The Arete - Princess-Consort Ch. 04

Chapter Four:

The Benedict

The next three days passed much as the ones before, but Jelvix came to see me personally on the night before the wedding.

"For Caeli's sake," she greeted me at my door with a necklace of blue lapis set in silver and a pair of matching bracelets set with smaller stones. The gifts were nowhere near as fine as the bright purple spinels she wore set in rich gold, but were still far more august than anything I'd ever thought to own. "She shouldn't be given to a woman wearing only a steel house pendant."

For all Jelvix seemed to regard her other grown sisters with indifference and Heoldax with open animosity, she regularly demonstrated sisterly fondness for Caeli.

"Thank you, Your Highness," I accepted the jewelry gratefully.

"You are welcome for Caeli's sake," she repeated. "Where is your valet?"

"I have none."

"Of course you don't," she huffed, "Where is the ranking member of your household?"

"Corporal Kemptrux," I gestured to the young soldier, who stood.

"A common guardswoman," Jelvix waved her hand dismissively, "You at least must have a squire. You," she pointed at Vostiv.

"Yes, Your Highness." Poor Vostiv stood too quickly and knocked over her chair. Then she stooped even more gawkily to stand it back up.

Jelvix rolled her eyes. "You will gather Ser Taiglox's things after she leaves for her wedding. Leave all the furniture and such, and bring the rest to the last door on the third passageway from here. The bride's majordoma will be there to assist you," done with my squire, she turned to me again, "Given your situation, your apartments will be furnished in advance and Caeli will keep most of own her things even after the two of you are wed. Otherwise, the wedding and marriage will be wholly traditional in palatial style. You are familiar?"

Only married women (and the betrothed) are allowed to attend noble weddings, so I'd never been. But I'd learned more or less what would happen from gossiping wives sat next to me at banquets while at my aunt's house and also from married officers I'd camped with while warring.

"Yes. I stand at the foot of a long rug. The ranking present house member-"

"The Queen," Jelvix supplied.

"The Queen will formally bestow Princess Caeli and her care on me and my house. Princess Caeli will walk down the aisle to me and I'll tell her she's mine and wrap my cloak around her."

"Yes. Good," Jelvix approved, and continued with no change to her frank and business-like tone, "Yonjax has made clear to you that we will brutally torture you to death if you in any way misuse our little sister once she's given to you? I want for there to be no ambiguity on that score."

Kemptrux looked as though she was quite sure she must have misheard, but had the good sense not to interrupt. Vostiv's eyes widened and her mouth gaped open as she looked back and forth betwixt Jelvix and me, not knowing how to react. Thankfully, Jelvix continued to ignore them both.

It occurred to me that neither young warrior had been aware of the previous death threats against me as their ser and ma'am respectively, and so were probably justified in their confused distress. I'd the benefit of having had a great deal of recent experience with threats against my life, and so was less bothered.

"Yes, Your Highness," I confirmed, "I was told I'd be drawn and quartered were my execution to be public. And, alternately, that the torture would likely involve burning at least or at end should my cause of death be made to appear an accident."

"Probably a scold's bridle, breast ripper, and combing on a rack finished by brazen bull, so more cooking than burning really, but yes," Jelvix expounded dispassionately, "Still, obviously, no one expects or hopes any such actions to be necessary. You've acted with great courtesy thus far. We only wish to ensure that you remain so behind closed doors."

"I understand, Your Highness," I confirmed simply.

"Back to the wedding," Jelvix reverted to her primary reason for visiting, "Once Caeli is wrapped in your cloak, the Queen will dismiss you. You then take her directly to your apartments. The way will be cleared, aside from some guardswomen of course."

I nodded.

"On your arrival, your honeymoon period will commence. Do you understand what that entails?"

"Er, well, yes?" I confirmed awkwardly. I wondered if she intended to give me a sex talk if I said no?

"Yes, that too, obviously. Consummation of the union is necessary. But I meant you understand that you and Caeli are required to remain in your apartments for six weeks thereafter?"

"What about Savaran?"

"What about what?"

"My warhorse."

Jelvix spat anger, "You are marrying a princess, you fucking provincial. Your damned squire can look after your horse."

"Understood, Your Highness." I hadn't intended to suggest that I'd neglect Caeli.

"I'll bring Savaran out where you can see him in the yard," Vostiv offered helpfully.

