The next couple days passed peacefully for Aellyn. She and Conrad spent most of their time in her chambers, settled on one of the couches in front of the hearth in her sitting room, pouring over whatever tomes Ilbryen sent them. The rest of the household, however, was in a flurry of activity preparing for the wedding, which was set to take place the following day. Aellyn was thankful that Annika and her daughters seemed to have things well in hand. She had enough on her plate without having to manage the frippery of a wedding, she thought as she paused in her reading to gaze into the fire crackling softly in the fireplace, another of her father’s journals spread momentarily forgotten in her lap.
“What’s on your mind?” Conrad’s question, softly spoken, broke into her thoughts.
“Oh, lots of things,” she sighed, turning to regard him. “We’ll be leaving for Nemathyr the day after tomorrow. Is everything ready?”
“Most of the arrangements were already managed by your family, since they always intended to return home after the wedding. Was there anything specific you wanted?”
“Not really,” she murmured. “Just my father’s notes, which we have. I think I’m just nervous.”
“That’s understandable,” he reached out and put a comforting hand on her shoulder. “A lot has happened.” She closed the book in her lap and set it aside.
“We should get some rest,” she said, standing. “I have a feeling tomorrow is going to be a long day.” She gave him a wan smile and reached out a hand to him. He set his own book aside and let her lead him to her bedchamber.
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The following morning, they were startled awake when Ada came rushing in, calling for Aellyn. Hot on her heels was Annika and a rather harried looking man, his arms full of fabric. Aellyn bolted upright clutching the sheets to her chest to cover herself, though none of her sudden visitors seemed to take any note of her state of undress or the man lying beside her.
“I’m so sorry, my lady,” Ada stammered nervously. “I told them you hadn’t woken yet, but—”
“We need to get you into your dress,” Annika interrupted, motioning the man beside her forward. “Get a bath ready for them. I’m going to check on Evelien, but I’ll be back.” She announced, and turned to leave just as quickly as she’d arrived.
“I’ll bring a tray and have a bath prepared, my lady,” Ada said apologetically, and rushed from the room. Aellyn turned to stare at the man who’d brought her dress, which he was currently fussing over.
He’d set the rather impressive garment down on a dressing chair nearby, and he was currently smoothing out the skirts rather meticulously, taking care not to snag any of the decorative embellishments. He was shorter than her, she could see, and rather ostentatiously dressed in rich brocades, silks, and satins. His short, sandy brown hair was carefully coiffed, styled back from his face and held in place by the liberal use of pomade.
“And you are?” Conrad asked, his tone was dark. He’d sat up beside her during the commotion, and he eyed this strange man as if he’d found a fly in his teacup.
“Oh!” The man turned then, giving an excited clap. “Lady Annika has asked me to dress you both for the wedding.” He favored them both with an indulgent smile.
“You could at least wait until we’ve had breakfast,” Conrad grumbled, slumping back to the pillows and letting out a gusty sigh.
“Yes,” Aellyn agreed, “a bit of privacy while we bathe and have breakfast would be appreciated.”
“There isn’t much time,” the man fretted, “the ceremony is set to begin in a couple hours.”
“We’ll be ready,” Aellyn assured him. “But for now, privacy.” She pinned him with a glare meant to remind him in whose home he currently stood and at whose pleasure he was currently employed. It had the desired effect.
“Of course,” the man bowed quickly, taking the hint. He turned and hustled out of her chambers then, leaving them blessedly alone, though for how long, she wasn’t sure.
“Well, that’s one way to start the day,” Conrad grumbled at her side.
“I suppose we should have anticipated a certain degree of madness today,” Aellyn gave a resigned sigh and rubbed her eyes. “We best get up. Who knows when they’ll be back.” And she tossed the sheets aside, sliding from the bed and searching for her robe. By the time they were out of bed and decently clad, a rather harried-looking Ada had returned with their breakfast tray, followed by a parade of servants carrying buckets of steaming water for their bath on her heels.
“I’m so sorry, my lady,” Ada began as she set the tray down on the low table separating the two couches in the sitting room. “I had no idea the Lady Annika—“
“It’s fine, Ada,” Aellyn interrupted, waving away the poor maid’s stammered apology. “You could hardly be expected to gainsay her.”
“Just keep that fusspot she brought with her at bay until after we’ve had a bath, at least,” Conrad gave the maid a sympathetic smile and a mischievous wink.
“Could you check in on my mother?” Aellyn asked. “I don’t want Annika wearing her out with all this nonsense before the ceremony even begins.”
“Of course, my lady,” Ada replied with a quick curtsy, and set off on her errand, leaving them to their breakfast.
