Red Rose Rising

by A J Manney

  She could see the “please” softened him up minutely. “You have three days. That’s it. I won’t give any more than that.”

  Zalia knew she had to take his compromise before he changed his mind again. “Okay,” she said. “Three days,” she said. Her mind started whirling with all she would need to do in the next few days. I am so in over my head, Zalia grimaced.

  Chapter 33

  The next two days flew by. Despite Valen’s desire to keep Zalia locked to his side, they spent a lot of time apart. He spent hours with Beckam and her grandfather. They talked strategy and plans, succession, and more. Zalia was too busy to be involved in any of it, but she knew they were trying to establish the political scene for the five kingdoms moving forward.

  The second day of wedding preparation brought a surprise for Zalia. She was busy working outside when she heard a familiar voice. “Were you really going to have a wedding without your best friend?”

  Zalia spun around to see Raven standing there with a smile on her face. Zalia squealed and ran towards her. They hugged each other tightly. Zalia pulled back with tears in her eyes. “How did you get here?” she asked.

  Raven smiled. “Beckam had Silas bring me,” she said.

  Zalia gasped. “Silas is here too?”

  “I am, Princess. I wouldn’t have missed it for the world,” Silas said from where he stood. Zalia’s tears were falling in earnest now. She quickly ran toward Silas and gave him a hug.

  Zalia, what’s wrong? Are you okay? Zalia heard Valen through their bond.

  I’m wonderful. Silas and Raven are here! Beckam made sure they got here for the wedding. Isn't that wonderful? she asked him.

  Zalia heard silence for a moment, and then Valen asked, “Who is Silas?”

  Zalia laughed out loud. Silas was my guard for my entire life. He’s like a grandfather to me. You have nothing to worry about. I will only ever love you.

  And I will only ever love you, Zalia, Valen said.

  Zalia and Raven spent every moment together planning a quick but perfect wedding. They met with a seamstress for Zalia’s dress, the gardener for flowers, the head cook for a meal, a baker for a cake, and so much more. It was going to take a miracle—and her grandfather’s entire staff—to pull this wedding off. On the evening before the wedding, Raven and Zalia were working with about twenty staff members to turn the outside courtyard area into a seating area for the ceremony. It had been dark for a while; but Zalia continued working, using lanterns for light. She wanted everything to be perfect for tomorrow. She had just finished talking to the head gardener for the last time when strong arms came around her middle. Zalia jumped for a moment and then relaxed into his arms.

  “You need to get sleep before tomorrow,” Valen said in a low voice in her ear.

  “I still have so much to do,” she said.

  “Leave it,” he said. “You are more important to me than the decorations. You need to get sleep. I’m sure it will be beautiful tomorrow.”

  Zalia shrugged out of arms. “I just have a few more things to do,” she said. She started walking away from him. “Go on in. I’ll be there soon,” she said as she got right back to work.

  One moment Zalia was working on a project, the next she was picked up like a sack of potatoes and thrown over Valen’s shoulder. “You’re going to bed now,” he said. With that, he started walking away.

  Zalia looked up and saw the staff members staring at them. Some of them were laughing; some were in shock. Raven just laughed and waved. Zalia scowled at her. “Just wait until it’s your turn!” she yelled out to Raven. Then they were inside the castle.

  “You can put me down now,” Zalia said in an irritated voice.

  Valen didn’t say anything. Zalia was exhausted, and her nerves were shot worrying about getting married tomorrow. That’s the only reason she had as to why she started pounding on his back with her fists. She knew it was childish, but she didn’t care. She couldn’t believe he carried her out of there in front of all those people.

  “Stop it,” he growled in a low tone. That just made Zalia even more angry, and she hit him harder.

  Then to her shock, he smacked her across her backside. Zalia froze. “Did you just spank me?” she cried in outrage.

  Valen responded, “You were acting like a child.”

  Zalia’s eyes narrowed at that. Now, she was angry. “How dare you!” she all but yelled at him. “You are the most conceited, selfish, egotistical, tyrannical...”

