Arrival

tAfter a few minutes, he pulled away. "Kysael," he said softly. "We need to hurry."

tI sighed, pulling myself away, making myself wake up more. I knew that he was right, we had to get back out and enjoy the ceremony.

t"I really did miss you this whole time," he said, looking away. His face was flushed slightly. He met my eyes. "But I am so very proud of you. I only wish that I could have gotten you more time before you had to set out again."

t"Oh, it"s alright," I told him. "I am the king"s weapon, after all. It is my duty to be whatever it is that he needs, whenever it is that he needs me to be that."

t"Kysael," he said. "You should know that.... that I don"t agree with how he sees things, and I will fight to the best of my ability to make sure that you are not with child for a long time...until we must. I will fight to make sure that any child that we may have will not be used as a weapon. Even if that means leaving the city.... even if we have to leave without permission and be put in the a.s.sa.s.sination list."

t"Dragon," I exclaimed, surprised. "You mustn"t talk like that, someone could hear you," I said, peeking out the window. Drakul made a "wrap it up" motion with his hand, and suddenly Dragon"s hand was on my cheek, guiding me to meet his eyes.

t"I don"t care if someone hears me. I want you to understand that I mean this, Kysael. Very seriously. This is not something that I will stand for. And with us getting married so soon.... You need to know that I intend to wait to have children until we cannot wait anymore, and if it comes down to it being like how you were treated.... then we will leave."

tMy heart beat erratically in my chest, and my face heated. He squeezed my hand, and then he was leading me back outside after he healed his arm, and Drakul came and clapped a hand on my back.

t"We"ve missed you, la.s.sie."

t"I thoroughly enjoyed being out of this city, though. No whispers, no burdens...just freedom. I missed you, but it was a very nice feeling to be out there."

t"I know." He turned his attention to the crowd. "Let the festivities begin!" He shouted, and everyone was in motion.

tI was so tired, but I was enjoying the celebration. I"d never been to one of these celebrations before, and it felt nice to finally be able to be a part of one.

tWe all had a huge parade, and then Drakul, Dragon, and King Emron got up onto the stage, gathering the attention of all those present.

t"Tonight," began the king. "We celebrate the completion of the Hunting and Arching Unit, under Drakul and Dragon."

tDrakul stepped forward. "Tonight, we will no longer be looking at these brave young warriors as trainees, but as full-fledged hunters and archers for the city of Havengrove. They will become true adults, and true members of this society, on this night. Dragon, you will announce the graduates for the Arching unit under you, first."

tDragon stepped up, and grabbed a scroll off of a nearby table, unrolling it. "For the Arching unit of Havengrove city, I present the newest graduates. As I call your name, please come to receive your certificate of completion and your uniform as part of the city guard. Fellow clansmen, please hold all of your applause until all of the names have been called. Carius of the Oak clan, Shalin of the Oak clan, Desrin of the Willow clan, and Claus of the Aspen clan.

tGravely, I have to also report the death of two young archers who set out to complete this final trial; Loron of the Pine clan, and Fallon of the Birch clan. These two will earn their names being engraved onto the great memorial monument in the Royal courtyard, and medals of honor for their clans. Our condolences are with their families. On a happy note, welcome the newest graduates!"

tEveryone cheered, and they all took their certificates and uniforms and sat back down with their clans.

tDrakul stepped back up as Dragon came to sit beside of me.

t"And for the prestigious, high ranking Hunting squad of Havengrove city, I present your newest graduates. Hakasiel of the Ivy clan, Grimoir of the Ridgestone clan, and Kysael of the Cedar clan."

tMy heart thundered in my chest as I went up onto the stage, in front of all of those people, and took my certificate and my uniform from Drakul. My family cheered loudly, and Drakul got the crowd to quiet down again.

t"And, as she has been a weapon for our city for the last decade, and has proven herself worthy of the t.i.tle, I am appointing Kysael to become part of the Hunting Council. She will receive her orders directly from the King, but she will hold a special place in the Hold from now on. She has earned a place of honor in this city." He placed a chain with a jade pendant on it around my neck, and tears welled up in my eyes. On that jade pendant, the emblem of the Tree of the Hunting unit was carved into the smooth, green surface of the stone. Only members of the hunting council and teachers of the hunting unit got this pendant.

tWhispers filled the air, but my family and friends cheered for me.

tAs workers began cleaning up from the mess, everyone dispersed back to their own homes. Since the ceremony was complete, Dragon and I went back to my family.

t"Thank you, Master Drakul."

t"Don"t thank me, la.s.sie. And I"m not your master anymore. You have graduated. You have reached your goal. And it is my sincere hope for you that you will begin to be welcomed back into society."

tI hugged him, and then we all met afterward at Drakul"s large house for a huge meal to celebrate. I was dead on my feet, but I was in the mood for some regular food, and I didn"t want to let Drakul down by not coming.

tAs we sat and talked, Drakul looked at me.

t"How are you feeling about the wedding, la.s.s?"

tI glanced at Dragon, who had paused in chewing his bite, his eyes trained on his plate.

t"Dragon has been very kind to me. I am content with this arrangement."

t"Yes, I have heard the whispers around the city. Dragon has been courting you," my grandmother said, clasping her hands in an excited manner. "That"s nice, that you two have been getting used to the idea. I had hoped that things would work out for the best. Dragon vowed to do this many years ago, and it is so heart-warming to see him taking his role so seriously. He truly chose you."

tI startled. "Dragon....vowed to marry me...?"

t"Oh, yes!" My grandmother said dreamily. "When you were born and the subject of the marriage laws came up. He said that he would marry you so that you would be safe! As Drakul said, he truly chose you. Isn"t that wonderful, dear?"

tI felt betrayed.

