The Light of Asteria (43 page)

“The King of the Sprites wishes to bestow a
mating present to the prince and his princess.” Surprised, I
glanced back at the sprite flitting in front of Malachi. “He wishes
to provide the kingdom with the purest blooms for your ceremony.”
My pulse picked up speed, and I bowed to the king.

“It would be an honor that I’ll treasure
always. Thank you, my friend.” I quietly muttered, truly humbled by
the gesture.

As we wound our way through the mountain’s
path, Malachi was deep in thought.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, now concerned. He
reassuringly patted my arm.

“Even in my ancient wisdom, I would have
never thought to take the box off and allow the sprite to accept.
So busy was I in discovering what I needed to do, I failed to
contemplate what I could allow
him
to do. I do not know if
you understand what you have done. Your willingness to trust the
sprite to make the right decision opened his mind. He was then
prepared to accept the forgiveness that you so freely supplied. He
has not been out of that box for many years. I am saddened by my
lack of the simple understanding of trust. Nora of Light, you have
taught me this day,” he said with a sad resignation. I patted his
shoulder, not knowing what to say. We wove through the maze of
stalactites and headed toward the blue energy that cordoned off
Malachi’s sitting room.

“Hey, you,” I warmly greeted Gavin, as he
paced by the door. Right away, I knew something was wrong. Rena had
completed her painting but had already left. I could sense Gavin
trying to control his anger, but I didn’t understand to whom it was
directed. Putting my hand on his heart, I searched his
emotions.

“Malachi, may I have a moment?” I asked; he
sighed and stepped back through the energy field. I opened my mind,
and the room turned sky blue.

“What has you so angry?”

“Do you know what time it is?” The heat of
his emotions burned.

We were only gone a few hours longer, so
it’s around four?

“It’s almost midnight.”

I gasped.

“Do you have any idea how hard it was not to
try and get in the mountain?” That soft voice that meant trouble
echoed in the room. “I felt so helpless. What if you were hurt?
What if something had happened?”

I put my arms around his waist; his body was
rigid with frustration.

“I tried to reach the Ancient One with my
thoughts, but I couldn’t find him. How could that be? I can see him
now, but a few hours ago, he wasn’t anywhere.” He glowered. “I was
almost in despair when you arrive and just smile as if nothing
happened. I have a whole sector of guard outside this room, and the
keepers are here as well. The queen is extremely worried. What were
you thinking?” His voice echoed off the rough stone walls; his
desperation made him aggressive. I took a deep breath and
focused.

“First, please alert everyone that I’m fine,
and that Malachi and I lost track of time.” He glared with
frustration, but I could tell that he was complying.

I allowed all of the love I had for him to
sing through to my toes. His eyes filled with tears from the power
of it. Today had taught me that love was the key to the most
intimate, sincere intent, and that combining it with others made it
stronger. He kissed me, his anger abated. I held him for a moment
and then closed down my shield.

“Malachi, could you please come back?” The
Ancient One entered the room; his expression was guarded.

“I wish for Gavin to never fear for my safety
again. He’s been weakened with a lack of knowledge. In the future,
if we’re unexpectedly delayed, I wish that you keep Gavin updated.”
Malachi nodded in agreement, and we bid him good night.

I waited through our midnight snack before I
replayed my memories of the day. I was exhausted and didn’t speak;
I didn’t have the energy. Gavin’s eyes widened with surprise as he
heard the tale. Ultimately the compassion for him as a child had
been the determining factor for the sprite’s ability to
forgive.

I took his hand and lay on the bed, needing
to rest. I had never quite been this exhausted, and I knew that it
was because I healed something. Gavin must feel this way all the
time.

“Only once, my love. When I healed your leg,
was I drained this way. We will worry with the other matters
tomorrow … come and rest.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter 28—The
Reception

I stood next to Gavin in our formal daywear
with matching sashes and felt like I truly belonged. The queen
ordered everyone at the luncheon to speak so that I could partake
in the conversation, and the buzz of voices throughout the hall
made me feel at home. I knew I was glowing; my power had returned
full force thanks to my prince, but I was mindful of my shield. It
wasn’t a matter of fearing that others would sense my fundamental
nature, as in the beginning, but more of a concern about the elves
feeling invaded.

