The Dream Keeper's Dragon

2.17. The Scales

The house was quiet when Aurelie and Leila came back. The living room was empty, as was the kitchen and Aurelie heard no commotion upstairs so they couldn't have been there either. She had just come outside when the front door shut.

"They're back!" Leila shouted from inside.

"Coming!" Aurelie said but did not move. Exhaustion made her cling to the quiet, peacefulness that surrounded her out here. Inside, Kirin and Orken waited, both unhappy with her decisions. She had forced Kirin into being mad at her by using the prospect of Nick to make him jealous. That had been too easy. It scared her how easy it had been. Daerious had warned her about his back at the inn. He told her that love was dangerous. If only he knew just how right he was . . .

What the hell am I going to do? Aurelie thought and wrapped her arms around herself.

"Hey," Kirin said, sneaking up behind her. He kissed her cheek and kept his mouth there for a second. "Come with me." He pulled back and waited for her to turn.

She expected him to have still been mad but something seemed to have changed his mood. "Where are we going?"

"You'll see soon enough."

Aurelie followed him through the house. His hands were sweaty and if Aurelie didn't know better she'd think he was nervous. The others hadn't come back with him and Leila, who was in the kitchen the last time Aurelie had heard from her, had been out of sight.

"Where is everyone?" Aurelie asked. Her mind jumped to the portal. Had they found it? What would she tell them? The truth. It was for their best. They wouldn't understand but she didn't care. They needed allies and Queen Alorah was one hell of an ally, no one could deny that.

"They're waiting for us."

"Where?"

He laughed. "You'll see. Right," he stopped in the living room, "first things first."

A large box stood on the couch she usually occupied.

Kirin pointed his hand at it. "That's for you."

Aurelie frowned, smiling sheepishly. "What is it?" she asked, already at the box, opening the lid. Kirin said nothing and waited for her to react. She gasped. It was a dress. A white dress with little flowers spread from the top of the blouse, outward to the frilly skirt. She took it out of the box and pressed it up against her body. "What have you done?" she asked him, beaming.

"If you think I'm letting you go to that ball an unmarried woman, you've got another thing coming. Bloody Nick."

Aurelie laughed out loud and covered her mouth with the palm of her hand. "That's the only reason, is it?"

Kirin cocked his head, smiling gently. "Of course not, but I'll be damned if he doesn't know we're married as soon as it happens."

Aurelie shook her head but enjoyed every second of his jealousy. "Are the others waiting already?"

He nodded.

"Then I best get ready."

*****

They united with Orken and the others within a meadow of tall trees on the outskirts of the river that ran through Redayrah into Highfire. The water was dark blue and spread so far that it looked like the sea. Orken had decorated the trees with glowing bulbs of light. They had packed logs for them to sit on while the holy man, Pollus, performed the ceremony and even found a white carpet for her to walk down. His wife was there too. A short, dark-haired woman who looked to have been very used to having him act out whatever it was that she instructed and pointed her finger toward. Her lips were red and her eyes dark. She was elderly but with a youthful twirl in every motion.