Sarcha nodded. “I have. I think everyone in the palace has noticed the beauty of your queen.” He frowned at Brianna’s snort.
* * * *
Niklas nodded at Sarcha’s reply, ignoring Brianna’s comment. “How could anyone not notice the changes in her beauty?” Well, other than Brianna. She had never seemed to notice her beauty before, and she didn’t see it now. It was a flaw he could live with. “As long as they are all healthy, I am happy.” He smiled.
“They are all very healthy, My Lord.” Sarcha assured him. “As a matter of fact, it appears as though they are all growing at a very rapid rate.” He cleared his throat. He obviously wanted to finish what he had to say as quickly as possible. “What you have just told me could explain a great many things.” His gaze darted from Niklas to Brianna, not staying on either of their faces for long.
“What are you saying?” Brianna asked, her hand at her neck, massaging a particularly ugly bruise.
Sarcha gave her a level gaze. “Your children are growing at an accelerated rate. I can only assume that your delivery date will accelerate as well.”
“How soon?” Brianna’s hand covered her rounded abdomen, her eyes wide with shock.
Sarcha frowned. “A few months still, to be sure. But not the usual nine months you would expect. It is difficult to say.”
She closed her eyes as tears slid down her face. “I never should have taken a drink of that water.” She reached up, dashing the tears away with her hand.
Niklas rubbed his eyes and sighed. What she really meant to say was that she never should have let him talk her into drinking that damned water. That she never should have trusted him. Perhaps she was right. “Call him,” he searched her eyes. “You know you want to. He has the answers that we all would seek. Call him to you. You know he will come.”
Brianna nodded. She sat straighter in her chair, for some reason, she didn’t want Larin to see her slouching and feeling sorry for herself. Why she should care was beside the point. “Larin, please come to me, I need to talk to you.”
There was a flash of white light and Larin was before her, a smile on his handsome face. “Thank you for asking, Brianna. It does get rather tiresome to be ordered about constantly.” He bowed. “What is it you wish?”
Brianna’s mouth hung open for a moment before she snapped it closed. He could be really charming when he wanted to be. “Do the Fae carry children like mortals do?”
Larin found himself a seat and made himself at home before he answered. “Not in the same way, no. The Fae do not have children in that way, unless we choose to.” He shrugged lazily. “We think that we would like to procreate, and a child appears before us, but if we do not want to live for several years in the mortal realm so the child may mature, we think of a grown child.” He held up a hand at Brianna’s look. “I already know what you are going to ask. Until a member of my race reaches the age of ten years, they age. After that, we remain much the same.”
“You looked like that at ten years old?” Brianna asked, mouth agape.
Larin looked down at himself, then at Brianna. “What’s wrong with the way I look? Yes, I looked this way at ten years old. We mature very quickly compared to mortals.”
“Has there ever been an instance of a human and a Fae interbreeding?” Niklas asked, not sure how much Larin wished Sarcha to know.
Larin’s gaze flicked toward Niklas “You know there is.” He shrugged. “In the instance that a human and a Fae procreate, the gestation period for the human is dramatically reduced.”
Brianna heaved a sigh. “So this is normal then.” She was so relieved she could have slid to the floor in a heap.
“What is normal?” Larin asked as he casually picked at his fingernails.
Sarcha cleared his throat. “Since she has arrived, the babes in her womb have doubled in size. We have only been here for three weeks, and that much growth in such a short time is unheard of.”
Larin nodded. “It is because she partook of the waters of the Shantamoura. The water helps our kind rejuvenate. Since Brianna is part Fae, the waters of the river have given that part of her the rejuvenating powers of our kind.”
Brianna smiled, obviously relieved. “So what you’re saying, is that for someone like me, this is completely normal. Right?”
“Did your parents ever tell you tales of how you were born? Did you come earlier than expected, yet you were of a sufficient size to not be endangered?”
Brianna nodded. “Yes, of course, I remember now. My father said it was so strange that I was six weeks premature, yet I was still nearly eight pounds. The doctors all thought there must have been some mistake with the dates.”
Larin shook his head. “No, not a mistake with the dates. Just a peculiar family trait.” His mouth quirked at the corner in a half smile, that for once, reached expressive eyes.
Niklas heaved a sigh, relieved the rapid growth was due to Brianna’s Fae blood and not something that he had caused.
Brianna smiled. “I’m so relieved, I was afraid that there was something wrong.” She stood and rushed to Larin, giving him a kiss on the cheek.
Larin stood still for a moment, his eyes wide. He turned an accusing look on Brianna. “Now what did you go and do that for?” He snarled, before he snapped his fingers and promptly disappeared.
Brianna looked on with astonishment. “What in the world was that about?”
Chapter Twenty-five
Brianna followed Silera through her wing of the palace. Their shoes clacked on the marble-like floor. Windows, scattered along the long corridors, delivered light throughout the length.
“Follow me, dear.” Her soon-to-be mother-in-law tossed a look behind her. “We’ll be there in just a minute.” She stopped, looked at Brianna, and sighed. “There’s just no help for it.” She shook her head. “I wish you weren’t getting married with all of those cuts and bruises marring your beautiful face.” She smiled softly. “What I wouldn’t give to have your light, translucent skin.”
