Vaalbara; Visions & Shadows (37 page)

             
“His name is Void, and—”

             
“No!” Raighne’s face instantly grew pale. I’d never seen him react in such a way. “Do not say anything else.” He held me to him for a brief moment. He wanted to say something but decided against it.

             
“Come, we have to go. We will be late for the celebration.”

             
“There is something you’re not telling me, Raighne. Who is—”

             
He shook me. “Do not ever say that name again.”

             
“You’re hurting me!” He let go immediately, but the imprints of his hands remained on my skin.

             
“I am so sorry, Alchera.” He shoved his hands through his hair.

             
“You’re scaring me, Raighne.” I touched his arm. I was confused and needed to know what was going on.

             
“Do not ever speak that name again. It is forbidden on Vaalbara. We have to meet with Alder. He will be able to tell us what to do. Until then, let us go and enjoy the celebration.” He gave me his lazy smile, and kissed me on the forehead. “Just promise me you will always be accompanied by someone…that you will never be alone.”

~*~

Once we arrived at the celebration, Raighne left me with River and Fleur. I looked over to where he was talking with Evin. It seemed quite serious, though it ended with a smile and a shaking of hands. Raighne then disappeared completely for a good twenty minutes before coming back.

             
“Where were you?” I was curious. It was obvious he was up to something.

             
“Wait and see just like the others, my Princess.” He kissed my hand.

             
The sound of a horn began the celebration and the ‘Council‘ appeared. They were joined by Eamar and Queen Azalea as their newest members. They were to choose the new King, as the Queen stepped down becoming Lady Azalea from then on.

             
“Welcome everyone to the Celebration of our future King - the celebration being a first of its kind. It was not an easy decision to make, as there are many good men among you who would lead our people well. Now you all know our natural first choice would have been Eamar, but he has declined, leaving us to choose another.” Alder took a drink of water while scanning the area. “I am now going to hand you over to Eamar, who will do us the honor of giving you the news of who will be your next King.”

             
There were whispers of shock, as this was not expected. Why would a guardian have such an honor? Should it not be the Queen’s honor to crown the new King?  

             
“I know what you are all thinking, but before you judge me let me tell you a story. You have all heard what happened last night?” Eamar waited for the nods. “Unfortunately, my nephew has fallen to the shadows, and in doing so Raighne and Alchera will be postponing their wedding for a while.” There was an uproar I hadn’t expected. “Calm down, calm down! Let us show some respect for Alchera who has just lost a dear friend.”

             
The people settled, but the murmurings remained. I could tell by the odd looks that many didn’t understand. I was in love. Therefore, marrying my mate should have nothing to do with Carter’s defeat. 

             
“Today is not lost. There will still be a royal wedding. Evin has asked for Alandra’s hand in marriage, so without wasting any more precious time let us not keep them waiting.”

             
I was shell shocked by the news of Evin and Alandra’s plans. Raighne dragged me to the Chapel where I sat and watched my sister walk down the aisle in my dress, saying the vows I had practiced myself not too long ago. It was over in a few minutes and they were pronounced husband and wife.

             
Raighne squeezed my hand, as if I deserved his support. After all, I was the one who’d ripped this moment away from him, just so I could mourn the loss of a friend he’d never approved of in the first place.

             
Back in the Great Hall, Eamar paced up and down the stage. Looking very serious, he waited for everyone to take their seats. Once satisfied that everyone was there, he began speaking.

             
“I had three sons. I have recently lost one, and am now left with two. When Alder told me that they were the ones up for Kingship, I could not be any prouder. That was until Raighne walked into the chamber not even an hour after he had been told that he would be crowned King and convinced us why Evin, his older brother, would make a better leader.”

             
The crowd gasped, as Eamar continued, “Not only was his main reason the fact that he and Alchera no longer would be getting married, but he reasoned that,” Eamar chuckled under his breath. “Son, you might want to get a head start here. He said that if Evin could handle Alandra, he could handle anything.” There were quite a few chuckles in the crowd. “Although on a more serious note, he feels that Evin is ready, and strong enough to be a leader you deserve. Raighne feels that it will be better for you as a people to go through a storm with Evin as your King, to know that when you are lost he will never stop searching for you until he has found you.”

             
Eamar made eye-contact with his son across the crowd. “So, my son, the price you have to pay for that beautiful woman you now call your wife is the crown you will have to wear. Please come.”

             
Once Evin was up on the stage you could hear a pin drop, as everybody held their breath out of pure excitement.

             
“Please kneel down, Evin.” He waited until Evin was on both his knees before he asked the questions. “Evin, son of Awo, do you promise to lead your people in truth, guide them by always being rich in kindness, be an instrument of peace and merciful in your judgment? Do you promise that where there is despair you will give them hope, and where they fall by the shadows you will guide them back to the light?”

             
“I do.”

             
“Evin, my son, do you promise to defend your people in battle, guard them with all your strength and offer your life for every last one of them?”

             
“I do.”

             
“Please rise, my King. Lady Azalea will now crown you.” There were quite a few tears falling when my father’s crown rested on Evin’s head. I, for one, was holding mine back fiercely.

