Chapter 8

The evening of the ceremony was as nerve racking as I presumed it would be. I was Pacing, and going over my speech, while simultaneously worries of Danica's arrival ebbed at my mind; creating that certain sense of foreboding that she seemed to install within me when ever around.

The three guards I had appointed to meet Danica at the gate, entered my hall with her closely behind. I dismissed the guards and felt my organs shake as the clock passed time and the hour of my announcement became close. Breathing in and trying to smile I looked at her nervous face while she seemed to shake as much as I was. I wanted to bite the skin of my lips and watch her for hours, to have the time to wonder what it was this girl—this woman, was mentally made of. So many emotions and covers she possessed that it made my thoughts wonder about her authenticity.

"Danica, allow me to introduce Naga Charis Cobriana," I said gesturing to my mother, who had the look of distaste plastered upon her cheekbones. It was no secrete that my mother had sworn to never allow a hawk into her domain—and here one was. Not just a hawk, the Tulli Thea of all hawks, shortly to wed her only surviving son. "And you have met my sister, Irene." Irene gave a warm smile, trying to defrost our mother's welcome.

"A pleasure to meet you." Danica said catching my mother off guard, daring to look in the former Naga's eyes.

"My son speaks quite highly of you." Mother said in an ugly manor. Truth being, I had said hardly anything about her. Danica's face began to show signs of apprehension, as if she would form into a hawk at this very moment and flutter away if not for the roof. Attempting to ease the mood I joked

"How shortly should I expect your guards to storm the place?"

"The royal flight will be informed of my whereabouts shortly before sunrise," she answered seriously. "If I have not returned by then..." The front doors swung open as if on queue and Adelina entered. I knew what she was here for, and did not need to hear it. Since the news of our engagement Adelina had been hounding me to break the treaty, that we could end the war some other way.

"Zane, you are needed."

"Am I?" This was frustrating, I reviled to hurt her, I hated having to commit to another woman I barely knew, but it had to be done. I didn't need Adelina's anger piled to my own doubts, no matter what comfort I sought to offer her. "I'd like to know what your guard needs me for at this moment."

"I need to speak with you," Her eyes slid to Danica in loathing.

"You can speak as freely in front of Danica as you can in front of me," Again, her fury was evident, she barley masked it. Irene stood and touched my arm, nodding at Adelina.

"She deserves a chance to speak with you before the ceremony. Mother and I will prepare Danica." I was taken a back for a moment, Irene had had a disliking for Adelina quit some time. I didn't expect her to coincide with my ex-lover now. Adelina nodded thanks to Irene as we exited the hall. The doors swung shut behind us, and sighed, placing my hand over my forehead.

"Lina, we've discussed this, what more is there to say?" Her melancholy had dissipated, and anger flared through her spiteful words. Jealousy was written in the precarious shouts and I flinched as her boot connected with my calf. The screaming was uncalled for, yet I knew that this was the consequence of war. This hurt that ached in my body and mind, teasing me with the prospect of being able to back out of my decision with each blow from Adelina. When she was done, leaving me more mentally thrashed than physically shown, I cleaned the blood and waited for the ceremony to begin.

My thirty or so minute speech was through and the time had come for Danica to step out onto the stage. Questions rang out throughout the astonished murmuring of the crowd, silenced as she moved to my side and looked ready to vomit with anxiety. He arms came around my waist with out warning and I couldn't ward off the shock from my face. Shaking it off and covering one of her small hands with my own I concluded

"Allow me to introduce my Naga, Danica Shardae." My guards began to kneel and my people followed except for Kendrick and three of his loyalties. "Kendrick?" I inquired, hurt and threatened at the same time.

"I don't know what..." He looked around himself in bewilderment, or maybe just limited expression, and stammered "She's a hawk...."

"Really?" I asked, smiling. He always had an amusing way with stating the obvious.

"But, Sir, she's Danica Shardae!"

"I just said that," Toying with him a bit in amusement.

"Zane." Danica's voice was low and soft, close to me. I looked down at her, sympathy for Kendrick showing on her face. "You can't expect everyone to just accept this." Strange little moments like this were the small bit of glue that held me to the absurd agreement of this marriage. The times when I could actually see Danica, when I could feel her as a person and not just a concurrence.

"Of course not," I responded, my words landing on her peach scented cheek as my arms encircled her waist tighter. "But I can expect everyone to pretend to." I barely touched her lips when I felt myself, my emotions, falling into something I could not name. I raised my head and looked out into the court again. "Kendrick, there's no need for jealousy; you are welcome to fo out and find your own beautiful hawk." I smirked, and turned to Pam as she scream out

"Zane, this is crazy!"

"Pamela, no doubt you are right. I must be stark raving mad." Amused mumbles circulated, and I began to relax. One thing my father had taught me before his death was that is all else failed, use your charm. People love to be charmed, to feel welcome into the joke or story. "I must have lost my mind to want someone as beautiful and charming as this for my partner. To think Danica Shardae could possibly have walked into the synkal, despite protests from her guards and family, despite the fact that they might very well throw her out the keep for daring to answer my dearest prayer..." I was trapped in a bit of my own hyperbole by now, going along with the exaggeration to the full extent as Danica looked slightly sickened by the cheap words. It too all I had not to smile at the look on her face as I knelt down and dramatically clasped her hand, as if I were prince charming himself and she were some sort of martyr saint. "...For her to abandon all propriety and become my Naga." She smiled in amusement, as everyone else seemed to be pleased with the proposal.

