Chapter 18
Chapter Eighteen
CYPRIEN
Holy River preserve me. I knew I was going to be presented to the king but there is a difference between knowing something is happening and actually doing it.
I bowed as low as Alaric would let me and tried to ignore the fact that everyone was looking at me, expecting some sort of a response to the king’s inquiry.
Alaric beat me to the punch with his confident response. “Yes, Father. We are destined for each other by the River Maiden herself.”
The king gestured dismissively at his son and raked his eyes over me. “Yes, yes, I know all of that. I am simply trying to meet the boy.”
I stepped forward and bowed in the way my father had taught me many years ago. “Your Majesty, I am Cyprien Bellegrave. I am honored to make your acquaintance and exceedingly honored to have had the River Maiden’s love shine upon me when I was chosen as your son’s soulmate.”
A strange expression crossed the king’s face. “Bellegrave you say? Do you claim to be the son of Cedric and Graciella Bellegrave?”
I was confused, by both the look on his face and his question. “Yes, Your Majesty. Those are my parent’s names. I am their only child.”
A gasp came from the place where the steward was being held captive. “It seems my not-so-honorable steward has been caught in another lie. Or, perhaps your stepfather is the one who lied.”
“I don’t understand. Why has my birth come into question? My father was a wealthy merchant, but no one of note.”
“Your mother was the favorite niece of a Duke. Duke Melvin of Maiden’s Isle to be exact. The largest Dukedom in all of Evermoore Haven. And you are his only heir. Your great uncle sent his man to find you last year and it was reported that you had died shortly after your mother.”
Right as my knees buckled, a chair slid beneath me.
Alaric stood at my side, his hand a heavy comfort upon my shoulder.
“I beg your pardon? Heir to a duke? I remember meeting Mother’s Uncle Melvin as a child but I do not remember him being a duke.
” My eyes widened as a memory fell over me.
“Blessed River, he must have been a duke. His home was so large and people were always coming to ‘talk business’ with him when my mother and I visited. I had forgotten about that.” Hand brushing my lips, I stared into the distance.
The king spoke into the silence. “My steward reported that he–along with your uncle’s man–was informed that you were deceased. The Duke of Maiden’s Isle has been quite ill of late, and he was looking for you to take over once he died.”
The Queen spoke next. “It was quite the scandal amongst the court that you, the nephew of a duke, had died unknown and was but ash on the mantlepiece.” She turned to her husband. “Wasn’t your steward supposed to open an inquiry about it?”
“Yes, he was. He told me that he had found nothing to suggest wrongdoing.”
A tear ran down my face as I tried to control a torrent of emotions, “The man I called my stepfather told me that I had no other family, and that even a servant’s life was better than I deserved.”
Alaric squeezed my shoulder and instructed one of the guards.
“Let us know the moment that they have them in the castle.” Then, to his father, “I want them to wait in the throne room and I want to see their faces fall as we walk in together, united as a royal family. I want it to be official–tonight.”
“Granted. We shall have a small wedding ceremony hosted by the Magus to make it official, then something grander for the court at a later date. Is this agreeable to everyone?” He looked around the room as everyone muttered their acceptance.
“You two as well. We want there to be no question of the fact that both of my children are happily married.”
Lydia gasped and sniffled. “Of course, Father.” I turned to look at her and she was holding onto Travis like he was her only lifeline. I knew how she felt. Alaric’s hand on my shoulder was the only thing keeping me from exploding into a million pieces.
The queen clapped her hands together, all business. “I shall go to the vault and find suitable crowns and rings for the ceremony. We can hold it right here! I’ll have some servants come and rearrange the room.” She rushed out and a guard entered as she slipped through the doors.
“Speak,” the king commanded the guard.
The guard bowed quickly then delivered his message, “Your Majesty, the Southerly family is here. They insisted upon bringing the servants, so they are also waiting in the throne room.”
Why would they do that? Not that it really mattered, it was a fortuitous turn of events for me. “I would like to have Jeb and Antonia here when I say my vows,” I announced.
“You heard the man, make it so. Separate the servants and bring them here. Tell whatever lie you must but do not hint on what we are doing here.”
The guard bowed and left as quickly as he appeared.
Servants filed in from every door and began rearranging the enormous room.
The twins, along with myself and Travis, were sent off to sit in a grouping of plush chairs surrounding a fireplace.
There was hushed conversation around me but I sat silent, only staring into the fire.
Everything was happening so quickly. My entire life had changed in a matter of hours, then again moments later.
And it seemed that it would be changing once more. It was all more than I could bear.
Lydia must have noticed my discomfort, because she laid a hand on mine and squeezed it softly in an act of silent support.
