practically. “Your gown’s loose on you now. Much longer and you’d have fasted yourself down to a pile of rattling bones. Best have it done.”
At the sudden realization that the waiting was over, that she was shortly going to marry a stranger and share her bed with him that very night, Kayli felt a flash of panic. Here truly was the end of all she’d known. She looked down; to her disgust, her hands were shaking. “Oh, Endra, what will I do?” she said quietly, although she wanted to scream. “I am so frightened.”
“Why, of course you’re frightened, pet,” Endra said soothingly, stroking Kayli’s hair. “I’ve never met a new bride who wasn’t, unless she’d had a few barn-loft tumbles beforehand. Your sister Jaenira cried and shook before her wedding until I potioned her to sleep. But I have an answer for new brides.”
”Oh, please, no more potions,” Kayli groaned as Endra set a cup in front of her.
“No potion, my lady, only a cup of broth with herbs to fortify you,” Endra said sternly. “Though I’ve often thought it might be a mercy to give bride and groom both a good dose of Midnight Dew in these arranged matches. Seems like lords and ladies lay a heavy enough burden on their children’s wedding nights. Of course they’d never agree to dosing their children with love potions; besides, I doubt if there’s enough Midnight Dew in the Three Kingdoms. No, the answer is simpler—just remember that however terrified you are, Lord Randon is just as frightened.”
“I fail to see how he could be afraid,” Kayli said irritably. “Lord Randon has had more than a ‘few barn-loft tumbles’ if the rumors are true.”
“Well, that’s all to the good, too,” Endra said placidly. “At least your husband knows the lay of the land, so to speak. A pity you couldn’t have had your Awakening before now, but there it is, and you’d have been every bit as nervous for that. So if it helps, imagine you’re going to your Awakening, but in a fancier gown. There you are.” She tied off the last lacing.
Kayli surveyed herself critically in the mirror. The rich red gown with its gold trim, the gold collar and earrings with their deep red stones made her dusky skin seem golden itself. The gold combs glistened against the loops of her shining black hair, but the golden glints in her deep brown eyes were brighter still. She took a deep breath and swallowed her fear.
“Is it nearly sunset?” she asked.
“Soon.” Endra glanced out the window. “I’ll move your things to the lord’s room as soon as you go down.”
“Oh, no,” Kayli said quickly, clutching the midwife’s hand. “Please, you must come to the ceremony. Please.”
Endra chuckled.
“Very well, then, lady, if you wish, though I don’t know how these folk will take to a servant at a private wedding. Go on, then, and I’ll give the girls their orders and come down.”
Kayli wished desperately that the midwife would walk down with her, but she said nothing. She clutched her thari in its sheath and felt a small measure of comfort.
I judge this blade well forged.
A guard waited outside the door to escort her down. She hoped that after the wedding that could be changed; guards waiting at her door and dogging her every footstep would be intolerable, and the need for them spoke poorly of security.
Kayli had not seen Agrond’s great hall before, and her first glimpse both impressed and disappointed her. The hall was far larger than that of her father’s castle and much more richly ornamented with tapestries, rugs, and expensive metals, but the ceiling was far lower and the room less brightly lit, too, making it seem somehow smaller and meaner. Half a dozen men and women sat at the large table, presumably the High Lord’s advisers.
Randon, Terralt, and a tiny, pale woman, heavily pregnant, waited by the door, standing near a litter holding Brother San-tee. Beside the litter stood a strangely dressed priest, and a younger
At the sudden realization that the waiting was over, that she was shortly going to marry a stranger and share her bed with him that very night, Kayli felt a flash of panic. Here truly was the end of all she’d known. She looked down; to her disgust, her hands were shaking. “Oh, Endra, what will I do?” she said quietly, although she wanted to scream. “I am so frightened.”
“Why, of course you’re frightened, pet,” Endra said soothingly, stroking Kayli’s hair. “I’ve never met a new bride who wasn’t, unless she’d had a few barn-loft tumbles beforehand. Your sister Jaenira cried and shook before her wedding until I potioned her to sleep. But I have an answer for new brides.”
”Oh, please, no more potions,” Kayli groaned as Endra set a cup in front of her.
“No potion, my lady, only a cup of broth with herbs to fortify you,” Endra said sternly. “Though I’ve often thought it might be a mercy to give bride and groom both a good dose of Midnight Dew in these arranged matches. Seems like lords and ladies lay a heavy enough burden on their children’s wedding nights. Of course they’d never agree to dosing their children with love potions; besides, I doubt if there’s enough Midnight Dew in the Three Kingdoms. No, the answer is simpler—just remember that however terrified you are, Lord Randon is just as frightened.”
“I fail to see how he could be afraid,” Kayli said irritably. “Lord Randon has had more than a ‘few barn-loft tumbles’ if the rumors are true.”
“Well, that’s all to the good, too,” Endra said placidly. “At least your husband knows the lay of the land, so to speak. A pity you couldn’t have had your Awakening before now, but there it is, and you’d have been every bit as nervous for that. So if it helps, imagine you’re going to your Awakening, but in a fancier gown. There you are.” She tied off the last lacing.
Kayli surveyed herself critically in the mirror. The rich red gown with its gold trim, the gold collar and earrings with their deep red stones made her dusky skin seem golden itself. The gold combs glistened against the loops of her shining black hair, but the golden glints in her deep brown eyes were brighter still. She took a deep breath and swallowed her fear.
“Is it nearly sunset?” she asked.
“Soon.” Endra glanced out the window. “I’ll move your things to the lord’s room as soon as you go down.”
“Oh, no,” Kayli said quickly, clutching the midwife’s hand. “Please, you must come to the ceremony. Please.”
Endra chuckled.
“Very well, then, lady, if you wish, though I don’t know how these folk will take to a servant at a private wedding. Go on, then, and I’ll give the girls their orders and come down.”
Kayli wished desperately that the midwife would walk down with her, but she said nothing. She clutched her thari in its sheath and felt a small measure of comfort.
I judge this blade well forged.
A guard waited outside the door to escort her down. She hoped that after the wedding that could be changed; guards waiting at her door and dogging her every footstep would be intolerable, and the need for them spoke poorly of security.
Kayli had not seen Agrond’s great hall before, and her first glimpse both impressed and disappointed her. The hall was far larger than that of her father’s castle and much more richly ornamented with tapestries, rugs, and expensive metals, but the ceiling was far lower and the room less brightly lit, too, making it seem somehow smaller and meaner. Half a dozen men and women sat at the large table, presumably the High Lord’s advisers.
Randon, Terralt, and a tiny, pale woman, heavily pregnant, waited by the door, standing near a litter holding Brother San-tee. Beside the litter stood a strangely dressed priest, and a younger
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