Daughter of the Red Dawn (The Lost Kingdom of Fallada) (30 page)

“But tonight is a happy occasion!” he yelled over the noise. “Tonight is in honor of my daughter and her return. Eat! Drink! Dance! Tomorrow we prepare to make war!”

Selena felt a chill running down her spine as the people raised their arms and cried out with joy and unity. Her father sure could get a crowd going. She had a feeling her warrior king father had roused many an army on the battlefield into a bloodthirsty fever. Selena only hoped such magnetism would manifest in her when she needed it.

All thought of anything but celebration faded as a large goblet filled with wine was set in front of her and she began heaping her plate
with food. While there wasn’t a Dorito or Snickers bar in sight, Selena found the food in Damu to be the best she’d ever
tasted.
The meat was rich, the sauces spicy and flavorful, and the fruit sweet. She was sure she’d even drop a few pounds from her waistline without all the packaged and processed foods she used to indulge in on a regular basis. She eyed Titus out of the corner of her eye
, wondering if he had noticed the difference—the glow that kissed her skin, the sinewy muscles popping out along her arms and shoulders, and the deep
,
red luster of her hair.

I notice everything about you,
he said in her mind, smiling at her as he popped a roasted hazelnut into his mouth. He chewed and smiled.
It’s taking everything I have not to scoop you up into my arms and run back to the palace so that I can have you to myself. Don’t even get me started on that getup you’re wearing.

Selena laughed and took a sip of her wine.
Be good, Titus.

I’ll try, but no promises. I can’t tell you I won’t try to steal a kiss or two.

My father is sitting right on the other side of me.

All the
better. Let him
see how much I adore you. When the time comes, I want him to accept my proposal.

Hmph. Aren’t you supposed to ask me first?

Titus shrugged and reached for the fruit bowl across from them. He held up a deep purple clutzia fruit and grinned, putting a blush in Selena’s cheeks. He took a bite and licked his lips, leaning toward her with a devilish grin.

“I already know what you’re going to say.”

The fragrant sweetness of the clutzia reached out and grabbed her, drawing her toward him. All sound seemed to fade and the world around her was a blur as he leaned in to capture her lips. His kiss was quick, sweet and rated G for her dad’s sake. She could feel his eyes burning the back of her head as well as Thaddeus
’
. Barely one week as their daughter and sister and already
they were
overprotective. She pulled back and accepted the other half of the clutzia fruit, taking her time and savoring its sweetness in a way she hadn’t been able to savor Titus’ kiss.

Later
, he promised, turning his attention back to his plate.

As soon as most everyone was finished eating, tables were pushed aside and the musicians and dancers took the floor. While people still nibbled on nuts and fruit, or sipped their wine here and there
, everyone was focused on the acrobats and jugglers, who had taken the floor with their alarmingly entertaining spectacles. After them came the dancers, who filled the center of the circle of tables with their colorful, swishing scarves.
After a
while, everyone had joined in, from the oldest man to the youngest child, until the city
center
was a sea of twisting, jumping bodies. Selena couldn’t refuse Titus when he took her hand and pulled her toward them. She was grateful that they were quickly swallowed up in the crowd, as she’d never been the best dancer.

Dancing in Damu was nothing like dancing in a barn at the Twin Oaks County fair, though. It was way more fun. The movements were free and in no particular order, a series of turns, claps, spins
,
and jumps made it less threatening and Selena learned the steps quickly, performing them as if she’d been born to dance this way. Then
came
the belly
dancers with their sheer scarves, circling Selena with joyous cries and wide smiles, jingling the coins on their hips and ankles. One of them came forward with a wrap skirt in hand, coins jingling from the hem. The gold material was beautifully etched with black markings much like her father’s and brother’s tattoos.

Wide smiles never leaving their faces, they wrapped the skirt around Selena’s hips and tied it, motioning for her to dance with them without skipping a beat. Selena laughed, hesitant at first. She shook her head at the dark-haired beauty
, trying to demonstrate the proper hip and stomach movements.

“Try it!” Titus bellowed over the music, his face a mask of amusement. “Who knows, you might actually be good!”

Selena allowed the dancers to drag her to the center of the crowd, shooting Titus a glare as he followed, his laughter mingling with the rhythm of drum and guitar.

“Come, Princess!” the dark-haired dancer said, hers smile ever-present. “You are a natural, you’ll learn fast!”

Selena had her doubts, but decided to try anyway. Within ten minutes, she was amazed at the results. It was as if, like everything else she’d experienced in Damu, the dance was a part of her, leading her in a way that she could not control. She faintly registered the faces of Titus, her parents, and Wil and Jake Grimm as she fell in step with the other dancers, accepting a crimson scarf from one of them and twirling it over head in imitation of their movements. She threw herself into it, enjoying
this
more than she could have ever enjoyed the Senior Prom. Dancing in
a hot gymnasium while wearing an itchy, sequined gown and being felt up by one of the McClendon brothers had nothing on this.

Titus watched her, his eyes hooded and glazed over as he followed the movements of her hips and the jingling coins. Selena smiled at him smugly. That would teach him to laugh at her. He didn’t look like he found anything funny about her dancing as he watched her, lips parted, arms folded over his chest. When the music ended and applause rang out around them, Titus swept forward and pulled her up against him.

“You’re good at that,” he said with a smile, nuzzling her nose playfully with his.

“Yeah?” she asked, wrapping her arms around his neck.

He nodded. “So good, that I want to
drag you out of here and go someplace private so I can kiss you without having to stop.”