Brianna chuckled. “On my world, everyone would be envious of your perpetual tan.”
Silera laughed. “perhaps I should visit your world.” She turned left at a juncture leading Brianna to a door. She pushed it open, ushering Brianna inside. “This is the mooreenah.”
“More-eena.” Brianna repeated. “What is that?” She glanced around the huge room filled with smaller doorways and crates. It almost looked like an attic.
Silera walked to one of the small doors and opened it. “We keep our heritage in this room. Every wedding gown ever worn by a queen of Terrna is stored in here.” She closed the door and headed for another. “You can choose one of these dresses, or we can replicate one of your own choosing.” She opened and closed several doors before she found what she’d been looking for. “Here it is.” She reached inside, removing a beautiful sapphire blue gown.
Brianna looked at all of the smaller doors. “They’re closets.” She turned her direction toward the dress. “It’s beautiful. It looks like satin.”
Silera grinned in her direction. “It is very like satin, my dear.” She draped the dress across one of the chairs in the room. As usual, the piece of furniture immediately changed size so the dress wouldn’t drag on the floor.
Brianna shook her head and looked away, trying to ignore furniture that did such alien things as turning from a chair to a garment rack in front of her eyes. She ran her hand lightly down the material, admiring the attached stones that resembled diamonds and seed pearls. “Where did you get it?”
“From time to time we send ships to planets that we have peopled. They collect information, sometimes influence industrial revolution.” She turned back to the doorway, closed the door and headed for another closet. .
Brianna examined the room with awe. This was one huge dressing and fitting room. “Did you influence Earth?” Brianna wandered through the room, opening and closing doors, gasping at the finery she found behind each of the small wooden doors.
“Oh, my, yes.�
�� Silera smiled. “Your planet would still be in the dark ages if we hadn’t interfered.” She shook her head in disbelief. “Science is heresy? My goodness.” She clucked her tongue. “And the way they measured time was absolutely horrible. It was one of us who taught your Gregorian Monks to make a plausible calendar.”
“That’s why you measure your time in years like we do.” Brianna understood a lot of things she’d seen since getting here now. Even some of the architecture here was similar.
“Actually, my dear, you measure your time like we do,” she said with a smile.
Brianna nodded. “Yes, of course.”
Silera chuckled softly. “We influenced many things on Earth, including the emancipation of slaves and women.” She shook her head. “Your world was filled with such stupidity.” Silera continued to move about the room as though looking for something. “It was much like my home world, but at least we could affect change there. My world is hopeless.”
Brianna nodded her agreement and gave the sapphire dress one last, longing look. Niklas’s mother would look stunning in it. “You’re going to be beautiful in that dress, Silera.”
She laughed. “I won’t be wearing it, dear. You will.” She frowned. “Unless of course you don’t care for the color.” She started to dig through another closet.
Shocked, Brianna stared at the dress. “I love the color.” Who wanted a plain white wedding dress? White always made her look sallow anyway. Brianna swiped at the tears seeping from her eyes. “I don’t know why I have to cry all of the time. I feel like such a big baby.”
Silera left the closet and wrapped her arm around Brianna’s shoulders. “Because you’re pregnant, my dear. The tears come so much easier when you’re with child.”
Brianna sniffed. “I suppose.” She gave her mother-in-law a worried frown. “I know you want a big celebration, Silera, but I don’t think I can wait to marry Niklas.”
The other woman began to speak and Brianna held up her hand. “Hear me out, please. I know I was kidnapped because I was alone in my room.” She circled the room, found a chair and sat down. Prepared for the seat to change shape, Brianna continued after the chair stopped its movement. “I’m sure that you’ve noticed that he hasn’t left me alone today. I hate to think of what is going to happen tonight when I go to bed.” She leaned forward with her head in her hands. “We need to be married today. Even if it’s without a big service.”
Silera knelt in front of her. “Niklas has already explained this to me, my dear. That is why we are here. The bride is not to see her gown until the wedding day. In the past it was brought to her, or if she wanted one of her own choosing, the bride must choose between gowns already made by others on the day of the ceremony or she must choose a design and replicate one. Either way, she is not to see her dress until the day of the ceremony.” Silera waved her hand in dismissal. “It’s some strange superstition. Since you were to be married just two days ago, everything is still in readiness for this event.” She covered Brianna’s hand with her own. “Come, we must get you dressed before Niklas finds us and breaks down the door.”
Silera called Urma to the room to help them. When she asked Brianna who she wanted to have be a part of her preparations, Brianna could think of no one, other than Silera and Urma.
Urma curtsied when she entered the room. “I must thank you, Lady, for including me in this.” Her gaze darted around the room. “Usually, this is reserved for family.” Her chin quivered, and her eyes looked suspiciously watery.
To Urma’s complete surprise, Brianna hugged her.
“What are you doing, Lady? You shouldn’t be embracing the likes of me!” Urma stiffened and tried to pull away.
