In The Beginning, Gail Daley [red white royal blue .TXT] 📗

have a cleric here in Ironlyn anymore. I thought we could ask Captain Mistrian to marry us as well—"

She broke off with a squeak, as Andre pulled her to him and covered her mouth with an endless, aching kiss.

When he finally lifted his head, she said a little breathlessly, "I guess that means you think it's a good idea? We won't be married by a cleric. Does it bother you?"

Andre laughed, rocking her against himself. "Oh, honey, I don't care who does the ceremony, as long as we can finally be married."

"You'd better get the carriage in fit shape to carry us by Thursday," she said pertly.

When Rebecca told her grandfather, he nodded. "Are you sure? I don't want you to do this because you feel you owe it to him for our trickery."

"I'm sure, Grandpa," she replied. "It's strange, but I can't imagine marrying anyone else. I think I love him."

You are so like Kathlea," he said, putting an arm around her shoulders. "She chose a warrior too, when she could have had any of the Magi we knew."

That evening he brought four small flat boxes down to the library. "Before she passed on, your grandmother had me order these from the Jeweler in Joppa. She was ill, but she insisted on coming to the village with me to order them from the jeweler." He handed out the boxes to each of his grandchildren. All the boxes had a different symbol carved into the polished wooden lid.

Rebecca gave a gasp of surprise when she opened hers. Two bracelets, one a little larger than the other, lay in the box. The larger one was a dark, rusty blue-black, and the other was a bright red, as if small flames flickered in the shinning material. "Why, these are wedding bracelets," she said in astonishment. "Look Andre, yours almost matches the amulet I made you."

He came over to look, but didn't attempt to touch it. "These don't look like any bracelets I've seen before. Why are they different?" he asked.

"It's an old spell carried down through the generations of my Anghard's family. She spelled them to match your personalities, and to change when her grandchildren met the person they are going to fall in love with," Lewys said.

"I was reading about the bracelets in the journals," Selene said. "When the Terrans first came here they wore rings when they got married instead of bracelets. The rings interfered with the grip when holding a sword, so now everyone uses the bracelets the way the Sekhmet do."

Interestedly, they compared their bracelets. Owen's was a deep blue and the matching woman's bracelet looked like pewter. Catrin's was violet, with lines of green running through it, and the man's was of bright silver.

Selene fingered the eye carved into the lid of her box, without opening it. "This has an eye," she said. "Did you carve it after you found me?"

Lewys shook his head. "No, these were made to Anghard's specifications. The one intended for your spouse will change to match his essence when you fall in love, child. Go ahead, open it."

A little doubtfully, Selene opened her box. The woman's bracelet had an opalescent sheen. The man's was an off white, with a slight purple stain.

Lewys eyed it sharply; only he could tell Selene's was already changing. He said nothing however; Selene was far too young to have that kind of pressure put on her.

"Why don't you put it in a safe place in your room for now?" Rebecca suggested.

The girl nodded, closing the box. "Owen's and Catrin's look different as well," she said. "Does that mean they've already met the person they will fall in love with?"

"Only time will tell," her grandfather replied, smiling. "I'm hungry. Isn't dinner ready yet?"

When the grooms brought the carriage around to the front of the house on Thursday morning, it had been repainted, the leather seats cleaned, and it sported bright new yellow wheels. The grooms driving it had also been given new uniforms. One of them jumped down and held open the door, letting down steps with a flourish when the four women appeared.

Andre drew a deep breath when he saw Rebecca. This was the first time he had seen her dressed in anything but blouses and trousers. The dress was a soft red, nipped in at the waist, with a full, calf length skirt that swung as she walked. A cloak in the same red, trimmed with black fur was draped over her shoulders. She had twisted her straight black hair up into a complicated knot at the base of her neck. Red ankle boots completed the ensemble.

The other girls looked lovely as well. Catrin was wearing a cloak and gown of her favorite green, and Selene had been outfitted in a soft blue. Amber, as the other bride, wore a gold dress made in the same style as Rebecca's. The girls had gifted her with a fur trimmed cloak as well.

"This thing is enormous," Catrin remarked, referring to the carriage. "Why, I bet we could fit six more people in here."

Captain Mistrian was a short, blocky man with a tanned face and a shock of white hair. "It isn't often I am honored to perform a wedding ceremony," he said with a grin, "Today I am honored to marry two couples."

After Amber and Mort had exchanged bracelets, the party from Ironlyn, stepped forward to congratulate them.

"I know this is different from your first marriage," Lewys said to his old friend, as he handed him a small wrapped package. "This is a well-wishing gift for your marriage. I have confidence you will do well together, despite a rocky beginning. Open it when the two of you are alone."

Rebecca held Amber's hands with her own. "I wish you every happiness," she said, "but I want you to know you and your child will always have a place here in Ironlyn."

"Thank you, Draconi. I don't know why I'm so weepy," Amber said, wiping her eyes.

"It's the hormones," Catrin told her.

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