. “I believe I am temporarily better, my lord,” she said.
“He is far more dangerous than you realize,” Kaliq said softly.
“I know it,” Lara said, “but as long as he does not know I know, our battles are less apt to be violent. He will finish this charade to suit Hetar. But come the morrow, Grugyn Ahasferus will find his granddaughter and her new husband gone. He only has a few more weeks in which to impregnate her. After that he will be forced to wait until the next mating season. And anything could happen in that time. The Book of Rule can be fickle. If Nyura does not conceive quickly, her usefulness to Kolgrim could be over. Remember, he had no compunction about killing Ciarda.”
“I am relieved you are not plotting to prevent Nyura’s conception,” Kaliq said.
Lara shook her head. “My faerie heart has hardened. I no longer care what happens to this world of Hetar, especially given what I saw today. That depravity and cruelty should play a part in the joy of a marriage celebration is more than I can bear. How can I give my magic to mortals like that, Kaliq? My only care now is for us, for Marzina, for our family. We must quickly remove Marzina from Hetar. Kolgrim says he will leave her to me, but I can see into his black heart. He means to have his sister. He believes if he keeps her I will not leave her. And, though he says it not, I believe he intends to take my magic from me if he can.”
“Aye, he would,” Kaliq said slowly. “Nothing will ever be enough for Kolgrim, I fear. The tiny bit of mortal within him weakens him though he knows it not, my love.”
“A toast! A toast to the bride and bridegroom!” Grugyn Ahasferus stood up, goblet in hand.
The guests all arose and drank to Kolgrim and Nyura a dozen times over as the lavish meal progressed. There were prawns broiled in butter and wine. Platters of fish from the Sagitta, caught only that morning and delivered by faerie post to the kitchens of Grugyn Ahasferus, were served on beds of watercress with carved lemons surrounding them. There was venison, wild boar, game birds of all kinds, ducks, geese, pheasant, quail and tiny ortolans among them. Green salads, fresh breads in all shapes and sizes, butter and cheese were in abundance. Then a great cake soaked in wine, covered with thick whipped cream and filled with berries was served to each guest. The goblets were never allowed to be empty; soft music from a musicians’ gallery never ceased playing, but finally the meal began to come to an end.
Dancers began to weave their way among the trestle tables where the guests were seated, finishing before the High Board, where they entertained all. A choir of castrated men and boys sang for the wedding party. And beyond the colonnade the sun set, and night came. It would soon be time for the defloration ceremony. Nyura’s mother and Lady Camilla arose, discreetly nodding to the bride. Without a word she got up and followed them from the hall.
Kolgrim leaned over. “Do not forget that you three are my witnesses,” he said to Lara, Kaliq and Marzina.
“Who are the others?” Prince Kaliq asked, curious.
“The Lord High Ruler, Dominus Cadarn and Prince Vaclar,” Kolgrim answered them. “The Domina begged to be excused and her husband has relented. Of course her parents and grandparents would be there if tradition permitted, but they must be in the hall with the rest of the guests. The witnesses must be unbiased and six is enough.”
“I think it’s barbaric,” Marzina remarked. “The poor girl must be terrified. Losing one’s virginity should not be a traumatic experience.”
