Chapter Six
The palace gardens served as the ceremonial grounds.
A place of beauty with emerald hedges lining the garden, flowering trees with captivating colors, and a sapphire pond sparkling on the westside.
Gentle wind rustled the grass while a pure white fountain added the tinkling sounds of water.
The green and amber banners of Dalon and Valoa draped over everything, dancing in the breeze. Tables overflowed with food and wine.
Aidan appreciated the beauty, but uneasiness pricked him at the large white standing stones that circled the middle of the garden. A strange, wrenching sensation haunted him whenever he lingered by them. The stones almost seemed to sing, and the desire to use magic overwhelmed him.
After the Curse Wars, Conan rebuilt the garden within the stone circle. The magic in the stones was invoked for mystical ceremonies.
"Must this ceremony be magical?" Aidan asked as he slowed down to let a bowing page maneuver around him. "I will always love and honor Princess Bella. Magic needn't be invoked. It's stupid that it would prevent me from harming her. I'd fall on my sword before I harmed her."
A servant chasing a duck away from the tables punctured Aidan's dramatic vow.
"It has nothing to do with your honor. It's politics. Royals have a bad habit of dissolving marriages that have become inconvenient." Conan chuckled. "There was a king who once went through twelve wives. He killed most of them and hid the bodies in an underground chamber."
Aidan halted. "What sort of tale is that on this day?"
"I've a better one," Conan said in a jovial tone. "You know about the Curse Ceremony, right?"
"Conan..."
"That's how Curse Mages trapped innocent maidens into marriage forever.
" Only Conan could sound ominous as butterflies flapped around.
"When the ceremony is complete, neither party can have another magical union or they will die.
The Curse Mages often throw a few more curses on their victim, so they cannot flee from their so-called spouse. "
Aidan shuddered. "That's horrible."
Conan smirked. "Doesn't make this ceremony sound so bad, eh? There were also curses to prevent unfaithfulness. And—"
"Stop!" Aidan glanced around to see if anyone overheard. "I don't care about stupid curses. But don't tell Bella."
Conan held up his hands. "No tales during the betrothal ceremony. I promise." He winked. "I have to save some tales for the wedding ceremony in Valoa."
Aidan groaned. "It's no wonder there are no Curse Creatures left on Dalon shores. You probably annoyed them all away."
Conan laughed, and Aidan's mouth twitched.
The questionable humor washed away the tension.
But his nerves flared again as they entered the circle of standing stones, and the number of guests overwhelmed him.
Seven circles of attendees, a crowd of silks and furs, golds, and silvers.
Only noble attendants were close to his age, but they gathered in the back with lowered heads as he and Conan passed.
So many dignitaries and family members that he didn't know existed.
All there for him.
His friends couldn't be with him. Only Niall, despite his mother's best efforts. Fiona and Ellar were outside the circle as honorary guards, and Kane wasn't important enough to merit an invitation. Sweat drenched Aidan as strange, judging eyes trained on him.
Conan tried to reassure him in his own special way. "They're here for Bella. No one cares a fig about you. So don't be so stiff!" He blew a kiss to either a lady swathed in green silk or her armored companion. "Show them the lad who managed to charm a princess. Smile. Wave."
Aidan gave a slight nod of his head to a woman in elegant brocade before shying away. "This isn't natural. I must be true to myself."
"You dearly need a lesson in politics. No, don't make that face.
" Conan beamed and nodded at a man in a feathered cap while Aidan struggled to look neutral.
"I know you believe that your job after marriage will be justice and honor.
And it's true that fifteen years ago most ugliness left the Starlands.
But we are still mortals, and mortals are not perfect.
Sometimes a little diplomacy can be helpful. "
Aidan tried to keep the doubt from his face. Honesty and honor were his nature.
They reached the center of the circle where Niall awaited them in his best armor, as did a few of Conan's grimmest lords, an official Star Mage garbed in ceremonial robes, and Queen Sara.
The sun beat down as Aidan waited for the start of the ceremony. With the rain and winds banished by magic, a harsh heat and dryness was brought to the afternoon. Only his royal manners and knightly training kept his discomfort and thirst from showing.
