Page 11 of The Ivory King (Crowns of Melowynn #2)

EVENING PRAYERS SEEMED TO DRAG ON FOR HOURS.

I’d asked Ihdos to bring my love and my friend back to me so many times and in so many ways that his godly ear surely had to be sore from my pleas. I moved from prayers to the dining hall sluggishly, my heart heavy, and my mind weary from the mental gyrations I was engaged in. I knew my destiny had always been laid out before me from the moment I had drawn my first breath. Yes, it had chafed at times, but I had come to accept it, and as I matured, I embraced it. For I could do much good for the vills and the kind people of Renedith. Yes, it was a weighty responsibility, but I’d trained for it. What I faced now was uncharted, much like the mysterious islands that sat in fog to our northwestern shores. Each moment propelled me closer to a future that I was not prepared for or wanted.

“…gardens?”

I jerked back to the lady strolling along at my side. Raewyn was dressed in a demure dark blue gown with white stitching, her dark chestnut hair flowing down her back in soft waves.

“I am sorry. My mind wandered,” I replied, taking her hand and placing it on my arm as we neared the dining hall with Merrilyn and Pasil a few paces behind us. “I seem to be more tired than I realized.”

“That’s to be expected, my lord.” She smiled at me. “I asked if you wished to walk the gardens after the evening meal. I’m quite proud of the vegetable gardens we have here.”

“I would enjoy that greatly, my lady.”

She nodded, then fell into discussing how the sisters harvested the hillsides. I bobbed my head and made all the correct sounds of interest, but my thoughts were elsewhere.

“I must say that your attire fits you well,” Raewyn commented as we entered the massive dining hall. All eyes flew to us, then quickly lowered back to their meal. Five long wooden tables with equally lengthy benches sat filled with sisters. At the front of the hall was a shorter table where the grand cloisterer sat with some of the higher-ranking sisters.

“I am appreciative of the workmen who graciously donated them,” I replied, sneaking a quick peek down at the serviceable trousers, boots, and shirt that had been delivered to me before evening prayers.

Raewyn made a comment about how a regal bearing could make even the simplest clothing royal raiment. When we arrived at the head table, my stomach rudely growled. I escorted Lady Frostleaf to her seat, and I took mine beside the grand cloisterer. More prayers were said. Wine was served followed quickly by the meal, a simple but ample supper of browned goose, small potatoes served with bits of ground pepper, a side of buttered squash, and a small cake with apple topping for dessert.

I ate what was placed before me but I tasted little. The grand cloisterer sipped her wine while keeping a dutiful eye on me and Raewyn, her gaze quizzical. I suspected she was curious about my delay in asking Raewyn for her hand. Little could she, or my intended, know that I was doing every dance step that I could to postpone the inevitable. Which was foolish since there was no doing a piper’s jig around the fact that come tomorrow I would be promised to an old friend while my heart resided in the hands of a man that might very well be—

“Do you not care for the apple cake?” Raewyn asked from my left.

I stared down at the dessert in front of me, my fork resting dully in my hand. “It is delightful, I am sure, but I find that my stomach is acidic.”

“Oh dear, well, we shall have to take our stroll now then. I have a large herb garden with some fresh peppermint that will soothe your stomach.” With that, Raewyn whispered around me to the grand cloisterer to make our excuses. The elder sister cocked an eyebrow before learning that Merrilyn would escort us. I rose, thanked the sisters for the meal, and then dismissed Pasil, who argued softly as we left the dining hall.

“Please, noble guard, go seek some rest. My handmaiden is capable of escorting us,” Raewyn stated with a kind smile on her pink lips. Pasil did not look convinced of the ability of a lady’s maid to protect me, but he relented due, I was sure, to being exhausted.

“I doubt any would be so bold as to enter such holy ground with evil on their minds,” I added, then sent my guard to his room. If they did, they would pay the price.