"Bring up the fucking horse again," Jelvix snapped, "Any one of you idiots, bring up a fucking horse again while I speak of marriage into the highest level of the House Royal."

Vostiv looked like she wanted to die on the spot. Instinctively, I wanted to defend the well-meaning child, but decided placating the perfervid princess to be the wiser course.

"Apologies, Your Highness," I answered formally, "I am acutely aware and extremely appreciative of the honor being bestowed on me and on my house."

"Very well," she seemed moderately mollified, but still miffed, "Be at the throne room by 8 bells."

Vostiv immediately attempted to apologize, once Jelvix left.

"Don't worry yourself," I tried to reassure the hapless child, "I don't think any of us knew what to say."

Kemptrux nodded in sympathetic agreement.

"But I ought to have," Vostiv lamented, "that's part of what I'm here for."

"Just look after Savaran for me, and the both of you keep up your training and riding as you can," I laid a parental hand on Vostiv's shoulder and nodded back to Kemptrux, "I'm marrying your dazzling cousin tomorrow. My horse can do without me for a few weeks."

Vostiv smiled in quiet thanks that I wasn't angry at her self-diagnosed failures.

"All the same," I smiled back, "I can have one last ride tonight to say farewell for a while. The two of you should be off to sleep though."

"Ser," Vostiv queried fretfully, "Yonjax didn't really threaten you?"

I frowned. Heoldax, Jelvix, and Yonjax threatening me with dire consequences for harming my beloved and vulnerable Caeli didn't offend me. There should be dire consequences for harming my beloved and vulnerable Caeli.

"She did, Vostiv, but she was right to do it," I tried to explain, "Sometimes individuals are given opportunity to hurt people whom we cherish. It's important to deter those individuals by ensuring that they understand such a hurt will be answered ineluctably, ferociously, and pitilessly. In that way, it is better to safeguard people in our care before hurt than it is to seek vengeance for them after hurt."

Vostiv wrinkled her brow in new thought. Kemptrux nodded her head in experienced agreement.

"But it's late in the day for philosophizing," I reasoned and ordered, "To bed with the pair of you. I'll have that last ride."

I greeted Sanguine and Stygian, but only took Savaran from his stall and saddled him.

Naturally, I'm not balmy enough to think my stallion understood that we'd be separated, but it was the only real length of time we'd been apart since I'd started campaigning. For my own sake, I wanted to part on a happy note for me to think on until I saw him again.

For his part, he'd been cramped up in the stables as I was cramped in my rooms, so we both relished a good galloping in the fresh night air, even if he didn't know it'd be our last for awhile.

And so we did for a time, my hair and my great gray warhorse's mane flowing in the wind we created with our speed, until called to again by Meirbax.

Knowing for whom she called, I smiled that time as I wheeled Savaran about.

"Well met, Meirbax!" I shouted.

"Over to your right, ser!" she shouted back, knowing also for whom I sought.

"Caeli," I still spoke loudly enough that she could hear me, but my voice always takes a softly reverent tone when addressing my gentle princess. I couldn't imagine a scenario in which my voice wouldn't be softer in speaking to Caeli than the soldierly voice I used with all other adults in my life.

"Hi, Tai."

"Hi."

"We're to be married tomorrow," she moved the conversation forward.

"Yes," I agreed fervently, "I look forward eagerly." To this day, it's the only ceremony I've eagerly awaited. (If I'd but known,...but I didn't know and I didn't know that I didn't know.)

"Me, too," she faltered, "I very much want to marry you, Tai, I..." she trailed off.

"I do love you, dear Caeli," I confessed honestly and guessed rightly at what she wanted to say but feared would not be reciprocated.

"I love you too, Tai," she spoke more confidently. Better, I felt the emotion in her words. They warmed me.

But the hour was late and I hated the idea of our lovely rendezvous' magic spell being broken by chaperones telling us to part.

"Good night then, my love. Until we wed."

"Until we wed," Caeli waved as she retired to her apartments.

I couldn't stop smiling as I put up Savaran and went to sleep.

Come morning, I skipped riding, had a full breakfast, and dressed in my best. That was the same tunic, leggings, slippers, and cloak I'd worn to the ball with the addition of the fine necklace and bracelets of blue lapis set in silver that Jelvix gave me.

At 7 bells, I left for the throne room and so stood outside for the better part of an hour as various nobles passed. Some smiled, some winked, some didn't acknowledge me at all. By their colors, a few were also members of House Laerdya.

