Dusk to Dawn -- Book Three: Air

Chapter Fifteen

The lullaby above is called "Quiet Moon" for those of you who will wonder. I believed it worked will for this chapters emotion towards the end. And I do hope the surprise upload and length of the chapter will make up for the last chapter.

I hope you enjoy my loves!

xoxo, Jane

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            The day had passed with a sluggish drag, leaving my thoughts wandering, my heart pounding, and my mouth dry. Each moment was like that of a blade against my skin: digging in, leaving a trail of pain behind in its wake, placing a burning fever that I wished to scratch to remove it. Yet, no matter how often I wished the pain away, no matter how hard I looked around for Skyrin, I never could seem to dull the ache.

             My mouth was like that of freshly picked cotton: puffy and dry, filled with seeds of regret and doubt. Each move was another blow of a blade or whip, causing my eyes to shut from the pain.

              With one hand around Vedil's arm, the other clutching the skirt of my dress, allowing the skirts to lift so I would not step on them, I found myself practically floating on a breeze, gliding across the marbled floors. Yet, I felt as if instead of the weight of a feather, I was that of a large boulder. Each step towards the throne room was leaving the ache in my chest more and more difficult to breath through. The air was hot and cold, uncomfortable with each inhale, and like that of the edge of a freshly sharpened blade on each exhale.

           The air in my lungs was tight, my belly aching, my head spinning, and all thoughts like that of the blackest night: dark and filled with terrors and unknowns.

            My hand was given a soft squeeze, bringing out of my thoughts and into the present. Fluttering my eyes to look at Vedil, I found his kind face giving a gentle smile, warming my slightly cold feet.

           "They're going to love you, Darling." He whispered in my ear as we reached the doors to the ballroom. I found a blush on my cheeks, feeling uneasy in a way that I had not truly felt before. I was about to meet my children, the children who were not my flesh in blood, but in only a few hours time... they would become my responsibility.

            To care and nurture them, teach the boys how to be gentlemen, and the young girl, I would have to show her the ways of proper etiquette and how to be a lady. This would not be an easy task, certainly.

         "Perhaps almost as much as I do, however." Vedil added a moment later.

          My eyes grew wide at his statement, only to cause me to think for a moment. Love me...? Vedil loves me? He's never spoken those words before. Yet, even now, he never truly stated that he loves me. Though, if he had, I wouldn't be able to return the feelings. They are not mutual. Though, there is respect in the feelings that I have for him. But, it's nothing compared to how I feel about Sky-.

            No. No, it's no comparison to how I felt about Skyrin.

           That is all in the past, Naomi. You must remember this. If not for you than for your people. This marriage is far more than love or lusting after Vedil.

           Money. It always seems to come back to money.

           The doors were opened to us, and I was lead in with Vedil, the room quiet and cold. My heart seemed to leap into my mouth, the air now leaving me completely. There was a chill that ran down my spin, causing me to feel uneasy and apprehensive about this.