by Cate, Marnie
In the corner, a woman sat quietly reading. Another woman stood at the end of the bed watching me. Both looked much different from the Vetur I had seen earlier. They wore dark modest dresses, tight buns and no makeup on their wrinkled skin. Nor did they have the animalistic appearance of the others.
When I tried to sit up, the woman at the end of the bed ran to me. “Careful,” she said. Her warm smile showed normal teeth not the sharp ones of the Vetur. “You need to rest.”
Leaning into me, she whispered in my ear, “Your envelope and ring are safe under your pillow.”
“Who are you I,” I whispered back to her. “You are not one of them.”
“My name is Christina,” she said, loud enough for the other woman to hear. Over there is Laura. We are Snowystra's mortals. Rest now. The Shah will come soon to you."
Laying down, I turned on my side and slipped my hand under the pillow. The envelope and ring were both were she said they would be.
Essie, I thought, hoping to reach out to my family.
After several minutes, there was no response. Resting myself upright on the pillow, I said, “Christina, I want to prepare myself. I do not want Cole to see me this way.”
“I do not think it is wise for you to be up so soon,” she said. “The verijuoma has weakened you.”
“Please,” I said. “I feel strong enough.”
Relenting, she drew back the covers and helped me sit up. As my feet touched the solid ice floor, I stared down in wonder. I did not feel the cold. I slowly walked to the window.
“Please open this,” I said. “I want to see outside.”
As she pulled back the curtains, I could see snowcapped mountains in the distance through air filled with swirling snowflakes. Brief glimpses of the roof below me confused me. Realizing I was not in the underground tunnel anymore, I felt panicked.
“Where am I?” I asked, fearing the answer to my question.
“You are in one of the Goddess' homes,” Christina said. Leaning in as if she was supporting me, she whispered. “Do not worry. She is not here at the moment.”
Relaxing at hearing this information, I steadied myself. Staring at my reflection, I realized I was wearing the same white gown that I had been when I was with Alaunius. I wondered if I was still dreaming.
“Please show me where there are clothes for me to wear,” I said. “I need something more–”
“You look lovely as you are,” Cole said from behind me.
Nervously turning to face him, I focused on the fact that I was supposed to be the cold follower of the dark Goddess now.
“Lovely? I look like a lamb being readied for the slaughter,” I said.
Walking to me, he took my hands. His demeanor was kind and his tone was soft. “Come sit,” he said, guiding me to a chair. “When you are feeling better, I can show you around your new home and finalize the wedding plans.”
Not sure if this was a trick or not, I decided to play it safe and maintain a cold persona. “I am perfectly fine except for the hideous clothing you have me in,” I said with disgust. “Why are you delaying the wedding? Are you having cold feet?”
Laughing, he said, “Quite the opposite. Say the word and we can marry right now.”
“Since we are only having one wedding, I probably should let you have time to plan a fabulous event. Is tomorrow too soon?”
Locking eyes with me, I felt as if he was trying to read my mind. Focusing my thoughts on the love I felt for him, I watched him soften.
“Tomorrow is fine. Seeing the clothing that was chosen for me, I will want to see all that you have planned for me to wear ahead of time,” I said.
“I told you that you can have anything you want. There is a closet of clothing through those doors for you,” he said, pointing across the room. “If none of the choices please you, we will bring more. Just ask and I will get it for you.”
Kissing me on the cheek, he said, “I promise that you will like the dress I have selected for you. Now get yourself ready. We will have a busy day. That is unless you feel weak again.”
“I will be fine,” I said. “Any planning that needs to be done can start now.”
“Wonderful,” he said, clapping his hands together. “Then, get yourself ready and you can join me for a late breakfast.”
Before I had a chance to formulate a dismissive response, he left the room. His walk was full of energy and he almost seemed like my Cole. I wanted to scream at him and hurt him like he had hurt me. My thoughts were confused. I felt a darkness inside me that I had never felt before. Was this anger I had kept bottled inside me or was it from being here?
My thoughts halted as Laura stood before me holding out a crystal goblet. The glass was filled with the dark red verijuoma. Wrinkling my nose in disgust at the offering, I shook my head.
“The Shah has insisted that you have this before you join him,” Laura said. “If you don't drink it willingly, I will need to call for assistance.”
“She will drink it, Laura,” Christina said, taking the glass from her. “Won't you?”
“Yes,” I said, glaring at both women. “But, I prefer to have it while I am taking a bath.”
So I can dump it down the drain.
“Fine,” Laura said, turning to Christina, “Make sure you watch her drink it. He will know if she doesn't.”
Nodding, she said, “Yes but first let's get her ready for her big day. There is much to do.” Offering her hand to me, she said, “When you are ready.”
Accepting her hand, I followed her into the oversized bathroom. Setting the drink down on the edge of the black oval bathtub, she turned the water on.
Watching her turn the water in the coldest direction, I corrected her, “I do not like cold bath water.”
Turning the water temperature up, she said, “Test the water temperature here. I think you will find you will prefer it a bit colder.”
