Splintered Destinies Ch. 16

The moment is finally here and you've reached the end of the story (for now). Thank you all so very much for hanging with the story this long. Do you realize that between Kindred and Splintered this story has been posting since January? I am honored to have you all along for this journey, so please know I appreciate all the emails, comments and support you've given along the way.

As always, my heartfelt thanks to my Guild and to whisperofwords for taking the time to catch all my silly mistakes.

~CedarNeedle

For those of you finding this for the first time, in order for this to make sense you will need to read: Flame Thrower, A Jewel of the Kingdom, Folkyn Retribution and Kindred Souls first :)

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The atmosphere inside the room where Seth was getting ready was absolute mayhem. Servants rushed about, Acadia barked orders and Dalana hovered.

Seth focused and tried to block it all out.

And failed.

"Everyone out," he finally said trying not to yell, but his voice was drowned out by the clamor of the overlapping voices as servants called out different comments. "EVERYONE OUT!" he hollered becoming frustrated and brought the room to a skidding halt.

Dalana looked confused when she stepped back from her son, her normally serene face pinched with worry. "Seth?"

He desperately wanted to run his fingers through his hair in frustration, but they'd just put each strand into place and oiled it, so he'd undo all their work which meant they'd have to start all over again. Instead he gripped the rails of the chair until his knuckles turned white. "This is too much, mother. I need a few moments or else I will lose my mind. Please, if you will kindly step out of the room, I would greatly appreciate it."

Acadia didn't waste a moment and clapped her hands loudly sending servants scurrying out the door leaving Dalana alone for a moment longer before she too departed.

The silence left in the wake of their departure was deafening, causing Seth to lean his head against the headrest of the ornate chair he was sitting in. Part of him cursed his brother for Nate didn't have to deal with this level of fuss because he was not the crown prince. For once, Seth hated him for that.

After a moment or two passed, Seth finally looked at himself in the mirror and couldn't recognize the person behind the velvet, gold and mother of pearl buttons and pins. It was the strangest experience not to see himself in the man sitting there looking back.

His face had been recently shaved, so his skin was smooth with his normally shaggy blond hair was smoothed back away from his face. Perched on his brow but circled his entire head, was a decorative silver crown embedded with mother of pearl, diamonds and sapphires. After his father had married his mother, they'd decided to add opals to the crown, since it held such an important meaning to this family.

Seth took another deep breath and stood up.

Rich maroon velvet pulled towards the floor and felt like it weighed more than his chainmail. A long fitted jacket which was exaggerated at the shoulders but tapered to a snug fit near his wrist reflected back. Acadia had created a suit designed with the most utter elegance including elaborate embroidery along the front and back, which included tiny little beads of opal and pearl to adorn the front lapels and the tails of the jacket.

He cringed when he saw that the embellishments didn't stop with the jacket. Holding out one leg he checked the reflection and saw that down each leg the opals and pearls continued until they ended at his feet that were now was locked safely away behind polished black shoes.

"I look like an ass," he whispered.

The answering snicker caused him to spin around suddenly and found Nate leaning against the wall outside the mirror's reflection. "You look like a king," Nate countered after he schooled his amusement at his brother's expense. "Seriously, you look grand, Seth."

Seth turned back to the mirror, releasing an exaggerated sigh, "For some reason, I don't believe you."

"I should remind you that you are the crown prince and required to embrace such elegance as comes with your station."

"Shut up Nate."

But Nate didn't heed that warning, "And I for one am very grateful you were born first so you are the one who must endure such formality." Even before he finished speaking, he knew that it was time to duck for Seth threw a brush that clattered against the wall where Nate's head was a moment before. "Oh come now, Seth, you know I'm jesting. I came to see how you're holding up and I found a gaggle of frantic people, including mother, outside. What did you do, kick them out?"

"Yes. Were they this bad with you? Mother has not stopped fidgeting with my hair, my jacket, my crown..." he threw up his hands dramatically. "I mean come on. And then the servants, good God, they are fussing so much with my suit that I swear if one more person adjusts my jacket or my pant leg, I will deck them."

