9. Ellowyn
Chapter 9
Ellowyn
“ D o you acknowledge the sovereignty of Lord d’Refan and swear to serve the Northern Alliance?” I asked the couple standing in front of my small table in the temple. The Mage was older, probably closer to my father’s age than my own, and was relatively fit, with dark-brown hair and eyes to match. His chosen Vessel was definitely closer to my age, with deep-brown skin and bright amber eyes. The Vessel twined and untwined her hands as I spoke, her Mage gently stroking her neck and cheek every so often. The touch visibly relaxed the Vessel and warmed my heart.
They’ll have no issue with the intimacy of the Bond . The thought made me smile.
They were here for a Bonding Ceremony—one that would tie them together forevermore. But the Bond was more than just a binding union—when a Mage and Vessel Bonded, it allowed the Mage to use the Vessel as a storehouse and conduit for their magic, effectively negating the need for crystals by supplying a flow of Essence on tap. Bonds between Mages and Vessels were becoming increasingly rare, and I was always excited to assist in an elusive Bonding Ceremony. There were always side effects to the Bonds—both physical and emotional—and my responsibility as a Bond Specialist in the temple was to prepare and assist couples in any way required.
Sometimes that even meant I had to help facilitate the more . . . intimate portions of the Bonding, if the couple struggled.
Hopefully that won’t be the case today .
The couple nodded their heads with barely audible murmurs of agreement.
I smiled toothily before tucking an errant strand of my long blonde hair behind my ear and continuing with the required intake questions.
“Great! Then we can continue with the Bonding process. My name is Ellowyn and I’ll be your Specialist. You can ask me whatever lingering questions you have before and after the ceremony, and I’ll be around to help guide you through the process. An acolyte will perform the ceremony, but all other care will be left to me.” I rose from my desk, papers clutched in my hands, and gestured for the men to follow me.
“If you’ll just follow me, I’ll take you to a private room where we’ll finish our paperwork and complete the ceremony.”
My soft slippers padded soundlessly across the polished stone floor as we wound our way through the temple. There were various sections and rooms within the temple—some were private, others public—but all served some sort of purpose for worshiping the gods Fate, Kaos, and Solace. We weaved through the main worship room littered with statues of all three deities and a spattering of offerings at the base of each. Anyone was welcome, and encouraged, to worship at the gods’ altars, but the more private ceremonies were conducted away from prying eyes.
We reached a small door set into the back wall of the cavernous worship room, and I clicked a random pattern of stone buttons, which permitted access to the rooms beyond.
“Please follow me. The door will close automatically behind us, and I would hate for you to be separated from your guide.” I shot them another winning smile and was awarded a slight tilt of lips in response. Most couples were nervous to be Bonded, and I always tried my best to put them at ease.
Once the door closed behind the couple, I led them through a hallway that was dimly lit and randomly interspersed with plain wooden doors.
“On the right side of the hallway are the rooms reserved for our Awakening Ceremonies. Families can reserve a private room, for a nominal donation, to be away from the mass ceremonies that take place every month.” I always provided a detailed explanation of the history of the temple to guests who booked private rooms, like the couple today. I found that it helped to ease their nerves by forcing them to focus on something other than the upcoming ceremony.
“The rooms on your left are for the Bonding Ceremonies. We don’t have as many Bonding Ceremonies, unfortunately, with the lack of Vessels in recent years, so you’ll have to excuse the longer walk. We recently converted some of the Bonding rooms to Awakening rooms.”
“Have you Awakened yet, miss?” The question was quiet and came from the Vessel, her eyes darting to his Mage, who simply smiled and pet her head.
“No, I haven’t. I will soon, though. My twenty-fifth birthday is next week. My mother is planning a ridiculously large party for the ceremony, and I’m already dreading it.” I laughed lightly but tried to tread carefully over the subject.
My parents were the Lord and Lady of Hestin and, as their daughter, I was awarded certain privileges that most of Hestin’s population lacked.
Like access to a priest for a private Awakening Ceremony in my own home.
Awakening happened naturally for every person at the age of twenty-five, which is when our magic finally appeared and we came into an affiliation—either Mage or Vessel—and affinity—Air, Water, Earth, Fire, Pain, Pleasure, Creation, or Destruction. The ceremonies were conducted by acolytes as our power only manifested by the will of the gods. Most people Awakened in a public, group ceremony that fell during their birth month. The middle class, mainly merchants and some wealthier business owners, paid for the private rooms that I just showed to the couple. But very few were allowed complete privacy for their Awakening.
It was a fact that made me both cringe and sigh in relief. I was naturally a private person and was glad to not have to leave my home to discover my affiliation and affinity. But I also knew that my situation could seem a bit excessive, especially to those who didn’t have much.
“You’re Lord d’Aelius’ daughter?” The question came from the Mage this time as we stopped just outside one of the three remaining Bonding rooms .
I unlocked it as I answered, “I am.”
I let the man and woman into the room that looked exceptionally like a bedroom. A large bed dominated the space with little room for much else apart from a plain changing screen that hid a chamber pot and wash basin. Apart from a singular chair propped against the wall, the room was bare of all other furniture and was completely devoid of frills and decoration.