  During her yelling, they arrived at their door. Valen walked in and threw her on the bed. Zalia sputtered as she caught herself and tried to climb off the bed. Valen closed the door before Zalia launched herself at him. She started to punch him, but he deflected it. She tried again, but he stopped her again. This time he grabbed her hand and held on when she tried to punch him. He spun her effortlessly until she was trapped against the wall. He kept his hold on her arm and placed his other arm on the wall, effectively boxing her in.

  “Zalia, please. I’m not trying to hurt you. I just need you to get sleep for tomorrow. It’s our wedding day. Is it so much to ask for?” he growled at her.

  “You can’t just pick me up and carry me off when you want me to do something. You need to talk to me and not act like a caveman,” she grumbled at him.

  “I did; you didn’t listen,” he said, exasperated.

  Zalia paused for a moment. “Okay, I’ll concede on that point. Fine, I will try better to do what you are asking, but you need to work at it too. No more forcing me to do what you want me to do,” she said warily.

  “Fine. I won’t force you unless it’s for your own safety,” he said calmly.

  Zalia scowled. “That’s not the right answer,” she ground out to him.

  “Zalia, I’m not compromising on your safety. Ever. We can fight forever about this; I am not going to back down. When it comes to keeping you safe, I will do anything I need to. I will pick you up and carry you if you don’t listen,” he said.

  Zalia blew out a frustrated breath. This was not a battle she was going to win. Then again, there were worse things in life. “Fine,” she said. “Can you let go of me now?” She was still pinned against the wall.

  “No,” he said in a low voice.

  “Why not? I agreed,” Zalia said, confused.

  “Because of this,” he said simply. Then he lowered his head to hers and kissed her. Zalia stayed still for only a moment before she melted into him. He dropped his hold on her hand and pulled her close to him. When he had kissed her so long, her mind turned to mush, he pulled back. He kept his arms around her. Zalia was grateful for that, or she would have ended up on the floor.

  He looked down at her. “Truce?” he asked softly. Zalia just nodded. “All right then, let’s get you to bed. Do you need a bath tonight?” he asked.

  “No, I will take one in the morning,” she said.

  He nodded. Then he looked at her for a moment. “Are you nervous for tomorrow?” he asked.

  “Yes,” Zalia said breathlessly. She was still reeling from their kiss.

  “You have nothing to be nervous about. I will be by your side the entire time,” he said confidently.

  Zalia looked up at him questioningly. “What about afterwards?” she asked.

  “When we complete the bond, you mean?” Valen asked.

  Zalia felt herself blush, and she stumbled over her words. “No, not that. I just meant what are we going to do... I mean how are we going to...” she felt a deep blush covering her face and neck.

  Valen was smirking now. “Do you want me to explain it to you,” he asked.

  “NO!” Zalia almost shouted at him, mortified.

  Valen chuckled and then tried to stop smiling. “Okay, what is it you’re trying to ask?”

  Zalia took a deep breath. “Are we going to be coming back to this room after we get married?” she finally spit out. She didn’t look into his eyes.

  Valen gently tipped her chin up. “Zalia, please don’t be embarrassed
in front of me. We won’t be coming back to this room. Beckam has a place he is going to let us borrow. It’s closer than going back to my kingdom or yours,” he said.

  Zalia nodded. “Okay, do I need to pack before the wedding, or will we have time afterwards?” she asked.

  “Go ahead and pack beforehand, so we can leave right from the great hall when we are done,” he said. “But Zalia,” he said and paused.

  “Hmm?” she questioned.

  “You don’t need to pack a lot of clothes. You won’t be needing them,” he said with a mischievous grin.

  Zalia did not know how to respond to that, so she just squeaked out, “Okay, I don’t know how to respond to that so, goodnight. I’m going to bed now.” She walked away from him in a daze.

  “Uh, Zalia, you forgot something,” Valen called out before she got too far.

  Zalia turned back around. “What?” she asked questioningly.

