Crown of Destiny (25 page)

"You cannot destroy me, Mother," he said.

"You are right, Kolgrim, I cannot. But I can cause you more difficulties than you can ever imagine. Remember it is Shadow Prince magic that contains your father and your twin brother, Kolbein, within their prison cell. I am forced to face the fact that Hetar is doomed to the darkness. But I don't have to make it easy for you, do I? Leave Marzina alone. I shall not warn you again, my lord." She smiled sweetly into his surprised face then, reaching for her goblet, drained it down.

Kolgrim smiled back at her. A tight smile. "Keep my sister then if you can," he said. "I have more important matters to attend to than that hoyden. I have a son to create. Do you remember when father mated with you? Did you scream with the pain?"

"What a nasty boy you are," Lara taunted him back. "At least I wasn't a virgin like the delicate Nyura. Will you mate her tonight? If you do, you cannot touch her again until the Completion Ceremony. I assume you will want to enjoy her for a while, but then your time is short, isn't it, Kolgrim."

He laughed now. "You are right, of course. But my House of Women is newly stocked and will keep me amused until Nyura is free from her duty to me."

"How fortunate for you, dear. I hope Nyura isn't the jealous type. If she is, your life will not be pleasant. You must treat her with especial care once she carries your only son," Lara purred at him. "I will say this about your father. He was always most courteous to me. But then I did not try his patience."

Kolgrim laughed. "He was too lenient with you, Mother. And then you broke his heart. I shall not be quite so forbearing."

Now it was Lara who laughed. "Kolgrim, you have much to learn of women."

"My lord--" Nyura put a proprietary hand on her bridegroom's arm "--you are ignoring me, and for your mother. What will people think?"

Lara chuckled low and turned to speak with Kaliq, who had been listening to her discourse with Kolgrim. "I believe I am temporarily better, my lord," she said.

"He is far more dangerous than you realize," Kaliq said softly.

"I know it," Lara said, "but as long as he does not know I know, our battles are less apt to be violent. He will finish this charade to suit Hetar. But come the morrow, Grugyn Ahasferus will find his granddaughter and her new husband gone. He only has a few more weeks in which to impregnate her. After that he will be forced to wait until the next mating season. And anything could happen in that time. The Book of Rule can be fickle. If Nyura does not conceive quickly, her usefulness to Kolgrim could be over. Remember, he had no compunction about killing Ciarda."

"I am relieved you are not plotting to prevent Nyura's conception," Kaliq said.

Lara shook her head. "My faerie heart has hardened. I no longer care what happens to this world of Hetar, especially given what I saw today. That depravity and cruelty should play a part in the joy of a marriage celebration is more than I can bear. How can I give my magic to mortals like that, Kaliq? My only care now is for us, for Marzina, for our family. We must quickly remove Marzina from Hetar. Kolgrim says he will leave her to me, but I can see into his black heart. He means to have his sister. He believes if he keeps her I will not leave her. And, though he says it not, I believe he intends to take my magic from me if he can."

"Aye, he would," Kaliq said slowly. "Nothing will ever be enough for Kolgrim, I fear. The tiny bit of mortal within him weakens him though he knows it not, my love."

"A toast! A toast to the bride and bridegroom!" Grugyn Ahasferus stood up, goblet in hand.

The guests all arose and drank to Kolgrim and Nyura a dozen times over as the lavish meal progressed. There were prawns broiled in butter and wine. Platters of fish from the Sagitta, caught only that morning and delivered by faerie post to the kitchens of Grugyn Ahasferus, were served on beds of watercress with carved lemons surrounding them. There was venison, wild boar, game birds of all kinds, ducks, geese, pheasant, quail and tiny ortolans among them. Green salads, fresh breads in all shapes and sizes, butter and cheese were in abundance. Then a great cake soaked in wine, covered with thick whipped cream and filled with berries was served to each guest. The goblets were never allowed to be empty; soft music from a musicians' gallery never ceased playing, but finally the meal began to come to an end.