tHe had agreed to marry me when I was born...? All of these years, my future had already been planned out. He had agreed to marry me but had still tried to encourage me to find love elsewhere, never saying anything about what he had promised to my mother on her deathbed?

tHe had planned to marry me all along, and that"s why he had always been so careful with me and so dedicated to my protection.

tBut he wasn"t in love with me, right? It was almost a cruel joke.

tAnd that meant that he had been put on hold when I had met Kelose.

tHe knew that he"d planned to marry me, but he just stood idly by and let me fall in love with Kelose?

tIn a way, it was almost as if he had allowed me to have my heart broken. He could have simply told me that we were engaged.

tHe could have told me that I couldn"t go off and be with another man.

tHe could have saved me.

tInstead of saying what I truly felt, however, I kept it all bottled inside. "Yes..." I mumbled.

tI chanced another glance at Dragon, his eyes still on his plate. He was still shy about talking about all of this, and apparently, he had intended to continue to withhold that information from me.

tHe wouldn"t look at me.

t"How do you feel about this, Dragon? Her grandmother is right, you did choose this when she was but an infant. How are you feeling now that your vow is coming to be fulfilled?" His mother asked him.

tHe met my eyes for a moment, before looking to her. "I am not unhappy. As it has been said, as you reiterated.... I chose her, truly. I vowed it, in front of each of you. I am not upset with the decision, though I do wish it could have...possibly waited a bit longer."t

tShe smiled gently at him, deeper meaning in her eyes. She looked to me. "You have both been through much. I"m sure that this must all be strange and uncomfortable."

tI looked at my plate. "Dragon has always been there for me. And now, he is my only chance at a decent future in this city. I hate that so much burden has fallen onto his shoulders, all because of me. If it weren"t for me, then-"

tDragon sighed. "It isn"t a burden to me, Kysael. It is new, and strange...it isn"t something that I had ever antic.i.p.ated before you were born. And when the time actually came, I wasn"t prepared despite my many years of knowing the possibilities. But I will do all that I can to give you a safe, comfortable life. No matter what that means. Living with one another.... having children..."

tWhat he said wasn"t necessarily offensive...but the slightly uncomfortable tone of his voice, the distant look on his face...I stood, anger ripping through my heart and in my eyes, I could feel heat from the sting of my tears.

t"Maybe I don"t just want a safe, comfortable life. Maybe I want more than just...."not unhappy" with me! Maybe I wish he would have told me this before I had even fallen in love with a man who would rip my heart out!" And I stormed out of the house, rushing off into the forest.

tI could see it now, that I had begun to redevelop all of my feelings for Dragon, from the time that I had been a child.

tEverything was reigniting. And I didn"t want for him to just simply accept me, accept this arrangement.

tI didn"t want for him to simply be content.

tI wanted for him to be happy with me. I wanted for him to love me. Love me the way that I loved him.

tI stopped at my little home, panting and out of breath, and I collapsed onto the cold ground in the dark.

tTears burned my cheeks, my breath puffing out in tuffs of smoke in the cold night air.

tI heard hooves, and I looked up to see Dragon approaching, riding his moose. He unmounted gracefully, coming to quickly kneel in front of my curled body.

t"Kysael," he whispered.

tHe held out his arms for me to come to him, and I went to press myself into him, his arms wrapping around me. I sniffled, my sobs getting softer, and I looked up at his face.

t"I know that I overreacted. I"m sorry...it"s just..." I trailed off, unable to continue.

tHis light, lavender eyes were sad. "I am sorry. I shouldn"t have said what I did. You are right, you deserve more than contentment. You should want more than this. I"m sorry that I didn"t tell you this years ago. I am so, so sorry that I allowed you to get hurt. You are right in your accusation. And I am sorry that this is such a slow process. But Kysael...I"m not having to force myself as hard to be with you. I am opening myself up to you as much and as soon as I can. But I am a slow man. And I am not used to such things. It will take some time for me to be able to give you my happiness."

tI nodded, and he unwrapped me from his hold and took my hand instead. "I understand," I whispered. "I just...wish that we had more time."

tHe smiled, and kissed my forehead. "Yes, as do I. I talked to my father about this a few years back, and I knew that you weren"t mentally in any condition to go through with an arranged marriage, especially not to me. But I chose to do this for you, and to give you a good life that no one else in this city would be willing to give. Don"t concern yourself with the complexities of my feelings. Go on up and go to bed. I will see you soon."

tI was positive that I was asleep before my body hit my bed.

tNightmares plagued me throughout the night, nightmares of being raped and forcibly impregnated by many men, producing servants to live their lives for a city of people who would never treat them as anything more than tools of war. I had nightmares of Dragon having to hold me back as begged the king not to take my children. And I had a nightmare about a wild boar, a ma.s.sive creature larger than any boar I had ever seen, running me through the hip with a tusk and fading into the light....

tI shot out of my sleep, sweat running down my body and I gasped for air, rushing over to the water basin and splashing my face. I looked and saw light streaming in the window, and I got myself dressed and some supplies together before I made my way to the door, prepared to leave.

tI opened it to see Drakul standing there, looking sheepish.

t"Oh, morning, la.s.s."

t"Good morning Mast--Drakul," I corrected.

tHe smiled. "Where are you off to so early in the morning?"

t"To head out on my mission for the king, sir," I said.

t"Oh!" He laughed. "So that"s why Dragon wanted for me to come and tell you. Dragon took your place."

tI dropped my supply bag. "What?" I asked, shocked.

t"He went to the King late last night, and had a long discussion with him for quite some time, my sources say that it was a very heated conversation. Then he came by my house and told me to come to you first thing this morning at day break to tell you that he was going on the mission and he would be back before the wedding. I didn"t know what he meant by the mission, but now I do."

