Legon Ascension (31 page)

Legon knew that the other houses would not be overly thrilled about Keither being allowed to study in the capital. In the past, only those who had shown considerable potential were allowed in. Keither needed to be understood as one of those people so that he would not be viewed as someone given favors by House Evindass.
 

Barnin continued his report and when he was done Barnin, Keither and Ankle left, leaving Arkin. “We know how well you’ve been doing,” Sydin said wryly.

Arkin smiled. “Yes, well, it helps that the Cona lands were closer to breaking than we thought. As ordered, we have toned down our work.”

“That’s good, and right before the invasion we will have to turn it back up. The ratio of Elf to Iumenta Ascended is still not where we need it to be, nor will it be for many years to come. The Iumenta showed that they too are willing to change tactics. The refugees were sign enough of that.”

“It should be noted that about a week ago groups of people just stopped crossing the border,” Iselin pointed out.

“Yes, I suspect that once they realized they weren’t getting anything out of using refugees, they just started killing anyone who came too close to the border,” Legon said bitterly. “Opes, do we know anything more about the ship that attacked you?”

Opes shook his head. “No, Un Prosa, we don’t, but based on the fact that it wasn’t Hoelaria, I would say that we can assume that the Impa Provinces are doing some intelligence work of their own.”

Unlike the Elves, the Iumenta did not have a house-based system, but rather the country was broken down into Provinces. Everything was owned by the government and everyone started at the bottom of society. It was only with age that one rose in society. Hoelaria was an exception to this rule. She had somehow taken control of the smallest province in the Impa lands, but the one that bordered with humanity. Her takeover of the Cona lands gained her Province enough land and resource holdings to actually take over the Impa government. The Pawdin Empire didn’t know much about how it happened, but from all accounts it was a project she’d started working on shortly after the War of Generations. It took her 600 years to gain control over her little province and another 1,300 to fully control the Impa government.

“Do you think there is some trouble inside the Impa Empire?” Sydin asked.

“Could be, but more likely if they thought they had sensitive information they may not have wanted any form of their business to even be around Human ears, its hard to tell.”

They continued talking for hours about what might or might not being going on in the Impa lands. They also discussed tactics for starting a sea campaign. Legon was exhausted by the time he left for the day. He and Iselin went to the dinning hall to see that most of their guests were still sitting around having drinks and talking. It was nice to see them enjoying themselves.
 

Sasha walked over to them. “How’d it go?” she asked, and then proceeded to view all of Legon’s memories, bringing them into her mind. “That’s good to know, thank you,” she said, not wanting to say more around other people.

Legon and Iselin plopped down and an Elf brought them each a plate of food.

“How do they know what you want to eat?” Sam asked, looking at the plates of food and then instantly backpedaled. “Oh, sorry Un Prosa, I mean, ah…”

Legon laughed. “Sam, right?” She nodded. “Sasha is connected to me, and when we got out of the meeting she rummaged around our heads and told the kitchen what we wanted. Don’t worry about formality around us, it really isn’t our style. So, how’s Barnin treating you?”

Sam looked elated that Legon knew her name, but Barnin didn’t let her answer. “I’m the greatest man she’s been with, what do you think?” he said sarcastically.

Sasha leaned into Sam and wrapped her arm around her shoulder. “Oh dear, you’re young, don’t settle. Hold out for someone better, ok?” Sam laughed and Legon added in, “Yeah, really, if you think this is the best you can do…”

“Screw you, and screw you,” Barnin said, pointing to Legon and Sasha in turn and then to Iselin. “You too Sparkles. I know you and Legon are connected, so you get at least half credit for him now.”

“Sparkles?” Iselin asked, trying to sound offended.

“Yeah Sparkles, when you’re a lizard and then that junk is in your eyes… Sparkles.”

“I will eat you,” Iselin threatened.

And that was the end of civil conversation for the rest of the night.

Chapter Eighteen

Wed

“It has been said that the Everser Vald was an unstoppable, driven man, but to those that knew him in those days, they saw a man of joy with a great and terrible purpose.”