I didn't readily recognize any of my higher born cousins, save one and only then by association. Yonjax walked in with a very attractive woman on her arm that I assumed to be Poumi.

My extremely soon-to-be sister-in-law stopped to shake my hand and introduce her wife to me. Poumi greeted me warmly and told me that Caeli and I would have to come over for dinner. Both chatted with me a little and made me feel more at my ease before they too walked into the throne room.

8 bells rang and still I stood, growing even more anxious at the thought that perhaps I'd missed a cue to enter. But then a few young people came through the door going out, including the same page I'd met when I'd first arrived at the palace.

"Plinit, well met," I greeted her as she stopped to speak with me.

"Well met, my Lieutenant," she smiled back, apparently less frightened since I wore an outfit more familiar to her, "You are to go inside and stand on the mat woven of cendrée and azure."

"Thank you, Plinit."

"You are welcome, my Lieutenant," she bowed gracefully, "And congratulations." With a few more flourishes, she scampered off to catch up with all the other squires and pages and such.

I stepped into the throne room and for a few moments the eyes of hundreds of highly born nobles were upon me. Maintaining my military bearing, I walked directly to my place and stood looking forward at the Queen, who stood two hundred or so feet ahead of me and a few feet in front of her throne.

"Ser Taiglox of House Laerdya," she addressed me and all eyes moved to her, "You are here today to receive the hand of my daughter, Princess Caeli. I am entrusting her to you, with full confidence in your honorable nature, good sense, and strong arm to make provision for her and my posterity borne by her in your marriage."

The Queen raised her left hand and Caeli entered into the throne room through the throne door, wearing only a thin white simple shift dress, wearing her beautiful dark hair down and completely loose, and wearing no cosmetics on her beautiful face. She walked to stand a few feet in front of her mother and smiled at me, radiant.

Returning her smile was an understatement. My body remained rigidly at attention as a good soldier's should, but my face absolutely beamed.

To that point, everything was as I expected. The simple colorless dress with no flourishes, paints, or accessories symbolized that the bride was being relinquished wholly by her own house and in turn was relinquishing the wealth and protection of the house she was born to.

But I didn't know what "the palatial style" meant. I should have asked Jelvix what that meant and I didn't. That was my fault. I should have asked and I didn't.

"As she was given to me, so I give her to you," the Queen finished and stepped forward to Caeli, untying Caeli's dress so it fell to the floor before stepping back, allowing the assembled host of nobles a full view of the fully disrobed princess.

Caeli clearly hadn't expected that either. Her beautiful face horror stricken, she collapsed into a ball, holding her knees tightly to her chest and burying her face in her flesh.

Time stopped and raced at once.

The room filled with chatter. A few voices rose over the general din to urge Caeli to stand and walk as she was supposed to do, but most were indecipherable.

In the next seconds, there were also voices urging me to stop and go back.

I sprinted to her, running with the same urgency and certainty as to a siege ladder under a rain of arrows.

My cloak and arms were around her before I realized I'd taken it off.

"Tai," Caeli whispered in shock. "Tai. Tai."

"I'm here. I'm here, Caeli. I've got you." I reassured her, my self and my cloak covering her nakedness and offering her protection.

Then I realized what I'd done. I'd flagrantly broken clear orders in a sacred ceremony presided over by the Queen herself. In front of the creme of the nobility. And I was now huddled over the Queen's naked daughter at her feet before the throne.

Knowing I'd shamed myself, my house, and my commission, I left my cloak covering my terrified bride, then stood and faced the Queen in silence as everyone else clamored. There was nothing for me to say.

"Ser Taiglox, you must re-don your cloak and return to your place. The-" An authoritative voice - the Master of Ceremonies I learned later - spoke out clearly over the increasingly more violently arguing voices.

The Queen raised her hand for quiet. Dead silence fell in an utterly motionless throne room.

I tried to steel myself, expecting I might lose everything, but still not being able to regret rushing to Caeli's aid.

"My daughter is now hers to run to." In her grace, the Queen excused my trespass to the room at large and then ordered me, "Ser Taiglox, in the sight of the crown you are married and your union has my blessing. Take your bride to your apartments and commence your honeymoon."

I bowed in open gratitude to the Queen, made sure my cloak was wrapped well around my bride, and carried her down the aisle. Caeli, still terribly embarrassed, buried her face in my shoulder.

Thankfully, the way to our new apartments was clear as Jelvix had promised.

