Orken managed to negotiate himself and Nic into her Halbrook entourage. After reading the letter he sent them, Aurelie had no doubt that they'd agree to the terms. The phrase, "If yer dumb enough to have two armies at your doors, then you can decline and expect no further help or good intentions from my side," accomplished its task.
The harps had been at it since the early hours of the morning. Aurelie woke and found the music soothing to her soul, and then her mind cleared of sleep and she realized that today was the day of her wedding. Nic complied with all of her requests and they moved the wedding along. The day arrived so quickly, she barely had time to prepare for what it meant.
People gathered around the walls of the castle, waiting for her to walk out onto the terrace a married woman. The bells of the cathedral rang once every hour and the servants waited for the sound with baskets of rose petals and threw them down while the bells tolled. Even the King seemed cheery at breakfast.
Thoughts of revenge clung so deeply onto the walls of her mind that she let the deeds of a wife slip her mind. While she held up the false pretense of love, Nic would have expectations and she barely made it through one kiss without pushing him away.
The ladies prodded around her all morning, fighting about who would get to tie the strings of her corset until Casandra chased them all away, and with the help of overworked, and irritated, Penelope, dressed her, and decorated her hair with a replica of the flowered, rose crown that Nic made for her a couple of weeks ago.
They dressed her in the inside courtyard, and kept the gigantic, diamond decorated dress under a curtain, in the center of it. Aurelie had to be dressed there too, because the dress couldn't fit through any of the castle doors, besides the main entrance.
"Some of my finest work," she said, without adding the tone of pride that usually accompanied such a phrase. "Now," her droopy eyes locked onto Casandra, "unless you want another seamstress, please let me know sooner next time. I haven't slept in three bloody days." And with that, she left.
Casandra scoffed her off and came to stand next to Aurelie, wrapping her arm around her shoulder as they looked into the mirror.
"May he love you fiercely and forever dance around your skirt. May the children look like their mother," she smiled, and raised a naughty brow, "and outlive you both. Henceforth, may all the mysteries be gifts, and may you walk paths soft as clouds, and only bare a sweet taste in your mouth. May your dreams be deep and jolly, as they would if laced with poppy's milk. As your beauty fades, my child, may the wrinkles only come with wisdom. And when you die, let it be in lover's arms."
Aurelie leaned her head against Casandra's shoulder. "Is that a poem? I've heard it spoken once before."
"Just a saying for mother's on their daughter's wedding days. Since you don't have a mother and I don't have a daughter," she hugged Aurelie tighter, "it's only right I get to say it and you get to hear it."
They stood like that for a moment and Aurelie's head leaned down in thought, recalling the day she and Kirin got married. Everything was so different. There was nothing but joy and now . . .
"You don't have to love him. Just endure him for a couple of months until you get a child, and then send him away to Redayrah on some sort of business. We should probably go down to the carriage." Casandra winked at the mirror when Aurelie looked up.
***
Getting down the stairs to the carriage was quite the adventure. Five girls kept her skirt up while she walked, and then had to all but shove her into the carriage that could fit nobody else once the dress filled it. A second one arrived for the girls, and they were officially running late.
Aurelie kept scratching her fingernails on the way to the cathedral. Though her concerns did not lie with the wedding, but what would happen after.
Hands knocked against the glass and the walls of the carriage as they drove past the crowds that had gathered to watch her walk down to the cathedral. She heard the cheers grow louder, and felt the knocks as much as she heard them.
When they arrived, and she managed to get out, Kaiden stood waiting for her by the door where he father should have stood. He walked up to her and extended his elbow.
"There's been a development that cannot wait. Your father will be down as soon as he is able."
"Why have I not heard of this?" Aurelie latched her arm through his.
"Because you're getting married today."
Aurelie frowned, and before she could answer the doors of the cathedral opened, and row by row the attendees turned and stood for her. A murmur of appreciating sounded and Aurelie saw Kaiden lift his chin a little, and stand straighter.
They began to walk down the white carpet that dragged all the way down to where Nic stood. He looked dumbfounded, and Aurelie smiled at him. His hands formed fists, and he quickly tugged them behind his back. That is a face of a man in love, she thought gleefully.
He met them halfway, and took her hand from Kaiden. He led her to the front and she felt a subtle shake in the hand that held her. Once they stopped in front of the cleric and turned to each other, Aurelie noticed that his eyes were shining with tears.
"I understand that the King is absent but he has condoned the marriage, so we shall proceed as normal. Let it be known that Prince Kaiden Dranoir is present to give the Princess away," a bustyâeven in her long, brown robesâ the cleric said, her hair tied in a long braid which circled around her head. "With this holy knife, I shall bind your blood. Extend your hand, Nicolai Morel of Redayrah and Aurelie Dranoir, princess and heir to Highfire."
