“Please do. Whatever you suggest from your home would work fine, I’m sure. She can’t be too picky.”
“Really?” Theron questioned with a snicker. I rolled my eyes in response. He dismissed himself from teasing and went back to serious gathering. “Hyacinths are out of season now, but they will be blooming down there. You already know what they look like.”
“I like them and I’m sure she would. Add it to your mental order list,” I said. “What about lilies? Ours are already seeding.”
“Adding to the list,” Theron said smiling, and with a lift of his finger, as if he was checking it off. “You should get back to the house. It’s going to be a bit before I gather everything. As much as you had loved learning about herbs, I think you have much more to do at home.”
I looked at him thoughtfully. I did need to contact merchants and plan the making of rings, garments, and hiring musicians and entertainment. Plus, there was that little matter of hand-lettering invitations myself. “You’re right.”
“Of course I am.” He winked at me and waved me off. I didn’t go right away. Well, technically I did and then quickly turned around to kiss him. We hadn’t had much time to ourselves with him being the apothecary and I taking care of Caden.
Instead of a quick peck, he took his gloves off and threw his hands around my back and waist, pulling me closer. We became greedy with one another, and soon he had pulled me to a safe area on the ground where we could lay without being seen over the cover of the flowers and high grasses.
“Theron,” I breathed out as his lips began to create a kissing trail up my neck.
“Mmm?” he mumbled to me.
“What if someone sees us?” I asked him. “We aren’t exactly common peasants.”
Theron huffed. “I can still kiss you madly.”
We continued in as modest a way as possible and I don’t think we even realized how much time had passed or we both had tasks to finish.
“Just where have you been?” Logan asked me as I entered the house. He glanced over me quickly. “What have you been doing?”
I realized my hair was probably all over the place and my dress a little stained. I used my fingers to detangle what I could. “You do remember I had a chaperone.”
“Oh good grief. Never mind that I asked. Annadel has been complaining about going home, but I kept telling her we had to stay with Caden until you came back. At least he’s been sleeping the whole time.” Logan scooped up his daughter with one arm quite skillfully and let himself out.
I waved at him and closed the door behind and then went to check on Caden who was fast asleep in his cradle. In a few more months I could tell he’d be due for a bigger one. In our village, the carpenter got bright and instead of selling cradles outright, he had gone into the business of lending them out for a lower fee. With some of the women having twins or children within a short span of one another, his business had improved because they were able to quickly lease a cradle rather than saving up finances for one. His ideas had become a model for other merchants, especially those in the jewelry-making business. With those kinds of lends, a borrower would have to put up something of value in case they forgot to return the jewelry or it became lost. A horse or home did nicely.
I gathered my writing utensils and sat down next to the cradle, so I could continue rocking while I made my list of all the parties that should be invited. I planned on sending out messengers to all corners of Orinda—save for Cragash. I shuddered at the thought of a gorlag walking into Lunamae’s wedding, although I giggled as I contemplated the looks the gorlag would be given by other guests.
I also set to work drafting up a blanket message that I would write in the keep, where I would have access to the seal of Frys and better quality parchment. I spent a great deal of time on the message and soon my paper was filled with edits and annotations. I was a bit stumped at one point, because I realized I didn’t even know who Lunamae was going to marry. How would I write the bride and groom? I decided to leave it as “The daughter of the Chief Dame of Clan Frys and the son of the Dominar of Kyrie”. I smiled as I decided to add a little bit that was sure to bring in more attention, specifically “You are cordially invited by Muirenn, Daughter of Fanarion”.
After Caden had cried for food and I had filled him up and set him back to bed, as he had been using all of the morning to play until just before Logan arrived, I continued on with my secondary list, which outlined everything I would need to collect. I decided to create a little journal, labeling it “The Great Marriage of Lunamae”. I probably shouldn’t call it little, as it was bound to look like a great book, but it was thin so I could appropriate all I needed and not waste paper. I didn’t get to writing much in it because soon I was fast asleep.
When I woke up, I noticed Theron with Caden in his lap. He had handed him the blank volume and it was open, with Caden scribbling over it. I gasped in surprise and hurriedly took the book away, much to my son’s disdain and husband’s confusion (apparently he hadn’t opened it enough to read it). I told Caden I’d save him a few pages when he was learning to write, and after I finished my list I would copy my thoughts down on it as well. Perhaps someone would find it and make use of my novice planning skills.
“You should get to bed,” Theron urged, using his knee to bounce Caden up and down which brought forth a throng of giggles.
“Me or him?” I asked, looking at the two of them with fondness and love.
“You,” he started. “You’ve been buried in wedding details enough. You’ve got enough time to plan. You don’t need to do it all in one sitting. I’m sure it will be wonderful regardless.”
I nodded and conceded myself to bed. I could only hope my plans weren’t in vain and the invitations were responded to quickly and eagerly. As with anything of late, I knew the wedding would be upon me quickly. There was no delaying time. It is the master of all things, set in motion by the Creator.
