Respectant

by Florian Armaselu

  “How is my beautiful wife?” Eduin had formed a habit of slipping unseen in her room, to claim a kiss, and it was happening more and more often.

  She turned her head and smiled, saying nothing, afraid that her voice would betray her emotion. He embraced her from behind, and kissed her neck. She shivered without realizing it, yet he noticed, and his lips moved over her sensitive skin. Her shoulder blades tightened but, this time, Eduin was the unobservant one, desire mounting in him; he did not hurry, and slowly Saliné abandoned herself to his lips and touch. His hand moved up her body, finding her breast.

  “Eduin,” Saliné protested, but her voice was feeble, as her body had already started to answer him, and he covered her mouth with his.

  Her bathrobe slid down, and she no longer resisted when he pulled up her night gown.

  “You are so beautiful, Vio,” Eduin said and gently laid her on the bed, pressing his face to her belly, his lips moving slowly up until he found her breast. She breathed faster, and her arms tightened around his neck. After a while, he tried to move up, parting her legs. Unconsciously, she stopped him and moved his head over her other breast. Then she could stop him no more.

  “Oh, Eduin,” Saliné whispered, tilting her head back. Her hands moved along his back, answering him with the same passion, and soon they found their twin rhythm. At the end, they lay on their backs waiting to recover their breath, until he turned toward her.

  “Vio, please don’t think badly of me. I should have waited until tomorrow, but I lost my head. I apologize for my happiness.” He caressed her face gently. “Perhaps it was easier like this, without the pressure of the wedding night.” This time there was a mischievous glimmer in his eyes.

  Saliné blushed, and she pressed her fingers to his eyelids, closing them.

  “I like that color.” He laughed quietly and kissed her fingers, which moved slowly over his face, across his lips, learning him. When she rested her palm on his chest, feeling his heartbeat slowing down, Eduin pulled her over him, her head resting on his shoulder. They stayed like that, drowned together in a pleasant silence, almost asleep.

  “We lay like this after that battle in the snow,” he said after a while.

  “I was a bit better dressed then,” Saliné chuckled, and he pulled her over him completely. They were now face to face, eyes locked. Slowly, she lowered her mouth over his.

  They made love once more, and at midnight, Eduin left the room when almost everybody was sleeping in the castle, just to keep up appearances.

  Alone, Saliné embraced a pillow, pleasure still murmuring in her body. I think I can love Eduin. Perhaps it has started already. The pleasant memory of his body leaning against hers stirred and made her blush at the same time. He is a good man, kind and intelligent. Well, she sighed, tomorrow I will become Signora of Laurden. Codrin was not meant to be. Fate. She could not sleep for a while, and when it finally came, her dreams moved her back in time, to Severin, talking with Codrin under their cherry tree, but Eduin appeared in her dreams too, saving her from the storm, then in Laurden, dancing in the castle, under the high starry sky, his lips and well-built body pressed against hers.

  Walking toward the church, Saliné was at the same time content, afraid, elated and resigned. If asked what was weighing more in her mind, she could not have answered. Once the memory of the night had vanished, nostalgia for a past that could not come back had consumed her. She was equally consumed by her future with Eduin. Her thoughts went again to Codrin and, this time, she forced herself to stop thinking of him. It was not meant to be, she said to herself for the hundredth time. And love may come to me again. She looked at Eduin, who all the women in Laurden considered to be a handsome man. Saliné had acknowledged that too, on that first day in the castle when she woke up in a strange room. She had thought herself dead until the young man smiled gently, comforting her. I like him, she thought, recalling that gentle smile. And this is my wedding day. Her mind started to settle down, and she straightened her body.

  Eduin felt her turmoil and assumed it was the tension of the wedding. His hand covered hers, resting on his arm. He smiled, and Saliné smiled back. “You have nothing to worry about, wife, you look so beautiful.” Still smiling, she nodded and swiped her thumb over his hand.

