Taunting Destiny(127)

“Wow, you clean up very nicely,” Moira said when she had finished the Celtic symbol for unity on my shoulder.

“Thanks,” I whispered, fighting the urge to throw up. In less than twenty minutes, I would be presented to Adam as his gift. I wasn’t sure why they gifted the bride, but, then again, I knew little about anything they did. The Guild had a lot of books, but there hadn’t been any need for me to look into weddings of the Fae, or anything like that back then. Something scratched at the back of my mind with that thought.

“It’s almost time. When you’re ready, Synthia, the men would like to escort you to Adam,” Mari said, looking me over quickly with the keen eye of a mother. “Do you not have anything from your parents? A sash that gives you honors among your own kind?” she asked.

“Considering the only thing they tried to give me was a painful death, I’m thinking I’m better off without anything from them,” I mumbled as I stepped into the heels that I’d procrastinated putting on until the very last minute.

“I’m glad that you don’t have much in the way of ties to them. They are a disingenuous people at best. They have been since Anise lost her throne. We will give you a few moments alone, since it is custom for the bride to reflect on her new life. The men will open the door when you knock on it, and then they will take you to Adam and announce your names to the gathering. My boy is fair smitten with you, Synthia, so it should run smoothly. Is there anything else you need to know before we take our places with Adam?” Mari asked, giving me another quick once over.

“I have no idea what is expected of me tonight,” I replied trying to keep my hands from trembling while keeping my mind off the fact that I would like nothing better than to run right the hell out of here and back to Ryder.

“We will have dancing, and you will be expected to dance with any whom ask you if they are from a royal lineage. We also have a large gathering of women with children in attendance who would like you and my son to bless their children. Normally, they wouldn’t until you are Queen, but some seem to think it will help their children live long enough for the cure to work on them as well. Word is spreading quickly that you and my son are the cure for what is ailing the land and that a seer has seen the fruit of your marriage. Hope, is all they have right now. The contract signing will begin soon after; this is just a confirmation as to what Kier and Dresden worked out a few days ago. After this, we will progress with the handfasting. Your hands will be bound together with the multi-colored lengths of silk that represent each desirable quality of the union  , and then you and Adam will speak the words of the binding of castes before Kier and Dresden. Then we will start the feast and afterward we will continue on with the bedding ceremony.”

I swallowed the nerves. “Bedding ceremony?”

“Yes, it has been a custom of our people since eons ago.” Mari got a twinkle in her eye’s that was positively naughty. “Humans in the dark ages were such prudes about sex, one of our kind introduced it to them as a joke to get them to loosen up a little, and I guess they liked it as the custom spread in your world too. The bedding ceremony, is the last of the night’s events, the women will take you to be prepared for your new husband while the Shaman—he is Danu’s Priest for the Dark Fae—blesses the bed and the union   for fertility. The men will tell Adam nasty jokes and tease him unmercifully before they bring him to the marriage bed to join you.”

“Well shit,” I blew out air and tried to think of something to say. “Well shit.”

“You said that,” Moira pointed out.

“Shit,” I replied as they laughed, until they noticed I’d turned as white as my dress.

“Oh my, are you a virgin? Your eyes look like you have been through Transition already,” Astrid said.

“Oh, I went through Transition,” I said as sinful images of Ryder flashed inside my mind. “I’ve definitely been Transitioned.” And then some.

“Oh, then I don’t understand the hesitance for the bedding ceremony,” Mari said, scratching the top of her head as her son did when he was confused.

“Because I don’t like the idea of the whole bedding ceremony part,” I explained, hoping my point got across. I had to bite my tongue from saying there was only one bed I wanted to share, and it included my golden eyed Fairy being in it with me.

“Okay, well I will speak to Kier again on the subject and address the issue. We will leave you now.”

I waited until they had left the room before turning back to the stranger who watched me in the mirror. “Run. You could do it. You could sift right the hell out of here and leave, dumbass. This isn’t your fight. You don’t owe them anything. So, why the hell are you still here? Hmmm? Because you think you need to fix everything! This isn’t your fight.”