Epilogue II - Aria
Veil of the Maiden by Aria Gale: Out Now!
The sign on the front of Karma still feels surreal.
I am officially a published author and Karma Coffee & Books is the first storefront to carry signed paperbacks.
I stand there in front of the window and drink it in before squaring my shoulders and walking through the doors for my reading and book signing.
A few people are milling around ahead of the official start time, but I simply smile and duck through the doorway into the blocked off book area, now set up for my debut author appearance.
My Princess is standing to the side, directing Jeremy and Bennett to tweak a chair here and a banner there.
She is fully in her element, allowing her competence to meld into confidence letting her give orders and lead without hesitation.
Or, as I like to call it, her Princess Mode.
I stand and watch, simply enjoying the view, until she turns and catches my eye. Immediately, her focused leadership morphs into blinding affection and she rushes towards me. I hold my arms out and envelop her in a snug embrace as soon as she reaches me.
“Hi, Princess.”
“Hi, Cherry.” Her amber eyes practically glow with the love contained within them. Unable to resist, I dip my head lower and capture her lips in a brief kiss. When I pull back, she stops me long enough to kiss my nose and forehead before reluctantly stepping back and breaking my grip on her.
“Okay, Aria, we have a couple things to go over before your reading begins.” I simply nod and allow her to step back into the professional headspace I have become used to whenever she is running events at Karma.
She walks me through the schedule, where I will be set up, where the merch table is, and what Artist Specials she has on the menu for tonight.
“The Unveiling is our hot special. It is a dirty chai latte with some cloves, cinnamon, and vanilla extract. For the cold drink, Cierra came up with a blended drink that combines salted caramel and coconut. It’s topped with whipped cream and a sprinkling of sea salt.
We were thinking either The Maiden or Sea Breeze. ”
I think about it for a moment before replying, “What about naming it after the ship? The Untamed Siren?”
Lucy and Cierra glance at each other before breaking into matching grins.
“Perfect,” Lucy smiles, giving me a smile that causes a blush to appear on my cheeks.
Even after six months together, her every smile affects me and makes me feel lit from within.
She continues, “Great, now, about the merch table. If we shifted…” She guides Cierra away and grabs Rainn, the new social media manager for Karma, as she continues to make everything perfect for the event tonight.
I watch her go before I turn and make my way to the stool she set up for me. A bottle of water, my notecards, and a small, smooth blue lace agate. I pick it up gently, tears pricking in the corners of my eyes, and press a kiss to the stone before slipping it into my pocket.
When I pick up my notes to familiarize myself with them one more time, I notice a tiny heart carefully drawn in the top left-hand corner of each card and I melt.
The warmth of being loved suffuses my being and I settle into a calm headspace, ready to tackle my first public appearance as a published author.
***
“Thank you all so much for coming,” I greet the crowd in front of me, still amazed at how many people showed up to celebrate me and my book. “And thank you all for loving and celebrating my debut novella: Veil of the Maiden.
“I started writing this not long after I met my beautiful partner, Lucy. It was my way of processing this beautiful sapphic relationship I unexpectedly found myself in. I felt like I was in a freefall and I could hardly keep up with the intense emotions I was experiencing.” I shift my stance and make eye contact with a few audience members before landing on Lucy.
Her amber eyes shine with love and pride as she silently supports me.
“That is how the story of Veil of the Maiden, Viola and Meridia’s story, was born.
On the surface, it is a story about a princess being kidnapped by a pirate captain and them falling in love on the open sea.
But, on a much more relatable plane, it is about two people being brought together in some of the worst of circumstances and choosing authenticity, freedom, and love above everything else.
“When I started writing this, I needed that message of hope and that is what I am so pleased to be able to share with all of you today: Even in the worst moments, there is a silver lining and a beautiful world waiting on the other side. It doesn’t take away from the pain and trauma—that still takes time, effort, and energy to heal—but the life waiting for you on the other side is full of beauty, love, and opportunity.
Thank you all! Now, let’s open up the floor for questions. ”
As five or six hands immediately fly up, my eyes search out Lucy’s again. She has a tear track leading down her face, but those eyes are full of determination and hope. I can practically hear her thought from here: Damn straight, Cherry. I am going to give you the world and you’re going to like it.
Likewise, I am sure she can see my reply: As you wish, Princess.
I tear my eyes away from her and start answering questions posed by the full room of those who resonated enough with my story to want to come and meet the woman behind the words. A full smile breaks over my face and I bask in this feeling that maybe, just maybe, everything is going to be alright.