They did, and the cleric swiped the blade across Nic's hand and then Aurelie's. To keep herself from hissing through the stinging pain, Aurelie clenched her jaw. The cleric threw the knife between them, and took both their hands, placing one atop the other. "Be bound, through blood, through fire," a flame rose from Aurelie's hand, and Nic's eye twitched in pain, "and through the light of God that has brought your souls together on this day."
"Stand and witness," she said to the crowd, holding out both her hands, "for today, even the spirits are watching."
Aurelie closed her eyes and pictured Kirin. She imagined that it was his hand that held her. The scales erupted through her hand, and she felt Nic's hesitation to hold on.
The cleric took the white string that hung around her neck and lowered down to her knees. A brass bowl stood below their feet and gathered the blood that dripped from the wounds. The cleric dipped the string into the pool of blood and stood. She tied it around their hands, still locked together in a tight embrace.
"Be bound," she said, and the soothing melody of the harp began to play.
At her words, the crowd cheered and stood, clapping. Nic held up their hands, and turned toward them, beaming with the brightest smile she had ever seen.
The musician, Joanna, traveled all the way from Dale's Mountain to play at the event. How her fingers didn't fall off from playing since morning, was a mystery. The woman had unending energy.
"That's it," he leaned over and whispered into her ear. Aurelie sucked in her breath, her hand suddenly shivering. "Shall we?"
They walked, hand in hand, out of the cathedral to the ecstatic cheers of everyone who gathered outside. Rows of guards held hands, pushing back against the people, to keep the road open for Aurelie.
Aurelie thought she heard glass shatter, but with the loud cries, the sound was muffled. Then, out of the corner of her eyes, she saw something flying across the sky, and this time the shatter was clearer. The crowd grew quiet, cheer by cheer.
Aurelie looked toward the castle, and her hand wrapped tighter around Nic's. The high tower crumbled before her eyes. Rays of sunlight glinted against the shards of glass that fell downward. A silhouette of a man stood on the remaining edge of the tower.
Father, Aurelie thought blankly. The King would be the only man to stay behind, knowing that the length of the tower played against its security. As another object flew through the sky, Aurelie's heart jerked. It hit the tower near the center, and it leaned forward slowly. The echo from the crowd was no longer cheerful. Half of them had scrambled away already, and the other watched on with Aurelie, as the King fell among the rubble of bricks.
A hand rested on her shoulder. She didn't need to look to know that it had been Kaiden's. It was an embrace she felt too often, and the pity enraged her. She remembered the fire she had within her and smiled through the fury that she felt char her insides.
"Kaiden, gather every shadow walker in the castle."
Nic turned toward them, his eyes narrowing. "What for?"
"I'm going to Halbrook," she gave him a sideways glance, "alone."
"And what do you expect to gain there?" Kaiden asked, his hand slipping from her shoulder.
"Michael, our men, and their alliance."
"They attacked us during broad daylight," Kaiden said dryly. "I think both you and Emile underestimated the power of our alliance and what it would mean to our enemies. Do you want to have the kingdom lose their king and their queen on the same day?"
"The King?" Nic's eye widened and he looked to the castle, turning pale. "That was the King?"
"Find out if that was indeed him, and gather the shadow walkers. I'm done being the victim," Aurelie's eyes blazed as she said it.
Valice rose and flew in the direction of the attackers. She dove toward the ground and a bright orange flame rose from above the trees.
Aurelie smiled, and pulled her hand out of Nic's grip, folding her arms. "Do they not understand?"
"Understand what?" Nic asked.
"That I will kill every single one of them." She turned to him then. "Every person who has betrayed me." Aurelie kept her eyes on him long enough to make him turn away from discomfort.
"I don't think you should go," Kaiden said. They were locked in place, looking upon the destruction. Half the tower remained and remained the focus of Aurelie's vision even while Valice flew around the field vigorously, searching for more attackers. "The coronation has to occur; someone has to break the news to everyone. Someone has to stand tall and cry that vengeance will be had, that the kingdom will come out stronger, that the crown still has a head to bloody weigh on!"
"It sounds like you already know exactly what to say, uncle. You shall do this in my absence. And when I return, we will march on the Icelands. Get the troops ready, won't you?"
"Yes, Your Majesty," he said almost sarcastically.
A fraction of her being shifted, in that moment, and entered a state of darkness nothing could retrieve it from. She rubbed her hands together, and marched toward her castle, with her chin held high, and her mind focused on one thing, and one thing only; the destruction of her enemies. She's already melted the snow, now she would char the very ground beneath their feet.