"Zane—" Kendrick interrupted, I ignored him as I guided Danica to kneel with me on the dais.

"May I?" I asked, that feeling in my chest again as I trailed my tub over her lips; she nodded dumbfounded in a way as I wrapped my arm around the small of her back and pulled her towards me leaning in to the kiss. He lips soft, made kisses poisonously sweet. I felt her form go rigid and knew as she pulled back that the 500 people opposite us made her nervous. We stood and I said, for the first time with more than less certainty of my decision "Naga Danica Shardae, your people." Her shy smile shown bright and we stepped off the dais beginning to move through the people. She grasped my shirt a little tighter in fear; my mother had explained to me the best she could that Avains simply were not accustomed to being close to others. I kept the men to a minimum of touching, while the women of the crowd seemed to not want anything to do with Danica.

The night went well, and midnight dinner was served two hours after the announcement. As was sat down to eat a young friend of mine, Yvette, asked me in uncertainty

"Zane, where is Adelina? It's rare to see you without her."

"The rest of the guard is quite competent. She wasn't feeling well, and since I wasn't expecting trouble tonight, I suggested she take the night off and let Ailbhe take over for a few hours." It was an obvious lie that no one would see through—or dare to point out if they did. Yvette nodded, looking back at her plate as someone else asked

"Is Ailbhe going to lead Danica's guard?" I hadn't thought of what guard Danica would have. It hadn't even crossed my mind through out all of the chaos. I shook my head no in a quick decision.

"Adelina and Ailbhe will continue to lead the palace guard together. Danica will, of course, be guarded y the royal flight." The man, one of my mother's consultants, choked on the raspberry wine as his eyes widened asking in shock

"What?"

"You can't allow them into the palace," Ana, an palace guard shouted. I looked her in the eyes and reminded her

"I certainly can, and I certainly will. Danica is my Naga, and you would do well to remember that she is yours, as well." Raising my voice to be heard through out the table I said "I expect no one will attempt tp challenge the presence of their queen's guards."

"With all respect Zane, I can't see myself tolerating a flock of birds in—" I turned to him, fury at the ignorance of the man. What prejudice had been set into my people, was astonishing.

"I you cannot tolerate it," I said quietly, trying not to ruin the ceremony with politics. "Then you are in your rights to attempt to deal with what you find to be a...distasteful infestation." I caught Danica's blush out the corner of my eye as she tried to defend the bigot who had harassed her kind. "In that case, I would be well within my rights to charge you with treason, and both my guard and my Naga's will doubtless support the full punishment for the crime." His face drained of all pigment as he backtracked through his thoughtless words

"I didn't mean to imply that...Of course I wouldn't...If you believe they can be trusted in the palace, then it is not my place to contradict."

"Correct," I said, brushing the matter aside now that is was clear that treason would not be overlooked. "Now, shall we eat?"

About an hour before sun rise Danica and I officially decided to retire. The fatigue was evident in both of us as she leaned on me trying to stay upright as we walked down the winding halls. Entering my room I said through a yawn

"This room is part of my private suite, and thus, it Is one of the most protected areas in the palace. That should keep any disgruntled vipers from breaking in during the night. My room is through that door, the bathing room there and upon any future visits you may store clothing or other possessions in the trunks behind you. I took the liberty of having a few simple outfits made up, since it seemed likely an event like tonight's would occur and you would need something to wear." I paused, ready to say more but resisting, waiting for her response. Her eyebrow rose as she asked after a moment

"How in the world did you get my measurements to have clothing made?" I grinned at an obscene possibility in my mind that would make her blush a thousand times over; but answered wit the truth saying

"From Eleanor, of course."

"Eleanor Lyssia?" She almost scream.

"Is that so surprising?" I looked at the intricate designs on her dress.

"You helped design this?" She was down to comical whispering by now and my grin grew.

"I suggested that you should be provided with something appropriate for tonight, yes. Though to give credit where it is deserved, Eleanor out did herself." A hint of lust in my voice as she moved uncomfortably under my eyes. Coughing a bit to distract myself I said "Eleanor did mention that the dress is difficult for one person to manage. Do you need help with it?" I didn't know where that thought had come from when I was trying to get Off the subject, it seemed that what I wanted I would always imply; no matter if I wanted to say it or not.

"If you could undo the tie at the back of my neck, I can get the rest." She turned as I lifted her thick hair and saw the feathers. Pushing the sight aside I untied the dress and she stepped back. She somehow, by the grace of a woman only, managed to undo the rest by herself in a way I never could. Dropping it to the floor and folding the dress she stood before me in a cotton camisole and cotton shorts. I sighed, unable to stop my question that had been pressed in my throat for some minutes now.

"Danica—" I paused as her gold eyes found mine and slowed my breathing in one look. There was no doubt that the hawk was beautiful, but there was something else there besides beauty that I couldn't name for the life of me... "May I join you tonight?" I finished. Her expression was slightly panicked and I quickly added before she got the wrong impression "I'm not asking for anything beyond your company in sleep. Just let me rest with the sound of your heart beat beside mine." It was true; I didn't expect any more than what she was willing to offer to me. She took a deep breath and nodded, agreeing. Lying on the cool sheets, ghosts of our epidermis, we sank onto the bed. She beside me on her stomach, with the honey hair pulled above her head. I lay beside Danica under the ceiling fan's artificial breeze, and wondered if the reassuring silence of the room would last forever.