by Anna LaVerne
“Let it go, Bee. I realize she is trouble, and I will tell Gabal about it. Trey says she is love with Gabal.”
“Okay, fine.” Bee opens the door outside one more time and drags a small chest into the room.
“Queen Maris was prepared. She had this brought from Lorcan. Apparently, it is the dress the first mystic queen wore at her coronation. Your mother said since you are the first mystic to unite nations by marrying a mage king, it is the only gown suitable. It has been bespelled by her to make sure everything will fit without a seamstress.”
“No way. Really?” I lean over to peer into the chest as Bee pops it open. I am assaulted by the strong smell of cedar and lavender. Bee removes the purple blanket protecting the dress within. I can’t resist the urge to pull it out and lay it upon the bed.
Bee and I are both stunned. The dress is gold upon gold not white. There is embroidery throughout the dress in intricate designs matching the color of the fabric making it barely noticeable unless you inspect it closely.
My fingers carefully follow the pattern, and I can sense the vibration of power woven in. Bee picks up the gown, and I drop my robe to step into it as carefully as possible. The fabric adjusts to fit me like a glove. The dress bares my shoulders but has long fitted golden lace sleeves. It is breathtaking.
“You look like a goddess.”
Energy from the dress zaps through my fingers. “I feel like one.”
“Sit down. How do you want your hair?
“Loose and down my back.”
Bee nods her head and goes to work even though there isn’t much to do. As a mystic, the power I work with keeps my hair long and luxurious. I go to stand, and Bee puts her hands on my shoulders and pushes me back down.
“You’re not done.” Bee walks over to Gabal’s desk and pulls a box from one of the large drawers. That is not my crown box.
“Mother just had a new crown made for me,” I argue.
“Gabal says this one belonged to the last mage queen.” I note the worn aged edges of the box. Bee cautiously removes the top, and within, is a simple golden band. There are no stones only the one inch gold band made to sit around my head. Bee goes to lift it out, but her hand pauses inches from the crown.
I watch in wonder as she cannot touch the crown. This is a test. Gabal must be certain I would pass, or he would have told me about it. I can see the energy wafting off the crown, creating a barrier. “I can’t touch it,” Bee says.
“I see the barrier,” I reply.
Bending closer I poke my finger at it, and it gives, allowing my finger to pass. Nerves shoot through me, causing me to second guess myself, and I withdraw my hand at lightning speed.
“Are you able to touch it?” Bee asks.
I only nod in response. I can touch it, but the amount of magic within this crown is insane. Between the crown and the dress, I might as well be a walking node. Thinking of the node brings her to my attention. The thrumming becomes louder as if she urges me to take the crown.
I take a deep breath as I reach through the barrier and lift the crown from the safety of the box. The crown glows, and I see symbols moving along the inside. The power from the crown seems to be scanning my being for something. A tingling sensation starts at my hands and works its way up my arms to my head and then down my body to my toes.
The tingle of power pulls back into the crown. I watch the symbols change on the inside. One by one, a new symbol appears. Last but not least, a single flame symbol shows up, and I realize that the crown approves of me.
I place the crown upon my head. A shock of energy rushes through my feet and into the ground. Once the sensation passes, there is an odd silence in the room. I realize it is because I no longer hear the constant thrum of the node. Instead it is a slow silent humming of energy connected directly to me.
Hello, Daughter.
I look about the room with wide eyes, “Did you hear that?” I ask Bee. She appears concerned, shaking her head no.
You know me, Dina. I first met you in Cargil. When you arrived in Lumbai you awoke me here as well.
“All nodes are one node?” I ask confused.
Yes, they are all extensions of me, your Goddess.
“What happens when one burns out?” I ask, remembering the node hemorrhaging energy to Celeste.
It disrupts the balance. You can restore the balance by giving me a new node to channel my energy, but if Celeste takes from too many nodes, she can drain me to an extent I can’t replenish myself. She must be stopped, and you must marry Gabal.
