Chapter 22 #2
Bree swallowed. How did that make a difference? Horland nudged her and she grimaced. “Twenty-seven,” she said, only loud enough for the priest to hear.
Horland grinned at her. “Thirty-three,” he said.
The priest said, “Are the bride and groom related to one another?”
“No,” both Horland and Bree said in unison.
“Does the bride’s father permit the marriage?”
“Yes,” Garlain said.
“Were the banns published correctly?”
Bree’s heart skipped a beat. Banns? No one said anything about banns. She gazed at Horland, hoping to be calmed by his reassurance but instead, his eyes were alight with fear. He looked at Bree in apology.
“Yes,” Morla said.
Bree snapped her head at the princess. “You did that?”
Morla shrugged. “Of course.”
The priest continued, “Do the bride and groom both consent freely to the marriage?”
“Yes,” they said again in unison.
A church person Bree hadn’t noticed spoke up then, reciting from a piece of parchment the terms of the dowry. Bree grinned at Garlain. “You have to pay to get rid of me.”
“I am happy to do so.”
Bree wasn’t sure how to take that. Was he happy to get rid of her, or was he happy to make the dowry available for her?
He must have seen the confusion on her face because he leaned close and said, “I will always be here for you.”
Bree pecked him on the cheek before he could pull away. “Good.”
Bree and Horland stood there looking at the priest, who didn’t seem to be ready to proceed.
The king whispered, “The purse.”
“Oh, yes.” Horland pulled out the purse and offered it to Bree.
She smiled and took it, thinking, thank goodness someone knew what they were supposed to do.
Garlain urged Bree to take her place before the priest. The king did the same to Horland, and they stood side by side facing the priest.
Horland recited his vows and Bree was impressed that he had memorized them so perfectly. Leeta and Morla already told her she didn’t have to say anything, but she wanted to. She decided to make her vows to Horland once they were all alone.
Horland put every ounce of his heart into every one of the vows, and his gaze had Bree mesmerized.
The priest said something, but Bree was so taken with Horland she didn’t understand a thing.
Horland put a thin gold band on Bree’s finger and kissed it and her hand.
“I know it’s not customary in this time, but I have one for you too.” She pulled the ring Garrett gave her out of the purse attached to her belt.
She turned to her family and found Garrett smiling at her. She smiled back and mouthed ‘thank you’. She beamed at Horland.
They both gazed at the priest and Bree raised her brow in question. He appeared surprised but nodded.
“Till death do us part,” Bree whispered as she placed the ring on Horland’s finger.
The priest opened the church doors and Bree and Horland went forward and kneeled before the altar. Everyone else sat in the seats, and some church attendants held a canopy over the bride and groom’s heads while the priest said mass.
When the mass was finished the canopy was removed, and the priest kissed Horland with the kiss of peace.
Horland took Bree into his arms and kissed her.
Bree wrapped her arms around his neck and gave in to his kiss.
Every nerve in her body sent electric charges racing through her veins.
Nothing existed in that moment but her and Horland and the kiss.
A small noise sounded but Bree, lightheaded and enjoying her new husband’s ardor, ignored the interruption.
The sound grew louder and Horland groaned as he pulled his face away from Bree, but keeping one arm around her, he gathered her into his side.
Heat rose in Bree’s face when she realized the noises were the priest clearing his throat to get their attention.
She leaned into Horland, both for the contact and the help in staying upright.
The priest didn’t smile outrightly, but his eyes twinkled with humor and warmth. He finished the wedding with a blessing, and they exited the church with the choir chanting a song Bree didn’t know.
Bree smiled up at Horland. Her heart picked up its pace at his look of adoration. They were married, husband and wife, partners for all time. And all Bree wanted was to be alone with her husband; only then would the butterflies stop winging their way around her stomach.
BACK AT THE CASTLE, Bree and Horland were swept into the foyer and toward the open doors of the great hall.
Bree balked and pulled Horland up. The gigantic room was empty, no guests for the reception, no serving staff holding large platters of food; the place was silent.
Where was the party? Abby had a fantastic reception in her castle—Iain’s great room was packed with his family, friends, guards and clansmen and women.
Serving staff offered bite-sized morsels from large platters, tankards of ale or water, and the many long tables were filled with food.
But the sight before her was disheartening.
