"What do we do now?" Adazzra asked.
"I do not like leaving my mistress alone with that woman," Oakgold said, pressing her ear against the door.
"My sister may be odd," Varian said, "but if anyone can save Moonrazer, she can."
Adazzra stared at the door. "If she dies…" Her voice trailed off.
"If she dies, I will die as well," he said. "She is my life now."
"She might want to know that." Oakgold sat with her back against the door.
Varian scowled. "I'm sorry?"
"My mistress deserves a man who loves her. You let her choose that liar and scoundrel, Lucan."
Varian shook his head. "She made her own decision."
"Did you tell her how you feel about her?"
When he didn't respond, Oakgold rolled her eyes. "Just as I thought."
****
Moonrazer wondered why it was so dark around her. Usually when she rode on Nightwind, she could see stars and feel air rushing by her.
She realized she was on a mattress, but the floating sensation remained. Where was she? These coverings were not the furs on her own bed.
"Mistress?"
Moonrazer scowled. Oakgold had never ridden on Nightwind.
No, she reminded herself, she wasn't on the Dragon, so why did she still feel as though she were flying?
She struggled to get her eyes open.
"Mistress Moonrazer? Please wake up."
"I am awake." She heard her voice, but her eyes did not open.
"She's moving." Adazzra's voice.
As the bedclothes brushed against her skin, she thought of Varian touching her. Heat flowed through her.
Was she in the Tower? Where was Whiteshadow?
She moved her head back and forth, trying to open her eyes. "Where am I?"
"Moony?" Adazzra sounded worried.
"She will wake soon." This was a soft, ethereal voice Moonrazer thought she'd heard in a dream.
Something was wrong.
"Wait," she said, and after some work, she got her eyes open.
The light hurt, and she closed her eyes again.
"Did you see?" Adazzra asked, sounding hopeful.
"Give her a moment." The lilting voice spoke again. Someone stroked her arm. "She is coming back to us."
"I am here." Moonrazer opened her eyes carefully. The light didn't bother her as much, but her vision was blurred.
She recognized Oakgold and Adazzra. Another woman was with them, but where was Varian? Then she remembered the arrow coming toward them.
"Mistress Moonrazer." Oakgold clapped her hands. "You have returned."
"Where was I?" she asked, then looked around. "Where am I?"
"Go get the Prince," Adazzra said. Oakgold hurried out of Moonrazer's limited area of vision.
"Is Varian alive? Did I stop the arrow?"
"He's fine."
Moonrazer blinked until her eyes cleared. A woman dressed in a full white robe, similar to what the Sisters of the Flame wore, sat on the edge of the bed.
The woman appeared blind, but radiated mystical power.
"Who are you?"
"I am Christabel." The woman stood and spoke to Adazzra. "I will leave you. I must check on the others but will return to give her a sleeping draft tonight."
"What is going on?" Moonrazer asked when she heard a door close.
"What do you remember?"
Moonrazer thought for a moment. Her head hurt. "Whiteshadow has the Sword of Justice, and Lucan is dead."
Adazzra nodded. "You were hit with a poisoned arrow meant for Varian. We brought you to Tellan to be healed by the Weavers."
"Your skill could not save me?"
"I'm sorry, my sister. It was a poison I'd never seen. Christabel, however, healed you within a candlemark of your arrival."
"How did we get here?"
"Nightwind brought us."
"How is that possible?" Moonrazer asked. "I am not the Exalted Warrior."
"No, but Varian is now a Dragonspeaker."
"A Dragonspeaker?" Moonrazer tried to sit, but dizziness made her fall back onto the lightly scented pillows.
"He convinced Nightwind to bring you here." Adazzra explained the process.
Moonrazer was stunned that he would risk his life for her.
"He loves you."
Moonrazer didn't know how to respond. She closed her eyes. "I should never have chosen Lucan. None of this would have happened."
"You did what you thought was right."
The door opened and Oakgold peeked in. "Do you wish to see Prince Varian?"
"Of course." Moonrazer tried to sit up.
Adazzra helped her ease herself into a half-sitting position and held her hand as she rode out the wave of dizziness that came, this one less than the previous one.
"How are you feeling?" Varian said, coming into the room.
"I am better than I would have been had you not risked your life for me."
"I'm just glad you are going to live." He sat down at the edge of the bed as Adazzra stood.
"We'll see if we can get you some food. You need to regain your strength." Adazzra motioned to the servant, and they closed the door behind them.
"I think Adazzra believes we have things to say to one another." Moonrazer felt awkward. She'd never been comfortable speaking about feelings, especially those having to do with love and affection.