“Why Gabal?” The rebel in me can’t help to want to know why.
You are stronger together. Balance. We must live in balance.
“But why?” I ask again. This time there is no answer. I guess she is done with me.
Bee is staring at me with wide eyes. “I was talking to the node, um the Goddess.” I explain.
“Goddess?” Bee asks. We have heard about a Goddess, but I don't think anyone takes it seriously anywhere in the world. Well, maybe the magi do?
“It doesn’t matter, we are running behind now, I am sure,” I observe.
"I have one more thing for you. It is a gift from Queen Maris and Vex."
Another gift? I watch as Bee turns back to the chest and brings forth a small box. When she opens it, I see an old key that has been embellished with diamonds around the top. I can sense the magic woven into it.
"What is this?" I ask, dreading the answer. The pit of my stomach has dropped away, praying Bee doesn't say the portal key.
"The portal key used to bring us all to Lorcan. It survived the journey."
I place my hand on my abdomen and back against the bed to sit down. I don't want it.
"Queen Maris warned you might react like that after I told her this is a bad idea, but she insists you wear it as a reminder. She says to wear it is to honor the High Mystic, and the Cargil Chieftain, and all others who lost their lives bringing hundreds to safety. She wants you to realize how important you were to the people that night and how important you will always be. You no longer need portal keys, and this is to serve as a reminder of your beginnings."
I am at a loss for words as Bee places the key around my neck. It still vibrates with mystic power like the dress, although not as strong. My cheeks are wet with tears. I still don't want to wear the key, but I can acknowledge why I should. Beginnings. Things are changing, and this key will always act as a reminder.
"I am a mess." Bee hands me a handkerchief to wipe my eyes.
"If anything the tears make your eyes glow with your crown and dress. You are made for this, Dina. I will always be here to smack sense into you when needed." Bee smiles at me. "Are you ready?" she asks.
“Do I have a choice?” I chuckle.
“No, I guess you don’t, my queen,” she replies with sarcasm.
“Don’t you dare start that. We are sisters in every way except blood.” Bee laughs after I scold her, and then we open the door to find my three men waiting outside.
Chapter Eighteen
Rhett is the first of the three to speak, and all he can say is, “Wow.”
“You are appear to be Goddess-picked straight out of the stories of old,” Manu replies in his often poetic manner.
Trey says nothing, and he doesn’t need to. I can see the admiration in his eyes. He steps forward and offers me his arm. I take it, grateful that it is Trey who will hand me off to Gabal. I am still unsure about our connection, the markings, and how it all works. I believe it is a dual choice of mine and the node’s. I guess I can call the node ‘Goddess’ now.
Little musings like that are what goes through my head as we make the long hike up the narrow and treacherous pass to the top of the mountain. I believe the only reason I am doing it gracefully is because there is magic woven into my dress. My ancestor may have been a natural klutz like myself and didn’t want to fall on her face. Or it could be the doing of my mother, so I don’t mess up on the long walk and ruin an artifact of Aster.
When we round the last curve at the top, warmth envelopes me, welcoming me home. I see Gabal is dressed in black robes with a gold trim. His crown is identical to mine.
Our eyes lock, and I hope he is thinking the same thing I am. I am the luckiest woman alive. Gabal is pure and oh so handsome. He towers over Queen Maris, Vex, and Tivian who all stand near him. He has two others in attendance wearing mage robes, but I do not know who they are.
Gabal nods with a small smile at his lips. His hands clasp together in front of him. Trey takes that as a cue to walk me up to Gabal and hand me over. There is no music, no long path of people celebrating, only those who matter are atop the mountain.
Once next to Gabal, Bee straightens my train and steps back to stand next to my men. I look up at Gabal, and he smiles down at me. My eyes brim with tears because nothing has ever felt so right in my life. I have fought having a harem for as long as I can remember, and never did I realize what fate had in store for me. I never imagined I could be loved by so many people. Truth is I never knew how much I mattered.