tMy face heated, and Drakul smiled at me affectionately.

t"He cares for you, you know."

tI smiled. "I know he does."

t"He said that it should only take him a few days, if that helps anything. He took his mount. And he told me to give you this," he said, holding out a beautiful Golden Crown, a rare elven flower of healing that was blue in the center, and golden on the ends of the petals.

t.i.t was supposed to have ma.s.sive restorative and healing properties and was a common ingredient for healing potions in our city, which is why they were so scarcely found. Especially at this time of year. He also held out an envelope.

tI took them from him and I smelled the rich, sweet aroma of the flower. "Thank you."

tHe gave me a hug, and then he went on his way. I went back inside, and I opened the envelope. There was no note inside, only a long, thin vial that would typically be used for a potion.... but inside sloshed a thick, beautiful red liquid, and I felt my eyes sting with the sweetness of the gesture. I didn"t need to open it to know what it was. I would be able to recognize it anywhere.

t.i.t was his blood, sealed in a vial for me to drink when I got desperate.

tFor now, I would try to suffice on normal food, but the implications of his gesture struck me.

tHe had not only gone and convinced the king to let him go on this mission in my place so that I could get some rest, but he had sent me a rare healing flower and a vial of his blood.

tHe was protecting me and taking care of me, all in one fell swoop. My heart beat ever harder in my chest.

*

tA little more than a week pa.s.sed, and it was entering the final days of November now. It was only two weeks away from the wedding. Dragon had finally returned just a day before, coming to my small and miniscule dwelling and telling me what he had found.

tSure enough, the Orks had started problems with the Wraiths, and the Wraith King was getting angry and pushing back at the Orks. It seemed that, for now, attention was off of our city, and that I was successful as it had turned out.

tWe enjoyed spending time together in these days as peace seemed to be more of a possibility. Now that I wasn"t in cla.s.ses, and he wasn"t teaching since it was break time, we had more time than ever to spend together. The king kept his missions to a minimum, and all seemed to be going well.

tI was out one day with Dragon, having a nice evening with him. We were strolling around the city, looking at the lanterns and how they lit up the snow in a warm feeling glow all around the city.

t"Lord Dragon!" One of his apprentices cried, running up to us. "They"re bringing in a guard who has been severely injured! We need you to come and tend to him, right away!"

t"What happened to him?" Dragon asked, concerned.

t"He was attacked by a Wraith!" The man cried, and everyone stopped around us, before running and hustling to get to safe places.

tOther guards rushed past us, taking the injured man with him. The smell of his blood was overwhelming, and it burned my eyes. But I couldn"t let myself feel thirst right now, and I looked away, turning my face down in a way that hopefully no one could notice my eyes. Dragon faced me, blocking me from view from the guard.

tOnce my eyes stopped burning, Dragon gave me a quick hug, and then rushed after them to the medical building to take care of the man.

tI pulled my hair back into a braid, and strapped my bow and arrows on my back, hurrying to the gates. I heard more guards talking, and I focused on what they were saying.

t"The Wraith is in the outer ring of the city! How did it even get into the city without the alarm being sounded? We need to locate everyone and get them into their homes, quickly!"

tI stepped forward, wiping the concealant off of my face. Many people looked at me in awe, others rushing to get away from me out of fear.

t"I will go out and hunt down this rogue Wraith, and I will handle this." I looked at the guards. "Please inform Lord Dragon as soon as he is finished helping that man, where I have gone. Do not follow me without him!" I said with authority, and then I ran.

tI focused my keen Wraith sight, and used my increased Wraith speed to run at a pace that elves couldn"t fathom, and humans couldn"t even begin to dream of.

tI used my senses to their fullest extent, tracking the smell of the injured man"s blood back out into the forest, and the ever-increasing scent of something that I had only smelled one other time, outside of the city.

tI suddenly saw a cloaked figure ahead of me in the forest, several miles into the outer ring. Its head jerked up from a detached arm, its eyes snapping to look at me as I approached.

tI got into an offensive stance, three arrows notched on the bow string, poised to fire.

t.i.ts bright blue eyes looked at me, a black glint making them seem darker. I saw its dull, medium blue markings in the shape of a lightning-bolt shaped mask.

tHe was a young looking male, with long black hair. He looked at me, confused, and spoke.

t"Di tha kinogath sen yo?" He asked, and though the words sounded so eerily familiar to me, I could not understand them. "Ah yo gono ahnso mah, gil?"

t"I don"t understand," I said.

tHe looked astounded. "You have Wraith eyes, Wraith markings, and yet you don"t even understand your own tongue? Wait a second...." He took a closer look at me. "You have Woodelf hair and ears!"

tI nodded. "I am only half Wraith. You have to leave the city; more guards are on their way here! Please, go while you can. Go peacefully."

tHe hissed at me, focusing closer on my face. "You do not even know who you are!" He shouted.

tI jolted, lowering my weapon. "Do you know who my father is? What clan of the Wraiths I am from? Speak quickly!"

tHe laughed heartily. "This is too much! You don"t even know who you are!" He continued to laugh. "Do you really want to know?"

tAnd then he materialized behind me at a speed that was undetectable to even my eyes, and grabbed me hard, pulling my arms above my head.

tI cried out in surprised pain. He tried to drag me, but relief flooded my heart when voices began to approach, light from torches in the distance, Dragon"s voice calling out for me.

t"Dragon!" I let out in a piercing shriek. I had never used such a frightened, panic-filled voice before, and the lights and voices started approaching much faster.

tThe Wraith took a quick bite of my arm, my blood filling his mouth and running down his chin, before he ducked an arrow and took off into the forest.

tThe other guards rushed past me, going after him.