Nate laughed as he collected two chilled glasses of white wine. "Drink this; it will help settle your nerves."

Seth nearly spilt the wine as he grabbed the glass too hard, but released yet another exaggerated sigh.

"What's really bothering you?" Nate asked with a slightly askance head.

"All of this. I just want to marry Eilidh, not prance around like a peacock on display. Look at me," he turned to the mirror again, "I look like a proper bird on display!"

"I'm sure they've got Eilidh just as spruced up, Seth. You are Lysban's next King and she their Queen. You know as well as I, there is more ceremony and expectations around that. Speaking of which, your carriage is outside waiting."

Seth growled and gulped the entire contents in his glass down and held it out for a refill to which Nate eagerly obliged refilling.

"Why we have to parade around the city is beyond me. I'd love to have a beautiful ceremony like you and Abbey had," he held up his hand, "and if you say one more time that I am the crown prince, you'll be on the list to be punched next."

"Come on, you look grand and very fit for a king. I think we should just walk out and leave them all scrambling to recover once they figure out you've decided enough was enough. What say you on that plan?" Nate smiled and watched as his brother drained a second glass.

Seth set it down with more grace than when he grabbed it, and turned to Nate delivering an elegant bow, "Lead the way, since you are the spare prince anyway, seems more fitting you should escort me to the carriage."

Nate bellowed a deep laugh and threw open the door starling everyone in the hall. Each one looked as if they were relieved to finally be able to re-enter the room and finish their primping of Seth.

Both brothers walked out and didn't stop their masculine and dominant walk down the hall. When they made it to the stairs, was when the both smirked for the chaos of their departure could be heard from this distance where Acadia and her servants scrambled to recover.

"Well done, Crown Prince of Lysban," Nate whispered. "Let's just see how long it takes mother to get to the carriage. I'll wager you a gold crown that she's already there."

Seth chuckled and clapped Nate on the back, "I would be stupid for taking such a wager, Nate. We both know she is aware of all the secret passages in this castle better than we do, therefore I know she'll be there."

"Spitting angry, too," Nate found amusement in his even though having her angry was not a fun event.

"Of course."

"I'll just smile at her when we get there. With me being her favorite, she'll melt immediately," Nate teased back, throwing this age old comment in his brother's face to lighten the moment.

"How many times must we discuss this? Really Nate, I'm starting to think you're daft. You're not her favorite, but definitely more special, therefore you require more of her attention."

"Whatever, Seth," he laughed to disregard the statement.

At the bottom of the steps, Seth paused and gripped the railing. "Is this how you felt at the top of the steps before your marriage?"

Nate's lips twitched, "Are you feeling like you're about to lose your ability to walk?"

"Yes. That wine may have been a bad idea," Seth replied.

"It was a good idea and yes, I felt like my muscles stopped working. Just remember, when you see Eilidh standing before you, nothing else will matter. Just hold out until then and everything will be fine. Trust me."

"That's a stretch, Nate," but he smiled and pushed off the railing towards the massive doors leading to the courtyard where his carriage awaited. Two servants dressed in formal uniforms saw him approaching opened them wide sending a gust of warm ocean air in from the outside.

They looked at each other, one to encourage and the other to cringe before they walked, side by side out to the top step and stopped.

Seth released a pained groan and waved his hand at what sat before them. "More garishness," he whispered for before him sat an ornate open carriage drawn by six massive white coach horses. They were dressed for the occasion with their harnesses and bridles adorned with feathers, trinkets and cut crystals so they sparked like the sea on a sunny day. Each time one of the horses fidgeted or shook their head, it sent a cascade of sound from the trinkets.

"Fit for King," Nate whispered back and nudged his brother, "Now go, so we can get in there before mother arrives," but he spied her just then near the carriage door and wilted, "Too late."

They approached cautiously, for she wasn't frowning but smiling sweetly as they neared. Whenever she smiled like that it was akin to a viper about to strike. "I don't trust her," Nate whispered.

"Neither do I, wonder what has her so controlled right now," Seth heard himself comment back.