"I'm so sorry," Caeli whispered to the inside of my shoulder, "I didn't know."

"It's okay. I really think it's okay," I tried to calm her, "I didn't know either. But I think it'll be okay. Let's just get you inside and we'll get you dressed. Alright?"

She nodded into my shoulder. Instinctively, I kissed the crown of her sweet head.

Armed guardswomen stood outside our door, but pretended not to see us as one opened the door so I needn't set Caeli down.

(Her name was Drakix and she was a poor rider and only a middling shot with a bow, but - had she been the finest soldier in the Queen's army - I couldn't have appreciated her more than I did for that small act of consideration.)

"This way, milady," a matronly woman in my colors directed me, leading me through the unknown floor plan of our new apartments to a large bedroom as three handmaidens followed us.

"Thank you, uh, er?"

"Hevliun, milady," she introduced herself, "I'm your majordomo."

"Well met," I set Caeli on the bed and stepped toward the closet.

"Milady, we'll do that," one of the handmaidens spoke up.

"Thank you, uh?"

"Praden, Jekron, and Awhonam, milady," Praden answered for the three of them, who all curtsied before walking into the closet.

"You only have liveried servants, too?" I asked my kindhearted bride.

Caeli nodded.

"I knew I loved you," I kissed her lips, only a brushing peck.

She smiled again, only for a moment, but she smiled again.

Courteously, I turned away. Technically, yes I'd seen her naked, but I'd only registered her traumatized face in that awful moment, not actually perceiving the rest of her beautiful form for the urgency I felt. And I could afford to let her reveal more of herself to me in her own time.

"You can turn now, milady," Hevliun reported.

Caeli wore a lovely azure dress belted in cendrée platinum set with moonstones. Breathtaking.

"Tell the truth," I gently teased my new wife, "You asked to marry into my house because of how stunning you look in blue and grey?"

She blushed at the compliment and everyone else discreetly left the room. "I didn't. I didn't have any say. Really."

"Neither did I, but I couldn't be more pleased. And I want to please you, too." I opened the bedroom door and held out my hand to her, "Maybe we can start with breakfast? Have you eaten?"

"No," she took my hand with a smile and let me lead her to the dining room. Slightly awkwardly, I didn't yet know the location of the dining room, but I followed the sounds of my boisterous corporal and excited squire talking and laughing.

Kemptrux and Vostiv already sat at the long wooden table, finishing up their breakfast.

"Ma'am, you should have married sooner. This grub is amazing," Kemptrux spoke before she saw Caeli, then stood suddenly in embarrassed politeness, "Your Highness."

"Please, sit," Caeli answered, "We all live here. You don't have to stand for me."

"Thank you, Your Highness," Kemptrux resat herself.

"Hi Caeli," Vostiv greeted her close cousin, still sitting herself, "it is nice to eat decent food again."

On the table were fresh eggs, milk, and fruits. Ham cooked that day instead of salted. Light honeyed cakes instead of hard black bread. Forks and spoons even, and cups made of metal instead of wood.

"Hey Vos," Caeli smiled small at seeing another familiar face, "What are you up to today?"

Vostiv did stand then, "I have to be off to page training. I'll be back in an hour or so, though," a pensive look crossed her face, "Are you...good, Caeli?"

"Yes," she semi-lied, "It's just been an overly exciting day."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"Maybe later."

"Okay," Vostiv nodded comfortingly and left.

Kemptrux glanced between Caeli and me and stood again just as suddenly, "I have to go, too. Uh. Riding." My corporal left abruptly, displaying a lack of social grace that even I pitied.

"It seems I've cleared the room," Caeli noted sadly.

"Nonsense," I disagreed loyally, "We're just being given some space as newlyweds."

"You're kind, Tai, but you're a terrible liar."

I smiled wryly, "So I've been told. But you have had an overly exciting morning, my love. A quiet breakfast and a day spent inside might be just the thing for us?"

We ate pleasantly, but both of us picked at our food long after we were full. Truthfully, I wasn't sure what we should do next. We couldn't leave. After the morning she'd had, I didn't think she'd be ready to use our honeymoon as couples typically did. And we struggled to make small talk.

Then it hit me, "You wanted to learn to read?" My treatises on war would be inappropriate, but she'd expressed interest in botany and astronomy, subjects which were covered to greater or lesser degrees in a few texts I had. And she might like one of the sections on armor smithing or horse breeding.