tDragon was beside of me in an instant. "Kysael!" He healed the bite wound on my arm before he grabbed my face in his warm hands, making me look up at him. "Are you alright?"

t"He...he said that he knew who my father is," I said softly. "But then he grabbed me and started pulling me away."

t"He could have killed you," Dragon said softly. "What were you thinking, going after him on your own? Silly girl, you nearly made my heart stop!"

t"He was....so fast. Even I couldn"t see him get behind me, Dragon....He was...."

t The upset expression on his face calmed, and he took a deep breath. He gave me a look of sorrowful sympathy. "That was your first encounter with another Wraith, wasn"t it?"

tI nodded. "He was eating a detached arm, and his eyes.... they were...." I shivered.

tHe patted my back. "It"s alright, now."

t"Yes, I"m alright.... you came after me," I said softly. "You knew that I was facing down a Wraith, that you could have been killed...but you still came after me."

tHe laughed lightly. "That is my job, you know. I have sworn it many times. I will always be there for you."

tMy throat swelled up, and I couldn"t swallow. My face felt hot. A pure knowledge that I"d known in my heart since I was a child flooded my entire being. He felt my body tense, and the mood change. He took me by the shoulders.

t"Kysael? What is it?"

tI cleared my throat, and met his eyes. "I"m in love with you," I said softly.

tHis eyes darkened to a deeper shade of lavender as they narrowed slightly, and his body tensed. I immediately felt like a fool, and looked away, embarra.s.sed.

tI heard him take in a deep breath, and slowly release it. Then, he pulled my chin so that I was looking at him. "I apologize if I didn"t...react the way that you had hoped. It was just very sudden. I wasn"t expecting it. I"m...trying to process it. I had known, really.... but that"s the first time that you"ve ever said it."

t"I know that you don"t feel the same way, so don"t concern yourself with it. I just...had to give voice to it."

tHe nodded, and smiled. "I am sorry to say that I don"t feel the same way. Yet. I"ve raised you and watched over you since the day I delivered you out of your mother. I love you, but...I"m sorry."

tI nodded. "Yes, of course. You love me, you just...don"t love me the way that I want to be loved."

tHe gave me a hug. "I will always care for you," he said.

t"Hopefully, that will be enough."

*

December, 1101 A.D.

tEntering into the month, I was quite nervous. In just a few short days, I knew that I would be married. I placed the order for my wedding gown, and I made sure to feed well and have plenty of firewood, making sure to be taken care of so that Dragon could have these ten days to himself.

tI knew that this was going to be hardest on him. I could feel it. I saw it in the way that he looked at me, the desperately forced facade of calm acceptance. I knew that he was trying his best to not hurt my feelings.

tHe was trying to be mature, a responsible and courteous gentleman. But as time continued to drag closer to the date, I could feel his aura and body stay tensed.

t"Why don"t you go home, my lord?" I asked him around the first of the month.

t"What?" He asked, shocked.

t"Yes, please go back home. You don"t need to take care of me right now. I can take care of myself. Take until the wedding to have time to yourself, without all of your time revolving around me and my care. Please."

tHe smiled, and came to stand before me, snow falling around us. He took a few strands of my hair in between his thumb and first two fingers, stroking it down to the end of the strands before releasing it.

t"You are a kind girl, Kysael."

tI laughed. "It"s not kindness. You need to rest, and take care of yourself. I can finish gathering firewood for myself, and I can start a fire and stay warm and stay fed until the wedding. You don"t need to strain yourself worrying over me."

tHe sighed, and kissed my forehead, on top of my marking. "Alright, Kysael. I will see you there, then."

t"Go on," I smiled, shooing him on.

tAnd I watched with a fluttering heart as he disappeared into the snowy forest after throwing one more glance over his shoulder my way.

tAs the days went by, I felt more and more anxious. Sure enough, Dragon wasn"t watching over me.

tHe wasn"t keeping an eye on me. He was taking some time to himself, as I had asked.

tI smiled to myself. Once we married, I would take up even more of his time, and he would take up even more of mine. And I had to admit that I sort of liked the thought, at least for myself. I felt more.... sympathetic for my betrothed.

tFinally, it was the tenth day of December. It was the day of the arranged wedding, and surprisingly, it was a warm morning.

tSnow was even melting a little.

tAnd now, I had to admit how nervous I really was.

tI had gotten up early, and went to the bath house to have the full-body treatment; hair trimmed, legs waxed, finger and toe nails clipped, and had a ma.s.sage. I didn"t know how this entire ordeal would go, but upon recollection of my intimacy with Kelose, I had everything taken care of. I hadn"t given my virginity to Kelose, but we had… had oral relations with one another. I blushed as I remembered his face on the lower regions of my body. So I had everything taken care of.

tAnd I mean, everything...I didn"t know what would happen, or when we may get intimate, if we ever did...but I wanted to take the proper precautions, just in case.

tI went to the home of Grimoir"s parents. Vintice was a blacksmith, and Grimoir"s mother, Asiel, was a seamstress and a tailor.

tShe was making my wedding gown for me.

t"Oh, h.e.l.lo there, Ms. Kysael. I have your order ready for you, just as requested," she said sweetly, and rushed to bring it to me, covered in a thick, heavy blue cloth. "You take that on to Dragon"s mother"s, she should be there waiting to get you already. And don"t worry about a thing, dear! Everything will turn out alright!"

tI smiled, and went on my way quickly to my almost-mother"s cabin. I tried to ignore the quip. After all, Asiel hadn"t meant any harm. Most people were completely unaware of the fact that I was not a pure bride. It was perfectly natural for a virgin bride to be frightened at the prospect of mating for the first time. I remembered very well my first time. But that wasn"t what I was concerned about.

tAsiel had, after all, been correct about one thing, though. Dragon"s mother was there, ready to get me ready for the ceremony, and my grandmother was with her.