  “A good night kiss,” he said. He strode toward her quickly and pulled her against his hard body. He didn’t keep her long but kissed her deeply. “Now you can go to bed,” he said huskily.

  Zalia didn’t look at him again but headed for her room. When she closed her door, she collapsed on her bed with a smile on her face. She lay there for a few minutes, then dragged herself up to get ready for bed.

  The next morning when Zalia awoke, it took her only a moment to remember what day it was. She sat up quickly. “I can’t believe I'm getting married today,” she said out loud. She thought about her parents and brother and sighed. She crawled to the edge and knelt under her bed and pulled out her sketchbook. When she had it in hand, she sat back down on her bed and flipped through the pages until she came to each one of their portraits. She ran her hands lovingly over her brother’s face, her father’s face, and finally her mother’s face. She stayed on that portrait the longest. “I wish you could be here today,” she said softly. She missed her family dearly. She turned another page in her book and found Valen’s portrait. She ran her hands over his face, and a peace settled deep in her heart. She knew she would be happy, and he would always take care of her.

  She heard a knock at her door and quickly wiped away the tears that had fallen. “It’s just me,” she heard Raven say behind the closed door.

  Zalia smiled. “Come in,” she called out. Raven opened the door and came in with a huge smile on her face.

  “It’s your wedding day!” she squealed before tackling Zalia in a huge hug. Zalia laughed. Raven looked at her. “It’s time to turn you into a bride,” she said as she clapped her hands. “First up, you get a bath. While you are in the bath, the staff is going to bring your dress in and everything you need for today,” she said, effectively taking charge.

  Zalia started towards the bathroom with a smile on her face and butterflies in her stomach. This was going to be a life-changing day.

  Hours later, Zalia stared at herself in the mirror and almost didn’t recognize herself. All the hours of being worked on had paid off. Zalia’s skin practically glowed. Her hair was an intricate design of braids with small flowers woven in on the top of her head, and in the back, her curls hung freely. The dress she wore was exquisite. Zalia couldn’t help but stare at it. It had a rounded neckline that was covered in tiny crystals. The front boasted a corset design with pale pink ribbons. The sleeves were sheer and hung free at Zalia’s elbows. The bottom of the dress was made of layer upon layer of silk chiffon. Tiny crystals were sewn into the chiffon making the bottom half of her dress billow and shimmer all around her when she moved. Her eyes shimmered, and her lips were a soft pink to match the ribbons in her dress. Soft white leather shoes adorned her feet. Zalia felt that she truly looked like a queen today.

  She looked up in the mirror and saw Raven staring at her. “You look so beautiful, Zalia,” she said softly. They both froze when they heard a knock at the door. Raven left to go answer the door. Zalia turned towards the door when she heard her grandfather’s voice. She walked over towards him and stopped.

  Her grandfather’s eyes twinkled at her. “Zalia, you look absolutely beautiful,” he said with a smile. He walked towards her. “Are you ready for this?” he asked.

  Zalia took a deep breath and nodded. “As ready as I will ever be,” she said.

  “I’m going to go, so I can get a seat,” Raven said. With a smile and a blown kiss, she left the room.

  Zalia preceded her grandfather into the hall. She noticed several guards lining the wall. Her grandfather came out of her room and offered her his arm. They began walking slowly towards the rear of the castle. Some of the guards walked in front of them; others walked behind them.

  “You know, you look just like your mother did on her wedding day,” her grandfather said with a smile.

  Zalia looked up at him. “Really?” she asked.

  He nodded. “She had her hair down much like yours is. Her black curls hung down her back. She looked beautiful, just like you do today,” he said.

  Zalia was quiet for a moment. “I wish she could be here today,” she said softly.

  Her grandfather sighed. “I wish that for you too, Zalia. She would be so proud of the woman you have become. Your father and brother would too. They are with you today. They’re looking down at you and celebrating with you, and they’re here with you here,” he pointed to Zalia’s heart. “You carry a piece of each one of them. That’s who you are. It’s made you into the beautiful queen standing before me today.”