             
As my mother stepped back, Eamar bowed before his own son. What he said next was my undoing.

             
“I am now your guardian, just as I had served the King before you.” He got up and looked at his son, like he was seeing him for the first time. “King Evin, my life will guard you and your Queen. I will serve you as Awo has intended it to be.” Evin grabbed his father to him, as applause sounded through the hall.

             
I turned my face to Raighne. I felt horrible. I had taken that from him, too.

             
“Can you ever forgive me for my selfishness?”

             
“Come.” He took me outside where the noise wasn’t so overwhelmingly. Raighne pushed me against the wall, covering me with his large frame, and laying both his hands on either side of my face.

             
“Now tell me in a language that I can understand…what are you talking about?” His lazy smile played over his lips.

             
“You could have been King and I took that away from you. Why didn’t you tell me?”

             
He leaned in even closer to me, our breaths mixing. He was doing this on purpose to confuse me so I wouldn’t be able to think straight.

             
I turned my head slightly away so he couldn’t get to my lips. But his breath was hot on my skin as his lips grazed my jaw, moving up towards my ear.

             
“It was a choice I made,” he whispered. “And, I alone.” He kissed me under my earlobe and I couldn’t stop a moan from escaping through my lips. He was torturing me in a new way my hormones couldn’t handle. His hands dropped to my hips, and one moved up to my ribs, which he seemed to have grown fond of touching.

             
“Give me your mouth.”

             
I smiled as a rebellious streak flared up inside me. “What if I don’t?”

             
“You do not want to go there with me, woman.”

             
He brushed my jaw with his lips sending shivers down my spine. He then softly moved my hair back, as he continued his exploration as softly as possible across my neck.

             
I couldn’t take it anymore. My hands moved into his hair so that I could guide him back to me. As soon as his lips found mine, he forced them open by gently slipping his tongue over mine, creating a delicious tango that had my mind blazing. He was mine. He had walked out of my dreams and straight into my arms.

~*~

I was standing outside the music room with Alandra and the ever-smiling Elora behind me. That was what we had named the baby girl Alandra had found. Elora, in honor of our sister.

             
We were listening to Sarah’s amazing voice as she sang a song behind the closed door. The words were just so beautiful, it’d stopped me dead in my tracks. I didn’t dare interrupt her. 

All we could do was stand there and listen to the words as they drifted through our souls. It was a song about a dreamer, dreaming about hope and a better time to come. It was a song about when life got too much that one should hold on to that distant dream, that which your heart beats for.

I pushed open the door as the last note died away on the piano. “That was absolutely stunning, Sarah. What is it called?”

             
She looked up at me in surprise. “Oh, man. It was supposed to be a surprise for you. It’s called Dreamer
.
I’m going to sing it at your wedding. That is, when you eventually decide to get married.” She looked up at Jason with so much love. I knew we were doing the right thing today.

             
“Well, we’re here on business.” I turned to Alandra to let her continue.

             
“Yes, um, well, we were told by Michael that you and Jason have been chosen as parents for Elora.”

             
She didn’t get much further than that, as Sarah’s squeals of happiness drowned her out. She took Elora and swung her high in the air, making the child laugh with delight. “Yes, mummy’s little girl. There will be lots of laughter in your future.” Sarah was totally absorbed by Elora now.

             
Jason took my hands. “Why are you doing this for us?”

             
“It isn’t us, Jason. Awo has instructed it so. He knows the amount of love you can give her. I have felt it before, too. Remember? The three of you will be a strong family, and a happy one. You and Sarah deserve this.”

             
We left them alone to celebrate their newfound happiness. I took Alandra’s hand as we walked away to offer her some support. I could see her battling to hold her tears back.

             
“You did a good thing back there, my Queen.”

             
“I know. I am just really going to miss her. I grew so used to having her around.”

             
I came to a stop and looked out at all the beauty Vaalbara had to offer. “You don’t really comprehend the vastness of what you’ve done today, do you?”

             
She just shook her head, not trusting her voice at the moment.

             
“In that room there’s a family celebrating. They have so much love to give the bundle of innocence you’ve just blessed them with. Love, family, and innocence have all been saved because
you
cared. You cared about another, Alandra.”

             
That’s when the warrior princes - the new Queen - cried. “I love you, Alchera.”

             
“I love you too.”

~*~

I was just about to climb into bed when there was a soft knock at my door. I was so tired, I thought of ignoring it.

             
“Who is it?”

             
“Fleur.” I opened the door and stared at her smiling face. She was holding a box. “Come, we do not have time.”

             
“Time for what?”

             
“You will see. Put this on.” She removed the most beautiful dress I’d ever seen from that box and held it out to me. “You have a date with Raighne and you are already late.”

             
The dress was made of satin and fell all the way to the ground. It had small straps that crossed over my back, leaving my skin exposed. The bodice was padded, and just barely covered what it had to, leaving my sides and back bare. I felt so feminine in the dress, which shimmered like pearls whenever I moved.