Chapter 32
Starlight trickled in through the open ballroom. Lush vines danced up the columns framing the sky. My hand settled into Lioran’s as he led me down a rose-lined walkway. Candlelight glimmered in the distance, rivaling the stars’ glow.
Strewn rose petals encircled the center of the room—Cora and Fyn stood at the perimeter. The celestial rays illuminated his unwavering gaze as we settled in the middle.
“Prince Lioran and Princess Aelira’s union will be recognized by Lythira and the stars tonight. Bonded in this life until one takes their last breath.” Lord Orion read from a small black leather book.
My head lowered. Lioran slid his fingers under my chin.
“They have chosen to love and honor each other always—to serve each other as equal partners and to jointly serve Lythira.”
“Jointly?” My breathing hitched as I whispered to him.
“As long as I remain Guardian, as my wife, you are a protector of these lands, too.” My hands pressed into his, our bodies drew breath in unison. I nodded.
“If anyone believes these two should not be bonded, please speak your peace now,” Lord Orion spoke.
The song of crickets filled the night. A soft breeze blew over us, without any sound, as if Lythira agreed to our bond.
“Prince Lioran, do you bind yourself to Princess Aelira, to take her as your wife?”
“I, Prince Lioran, bond myself to you…in every lifetime.” He twisted the ring on my finger until the emerald illuminated in the moonlight.
I blinked back the tears, but they refused to hold. He added the words for me—in case I didn’t survive.
“Princess Aelira, will you bond yourself with Lioran, to take him as your husband?” Lord Orion turned toward me and bowed his head.
“I, Princess Aelira, bond myself to you…” The words caught in my throat, even though I knew I meant them. “In every lifetime.”
Lioran kissed me as if he was claiming me all over again.
“We will now proceed with the handfasting. Lady Cora, Lord Fyn, are you ready?” Lord Orion gestured for them to join us.
Lioran lifted my hands into his so that our palms pressed together.
Fyn and Cora took both sides of a silver ribbon, and each wrapped theirs around our hands. My hands stilled against his.
“All promises that are made here shall be protected by the stars,” Lord Orion announced.
Cora’s eyes caught on mine as she settled the ends of the ribbon around our hands. She smiled at me and then at Lioran. His breathing quickened—his hands trembled against mine.
“Lioran?” I whispered to him, desperate to ease whatever worried him.
“I not only bind myself to my wife, but to her bargain…” His words boomed through the great hall, lifting into the air. “I promise to stand beside you, to restore the land.”
“No—you can’t risk yourself for me,” I cried.
“You can’t just take on her bargain,” Cora protested.
He didn’t retort but only continued his promise. “Wherever we go—we go together. I choose this life above all else. The crown may pass to another if she can’t rule at my side.”
The air whirled around, the rose petals lifted and settled. Heat surged from my onyx through my hands and into his.
Lord Orion waited, he watched Lioran carefully, but my husband only nodded.
“With my magic I seal these promises.” Golden light shimmered from Lord Orion’s hands, through the ribbon—it wound around our hands until the ribbon disintegrated. “Your fate is tied. May you love each other for all your days—for as long as the stars allow.” He choked on his words.
Fyn’s audible sigh echoed, but when I looked back at him, a somber smile spread across his face.
Lioran wrapped his arms around me. He pressed his lips into mine.
I couldn’t alter his fate, couldn’t alter mine.
We would go into Myrwood Grove together, to face whatever lay ahead, bonded as husband and wife.
Lioran scooped me in his arms and carried me up the main stairs, where anyone could see—we didn’t have to hide anymore. My hands wrapped around his neck. The train of my gown flowed behind us. He walked with such urgency, as if he couldn’t lose a single moment with me.
“Lioran…how could you?” I still hadn’t caught my breath when we made it into my chambers—the chambers of his bonded wife.
“I gave us a future.” He kissed me as he put me down. “We can do this together.”
“We don’t know that.”
He leaned backward into the bed, pulling me closer to him.