Closing and locking the door behind me, I gestured for the couple to make themselves comfortable on the bed.
“The acolyte in charge of your ceremony will have you lie down while he draws the Bonding Runes. The procedure can cause momentary unconsciousness, and we want to ensure that you are as comfortable and safe as possible.” I brushed my skirt behind me as I sank into the only chair in the room.
The Mage and Vessel awkwardly climbed into the bed together, their shoulders brushing, and clasped their hands together as they stared at me expectantly.
“Now, we just have a few questions to finish our paperwork before I fetch an acolyte. What is your affinity?” I directed my question at the Mage even though both he and his Vessel would have to have the same affinity in order to form a Bond.
“Water,” the Mage answered as I scribbled the answer on the paper.
“Wonderful, and when were you both Awakened?”
“I was fifteen,” the Mage answered again before turning his head to look at his partner. “She was ten.”
My eyebrows shot toward my hairline, but I worked quickly to school my expression. It wasn’t abnormal for someone to forcibly Awaken before their twenty-fifth birthday—it was much more common in the working classes than anywhere else—but it was relatively unheard of for someone to be Awakened so young. To Awaken someone before their magic was ready to appear was an incredibly painful process and often involved an extreme amount of mental, emotional, and physical trauma.
I hastily wrote the answers, my gaze trained on the paper. I was here to do my job, not to judge or ask questions.
“Is this a True Bond or a Forced Bond?” I kept my tone light, knowing that this was sometimes a tense subject for some people.
“It’s a Forced Bond, but by choice,” the Vessel said softly, her eyes trailing over the face of her Mage. There was a connection there, a palpable thing, and I felt a pang of sadness that they weren’t each other’s True Bond.
Bonds were increasingly rare in Elyria, True Bonds even more so. Lore has it that while any Mage and Vessel can unite themselves in a Bond—as long as they are of the same affinity—True Bonds were dedicated and chosen by the gods. To find someone’s True Bond is like finding a soulmate—the connection is immediate, even before Bonding, and after Bonding is even more euphoric. Apparently, when a Mage pulls their magic from a True Bond, it feels heady and almost sexual, but pulling from a Forced Bond can feel oily and wrong—even painful for both parties involved.
I shuddered internally and hoped I’d never have to take a Forced Bond.
My parents were both Air Elementals—my mother was my father’s Vessel, and they were an elusive True Bond. They felt a deep, soul-level connection the moment they met as teenagers, and their kingdoms secured an alliance through marriage immediately. Peytor, my brother, was born not long after the engagement. He, like my mother, was an Air Vessel and was waiting for his True Bond, which was incredibly romantic.
I was less romantic than Peytor, though the idea of a True Bond definitely appealed to me, even if the likelihood of receiving one was rare. As Hestin’s heirs, it was expected that both my brother and I would marry, romantic notions be damned. Our parents were more religious than other rulers, and they both preferred our Bond to also be our betrothed. However, they were pragmatic enough to understand that the chances of us finding another person of high social standing that was also a Bonded match—True or otherwise—was highly unlikely. The freedom Peytor and I were awarded regarding marriage and Bonding was relatively unheard of in Elyria, with many ruling families dictating their children’s partnerships completely.
In most territories, the ruling Lord or Lady would take a Bond, but then secure political advantage through a separate marriage. Most of the middle and lower classes would never have the opportunity for a Bond—with the shortage of Vessels, many of those who emerged as a Vessel were immediately sent either to the Academy at Vespera or secured as a Bond for a ruling Lord or heir—and often married simply for love.
It was a beautiful notion and I smiled at the fact that this couple was able to secure both a Bond and find love. I wrote on my paper again.
“Great! Do either of you have any questions before we begin? ”
The couple looked at each other hesitantly before the Mage spoke, his eyes still trained on his Vessel.
“Is there any pain involved? And how long is the recovery?”
“Those are great questions! The acolytes say there is little pain beyond the initial cut from the ceremonial knife. You may feel a sense of fullness or slight discomfort when the Bond initially sets and your innate magic combines, but the feeling generally settles after a few hours. Recovery times vary. Some couples are ready to leave within minutes of Bonding, for others it can take a few days. The room is yours as long as you need it, so don’t worry about us kicking you out.” I smiled warmly at them. “Anything else I can answer?”
“It’s important for us to stay together directly after, right?” the Vessel asked, gripping her Mage tighter.
“Yes, that’s part of the reason we keep you in the room together. Closeness and...intimacy are important directly after waking.” I blushed at the last part. Praying to whatever god would listen that I didn’t have to help facilitate today. We had a family dinner later tonight, and I really didn’t want to discuss that over appetizers when Peytor or our friend, Finian, inevitably grilled me about my day at the temple.
The Mage nodded before informing me they were ready for the acolyte.
I rose from my chair, papers in hand, before congratulating them once more as I exited the room. The acolyte was standing just outside, no doubt listening to our conversation, before he strode into the Bonding room without a word to me.