At long last, chiming bells signaled Bella's imminent arrival, and his heart leaped. Her dark curls rippled down her back, and the joy on her face only added to her beauty. Garbed in a gown of turquoise and white, adorned in a crown of flowers, she proceeded to the center.
Aidan forgot about the crowd, forgot that he was a prince, and she was a future queen.
He forgot everything but her.
"You look..."
"Do I?" Bella tilted her head in a coy manner. "You look that way to me."
Aidan's heart pounded as he reached for her hand. His skin was clammy, and he couldn't stop trembling. He shouldn't feel so terrible when he was so happy.
A deafening boom tore apart the serene silence.
People seemed to sway until Aidan realized the earth was shaking.
Bella lost her balance as the ground cracked beneath her.
He clutched onto her, desperate to keep her from falling into the swiftly forming crevice.
The dignified guests collided like opulent dominoes.
One standing stone shattered, and a chunk of rock came flying right at a guest. Conan pushed the person out of the way, the stone barely missing them.
The din diminished, and the violent vibrations calmed as a dark cloud appeared in the blue sky.
Aidan squinted his eyes. It wasn't a cloud, but a flock of birds.
Then they fell, raining upon the ceremonial area.
Shouts of horror rang as birds pelted people.
Bella went still in Aidan's arms as a raven landed in front of them.
The broken bird twitched before slowly decaying into dust. Some deteriorated before striking the ground, and soon a rain of ash showered everything.
Bewilderment besieged Aidan, but his brother and experienced warriors showed no signs of shock, unsheathing their swords and looking into the distance.
Toward the sealing stone.
Bella followed their gazes. "This is Curse Magic..."
The words prompted Aidan to action. He unsheathed his sword, moving in front of her.
Conan had the same thought. "Get the princess to safety!" he ordered.
Aidan's heart careened with conflict. He didn't want to abandon Conan, but his brother was right.
"Damn... I couldn't even carry a sword with this dress." Bella's hands clenched. "Oh... wait!"
She hiked her skirt up, pulling out a dagger that was fastened to her leg. If Aidan hadn't been so besieged with worry, he would have admired her foresight.
He extended his hand. "We must get to safety."
She shook her head. "Join your brother for the fight. I can fend for myself..."
Her words were lost as a rumbling roar bellowed from the Emerald Forest. The garden hedges obscured Aidan's view, but monstrous shapes soared overhead.
Winged beasts flew with wild velocity, heading right for them.
Knights and warrior guests readied for battle, while attendants ushered noncombatant guests to the palace.
One of Conan's most trusted warriors hurried Queen Sara away.
She looked in Aidan's direction, shouting something that he couldn't hear.
Bella's guards tried to shepherd her to safety, but she shook off their insistence.
"Please, Princess Bella," Aidan said, his feet burning to move. "We've a chamber in the palace that is sealed against Curse Magic. If your guards get you there, I can stay and..."
She trembled as the beasts neared, but didn't budge. "I'll go only if you accompany me."
"You are the future of your people. You must live."
She grabbed his hand. "You are my future. If you stay, I stay. We're in everything together, Aidan."
His desire to aid his brother clashed with the need to ensure her safety. One look into Bella's warm eyes, and he knew there wasn't a choice.
Darkness spread as the flying fiends cast shadows upon the area.
His ears burned as the roaring grew louder, followed by an explosion of green as the hedges tore apart.
Wolves the size of horses burst through the garden.
Large stallions composed of black fire dashed through the remaining hedges, igniting ebony flames through the foliage.
Massive serpents slithered through the wreckage, leading an endless blur of beasts.
His stomach lurched at the horror as he wanted to flee but feared leaving his brother and Niall. He almost sprung forward, ready to plunge himself into the pandemonium to fight by their side.
But a true knight would never abandon his lady.
Aidan rushed Bella through the ceremonial area, her guards trailing them.
Relief surged through him as his brother's forces sped to the gardens.
But his stomach tightened at Niall fending off a Curse Wolf.
The current battle blended with memories of the night when Niall contended with a creature in the shadows.
He tried telling himself that he would return as soon as Bella was safe. He promised to go with her, but didn't promise to stay. She would understand.
