"Impatient fellow isn"t he?"Elya wiped the tears from her eyes and glanced at her father"s dry expression. She"d been looking directly at Nikolai when he summoned those ma.s.sive bolts of lightning and her eyes still stung from the blinding light.
"He can be a little excitable." She offered as explanation, a little irritated at her father"s comment.
"A little?" his eyebrow raised slightly as a ring of lightning exploded above them and horses whinnied in fear. Elya stroked Stormchaser"s mane, calming the restless warhorse. Certain Stormchaser wouldn"t act out, she moved closer to her father. As always, he sat like a stone on his own charger, seemingly unconcerned by the extravagant Magical display facing them.
"Just a little." She confirmed. "What did you expect papa? You sent Aunt Natalia to harangue him with the necessary protocol and etiquette for accepting a bride of House Suzdal and he"s meant to ignore it all?"
"If you think I can send her anywhere she doesn"t want to go…" He shook his head, a slight frown creasing his features. "I can only say your fiancee must be extremely persuasive to get her to join his procession."
Elya nodded along with his words, just as surprised by her great aunt"s overt affection for Nikolai. As a d.u.c.h.ess of House Suzdal, her rightful place was by Elya"s side or within the halls of the Suzdal compound in Neva awaiting Nikolai"s arrival. By standing beside Nikolai she was flouting her allegiance for the Empire to see. While her father might believe it was simple persuasion on Nikolai"s part, Elya knew better. Nikolai spent several hours every day cooped up in his Mage Tower with Natalia. Unfortunately, they were absurdly secretive and every time Elya tried to ask about his research Nikolai would become evasive, finding some pathetic excuse to dash away. As for Natalia, a single stare from the old woman would have Elya trembling in fear. Forget about questioning her, Elya had to control herself from confessing her various misdeeds.
Simply put, there was no way to penetrate the shroud the two of them placed over their work.
"They get along really well." Elya shrugged, unwilling to go into details.
"Surprising."
"Not really. Nikolai has a way to magically produce alcohol." Elya moved closer and raised her voice as the wild song from the Dragon Lords rose in a wave of pa.s.sion and energy.
"Ah." Her father nodded slightly, squinting to observe the tattered banner borne by the Inichi Yesaul cresting the hill before them. "Haven"t seen that one before."
"It"s his war banner during the unification of the Dragon Lords." She explained, brushing away loose strands of hair from her eyes.
A young attendant behind them snorted in displeasure. "Ludicrous! How can he bring a tattered banner for such an event? These b.u.mpkins barely even act like Imperials, consorting with barbarians."
Elya spun to glare at the attendant, eyes warping as Draconic Aura flowed through her veins in rage. Before she could act a mailed fist lashed out to cuff him, a grim, scarred Barsi general leaning down to glare at the youngster.
"It"s obviously the original banner you dolt. What kind of Imperial carries around fresh banners, anyway? It"s honourable." A chorus of agreement accompanied the general"s words, and the attendant hung his head in shame.
Her father nodded in approval, tapping his lips in thought as he murmured under his breath. An old habit her mother spent years trying to correct. According to her, Grand Dukes shouldn"t let their thoughts be captured so easily. Not that he changed in any way despite the constant nagging. "The lightning sword is House Morales. Strangely apt how the Lord of Storms comes from a House with such an insignia. One would think their ancestors were prophetic. Those must be Dragon Lord banners. Imposing. Huh… your aunt"s broken eye is being carried by some old Mage over there. Never thought I"d see that. Almost missed it because of all this light." With a hand shading his eyes, her father leaned forwards to observe the glowing gift carts streaming over the hill. "Now that is enough to make even Botek drool."
"He spent a lot of time selecting gifts."
"You seem to know a great deal of his affairs despite only meeting a few weeks ago." Her father turned to give her a short, knowing grin, an armoured finger tapping his nose suggestively.
Elya ignored her father"s teasing tone and waved at the gigantic Inichi Yesaul as he guided his horse to a stop a hundred paces from their lines. The burly figure swung his banner energetically while the procession streamed in behind him, Banner cavalry hopping from their galloping steeds to run alongside them until they stopped in formation. A dull boom thundered across the sky and the Thunder Lancers arrived like shooting stars, crashing into the earth in an explosion of lighting which forced Elya to blink rapidly and turn away. [Niki uses lightning far too much.]
"Thunder Lancers." An awed whisper came from behind her and Elya focused on the two lines of Lancers kneeling in deep pits to either side of Nikolai"s path. Unlike the pitch black armour she remembered from Galicia the Thunder Lancers glowed with indescribable majesty. Struck by curiosity she tried to find Chen, the only Lancer she actually knew, but with their visors shut they all looked the same.
In a final burst of Magic the War Mages and Etenani arrived behind the Lancers their staves driven deep into the earth and glowing with frightening power. Streams of power flickered around them, each Mage emanating flares of the various elements in a strange rhythmic cadence.
"Such Imperial favour." Her father scratched at his cheek in thought as he gazed at the Magical forces arrayed before him.
Elya shrugged. "The Son of Heaven likes him."
Silence descended, the drums trailing off while the convoy turned towards Nikolai.
He floated towards them slowly, riding a turbulent storm cloud twisting at his feet. Pinp.r.i.c.ks of light appeared before them as he arrived beside the Mages, rapidly expanding into a staircase. He descended with a measured pace, accompanied by the jagged lightning halo revolving behind him. A crown of Magic formed over his brow, and on cue the Mages behind him summoned their own, ancient runes twisting like flames around their heads. Nezgrom flashed with iridescent light and Elya swallowed at her fiancee"s overwhelming display. This was a true demonstration of Magic.
Her father urged his charger forwards, reins clenched tightly in his fist.
Ignoring the move, Nikolai glanced towards her, a slight smile playing across his lips and Elya found herself grinning back. [I didn"t know he had such a flair for the dramatic.] With practiced ease Nikolai knelt before her father and placed Nezgrom to the side while Jarek held the sword he carried with its hilt pointing at her father.
"Grand Duke Suzdal!" Nikolai"s magically enhanced voice echoed across the plains. "I Count Nikolai Morales of Volhiniya, heir-apparent of House Morales, Defender of the Empire, Master War Mage of the Emperor, bestowed by the Imperial Mage Council the t.i.tle of Lord of Storms do hereby arrive in honour and glory. By our most ancient traditions I humbly request the hand of your daughter Dame Elya Suzdal the Dragonslayer, Lady of the western lakes, Knight-Captain of the Order of Chernigov in marriage."
With a deep breath her father reached down to clasp the hilt Jarek offered for a brief moment before sliding from his horse to help Nikolai to his feet. Cheers exploded around them and Elya sagged in place, relieved the ceremony was over without any problems. After everything that happened around them a part of her had been worried something would appear to interfere. Nikolai whispered something to her father before fixing her with a triumphant gaze.
"I Win." He mouthed.
[Alright. Now he has to be punished.]