They ate in silence, devouring the contents of the tray quickly. Their bath was a hurried affair, each scrubbing themselves with efficient movements from opposite ends of the large tub. Aellyn suddenly felt like a child trying to avoid a scolding as she climbed from the tub and reached for a towel, and it irritated her. She rubbed herself dry, moving the towel in swift strokes down her body.
“Not exactly how we’re used to starting the day,” Conrad remarked with a wry grin as he stepped from the bath and reached for his own towel.
“No,” Aellyn replied sourly. “But it’s just for today, and hopefully it makes my mother happy. That’s all that matters.”
“Or so you’ll spend the entire day reminding yourself.” He chuckled softly as he toweled himself dry.
“Yes,” she admitted, slipping into her robe. “Let’s get this over with,” she sighed, and stepped out to summon the annoying little man assigned to dress them for the day.
They filed into the ballroom an hour later to find the room completely transformed from its usual cold emptiness. The grand white marble hall was packed with chairs and benches brought out of storage. There was a plush dark blue carpet with silver trim set down the aisle, and bouquets of fresh flowers festooned with bright blue ribbons hung from the chairs and benches to either side of the aisle. Tall, ornate braziers with small, crackling fires stood at even intervals outlining the space. Flowers had been fastened to the thick drapes that hung over the floor-to-ceiling windows that lined either side of the room, and bright blue ribbons had been tied around the columns flanking the room. A string quintet was setting up in an alcove, and guests were already filing in and taking their seats, filling the spaces closest to the door first, leaving space in the front rows for family and close friends.
Aellyn was surprised to see so many people, especially on such short notice. As Conrad led her down the aisle to their seats in the front row, her hand hooked in the crook of his elbow, she saw a few faces she recognized—mostly neighbors from within the Flower District that her family had socialized with over the years. As they reached the front row, they found Ellinor and Aiyana already there, matching smiles lighting their faces. The sisters shared a giggle as Aellyn and Conrad took their seats. Aellyn gave them a quizzical look, but before she could ask to be let in on the joke, Annika joined them, looking rather smug. She had every right.
“This is quite the miracle you’ve pulled off,” Aellyn told her as she took her seat beside her daughters.
“It wasn’t easy,” Annika admitted, “but your mother deserves to have the best wedding we can give her.”
“It’s so romantic!” Aiyana exclaimed, and Ellinor nodded along enthusiastically. Looking around, Aellyn saw most of her father’s family, and various members of his retinue—including Dacyne and Daelar—were also taking their seats on the other side of the aisle. Her uncle, Beilar, was notably absent from the group; she assumed he was with her father, just as Aldun was no doubt with her mother.
The quiet chatter of the guests taking their seats suddenly hushed and eyes gradually turned toward the grand entryway to the ballroom. When Aellyn turned toward the entryway, she saw Beilar standing there, patiently waiting until the murmured conversations around the room finally quieted and all eyes had turned to him. He cut a rather regal figure as he stood there, Aellyn thought, hands folded casually in front of him, clad in a flowing robe of shimmering white silk with dark green bands of satin lining the hem and cuffs and trimmed in shining gold thread embroidered in flowering patterns. He wore a simple golden circlet around his brow, which disappeared into the flowing silver stream of his hair.
Once the room was silent, Beilar stepped forward onto the plush blue carpet that led down the center aisle, and the musicians began a gentle, lilting song in accompaniment to his graceful tread as he made his way toward the small, flower-strewn dais at the front of the room. He kept his gaze fixed firmly on the dais as he moved, and it seemed that a spell had been cast over all assembled as they watched him pass in awe-struck silence. When he reached the dais and stepped onto it, turning back to face the guests, there was a sudden pause in the music, and all eyes turned in unison back to the entryway. And there, framed in the grand doorway, stood Ilbryen.
Her father appeared positively resplendent as he stood there, arms resting casually at his sides and a placid expression on his face. His long robe, belted at the waist with a thickly woven gold cord, was of impeccable white silk embroidered with golden thread and banded with white satin at the hem and cuffs. The cape he wore, fastened at his shoulders with carved golden clasps, flowed down his back in a wash of white satin. He wore a large emerald set in gold pinned at his throat that seemed to glow with an inner light, and an ornate golden crown of delicately shaped curves sat atop the intricately plaited spill of his long silver hair. The delicate fragrance of the flowers around the room was the perfect accent to the figure he struck standing there, time seeming to stand still for that brief moment, until he gracefully stepped forward and the music began again in soft, dulcet notes.