But the short distance to the palace seemed endless. The darkness disorientated him, changing the once familiar gardens into a labyrinth. He stumbled as one terrible flying demon came closer. Conan's archers had arrived, sending a volley of arrows at the beast.
Only for the arrows to crumble into dust upon contact.
Aidan forced his feet to move faster. From what little he remembered of magical combat, the arrows needed a mage's enchantment to dispel a curse. No one expected such an attack to happen again.
Bella tightened her grip on him as a loud thump echoed.
A snarling Curse Lynx pinned one of her guards while more creatures rushed forward with impossible speed.
Another guard stopped and raised his sword to fight off a pack of devilish dogs.
One by one, each of Bella's guards fell behind to fight small, ferocious fiends.
Beasts swarmed everything, their distinctive qualities lost in the ebony haze of their auras. Aidan recoiled as the winged creature flew down, hovering in front of them. This wasn't just an animal distorted by dark magic.
This was a Curse Dragon.
Aidan's breathing nearly ceased. Monsters circled them while a draconic demon hovered above, able to follow them anywhere. The only choice was to fight.
His knightly training included learning to channel banishing magic through his sword. The Star Magic cleansed the Curse Magic, weakening it enough to be felled by a blade.
He held up his sword. "Magic is the only thing that will vanquish it, but I've never..."
As always, Bella understood. She squeezed his hand that gripped the hilt.
Her power acted as a directing force, guiding his own.
A green glow illuminated the blade, and amber light crisscrossed around it.
"I can hold your magical flow steady," she said.
"If you can get the foul creature down, I can finish it off. "
He didn't dare take his eyes off the dragon. "What do you mean?"
"My dagger was enchanted in the method of the lost Doomblade."
Aidan caught his breath. A legendary weapon, forged during the Curse Wars, it was supposed to obliterate Curse Magic. The story fascinated him since he was a child of the famous sword that struck down many Curse Mages.
He always ignored the uncomfortable origins of the sword.
Bella's hands shook slightly as she stared at the black dagger. "In truth, it was meant to save me if I was cursed. But I'd rather bring down this monster than be saved."
Sickness choked Aidan at the idea of her using the blade to save herself.
He knew her meaning.
His stomach burned, but there was no time to argue about Bella risking herself. He raised his weapon, swinging it as the dragon neared them. The enchanted sword struck scales, only for the clash of Star Magic and Curse Magic to throw him back.
Agony surged through him. Since Star Magic linked the blade to him, it kept the sword from flying out of his hands.
His body shook from burning shock, but he scrambled up and hit the creature again.
The excruciating collision rattled his bones.
This time, he stayed on his feet, but the magic on the blade began flickering.
Too limited in experience with magical combat, pain and worry hampered his ability to maintain the mystical flow.
Only Bella's power prevented his own from dispersing.
He gritted his teeth, attempting to summon more magic.
If he could just get the beast down, her dagger could take care of the rest.
Green magic flashed as he landed another hit on the creature, angering it enough to divert attention from Bella.
Sharp, black, thorny talons came right at his face.
Pure instinct drove him to thrust his blade, shattering little thorns.
He swung the sword, his magic burning away the unnatural being.
A horrible howl almost deafened him, and magic dimmed from the blade.
But he continued a series of fierce swings.
He lost his footing just as the dragon fell.
Pain rocked through him as he hit the ground. The beast still lived and lurched its monstrous head toward him. He held up the now useless sword as death came for him. The Curse Dragon opened its mouth, revealing many sharp teeth.
A thunderous howl filled the air. The noise ate up almost all of Aidan's awareness, but out of the corner of his eye, he saw Bella leap away. He scrambled backward as the creature rocked back and forth before collapsing into a pile of foul chunks.
Bella ran past the decaying abomination, breathless by the time she reached him. "Aidan... my love, did it hurt you?"
He shook his head. "You... you saved my life."
"I didn't... I didn't know if I could do it. You fought well!" she said, as though worried over his pride. "I—"
He interrupted her with a kiss. It wasn't romantic at all. Dry mouths and sweaty, shaking bodies. But her warm, rapid breaths reassured him as he tasted her mouth.
Bella lived and was in his arms.