-Excerpts from The Diary of the Adopted Sister

Sasha couldn’t remember having more fun. The week leading up to the wedding was beyond busy, but she was enjoying herself. Legon, like most men, couldn’t care less about most of the wedding. He just wanted to know where to show up, when he was to show up and what he was to wear. Sasha told Legon to turn around in a circle.

“Sash, this is ridiculous, why can’t we just have a small ceremony with family and friends and then Ise and I can leave so we can consummate our marriage?” he said, winking.

She scowled. “That’s nice. I’m glad to see you have your priorities in line,” then she muttered, “Consummate, honestly.”
 

Legon tried a different tack. “Ise doesn’t want a big production either…”

Sasha huffed. “You are the head of a great house. You have to do it, and also, who said weddings are for the bride and groom? Weddings are for the rest of us to celebrate that our loved ones aren’t defective and were able to find someone and turn into normal people. Now go put on the black one.”

Legon got serious. “Not defective?” he said, and leaned over and kissed her forehead before going to change.
 

She was thankful that he left the room to change. She hadn’t even picked up on what she was saying when she was giving him a hard time about the wedding. But she had to ask, did she believe that? Did she believe that those who stayed alone were ‘defective?’ Was Emma defective? No, she had someone who was taken from her. What about Arkin? There seemed to be something with him and that Stacy girl he worked with. Keither and Sara were together… was she the defective one? In the Cona Empire she knew that she was, and was told that she was, but what about now? She couldn’t leave the Pawdin Empire, she had too much to do, but what Elf would take her? She thought about it for a while and absentmindedly rubbed a bruise on her hip from where she fell that morning at the onset of an episode.
 

Legon stepped back in the room and read her face and thoughts, coming over next to her, wrapping his arms around her and resting his chin on the top of her head. “Never think that Sash. You’re too good for all of them anyway. Whatever happened to that Edling guy? Do you still keep in contact with him?”

“Ed… Edling?” she muttered. He’d remembered him? “Not really, I talk to his father. We have been working on some crystals…”

Legon chuckled. “Sash, I don’t mean about rocks. Do you talk to him? He had a thing for you.”

“No, he didn’t. I thought he might, but I’m sure it wasn’t anything.”

She felt Legon tense a little and then relax and chuckle again. “Well, he did have a thing for you, I promise.”

She looked up at him dubiously. He didn’t need further prodding. “Would you be very angry if I had him looked into…”

“You had him what?” she said, half agitated and surprised.

Legon backed away, trying to make peace. “Ok ok ok. So maybe I was still a little overprotective, ya know, and even though I knew we would know if he was a bad guy as soon as you two connected, I thought, ‘Hey, why not make sure?’ So I may have had some of the house guard do a little digging an…”

“You had them spy on him!” There was no more surprise, just agitation and extreme embarrassment now.

“Whoa there, don’t freak out, he didn’t know but they asked around and… some other things, and anyway, he did talk about you and he definitely had a thing for you, so let’s not focus on me, but on the fact that he likes you.”

* * * * *

Legon was a little amazed at how many octaves Sasha’s voice could go up when she was mad at him. To be truthful, he wasn’t sure humans could even hear anything that high pitched. He had it coming, that was for sure, he was out of line for doing what he did, but it was fun and useful. He made a mental note to talk to Edling’s father and try and get him to bring his son back to the capital.
 

Iselin’s voice popped in Legon’s head. “What is she on about? I’ve never seen her upset before.”

“I told her about having Edling spied on.”

Iselin laughed. “Fair enough. It’s kind of funny, isn’t it? Why did you tell her anyway?”

“She needed to hear that someone wants her. She needs to know she not ‘defective.’ Now she knows, and like you said, it’s funny when she’s this mad—watch this.”

Legon reached forward like the lash of a snake and flicked the end of her nose. “That’s enough peanut, calm down now.”

Sasha went speechless with rage and then after a moment she deflated. “You are such a jerk!”

Iselin’s voice was back. “Really, that’s all it takes?” Legon responded to her, “Yeah, she has to just get it out of her system, and she hates to have her nose flicked. It’s like it burns all the anger out of her.”

“Are you still mad, Sash?” Legon asked.