Dancers began to weave their way among the trestle tables where the guests were seated, finishing before the High Board, where they entertained all. A choir of castrated men and boys sang for the wedding party. And beyond the colonnade the sun set, and night came. It would soon be time for the defloration ceremony. Nyura's mother and Lady Camilla arose, discreetly nodding to the bride. Without a word she got up and followed them from the hall.

Kolgrim leaned over. "Do not forget that you three are my witnesses," he said to Lara, Kaliq and Marzina.

"Who are the others?" Prince Kaliq asked, curious.

"The Lord High Ruler, Dominus Cadarn and Prince Vaclar," Kolgrim answered them. "The Domina begged to be excused and her husband has relented. Of course her parents and grandparents would be there if tradition permitted, but they must be in the hall with the rest of the guests. The witnesses must be unbiased and six is enough."

"I think it's barbaric," Marzina remarked. "The poor girl must be terrified. Losing one's virginity should not be a traumatic experience."

"You speak from experience, I assume," Kolgrim teased her.

Marzina laughed. "My first lover was a friend of my uncle Cirillo. He was most charming and gentle. I thoroughly enjoyed his company for some months, but then I grew curious and tried my first mortal."

"What a naughty girl you are, Marzina," Kolgrim said, looking directly at Lara.

"I'm a faerie, Kolgrim. And faeries are naughty," Marzina replied pertly.

"You are only half-faerie, sister. The other half of you is Darklander, and Darklanders are naughty, too," Kolgrim told her.

A small shadow passed over Marzina's pretty face. "I had not considered that bit of my heritage," she said.

"Perhaps you should," he murmured low.

"Perhaps you should cease tormenting your sister," Lara said in an even voice, and put an arm about Marzina. "Your promise I see is worthless, Kolgrim."

He laughed mockingly at her. "I did not have your good example growing up, mother dear," he taunted her. "Perhaps if I had I would be a different man."

Now it was Lara who laughed. "Nay, you would be as you are, Kolgrim. Your father's son. But Marzina is my daughter first." Her arm tightened about the girl.

"What are you two quarreling about?" Marzina wanted to know. "Oh, you smile and you laugh, but I know you are squabbling."

"Our mother wishes to control your fate," Kolgrim quickly said, knowing that Lara was overprotective of her daughter, and that Marzina sometimes resented it.

"Nay," Lara responded before Marzina might speak. "I want
you
to control your fate, but your
brother
seems to believe he can speak for you, and I object to that. You are perfectly capable of managing your own life, Marzina, although I will admit to being surprised by it," Lara concluded, almost laughing aloud at the surprised look on Kolgrim's face that she had so neatly and swiftly turned the tables on him.

The outrage Marzina had been prepared to aim at her mother she now directed toward Kolgrim. "How dare you presume to speak for me?" she demanded of him.

"I only thought..." Kolgrim began.

"Do not think for me, either," Marzina said icily. "Really! What is it with the male of any species that they believe themselves superior to the female? I should leave you right now, but that I am a woman of my word, and have promised to be a witness for you, Kolgrim. I will not embarrass you before these mortals, though you deserve it."

"If you are wise, you will say nothing further," Prince Kaliq murmured so that only Kolgrim could hear him.

Kolgrim fell silent. About them the wedding guests continued drinking and watching the entertainment. When the defloration ceremony was completed they would simply leave Grugyn Ahasferus's house, the wedding day and its celebration officially over. But until then, they waited, drinking, watching, talking. Lady Camilla and her daughter-in-law returned to the hall, going directly to Kolgrim.

"Your virgin bride awaits you, my lord," Lady Camilla said. Then, "The witnesses will follow me to the observation chamber." She turned and they arose and Lady Camilla led them to the far end of one of the house's wings, ushering them into a small chamber. Two tiers of seats faced a curtained wall. Lady Camilla drew the curtain back to reveal a transparent glass that gave a full view of the room on the other side. "You will hear what happens as well as see," she told them, "although they can neither hear nor see you. As you know, virgin brides are a rarity in Hetar, but we are not uncivilized. The couple will have the illusion of privacy. After the bride is deflowered a servant will collect the proof of her perfection and bring it to you." She looked directly at the witnesses. "My lady Lara, may I ask you to bring the evidence back to the dining hall yourself. Your history with Hetar makes you, and I mean no offense to others here, the most trustworthy of the witnesses."

