MoonLife (21 page)

“Sebastian
, t
hat’s too much pressure.” I looked down. Now not only do I have to worry about getting through for me, but now I have to worry about it for us.

He reached down and took my hands, running his finger over my wedding ring. “Sadie
,
you saw our future, the Queen showed it to you. Remember that feeling of seeing our son? Remember the laughter and joy in his face? She would not have shown that too you if you weren’t going to make it.” He kissed my hand.

With all the excitement of today, I had forgotten the incredible gift my birth
m
other, the Queen
,
had given me. Suddenly I felt comforted and not afraid. I wondered to myself if that was why she had sent the vision to me in the first place. Not just to help me decide whether to take the throne or not, but to help me get through
the Turn
.

I smiled up at Sebastian, vast and wide and with a smoldering passion beginning in my eyes. I leaned up and kissed him. Pulling back I said, “You’re right, she gave me that gift to help me not be afraid now. I know that there is a chance I might not make it, but I feel in my heart that I will. We have seen the future and it is good. I can’t wait to be yours, in body and soul.”

He took me in his arm, holding me tightly and kissed me like he was never going to let me go. I’m not sure how long we were locked in that embrace before we heard the Cleric come up behind us. With him, he had brought my
p
arents.

“Is the Royal
c
ouple ready?” asked the Cleric
.

I looked at Sebastian with a quizzical look in my eyes.
Royal
c
ouple?

Yes
,
we are married now
. T
hat makes me a
p
rince
.

I smiled at him. My parents must have known we were talking between us because they just stood there and gave us that look of knowing.

That makes you a real Prince Charming then.

No, it makes me Prince Knight
. He pulled me in closer to him
.

The Cleric moved around us and pulled out a large key ring. The ring looked
ancient
and must have had at least 100 keys on it. He searched through them one by one until he finally got to the brass key he was searching for. He reached down and put it into the door’s keyhole, jiggling it slightly and it loudly unlocked. He turned to us, shifting
h
is gaze to me, “If you are ready, so is the room. All the supplies you need for at least a week are in the storage room of the bridal chamber. Any food you should want is prepared, and there will of course be staff at your beck and call. You should not want for anything. But do know that once this door locks behind you, we are not able to unlock it until you have fully
T
urned. So do not enter into this room lightly, this is your life you are changing, only enter when you are ready to surrender it unconditionally to Sebastian and Manduragos.”

His words sounded so grave, so final, so unsettling. It sent a shiver down my spine. “Why can’t the door be opened?” I asked.

“It is the way of the Mandurago spirit. No one may interrupt
the Turn
. Once it has started the ancients will block us from you. We couldn’t help you if we wanted too. You are on your own once you have consummated the vows.”

I looked to my parents and in their eyes I saw concern. I moved from Sebastian’s side to
them
. I hugged
each one,
and told them not to worry. I let them know that I knew I was going to be okay and that I would see them both soon. They told me how they were staying in the compound until
the Turn
was completed and that they would be here to greet me when the doors unlocked. They both took turns kissing and hugging me goodbye. I told them thank you for all the years they had stayed with me. For all that they had done. I was not an easy child to raise, and I thanked them for their patience. My
mom
tried to hold back her tears
,
but a few snuck out. I giggled at her and told her that it reminded me of when we had watched
Beauty and Beast
, and she had cried up a storm at the end. The thought of the memory made her smile and slowed her tears. I hugged my
d
ad and told him goodbye
for now
. We did one final group hug, and I was back to Sebastian’s waiting arms.

Sebastian signaled to the Cleric that we were ready, and he swung open the door. It was an incredible suite, although it was more of a large apartment then just a
H
oneymoon suite. The chamber was decorated in
that
old world charm. As we entered
,
there was a large living room area,
and
beautiful antique furniture was everywhere intermixed with pieces that were obviously more modern. There was a massive brick fireplace as the center point of the room. It was so big that I felt as if I could have walked into it. Placed in front of it was an oversize
,
plush burgundy sectional with an ottoman that made the whole area into a big square. Just off
the main
room was a kitchen and eating area, fully stocked with the latest appliances in case
we should need anything. And to the other side of the living area were two double doors. The Cleric turned the solid gold knobs of the mahogany doors and opened them wide. There i
n
front of us was a round room with the biggest bed I have ever seen, it was as least the width of two king beds and much longer than our bed at home. It was unquestionably an antique, with its beautiful
, carved
cherry wood posts and canopy. It had matching wooden steps next to it, since it was so high off the floor you needed them to climb on the bed. The room itself was all white, from the linens to the wall
to
the floors. The bed was the only thing in the entire room.

“To the right here is the master bath,” the Cleric said
,
continuing, “The closets are through there along with your dressing area.” He motioned to a white curtain hanging and Sebastian pulled it back to reveal the walkway into the bathroom. The bathroom was as beautiful as the rest of the suite. It boasted double sinks, a separate toilet area, shower,
and
huge walk
-
in closets
,
but the main focal point was a soaking tub much like the one I had used earlier to get ready for the wedding. I smiled at Sebastian knowing how fun that tub would be.