Brianna smiled and held on tight. “Why not, Urma? You are a part of my family.” She hugged her again. “You and Silera, have been the closest to a mother that I have ever had.” She smiled, looking between them. “A mother and an aunt.”
Urma lifted her apron and dashed the tears from her eyes. “Thank you, Lady, I will cherish this memory, always.” She took Brianna’s hand, and not unlike a drill sergeant, began barking orders.
Brianna sat in the chair for what seemed like hours while Urma fiddled with her hair. “What are you doing?” She twisted around, trying to get a look at herself in the mirror Silera had dragged out from behind another one of those magical doors.
Urma grasped Brianna’s face between her two plump hands, forcing her to face forward again. “How many times do you have to be told? You can’t see yourself before you’re ready for the ceremony!”
“I don’t believe in bad luck. I make my own destiny,” Brianna argued.
Urma chuckled. “And that’s why you’re here, making your own destiny?” She smirked as she walked around to face Brianna, a comb in her hand. “I know why you are here, lady. Silera told me.”
Brianna shot a surprised look at Silera. “I thought no one was supposed to know?”
Silera shrugged. “I tell Urma everything.” She stared at Urma wistfully for a moment before she seemed to shake herself and began to bustle around the room again.
Urma put the finishing touches on Brianna’s hair and declared her ready to dress.
Brianna had been afraid they were going to try to squeeze her into a corset, but the dress fit perfectly without one. Her high firm breasts didn’t need the added lift of a corset, and her waist, though not tiny anymore, was small enough to fit into the dress without difficulty, thanks to the empire waist. Besides, she thought with a frown, she didn’t think pregnant women could wear corsets.
Finally, Urma let her turn to the mirror. The color of the dress enhanced the blue of her eyes and the golden sheen of her hair. The maid had piled her hair atop her head in curls. Ringlets, like large sausages, tumbled down her back, framing her face.
The gems on the dress glistened in the waning light, shimmering as she breathed, every time she moved. The low cut bodice framed her high firm breasts showing off her décolletage. A necklace Silera found in another of the anterooms glistened around her neck, the diamond-like gems shining. The large star sapphire that fit snuggly between her breasts matched the color of her eyes.
Brianna stared in the mirror, stunned. She was beautiful, really and truly beautiful. Is this what Niklas saw every time he looked at her? “Oh, I hope so.”
“Did you say something, dear?” Silera asked as she stepped closer.
Brianna shook her head. “No, I just don’t believe that’s me.” She indicated her reflection.
Holding out a small book, Silera said, “It is customary for the bride to carry the Book of Life with her to the ceremony. It symbolizes her willingness to give life to this family by bearing children.” She grinned. “We all know of your willingness, dear, but it is custom.”
Brianna took the small oval book in her hands. She nervously turned it over and over as they left the room and headed for the temple hall.
Silera and Urma led her to the nearest door down the corridor, and she followed them into it. She looked around the small room, yelping when it started to move. Okay, this was some kind of elevator. She scowled. Someone could have told her as she’d been walking everywhere.
The doors opened onto an opulent corridor. Statues representing Gods and Goddesses lined each side of the long hall. Carved wainscoting lined the walls and intricately carved pillars accented the doorways they passed. Candles burned brightly at the foot of each statue, next to the offerings of flowers and fruit that sat at their feet.
Brianna walked slowly down the long hallway, feeling blessed to have the eyes of the gods watching her approach the very temple that honored them, that honored their presence on this world.
Brianna blinked, realizing someone was missing. Someone who had every right to see her married, if that was what he wished. She paused near the end of the long hall. Staring at the ornate hand carved balustrade that led up the stairs to the intricately carved doors on the next level. “Larin.” Brianna said, softly. “I’m inviting you to my weddin
g, if you’d care to come.”
Silera looked at her sadly. “It’s a shame you have no male relatives to give you away. It is a very significant gesture during the ceremony, stating that your family entrusts your care to Niklas.”
Brianna nodded. “Yes, it’s a shame I had hoped…”
Suddenly a bright light appeared at the top of the carpeted stairs. Larin stood leaning his hip against the swirling, carved banister. His clothing glowed with a magical light as if a silver aura surrounded him. He held his arm out. “I felt your need for family,” he swallowed visibly. “Will I do?”
Brianna could see his fear of rejection. The poor man. He joked and played pranks to cover the fact that he was so lonely. She bet he’d never admit to it, though. She gave him a brilliant smile and hurried up the stairs. Taking his offered arm, she said, “I would give you another kiss for this, Larin, but I’m afraid you’ll disappear again.” Brianna leaned closer and whispered, “It’s a good thing there is a transport pad up here, or you would have some explaining to do.”
Larin gave her an unfathomable look. “I’m sorry your father could not be here to do this, or one closer in your lineage.” He hooked a finger beneath the neckline of his top and pulled it away from his throat.
She turned to Silera. “This is Larin. My friend and the closest thing I have to family. He has agreed to give me away.”
Silera smiled. “I am pleased to meet you, Larin.”
“And I you, Your Highness.” Larin bowed in deference, using his company manners.
Briannas Prophecy Page 26