Raewyn took my arm. We walked under a thousand stars to the sound of night insects and birds toward a huge, fenced garden. Vegetables of all sorts grew in neat rows or climbed trellises. A small fountain burbled in the center, with empty buckets stacked neatly by the marble fountlet ready for the next day’s waterings. Spaced amid the rows and pergolas were stone benches. Merrilyn sat on one with her sight locked on us as if she feared I would manhandle her lady.

“Come, this way. The herbs are just over here,” Raewyn beckoned, leading me to a tidy side garden where mounds of dark green plants grew. “Have a seat.” She patted a curved bench and kneeled in the dirt to pinch off several sprigs of peppermint. With a soft sigh, she sat beside me, the heat of her maid’s gaze burning through my homespun shirt. “Chew on that. It will ease your discomfort. I myself do not care for the strong hand that Sister Olifi has with the seasonings on the potatoes, but she has been head sister in the kitchen for hundreds of years and will not hear of changing her ways. I often wonder how much better our lands would be if the old elves would simply listen to the ideals of the younger elves.”

“I wonder that hourly,” I confessed as I placed the peppermint on my tongue. It was sharp yet cooling as I chewed the firm leaves.

“I recall our letters saying as much. That is why I feel that you and I will suit well. We are forward thinkers with open minds. I’ve always felt a deep sisterly affection for you, my lord. Many were the years that I spent here with only Merrilyn for company, even a missive from another child, was a happy event.”

“I understand. I had boys about to play with, but they were always removed from being too close due to my noble ranking,” I said after swallowing.

“Yes, the nobility are fond of keeping themselves set above the people who feed them. It is so outdated, which is why I think that you and I will be the best of friends who work well together to advance our causes.”

“I’m sure we will be a good match in all ways,” I commented as I stared at the night sky.

“Well, not in all ways. I have no interest in lying with you.” My gaze flew from a shooting star that I’d been wishing upon for V’alor’s return to my intended. “You look properly shocked. Do not be, for it is not that I find you distasteful in any way. I simply prefer the female form over the male.” Her sight darted to Merrilyn. Oh. Well, that did explain why the human was staring at me as if she wished I were dead. It seemed a common sentimentality of late.

“But…” My brain skittered to a total halt. “But we are to be married and produce a child.” I glanced about nervously, but only Merrilyn was to be seen. “If we do not consummate our vows…”

She smiled at me as one would a child asking a foolish question. “Do not worry, my lord, for Merrilyn has vast knowledge of the ways of womanhood. She is a skilled herbalist and has midwifery expertise. She has informed me that there are ways a woman can conceive and never touch a male.”

I blinked like a dullard. My gaze touched on the robust human sitting rigidly with her sight locked on us. I’d seen that look on V’alor’s face many times when he disliked a person seated too close to me. A stabbing pain sliced through me at the mere thought of him.

“Please do not say that she is a hedge witch,” I whispered over the low coo of several doves in a nearby cote.

“No, silly.” Raewyn giggled and patted my knee. “She is no dark witch just a woman with an intimate knowledge of the feminine form and internal workings. Do not fret. All is well in hand. We will fulfill our duties to the crown and our familial lines. I will escape this stifling place and you will add vast lands to the vills of Renedith. We suit well, always have, and our lives will be lived most pleasantly.”

I felt as if I were coming into a performance of a dramatic play midway. A bumbling actor without knowledge of his lines, while Raewyn was the playwright with all the knowledge of how the story would play out.

“But what if we seek the comfort of others?” I asked softly, unwilling to have her maid overhear us. Merrilyn looked ready to leap over the flimsy fence that separated the vegetables from the herbs if I so much as sneezed incorrectly. “Not that I wish to do so obviously, for you are a lady raised to be pious and—”

Raewyn laughed. A hearty laugh that was pleasant and honest.

“Pious. Oh my lord, the grand cloisterer has no clue as to what transpires betwixt my darling Merrilyn and me. And so it shall remain, for the sooner I am freed from this life, the happier I shall be.”

“So you are saying that if I should seek out someone other than you—”

“Seek away! I shall have Merrilyn in my bed nightly.”