"I am honored," Lara replied, nodding respectfully to Lady Camilla. She had no quarrel with Hetar any longer, and there was no harm in being civil.

"Thank you," Lady Camilla said. "Now I must bring the bridegroom into the Nuptial chamber." She hurried from the little room. The witnesses seated themselves.

"Given this display," Dominus Cadarn said, "the Ahasferus family cannot object to our traditional Terahn wedding ceremony."

"What's so different about it?" Palben asked, curious.

"The betrothed couple are married before their guests at dawn as the sun rises,
naked,
" Cadarn answered his cousin. "Once they are pledged they are clothed in wedding garments, but naked shows they are free of all impediment. It's a very ancient tradition, and Vaclar's wedding will be presided over by the High Priest from the Temple of the Great Creator. But Yamka will at least have privacy on her wedding night."

"Most brides do, except those who so childishly clutch their virginities to themselves," Palben answered. "But if they insist they are pure they must prove it before witnesses. It brings honor to their family that they have made such a sacrifice as denying themselves pleasures while other girls their age enjoyed themselves." Then he leaned forward in his seat. "Oh, look! The facilitators have entered the Nuptial chamber."

"Facilitators?" Prince Vaclar said.

"The defloration is done as quickly as possible," Palben said. "The couple does not wish any passion they might share to be viewed. The object is to remove Nyura's virginity so the bridal couple may enjoy pleasures together. But Kolgrim can hardly fling himself upon his bride and violate her rudely. There are three facilitators at such a ceremony. Two are male sex slaves. It is their task to prepare the bride, to see that her juices flow so that her bridegroom may have an easier passage. The third facilitator is a Pleasure Woman. It is her chore to make certain that Kolgrim's cock is firm and upstanding so he may perform his duty swiftly and with dispatch. Once that is done the couple is escorted to a private chamber for the night," Palben explained.

Marzina shuddered delicately. "I don't care what you say," she remarked. "The whole thing is simply barbaric."

"I am inclined to agree," Prince Vaclar said, and Dominus Cadarn nodded.

"Nonetheless, it is our custom in Hetar, even as naked bridal couples are yours in Terah," Palben responded tartly. How dare these two foreigners criticize Hetar? Hetar was the more civilized world, and always had been. What was Terah but fjords and farmlands. A place of simple artisans and craftsmen. They had nothing that Hetar had. They might not be savages, but they were certainly not urbane.

"My goodness, those two sex slaves are well hung," Marzina noted. "Perhaps I shall take advantage of their services afterward. Who owns them, I wonder?"

"They come from the Pleasure Mistress Helena's house," Palben told her. "They are quite well-known for their expertise. When we are finished here I will arrange it for you, my lady Marzina."

"Actually I am your great-aunt," she told him mischievously knowing how the presence of magic upset him. "I thank you for your aid. It shall make this day a perfect one, nephew."

Palben flushed at the word
nephew
. She was young and beautiful. Hardly a creature one would think of as a great-aunt. He had actually been considering the possibility of seducing her. But she was not a child, after all. She had been his grandmother's sister. It was just too disturbing to even consider.

"IT'S BEGINNING," PRINCE KALIQ SAID, BREAKING into the Lord High Ruler's thoughts, and freeing him from his distress.

The witnesses turned toward the viewing window. The bride, naked now, was laid upon the large bed that was covered with white silk and scattered with several plump pillows. Her slender, delicate arms were spread and bound with blue silk cords to the narrow bedposts above her head.

"Why has the girl been bound?" Lara inquired. "What is to come is no surprise to her. Why is it necessary to restrain her."

"The defloration needs to be done in relatively short order," Palben replied. "By restraining her, she is prevented from acting on any last-moment panic on her part."