"Thank you," she said. "Adazzra told me what you did. It was quite brave. You could have died.
He took her hand. "It would be worth it to know you were well again. You must know by now that I care a great deal for you."
"I should have chosen you as the Consort Intended." She looked at him through her lashes. "Lucan deceived me. You never told me anything but the truth."
"I didn't tell you why I originally went to Carrick."
She sighed. "I am sorry we were not able to help you find your daughter."
"Olaf did find her, but it doesn't matter now. Time is running out. I will have to face the Dragons soon."
She raised her head. "I will stand with you. I may not be the Exalted Warrior of the Sarl, but I am still a warrior—for the time being, anyway. I will do what I can to defend you."
Varian took her hand. "I'd hoped for more. I might not have much time left, with the Festival coming and no heir to present to the Dragons. Whatever time I have left, however, I want to spend with you." He took a deep breath. "I love you, Moonrazer. Be my wife."
Before she could respond, she heard yelling out in the hallway.
He hurried to the door, but before he could reach the handle, two women burst into the room, nearly knocking him aside.
"Varian, you're home!"
A young woman with flaming red hair threw her arms around him and sobbed. Varian returned her embrace, but his arms seemed to disappear amid a sea of ruffles and ribbons.
"I'm fine, Gloriana." Varian put his hands on her shoulders and eased her away from him. "There is no need for all this."
She dropped into the only chair in the room, pulled out an embroidered handkerchief from a satin purse, and continued to cry quietly.
The other woman, who looked enough like Varian that she had to be his sister, rolled her eyes before smiling and hugging him also. "I'm glad you're home," she said.
He smiled, and Moonrazer could see how fond he was of her.
"Might there be a chance?" She glanced at Gloriana, still sobbing in the corner.
Varian looked at Moonrazer. "We were in the middle of a discussion on the matter."
Estelle moved past her brother and approached the bed. "I'm Estelle. I'm so happy to meet you."
"Thank you," Moonrazer said.
"I know we'll be good friends," Estelle continued. "If you need any help finding your way around the palace or understanding anything about court life, just ask me."
"Estelle," Varian said, touching his sister's shoulder. "Moonrazer was poisoned by an Andarnnon arrow. I brought her here to be healed."
"I know that,"
his sister said. "Christabel sent us a message. She said there was something special about this woman."
Gloriana interrupted. "She's going to be the new princess, isn't she?"
Moonrazer realized Gloriana's crying may have been more for effect than any real sign of emotion. Her eyes were dry, and her face showed no sign of redness.
Varian sighed. "We haven't actually gotten that far in the discussion."
"But Christabel said—" Gloriana started, but Varian cut her off with a look.
"I take it Christabel is a friend of your family," Moonrazer said.
"Christabel is our sister," Varian said. "She was born blind and came to live with the Weavers when she was a child."
Estelle took her sister's arm. "I think we should leave Varian and Moonrazer alone. They need to discuss… their future."
Gloriana sputtered about Moonrazer not being properly dressed for a proposal, but Estelle dragged her out of the room, closing the door behind them.
"A proposal?"
"I had intended to ask you to be my bride before they arrived."
"Maybe we should deal with the Dragons, before we think about that." Moonrazer found herself staring into his eyes. He was the most attractive man she'd ever seen.
"I'm afraid we don't have that luxury." Varian sat on the edge of her bed and took her hand. "There is only one thing that will allow me to stand before the Dragons. I need to have an heir."
"But you chose not to get your daughter."
He looked into her eyes. "Don't you understand that I couldn't live without you? It wasn't a choice. If I had left you to die, I might as well have lain on the snow with you until we both froze."
"So, the Dragons will kill you." A single tear ran down her cheek before she could stop it.
"There may be a way to keep that from happening."
"You can send for Greenblade. Surely there must be a way."
"No, my love, that is impossible. Nightwind said he can only approach Cedarwood of the Countless Rings during the Confluence."
"There is another one in a blizzard… year."
"The Festival is in five months. However, Estelle and Thersian, our royal librarian, found writings that show the Dragons have accepted an unborn heir of a Dragonmarked bride."
"You want to marry me so I can have your child."
"Oh, Moonrazer, my darling, how little you understand." He gathered her into his arms and kissed her fully on the mouth.
When he released her, she felt as though the bones in her legs had melted. She took a deep breath.
"I love you," Varian said. "I think I loved you the first time I saw you, right before the Candidates' visit to the glacier. You looked so formidable on your horse. I wondered how such a beautiful woman could be so powerful, too."