t"Oh, you look beautiful already!" She said. "You smell amazing, as well."

t"Thank you. It was Ka.s.siel"s perfume."

tShe nearly spit out the water she had just took a sip of, and gulped it down, looking at me confused. "You...you know about her?"

tI nodded. "Yes. She was my mother"s cousin by law, and one of her closest friends...that, and I"ve heard about her from Dragon. He was engaged to her."

t"Oh, that"s right...silly me, how could I have forgotten? I am just so happy! My little girl is going to become a lady!" She laughed. "You make my son happier than he has been in a long, long time, Kysael. He always lights up when we"re talking about you. You give him so much motivation," she said.

tMy heart thundered. "R-really?" I asked, my cheeks red. She nodded.

t"Yes, he is quite happy with you. He chose you, and even though he"s a little...slow, and hesitant, he truly means well and cares deeply for you. He has always had a soft spot when it comes to you."

tShe got me tied up in my wedding dress, and then they both looked on disapprovingly.

t"What?" I asked.

t"Dear, why is there black trim around your waist and along the bottom and train and sleeves of the gown? There is just so much black, why?" My grandmother asked.

tI laughed. "I... I am not some elven maiden, ma"am. I do not feel that I am pure. I am half of the Dark Realm. I feel my gown should reflect it.

tShe went to say something, but thought better of it and simply smiled, before Dragon"s mother went to rub the concealant over my face.

tI held up my hand to stop her. "Dragon prefers my natural face. I am leaving them uncovered."

t"Oh, yes of course," she said softly, putting it away.

tShe began braiding my hair and pinning it up into an elaborate braided bun.

tShe then lined my eyes with charcoal, and she rubbed a bright, blood red rouge-stain on my lips.

tShe turned me finally to see myself in the mirror, and I nearly choked.

tI didn"t even recognize myself. I looked like some Woodelf of the high courts in the royal ring, with my high collared gown and the corset.

tMy hair wasn"t the hap-hazard braid of a huntress doing her job, but a truly elaborate braided bun that any n.o.blewoman would be jealous over, not even a single hair out of place.

tMy lips looked as if I had just tasted blood and left the remnants on my lips.

tMy eyes were bright, of course, with the always, ever present silver glint of hunger making them a slightly more metallic shade of blue.

t"Now, something new, something old, something borrowed, and something blue," she said as she rushed around. "Your markings are blue, so we"ll just leave it at that. Here," she handed me a hair pin with onyx stone embedded in it intricately. "This was Ka.s.siel"s favorite hair comb. Dragon had kept it all of these years, just in case he had gotten married. It was the only one of these ever made, and so its unique and special. This is something old," she said with a smile. "Something new....aha!" She handed me a small wooden box with a letter sitting atop of it. I unfolded the letter that was addressed to me, and I startled. The person writing it was signed as Darah....It was from my mother.

tDear Kysael,

tI have learned that I do not have much time left in this world, for which I would like to humbly and sincerely apologize to you for. Dragon has promised to give this to you when you come of age and are to marry, as he has promised me that he will raise you and marry you when that time comes.

tI am sorry that I am not going to be with you in body on that day, but know that my heart and spirit will always be with you, my daughter.

tI did not regret giving myself to your father, and I did not regret having you. The only regret that I have is returning to Havengrove, and allowing myself to be taken from you before I even have a chance to watch you grow up. I have instructed for this pendant, which your father gave to me, to be given to you on your wedding day, as my gift to you, so that you can have both your mother and father with you on your special day.

tAnd don"t worry, dear. Dragon is a wonderful man, and he will always take care of you and love you. I am so thankful that you have him to watch over you.

tShould you be marrying someone else, I pray that they are a man of his level of dedication and kindness, and that they love you even more so than he does. I will always be with you, my child. Give your brother and your husband my love for me. I hope that your life has not been unfavorable. And when--or if you--have children, please give them all of my love and affection and make sure that they know how much I had wanted to meet them one day. Your brother"s children, as well, please.

tAll my love,

tYour mother.

t"Oh, mother!" I cried, clenching the letter to my chest, before I pulled the pendant out of its box.

t.i.t was made of onyx, on a black chain. It had the same marking as my face intricately engraved into it, and it was smooth and shiny.

t.i.t was embedded into a beautiful sapphire casing. "Its beautiful!" I smiled through my tears. "Thank you. Now, there is just one more thing. I had my own "something borrowed"." I pulled out Kelose"s a.s.sa.s.sin knife that he had left at my home once, many years ago. Dragon"s mother immediately knew what it was, and gave me an apprehensive look.

t"What? He lent it to me. It is something borrowed from someone who is very important to me."

tShe sighed, but didn"t say anything.

tFinally, I was ready, and it was time.

tShe led me to the chapel in the middle ring, and had me to stand outside. She placed a kiss on my cheek, and then she went in.

tMy heart pounded as I heard the music begin, and I began to think that I couldn"t do this. Sure, I had feelings for him, but they were new feelings, feelings that I was only just beginning to understand.

tAnd he didn"t even return those feelings. How could I possibly do this?

tThen I heard my que. And the doors opened, revealing a room brightly lit by stained gla.s.s windows and chandeliers filled with hundreds of nicely-scented candles. My body froze at the doorway as I took everything in.

tMy eyes focused on the alter, and I saw Dragon there, his father beside of him. I looked at Drakul first, his s.h.a.ggy red hair pulled back, his smile a big one and he elbowed Dragon and winked at him.

tMy face heated. I looked to the rows of seats to find many members of my clan, several members of Dragon"s clan, and several others from other clans that both of our families were friends with.