Lara shook her head disparagingly. Nyura didn't look in the least panicked.

The two male sex slaves now joined her upon the bed. They kissed her lips in turn. Then each moved to play with one of her breasts. They kissed and suckled, kissed and nibbled upon her nipples. Their hands stroked her voluptuous young body. Now one of the pair moved to kiss Nyura's mouth once again. His kisses were slow and deep. It was obviously he was quite good at what he was doing, for the girl's body began to move slightly as his kisses grew more heated, evidenced by his burgeoning cock against the bride's shapely leg.

The second male sex slave began to lick and kiss the girl's torso, moving slowly down until he reached her plump rosy mons. His hand reached out to squeeze it several times, and the witnesses heard Nyura make a small sound of surprise. Then the sex slave pulled the girl's nether lips apart, licking the insides of them, seeking out that tiny nub of flesh that, properly cajoled, could offer small pleasures. Nyura began to make little whimpering sounds.

Lara's eyes moved to where Kolgrim stood naked. In his arms was one of the most beautiful Pleasure Women she had ever seen. The body Kolgrim caressed was flawless and perfectly proportioned, with two lovely round breasts, a narrow waist from which flared two rounded hips and smooth, plump buttocks. He kissed the woman passionately as her hands caressed him seductively, touching him in places that brought a virile man to full lust.

The Pleasure Woman finally eased from the Twilight Lord's embrace and slipped to her knees before Kolgrim, taking his manhood into her mouth. They watched as her cheeks moved slowly, rhythmically, in and out. It was obvious she was taking her time with him in order to bring him to a perfect pitch. Kolgrim's eyes closed with the ecstasy she was giving him. His large hand with its long elegant fingers dug into the tangle of her thick dark hair, kneading her head.

On the bed Nyura's little cries were becoming urgent as the sex slave between her legs worried her little jewel with a skilled tongue.

The Pleasure Woman held up her hand and, releasing the enormous cock she had been sucking, said, "Is the bride prepared and ready for her bridegroom? I cannot hold him back any longer."

"She is ready," the sex slave licking at Nyura said, backing away from the girl. Both he and his companion arose from the bed, each taking one of the girl's legs and pulling it up and back so her sex was fully accessible to her bridegroom. The two slave men had done their work well. Nyura was wet, her juices copious and visible to the witnesses in the other chamber.

The Pleasure Woman took the Twilight Lord's great hard manhood in her hand and led him to the bed. Kneeling next to the bride, she guided Kolgrim's cock to the opening of Nyura's sheath. "The prize awaits you, my lord," she said, sliding off the bed.

Kolgrim looked into Nyura's face. He saw in her face that her lust matched his. It would have pleased him to tease her for a bit, and while he could not see the witnesses, he knew they were watching; he could feel their eyes upon him, their anticipation. He wondered if his mother was remembering his father at this moment. Did she recall her mating when she conceived him? Or was it that time upon the Dream Plain when his father had ravaged her, impregnating her with his sister?

His thoughts excited him even more. His cock ached. He pressed it a little way into her sheath. She squealed, and he saw a sudden fear in her eyes. He pushed a bit farther, and met the resistance of her maidenhead. The knowledge that his would be the only cock to ever know her almost caused him to lose control of himself.

"It hurts," she whimpered at him.

"Does it?" He smiled into her face, drew his throbbing cock back and thrust forward hard. He felt her maidenhead give way as he ripped it asunder. Her scream was so loud that it was heard in the banqueting hall, and Nyura did not cease screaming for several long moments as her bridegroom thrust over and over and over again into her. But then her cries died away, and instead they heard her moaning as Kolgrim brought her the pleasures she had listened to other woman gush about since she was twelve, and old enough to understand, at least partly, what they were discussing.

He pumped her for several more deep strokes, and then his body stiffened momentarily as, groaning, he released his juices into her. Reaching up, he undid the bonds holding her, nodding to the two sex slaves to release her legs. Then, standing up, he smiled down upon her. "You did well, Nyura."

