Verath the Red (Dragonwall Series #3)

Chapter 41 - Sealing The Bond

Celenore

Tamara tried to hold still, she really did, but the anticipation was too much. Sophie was alone in the command tent with her, helping her to dress. "Stop shaking!" she said, poking her with a finger. "I can't do your hair if you keep fidgeting like this."

She'd waited so long for this day. It wasn't happening as she had imagined it, but that no longer mattered. All that mattered was Byron. She could have worn a burlap sack and it wouldn't have mattered, but instead, they had managed to rescue her ceremony gown along with her trunk and many other belongings when they fled the fort, including the pommel stone she would bequeath Byron for his Sverak.

"Gods!" Sophie was breathless. "Wait until everyone sees you in this."

Lady Emmy's face came to mind. Only a few weeks had passed since her gown fitting, when Emmy had treated her like a daughter. It felt like ages ago. Everything since then had piled up in towering columns in her mind. Her chest tightened. A sob broke free of her lips. "I wish Emmy and Davi were here," she whispered. "It's not fair."

"Nothing that has happened is fair, Tamara." Sophie hesitated, her voice turning soft. "I wish they were here too. And Lord Reyr." At the mention of Reyr's name, Sophie's voice turned dreamy. "But we will manage without them, won't we? Because we must."

"We must." Her voice was nearly a whisper.

There was no looking glass to see her reflection. She could only gaze down at herself, at her gown, and admire the fabric. Icy blue layers cascaded around her, falling over the stool upon which she sat, while Sophie finished pinning her tresses atop her head. Like a frozen waterfall spilling over a rockface.

"There. You look like a queen."

"I wish Lady Claire was here, too," she mused. "I would have liked that. But...we can't afford to wait any longer."

"Is there a reason you're rushing into this?" Sophie failed to disguise her curiosity.

She hesitated. "We cannot postpone any longer. I want him. I want him more than I've wanted anything. It's like something's missing and I'm incomplete. But it's also more than that. We haven't spoken of it, he and I, but his father alluded to it some time ago. A vote will happen when we reach Fort Kastali. Our people must vote Byron in as their permanent leader. They will be more confident voting him in if we are mated. It shows..." She fumbled for the right word.

"Maturity?"

"Yes, among other things. What would the fort think if he dangled me on a string without solidifying our bond?" She shook her head. "We must present a unified front. Besides, it's safer for both of us. We cannot communicate when we are separated. If something happens while we travel..."

"Well, if that's the case"—Sophie gave her hair a teasing tug—"I'm surprised it took you so long to reach this decision. We've been on the road nearly two weeks."

"Yes, well, he needed time to grieve. Time for both of us to process what has happened."

"Understandable." Sophie placed her hands on Tamara's shoulders, gently squeezing. "There's naught to be done now but celebrate! Gods, I wish you could see yourself. Come, the others are waiting."

Sophie led her to the doorway of the empty tent. No one was permitted to see her in her gown until the ceremony, which would happen as soon as she made her way to the party tent. It was a small tent. Most of their audience would stand outside to witness the event. Byron had the idea to set up a makeshift platform using some of the crates they'd brought.

"I'm nervous," she whispered after peeking out at the assembled crowd. An aisle had formed from the command tent to the party tent, which had been decorated with ribbons. The smell of roasting meat permeated the air. It was only morning, but everyone was eager to feast. They would likely spend the full day doing so. She, however, had other ideas of how she would spend her day. Plans that involved flying off into the wilderness with Byron.