tI felt hot as they all turned to look at me, many surprised and disapproving murmurs among the crowd at my gown and my markings. But I didn"t care. This wasn"t about them. It was about me, and it was about Dragon.

tI looked, finally, at Dragon. He was observing me, watching me take everything in. He smiled, one that he always gave me when I was taking everything in like this. As if he thought it was cute.

tThen, his eyes swept over me, taking me in. And his eyes got a little wider, his smile fading to let his lips part a bit, surprised.

tAnd then he smiled again, this time a proud one.

tHe didn"t seem to show any negative emotion. No trepidation, no hesitation, no disappointment. His entire face beamed pride.

tSomeone cleared their throat, and I startled before slowly, I took hesitant steps down the aisle. I could feel my body shaking with my roaring heartbeat. I repeatedly thought that I would trip over my own feet. Each step brought me closer to my fate.

tAnd finally, all the steps had been taken, and I was standing in front of him, my body hot and shaking.

tHe continued to observe me, and took my hand in his to pull me up beside of him on the alter, in front of the king.

tBefore he turned us to face the king, he looked at me. My heart slowed just a little, and I felt myself calm down.

t"Don"t be afraid, Kysael. There is nothing to fear. You look radiant and smell divine."

tFor the very first time since I had arrived, I actually looked at what he was wearing. He wore a high collared white tunic with black leaves embroidered on the collar and ends of the sleeves, and the bottom. He wore white pants, with white boots.

t"You also look very handsome," my voice cracked, and he gave one quiet laugh, squeezing my hand before he let go.

tWe turned to face the king, but I noticed that Dragon continued to glance at me. I, on the other hand, could not bring myself to look at him again.

tI didn"t know if I could.

tMy heart was racing too fast.

t"We are gathered here today to witness the arranged joining of these two bodies, hearts, and clans. For the sake of how nervous the bride is," he chuckled, and my face heated. "We will make this as quick and painless as possible. Now, Dragon of the Huntsmen clan, say the words."

t"I am hers, and she is mine. I will protect her and provide for her. I will honor her house, and with her, produce an heir for my house. I will honor her body. I will honor our marriage." Dragon said. His voice was strong, his stance steady.

tThe king turned to me. "Kysael of the Cedar clan, say the words," he said.

t"I am his, and he is mine. I will live for his will and be faithful to him. I will honor his house, and produce for him an heir to his house. I will honor his body. I will honor our marriage." I repeated softly, my voice struggling to stay steady.

t"Take each other"s hands," the king instructed. We did so, and he took a red ribbon and tied it around our wrists. "Your fates are forever intertwined with each other, for all of time. May the Creator bless this bond. And now, you may solidify this marriage and complete the ceremony by kissing the bride."

tDragon faced me, and for the first time since I"d arrived, I could see hesitation, feel it in his body.

tHe took a deep breath, and closed his eyes. "We"ve already come this far," he whispered. Then, with renewed determination, he opened his eyes and slowly began to lean in to me.

tHis lips pressed against mine, and the kiss and marriage were sealed.

t"I present to you, Lord and Lady of the Huntsmen clan."

tEveryone cheered, and Dragon pulled me by the hand to lead me across the building and to the stairway that led to a meeting hall beneath, where the smell of many delicious foods wafted around the room.

tI went to the toilet room, where a white blouse and white, floor-length skirt awaited me, along with white boots. I got changed out of the fancy gown, and I was much more comfortable in the new clothing that wasn"t so formal. I came back out, to find Dragon waiting for me.

tHe smiled at me softly, and as everyone followed us down the stairs, he led me to the head of a large table, and had me to sit down.

t"Is there anything that you would like?" He asked.

tI smiled. "I wouldn"t mind some sweets and water," I said. He nodded, and went off to get what I had asked for. When he returned, he carried a plate full of fantastic looking desserts and a gla.s.s of water as I"d asked, before going off to get himself something.

tAs I sat and munched on my desserts, I watched Dragon.

tMany of his clansmen threw wary, nervous glances my way, but Dragon smiled in my direction and his body language conveyed warmth. He chatted with some of his kinsmen, and I could hear bits and pieces of him a.s.suring them that he was happy to be married to me, completely unworried for his safety in my presence.

tHe wasn"t nervous to be around me, or to have me as his wife.

tHe was content.

tHe was safe with me.

tAnd I could see that he wasn"t as unhappy as he had been when he"d first heard about the arrangement. He looked peaceful. It hurt a bit, to hear that his family wasn"t approving of our union...that they were concerned for his very safety. It bothered me that even after all of this time, they thought that I might hurt him. As if i would ever do such a thing.

t"So, la.s.s, are you ready for your wedding night? Its almost time for the bedding!" Drakul said to me in a funny voice, a large mug of ale in his hand. He had already been drinking to celebrate, it seemed.

tI smiled. "Oh, Drakul, I don"t know if anything like that is going to happen anytime soon. I doubt that Dragon would want to be with me that way right away."

t"Nonsense! The marriage has to be consummated by tonight, that"s the law! Arranged marriages are taken to the bedding ceremony and made sure that the marriage is consummated!"

tI sputtered, covering my mouth as water shot through my hand and I coughed, trying to regain my bearings as Drakul guffawed in laughter at my blushing face.

t"Father, do try to contain yourself. You have Kysael choking on her drink." Dragon said as he came up to us, sitting down with his plate of food.

t"Right, right, then! I get the hint!" Drakul said, before going off to converse with others.

t"...Is...is that true?" I asked Dragon. I knew that he"d heard his father. I was horrified by the idea of being forced to sleep with him out of lawful obligation. I knew that if it were, that it wasn"t something that was desired.

tDragon looked away for a moment, nodding. "It is."

tI was slightly...only a little terrified. I hadn"t known that, and I was suddenly very thankful that I had not given my purity to Kelose. I suddenly understood why he had insisted on me not doing so at the time. It was for my own safety. If the consummation was watched and ensured to be sealed and completed… that would mean that if I didn"t bleed my first time, I was not a virgin. And that would be all the proof they would need to kill me, as they had done Ka.s.siel. I was grateful to Kelose, in that moment, for protecting me.