Dazed she looked up at him. "Did I please you?" she asked softly.

"You have much to learn, but I will teach you," he said. "Get up now, Nyura. The evidence of your honesty must be presented to our guests so they may go home. Then so will we, my pet."

Nyura managed to gather herself together. She climbed from the bed. Looking down at the large stain of blood upon the white coverlet, she appeared startled. There was blood upon her thighs, too. Ripping the silk from the bed, she handed it to the Pleasure Woman, who bowed politely. Then with the two male sex slaves the three facilitators left the chamber.

"Our part in this is over," Palben said. "Will you all agree that the bride's claim to virginity was a legitimate one? And that the bridegroom was not cheated?"

His companions nodded.

"Then we will return to the banqueting chamber with the proof," the Lord High Ruler said.

Stepping into the corridor from the viewing room, they found the three facilitators waiting for them. The Pleasure Woman bowed to Lara, handing her the bloodied coverlet.

"Thank you," Lara said, nodding to her.

The Lord High Ruler snapped his fingers at the two male sex slaves. "You belong to the Pleasure Mistress Lady Helena?"

"We do, my lord," one replied.

"Tell your mistress that this noble young lady would avail herself of your services this evening. You are to both come to the palace."

"Yes, my lord," was the reply.

"Why thank you, nephew," Marzina said, smiling sweetly at him.

Behave yourself!
Lara scolded her daughter, but her mouth was smiling.

He lusts after me because he sees me as young and fair,
Marzina said.
And it truly troubles him, Mother, because I am his great-aunt.
She swallowed back a giggle.

They reached the banqueting hall. Lara entered and walked directly to the High Board, followed by the other witnesses. Moving to the table's center, she was lifted atop it by the four male witnesses. Once there Lara unfurled the white silk coverlet, its crimson bloodstains now beginning to turn brown. "The bride was true!" she cried.

The banqueting hall erupted in cheers, and as she was helped down from the High Board she saw Grugyn Ahasferus being congratulated. Lara shook her head in wonder. Hetarians encouraged their daughters to take pleasures early so they might be contented wives; they loved their Pleasure Houses; yet one maid who retained her virginity was celebrated for it on her wedding day though she had been scorned for it in the years prior.

"Are you coming back to the palace with me?" Marzina asked her mother.

"Nay. I think Kaliq and I will go home to Shunnar. Will you come and see us soon, my darling? I need to speak with you."

"Is it about Kolgrim?" Marzina asked cleverly.

"Aye, it is," Lara responded candidly. She would not lie to her child now. Not when what she must say was so important. She wanted Marzina's cooperation.

"I will come," Marzina replied, "but, Mother, you must not worry about me. I know what Kolgrim is.
Really is.
I know as much as he desires a family, a little sister, he would kill me if it suited his purposes. I am aware of it."

Lara nodded. "I trust your judgment," she said.

"Now let me go. Those two delicious sex slaves are awaiting me, and I am eager to take pleasures with them," the young faerie woman said with a twinkle in her violet eyes. "Do you think they are as sturdy as they look?"

"You will tell me when you come to Shunnar," Lara told her daughter.

Marzina laughed and, turning, hurried away.

"Great-grandmother!" Dominus Cadarn had come to her side. "We need your help in the matter of my son's betrothal."

"Your uncle is expert in all matters Hetarian," Lara said. "Can he not help you?"

"It is he who calls for you," Cadarn said.

"Very well, I shall come." She turned to Kaliq. "Will you wait or go home?"

"I will await you in Shunnar," he said, bending to kiss her mouth. Then, stepping away from her, he swirled his cloak about himself and disappeared.

Cadarn's mouth fell open. "What happened to him?" he asked.

"He returned home, which I should like to do, so take me to Lord Amren so we may conclude the matter of Vaclar's marriage. If I know your uncle, there is something he knows the Hetarians will consider unpleasant, and he wants me to press the point."

