Chapter 24
ONE MONTH LATER
“Ipronounce you man and wife,” said the priest, blessing Raven and Jonathon, while the crowd in the courtyard of Blake Castle watched.
Avery was Jonathon’s best man, while Lark was Raven’s bridesmaid.
It was late spring and the weather was getting warmer. An arch woven with wildflowers curved above Raven and Jonathon’s heads. Big vases of flowers were placed throughout the courtyard. Trestle tables were set up outside, filled with food for the feast that would follow.
“Is this the part where I get to kiss the bride?” asked Jonathon, wrapping his arms around Raven, kissing her passionately in front of everyone.
“Hurry up. I want to eat,” called out his younger brother, Heathcliff, making everyone laugh.
He held two of the four pups that Copper had given birth to, while Gerold held the other two.
Copper was with them, watching over her pups.
Raven had told the boys they could each choose one puppy to keep as their own.
That was a week ago, and they still hadn’t been able to decide.
Heathcliff and Gerold were good friends now.
Gerold spent most of his time at Jonathon’s father’s shop as an apprentice.
But now that Jonathon’s new shop was almost finished, the boy would help out at the castle on occasion, too.
He considered Jonathon his new father, and both Raven and Jonathon liked that.
“Who wants Mountain Magic?” called out Lark’s father, Storm MacKeefe, who came from the Highlands for the wedding. All of Raven’s relatives were at the wedding, including her younger brothers, Tolin and Daegel.
“I want some,” called out Heathcliff.
“Nay, ye dinna,” said Lark. “It’s whisky that is so strong it’ll knock ye out.”
“Just the way I like it,” said Storm, taking a tankard from one of the servers.
“Throw the flowers, Lady Raven.” Raven’s handmaid, Emma, was starting to get very big now with her pregnancy. She held on to her husband’s hand. Raven had already talked to her parents and secured Emma’s position at the castle, even after she birthed her baby.
“All right,” said Raven, turning around and throwing the bouquet over her shoulder.
“Ouch, that hurt, Sister.”
Raven turned around and laughed. Rook had the bouquet in his hands. He quickly tossed it over to Lark and wiped his hands on his trews.
“Thank ye, Cousin,” said Lark, smiling and sniffing the flowers. “Mayhap this means I’ll find a husband soon.”
“I think I’m going to enjoy this new life,” said Avery in a low voice, eyeing up two of the comely kitchen wenches walking by with trays of food.
“Are you talking about the food or the wenches?” asked Jonathon with a chuckle.
“Both,” he said. “Excuse me.” He hurried away after the girls.
Jonathon’s entire family was there as well. They’d even invited the townsfolk, since they were Jonathon’s friends. It was a good way to bring the nobles and the commoners closer together.
Jonathon had yet to meet all of Raven’s relatives, since there seemed to be many. Remembering all their names would take some time.
“Everyone, take a seat,” called out Corbett. “The wedding feast is about to begin. Afterwards, my daughter and her husband, Lord Jonathon, will have the first dance.”
“It’s going to take a while for me to get used to hearing the title of lord attached to my name,” Jonathon told Raven as they walked hand-in-hand to the wedding table. Brindy followed at their heels, becoming attached to Jonathon ever since he gave the dog that bone.
“Don’t you like it?” Raven looked over to him with sparkling eyes that always made him want her.
“Oh, I didn’t say that,” he answered, stopping for a second to pet Brindy on the head. “It just doesn’t feel real. Just like this marriage to you.”
“It’s real, I assure you,” said Raven, as they took their seats at the raised dais in the courtyard. Lark and Rook, as well as Raven’s parents and Jonathon’s parents, joined them at the dais today.
“Lord Corbett, this is a fine setup you have here,” said Crispin, looking around.
“Father, that’s not the right thing to say,” Jonathon told him in a low voice.
“Nay, he’s right,” said Corbett, taking a goblet of wine from the cupbearer. “Crispin, Blake Castle is the best place to be, and I am happy that your son is now my son-by-marriage.”
“I want to make a toast,” said Rook,” standing up with his goblet of wine in his hand. “I wish my sister and her new husband happiness,” he said, getting cheers and clapping from the crowd. “And I hope my dear cousin Lark will be the next one married, since she needs a husband desperately.”
