The Elder Blood Chronicles Bk 1 In Shades of Grey (60 page)

“Why would that matter to the Fionaveir?”
Jala asked not bothering to hide the bite in her words any
longer.

“Because we have very high hopes for your
future, Jala, and we want very much to see you succeed,” Symphony
said.

“Why?” Jala asked again her suspicion
growing.

“Because we are bloody sick of endless wars
and houses being killed off. Because we need a stable government,
and in order to have one, we need High Lords and Ladies with honor
and integrity. Because we think that you have both of those
qualities,” Lutheron cut in before Symphony could respond.

Symphony glanced at her companion and looked
back to Jala and nodded slowly. “The way our government is now we
will never have peace. We must have a monarch to keep the houses in
check. Arjuna himself is a supporter of this cause,” she said, her
tone gentle.

“I am, as are several other lords. What does
this have to do with young Jala, though?” Arjuna spoke up, his
expression a bit confused.

“Her true name is Jaladene Merrodin. Though
we would thank you to not share that information,” Lutheron
explained.

Arjuna nodded slowly and looked Jala over
once again. “The Merrodins were swarthy of skin with dark hair and
eyes like coals. Are you certain?” he asked at last, his words
hesitant.

“Absolutely,” Lutheron assured him.

Arjuna nodded again, apparently trusting
Lutheron’s word. “And why is my nephew unworthy?” he asked,
sounding rather offended.

“We don’t know that he is or isn’t worthy,
Arjuna. Our concern is that he holds no armies. If she were to
marry within a High House the marriage would come with defenses,”
Symphony said, her voice still gentle.

Jala cleared her throat and the three of them
looked to her. “You want me to rebuild my lands, fine, I will. You
want me to restore my house, I will. You want me to support a
monarchy. I’m sure I would do that as well. From what I’ve seen and
read of Arjuna, he is certainly no fool and if he supports it, I
will most likely as well.” she paused making sure she had the full
attention of Lutheron and Symphony. “But if you expect to govern
who I marry, I have some very disappointing news for you. The only
Fionaveir whose opinion mattered on who I married is dead, and has
been for ten years. So unless either one of you has written word in
my father’s hand regarding the matter, I don’t give a damn what you
think about it.” She raised an eyebrow at them in challenge, daring
them to object. Marrow rose up from where he had been laying behind
her chair and locked his yellow eyes on the Fionaveir. He made no
sound but it was clear to the visitors that the Bendazzi felt as
strongly on the subject as his mistress did.

A smirk formed on Lutheron’s face and he
nodded slightly. He held a hand up to Symphony and locked his gaze
on Finn. His eyes narrowed a bit and Jala saw Finn tense in his
chair. She noticed Lutheron’s hand shift slightly, the palm turned
upwards and the fingers flicked in Finn’s direction. “And what
would you say if I told you that we weren’t here to ask her to not
marry? That we are here to ensure she doesn’t?” he asked, his voice
cold.

Finn’s muscles clenched further and she could
see sweat beading his brow. Eyes burning with emotion he locked his
hand around the hilt of his sword and glared defiantly at Lutheron.
“I’d tell you to try it and I’ll make you a head shorter,” he
snarled.

“Whatever you are doing to him stop it now,”
Jala warned, already drawing on her magics.

Lutheron dropped his hand and Finn visibly
relaxed. He held both hands to her in a sign of peace. “I was
merely testing him. He passed.” He turned to Symphony and nodded
approvingly. “He is the right one for her without a doubt,
Symphony. That much fear had Charm huddling on the ground like a
child. This one was ready to fight. Give this match your
blessing.”

Symphony regarded Finn with respect and then
smiled to Jala. “It was never our intent to upset you, Milady. We
simply wish you to have the best chances of success. If this is
truly what both of you wish, then we give you our fondest
blessings.” she bowed her head slightly to both of them in both
apology and respect. “Arjuna, we would be most honored if you would
allow us to intrude on your hospitality for the night. I would very
much like to witness the ceremony tomorrow,” she said turning to
the High Lord.

Arjuna nodded his head and smiled proudly at
his nephew. “I trust you can see to the first part of the ritual
without my assistance?” he asked.