  “My dear girl,” the older priest said and, feeling her unease, he came closer to Saliné, taking her hand in his. “It’s a pleasure to marry such a good looking couple. Today, you will become a wife and a Signora. It’s an important moment in your life, and I promise you a beautiful ceremony, though I don’t know if it could be as beautiful as you are.” He patted her hand, then let it free. “Ready?” he asked the other four priests, who all nodded. “We are here to make a new life for Vio and Eduin. They came here as two people; they will go as a family. Does anyone have an objection to this marriage? Speak now.”

  “I have,” a man said, raising his hand, his voice more powerful than his small stature would indicate. His shortness was even more striking as he stood next to a very tall man. The short man would barely come up to the nose of an average man, but the chin of the tall one would rest comfortably on the head of most men in the yard, and many were gathered there to witness the marriage of the future Seigneur of Laurden. The odd pair stepped a few steps closer, pushing some people aside until there was no one between them and Foy. Discreetly, five more men followed them. “I apologize for speaking so late, but we’ve just arrived in Laurden.”

  Foy looked darkly at him, trying to keep his irritation under control; he knew both men. He had invited them to the wedding, and did not expect such interference. “Speak,” he snapped.

  “The bride is the daughter of a Grand Signora. Did you receive her mother’s approval?”

  A ripple of surprise passed through the crowd. Most of them wondered how the foreign girl who Eduin had saved in the mountains could be the daughter of a Grand Signora. Such noble ladies don’t walk alone through the forests, and they thought her a commoner, or at most a Knight’s daughter. Some, mostly young women ripped for marriage, even whispered that she had seduced the heir to advance her status. For the first time, Eduin and his father began to understand some aspects of Saliné’s behavior that had eluded them until now, or that they had perhaps chosen to ignore.

  Who is that man? Saliné looked at him, and their eyes locked. The man smiled briefly under his large salt and pepper moustache. I don’t know him, but if he stops the wedding... I wish it had happened earlier. It may be too dangerous now. Both Eduin and Foy are upset.

  “I have known you for a long time, but why should I believe you?” Foy rasped. “We found Vio alone in the forest.”

  “He speaks right,” the tall man said, “but you can just ask lady Saliné.”

  “Her mother?” The name felt known to Foy, but his anger overcame his knowledge.

  “My real name is Saliné, and my mother is ... the Grand Signora of Midia.”

  “Midia belongs to Orban.”

  “Orban has lost both Midia and Arad,” the tall man said. “Orban has lost everything bar his life.”

  Mother is free, and only Codrin could have defeated Orban. Saliné bit her lip to repress a smile that did not match the seriousness of the situation.

  “I can confirm that,” another man, who stood on the opposite side, said. He was tall too, but where the other tall man was just tall, this one looked like a bear, and behind him were five other men, almost as big as him.

  He is a Mounte, and I saw him once, Saliné thought but, under the pressure of the moment, she could not remember where or who he was.

  Foy frowned, his eyes moving from one group to another, and he realized that there were soldiers in both of them. There was also coordination between the groups. He did not like that and turned to observe the yard: another group of armed men were walking in a leisurely way toward a place, a hundred paces behind the priests. All the men, in the three groups, wore the same colors: a red, yellow and blue diagonal, and a raven, which he did not know. He nodd
ed to his Spatar, who made his own assessment. Both reached for the hilts of their swords, but they were unarmed. Foy nodded at his closest group of ten guards, and they came even closer, but the signal for violence had not been given, so they walked calmly. Twenty more guards around the plaza were signaled discreetly by the Spatar, and they were ready to intervene. Before the flurry of glances and moves ended, three men dressed all in dark blue appeared at the edge of the crowd, some distance behind Saliné. Without a word, people made way for them, and they advanced silently until they arrived at the edge of the small, almost empty, circle where the S’Laurden family, the bride and the priests stood.

  “Lady Saliné is my betrothed,” the man at the front said; the three formed a wedge that looked menacing, and all carried two swords. Now, I will know if she...