He moved slowly down the aisle, nodding and smiling in acknowledgment to various guests as he passed, silently welcoming them all into this special moment with him with the simple gesture. When he finally reached the dais where his brother stood waiting, he stepped up confidently and then turned back to face the entryway as his brother had done. The eyes of the crowd followed his gaze and found Aldun and Evelien standing in the doorway, one of her hands folded carefully in the crook of his elbow and in her other hand, a small bouquet of white and blue flowers tied with a golden cord.
Aldun wore a dark blue brocade tunic, heavily embellished with silver thread embroidered in flowing floral patterns, belted at the waist with a thick black leather band. His trousers were matching blue satin, tucked into sleek black leather boots. His short black hair with distinguished streaks of gray at his temples was smoothed back from his face in a careful sweep. A large, bright sapphire set in silver was pinned at his throat, a perfect match to the sapphire signet ring he wore. His expression was fond as he gazed down at his sister at his side.
Beside him, Evelien was a vision. Her long gray hair was plaited in an intricate series of long braids, interwoven with ribbons of green and blue silk, that converged and mingled at the nape of her neck and trailed down her back in a single impressive braid. A simple gold circlet rested on her brow. The gown she wore was of a simple and modest cut, but the shimmering white silk was carefully sheathed in intricately patterned white lace and beaded with pearls, giving the entire flowing garment an ethereal feel. Her eyes were fixed firmly on the dais, on Ilbryen standing there before her, and her expression was one of pure love and devotion. The look she gave her husband-to-be caused joyful tears to spring to the eyes of more than one silent onlooker.
In perfect unison, Aldun and Evelien stepped forward and began their slow progress down the aisle, and the musicians struck up a gentle, romantic tune in accompaniment. As they moved down the aisle, Evelien’s gaze never wavered from Ilbryen’s, until they reached the front row, where she paused and turned to hand the bouquet she held to Aellyn, who stepped forward to accept it with a radiant smile. Evelien turned back and looked to Aldun then, who dipped his head to plant an affectionate kiss on her cheek and then helped her step carefully onto the dais. He took her hand from his elbow then and passed it to Ilbryen, who accepted it gently, and the two shared warm smiles of acknowledgment before Aldun stepped back and moved to take his seat beside his wife.
Ilbryen looked to Evelien then and held out his free hand to her. She took it, squeezing it lightly as she gazed up at him, her eyes brimming with love and unshed tears. The assembled guests quietly took their seats as the music faded to silence, and Beilar began the ceremony.
After the ceremony, the guests were guided to the main dining hall, where large tables were arranged with benches and set with a grand celebration feast. Platters piled high with roasted meats and vegetables were placed at even intervals along all of the tables, and interspersed with tiered plates of delicately crafted cakes, pastries and glazed fruits. Servants stood unobtrusively to the side, ready to pour wine, ale, tea or water, or replenish any of the dishes whose rich, mouth-watering scents enticed the happily chattering gathering inside.
A heavy, carved wood table sat at the head of the room set with its own impressive platters of foods, a line of ten matching chairs set with thick blue velvet cushions lined one side of the table. Once most of the guests had seated themselves, the procession of the families of the bride and groom began to file into the room, a steward announcing each couple as they entered. Beilar and his wife, Arasatra, entered first, and they took seats at the head table just to the right of the two center chairs. Aellyn and Conrad were announced next, taking their seats to the left. Enleth and her husband, Kelven, were announced next, and they took the two remaining seats on the same end as Beilar and Arasatra. Aldun and Annika followed, taking the two open seats at the end next to Aellyn and Conrad.
There was a sharp, cracking sound as the steward by the entry to the dining hall banged his staff in two quick thumps, and the hall fell silent. The assembled guests all got to their feet and turned to the door expectantly.
“Prince Ilbryen of Albrieth, and his wife, Lady Evelien,” the steward announced grandly, and the newly married couple stepped into the entryway, greeted by a round of applause and joyful laughter from their assembled guests. The couple greeted the room with warm smiles and happy waves and made their way to the head table, where they took their seats in the two empty chairs that awaited them in the center of the table. Once the couple had seated themselves, their guests did the same, and the celebration feast began in earnest.
The large hall buzzed with conversation and laughter as everyone sat enjoying the meal. The wine and ale flowed in ample supply, and the overall atmosphere in the hall was relaxed and joyful. The bride and groom’s families mingled and chatted as if they’d been doing so for years. As the evening’s celebrations wore on, the day’s excitement took a visible toll on the bride. She was obviously elated, but also worn out, so once she’d finished her meal and taken time to visit with some of their guests, her husband ushered her gently out of the hall and off to their chambers, leaving the assembled guests to carry on the celebration without them.
“How long before we can escape, you think?” Conrad leaned in to whisper, a mischievous glint in his eyes. Aellyn smiled wryly.
“It would be a bit conspicuous,” she replied without much conviction.