“Yes, well, that is…I must say the letters that my grandfather has received from the grand cloisterer paint you to be…well, they lent me to believe that—”

“I was tight-rimmed, docile, and malleable? Yes, most do assume that, and while I hold the sisters in the greatest esteem, for they did care for me since I was a child, I am not cut for the wearing of the brown cloth of religious servitude. The Frostleafs are noble warriors and shipwrights. Surely you know of our contributions to Melowynn?”

I did. They had forged a mighty shipping empire that sailed to lands of fable and myth. Then they had been stricken with the widow’s touch, rumored to have been contracted when Raewyn’s father braved the uncharted lands to the northwest. A cure was found eventually, but all who had been on that ill-fated trip had perished, noble elf and common sailor alike, all but Raewyn. The sickness spread over the Frostleaf lands, killing thousands of elves of all ages.

For some reason, Ihdos touched those tending Raewyn, and they resisted the fungal ill, and soon a cure was discovered as Raewyn clung to life. The only staff member that remained was Merrilyn, a waif who had been assigned as a playmate for Raewyn. Humans do not contract the widow’s touch, although they do carry many other sicknesses, and so the two children were brought here to live until Raewyn wed the young Stillcloud heir. Again reminding me of my life as a chess piece being moved from square to square by others.

“Your family name is one linked to bravery and service to the crown,” I said and got a soft sigh of thanks from Raewyn. I looked skyward at the twin moons as I worked up the courage to speak honestly to her. “I have someone as well,” I confided. “I think you will like V’alor. He is my guard captain and is coming to meet with us soon. We got separated during our trip here.”

I suspected that Lady Frostleaf was a trustworthy soul, but after the recent attacks, it seemed best to keep certain facts to myself. The number of people whom I could truly trust was down to five counting Umeris, and two of that five were not here. Beiro was newly added to that small group but had proven himself to me over the past few days. I could not speak for Pasil, but I suspected he was not keen on our guide.

“If he is good and honorable enough to win your heart, then I am sure that I shall. And if he for any reason ever saddens you, I shall punch him in the throat.”

That made me chuckle. I could easily imagine this tiny, formidable woman cold cocking my love.

“My guard Tezen will enjoy your company. She is a formidable woman in her own right.”

“I look forward to meeting her and the guard captain that you speak so dreamily about.”

“I…no, I do not speak dreamily, I am sure,” I argued and got a snicker.

“My lord Aelir, my dearest friend, your eyes glow with desire when his name is mentioned. I am glad you have someone to fulfill you as he does, for my love for Merrilyn is much the same.” She reached over to clasp my hand.

“I am…you are…thank you. I love him deeply and I worry for his safety. That is why I am perhaps a bit distant this eve.” I turned slightly to give her my full attention. “I beg your forgiveness for my inattention.”

“There is no need to apologize. I cannot imagine the fear that would claim me if Merrilyn were taken from me and I knew not of her well-being. I can see how deeply you love him. Fear not for Ihdos will bring him to you.”

“Thank you. I pray that to be the case.” We shared a look of affection, much like that of siblings. “There is much that you need to know before we return to Celear, my lady.”

“Oh, I assumed that we would head to Renedith,” she replied, tipping her head in confusion. A soft wind rustled through the trellises, shaking the dried peppers on the vines.

“We would have, yes, but things at the court have taken a dark turn. There is more weight for us to carry than just the vills that we will rule over. King Raloven has recently died, poisoned by unknown forces, and when we return to the capital, it may come to pass that you will wear the crown of Queen of Melowynn and not just the circlet of the mistress of Renedith.”

“Oh that is sad news indeed,” she whispered quietly. “He seemed a just monarch. But that also means that you and I can work to effect more change if we rule all the lands.” Her fingers curled around mine. “We shall do well no matter what coronary rests upon our heads.”

“You are quite the unshakable woman.”

“Thank you, my lord. Now that we have sorted our future woes, let me show you the largest red turnip you have ever seen.”