Holding my fingers under the water, I jerked my hand out of the stream in surprise.
“You burned me,” I said, looking at the water.
“No, your body is changing,” she said and turned the water flow back to the coldest temperature. “Trust me. I have no reason to lie to you.”
Carefully dipping my fingers in the water, I found the icy temperature was inviting. Uninhibited, I slipped off my clothes and stepped into the tub. Sinking into the water, I closed my eyes and sighed as I savored the frigid temperature.
“You will need to drink this,” she said, interrupting my relaxation.
Ignoring her, I kept my eyes closed wishing I could make the water even colder.
“You can drink this or I can call Laura in to help. Your choice,” she said, as if she was chiding a naughty child.
Opening my eyes, I glared at her.
“Drink some of it to keep the winter's chill inside you.”
“If I drink this, my magic will turn dark.”
“Mara, your magic is protected,” she said. “You will find that you have done a very good job of guarding the gift you were given already.”
“How do you know about that?” I said. “Will Cole know? Will Snowystra know?”
“Stop, child.” Lowering her voice to just above a whisper, she leaned close to me. “I am one of Arianolwyn's chosen. I cannot stop you from making the choice willingly to follow Snowystra but I can help you fight it if that is what you wish.”
Calling my magic, I found my hands covered in a green sparking liquid. “This magic?” I said. “Is this my magic that I have protected?”
Taking my hand into hers ignoring the pain that she had to be feeling, she said, “You know that is not the magic that was gifted to you. Now drink this, please.”
Her gentle words calmed me and I reluctantly took the glass, drinking it all.
“Was he acting?” I said, nervous to hear what she had to say. “In the room, he was kind and almost like the boy I love. Nothing like the person I saw in the tunnels.”
“You think that he was pretending in there?”
Christina asked, holding out a light pink robe to me. “Did you not see the way he looked at you? He was definitely not pretending. The boy you love is in there.”
Wrapping myself in the robe, I said, “You said earlier you will help me. I am here for one reason only and that is to bring Cole home. Can you really help me?”
Nodding, she said, “Anyway, I can. Now let's get you dressed.”
Chapter 35
Sitting down on a stone chair in front of a black vanity with a mirror embellished with different gems, I felt fidgety and agitated. Trying to connect with Essie again, I received no response. My mind raced and the thoughts I had were full of dark images. No matter how hard I tried to force my mind to think of good things, it went back to pain and sorrow.
“How much longer?” I said. “You are taking too long.”
“I am almost done,” Christina said. “You are fighting the magic inside you. Stop trying so hard and they will coexist.”
I snapped. “What I want you to do is finish with my hair so that I can go to Cole and…” My words were interrupted by Christina placing her hand firmly on my shoulders.
“I apologize,” she said. When I turned to face her, I realized we were not alone in the room. “I did not think before asking you. I will put your hair up. Please accept my deepest apologies.”
“Next time, you should ask me what I want and not assume,” I said. Glaring at Laura, I said, “Why are you lurking in the corner? Make yourself known when you are in my presence.”
Becoming the evil queen might be fun if it wasn't so real, I thought.
“My apologies,” she said, stepping forward holding another glass. “The Shah asked me to bring this to you and he would like to know how much longer you will be.”
Snatching the glass from her hand, I took a long drink. This time I enjoyed the cold as it filled my body. “Tell the Shah that he will need to be patient and I will be there when I am ready.”
“We are almost done,” Christina told Laura. “He won't have to wait much longer.”
With that information, Laura turned to leave the bathroom to report back to Cole.
“Wait,” I said, narrowing my eyes at her. “My message is the one that you will deliver. Tell him that I will be there when I get there and he can decide then if I am worth the wait.”
Nodding, she left the room.
“We need to be cautious in our discussions,” Christina warned. “She is not a child of Arianolwyn.”
“I do not want her in this room anymore,” I said. “I will inform Cole of my decision.”
“You should be cautious in your demands,” she said. “While he does love you, it is the girl of his childhood that will keep his heart. This cold version of yourself will not get you what you want in the end.”
“I find that I have so much anger inside me now,” I said, acknowledging her advice. “Is it the drink they keep giving me that is causing my emotions to be all over the place? If I reject it, it will just anger him? How much more of it can I have before I completely lose my connection to my old magic?”
“The verijuoma is only making it possible for you to live in this cold environment. It has nothing to do with the dark magic inside you,” she said, as she pulled my hair into a high bun and began smoothing the wisps. “I think you have always had this magic inside you from your mother and being here is allowing you to tap into it. Much like the way your half-brother has the magic.”
“How do you know about him?” I asked.
“There will be more time for this conversation but we must get you ready,” she said, dismissing my question.
Taking me into another room, I was shocked by how many clothes were in such a small space. The walls were lined with hundreds and hundreds of different kinds of outfits. Everything was coordinated and ready to be pulled off their hangers and ready to wear. The simple task of selecting an outfit was all I had to do.
Overwhelmed by all of the choices, I said, “Please just pick something for me. When will I ever wear all of this?”