Tivian gestures us forward to the edge of the volcano. I can glimpse lava rumbling below and the slow rise of smoke. She is preparing to blow.
Only when you command it to do so. You are a vessel for my power. I cannot command the wind or create fire.
I check Gabal to see if he hears her, and there is no sign of it on his face. I wonder if things will change once we are wed, and the blood bond happens.
“We are gathered here tonight, to witness a historic event.” The sun is setting behind us casting a golden light upon Tivian. My mother moves to stand next to him before he continues.
“The marriage of Dina, Princess of Aster, and Gabal, King of the Magi.”
Queen Maris reaches into her black pouch and pulls out two identical golden rings, and Tivian brings forth a jet-black dagger.
“Please repeat after me,” Tivian gestures for us to hold out our hands. He slides the dagger across my palm bringing forth a flow of bright red blood. He does the same to Gabal.
“Blood out,” Tivian says.
“Blood out,” Gabal and I say together.
Instinct takes over, and Gabal and I turn, facing each other. His blood calls to me. We clasp our hands together. The minute the blood mixes, I can sense the energy binding us together.
“Blood in binds forever.”
“Blood in binds forever,” we say in unison.
“Together in marriage in front of the Goddess of all. We vow to keep the balance in nature and to lead our people faithfully.” Gabal and I repeat Tivian word for word.
Our hands have taken on an unearthly glow. The energy of the vow works through us, binding us to our promise and each other. When the magic slows, the blood pulls back into our hands in reverse motion. Every drop that has escaped and hit the ground comes back up through the air and re-enters our bodies. Blood in.
My mother steps forward with our rings. I take the lead, knowing I need to give Gabal a personal vow from my heart. “With this ring, I give you my vow that from this day forward you will not walk alone. I have no greater gift to give. May my arms be your shelter, and may my heart be your home. May we walk together in all things. May you feel loved, for, indeed, you are.”
My words are said with intent, and I watch as the ring bursts into flames, then reforms and cools with the spell I placed in it. With shaky hands, I take his left hand and slide the ring upon his ring finger.
It is Gabal’s turn. He places a palm on each of my cheeks, holding my face gently, and looks me in the eye. His eyes are bright with hope and fear, but when he speaks, his entire being calms, and wind gently wraps around us.
“Dina, my other half, I offer you my love, my strength, and my weaknesses. Together, may we be complete. I place this ring upon your finger as a reminder that I will love and stand beside you in all places, for all times, and in all ways, forever. I am yours.”
He places the ring upon my finger, and the warmth of his devotion spreads through me. I look up at my mountain of a king and move in for sealing our vows with a kiss. It is the first time I have ever been this close to Gabal, and the first time a man has ever had to bend down to kiss me.
When our lips meet, sparks explode from us, and the entire mountain rumbles with approval. Our feet lift from the ground as Gabal’s gift of wind picks us up, rejoicing in our binding.
When we finally part, the sun has almost set. Queen Maris steps forward, and I realize the ceremony is not over.
“Queen Dina and King Gabal of the Magi,” my mother begins, “with these bracelets, I gift to you my power of regeneration.”
She opens her hand to reveal two amethyst bracelets. She mutters a spell under her breath causing the bracelets to come unclasped.
“Mother, you can’t . . .,” I protest. I am both upset she is giving away her secret to life and impressed she could concentrate and funnel her gift into two bracelets. She is a magical woman, and I am not sure I can ever contain as much knowledge. I wasted my youth not paying attention.
“Shh, Dina.” Mother places the bracelet upon my wrist. It flashes bright purple and then returns to its normal amethyst color. She does the same to Gabal.
“Thank you, Queen Maris, this is a true gift,” Gabal says with grace. With that, everyone who is watching claps.
It really happened. Dina the rebellious sixth daughter of the Queen is now a married queen with her own harem.
