“Welcome, my children. Your road has been long and difficult, and it will be more so before this day is complete. Please come and be welcome.” Her voice was like the tinkling of bells caressed by the wind.
I had the urge to hug her, so that’s what I did. I wrapped my arms around her tiny frame and drew her to me. Raif gasped behind me as he and Atreyu kneeled in supplication, his body tense, radiating emotions I couldn’t decipher.
“I’m sorry. I probably shouldn’t have done that. You just looked like you could use a hug. I’m Natasha. I still don’t quite understand your customs.” I smiled uncomfortably; afraid I may have insulted her.
“Do not fret my child.” She squeezed my arms as she moved past me to stand before the men kneeling at her feet. Her hand trailed through Atreyu’s silver hair. “Atreyu, please get off your knees. Raifuku, gather your mate and follow me. There is much to be done if we are going to do this properly. You must complete the mating ritual and be bound in mind, body, and spirit before you can separate, or it will not be effective. I have everything prepared; I have just been waiting for you. I trust you have the gown and the rings?” At Raif’s confused look she sighed. “It doesn’t matter, I have Atlas’ old rings, and I think Merick’s wife was about your size, although not quite so voluptuous. It will have to do.”
“Mistress, forgive me, but I am having Michael bring a dress to suit our needs as well as something for Raifuku. He is also needed for a witness. The ceremony is incomplete unless there are two to bear witness. I had hoped he would be here by now, but he may be having difficulty teleporting the distance. I shall discover what keeps him and return shortly.” Atreyu bowed formally and left.
Cleito sighed. I caught a hint of disappointment as she gazed at Atreyu’s departing figure. She led us through another maze of rooms and halls, into separate chambers to wash up before the ceremony. My room was amazing. There was a large, four-poster bed in the middle, complete with a canopy. It was done in various shades of purple that would normally make me feel like the Easter Bunny had exploded, but here it appeared elegantly.
The walls were a dark purple, accenting the lavender canopy covering the bed. The carpet was a very deep brown, almost the same color as the furniture. There was a vanity, complete with an antique silver dressing set, across the room from the bed. The mirror glittered from the soft candlelight flickering everywhere. Next to where I stood in the doorway, was a small chest of drawers with another mirror. All the mirrors in the room multiplied the few candles that were lit until the whole room seemed to be flickering and dancing with candlelight. The decor was like something out of a history book and I caught myself chuckling at that thought. It looked like it came straight from a history book because it sort of did. It was ancient. Everything here was ancient, including my mate.
I was growing more and more nervous as time passed. I hadn’t been expecting the mating ceremony to be as big an ordeal as it was turning out to be. I still had no idea what to expect. For some reason, I’d just thought we had to have sex. I should’ve asked Raif what the protocol was when I had the chance. Not that it would have changed anything. I just would’ve liked to have a better understanding about what was going on and what was about to happen. I was starting to feel like I was only getting snippets of information and only when absolutely necessary.
The bathroom was through an archway across from the room’s entrance and was just as opulent as the bedroom. I bathed in the deep, claw-footed tub that was in the corner of the bathroom and felt like a princess. The bath was filled with herbs that released a calming aroma into the air. More herbs were burning from incense holders hanging around the room. The scents of lavender, vanilla, and eucalyptus filled my nose, relaxing my muscles slowly. I was half asleep in the warm waters when Cleito entered carrying an armful of scarlet fabric. She laid it on the bed and came over to help me prepare.
“Atreyu has returned with Michael. They are assisting Raifuku, as well as making the final preparations for the ceremony. Let us work on you, shall we?” Everything she said was delivered with an air of dignity and grace.
“May I ask you something?” I said as I finished drying.
“I will answer what I am able.” She sat me in a chair and started brushing out the tangles in my hair.
“What does this mating ritual consist of? I probably should’ve asked Raif earlier, but it just didn’t seem to matter. It still doesn’t, but I don’t know how comfortable I’ll be with people watching the event.” My face turned about the shade of the dress that Cleito had brought and I fought the urge to look away. I didn’t think I should be embarrassed about something as wonderful as becoming one with my soul mate, but the thought of people watching us have sex made me profoundly uncomfortable. And if that’s what this mating thing consisted of, I wasn’t entirely sure I could go through with it. It also struck me as odd that we’d need an audience at all—we’d already had sex, wasn’t that good enough? She smiled at me, as if she could hear my internal struggle.
“Oh, you are precious! You can do that part privately, after you have been handfasted. Handfasting is an ancient tradition binding