  Foy and his son turned abruptly, and measured the stranger with angry eyes. Saliné’s words about her betrothal resurfaced in their minds, but this man did not look like the commoner in her story at all. He was a tough soldier and had the stance of high nobility. Saliné closed her eyes for a moment, then turned slowly to face Codrin, and their eyes met. There was such happiness on her face; she was elated. That did not escape Eduin. She also recognized Pintea, behind Codrin. All his inner demons suddenly vanished, and Codrin let out a breath he hadn’t realized he had been holding.

  “If she is indeed Lady Saliné of Midia, then she is betrothed to Bucur, the Candidate King,” the Secretary of Laurden said before Foy could stop him.

  “Foy, you must let her go,” Idonie whispered in his ear. “I am sorry to disappoint you, but things have only just become clear, even for me. And you, keep quiet,” she snapped at the Secretary, who clamped his mouth shut.

  “Greetings, S’Laurden. Allow me to shed some more light on this issue.” A man walked forward from behind the three strangers, and bowed slightly.

  “Sage Verenius.” Foy nodded, surprise reflected in his stare, as like many others, he knew the man had been hanged by Codrin, the year before.

  “By the treaty of Severin, Lady Saliné was taken from the Candidate King.” Verenius thought for a moment and decided to leave for later the news that Bucur had been demoted by the Circle.

  “Who are you?” Foy turned toward Codrin.

  “He is the King of Frankis,” the tall man said.

  “I trust you, Pierre of Nimea, but why should I believe you? Frankis has no King.”

  “Because it’s true.”

  “What about Bucur, the Candidate King?”

  “Bucur is dead,” Saliné said, before Verenius could answer. “I killed him when he tried to rape me, before forcing me into marriage.” Her voice was flat, but her eyes glimmered when she glanced at Eduin, and a moment later at Idonie.

  Eduin’s eyes widened and, for a while, he stared at her in stunned silence; Foy had kept that story from him. “So, should I consider myself lucky that I have escaped?” She accepted me during the night, and I am still alive. “Because of the marriage proposal?” he added swiftly, unwilling to put her in a bad position because of what had happened between them.

  “Eduin,” Saliné said, touching his face, “you are not Bucur, you are a kind man who saved my life. If not for Codrin, I could have seen myself as your wife, but he is the man I have loved from the first day we met, the day when he saved Mother’s life, a long time ago. I think that you ... already know what I think of you.” She blushed, as the memory of their night together came to her. She also thought of the possible consequences, but she was too happy now to blame herself for making love to another man, in that strange situation. “This belongs to your family.” She pulled back her hand, but Eduin caught it and kissed her fingers briefly, before releasing it. Slowly, she took off the old ring that Eduin had given to her when he proposed, and returned it to him.

  “We knew you as Vio,” he said, a touch of disappointment and irritation filling his voice.

  “The day I woke in Laurden, after you had saved me in the mountains, your father received a letter from an important person, your relative, who asked about me. You were both in my room when it happened, and I pretended to be still asleep. That person had tried to kill me just a month before. I was afraid. I am sorry that I deceived you.”

  “You did well to hide your name,” Foy said, his voice level. “If I had known the truth that day, I would have delivered you to that person. We did not know about the assassination attempt, and it would have been hard to believe it. A month later, you were safe no matter how many letters we received.” Strangely, his voice warmed to her at the end.

  “I know that, and I felt as if I was adopted by your family, but it was difficult to change my story. I want to thank to both of you for being so kind of me, and I apologize for any harm I have caused.” She looked at Eduin and smiled gently, trying to soothe the man who still loved her, a man for whom she cared. Swallowing his pain, he returned the smile, and Saliné was finally free to greet Codrin. Caught in his arms, she leaned against his chest, sobbing quietly, watched by Eduin and his father.

  So it seems that a Vision can be changed, Codrin thought. The marriage didn’t happen. A kiss didn’t happen; the other one... The other ones? The other one is past. “We need to go, Saliné,” he whispered, and she raised her head, smiling at him through her tears. “Seigneur Laurden, I thank you and to your son for saving Saliné and taking care of her. You did not know who she really was, so no offense is taken for the marriage proposal. I can even say that I understand you, for wanting a woman like Saliné. I want her too.” Unconsciously, Codrin pulled Saliné closer to him. “In one month, I will expect a letter of allegiance from you. We will leave now, hopefully in peace.”