“The Grove won’t just take magic from you—I will bear the weight of it beside you.” I felt relief at his words, but the guilt rivaled it.
The moment I spoke in Nythrel—I doomed us both.
My head hung, my heart grew heavier.
“It was my choice to make.”
“I thought you were doing it for the time we had remaining until I wasn’t…” I couldn’t bring myself to say the words.
He slid the cuffs off his wrist. “I did this for us—to create the life we deserve. Please, let us have our first night together as husband and wife…our first of many.” He worked at his tunic buttons, sliding them free.
“How do I live with what I’ve done to you? What I’ve caused you to risk?”
“You just live. You’ve given me…” His hands drifted down my torso, settling at my waist. “Everything.” Pain flickered behind his eyes as his hands lingered. My breath caught in my chest as he froze. “I ever wanted…everything I hoped for.”
His hand fell over his mouth, and his eyes watered.
“Lioran?” He pulled me in, gripping me tightly against his body.
“The stars had bigger plans for us.” He whispered in my ear before he released me.
Lioran pulled his jacket free. His arms looked different in the moonlight. The three bands on his arm were altered—only two remained. Something new replaced the third—two woven vines.
“Your claim to the throne…”
“I said I wouldn’t rule without you by my side.” He grinned as if he was content with the change.
“But…why do you have a new one?” As I held his arm up in mine to inspect the band, my sleeve slid back—revealing a matching tattoo on me—smaller than his. I twisted my wrist, taking in the beautiful vines that I loved from Lythira entwined.
“What do they mean?” I asked. “Is it from us bonding?”
He grabbed my wrist, inspecting the tattoo—his breathing quickened. “No. Bonding isn’t marked with a tattoo.”
“Could it be from the bargain? You committed to do it with me.” But even then, I hadn’t received one when I made the bargain.
“Maybe.” The lines deepened around his eyes. “When I was made Guardian, I received one of the tattoo bands marking my role. Maybe this symbolizes us protecting Lythira together.”
“Whatever it means…It’s perfect.”
It didn’t matter what caused it. He was here, beside me.
Our lips met again. “You are perfect.” His hands slid around to the laces. He pulled them free. The gown fell from my shoulders. “We will have to do something about this two-chamber thing… it won’t do.” A wicked grin danced across his face.
I stepped out of my gown in front of my husband.
He ripped the cords of his pants free until they dropped.
Lioran growled in my ear, his lips trailed down my collarbone. My body sank into each touch, each kiss. I laid back on the bed, reaching for him to come with me. As his body met mine, I pulled him in closer. His lips found mine and I gave into his fire.
“Good morning, my beautiful wife,” Lioran whispered in my ears. My body curved with his, feeling the weight of him there beside me.
“How many more days do we have like this?” I wanted as many as I could get, but soon we would leave here, and I may not return.
“All of them. We’re coming home.”
A vial lay near the edge of the bed, waiting for me. As I reached for it, he intertwined his fingers with mine, pulling my hand back toward his chest.
“Don’t.” He looked different as he spoke. “You don’t need to take it anymore.” Fear encompassed him. “You are my wife now—we are allowed this. If the stars choose.”
“You can’t be serious. We can’t go into Myrwood Grove risking—”
“When the stars choose to bless us with a child, we will embrace it.” His lips skimmed mine.
Lioran always had a vial for me. I took it every time. No longer trying to stop it from happening felt like a dangerous game. But the thought that there could be a future for us—made me happier than I wanted to admit.
I pulled my hand back from his, gripped the vial in my palm, watched the purple liquid slide.
“Please. Let us have our hope.” He spoke quickly, his eyes pleaded with mine. “I need us to have it.”
“When the stars choose.” I turned away from the vial and reached for him, felt the warmth of his body next to mine.
“Make love to me again.” My voice was ragged at the thought of feeling every inch of him again.
I didn’t know what tomorrow held, but these final moments, no one could take from me.
“Gladly.” He grinned.
His kiss was deeper and more desperate than before.