"Oh," I said softly.

He eyed me, concerned for a moment, before more people came over to congratulate us, giving me wary glances as they focused most of their attention on Dragon. After they had went back to their own doings, I sighed. When I stopped eating, he gave me a solemn look.

t"What is it, Kysael?"

tI startled. I sighed, looking down at my plate. I decided that I would be honest with him. "Oh...! Well, I....I mean, I....I wanted… I… well, to be truthful with you… But....I didn"t thi... I didn"t even think we would be doing anything tonight or anytime soon, really, because you aren"t in love with me, but..." Why could I not get the words out of my mouth right? I felt as if I were on fire. My cheeks burned, and I knew that I was blushing.

t"You were hoping that we would be intimate." It wasn"t a question. He knew that it was the truth, and I nodded. He smiled at me, rolling his eyes and shaking his head, a small smirk on his face. "I understand. It is natural, after all." He smiled softly at me. He seemed to really struggle with what he was about to say.

tMore people came to congratulate us, and when they were gone, he saw my shoulders droop when we heard them whisper that they couldn"t see why he ever agreed to this.

tI looked down at myself, ashamed that I had hoped for anything more than he had already given me. He had done more than I ever deserved.

tHe sighed, and his hand slid over to grab my own. "Don"t let what they say bother you. You know that I don"t do anything that I don"t want to do. I chose this. I chose you. And… don"t be afraid, Kysael. As soon as we have consummated, they will leave us to our privacy. With arranged marriages, they have to be legitimized or they run the risk of annulments. And Kysael...there is nothing to be ashamed of, you wanting to be intimate. They teach young ladies as soon as they are old enough to know of such things that the wedding night is a huge ordeal and very important to our society and furthering our bloodlines. You didn"t hear a whole lot of that, but how could I expect you not to want to be loved by your husband? I would be more concerned if you didn"t want to be intimate, in truth. That"s perfectly normal for a bride. You have no need to be frightened. I will take care of you, and I will protect you."

tI sighed, and I leaned to rest my head against his shoulder. "What could I have possibly done to be gifted with you?"

tHe chuckled. "You were born," he whispered softly.

tWe stayed like that for a few minutes, and we sat and ate our meal and listened to a couple of cheerful toasts and speeches before the reception was over. I was numb as we were ushered away, ushered off to Dragon"s cabin.

tMy heart pounded in my chest as the men whooped and cheered, ready for us to make our marriage consummated, legitimized.

tI had a few things at his house, but most of my things were still sitting at my small little hut, and I hadn"t brought them over yet. But that could wait.

t.i.t was getting to be late afternoon, now.

tI began to feel nauseous. My heart was racing so hard that I wondered somewhere in my brain how it hadn"t exploded yet. Dragon looked at the sky as we stood outside of his home. The very place where I had grown up for part of my childhood, and here I was, fixing to move back in not as the child that he was raising.... but as his bride.

t.i.t was strangely ironic.

t"Well...we are here," he said softly, his attention focused on the sky, taking note of the storm that was brewing. I reached to squeeze his hand, and he glanced at me.

t"Go on now," The king said, pushing us in the door. "We have to get this thing legitimized!"

t"Whoo, whoo, whoo!" The crowd continued to cheer.t

tThe crowd stayed outside as the King followed us into the house, following us to Dragon"s bedroom.

t"Proceed with the consummation," the king commanded, his tone firm.

tDragon looked at me, both of us obviously uncomfortable. The king pushed me into Dragon"s arms, and I could see Dragon fighting a scowl trying to appear on his handsome face.

"Don"t be afraid," he whispered. And then, he numbly took my face in his hands and brought his lips down to mine.

t.i.t was awkward at first, strange because of the mechanized way that he went about it, but I slowly reached my arms up and around his neck, and he lay his hands on my hips, resting them there, gripping them occasionally. We continued on like that, slowly taking the stiffness out of our bodies and just letting ourselves fall into sync with one another.

tWe kissed for what felt like a while until we were both heated and having to get a grip on ourselves. When he pulled away, his eyes were waiting for me to give him my unspoken permission. I nodded, and he continued on, undoing the ties on my outfit and allowing my clothes to fall away from my body. I was thankful that he stood between the king and I, trying to shield my nudity from his view as best as he could. I appreciated the effort.

tHe continued to touch me, trying to get me ready for him despite my discomfort, and he lay me on the bed, continuing on, his face tickling my body as he descended downward.

tBeing such a tomboy all my life, I knew that I had a thicker, more aggressive tone than most women.

tNot that I could take back my upbringing and everything that I had been through.

tBut I tried to make myself feel attractive, as if I could truly seduce him. I was sure that I failed miserably. I knew that I wasn"t a normal woman, that he probably didn"t even see me as a woman. This was just what had to be done, nothing more. He was doing this because he had to, and he was doing this for me, as well. He knew that I wanted him that way.

tMy heart pounded, and I felt my body go hyper sensitive and my mind go hyper aware as I watched him mentally prepare himself. He looked up my body at me, meeting my gaze.

t His eyes wide, gla.s.sy, I saw him swallow thickly down in his throat. He was nervous. Sweat beaded on his temple.

tHe let out a shaky breath.

t"Alright." His face flushed a deeper shade of red. I didn"t recall, in that instance, if I had ever even seen him blush before. If I had, I couldn"t think properly right now.