Chapter 16
The Great Marriage of Lunamae
The entire village seemed to be scrambling around in anticipation for the wedding. Lunamae was starting to get incredibly nervous and bombarding me with a host of questions ranging from where she would live to what happens after the wedding. I was glad I didn’t have to tell her about my experience in Fanarion.
At least now the day was finally upon us and most of the invitations had been replied to. I was pleasantly surprised with Chalos, but considering the invitation was presented by a female messenger and written by a woman, they were all too happy to come and see what all the fuss was about. I’m sure they would have had a buzz of gossip coming from their neighbors in Fanarion.
I expected a few stragglers—including those who may not have had ample time to get a messenger to us. As the wedding was planned for midday, there was still time for travelers to arrive who might have stayed the night somewhere nearby. There was a good amount of flat land that could be used to place tents.
I was feeling a bit odd myself. I wasn’t sick or anything as Theron would quickly cure me of any ailment, but I think it was me feeling more “adult” than ever before. I felt a stab of adulthood when I had Caden, but with the wedding plans, the person the chief dame had appointed to watch him made him seem not quite as attached to me. I almost felt as though I was a ruler myself, commanding shop owners for this and that.
“Where’s the groom?” Lunamae asked me and I quite forgot she had been standing in front of me, waiting for me to assist in styling her hair and attach a veil and circlet to her head.
“Sorry, my mind was elsewhere,” I apologized as I urged her to sit down in the chair in her room in the keep. She had been back with her mother ever since she turned sixteen as the altram had expired. It was nice being her cousin as I could see her frequently, and especially being the wedding planner, but she kept in solitude for the most part. “He should be arriving soon.”
“When can I see him?” she asked me. I gulped as I threaded her hair through my fingers expertly. “Muirenn …”
/>
“At the altar,” I stated. Since I was behind her and there was no mirror where she was sitting, I couldn’t see her face, but I was certain by her reaction, which caused her to move forward and me to tug on her hair, she was quite upset.
“You are going to keep me locked up in here?” Lunamae demanded, swirling around and undoing everything I had been working on. I threw my hands down in despair and frustration.
“It’s for your own good. Your mother didn’t want you to be upset,” I told her. “Besides, if you recall, I did tell you about this when you turned sixteen. You shouldn’t be so suprised.”
“It’s the day of my wedding and you are to tell me I will have absolutely no preparation or communication with my future husband. At all?”
“Exactly.” I turned her around and began to rework the hair through a thick sigh. The room we were in was facing southeast, so the only arrivals we’d be able to see would be from Chalos. All of Fanarion’s and Moir Awin’s guests had arrived previously as they considered themselves to be family.
“How am I going to get through this?” Lunamae asked as she began sobbing into a kerchief she had removed from her bodice.
“Be strong. Remember, you’re going to be a ruler. Arranged marriages happen all the time. Don’t worry—I’m sure your mother chose well,” I told her, but even I was not confident. After all, the chief dame had implied the person could be old or not as gracious on the eyes. “This is not a time for sad tears, but happy. You’ll be bringing peace to Orinda. No more fighting with Kyrie.”
“I suppose you are right,” she answered as her voice picked up. She was still noticeably unhappy, but at least she’d had enough years in training to realize certain duties—arranged marriage being one of them.
As much as I wanted to console her, I knew I couldn’t feed her hesitation so I set to work on readying her gown for her to get dressed after I finished her hair. The gown was draped over a smooth and polished chair. It was simple in construction, but it made up for that in the amount of silver embroidery snaking through and forming vines and flowers. I had only the slightest hint of jealousy which I quickly dismissed to the back of my mind. I didn’t have as much time to prepare for my own. There was a custom to rekindle the bond with a renewal ceremony, but those didn’t happen until a couple had been married for decades and usually their own children had grown and were married off.
I helped Lunamae into her gown and made sure she didn’t catch her hair on anything. I was not about to take it all down and redo it. The only mirror in the keep was in Angharad’s room and she was not to be disturbed as she was readying her own self, so only I was able to see the masterpiece before me. Lunamae looked as perfect as any bride could be.
“Do I look nice?” she wondered, turning to twirl the grown around her legs.
“I don’t think nice describes you well enough, but you will definitely turn everyone’s eye,” I said to her.
“How long do we have now?”
I hadn’t heard the bell ringer in the keep recently, and the last had been ten rings. With the wedding set to start at midday with a great feast soon after, I knew our time was quickly approaching.
Before I could answer Lunamae, the ringer could be heard chiming eleven and there was a knock on the door. As I opened it, I was greeted by Lunamae’s mother. She looked her daughter over to see if she looked presentable and then nodded in approval to me.
“I shall have Adelle come up and escort you down when the time is right. You can then make your way behind her to the chapel.” The chief dame turned and left.
“Does she always have to be this cold?” Lunamae wondered. I could see she was upset at the lack of acknowledgement she wanted. “Her only child is to be wed and she doesn’t say anything other than she’s sending your mother to guide us to the chapel?”