The receiving line went without a hitch.
Hundreds of Alfar milled about the great hall; a small chamber
orchestra played softly in the background.

You’re going to have to make me some study
cards; I can’t remember who is who
. Gavin tried to conceal his
chuckle with a cough.

The queen had done an excellent job of the
seating arrangement around the enormous table. She sat on one end
with the dignitaries going from most to least important. Gavin sat
at the other; I was to his left, and Elias to his right. Our clan
sat down the row across from me. The dignitaries to our immediate
right were belligerent with indignation. They were in the middle of
the table, not to the queen’s right or Gavin’s. The empty chair
next to me felt odd. Who would not come to a function such as
this?

A collective gasp caused all conversations to
lull. Turning toward the door, a smile lit my face. Malachi
tottered toward the table, and the entire hall rose to their feet.
His golden uniform gleamed amidst the bright colors of Kailmeyra,
and he came and put his hand in mine. The dignitaries that were
once so offended were now flattered as they were closest to the
Ancient One.

“I would not miss your day, my princess,” he
said, as the hall remained hushed.

Malachi was a fascinating guest and had us
all in rapt attention with tales of the days before King Frey. The
creation of the gifted programs held us through lunch, and dessert
brought adventures of King Frey as a child. I was surprised to find
that Malachi’s original occupation was a teacher. It was truly
staggering how much life he had experienced.

The luncheon guests departed, and we walked
out of the formal dining room, veering left. I had never been to
this part of the castle; the walls remained their natural gray. The
top of the stairs revealed a great marble foyer, and its center
held a mosaic royal seal created out of garnets. A clear,
brilliantly lit blue sky peeked through the archway that led to the
balcony. I smiled for a moment thinking that the Creator of all was
trying to help me find my courage.

“You’ll be fine, my love. Malachi has told me
of your plan, and I support your effort. I have a feeling that this
day will live in our chronicles.” Gavin murmured in my ear.

We neared the archway; the brilliance of
Kailmeyra sprawled before us in celebration. The three-tiered
balcony jutted over the courtyard. Trees cascaded naturally down
the mountain’s side; the effect was as if the structure was
floating on a cloud of leaves. Malachi made his way to his chair on
the top row, drawing the crowd’s attention. Elias and Elaine
entered next and sat to his right, Rena and Tark to his left.
Thousands of elves below cheered in anticipation. I paused for a
moment; the roar of the crowd made my heart stop. Gavin held my
hand in reassurance as we passed through the archway. The balcony’s
second tier only held two chairs, which were larger and more ornate
in design. My nerves heightened in awareness as I spied the royal
crest embroidered on silk cushion. He gave my hand one last
squeeze, and I went and sat on the extreme left, Gavin on the
extreme right. The crowd hushed with curiosity. The bottom tier
held one throne, and when the queen entered the masses went wild
with adoration and fervor. The seating arrangement of the balcony
was perfect; everyone from below could see the queen’s row and the
prince’s row from any angle. Queen Lera gracefully stood, and
silence fell. My stomach became one big knot.

“My fellow Kailmeyrians, today is a great day
of joy and celebration for the prince has found his mate.” She
spoke with a strong voice, and the acoustics were such that
everyone in the courtyard below could hear her.

“It gives me great pleasure to introduce to
you a new member of our world—the future princess of Kailmeyra,
Nora of Asteria!” The crowd was stunned silent as the last name of
the title took them by surprise. Everyone in the balcony rose, and
suddenly my legs felt like noodles.

The deafening roar of silence was quickly
rocked with cheers, and I realized that the tale of Asteria must be
common knowledge among the kinsmen. Sweat broke on my brow, and I
tried to quiet my mind. Always cognizant of my thoughts, Gavin
walked across the wide space. Surprise quieted the throng below, as
he gave me a quick hug.

“You can do this,” he whispered.

His actions sent the people below into a
frenzy. His love saturated me, and I turned and brazenly walked
toward the podium. Silence fell over the multitude, and immediately
my nerves dissipated. Pure energy flooded through me—I knew that I
was destined to help the people of Kailmeyra heal the land.