There was only one long table. Although it was heavy with covered platters, she suspected might contain celebration food, and leather canteens Bree thought held ale and wine were placed along the middle of the table, there were no serving staff flitting about anywhere.
With her shoulders slumping, Bree looked up at Horland who was frowning, seemingly also disappointed with the state of the room.
“Don’t you have receptions, parties, after weddings, um, marriage ceremonies here?”
“We usually have feasts, yes. Mayhap the guests have not yet arrived.”
Morla pushed through into the great room. “Come along, everyone inside so we can close the doors.”
Horland put his hand on her arm. “Where are the guests?”
“This, my knight, is a private party, family and close friends only.”
“And whose idea was that?” Bree wanted to know.
Brushing Horland’s hand away, Morla put her hands on her hips and said, “The king has requested it be so.”
“Oh,” Bree breathed the exclamation quietly.
Her first thought was that she wasn’t important enough to warrant a grand affair.
After all, she wasn’t a princess and while Horland was a king’s knight, he wasn’t an elite one, not like her father.
Sir Garlain was the king’s first knight, and Horland was just a run-of-the-mill type of knight.
Bree glanced at her family behind her. They smiled their encouragement, but she could see they were also confused as to what was happening.
At least she had them there, and they were the only people she cared about.
No, she told herself she didn’t care as long as she had them to celebrate her new life with, but her eyes stung with tears anyway.
Letting out a long, soulful sigh, Bree turned her wet eyes back to Morla.
Morla grimaced and letting go of her hips, held her hands out to Bree.
Bree took them and Morla leaned in and whispered, “I am sorry this is not what you expected, and under normal circumstances we would have had a grand celebration; but trust me when I tell you, you will be happy about all this soon.”
Morla’s intense gaze had Bree nodding. She didn’t know what the king and his daughter were up to, but they had been nothing but kind to her and Horland up until that moment.
She decided she would enjoy her family and the small celebration.
Whatever they were brewing, Bree hoped it was something she and Horland would like.
Morla showed Bree and Horland to the front of the table. “Face the door and stand there.”
Once they did as she asked, she hurried to Bree’s cousins and placed them in line beside Bree. Abby and Iain were first, then Max and Peter, Izzy and Edward, and last on the line, Garrett and Laura.
On Horland’s side, Morla guided Sir Garlain, Princess Leeta, Kieri and Princess Tilly in a line. As she wedged herself between Leeta and Tilly, the doors opened, and King Pradwick walked in.
The king strode up to Horland and Bree. Taking Horland’s face in his hands, he kissed both sides of his cheeks then he smiled at Bree, love and humor in his eyes. He kissed her long on one cheek and stepped back.
“I welcome you, Briana, daughter of Sir Garlain and wife of my trusted knight Sir Horland, into my family.” He gazed intently at Horland. “And you, Sir Horland, are not only a knight of my realm, but you are also family.”
He looked at Sir Garlain. “You are my most trusted knight and also one of my own; you are family.” He then went to each of Bree’s cousins and their partners, kissing each one, first the males, on both cheeks, then the females on one cheek.
“Abigail and Iain, Maxine and Peter, Elizabeth and Edward, Garret and Laura, you are all welcomed into my family.”
He stood back once more and straightened his royal robe. “And families have no secrets.”
With that, he flung his robe over his shoulder, turned on his heels and strode to the doors. Once he’d flung them open, he stepped to the side, raising his hand in a sweeping gesture. “Family,” he pronounced.
Uncle Mark and Aunt Dianne stepped over the threshold hand in hand.
Bree grinned and her cousins gasped, their shock echoing through the great room.
The king chuckled.
Dianne looked stunning in a pale blue gown, her dark hair falling in waves over her shoulders, her eyes holding with a hint of worry.
Mark in his courtly black and white fashion grinned.
No one moved. Bree glanced at her cousins.
Garrett and Laura smiled, happiness dancing in their eyes, enjoying watching his sister’s reactions.
Bree caught his eye and raised her brow.
He shrugged. The rat knew his parents were coming.
Everyone else seemed glued to the floor, staring as if they could not trust what their eyes were seeing.
Bree ran forward. “Aunt Di, Uncle Mark, you’re here.”
She flung herself into Dianne’s arms.
Dianne laughed and hugged her hard. “I’m so happy for you, darling. Your mother would be so proud of the woman you’ve become.”