“Of course, Uncle,” Finn agreed.

“I’ll have Sovann help me with the other
details then,” Arjuna said and nodded to them. “The night is late,”
he added in obvious dismissal.

Standing, Finn carefully picked up the bowl
and Jala rose to follow him with Marrow close on her heels. He
walked in silence for a bit as he led her back into the room with
the fountain and then up the stairs. Shifting the bowl to where it
rested easily under one arm he wrapped the other around her waist
and smiled down at her. “Impressive,” he said quietly as they
turned to make their way up another flight of stairs.

“What?” she asked.

“How you handled the Fionaveir,” he
explained, and let go of her waist to open a door for her.

She stepped through the door and out onto a
roof top garden. The scents of hundreds of flowers rose on the
night wind. Looking up to gaze at the stars she waited for Finn to
close the door and join her. “Marrow explained it to me,” she said
quietly dropping her gaze from the stars to look at him. “He says
it’s a Soul Bond that we have. Have you ever heard of that
before?”

“In stories, but that does make sense,” Finn
replied and smiled down at Marrow. “I’m glad he recognized it. It
explains a lot.”

“I think I know why you feel my emotions so
much clearer, too,” Jala began and wandered over to one of the
closer flowers leaning over to sniff it daintily. “I like this
one’s scent very much, what is it?”

“Vadasian Lilly,” he answered and joined her
beside the plant carefully plucking a bloom and tucking it behind
her ear. Taking her hand, he led her through the garden to a
circular patch of grass near its center. He let go of her hand and
sat down placing the bowl in front of him. “So, why do I sense you
easier than you do me?” he asked finally, apparently deciding she
didn’t plan to answer unless he asked.

“When Marrow explained it, he said it was
rare in our kind, but Bendazzi and wolves often have bonds of this
nature. It was your explanation to your uncle when you spoke of
living by the fires of the heart that made me make the connection.
You live by instincts and your passions, so the bond is more
natural to you, I’ve been governed by Temple rules and a very nasty
tempered housekeeper that believed in strictly abiding by rules,”
she explained and took a seat across from him shrugging. “At least
that’s my theory. You have reminded me of a predator since I first
saw you in the arena fighting Lex. The way you move when you fight
and the look you get in your eyes at times,” she added with a faint
smile.

Placing his hands on one side of the Brazier
he motioned for her to do the same and grinned at her as she did
so. “What kind of predator?” he asked sounding a bit amused.

“I thought cat the first time. It wasn’t
until after we found Marrow that I realized Bendazzi was much more
appropriate.” she answered with a returning smile. “What do I do
now? Do I just hold this side of it?” She asked looking down at the
Brazier.

“Well not that I’m an expert here, having
never been married before, but from what I understand, we keep our
hands upon it and focus on one another.” He gave a faint chuckle
and cleared his throat. “The nobles’ have a fine way of explaining
this ritual. The commoners’ explanation is the one I prefer. They
say if it’s lust rather than love your hands won’t stay on the bowl
long enough to make a chain, and if you can’t stand sitting and
staring at each other long enough to form a chain it isn’t worth
cooking a wedding feast.”

She laughed lightly and nodded. “So I just
focus on you, on what I think of you and how I feel about you,
then. Simple enough.” she closed her eyes inhaling the night air
and felt the grin on her face widen to a smile.

“Seeing that smile alone is enough for any
man to form a chain,” Finn spoke quietly.

She opened her eyes at his voice and shook
her head slowly. “This isn’t a smile for any man, Finn. I’m
focusing on you right now. That smile is for you alone.”

They sat watching the sky lighten in silence.
Faint birdsong echoed from the jungles, filling the early morning
with sound. They had talked for a time. Both taking turns trading
questions and answers, but most of the hours had been filled with
silence. Jala looked down into the Brazier at the thick coils of
chain resting at the bottom. The faint hint of a pattern was
visible but the full detail couldn’t be seen from the angle it lay
in. She resisted the urge to pick it up again though she
desperately wanted to examine it closer. Her mother and father had
worn simple rings to symbolize their marriage. The Firym custom
made the rings seem paltry in comparison.