Chapter Nineteen
Gabal and I lead our small wedding party back down the mountain. We all hold small torches out to help light our path. No one says anything. Being so close to Gabal when I still barely know him has me anxious. I realize I love him but don't understand how. Although it defies logic, I still can't deny the love I am experiencing.
When we reach the bottom of the mountain, we all say our goodbyes with plans of opening the portal first thing in the morning. My men are staying close to Gabal and me to keep watch on us through the night.
After saying goodnight to Trey, Queen Maris steps forward. In a rare show of true emotion, my mother pulls me into a hug. “I want you to know I am so proud of you.”
Hearing words of encouragement from her throws me off center. I am not comfortable with that kind of connection with her. “Please enjoy tonight, but listen to your instincts. Ever since you came into contact with Braeden, I have been sick to my stomach. I will go spend the night keeping everyone working towards having the supplies ready. It will be a long night, and I would like to have the portal open before dawn.”
“That sounds like a good plan.” I pause, debating if I should tell her about Laura. “Gabal has a young server girl, Laura. She called me some nasty names and said I was not good enough for Gabal. I know she is just a jealous young girl, but something tells me she can also be trouble. I'm having a hard time feeling safe here.”
“I agree. Keep your circle small until we can get everyone moved to Lorcan. Now have a goodnight. We will wake you if anything changes.” She kisses me on the side of my cheek. Vex gives me a brief hug, and now I am alone with Gabal.
His fingers entwine with mine as he leads me to the door and into his room. I am craving intimacy, per usual, but before we can move on, we need to talk about two people who have left me an anxious mess.
Before I can say anything, Gabal pulls me into him, giving me a deep hug I hadn't experienced from him yet. His chin rests upon my head as he breathes in my scent and rubs my back. I can detect the spiral, beneath his shirt, warming with our touch and urging us to take this further. When I tilt my head back to look at my giant mage king of a husband, he takes advantage and begins kissing me. The energy we are creating draws me in. It takes every ounce of my strength to place a hand on his chest and push us apart.
"What is wrong? Did I move too fast? I assumed you were feeling the same things I am," Gabal starts to apologize.
I place my finger upon his lips to stop him, "You have done nothing wrong. I am overwhelmed by all the rapid changes. I am now a
Queen, and I don't feel like one. Your brother has me on edge as well." I move to sit upon the bed.
"You are still Dina, sixth daughter of a mystic queen. You are not a different person, it is just a title." His hands massage my bare shoulders, and to comfort me, he runs them down my lace-covered arms and back up again. My nerves steady with his touch.
“I am still just Dina. All I ever wanted to be was just Dina. I didn’t want all this.”
“I didn’t want to be king either. When the marking appeared on my skin, I was angry. Braeden was set to be king someday, not me. Alas, here we are, and people depend on us. We have no choice but to lead them to the best of our ability. To do that, we can never forget we are still just Gabal and just Dina. We are regular people who are saddled with a great responsibility. All we can do is try our best.” He wraps his arms around me, holding me tight.
“You’re right. I still don’t like it though,” I reply.
Gabal grazes a kiss on my neck, driving me wild. “You don’t have to like it. Thankfully, we have each other to vent to.”
I moan in response to his kisses and turn around within his arms to claim more. Everything I wanted to discuss is forgotten when I am hit with an intense need to join with my mountain king. I run my hands under his black cloak and push it off over his shoulders as we continue to devour each other in kisses.
Slipping my hands beneath his shirt, I note the warmth of his hard muscled chest. Gabal helps by pulling his shirt off over his head. My hands explore his abs and then move up over his pectoral muscles. I stare at the spiral over his heart, and I am reminded of the moment my astral self brought him back into good health. My hand is burning to touch it, but first, I bring my mouth down upon it, running my tongue along the lines. His head falls backwards while he moans.
My energy pushes into him, swirling within his insides. I can sense his wind feeding my flame. We are the perfect pair. Finally, I bring my hand to the spiral and place my palm above it one swirl matching the other. Between us, glows a warmth that spurs me to melt into him.
