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“What’s all this then?” he asks.
“Well, we can’t apologize to one of our children about how we treated his mate when we did the same thing to you.”
“That was a long time ago.”
“We know. Nonetheless, we want to take this opportunity to extend an apology to you too. I hope that Elvie is resting easy and that you can move on, now that you know what happened to her.”
“I wish she was here with all of us,” he remarks. “Thank you everyone.”
Meriana raises a glass.
“To new beginnings,” she declares.
“To new beginnings!” we all say.
The rest of the evening goes by smoother than I could have expected. I had thought this would all be some lousy attempt to shove things under the rug, but the whole dynamic I share with my family had been upturned and shifted.
Now I can sleep easy at night, knowing I no longer live in a house with enemies.
29
ALTHIA
If all I have been through was a storm, today is the clear weather left in the wake of the chaos. The day of the mating ceremony has finally arrived after many days of uncertainty and tension in the household.
With all that unfolded, I remain slightly surprised the ceremony never got rescheduled, yet now here I stand preparing myself for what will inevitably be the biggest day of my life.
I’m ecstatic, thrilled, and nervous all at the same time, and as a result, I find my knees growing weak at various points over the morning. Even now, I sit down in the dressing room, trying to get a hold of my thoughts.
“Are you feeling ill, madam?” asks a polite yet shy voice.
I look up to see a dark elf zagfer by the name of Icitra. She had been appointed as the new head zagfer since Yiosha was disposed of. Unlike her predecessor, however, this elf is far kinder and seems to be anxious about fitting into her new role.
“I’m quite alright, Icitra. How about you?”
“Me? I’m not important,” she says shyly. “I’m just trying to do a good job.”
“You’re doing just fine, more than that actually,” I tell her with a disarming smile. “And what’s this about not being so important? Everyone here at the manor has a role to play, and without a head to guide them all, what would the zagfer do without you, hmm?”
“You’re too kind.”
“Well, get used to it.” I laugh. “There’s been a shift of attitude here, and it’ll reflect on each and every one of us.”
“I hope so. Are you ready to get dressed?”
“Well.” I sigh, looking at my dress as it hangs from a rack. “I’m not so sure about that garment. The colors seem far too cold and pale for my liking. If I were an elf, maybe light gray would look good on my skin, but I need something warm and rich.”
“That might be hard to procure so close to the ceremony.”
“Yes, you’re right, Icitra. I should have pointed it out far sooner.”
There comes a knock at the door. I recognize it as my soon-to-be husband.
“Althia! Are you still in there?” asks his muffled voice through the wood.
“Yeah! Don’t even think about coming in. It’s bad luck if you see me in my wedding dress before the ceremony!”
“I wouldn’t dare.” He laughs. “I do not wish to come in, but someone else does. May she?”