“I know the one,” Christina said, walking to one of the closets. “He said that he knew that it was meant for you the minute he saw it.”
As she walked to me with a red dress, I looked at her with doubt. “This is too simple and not sexy enough,” I scolded, as I inspected it. The dress had a high neck and was young. Not sexy or tempting at all. “Find me another dress that will catch his eye.”
“No, trust me,” she said, handing me the dress. “If you do not like it after you put it on, you can change. This dress will remind him of the girl he fell in love with.”
Trusting her, I slipped on the undergarments and the sleeveless dress. Christina zipped the dress up in the back and then slipped a white ribbon with small red cherries around my waist.
“Come look at yourself,” she said, leading me to one of the large mirrors.
As I saw myself, I fell silent. My outfit and hairstyle made me look like a movie star from black and white movies. With dark and smoky makeup like this, I could play the part of a vixen.
“Thank you,” I said. “This will remind me of both sides inside me that I need to balance. I am ready to see Cole now.”
Chapter 36
As we left the bedroom, she led me down a steep, circular staircase with no rail to hold onto. The confidence I had felt with my new look began to fade with each step. I ran my fingers along the dark stone walls, leaving a trail of frost behind me. As we continued, I began counting each step in my head.
“Does he have me in a tower?” I said.
“Yes, he did,” Christina said. “He put you there until he knew you were not a threat.”
“Me? A threat? What would I do here to anyone?” I said.
“It was just a precaution,” she said, stopping our descent to address me. “He had to make sure that you were not a threat. It is not worth getting angry about. You would do the same if the roles were reversed. Now you need to remember what we talked about.”
“What did you talk about?” Laura said, as she appeared in front of us.
“Why do you keep appearing where you have not been invited?” I said. “You are beginning to anger me.” My hand began to glow with a dark, green magic.
“Laura, I was teaching her how to be a lady,” Christina said. “She is young and has not been prepared for her new role as Vizier. I was advising her how to walk with confidence in front of the Vetur.”
Eyeing me up and down, she appeared to accept the explanation.
“You need to stay out of my way,” I warned her. “I will not have you lurking in corners and reporting false stories to Cole.”
“My interest is to serve the Goddess,” Laura said. “I will do—”
“You will do nothing. I am here for Cole, the Shah, and I will be here until he deems otherwise. I have made my pledge to Snowystra. I have relinquished my gift from Danu. What else do you want from me to prove my loyalty?”
Stepping between us, Christina said, “Laura, she will be the next Vizier. She is loyal to the Goddess. You need to trust her. All of this is new to her. Remember how hard it was for you when you first came to live here. She is a young girl and she is full of magic. We need to support her.”
Lowering her head, Laura said, “I will do as Snowystra wills and nothing more. Know that I am watching.”
Christina said, “It is best you leave now before you anger her. I will not be able to help you if you do.”
As we watched Laura scurry away, I whispered, “She is going to be trouble. We need to find a way to keep her way from me.”
“Do not push too hard to remove her,” she warned. “It will definitely raise concerns.”
“I am not going to stand by and let her put any doubt in his mind,” I said.
“Just enjoy your time with him today,” she said, leading me down the stairs.
When we reached step ninety-seven, we stopped onto a black carpet in a small hallway. At the end of the space, there were two solid steel doors. Taking
a deep breath, I walked to the door.
“Let me go first,” she said.
When we reached the door, she pulled a rope. A small chime sounded echoing in the small space and the door slowly began to open. We were greeted by one of the guards from last night.
“She is ready to see the Shah,” Christina said.
He opened at the door wider. Looking at my glowing hands, he glared. Shaking my hands and drawing back the magic, I smiled.
“New magic,” I said, holding out my hands to confirm that I was no longer calling the magic. “Tricky to control some times.”
“He has been waiting for you. Come this way,” he said. Pointing to Christina, he said, “Not you. You are needed in the kitchen. Your knowledge of the Vizier is necessary to finalize the wedding.”
Nodding. As she silently walked by me, she lightly grazed my hand. Her calming touch worked. Standing up straighter, I said, “Take me to the Shah.”
Opening the door wider showing me an enormous dining room, he led me past a long dark table that would hold at least fifty people. The room was softly lit by chandeliers with burning candles hanging from above. Reaching a black door with a spider design engraved on it, he opened it.
I had to cover my eyes from the bright light emitting from the room. As my eyes adjusted to the brightness, I could see a small glass table in the middle. The guard pulled out one of the chairs for me. Holding back the thank you I had almost given, I nodded curtly. The manners and niceties I had learned as a child would not be welcome here.
“Where is he?” I said, unable to hide my irritation. “He said he would be waiting.”
With a devious smirk, the guard said, “He told me to tell you that he would get here when he got here and then you can decide if it was worth the wait.”
Not waiting for my response, he left me in the room alone. The room held only the table, two chairs and a tray with stemmed glasses and bottles of different color liquids. Looking above, I realized the ceiling was made of ice. Snowflakes began to fall from it as the door opened again.