“It’s okay if you look at it, it won’t
break,” Finn said with a light chuckle. She hadn’t realized he had
been watching her, his eye had been closed the last time she had
looked at him.

Nodding, she took a hand from the side of the
Brazier flexing the fingers as she did. They had gone stiff from
holding the bowl but she had been afraid to move her hand. “I
didn’t know if I could let go yet. I didn’t want it to vanish or
something,” she explained.

Chuckling lightly, Finn took the Brazier
carefully from her other hand and set it down in between the two of
them. Stretching his own hands he reached into the bottom of the
bowl and lifted the chain out carefully handing it over to her.
“Once the chain is formed you can move your hands, but it’s
customary to wait for the sun before you do so,” he said watching
her turn the chain over in her hands.

“It’s thicker than your uncle’s,” she said in
amazement her eyes roving over the intricate patterns of the metal.
It was close to half an inch thick with delicate knot work linking
the two halves together. With just a glance at the beauty of it one
could tell that it had not been worked by human hands. No jeweler,
no matter how skilled, could match the detail.

Finn grinned at her and glanced toward the
door. “Pray it isn’t my aunt that comes to attend you then, my
uncle will get a beating if it is. She would be angry enough to see
the metal it is made of.”

“I don’t even know what it is,” she confessed
and then frowned. “Why would that make her angry?”

“The more precious the metal, the truer the
emotion that forged it. That is Eternium, by Firym economy that is
more precious than most gems. My uncle’s links were made of
silver,” he explained glancing over his shoulder as the door
opened.

Sovann stepped into the garden and approached
quietly. He paused at the sight of the chain in her hands and
seemed amazed. “I’m sorry, Finn, apparently I was wrong to doubt
you on this,” he said and from the expression on his face Jala
guessed he had expected there to be no chain.

“Should have known better, Sovann. If I
hadn’t been sincere I would have bought a ring,” Finn replied
dryly. He rose slowly to his feet and offered her a hand up. “Who
is going to attend, Jala?” he asked as he bent and picked the
Brazier up carefully.

“Grandmother,” Sovann replied quietly.

Finn froze and looked at his brother with an
expression of disbelief. “She left the Tower of the Sun for this?”
he asked in disbelief.

Nodding, Sovann grinned at Jala’s confusion.
“Grandmother is the High Mage of Firym. She rarely leaves her tower
for anything. To have her here is a great honor,” he explained.

I have been so very patient with you most
of yesterday and all night long, but I’m about to eat Sovann if I
don’t get breakfast soon. It will be my wedding gift to you that
I
eat the brother and not your soon to be husband,
Marrow’s voice broke in before she could respond to Sovann.

“You will get fed soon and you will not eat
anything with a name,” Jala warned him pointing a finger at him
reproachfully.

Grinning, Finn gave her a kiss on the cheek
and ruffled the Bendazzi’s fur lightly. “I’ll take him down with me
and stop by the kitchens and see if they have a spare cow handy if
that’s alright with you.”

Marrow moved past her and pushed his full
weight against the back of Finn’s legs nudging him roughly toward
the door. Jala frowned at him and shook her head rolling her eyes.
“It doesn’t appear as though it matters what I think on the matter.
Thank you, Finn.”

“Grandmother will be here soon,” Sovann
assured her before following Finn back down the stairs.

Jala watched the door close and stood
silently for a long moment. Moving back to sit where she had been
for most of the night she raised the chain up holding it balanced
between two hands looking it over once again in the faint light. It
was still difficult for her to believe this was happening, yet she
held the proof in her hands.

“It’s not often they are that even,” a
woman’s voice came from just over her shoulder.

Turning her head Jala looked at the
red-haired woman in wonder. She hadn’t heard a sound of approach or
felt the telltale hum of magic. She was near Jala in height and
stood with a proud bearing. Her robes were in the house colors of
red, black, and gold and her long hair hung heavy down her back
with gems braided into a few strands. “You must be Finn’s
Grandmother. I’m sorry he didn’t tell me your name,” Jala said and
rose bowing her head respectfully. Even had Sovann not told her
this woman’s title, by manners and dress alone, Jala would have
known her to be someone important.