“She’s a woman of duty first,” I said softly. Even though I’d never been a dalta and taken away from my mother at an early age, I knew how Angharad was in just being an attendant of hers. “She does love you, you know.”
“She has a funny way of showing it,” Lunamae said as she rested on the chair in the room. If the fabric could have been easily wrinkled I might have told her to stay standing, but it was a heavy material given the time of year. “So what am I to do for an hour?”
“Read from the Text of Illumination. I’m sure it will give you some peace,” I told her, reaching for the book on the opposite end of the room. I brought it to her so she didn’t need to get up again. As I stood in silence watching her read, my mind drifted off once again. I suppose it was a diligent way to pass the time.
As I walked to the chapel with a veiled Lunamae and my mother in front of me, I couldn’t help my eyes from wandering around to see if I could anyone lingering outside the doors from the distance I was, probably a good hundred feet. A man at the door held a wind chime I could see, and upon seeing us he started to move it so it would make sound.
I was glad the journey was in a decent temperature and the solis was not hidden by clouds. As it hit the silver of Lunamae’s circlet, it looked as if the piece of jewelry across her head was glowing. Well, as much as I could see being behind her.
As we approached closer, I could hear harps strumming delicately from inside the chapel. I had orchestrated the music myself and decided to bring in some musicians who used the famous wood from Harper Wood’s trees outside Moir Awin. The magic from the wood resonated through the harps’ frames and no tuning was required for them all to be perfectly pitched.
“Are you ready?” I could hear my mother ask Lunamae, who nodded in return. “Let us go in, then. Muirenn, come in front of us. You should stand by Lunamae at the altar to assist her gown and veil.”
I hesitantly walked forward as they stopped for me and I came in front. I was both impatient to find out who the groom was myself, and nervous at the thought of how many people were inside. The chief dame had required all persons not able to fit inside the chapel to wait outside the village and in their homes until the ceremony was complete. She didn’t want to stress out her daughter more than she had already done by making her travel through a throng of people in order to even get to the chapel.
As I entered, the entire occupancy turned to view me and I gulped and took a long breath to prepare myself for the walk down the aisle. I noticed a man standing next to Friar Barri, but realized he was wearing a mask. It was made out of green dyed leather, with jewels decorating the border. I couldn’t help but wonder when the mask would be removed. Would the chief dame make them wait until they’d already committed to each other? It was something I wouldn’t be surprised of.
I walked up and stood to the right of Barri, facing the groom. Even the eye slits in the mask were darkened. Who was this man?
My mother entered next and took her place on a bench next to my father, in the very first row. The chief dame was sitting along with them. As she sat down, the harpists changed their melody to a processional and Lunamae came into full view. Her veil, while long and covering her face, was still rather sheer. She gracefully moved forward down the aisle and calmly stood next to me.
I stooped to adjust the train of her gown and smooth it out. As I stood, Friar Barri began the ceremony. The faces of the bride and groom remained covered, although Barri explained why and it was just as I thought. He was more delicate in his explanation though, mentioning it was part of the unconditional unity of the nations.
The words of the friar droned out as he said the vows. Instead of a repetition from the parties, they were instructed to nod. Apparently the chief dame didn’t even want the groom’s voice to give away anything such as age or decrepity.
“Then it is my pleasure to welcome you both to your matrimonial kiss.” The friar smiled and instructed the newlywed couple. “You may remove her veil. Lunamae, you may remove his mask.”
Lunamae’s veil was tossed as well as the groom was able, over her head. I smoothed it out behind her. Then she placed her delicate fingers over the mask. She li
fted it slightly, as if to peek to see under. I could hear a quick gasp from her as she quickly flung it off and embraced him.
What? I wondered to myself. I could see clearly as he was facing me. This is Marcus. Her beloved was now her husband. I couldn’t help but allow tears to flow from my eyes. No amount of reassuring myself I wouldn’t cry would work, I knew. This secret and forbidden love they shared could now be public. They no longer had to be chaperoned or scrutinized or scolded to not think of themselves in the future as being together. It would also seem as though the Creator had fully answered my prayers.
Was it arranged, truly? No, this was a gift. I turned slightly to glance at the chief dame from my right eye. She was crying, but obviously with happiness. She could see the love her daughter had for Marcus. Since he was a dominar’s son he would have been an appropriate match. I had so much to ask from her. It would have to wait as right now the two were lip-locked and Friar Barri was looking quite uncomfortable.
“Lunamae, you’ll have time for that later,” I said softly and she broke free. Marcus was practically beaming from my vantage point.
“I present to you, Lunamae and Dominino Marcus,” the friar said, ushering the couple down the aisle. I followed quickly behind although the back of my mind was full of questions I eagerly wanted answers to.
Before the wedding feast, I managed to catch the chief dame by herself. She was in the wings with a couple of ladies helping her touch up her hair which had become unruly on the way to the keep, even if it was a short walk.
Lunamae Page 20