She could never understand how much I appreciated her at that moment.
Her life was changing swiftly as well, I realized.
That moment of solidarity did much to settle my nerves and allowed me to pull myself out of my own head and back into the moment.
The queen swooped down upon us with a cadre of servants carrying cases of the most magnificent jewelry.
Crowns, rings, necklaces, bracelets, wrist cuffs, and earrings–all solid gold and encrusted with sparkling jewels.
More servants pulled over a table and they laid the queen’s selections upon it almost reverently.
“Come now,” the queen said. “Let us see what pieces work best for each of you. I may have gone overboard with my choices but I’m sure that each of you will find perfection.”
Chaos ensued on the other side of the folding walls that had been temporarily set up around us. I heard familiar voices, raised in anger and I rushed to the dividers to call out to them.
“Jeb, Antonia, everything is well!” I called. “Please do as the guards say.” Though my words did the opposite of what I intentioned, and they rushed the partition
“Cyprien! Cyprien is that you?” Antonia burst through the opening, falling quiet as her eyes fell on the jewels scattered across the table. Finally, she laid her eyes on me and a tear slid down her face. Jeb pushed his way in behind her and held his wife under his arm.
“I’m so happy you are here. I’m sorry for whatever the guards had to say to separate you from my stepfamily without revealing our plans. You are not in any trouble, nor am I. There is good news to be had.” I gestured to the empty chairs near the fire. “Please, sit, and we will explain.”
Antonia shook her head and pulled away from Jeb. “Just tell me one thing, Cyprien. Are you happy?”
The smile that eased across my mouth was entirely involuntary. “Yes ma’am, very happy. Happier than I ever thought I deserved to be.”
“Then it’s all worth it, and I won’t bother you for the details. I may be old but I’m not senile. I can see what is happening here. Someone is getting married.”
Alaric stepped up beside me and placed a hand upon my shoulder.
Astonished, Antonia took a step back and peered up at him.
“Dear woman, you are correct in that. We are having a double wedding tonight. Cyprien and I, brought together by fate, will be wed alongside my sister Lydia and my best mate Travis.”
Antonia smiled a watery smile and pulled Alaric in for a hug then she stepped back and looked him in the eyes. “Cyprien has always been as a son to me. Swear that your intentions are honorable and that you will do everything in your power to make him happy and give him everything he deserves.”
ALARIC
To prove my intentions, I got down on one knee before Antonia and took her hand in mine.
“I swear by the River Maiden herself that I want nothing more than to give Cyprien the life that he deserves. I want to take care of him and keep him happy. Admittedly, I am an imperfect man and will undoubtedly make mistakes, but I will never intentionally do him harm of any kind. You have my word.”
I felt Cyprien drop to the floor beside me, then I was encompassed in his arms and being assaulted by his lips until I could hardly remember my own name. There was clapping all around and someone yelled, “Save it for the wedding!” My heart had never been more full than it was in that moment.
Antonia reached her hands out to us and helped us to our feet. “You are a good man, your Highness. I appreciate you taking care of our boy.” She reached backward for Jeb and he came to her hand, all smiles. “Now we’ll go back out there and wait patiently for the ceremony.”
They disappeared, and I turned around to see four sets of eyes staring right at me. Everyone was looking at me as though I had done something amazing, when all I had done was offer words of honesty to the woman who cared for my betrothed as best she could after his family had passed on.
My mother reached a hand out to me. “My dear, gentle son. Your behavior does you credit and honors me so.” I took her hand, still holding Cyprien with the other, and she pulled us near. “Now, let us choose the rings that will bind you forever. You will each choose for the other.”
And just like that, she brought us back to the importance of the situation, reminding us of what we were doing here–as though we could have forgotten. I scanned the jewelry lining the table, until my eyes fell on the perfect set. “I have chosen, Mother.”
“As have I.” Cyprien said from beside me.
She then asked us to tell her, secretly, which rings we had chosen so that she could match the rest of our jewelry. We each spoke with her separately and told her which rings we had picked. Then my sister and Travis did the same.
My mother clapped her hands together and smiled. “Okay, now you go back to the fire and I will take a few moments to get each set of jewels together. Then we can adorn each of you and get ready for the ceremony!”
All of the betrothed returned to their seats and my mother began moving jewelry around the table, creating matching sets for each of us.
We sat in silence, watching her. The gravity of the situation and the permanence of what we were about to do hung heavily over all of us.
It was what we wanted, but it was only natural for our nerves to stir up in our stomachs.
Especially the speed at which we were doing all of this. No courting, just instantly wed.