  Zalia blinked rapidly so her tears wouldn’t fall and ruin her face and dress. “Thank you,” she said simply. Her grandfather patted her hand.

  As they got close to the door that would lead them outdoors to the wedding ceremony, Zalia started breathing faster. Her nerves started taking over, and she felt like she might get sick to her stomach. Her grandfather stopped a few steps before the door and turned to look at her. “You’re not having second thoughts, are you?” he questioned teasingly, but Zalia could see an ounce of sincerity in his question. “Valen’s a good man, but you don’t have to do this if you’re not ready,” he said quietly.

  Zalia took deep breaths in and out. Maybe I’m rushing things. What if Valen decides he doesn’t really love me. After all, he doesn’t really know me all that well. Zalia tried to catch her breath but felt like she couldn’t. She started hearing a roaring in her ears. It was all too much. She couldn’t do this. She started to back away, when suddenly the door in front of her opened.

  She locked eyes with Valen. She was in too much of a panic to think clearly and realize he shouldn’t be here right now. She just stared at him as he walked towards her and stopped in front of her. She still couldn’t catch her breath and felt like she was gasping for air.

  “Sweetheart,” he murmured quietly before gently taking her in his arms, being careful with her dress. Zalia laid her head on his chest and listened to his steady heartbeat. He gently rubbed circles on her back with his hands, soothing her. The strong beat helped steady her and after a few moments, she felt like she could finally breathe again.

  Valen pulled back gently and looked into her eyes. “We don’t have to do this today, if you’re not ready. I’m sorry I pushed you. We can wait until you are ready to get married,” he said soothingly.

  “But what about all the people in there and the decorations and the food and... everything?” she asked helplessly.

  Valen responded. “None of that matters. You are the most important person to me. If we need to cancel it, we do. Is that what you want?” he asked, watching her carefully.

  Zalia stood before him frozen. Is that what I really want? Then as if a book opened up before her eyes, Zalia recalled the first time she saw Valen. The fierce warrior who carried her to safety away from the attack on her kingdom. She saw him training her for hours on end, always demanding her best. She saw his eyes blazing when Beckam hurt her in training. She saw him getting ice for her when she got hurt. She saw him smiling down at her as they danced. She saw him glaring at other men as she got food from the
buffet table. She saw him battling his way towards her when they were attacked at the party. She saw him sitting by her beside time after time after her healings. She saw the first time he kissed her, so tenderly. She saw when he carried her after she was attacked in the training center. She saw when he held her after her nightmares. She saw him. Valen. He had always been there, loving her and protecting her, since she met him. She knew in that moment that this was the right thing. She loved him, and he loved her. He would always be there for her. He would always stand beside her. He would fight life’s battles with her, and he would be the father to their children.

  Zalia’s eyes brimmed with tears at the overwhelming love flowing out of her heart for Valen. She looked up at him. He gently wiped her eyes. “It’s okay, Zalia,” he said gently. “I will take care of everything. You just return to our room; I will come to you as soon as I can,” he said. Zalia realized he mistook her tears.

  She laughed gently and shook her head. “No, Valen. I’m not returning to our room. I’m marrying you. I’m sorry I panicked. I just needed to see you again before heading in there,” she said. “I’m sorry for doubting. I love you, and I know you love me,” she said softly.

  Valen crushed her to his chest and breathed deeply. Then he pulled away and grasped her arms gently. “Are you sure?” he asked, looking into her eyes.

  “Absolutely!” Zalia said with a huge smile.

  “So, if I leave and go back out there, you will come right?” he asked.

  Zalia laughed again. “I promise,” she said with a smile. She reached up on her tiptoes and lightly kissed him on the lips.

  He stared down at her a moment more. “If you’re sure you’re okay now, I am going to head out there again to my place,” he said.

  “I’ll be right behind you,” Zalia said. He leaned down and kissed her once more, a little more intensely than the kiss Zalia had given him. When he pulled back, his eyes were darker. “By the way,” he said in a low voice, “There are no words to describe how beautiful you look. You look like a queen,” he said quietly. Without another word, he turned and walked away.