Cara's Twelve (34 page)

With a shaky breath she went on, “The people of Dalgliesh have been subjugated for too long. Oppressed not only by the past rulers, but also by their neighbors, those that they should call friend. They have cried out for their freedom, and for too long it has gone unheard and unanswered. Today I issue a decree that declares the province of Dalgliesh an independent state under the ruling of the first Queen of the North. Queen Maude.”

Again the room exploded in a torrent of voices.

Cara caught Osker's gaze and returned the grateful smile he gave her.

“Who is this queen?” some yelled above the noise.

Cara glanced at Tahdaon, whose face had gone ashen.

Now you will know
, she thought.

“My daughter. Conceived in Drumna and born in Muir, she is a true child of the North.”

At Cara's beckoning, Osker came forward and kneeled before her.

“As Viceroy of Dalgliesh do you accept these terms?”

“I do.”

The room was still buzzing as she continued on with her discourse.

“Tahdaon of Dalgliesh,” she intoned.

Tahdaon approached slowly, his shoulders slouched in defeat as he sank to his knees before her.

“Do you acknowledge the child Maude as your own?”

“I do.”

“In front of this audience, in the name of Annul, I release you from your oath. No longer will you be charged as my companion and consort.”

He winced.

Leaning close so that only he could hear, she whispered, “Take care of our daughter. Make her strong. I hope that you can learn to love her, and that she can bring you some semblance of peace.”

He reached for her hand and Cara trembled as he held it. Even now, despite everything, he could undo her with a single touch. She could feel his own hand shaking.

His eyes were pleading, begging her to let her guard down for a single moment.

“I will her. The daughter we made together. I will love with every piece of my heart, just as I've loved her mother.”

Cara's breath caught in her throat.

He stood and bowed, his eyes locked on hers. “I always knew the decision you had to make. I'm sorry that I wasn't strong enough to let you hate me.”

Shock ripped through her, followed by a stabbing pain in her chest. Cara opened her mouth, but no words came out.

With a final nod of resignation he turned and walked away.

“Are you all right?” Finn asked, suddenly beside her.

She shook her head but said, “Yes.”

“Do you still want to make the last announcement? We can wait if you're not ready.”

“No,” she said. “It's time.”

Gathering up her shredded courage, she took Finn's hand in her own and signalled the room to silence.

She looked up at him, her heart aching not only for herself and what she had lost, but also for the man who would be her husband. Did he know what she had lost to Tahdaon? Could he ever be happy with her knowing that a piece of her heart belonged to someone else?

He caught her watching him.

Tilting her chin with his thumb he leaned down and brushed his lips gently over hers. “It's okay that you still love him, because I know you love me as well. The difference is I'm not willing to walk away. Ever.”

“I know,” she said softly, allowing his strength to fill her.

As they stared at one another, Cara resigned herself to the sadness that pressed down on her. A sadness made all the more terrible because it was shrouded in understanding.

He knelt before her, unsheathed his sword and held it upright before him.

The room went deathly silent.

Cara looked down at Finn and took a deep breath. She cleared her throat and asked, “Do you, Finn of Crantock, accept my hand in marriage, binding yourself to the throne and protection of Elbia? Do you swear on the name of the goddess to dedicate yourself to defend all the provinces of this great land?”

Drawing his palm across his blade, he answered, “On the name of Annul, I do swear.”

“Then I declare before all these witnesses, that you are my husband, the king of Elbia.”

The room responded in a roar of approval.

It wasn't a traditional observance, and there would be a more formal ceremony in a few weeks' time, but it was enough to bind them by law as husband and wife.

“It's done,” Finn said, his eyes shining with exaltation and joy.

“No,” Cara said, allowing him to take her in his arms. “It's only just begun.”

Chantel Seabrook currently resides in London, Ontario, with her husband and two daughters. She is passionate about writing and enjoys reading fantasy, paranormal romance, and science fiction. Chantel has a four-year Anthropology degree from Western University.

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