“Och, Rook, hush,” Lark told him, still sniffing the flowers with a smile on her face.
“Rook, sit down,” said Corbett. “Lark won’t be next to marry, it’ll be you.”
“Me?” Rook chuckled, sitting down. “Nay, not me. I haven’t found the right girl yet.”
“Your father has found one for you,” said Devon.
“Who?” asked Rook, taking a swig of wine. “And why wasn’t I told about this?”
“It doesn’t feel good, does it, Brother?” asked Raven, totaling enjoying seeing her twin brother squirm in his chair.
“I’m betrothing you to a noblewoman, but we’ll talk about that later,” Corbett told him. “Today is all about Raven and Jonathon, so let us focus on them.”
“Who is she? What does she look like? Where is she from?” Rook continued to fire questions at his father. “I want to know.”
“Not now, Rook,” said Devon. “You heard your father. We are celebrating Raven’s wedding. Now, calm down.”
“To Raven and Jonathon,” said Avery, already having tasted the Mountain Magic and being affected by the strong brew. He sat down at a trestle table and almost missed the chair.
Jonathon drank in the beauty of Raven, not able to believe she was really his wife.
She wore a beautiful bright-blue gown with long silk tippets that made her look like a queen.
On her head she wore a tiara of colored gemstones that glittered in the sun.
Her long black hair was braided, and the braids were wrapped in circles over each of her ears.
Jonathon wore a tunic with the Blake crest on it, at Raven’s request. He still didn’t feel comfortable in it, but did it to please his new wife.
“Kiss, kiss, kiss,” called out someone from the crowd, that sounded a lot like Jonathon’s sister, Estrilda.
“I wouldn’t mind if I did,” said Jonathon, kissing Raven once again.
“I can’t wait until we consummate the wedding,” whispered Raven.
“I think we’d better wait until the festivities are over,” he told her, picking up her hand and kissing the ring on her finger. It was a simple gold band for now, but once Jonathon’s business started growing, he promised to buy Raven the biggest diamond ever.
“Jonathon,” said Raven, taking a cup of wine from the cupbearer. “Did you ever think that someday we’d be married?”
“Never,” he said, taking a sip of wine.
“Did you like me when we first met?”
“I have to admit, I’ve been smitten with you from the first time I saw you, but I also have to admit something else,” he told her.
“What’s that?” she asked.
“I was a little afraid of you, too. Just like most of the men in town.”
She giggled. “I’m sorry again about hurting your arm.”
“It’s just about back to normal, and I know you did it to save me from being imprisoned. I still can’t believe you entered the tournament under the guise of being a French knight. You amaze me, Raven. You are bold, determined... and a little bit crazy as well.”
“Now, how can you say that? I did everything for love.”
“I need to know something, Raven.”
“Anything. What is it?”
“Would you really have jousted if I hadn’t taken your place in the tournament? It’s such a dangerous sport, and face it, you’re no good at it at all.”
She giggled once again. “Yes, I would have,” she told him.
“You might have been hurt or even killed.”
“It was a risk worth taking since I was trying to stop my marriage to anyone who wasn’t you.” She kissed him once again, and the crowd cheered. Avery started making strange noises and that caused the dogs to bark. The children all laughed.
“I suppose I should be thanking you,” said Jonathon. “For more things than I can even list.”
“I suppose you should.” She looked up at him and winked. “I have to admit something to you now.”
“What?” he asked.
“When I discovered you were making me think I was good at the joust even though I wasn’t, it made me angry but also made me want you even more.”
“Really? Why?” he asked.
“Oh, I don’t know. I suppose I wanted you because I knew I wasn’t supposed to have you. Same reason for wanting to joust, I guess.”
“So you were being rebellious.”
“Nay, not at all.”
“Then what would you call it?” he wanted to know.
“Let’s just say I’m a competitor and probably always will be. When a challenge is thrown down at my feet, you will always find me Picking up the Gauntlet.”
Read on for a look at Book Two
in the Below the Salt series
A Rose Among Thorns