I watched the sun pinken the sky from the stables, with Atriel’s soft flank next to my cheek. She seemed to feel that I was grieving and so gently stood in her stall between Gwedel and Hasulett with the workhorses across the small walkway. She let me hang over her face, wet and heartbroken, until I was drained of all emotion. V’alor and Tezen were not here yet and now the fear that they had fallen in the skirmish clutched my heart tightly.

She’d politely taken the green apples from me after I’d arrived while the night lingered in the sky, never once trying to nip me or nudge me with her shoulder as she wanted to do when she was displeased. And she was greatly displeased. The hay was not up to her standards and the mules across the way were not her usual stablemates. Yet, despite all of that, my mare stood patiently in the dark as I wept on her soft, dapple coat.

The soft sounds of the sisters stirring about rode in on a cold wind. I wiped my face, ran my fingers through my hair to remove the chaff, and then ran a hand down my horse’s neck, enjoying the way her mane fell over the back of my hand.

“You are a good friend,” I whispered and got a brisk nod of her head. “A valiant steed and a winsome mare.” Atriel nickered in reply. I rubbed along her jaw and placed a kiss on her nose. “You shall have to carry me in both body and spirit, I fear, for I am hollow inside without him.”

She gave me a long-lashed blink before I backed out of her stall, stopping to pet each horse on my way out. We would be leaving today as soon as Raewyn and I were betrothed officially. It was imperative that we return to Celear with speed which, I feared, would be a longer journey given we were taking two noblewomen with us. Once we left the Lavender Valley behind, the danger would intensify. None would dare harm us here upon holy land, not even cold-hearted assassins, but that holy protection would cease once our horse’s hooves touched the last purple steppe. Even though we were safer here than in our mother’s arms, Pasil was always nearby. I waved him off, but he declined to go, instead following me at a polite distance, his sword at the ready.

Where Beiro was, I had no idea. Sleeping in the tack room, I imagined, but the nimble guide could be anywhere on this mountainside. Perhaps he had decided this was too dangerous a job and left during the night. I’d not fault him if he had.

I passed by sisters in brown as they set about their daily duties. My feet carried me not to the dormitory where I should be eating and bathing in preparation for the betrustment observance but to the lavender steppes. Women in cocoa-colored robes skirted around me, eyes averted, polite greetings falling from their lips as I waded out into a vast field of lavender, my mind lost in grief. I stood among tall violet spikes as small bees flew lazily about, their torpidity matching mine. My very soul was exhausted, weary, and downtrodden, and I wished nothing more than to lie down among the flowers and never rise again.

The sun rose slowly, warming my head as the blossoms around me grew busier with visiting pollinators. I found no joy in the sight as I would normally have. Kenton had taught me great respect and love for the natural world. Yet no delicate butterfly of crimson or the buzz of a speckled hummingbird could lift me from the pit of loss. If he was lost to me as I feared I would not find him. I would not allow him to be rolled into a lake as the fisherfolk do. V’alor was a warrior and he would be given a fitting burial in the Stillcloud family plot. Umeris and his rantings about common blood being buried with noble be damned.

My sight moved along the steppes one by one, down into the valley, as I plotted out how to return to Lake Tolso to retrieve my fallen friends when the newly risen sun struck something bright. A glint of copper moving at speed. I rubbed my eyes, took a few steps, and then stared at the rider as they turned onto the first of many roads switch-backing up the sides of the Witherhorn. My heart began to thud against my ribs as the sight grew clearer and clearer, the copper armor of a Stillcloud guard. I began to run. Sisters plucking small purple flowers scattered like frightened ducks on a pond as I bolted down the steppes, tripping and stumbling, my eyes wet as Sirdal thundered up and up with V’alor low on his back.

The horse skidded to a halt halfway up the steppes. I ran harder as V’alor dismounted and turned to face me. He was grimy and travel-worn, but never had I seen a more beautiful sight. Around his head flitted a small purple cloud that darted to and fro, then dove at me. Tezen hugged my face tightly, blinding me momentarily as her tiny breasts were smashed into my eyes.

