The Dragon's Arranged Mate(8)

     



 

"As if that would bother you," Morgan muttered, and Rhiannon laughed in  spite of her fear. She always enjoyed seeing my brother and I match  wits. Obviously, the wise Morgan knew this and called on that humor now  to lighten the mood. Yes, Dogal's days on my council were numbered.

I rang the bell for my own manservants to enter once my family had left  me alone. A tub of hot water was carried into the room, and I was bathed  and groomed by my servants in preparation for the ceremony.

As they did their work, I was lost in thought. I didn't want to admit to  my mother how her warnings and omens bothered me, of course, but now  that I was alone with my thoughts I couldn't help wondering if there was  any real significance to what she said. Until I'd heard the news of the  selkies, I was sure there was nothing really wrong and that all would  work itself out once the marriage was complete; however, knowing now  that the ancient race of selkies had left their ancestral home in droves  even after the union     was blessed and consummated, left me with my own  feelings of dread.

I wished I could change form, right then, and take to the skies to clear  my head. Nothing, not even the greatest fuck imaginable, did more for  my mood than taking flight. The sensation of spreading my wings and  breathing fire while soaring as I was intended to, was a thrill unlike  any other. I always felt calmer and much more centered in my thoughts  after a good flight.

That would have to wait until after today, however. There was simply no  time. And of course. I intended to partake of my bride's many charms  that evening, as I'd done the night before. If I couldn't fly, fucking  was the other sure way to calm the fire within me.



A mere hour later, I was waiting again as I had the day before. But this  time, instead of waiting nervously for my bride-to-be, I was waiting  for my Queen to be seated beside me on the throne.

I had been decked out in my very finest armor for the occasion, and the  heavy bejeweled crown sat on my head. I sat at the head of the room at  the top of a series of stone stairs, the back of my throne reaching up  far above me. It had been crafted from magic, some said, and had sat the  King of County Cork for many centuries. I ran my hands over the  time-worn wood and wondered at the other kings that had sat in my  position, waiting for the coronation of their bride. I thought of my own  father and, as always, wished he could be here. Of course, if he were,  my wife wouldn't be coroneted. However … I thought I might be willing to  make the trade. Anabelle and I would have been married regardless. I  didn't need to be King, not if it meant he'd be here with us.

Just as they had the day before, Angus's clansmen were decked out in  their tartan and waited eagerly. Also eager were all of the nobles and  peasants who stood in the great hall. I looked out over the sea of  heads; there had to be several thousand people there, awaiting the  appearance of the new Queen.

Just then, the doors at the far end opened once again, and in walked  Anabelle. My heart soared at the sight of her. She looked even more  beautiful, somehow; perhaps it was the fact that her girlish beauty had  given away to a womanly serenity. I warmed all over, remembering the  night we'd spent, when I'd ushered her into womanhood and taken pleasure  in doing so. My cock twitched at the memory; I immediately turned my  thoughts to the ceremony at hand in order to avoid getting carried away.

Anabelle was wearing a form-fitting gown in the same green that featured  prominently in the tartan of her clan. It clung to her body and exposed  her shoulders, with its deep V-cut revealing the smooth creamy skin of  her décolletage. The color matched her eyes almost exactly and made them  sparkle like the emeralds she wore around her neck. They were set in a  heavy gold filigree chain and seemed to drip into her deep cleavage.  Again I stirred as I looked upon the woman I now possessed, and her full  lips curled into a sensual smile when she saw the way I was looking at  her.

She stopped at the foot of the stairs, the fur-trimmed cape she wore  spreading behind her. I waited for the musicians to stop playing before I  rose and slowly descended to meet her. I stood before her, two steps  above where she waited. The sexton met us there, carrying a velvet  pillow on which rested the crown I was to present to my Queen.

I spoke the words that I'd committed to memory, the words kings for eons  past had spoken when crowning their Queen. I then took the crown from  its pillow, and Anabelle dropped to one knee before me. I stepped down  closer to her and placed the crown, set with its rubies, diamonds and  pearls, on her head. I then bade her rise, and took her hand. Together  we ascended the stairs until we stood before our thrones. We turned to  face the multitude, who all bowed nearly as one.         

