“He is, yes,” her mother said at last. “A kind man. Just. . . hardened from war.”
She spoke slowly. There was a pause after the words, a small silence that made Lyssena wonder if her mother was nervous too. Perhaps she was praying, just as Lyssena had, that everything would be alright.
Lyssena believed it would be. Ithadto be.
Her mother had been feeding her more than usual over the past few months. Rich stews, honeyed bread, dried fruits soaked in sweet wine. She had gained just enough weight to appearfuller and more plump. In their village, softness was seen as a sign of health, of care for a daughter well-loved by her family.
It was a kind of love expressed in roasted meat and second helpings, and the way her father smiled and teased her into finishing every bite.
He had even brought her fabric for a new dress, though they had little to spare. Her mother had added rose oil to the bathwater that evening. For weeks now, Lyssena had soaked her hands in honey and milk. Luxuries they did not often afford.
She was grateful, deeply so. As she was getting so much attention.
And she could hardly wait to meet him.
Chapter Two
The Fifth Flame
Lyssena
Lyssena stood still, her hands resting at her sides, as her mother finished tying the white gown at her back. The fabric was soft and weightless, finer than anything she had ever worn. Her hair, freshly combed and still damp from her bath, tumbled in loose waves down to the small of her back.
Her mother stepped in front of her and carefully placed a white, silky hairpiece at the crown of Lyssena’s head. It draped like moonlight, pinned in place with a simple mother-of-pearl clip—an heirloom, once hers.
“There,” her mother whispered. “You look just like I did the night I was chosen by your father.”
Before Lyssena could answer, the sound of boots striking earth reached them. Voices calling, a bark of laughter carried in from the outside.
“They’re back,” she breathed, her heart leaping. Without waiting for permission, she gathered up her skirts and ran barefoot toward the front door.
The sunlight stung her eyes for a moment, but then she saw her father and all five of her brothers, just now returning from the hunt.
Her eldest brothers, Koren and Damyn, led the group. Broad-shouldered and grinning, each had a string of rabbits tied to their belts, the animals swinging with every step, ears bobbing like small pendulums. Between them and their father, they carried a large deer, each man gripping a leg as they hauled the animal together. Its head and chest dragged in the dirt, the fur along its flank stained dark with blood.
At the threshold, her three younger brothers—Hale, Renn, and Vos—were doubled over, panting hard as if they had hauled the rest of the deer’s weight from the carriage to the house. Now they leaned on their knees, sweat on their brows, faces flushed but grinning ear to ear.
“Lyssena!” Hale called, his voice cracking with joy and exertion. “We brought back the biggest one!”
“All for you!” Damyn shouted, lifting his string of rabbits in triumph.
She laughed and rushed forward, throwing her arms around her father just as he dropped the deer at the edge of the step. He smelled of pine, sweat, and blood. His arms, rough and strong, were supposed to wrap around her like they always had, but this time, he pulled back to look at her.
“You’re ready,” he said, stepping half a pace away.
His eyes softened as he took in the sight of her in white. “You’re. . . beautiful.”
Lyssena flushed but smiled. “Mother made me lovely,” she whispered.
“No,” her father said, pressing a kiss to her forehead after wiping the sweat over his brow onto his sleeve. “We just helped you shine.”
The boys gathered around them, voices overlapping, teasing and boasting about who had hunted what. Lyssena stood among them, heart full.
“Let me help with preparing! There’s so much food,” she offered.
But Father shook his head. “You are clean and ready. I’ll skin the game, and your brothers will help.” He turned to her mother then. “Dear, will you cook it for us?”
Both Lyssena and her father looked to her. Her mother nodded.
