me was quickly being replaced by annoyance. “What are you doing here?”
Before Cael could answer, Sean called me from the dining room. “Hey, Rhiannon, are you coming?”
I brushed past Cael and skipped down the hall. When I reached my fiancé, I leapt into his welcoming arms.
“Wow,” said Sean, stepping back after releasing me. “You’re beautiful at midday.” He took a long slow breath. “And you smell wonderful, like flowers.”
Leila giggled, then rushed to the kitchen after Mother glared. They both returned to the dining room with metal plates and goblets. I reluctantly released Sean’s hand and went to the counter to retrieve the platter of steaming roast. Despite protests from Mother, Sean followed me. He grabbed a bowl of biscuits.
“You don’t have to help,” I whispered.
“I know,” said Sean. “I owe you after the other night. Pretend I baked these.”
His answer made me grin. The questioning glance Leila gave us made me beam.
My family and our two guests gathered around the table and ate the early meal. It felt different to see daylight while eating—like the Sun Season had never passed. Cael, who was nestled on the bench between Ethan and Leila, dodged repeated pokes and prods from my giggling siblings. I held my smile, but was happy to see him punished for his rudeness.
“We enjoyed the messenger, Sean,” said Mother, after a long drink. “I didn’t know that you could be traditional and proper.”
“This is a special occasion.” Sean glanced around the table, waited, and then smiled at me. “I’m leaving tomorrow—at dawn.”
I missed a breath.
While I stared at Sean, waiting for his words to amend, the room spun out of focus. The words never changed, and the room kept spinning.
“What?” My voice cracked.
Sean coughed before speaking again. “I am starting my quest in the morning,” he told me. “I need to find you a white horse, remember?”
I squeezed Sean’s hand tight and stared into his eyes, pleading with mine for him to stay, at least for a while longer. I hadn’t expected him to leave so soon, and it shocked me. I couldn’t speak. It was my own demand that was taking Sean away. Sean’s face wavered in the tears that welled up in my eyes until they overflowed.
Father broke the silence. His voice thundered in my head like a tree branch crashing to the ground. “Where do you plan on searching, Sean?” He gnawed casually on a carrot.
Sean lifted my hands, supporting them in the air while he answered. “I’m traveling east. The signs call for a harsh winter, and I want to get over the mountains before the weather worsens.”
“How long will you be gone?” asked Leila, leaning over the table. She was also crying. She wiped her eyes.
“Probably all season,” Cael interjected as casually as if Sean was just traveling for the day.
I flashed a glare at his indifference.
“I’ll return as soon as possible,” said Sean, “to marry your sister.”
I wiped my eyes and forced a smile that lied. This was the most awful day in my life, and I had chosen it. Sean was leaving because I was sending him away. For the first time, I regretted my choice of wedding requirement.
“We all wish you good fortune, Sean,” said Mother. She stood from her chair and approached the bench where he and I sat. Then she leaned over and hugged him from over one shoulder. “And we will eagerly await your return.”
With her other arm, she reached over him and squeezed my shoulder. I leaned into her arm, grateful for her support.
“It’s all right, dear,” she whispered into my ear. “It will be okay.”
“I’m sorry if I disrupted your day,” said Sean, looking at me with sympathy and honest eyes. “I want to spend the afternoon with you, and the evening with your family. I didn’t want to leave without a proper goodbye.”
“Well, boy, you’ve done marvelous,” said Father. His reaction to the sudden bad news was vexing; I scowled inside. “The last
Before Cael could answer, Sean called me from the dining room. “Hey, Rhiannon, are you coming?”
I brushed past Cael and skipped down the hall. When I reached my fiancé, I leapt into his welcoming arms.
“Wow,” said Sean, stepping back after releasing me. “You’re beautiful at midday.” He took a long slow breath. “And you smell wonderful, like flowers.”
Leila giggled, then rushed to the kitchen after Mother glared. They both returned to the dining room with metal plates and goblets. I reluctantly released Sean’s hand and went to the counter to retrieve the platter of steaming roast. Despite protests from Mother, Sean followed me. He grabbed a bowl of biscuits.
“You don’t have to help,” I whispered.
“I know,” said Sean. “I owe you after the other night. Pretend I baked these.”
His answer made me grin. The questioning glance Leila gave us made me beam.
My family and our two guests gathered around the table and ate the early meal. It felt different to see daylight while eating—like the Sun Season had never passed. Cael, who was nestled on the bench between Ethan and Leila, dodged repeated pokes and prods from my giggling siblings. I held my smile, but was happy to see him punished for his rudeness.
“We enjoyed the messenger, Sean,” said Mother, after a long drink. “I didn’t know that you could be traditional and proper.”
“This is a special occasion.” Sean glanced around the table, waited, and then smiled at me. “I’m leaving tomorrow—at dawn.”
I missed a breath.
While I stared at Sean, waiting for his words to amend, the room spun out of focus. The words never changed, and the room kept spinning.
“What?” My voice cracked.
Sean coughed before speaking again. “I am starting my quest in the morning,” he told me. “I need to find you a white horse, remember?”
I squeezed Sean’s hand tight and stared into his eyes, pleading with mine for him to stay, at least for a while longer. I hadn’t expected him to leave so soon, and it shocked me. I couldn’t speak. It was my own demand that was taking Sean away. Sean’s face wavered in the tears that welled up in my eyes until they overflowed.
Father broke the silence. His voice thundered in my head like a tree branch crashing to the ground. “Where do you plan on searching, Sean?” He gnawed casually on a carrot.
Sean lifted my hands, supporting them in the air while he answered. “I’m traveling east. The signs call for a harsh winter, and I want to get over the mountains before the weather worsens.”
“How long will you be gone?” asked Leila, leaning over the table. She was also crying. She wiped her eyes.
“Probably all season,” Cael interjected as casually as if Sean was just traveling for the day.
I flashed a glare at his indifference.
“I’ll return as soon as possible,” said Sean, “to marry your sister.”
I wiped my eyes and forced a smile that lied. This was the most awful day in my life, and I had chosen it. Sean was leaving because I was sending him away. For the first time, I regretted my choice of wedding requirement.
“We all wish you good fortune, Sean,” said Mother. She stood from her chair and approached the bench where he and I sat. Then she leaned over and hugged him from over one shoulder. “And we will eagerly await your return.”
With her other arm, she reached over him and squeezed my shoulder. I leaned into her arm, grateful for her support.
“It’s all right, dear,” she whispered into my ear. “It will be okay.”
“I’m sorry if I disrupted your day,” said Sean, looking at me with sympathy and honest eyes. “I want to spend the afternoon with you, and the evening with your family. I didn’t want to leave without a proper goodbye.”
“Well, boy, you’ve done marvelous,” said Father. His reaction to the sudden bad news was vexing; I scowled inside. “The last
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