The wedding guests had all gone, and the house was virtually empty but for the family and their servants. Cadarn led Lara to a large library where Grugyn Ahasferus was now seated with her grandson, Prince Amren. She nodded to them both then said, "Well, what is it that I am needed for, my lords?"

"Will you not be seated, Domina," Grugyn Ahasferus invited Lara. "And I have not thanked you for being witness to my granddaughter's defloration ceremony."

Amren rolled his eyes at Grugyn's polite speech. The Hetarian magnate was just attempting to get on the good side of his faerie grandmother. "They want the wedding here in The City," Amren said, his tone annoyed. "But the wedding must be held in Terah, in the castle of the Dominus. Lady Yamka will one day be Terah's Domina. Her marriage must be celebrated where she will rule."

"Has neither of you heard of the word
compromise?
" Lara asked them tartly.

"She must be wed here among her family," Grugyn Ahasferus said.

"Nay, she must be wed in Terah," Prince Amren replied.

"She can be wed in both places," Lara told them. "Let the first marriage be performed here in this house in the hour before sunset. Then I will transport them by means of my magic to Terah in time for the sunrise ceremony that is our tradition."

"But what of the wedding feast?" Grugyn demanded. "Is my family to be made a laughingstock because we do not celebrate Yamka's marriage as we have celebrated the marriages of my other two granddaughters?"

It would be one of the last things she did for them all, Lara thought. "Both Terah and Hetar will have their feasts," she told them. "In Hetar you will celebrate within your banqueting hall for it will be night. But if you walk from your hall through a magic tunnel we will provide, you will find yourself in Terah celebrating in the gardens of the Dominus's castle in the morning light. Neither of you will be embarrassed before your families and friends. Indeed you will be envied in both lands that magic made such a thing possible even though you all claim that magic no longer exists," she mocked them.

Grugyn Ahasferus's brow furrowed as he considered her words. "Indeed," he finally said, "there has certainly never been a wedding such as this one will be. And none will be able to duplicate it. Aye! You have given us the perfect solution, Domina Lara."

He looked to Prince Amren. "My lord, are you in agreement?"

"I am!" came the reply.

"You must have Dominus Cadarn's permission for this," Lara said quietly, realizing that the two old men were leaving Terah's ruler out of the matter.

"Of course! Of course!" Prince Amren quickly agreed. "Nephew, will you give us your formal consent to celebrate the marriage of your son and heir, Vaclar, to Yamka Ahasferus, in both Hetar and Terah?" His tone was properly deferential.

The Dominus's ego now properly soothed, Cadarn looked at the two men, and said, "I will agree, my lords. You have come up with a clever solution."

"It is the Lady Lara who has found the solution," Grugyn Ahasferus said, "and I am grateful to her. This will be a good marriage, my lord Dominus. My granddaughter has been properly raised, and knows her place, as I have previously said."

"Aye, it is Grandmother's magic that will make this all possible, nephew," Prince Amren said quietly. Why was Cadarn so antagonistic toward Lara, he wondered.

"When would you celebrate this marriage?" Lara asked them. "Soon?" It has to be soon, she thought. Before Kolgrim moved to bring the darkness. Terah needed to be doubly related to the Twilight Lord by then.

"A month," Grugyn Ahasferus said. "The bride needs to gather together her dower portion. The house must be prepared, and another feast planned."

"Yamka must be isolated during that time," Lara said. "She has taken lovers in the past, but now is not the time for her to decide to have a final spree of lust before she marries. It is of vital importance that any child she bears carries both her blood and Vaclar's. I will keep her safe myself."

"Certainly, Domina Lara, we may be trusted to keep Yamka safe," Grugyn Ahasferus said pompously.

"I will not negotiate with you in this matter, my lord," Lara told the magnate. "And it is already done. I have transported the sleeping girl to a safe haven. When she awakens it will be her wedding day."

Prince Amren grinned, unable to help himself. Even Cadarn was forced to smile.

Suddenly a knocking sounded upon the library door, and it opened to reveal Lady Camilla. She was most distraught. "They are gone, Grugyn!" she cried.