“Your cousins have been eyeing us all day,” he commented, nodding in the direction of a nearby table where Ellinor and Aiyana sat, heads together, giggling. Just as he’d said, they kept casting surreptitious glances in Aellyn and Conrad’s direction. “I think perhaps our secret’s out.”
“It’s hardly a secret,” Aellyn laughed. “We’ve practically been living together all week.” She took a careful bite of a small, fruit-filled pastry. “Servants gossip,” she reminded him, still chewing. She brushed the crumbs carefully from her fingers and turned to regard him. He looked surprised. “What?”
“I don’t know,” he said slowly, “I guess I just thought you’d care if people found out.” His expression was unreadable.
“Why?” She asked, genuinely confused. He waved his hand dismissively.
“I don’t think I’m the kind of person your family envisioned you with,” he said simply. She caught his gaze then and held it, her expression serious.
“They envision me with someone who makes me happy,” she said quietly. “And I have no reason to keep anything a secret.” He digested this in silence, shifting in his seat and turning back to fidget with his fork. She rested a hand gently on his shoulder and leaned in, her lips close to his ear. “If you want me to stand up and announce to this entire room how I feel about you, I will,” she whispered softly, her lips grazing his earlobe in a feather light caress as she spoke, her breath lightly fanning his neck. He gazed at her sidelong for a moment, then chuckled quietly to himself, seeming to return to his usual good humor.
“There’s been enough excitement for one day, I think,” he said sardonically, taking a sip of his ale. She settled back again, looking out across the room. Seeing so many people here to celebrate her mother and father, watching everyone enjoying themselves, made her happier than she would’ve thought. All the fuss had been worth it after all, she decided.
Aldun stood then from his seat on Conrad’s other side and came around to the empty seat beside Aellyn. Pulling the chair back, he sat, leaning his elbows on his knees.
“Your father tells me you’ll be leaving us,” he began, his voice low.
“Yes,” Aellyn replied apologetically. “I know you had other plans, but—“ Aldun waved this away.
“I know the task he has set for you is an important one,” he said. “You’ll be leaving tomorrow with Beilar and the rest, but I wondered if there was anything you needed?” He seemed a bit anxious, and Aellyn was touched by his concern and understanding. She placed a reassuring hand on his arm.
“Conrad will be with me,” she explained. “And I’m sure the arrangements Beilar and the others have made should be more than sufficient, but if there’s anything that will put your mind at ease…” she trailed off.
“Actually, there is,” Aldun brightened a bit. “I’d like you to take Rom with you as well.”
“Rom?” Aellyn was surprised. She hadn’t seen much of the gruff old goat recently. Normally, she trained with him in the yard along with the rest of their household guards every day, but she’d simply been so busy lately with everything going on that she hadn’t even spared him a thought. She suddenly felt a bit guilty.
“Yes,” Aldun insisted. “Aside from Conrad, there’s no one in our service I would trust more with your safety.” When Aellyn seemed to hesitate, he went on, “Captain Zaltred has been training with Rom for years and is perfectly capable of taking charge in his absence.”
“As long as there’s no disruption to the household,” Aellyn agreed, “I’d be happy to have Rom along. I’m afraid I’ve been a bit lax recently, so it would be a good chance to resume our training.” Aldun gave a quick nod in satisfaction.
“It’s settled then,” he announced happily. “That takes a great weight off my mind.” She smiled at him.
“All will be well, Uncle,” she assured him.
“I know,” he admitted a bit sheepishly. “It’s just that you’ve never traveled so far from home before. I know you’re capable, and in good company, but I can’t help but worry as if you were one of my own daughters.” She patted his arm sympathetically.
“With any luck, we’ll be home again before you even have a chance to miss us,” she said, a teasing grin on her face. She didn’t believe her own words, but she hid any doubt she felt from her expression as she sought to comfort him. He placed a hand on hers where it rested on his arm and gave it a gentle squeeze.
“I’m sure you’re right,” he agreed. “After all, we’ve our own work to begin when you return, and you’ve never been one to shirk your duties.” He gave her a fond smile then, the expression softening the stern lines of his face. He gave her hand a final pat and rose from his seat then, returning to his original seat beside his wife, where they immediately entered into a whispered conversation of their own.
“Well, this ought to be fun,” Conrad groused. “With that old goat along, we’ll never have a moment’s peace.” His tone was sarcastic, but Aellyn was sure his true feelings were closer to relief. Even though they would be among her father’s family, they would still be traveling into unfamiliar territory, and the old captain would be a reassuring presence despite his characteristic gruffness.
“He’ll certainly keep us on our toes,” Aellyn acknowledged with a laugh.
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