“My friends, thank you for your kind
hospitality. I am honored today more than any day in my life, as
I’ve come to love this land almost as much as its prince.” Laughter
and cheers grew from the crowd, and I waited for them to quiet
down.

“I’ve been asked to speak today so that I may
show the people of Kailmeyra my intent as the mate of Prince Gavin
of Frey.” As soon as I said his name, the crowd enthusiastically
roared.

“The Ancient One has been tutoring me on the
history of your people. I’m the last of Asteria’s lineage, and was
fated to meet the future king in the dark world of man.” The hush
grew, and the courtyard waited with bated breath.

“Kinsmen of Kailmeyra, what I wish to share
with you today is a gift that will honor your history and
strengthen your lands. I hope that you’ll learn from it and use it
to better your relationships and your lives.” Not a soul moved in
the courtyard below.

“Forgiveness is the gift I wish to give.” The
crowd mumbled and seemed confused. “Kinsmen, the sprite that fell
into despair after the untimely passing of King Orrin has been
healed and is now at peace.”

A collective gasp quieted the crowd as
thousands of heads turned to one another exclaiming their
shock.

“The healing of the sprites has begun. The
queen and the Ancient One are now in discussion with the sprite
colonies, and the rarest flowers in the land will once again grow
in the kingdom.”

The courtyard roared in celebration. I knew
that this wasn’t the direction that I had intended, but instinct
commanded that I make this declaration first. As soon as the crowd
died down, intuition whispered that it was now time.

“The sprite learned, before he went to the
higher plane to be with his mate, that true forgiveness is powerful
and yields much ancient energy. People of Kailmeyra, hear me; this
we must learn today. Focus on the act of forgiveness with the
intent of trying to understand the one who has affronted you. For
it is in concentrating on what we can feel instead of avoiding what
we shouldn’t, that the power of the ancients can be unleashed.” The
confused crowd applauded politely.

My emotions boiled with insecurity. The
thought of doing something for the first time in front of the whole
kingdom made my stomach flip; adrenaline kicked in.

I suddenly felt Gavin behind me. His emotions
ran through me, and I knew that it was all right. Concentrating all
of my energy on understanding Mia’s dilemma, I opened my mind. The
crowd cried out with its feel. Gavin’s breath hitched; his emotions
coursed with love. I closed my eyes, willing everyone in the
kingdom to understand its power as I spoke the next words.

“One other must be forgiven before this day
can truly be rejoiced. As you know, Mia, daughter of Troy, former
betrothed to the Prince, caused great offense to the noble house of
Frey. I have forgiven her as I understand and have compassion for
her plight. If Mia is within ears distance, I wish that no harm
come to her and that she is allowed to heal so that she may return
to the kingdom once more.”

Keeping my mind open, I concentrated on every
soul, trying to make them understand. Thousands of elves in the
courtyard bowed their heads. Humility floated like a cloud below,
as the people finally understood my gift. Malachi’s voice sobbed
with the beauty of it all.

From the trees nestled closest to the
balcony, a sharp, silver streak soared through the air. At first I
thought it was a sprite darting near, but then I realized that
sprites don’t have points and this didn’t have wings. Instinct
jerked my body left, but it was too late. I gasped as the knife
that was meant for my heart plunged just below my collarbone. My
mind snapped shut. I fell back, staring at the horrified elves
below.

“Gavin,” I whimpered.

The hot, stabbing pain told the knife was
deeply wedged between my ribs. The heat of the wound bewildered me,
and I started to panic. I could feel blood seeping into my lungs.
My heart thumped wildly, and relief flooded for a moment when I
realized that the knife had not met its target.

Gavin’s sheer panic coursed through, and I
tried to assure him that I would be all right. He laid me on the
thick carpet beneath our feet; screams from the courtyard
crescendoed in fear. I felt his frantic kiss as he panted in
between sobs, desperately trying to find his focus. He quickly
jerked out the knife, and the pain doubled. Metallic liquid filled
my mouth, and I struggled to breathe. The blood flooding my lungs
had memories of the lake flashing in my mind. I couldn’t die—it
would destroy him. I was his source.