tI did know however, that this wasn"t something that I had ever seen in his gaze before. His cheeks were pink, and his body was tense with nervous antic.i.p.ation.

tI smiled down at him, and I grabbed his hand, leading it to my body. His face descended on me again.

tHe gripped my hips tightly in his hands when I jerked, thrashing against this new, unexpected feeling. It felt much different than when I touched myself with my own hands. I had never felt anything like this.

tI gasped, letting my body experience sensations that it hadn"t ever felt. I knew that I had never given my purity away, but being such a disgusting hybrid creature, I honestly wondered if I was a virgin in the first place. If it were even possible for me to be.

tI didn"t know how, but Dragon seemed to sense my line of thought, as he spread me below and after a look, gave a subtle nod against my thigh. He seemed to rea.s.sure me that I was safe. And that was all I needed.

tDragon came back up my body to rest with his face above mine, moving himself to rest his lower body within my legs, and I gulped.

tHe kissed me, and I felt a sudden searing tear inside of me as he sealed our union. I whimpered into his mouth.

tThe king stood, making his way over to the bed. Dragon maneuvered our bodies to where the king could pull the sheet out from under us, observing it and the fresh blood stain before he left the room with it, shutting the door behind him.

tWe heard cheering as the king showed that we had legitimized our union, and soon, the noise outside dimmed and it was just us in the room, panting into one another"s mouths.

t"You did well, Kysael." He met my eyes. "You are beautiful," he told me softly. "You are strong, and you are brilliant." Then, his eyes were serious and his tone soft, genuine, but firm. "You are mine," he said.

t"You are mine," I echoed. And I groaned in pleasure as he continued moving inside of my body, whimpering at how tightly he fit. I grasped onto him, my nails digging into his back as if he were the only thing holding me onto the earth, as if he were my gravity.

t"Kysael," he moaned, his tone making me shudder. I"d never heard his voice sound like this. It was the most amazing thing that I had ever heard. It was all that I ever wanted to hear, in that moment. Husky, deep and almost raspy. He continued whispering my name in that tone, one of his hands holding his weight above me, the other gripping my hip in a desperate attempt to get closer to me.

t"Dragon," I cried, getting closer to the edge. "I- "And then I fell, and Dragon, always my Dragon, was there to catch me.

And I was there to catch him. I felt warmth, so much warmth and I suddenly felt very full and hot on the inside. Dragon"s shudder and gasp only made me feel all the hotter.

tAnd then the ground shook, and the sirens and horns in the city began to sound the alarming warnings of danger.

tWe both startled, and with a very unattractive raspy squawk, I rushed to put on a tunic and pants as we got our weapons and rushed out to see what was happening.

tWe ran outside in alarm, and found the king in the middle of the streets, trying to find out what was happening. We rushed up to him, looking for the guards and also trying to figure out what was going on.

t"Your majesty!" Cried a guard rushing up to us. "We are under attack, sire! We are under attack!"

tThe king slapped him. "Pull yourself together, soldier. Who is attacking us?!"

t"The Darkelves!" He cried.

tThe king looked at him, dumb shock on his face. "Go, get all of the women and children evacuated out of this city immediately! Have every able-bodied fighter report to the middle ring gate. Go, now!" The guard ran off to do his bidding, and he faced us. "Dragon, Kysael, report to your posts!" He shouted as he ran off, and we began heading toward our places.

tAmidst the chaos, Dragon took me into the edge of the forest.

t"Kysael, I"m sorry!" He said, anger on his handsome face. "I truly am, we were just-"

t"Worry about that later, Dragon. We have to get to our posts."

t"No! No, Kysael. You have to get out of here."

t"What? No, I will not run away from this-"

t"These are not Orks or Barbarians, or even Wraiths, Kysael!" He shouted. "These are Darkelves! You will be slaughtered if you stay here! This is your chance to escape. You can get out of here, amidst the chaos, and you can go and find freedom in the wild. I can find you! We can live away from this city; you could be free. You don"t have to die here."

tI felt as if I had been slapped. "I am stronger than you think I am, Dragon! I won"t freeze up again! I will let the Wraith in me take over for this battle, and you will see how hard it will be to kill me! I am not going to run, there are people here that don"t deserve to die! I won"t abandon my home!"

t"I am asking you, Kysael. Please, escape the city, or at least evacuate with the women and children. If you want to fight, go and protect them. You have nothing to prove to anyone by going to that battlefield. Go with them. Or run away. Please."

t"And I am telling you, that isn"t going to happen."

t"Please!" He shouted. Then, in a softer tone. "Please. If you claim that you love me, please just do as I ask. I cannot lose you. I cannot watch you get killed. A bride shouldn"t be on the battlefield. I... I don"t want to see you get hurt."

tMy heart stung, but I nodded. "Alright. Alright, Dragon. But one thing first-" And I pulled him down, surprised, into an intense, searing kiss. Then, I pulled away, engraving the sight of his heated eyes into my mind, forever. "I love you."

tAnd then, instead of running towards the direction in which the women and children were evacuating, I loosened my body, letting my eyes burn with my Wraith self as I allowed that part of me to take over, pulling me with intense, breath taking speed as I ran toward the battlefield.

t"No!" I could hear him cry after me, but my Wraith speed was too fast for him to catch up to me.

tI rushed to my tree in the outer ring as quickly as I could, and got dressed in a white tunic and white pants and boots that I"d laid out, in case we would be travelling for the wedding night. But the wedding was over, now, and I was now married. And I had a strange feeling that I would not be getting a honey moon after this battle. Not a true honey moon.

tI armed myself with my bow and a quiver of arrows, a knife, and a sword.

t"Let"s do this!" I told myself.

tAnd I rushed to get to the battlefield.

tWhat I didn"t know, was that my life was already changed…

tForever.