     



 

Trumpets blared, and the sexton announced in a booming voice, "To the  health and long life of King Caside and his Queen, Anabelle!"

The crowd cheered, filling the cavernous hall with joyful noise. I took  Anabelle's hand once again and squeezed, my own joy filling me. I had  only dreamed of having a woman like her sit beside me as my Queen. I  knew she'd fill the seat well, just as she filled my bed with passion  and my heart with love.

Just then, every pane of glass in the dozen windows that lined the hall  and stretched nearly to the ceiling exploded inward. There were screams  as the shards of glass rained upon the crowd. Wind whipped through the  hall, extinguishing the many candles, which had been lit; the skies had  been darkening throughout the day, and there hadn't been the customary  sunlight to illuminate the room.

Anabelle gripped my hand in panic, and my eyes searched the crowd  frantically to see if there were any major injuries. But I could hardly  see, it had become so dark. The room was full of panicked screams and  wind.

My mother was standing off to my right, and my eyes sought hers. The  panic I saw there did little to calm me, nor did the sense of doomed  certainty that radiated from her. As if she had seen this coming all  along.



Later in the day, we sat in the hall that had been set for the feast.  Spirits had recovered by then; there were no serious injuries, gods be  thanked. Merely cuts and scratches. But the fear that had struck all  hearts in those first moments  –  mine included, I must admit  –  hadn't yet  taken its leave from the event. It hung over us all, no matter how we  tried to make merry.

I appreciated the efforts of everyone involved. The musicians played  their jolliest tunes, the dancers performed even more admirably than  they had the previous evening. There were even more toasts, too, which  would have seemed beyond belief had I not seen it myself. And yet it was  all pantomime; hearts weren't in it, I could tell.

Finally, it was over; I hadn't even been more relieved the prior  evening, when I was nearly dying to be alone with my new bride. We  retired once again to our joint chambers.

"Caside," Anabelle breathed as soon as the door was closed behind us and  we were alone. She flew into my open arms, which I wrapped around her. I  felt her shaking.

"Hush, my love," I whispered, trying to comfort her. She had been  terrified, I knew, but she had maintained an air of cool calm throughout  the hysterical events of the day. She was every inch the Queen I knew  she could be. Now, of course, she was alone and free to give release to  the fear that had gripped her.

I sat before the fire, and drew her into my lap. She put her arms around  my neck and rested her head against my shoulder. We sat there, me  stroking her back and whispering assurances, for many minutes. In  reality, this was just as much for my benefit as it was hers; I had been  unnerved as well, and needed time to calm myself and soothe myself with  her presence.

"What do you think it meant?" she whispered tremulously.

"I think it meant that there was a severe storm blowing outside," I told  her, trying to keep my voice light. "It was frightening, to be sure.  Thank gods no one was more seriously injured, or that there wasn't a  stampede to get to the door. But it was only a freak occurrence due to a  storm. That is all."

She wasn't convinced, I could tell. "It just seems ominous, doesn't it? And then there are the selkies … "

I pulled away to look her in the eyes. "You know about them?"

She nodded. "They were all anyone could talk about as I was being  prepared this morning. The fact that they all left. All of them, Caside.  And then all of the windows shattering in unison. The darkness and the  wind. I can't tell myself that it's all coincidence and actually believe  it. There is some dark cloud over our union    , my husband."

"I refuse to believe any such thing," I told her adamantly. I didn't  know who I was trying to convince, though  –  her, or myself. I stubbornly  refused to give in to fear, however.

"Anabelle," I told her, very seriously, "No one can defeat the dragon.  No fear can harm me, no omens or ill-wishes. There is nothing that could  stop me from protecting you, and our children someday. You will always  have me to shield and guard you. I swear this to you. The magic of the  dragons will protect you, as will my love and devotion."