That was when they spied their father just behind a group of fancy guards talking with Vincent and Ryan. Clearly, he had reined in her temper, which he usually did when she was this upset. "Ah," was all Nate said.

Seth didn't stop to allow discussion, but climbed straight into the elegant carriage with maroon velvet seats and sat in the center staring straight ahead. Nate sat facing him on the opposite bench with Dalana assuming the spot to Seth's right. Basil concluded his conversation and sat to his left.

"I'm sure you're ready for this all to be over," Basil added as he adjusted his long legs to fit more comfortably. These carriages never seemed to give him the freedom to be relaxed.

Seth hadn't moved, but grunted in reply. He felt as if his stomach would explode and thousands of butterflies would escape.

For a moment no one spoke.

"You left in a hurry, Seth?" Dalana said a little too sweetly.

"I'm anxious to get this moving along. Fussing with my crown was not going to help me achieve that goal," Seth added matter-of-factly.

"Dalana," Basil warned without looking at her, his tone was enough. He did, however shoot Seth an apologetic look followed by a warning glance to Nate to remain quiet.

"It's just that," she paused and collected his hand, "It's an important day, Seth. I just wanted to make sure it was perfect."

Nate ignored his father and leaned forward, "She did the same thing to me, so just try and ignore her," he winked and sat back quickly when Basil sneered at him.

Seth paused, and felt the guilt of that statement then looked around the carriage at each family member finding it in his heart to finally snicker. He loved each and every one of them to the point of being painful, so he let go of his annoyance and instead kissed his mother's cheek. "I'm sorry to rob you of any moment to fuss, mother. I just couldn't stand it any longer. It's bad enough I look like a prancing bird, so to have you encouraging them to add more pearls and such was setting me off."

She visibly relaxed, patting his hand, "You look positively handsome, Seth. Eilidh is going to be awestruck."

He snorted, "I'm sure it's going to be the other way around, but thanks."

The carriage lurched to a start at that point and the six white horses pranced with a flourish through the cobbled streets of the city. Their hooves had been painted black so they made a dashing scene as they high stepped through the streets until they arrived at the outdoor banquet hall perched on the cliff on the opposite side of town. They'd driven through mobs of people not able to make the ceremony with many shouting congratulations from rooftops, balconies and doorways along the way. At certain junctures along their path, coachmen were required to manage the hordes of people in order let them pass without injury before they once more climbed into their posts and sent the horses prancing on.

As they approached the hall, Seth whistled as he took in how the building had been transformed from an elaborate hall to a whimsical building, equipped with large aquariums filled with colorful fish from their harbor and decorative tables with relics of his house. A long gold carpet had been run from the carriage through the hall to a deck that hung over the cliff with the waves crashing just beneath their feet.

Acadia had used all her skills here for there were mage lights suspended in the air high above their heads to cast a warm glow on the guests, however when one looked up, as Seth did when he walked under then, it appeared like the night sky.

Long tables were set with their finest linens, crystal and silver, so the room literally sparkled as he walked through. Each glass caught the reflecting light from both the mage lights and the candles that had been set in equal intervals along the tables.

Tall centerpieces were placed showing the bounty of Lysban's fauna, along with their prized animal trophies along the outer wall intermixed with hundreds of Kings Guard as well as Mage Guards lined in formal attention.

"Why didn't I have my reception here?" Nate couldn't resist asking and failed to hide the respectful awe in his voice.

"Because you're not the crown prince," Seth replied full of sass. "More people wanted to celebrate with me because I'm the more beloved of the two sons."

"You just keep on believing that," Nate said as he patted his brother's back insincerely.

"Stop," Dalana ordered, "Nathaniel, you know why. With the weddings so close together, we wanted the celebrations to be held in different locations. Seth claimed this one first."

"Well, I guess I shouldn't complain. I didn't have to be dressed up like that," he pointed his thumb at his brother."

"Nathaniel," she cautioned in that one tone that meant trouble just as they emerged from the hall and proceeded towards the deck, also covered in a thick gold rug. Small white curtains had been tied to the railing, but obviously they were magical for when they fluttered in the wind, tiny chimes sound along with an iridescence making the fabric appear as if it were water.