She scowled. “Yes, you owe me. Just for that I’m going to add on to your wedding reception,” she said, sticking out her tongue and walking off.

“Oh, come on,” Legon groaned.

Iselin was not so amused now. “What? Why do I get punished? You were the creep who had her boyfriend followed! Dang it, Legon!”

Sasha made good on her promise and even though the wedding was the next day, he saw a revised schedule, prolonging the reception. The guests were happy at least.

The day of his wedding Legon woke up, showered and dressed. Unlike Iselin, who had been up for hours by now getting ready, this was turning out to be a fairly normal morning for Legon. He sat on the terrace eating breakfast with his father.

“Men really do have it easy, don’t we?” he asked his father.

Edis smiled. “Yes we do, other than taking a little extra time to shave, our wedding day grooming doesn’t take much effort. So tell me, your clothes have a hole over your tattoo, what’s that about?”

Legon sipped his juice. “Humans use rings as part of the ceremony, however, Elves do not. Instead, the one performing the ceremony is a Venefica. When he pronounces us Perpetuo he will change our tattoos. The empty dot in mine will take on Iselin’s mark, and her tattoo will take on mine. The patterns will appear to continue indefinitely, like our love.”

Edis was silent for a moment. “And why is it Perpetuo?”

“Because we are married for time and all eternity. You see, we believe that by melding our minds in the way we do that we are actually binding our souls as well. That is why when one dies, so does the other.”

“But I thought that was because part of your mind dies?” Edis asked.

Legon took a moment to try and organize his response. “Yes, that is the technical term, but over great distances Elves cannot network their minds, and they don’t die then. Also, even if an Elf is too far away to connect to their spouse, if their spouse dies they do too. How could that be if the soul wasn’t connected? At least, that’s what many Elves believe.”

This was an odd conversation to be having Legon. His father never talked about religion. It wasn’t that they didn’t have beliefs, but rather that the conversation just didn’t come up all that often.
 

“What do you believe, son?” Edis asked.

“I don’t know, but I have faith that it’s true. I hope that after today Iselin and I will be together forever.” And he did. Maybe it was Iselin rubbing off on him, but for the first time in his life he could said that he had faith.

Edis looked happier than Legon had ever seen him. “You will son, you will,” he said, a little choked up.

“Are you ok?” Legon asked.

Edis nodded and uncharacteristically dabbed his eyes. “I never thought you’d have this day Legon. I always thought you’d have to take care of your sister. I always just wanted you two to be happy together, ya know. And when you left…”

“You thought you’d lost us,” Legon finished.

Edis only nodded.

Before they could say more, Sydin walked out onto the terrace. “It’s time.”

“We better not be late,” Edis said.

Sydin gestured for them to follow and then turned back and pointed to the sky. “Legon, you see the guard is flying cap today over the ceremony. You should know we are not worried about any attack, but should you and Iselin have any plans of flying off and ditching the rest of us right after you’re Perpetuod, the guard will make sure you make it back to the reception,” Sydin said with a smile.
 

Dang it,
Legon thought. He opened the connection with Iselin. “What is it?” she asked. He told her what the guard was to do if they left, and she took a moment. “That’s not fair! Both Sydin and Opes did that very same thing. How dare they corner us!”

“Legon, stop bothering Ise. So help me, I’ll fly up there myself. You two are going to have a good time, don’t be difficult,” he ordered.

* * * * *

Emma made her way along a cobbled path that led to a grove where the wedding was to be held. Her escort was Ankle. He was nice enough, but looked uncomfortable being around all of the finery that was the Pawdin Empire. One advantage was that he was rather tall, which meant she could wear whatever shoes she liked. This was rare for her, and while she thought she would probably regret six-inch heels once the dancing started, she was happy right now. They slowed as they reached the back of the line going into the grove. She hadn’t been allowed in to see it. Sasha wanted the venue’s decorations to be a surprise. Emma and Ankle made it to the archway that led inside the grove. The grove had been surrounded by a large hedge that obscured the view inside. The hedge made a wall of pink and lavender flowers that rose ten or fifteen feet high. A member of the house guard nodded and they entered.