"I am not that woman any more."
"I love you. Not because you were the Exalted Warrior. Not because I wanted to see what a warrior woman was like in bed, and not because I need an heir."
He ran his hand through his hair. "I have been married twice and both were political partnerships. Violetta was frightened of everything on Tellan and ran away without giving me a chance to help her understand our people. Elizabeth Louise was of Tellan and understood the importance of an heir, but while we had much in common and enjoyed each other's company, I never felt the passion and desire for her that I do for you."
He took her hands again. "I gave up on a chance to get my daughter, the daughter I've been searching for, because I couldn't bear the thought of losing you. Doesn't that tell you that you are the woman I want? Moonrazer, no matter what happens at the Festival, I will never be sorry I chose you."
With tears of joy rolling down her face, Moonrazer smiled. "Of course I will marry you. I would be honored to stand next to you as your wife."
Chapter Twenty-seven
Two days later, Christabel declared Moonrazer well enough to walk around the building.
She was eager to see this world for herself.
Oakgold came into her room, carrying a pile of garments. "Christabel sent these."
She showed Moonrazer a number of thin, silky underthings and a light blue gown made of some kind of nearly transparent fabric scattered with flowers and leaves. The short sleeves and tight-waisted skirt were adorned with heavy silk braid in a darker blue.
Moonrazer wrinkled her forehead. "I cannot wear something like that. Surely it was designed for a woman more delicate than I am."
"I told Christabel that as a warrior you would want more substantial clothing."
"And she did not see fit to find some?"
"She created these pieces just for you." Oakgold handed Moonrazer one of the garments. "Try to tear it."
"I may be losing my strength, but certainly even a child would be able to damage something like this." She took the piece of cloth in both hands and yanked it.
However, the fabric didn't tear. In fact, Moonrazer couldn't see that she'd made any mark on it at all. "What is this made of?"
"She called it silken steel, and apparently it can withstand the edge of a dagger or an ax. It is a fabric that will let you fit in with the ladies at court, but still feel like a warrior."
"Let us hope I will not need to test her claims, but it is good to know that there are people here who understand me."
****
When Moonrazer had finished bathing and was dressed, she felt like herself again. The gown made her feel awkward, but the soft fabric felt luxurious against her skin. Never before had she worn anything so lovely or comfortable.
"Are you ready to go downstairs and see the Prince?" Oakgold asked, a broad smile on her face. "May I say I am glad you agreed to become his wife?"
Moonrazer smiled, but she tried to look stern. "You know, it is inappropriate for you to comment on my choice of Consort."
Oakgold bowed. "I know, Warrior, but I think he will be good for you. He is an honorable man."
"He is, and if I cannot live on Carrick, I would rather be with him."
"He will make you happy."
"Thank you, Oakgold. I am glad you are here." She hugged her servant and friend. "Let us go downstairs. The Prince said he wanted to show me his world."
"It is remarkable," Oakgold said as she offered Moonrazer her arm.
Varian stood at the bottom of the stairs and looked at her, his eyes wide. "Never have I seen anything so beautiful."
"A great compliment, given how lovely everything is on this world." She began down the steps.
When she reached the bottom, Oakgold released her, and she took Varian's arm instead.
"There is nothing on Tellan as lovely as you are," Varian murmured into her ear.
He led her to a green velvet sofa next to a table that held a tray of flaky pastries and a silver tea set.
"We have much to talk about," Varian said.
Moonrazer nodded and sat, sweeping the skirt aside.
"I need to tell you about Tellan." He sat next to her.
The building sat high on a mountain and from their vantage point, they could overlook the vast forests of Tellan. She saw shades of green laced with ribbons of topaz rivers that fed into lakes of deepest blue.
"Look out there, Moonrazer. This is our world and everything in it is… an illusion."
Moonrazer shook her head. "I do not understand. How can it be an illusion? The food, the air, the animals. Those are real, are they not?"
"Come with me."
He took her hand and led her down some stairs into a large room. A group of people sat on chairs in a circle in the middle of the room, not speaking. Their eyes were closed, and a couple of them seemed to be muttering to themselves.
Varian led her to a wall of paintings Moonrazer hadn't noticed before.
In the center of a display of smaller pictures was a large, colorful portrait of an immense man with a long red beard, which was braided and secured with a leather strap. He stood outside a cave, the entrance to which was shorter than he was.
He was dressed in a gr
een shirt and a matching pair of pants but had no shoes on his feet. His scant hair was lighter than his beard and was tousled about his head.
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