“If you need anything else there is staff waiting at your call. Just ring the bells located around the chamber. Do remember
,
my children
,
that once the Turn begins, even the staff will not be able to get to you until it has completed.” The
C
leric turned to Sebastian and bowed to him, then turned to me and did the same. He walked out the door and gave us a quick look back. I saw sorrow and concern cross his face and wondered why, but just as quickly as it did
,
it was gone and the door was closed, locking loudly behind him.

We were alone…at last.

The room was so quiet now that it was just Sebastian and I, suddenly I was extremely nervous to be alone with him. He sensed my uneasiness and pulled me into my arms.

“Well
,
Mrs. Knight
,
what should we do first? We have all the time in the world
,
so I don’t want you to be nervous. It’s just you and me, no expectations. How about we just take it slow and see where it leads?”

I looked up into his eyes. I could lose myself in those eyes forever. “That sounds good
.
I don’t know why I feel so nervous suddenly.”

“I do
. I
t’s not every day two souls find their mates and become bound for all eternity.” He said with a gleam in his eye. “I think I am going to get us some champagne and then I am going to get you out of that dress.”

My heart started to beat a little faster with that last sentence and I excused myself to the bathroom. Heading into the enormous room, I looked into one of the many mirrors. I noticed that on the sink was all my stuff from my room laid out in a neat and timely manner. My makeup and hair products were all put away and ready for me. Around the tub I saw bubble bath and towels. I had to assume in the closet were all my clothes. Everything was here, everything was ready…then why was I so damn scared?

I have been with Sebastian alone hundreds of times. I have slept next to him night and day for months, why was I suddenly feeling so shy? I looked into my reflection in the mirror. Before me stood that same girl in the red wedding dress I had seen before. She was beautiful, confident and wore the mark of the
q
ueen
on her forehead. Somehow
,
I didn’t feel like she was entirely me. That’s when I noticed, the little dark star on my forehead had now turned a burgundy
color. Sebastian came up behind me with two glasses of champagne. He sat them on the bathroom counter and wrapped his arms around me from behind.

Holding me with his head over my shoulder looking at the reflection of both of us in the mirror he asked, “What are you pondering in here?”

“I was noticing the spot on my forehead has changed color.”

He kissed the back of my neck and then looked back up at me in the mirror. “Yes
,
it changed during the ceremony. The burgundy denotes to the world that you are a married woman. I had wondered if it would change
,
but never having watched a Kali Princess wed before, I didn’t know when and if it did. I’m glad it has
. N
ow it shows
that
you are mine.” He turned me around and kissed the spot on my forehead.

Then he reached his arm around behind me and I heard a little bell ring. My eyes followed the sound to find that Sebastian had rung the bell sitting on the counter. “Why are you doing that?” I asked
,
surprised at his actions.

“Watch
,”
he said. And from the side of the bathroom, the wall slid open as if it was a hidden door and out walked a woman dressed all in black. She came to us and bowed, never looking at us, never lifting her eyes off the floor. Sebastian grinned at me and said to the woman, “Please prepare the bath for two.” She bowed again and without a word, she backed away.

I looked as Sebastian and raised my eyebrows. “Very cool,” I said to him. “It’s as if we’re important or something.”

He chuckled at me and said, “Yes
,
it’s as if we are a
R
oyal couple, or something.” And he kissed me on the lips, pulling me into him, pulling my body flush to his. Even through all the yards of material of my wedding dress, I could feel his need for me. It felt odd though kissing like this, this intimately with a person in the room. I sent my thoughts to Sebastian about it and he told me not to worry. That once she was done
we
would be alone again. I placed another quick kiss on his lips and then Sebastian handed me my champagne glass.

“I would like to make a toast to you
,
my
love
.” He said holding his glass up to mine. “Thank you
,
Sadie
,
for finding me, for loving me and for making me whole. I will never be able to truly tell you how your love has changed my life.” We clinked glasses and drank our champagne. It was a particularly sweet champagne
,
but not bitter. It went down easily and I thought I could be in trouble. We finished our glasses and Sebastian poured us another, while the girl in black finished getting our bath ready. The soaking tub was already full of water, it was an infinity tub. So the water was pouring over the sides and into drains around it. I watched her as she poured several different kinds of perfumes and oils into the bath. She sat candles around the room and jumbo plush towels everywhere. When she was done, she bowed to us and backed out of the room, never turning her back to us even once.

“Another tradition?” I asked Sebastian
,
as we had just watched the girl in the room walk out backwards.

“Yes
,
it is considered rude to turn your back to the
q
ueen
,
”
h
e said
.

“But I am not a
q
ueen yet
,
” I assured him
.

“No
,
but the mark on your forehead says differently. If I were you
,
I would get used to that, and get used to not being looked in the eye… oh and all the bowing. Everyone seems to want to bow to you.”