“My lord! My lord! You are well! Praise all the gods!” she yelled, her voice sharp but so welcomed. I gently peeled her from my nose, smiled warmly at the filthy pixie, and let her sit in my palm for a moment. “I am so glad to have found you. Traveling with him has been like having a sore prick and no balm.” She jerked a tiny thumb at V’alor, who was now speaking with Pasil. “He’s said nothing for days. Poor Sirdal is close to collapse. My tits are sore from the bouncing they’ve taken, and my gut is empty as a whorehouse patron’s purse!”

I laughed merrily, tears of joy streaming down my face. “I am overjoyed to see you! Please, have Pasil lead you to the shrine where you may bathe and eat. We shall talk more at supper.”

“Oh right, yes, you want to say hello to Sir Grumpy Pants. Got it!” She winked at me, then took to the sky, flitting over to sit atop Pasil’s ebony head. They walked off deep in conversation, Pasil leading an exhausted Sirdal to the stables to be curried, watered, and fed, leaving me standing ten paces or so from V’alor.

“Seeing your face warmed by the morning sun is a beauty that I shall never tire of, Aelir,” V’alor said as he opened his arms. I flew to him, shaking bees and small butterflies from the violet spikes. He caught me with ease, lifting me from the ground to cover my mouth with his. His taste was divine. I licked deep into his mouth, his tongue gliding over mine, as I dug my fingers into his short, lank hair. I cared not if he was road dirty. He was here. Alive. Alive. He was alive!!

“I love you so,” I gasped when the kiss broke. “I thought you…I feared you were…” The words were log-jammed as I began to cry in earnest, uncaring of who saw my tears or my lips on this man’s lips. “I was empty. I love you so, V’alor.”

“And I love you, Aelir, more than I ever imagined.” He kissed me again and again and thrice more after that. I needed more of him, his kisses, his hands, his voice. I needed all of him and would have suggested we make love here on the steppes if not for the sisters moving about above us. “I feared you had been overtaken by the assassins.”

“No, we rode well and stealthily. Beiro led us through the nights with expertise. We might not have made it here without his aid.”

“Hmm,” he replied before kissing me once more, then gently letting my toes touch the ground. A bee buzzed by as we stood there drinking each other in. “I shall have to thank him. You are a vision, my love.” He ran his fingers through my hair, lifting it and then allowing it to fall back over my shoulder. “You are the light that guided me through the darkness of our separation. The memory of your eyes, the feel of your skin, the softness of your lips…I am a fool for ever trying to deny this love I have for you.”

I pulled his face down close so that I could taste his lips once more.

“I long for you to be inside me,” I confessed in a raspy whisper that pulled a moan from him. He cradled my cheek, searching my eyes before he shook his head.

“That shall have to wait, Aelir, for I have news to relay to you and the capital,” he said as his thumb rubbed at my lower lip. “We have no time to make love. Your affianced will surely not wish to find her future husband—”

I nipped at the pad of his thumb. “We do have much to discuss. First, let us get you washed, fed, and rested.” He shook his head. “You must sleep, V’alor. You cannot protect us if you are ready to collapse. Another day will not bring about the end of the realm, I am sure.”

Or I hoped it would not.

He huffed, a sign that he knew I was right. I had missed that sound. “I shall nap. The sooner we leave, the sooner we return. Umeris will not be able to stall the other noble families once the required days in state are met.”

“I know. We shall get there in time.” I slid my hands up to his neck and led his mouth back to mine for a final kiss. Final for the moment. I planned to place my lips on his entire body as soon as it was feasible. “Come. We will retire to my room, where you can wash, eat, and sleep.”

“Nap. A short rest is all that I will need.”

“Yes, of course.” I gazed back lovingly at him as I led him through the fields of purple, his large hand nestled in mine. It was foolish, given his fingers curled around mine, but I needed to look back just to ensure he was truly returned to me. Why my grandfather thought a lovesick fool such as I was the best to sit upon the throne of Melowynn was truly beyond me. Manners of state should be foremost in my mind, but my thoughts centered on V’alor and only V’alor. Perhaps a king should avoid romantic emotions so that his whole was centered on the people of his lands and not the person holding his heart…