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“Oh?”
“She’s so . . . small.”
My laughter is loud and obnoxious. “Don’t let her size fool you like it did me. She’s made of forged steel. And once her claws come out, I would counsel nothing but caution.”
He lifts his tankard in salute. “A worthy a’deve, then.”
“Worthy, indeed.”
I leave them after that, slipping out to get myself ready for the ceremony. Back at the cabin, as is custom, I strip my top half to the skin and slip the golden torque up my arm to my bicep. The fur cloak I gave to Rina is one of a matching set that my parents and grandparents got married in. Soothed by the idea that even if my parents’ union wasn’t a happy one, my grandparents’ was, I pull the ultra-soft cloak over my shoulders.
At the lake, I find everyone waiting at the lookout point. They stand on either side of the path that leads down to the water, forming an aisle of sorts. With so few in attendance, the walkway is not a long one, but I don’t focus on that. My bride will have a big affair in the spring when Kharon shows himself in the Mountain Lion Realm for the official ceremony.
I meet Koda at the shoreline and turn in the direction from which Rina should come. We don’t have to wait for long. And when I catch sight of her, I think my jaw may actually hang open, especially with Venna prowling along beside her in the snow.
Before her, Rina carries the traditional, shallow bowl that holds the honey cake. The gauzy, draped fabric of the off-white dress she wears under her cloak fits close to the skin and I can see the curves of her breasts and her hips as she walks. Her hair has been arranged into intricate braids that are adorned with metal flowers made of gold and silver and, on top, sits the gold tiara that matches my torque. She is breathtaking.
When they come to the line of spectators, Venna breaks away to give them a wide berth. She comes to join me, while I watch everyone incline their heads as Rina passes them by.
She arrives in front of me and I barely listen to Koda’s words, so enthralled am I with her; the gold of the crown against her black hair, the amber of her eyes, the fullness of her lips. In fact, Koda has to gently clear his throat when the time comes to cut the cake.
I don’t miss the little twitch of Rina’s lips as I jerk into action, pulling my dagger from its sheath and cutting a small, bite size portion for her. “Amarinata, take this as a symbol of my ever-lasting devotion and loyalty.” Using my fingers, I place it on her tongue, lingering to enjoy the feel of her lips.
I take the bowl from her and present my dagger, handle first. She smiles mischievously, giving me a little shake of her head as she pulls her own dagger from the sheath I didn’t notice was tied around her waist.
“Lukaron, please take this as a symbol of my ever-lasting devotion and loyalty.” She feeds me the cake, lingering at my lips like I did at hers, making me grin.
Taking the bowl back from me, she offers the cake to Koda. “Kodagon, please bear witness to our union.” He uses his dagger to cut his own piece.
His shaved head reflecting the early afternoon light, Koda lifts his arms. “Those gathered, please bear witness to the binding union of Lukaron Djothar and Amarinata D’heilar.” Rina then takes the cake up one side of the aisle and down the other, allowing our witnesses to cut their own pieces.
When she returns, the plate is empty except for the excess honey. Taking it from her, I set it down in front of Venna, who eagerly licks it clean.
“I don’t think you’re supposed to do that,” Rina teases.
I only smile as I lean down to her lips and steal a kiss from my new wife.
Chapter 25
Rina
Luka is right. The snow at the lakeside cabin is just the beginning. Though that initial snowfall mostly melts, by the time we arrive back at the stronghold a fortnight later, it’s again snowing. And this time when it starts, it doesn’t stop. Over the long, bitterly cold winter, the realm is hit by snowstorm after snowstorm and we’re mostly forced to remain indoors.
Little by little, the stronghold fills up with villagers whose dwellings cannot provide adequate shelter from the frigid temperatures. Every night the Great Hall is littered with sleeping bodies and during the day it’s almost impossible to find a place to be alone with one’s thoughts. Being packed together is not ideal, but the people obviously have experience with it. Jobs are assigned to everyone, and there are organized games and sparring every day. It doesn’t stop all scuffles from breaking out, but it keeps them to a minimum.
And me? I couldn’t be happier. After spending a lifetime without much company, I love being surrounded by people. My big brute of a husband in particular. We’re never far from each other. Whether my days include learning to weave or taking my turn helping in the kitchen (which I insisted on), he makes a point of seeking me out. And vice versa. I love watching him spar with the other warriors in the Great Hall.
With so much time on our hands, we also work on Luka’s reading and writing skills. Turns out he has very little patience for sitting still or the delicate strokes of a quill, and once he has the basics, he avoids these sessions like a plague.
Our evenings are always spent together, drinking ale and laughing with the warriors and the farmers, and our nights . . . well, our nights are spent as close as humanly possible. By the light of the fire, we make love, talk of our childhoods, and share our hopes and dreams for the future. It’s more than I ever imagined for my life.He’smore than I ever imagined.
As much as I was fascinated by the snow at first, I’m happy to welcome the arrival of spring . . . and with it, a blessing from the Mother. I am with child. Though it is still early days, Luka is unnerved at the thought of becoming a father, and it has ignited his protective instincts like nothing else.
The idea makes me smile. I expect he won’t be long in appearing over the rise to check on me as I teach some more of the village children to write their names with sticks in the dirt on the training field. The project to keep the children occupied during the long months of winter has since expanded to include those who spent the time in their own homes.
“The sun feels wonderful, does it not?” I ask Ion, whose job it still is to accompany me almost everywhere.
“It does,” he replies, his hand resting on the hilt of his dagger. “It’s nice to finally leave behind wearing my cloak.”