They were all a bit strange, the acolytes. Though I suppose they had to be in order to devote their lives in service of the gods.
I wound back through the hallways and the main worship room to my small table at the front of the temple, and I was surprised to see Finian and Peytor waiting for me.
My face broke into another grin and my steps quickened as I approached the two boys who were both my brothers and best friends. While Finian was the son of one of our father’s councilmen, we were all raised together, and I considered him just as much a brother as Peytor.
“Sorry, gentlemen, I can’t authorize a Bond between two Vessels,” I teased as I neared my table. It was a running joke in our family that if the two boys could Bond they would—they were practically inseparable and did everything together. They went to school together, trained together, sometimes even slept in the same room together, and, if rumors were true, they shared more than one girl between the two of them.
Peytor turned and shot me one of his signature shit-eating grins.
“Need to ‘facilitate any intimacy’ today, sis?” He air quoted and I blushed fiercely. Both boys laughed at my expense, and I hit Peytor and Finian with the papers. They mock flinched and I joined in on their laughter.
I dropped the papers on my desk and sighed.
“No, thank the gods, but I had a new couple come in today for a Bonding Ceremony. Their connection seemed promising, so I’m really praying I don’t have to do anything there tomorrow.”
If Finian and Peytor were here, it meant my day was done.
Though none of the acolytes or other Bond Specialists would say anything if I left work earlier. As the daughter of Lord d’Aelius, I was certainly awarded some . . . perks. I really didn’t even need to work here, I simply liked being involved with the people of Hestin, and I felt particularly drawn to the temple.
It was peaceful and settled my soul in a way I could never fully explain.
I organized the papers on my desk while Finian and Peytor chatted idly behind me.
“Okay, boys, I’m ready,” I said as I bid farewell to the few Specialists and acolytes at the front of the temple.
We emerged from the dark, cool space and were instantly met with bright sun and a cool breeze. It was spring in Hestin, but the winds were still chilly and the day wasn’t warm until the afternoon. Still, I closed my eyes and breathed deeply even as goosebumps erupted on my flesh from the bite of the wind.
“Come on, flower child. Mother will throw a fit if you’re seen enjoying the sun in public,” Peytor said as he led me down the walkway toward a waiting carriage. I laughed bitterly, knowing his assessment of Mother was accurate.
She hated impropriety. Especially if it came from me.
Peytor, however, could do no wrong.
The three of us climbed into the carriage that would take us out of the city and to our manor on the outskirts of Katiska, the capital of Hestin. I groaned as I leaned against the seat and stretched my back .
I rested my head against the window and watched as we slowly made our way out of the city. Peytor and Finian were talking animatedly about some girl they both fucked last week. Apparently separately this time.
“She had the biggest tits. Think she used Water Magic to engorge them?” Peytor asked as Finian snorted.
“No, brother, but I’m certain she used Water Magic for other things.” The boys laughed and I rolled my eyes.
“Seriously? You’re both twenty-eight, not eighteen. Haven’t you grown out of this yet?” I pulled my gaze from the window to look at their incredulous faces.
“And why, dear sister, would we do that? We’re the heirs of Hestin. Women throw themselves at our feet. Why shouldn’t we enjoy it?” Peytor asked.
“Maybe because you are Hestin’s heirs. Shouldn’t you think about settling down a bit?”
“Maybe you should think about living a bit! Pretty certain there are cobwebs down there. Have you ever even seen a dick?” Finian challenged. He was usually quiet and kind, but he enjoyed teasing me more than most.
My face blazed.
“ Yes , I’ve seen a penis.”
The boys laughed.
“First, no one calls it a penis. Second, facilitating intimacy doesn’t count,” Peytor said as he ticked points off on his fingers.
I rolled my eyes and waved them off as I turned back toward the window. We’d made our way through the downtown area of Katiska and would soon be met with the farmland that characterized the majority of Hestin’s territory.
“Any word about dinner tonight?” I asked absently after the boys were thoroughly through with discussing their poor conquest’s fake moans of pleasure.
“Apparently there’s a surprise? They got back from their trip to the Borderlands last night, so I would expect they’d want to discuss what they found there. Plus, your Awakening is approaching and I’m sure Mother will coach us on exactly what we have to say and how we’re expected to act,” Peytor said flippantly.
“They found something in the Borderlands?” I asked, suddenly interested in tonight’s dinner.
Finian shrugged. “That’s what my father said. But who knows. It’s apparently a mess right now with the constant fighting between Lord d’Refan and the Matriarch. It’s only gotten worse the farther south you travel. My father said they saw a few rebel cells, even.”
I shuddered involuntarily and was extremely glad my parents made it back home safely. We were allied with Lord d’Refan in his fight against the Keepers, which seemed like such an intangible thing. Though, the aggression from the rebels only grew recently, and the southern part of Hestin wasn’t far from the Borderlands. It made sense that my parents would travel there to try and gauge the security threats, but that didn’t mean I had to like it.
The rest of the ride home I thought about my parents’ trip and the surprise they brought back.
Maybe it’s a prince for me . I smiled to myself at the thought.