Since it was a long standing tradition to marry near the ocean, the long lines of kings and queens of Lysban had stood along such a point so the sea faring realm could bless the union while standing on the cliffs watching. So it was that like any other wedding, along the cliff face north and south gathered thousands of spectators. As with Nate's wedding, there were also ships in the ocean just beyond the breakers that were packed with people who wished to witness the union of their next king and queen.

"Here we go," Seth whispered as he proceeded to the front where their family's clergyman was waiting with a tablet in hand. Seth tried to focus on his wiry white hair and wrinkly skin so he'd not let his nerves get the better of him. When that didn't help he concentrated on the way his shoes sank into the thick rug, but that even was not enough.

Nate gave one final squeeze on his brother's arm before he joined Abbey and the others in the seats assigned to the royal families. Chairs had been placed around the location, with the immediate family off to the side. There they remained while the other guests arrived including the company from Yorath and Folkyn.

Abbey felt so sorry for Seth. He was never one to like being the center of attention, which was a horrid twist of fate being that he'll be king one day, but this was really his first journey of being in the full spotlight. "Is Seth alright?" she leaned closer to Nate while smiling in encouragement at Seth when their eyes met.

"He's fine. Nervous," it was his turn to lean into her and placed his lips on her ear and whispered, "This is what I looked like before you came down the stairs."

Abbey turned to look at him, smiling in surprise, "Really?"

"And on the ship. Thankfully I had friends and a brother, so in both situations, I was spared the embarrassment of falling on my face."

She stifled her chuckle, snuggling closer.

Kade and Karin were the last to arrive in the royal families, so Nate turned and checked the far end of the hall. Just as he turned he watched the stunning black coach horses, equally as adorned, prance and then stop with the door to the carriage aligned with the gold rug.

Eilidh's sisters for the second time in a week stepped forward and opened the door to help her out of the carriage, which was Nate's cue to watch Seth.

He went from pinched tight and rigid to dumbstruck in a flash as if it were the first time he'd ever seen her. As he watched Eilidh exit the carriage, the grin grew wide on his face as he watched her being fussed over by her sisters.

Ryan got out last, held out his arm and that was when the music began to play a soft song and all heads turned towards the entrance. All except Nate. He was fascinated by his brother's transformation and wondered if he looked that in love when Abbey came into view. Probably, he finally agreed to himself.

Seth was locked in place and watched her slowly approach with her sisters holding her train. He wished the veil placed over her head didn't obscure her face, but still he could almost feel the heat of her eyes on him as she continued on the most painfully slow march towards him.

"She's stunning," Abbey whispered. "Only she could get away with a velvet gown like that."

Nate finally turned and saw the maroon and cream gown for the first time. "You would have looked fantastic in that, Abbey. Don't mistake me, I cherish the dress you wore for it was better suited for you, but don't sell yourself short."

She was not sure about that and watched as Eilidh pulled this off more gracefully than she ever could have. Each foot was placed perfectly as to give the appearance she was floating towards them while her head was held high and straight forward.

It was a traditional Lysban design with a pleated front to show the maroon signifying her marriage into the royal house. The rest was a creamy white with a tight corset top that pushed her already full breasts higher so that her breasts nearly spilled from the top. Even from this distance the fabric appeared soft to the touch and flowed deceiving the actual weight of the gown. And over every inch of fabric, the seamstress had sewed the same opals and mother of pearls that Seth was adorned in, making them a matching pair.

Exiting the hall at last allowing the sunlight to bathe her, there was a collective gasp from the audience for she practically sparkled from all the decorations. When she finally reached the front and Ryan kissed her cheek one last time as her sole protector, Seth claimed her hand, nearly crushing it to his side as the ceremony officially began.

There was a hushed silence that fell as the words were spoken, vows exchanged and the clergy blessing the marriage through a long and painful service. Finally, it was over and Eilidh was asked to lift her veil for the first time and Seth didn't wait to kiss his bride for she had tears of utter joy streaming down her cheeks.