  Foy clasped his hands at his back, uncertain how to react. He looked at Pierre, the Seigneur of Nimea and Spatar of Tolosa, then Sava, men he had known most of his life. If Tolosa is already in this... “I will send the letter, your majesty.” Then he turned toward his Majordomo. “Take care of lady Saliné’s horse and clothes.”

  “Give me one moment,” Saliné said, and she pulled away from Codrin. She went to Idonie, and they embraced. “Thank you for everything, Idonie. You were right to make me wait until spring. Take care of Eduin, and if he feels bad, tell him that apart from Codrin, he is the only man for whom I feel anything. One day, when things will calm down, I will expect him in Arad, and every day, I will expect you.”

  “I was right that you are different,” Idonie laughed. “I will come to see you. Dochia told me good things about Codrin, but I am a cautious woman, and I want to make sure he deserves you.” Her eyes glimmered, and they embraced once more.

  Saliné went next to Foy, and they looked at each other for a while. “Thank you, Foy,” she said, making a curtsy, and returned to Codrin, after the Seigneur of Laurden had kissed her hand.

  Seeing Codrin and his men leaving, Foy realized the trap that had been laid for him. Almost fifty armed men moved out of the crowd, or appeared from behind the church and the closest houses, and followed Codrin, some of them archers. One group was led by Valer, the famous Black Dervil of Tolosa, another by Joffroy, Pierre’s son. He did not know the other two leaders, Vlad and Boldur, but there was no need; the men’s demeanor was revealing enough. All strong men, and Codrin has the reputation as the strongest... “Carlo,” he whispered to his Spatar, “I am glad that we did not try to use force, but I want to know how so many armed men could enter Laurden without us knowing.”

  “I apologize, Sir, but it was the wedding; people from everywhere came to see it.”

  “It seems so, but we should be more careful at the next wedding; I don’t want to lose another daughter-in-law. Son, let’s take a little walk.” He grabbed Eduin’s arm, and they walked for a while in silence, the father thinking how to appease his son. “It seems that I was right, and you had a new mistress.” He laughed quietly at Eduin’s confused look. “Do you really think I don’t know where you spent the night? Vio did not lie about liking you, but I am relieved that we did not have the
wedding sooner. We could have a powerful enemy by now.”

  “Do you want to restart the marriage negotiations for…? Eduin asked, his voice edgy. He tried to say more, but clamped his mouth shut, and his jaw set, if possible, even more tightly. Even with the political advantages, he did not want the woman.

  “No, son. Laure’s niece is not the woman you deserve, and after Vio she would be a drink too bitter to swallow. I think that we have a friend at court now, and I intend to use that to escape from Laure’s tight grip. Vio... I think that I should get accustomed to her real name. Saliné is intelligent, knows you well, and likes you. And after that Mother Storm, she is in your debt. I think she will not disappoint you. She knows that I like her too, so she will not disappoint me either.”

  “I have much to learn about what happened in my absence,” Saliné said to Codrin, as they walked away.

  “We have all the time in the world.” He placed an arm around her shoulders and pulled her briefly against him.

  “What about that young Duchess of Tolosa?” she asked with a wry smile.

  “That one? Unfortunately, she loves another man, so there was no place for me in her heart. I had to renounce the marriage.”

  “Ah, that explains your presence here,” Saliné laughed. “How did you find me? In the last days, I lost all hope.”

  “I am sorry that it took so long. Verenius learned that you had been taken somewhere in the south, but the south of Frankis is quite large.”

  “Did the Circle have a change of mind?”

  “Only Verenius; most of the other Sages still hate me, and I had a tough time with Maud in Tolosa, until I convinced her that I would not marry Marie, her granddaughter. Fortunately, Marie was my hidden ally, as she is in love with Joffroy, Pierre’s son. They will marry in a few months.”

  “Who are they?” Saliné gestured at the unfamiliar people around them.