Selena glanced over her shoulder and found her parents dancing. Thaddeus was chatting up a hot Elf girl over by the wine and cider barrels. The perfect opportunity to slip away had just presented itself.

She grabbed Titus’ hand and pulled him through the crowd.

“Let’s get out of here, then.”

~*~

Chapter
Sixteen

The moon was full and high in the cloudless sky. From their perch on the Eastern tower, Titus and Selena could still see the celebration taking place at the city center. Below them, racing across open desert, were the Centaurs, who had left the celebration early as well to engage in war games. Apparently the creatures loved to fight, lived for it in fact, and wouldn’t waste an ounce of time that could be spent sparring on a party. Titus and Selena leaned against the railing and watched the beautiful beasts, silently talking and sharing a few smooches here and there. The night air was getting cool, but she had her cape and hood and Titus’ arms around her to keep her warm.

“I think this might have been one of the best nights of my life,” Selena said as they watched the running Centaurs.

“Really?”

Selena nodded.
“Mmm-hmm.
I used to think that the highlight of my life would be high school graduation. The day after, I planned to empty my bank account, throw all my stuff in the back of whatever car I could afford, and put as much distance between Twin Oaks and myself as possible.”

She laughed. “I think I’ve gone about as far as I could get.”

Titus kissed the top of her head and squeezed her in a hug.
“And now?
Are your expectations any higher?”

“Oh yeah.
I mean, nowhere in my world is fruit as sweet as it is here.”

Selena stole a glance up at Titus and grinned. “The boys are cuter
,
too.”

He laughed, tweaking her nose before kissing her full on the mouth. Seizing a moment she’d been waiting for all day, Selena turned into his body, wrapping her arms around his neck and savoring the flavor of Titus and red wine. It was the best thing she’d ever tasted.

“God, I love you so much,” Titus whispered, resting his forehead against hers, his breath coming in ragged gasps. “You leave me breathless.”

Selena closed her eyes and inhaled his woodsy scent. “You’re pretty breathtaking yourself.”

Titus’ hands gripped her waist, his fingers circling the bare skin over her ribs. Selena quivered as he traced the three-chained belt around her waist and the diamond resting in her belly button. She brought her hands up to his chest, finding bare skin at the open gap at the top of his tunic, running her fingers over
his
smooth, broad chest. A growl sounded low in Titus’ throat as he bent down to kiss her shoulder.

“Selena, I want
…
”

He trailed off, his hands tightening
on her sides. Selena stroked a lock of hair back from his forehead.

“I know,” she said.
“Me
,
too.”

“Not here,” he said with a smile. “As much as I’d like to put a little sparkle on the best night of your life, I think we should wait. I want a wedding for you, Selena. I want you to have everything a princess should have on her special day. I want our wedding night to be our first time. I’m willing to wait.”

Selena sighed. As much as she’d like to lose her virginity to the guy she was practically engaged to—for God’s sakes, they could hear each other’s thoughts—she knew that he was right. After all, she’d waited almost eighteen years for her first kiss. Oh wait, it had been eighteen years. She had forgotten that today was her birthday.
She had yet to get used to the way time worked here in Fallada and had lost track of the date.

“I didn’t forget,” Titus said, jerking her out of her wandering thoughts.

“I never even told you today
was
my eighteenth birthday,” Selena said, slack-jawed.

Titus tapped his temple with his index finger. “Hello!”

They laughed together and Selena punched his shoulder playfully. “Well, did you get me anything?”

Titus grinned
. “As a matter of fact, I did
bring you something. My mother gave it to me when we met in Goldun. When I told her that I was in love and had found my mate, she gave it to me as a gift for you.”

Titus reached into his shirt and came out with a necklace—a strand of leather holding what looked like a wolf’s tooth.

“It’s one of my puppy teeth,” Titus said, holding it up between them. The long canine gleamed pearly white in the moonlight. “In my land, a wolf gives a baby tooth to his
future mate as a token. The first time I laid eyes on you, I knew that you were the only one I’d ever give it to.”

Selena bent her head and allowed Titus to slip the necklace over her head. Tears filled her eyes as she clutched the wolf’s tooth tightly.
Just that morning her mo
ther had given her a beautiful t
iara, and her brother a set of solid gold-handled knives. Her father had given her a chest full of jewelry. All of those gifts were dazzling in their beauty, but none
of them
could outshine this. Selena smiled.

“I’ll never take it off.”

“I guess we should make this official then,” he said. “I believe in your world, it’s customary for the male to kneel.”

Selena couldn’t move or speak as Titus knel
t
down in front of her. She hadn’t imagined this moment happening for her until she was much older. But who had time to waste with an evil queen lurking nearby with plans of mayhem and destruction. Selena might never get another chance to have the guy she was crazy about ask her to marry him.

“Selena McKinley of Twin Oaks, Texas, will you honor me by becoming my mate?”

Selena smiled down at Titus and nodded. “Yes.”

He stood and wrapped her in another tight hug, lifting her feet straight off the ground.

“I’m so happy I could fly,” he said once he’d put her down.

Selena scowled. “Don’t talk to me about flying,
please,
it’ll only make me mad.”

Titus chuckled. “Still having a hard time of it?”

“Unbelievable. I have done everything Thaddeus and my dad told me to do. I just can’t do it!”

Titus grabbed her waist and turned her toward the balcony’s rail. “Of course you can,” he said, gently nudging her toward the edge. “Step up.”

Selena shot Titus a puzzled look. “Are you nuts?”