The Elder Blood Chronicles Bk 1 In Shades of Grey (61 page)

The woman smiled at her as she leaned forward
and placed a delicate bejeweled hand under Jala’s chin gently
raising her face again to meet her eyes. “Adana, and you are the
young lady who has stolen the heart of my Finn.” She lowered her
hand and nodded with approval. “And by the look of that chain, it’s
more than your beauty that has stolen his heart. My Finn is not the
sort to fall for simple beauty.”

“It is an honor to meet you, Lady Adana,”
Jala replied in her most respectful tones. She looked back down at
the chain and smiled again. “The Firym ceremony is truly a wonder,
Lady Adana. I am lost in a sense of wonder over it all.”

“Hmph. I think we must dispense with your
formality. Let us gather the flowers and chat a bit. We will be
family by nightfall and family should never be formal.” Adana gave
her a gentle nudge toward the flower beds. “Which ones do you
prefer child?” she asked, taking her arm and guiding her along the
garden path.

Jala motioned toward the large white blooms
she had noticed when they first entered the gardens. “Their scent
is wonderful,” she said leaning forward to smell the flowers once
again.

“Ahh. The lilies an excellent choice, dear,”
Adana agreed amiably and carefully began gathering the best of the
blooms. “Arjuna tells me you are a good match for my Finn.”

“I certainly believe I am, but isn’t that
what the crafting of the chain is for? To prove that I am?”

Adana gave her a patient smile and handed her
the flowers she had gathered so far. “Hold these while I get a bit
of color to add.” She moved to another flower bed and carefully
began gathering yellow flowers that Jala had no name for. “The
chain proves love, Jala. Just because you love something doesn’t
mean that you can live with it,” Adana began, her hands never
slowing from the task of gathering. “Finn is a Firym at heart, more
than his father ever was. He is passionate and fierce. He will be
protective to the point of insanity, jealous when there is no
reason for it, and when his temper flares every other emotion he
has shown will pale in comparison.” Adana gave a nod at the blooms
she held and smiled at Jala. “That should do nicely, if you are
still sure about this we should go and get you dressed.” She
stepped daintily back onto the path and took Jala’s arm once more,
guiding her gently toward the door.

“Is that what you were doing then, testing my
resolve?” Jala asked, pausing on the path and forcing Adana to
either stop, as well, or release her arm.

“Testing. Warning. It little matters which,
dear. This has been a very fast courtship and while that chain is
impressive, how much do you truly know about Finn? How much does he
truly know about you?” Adana’s voice held no reproach and the words
were spoken gently.

Jala toyed with one of the flowers she held.
Adana wasn’t trying to start a fight with her or scare her off, she
realized. The woman was simply trying to protect her grandson. “He
knows everything about me, from where I was born to who I am now.
He knows my fears and joys,” Jala said, meeting Adana’s gaze and
holding it. “And whatever I have wanted to know of him he has told
me. All I have to do is ask and even if the truth is not
flattering, Finn will tell me. That alone is more than I’ve seen
from most married couples. It’s not what he says that promises I
will stand by him through anything though, it’s his eyes.” She
paused and smiled at Adana. “I have heard flattery and praise from
others before, but Finn’s gaze makes them all no more than
pointless words. With one look from him I know how special I am,
both to him, and to have him.” She fell silent and her smile faded
a bit.

Adana nodded with a faint smile on her own
lips. “And his temper?” she asked.

Jala shrugged. “I haven’t seen it directed
toward me. I hope I never have to. If I do though, I can give as
good as I get, Adana, I love Finn and I respect him, but I do not
fear him.”

Tugging on her arm to get her moving again,
Adana gave a slight chuckle. “It would seem for once my brother was
right and you are a good match for my Finn. Come child, we have
little time to get you dressed properly.” She pushed the door open
and led Jala back into the brightly lit halls. “Now if you can just
convince my Finn to come home to stay, I think you might just be
the perfect Granddaughter.”

Jala gave a weak smile and nodded, unable to
tell Adana she had no intention of living in Firym. Her home was a
wasteland now, but only for now. Merro would be restored and they
would rule there one day. She wondered briefly what Adana would
think when she found out her beloved grandson would be a High Lord
soon.

The sun had fully risen by the time Adana led
her from the palace. Jala followed her, trying to ignore the
various places the sun touched her body. The Firym wedding dress
she had been provided with barely seemed worthy of the name dress.
The top part of the outfit was held by two straps tied around the
back of her neck and back and came to just above her belly button.
The bottom was a long skirt that wrapped around her and held at the
waist and hip by delicate gold catches in the shape of
hummingbirds. The effect left one leg bare nearly to the hip when
she walked. Though in truth, she felt far more naked than just
that, the silk was of such a quality that it seemed almost
weightless. It was only where embroidery or jewels had been set
into the delicate gold cloth that she could feel any true weight at
all.

“Quit looking down at yourself so often,
dear, the flowers will fall from your hair. You look beautiful, I
promise,” Adana assured her yet again. “Chin up, walk proudly, and
stop trying to cross your arms over your stomach,” she added,
rolling her eyes.

Jala nodded slightly, careful to not dislodge
any of the lilies placed so carefully in her upswept hair, and took
a long slow breath. Adana had assured her this was traditional
clothing for a wedding. Looking around at the Firym watching them
pass, she wondered if the bronzed people had ever seen a bride as
ghostly pale as she was. “I look like I’ve been raised in a cave
compared to your people,” Jala said quietly.

“You are a beautiful ivory, though certain
parts of your body do look as though they have never seen the sun,”
Adana grinned at her.

Jala pursed her lips at the remark. “I was
raised at a Temple, Lady Adana. If those parts had seen the sun the
priests would have had fits.”

“Or smiles,” Adana suggested wickedly.

Jala shook her head at the woman and fought
back a chuckle. “Horrible, simply horrible,” she scolded weakly.
They were passing through the houses now and into a large open
square. Sunlight glittered across the cobbles and Jala paused
again. “Is that gold?” she asked staring in wonder at the patterns
worked into the cobbled square.

Adana nodded and motioned toward the lamps on
each corner and then the fountain in the center. “It is all gold.
This is the Denove Solae, or Home of the Sun in your language,
though it sounds much better in mine.” She paused, giving Jala time
to take in the splendor and then motioned to the opposite side of
the square where a rather substantial crowd was forming. There was
a raised area there and several figures stood upon it. Even from
this distance she could make out Finn. He stood straight near the
back of the platform, dressed in black and gold. He hadn’t noticed
her approach yet, and Jala felt herself tense at the size of the
growing crowd.

“Who are all of these people? Jala asked, her
voice quiet. She hadn’t expected more than simply Finn’s
family.

Adana moved closer to her and motioned with
one hand discreetly. “There in the back beside Finn are of course
Arjuna and Sovann. To the right is Nallia my granddaughter and her
husband Truce.” she paused making sure Jala had noticed the
couple.

Nallia was smaller than her two brothers but
had the same tanned coloring though her hair seemed more golden
than either Finn's or Sovann's. She was dressed in a beautiful gown
of red and white and even from this distance Jala could pick out
the glimmer of jewels at her wrist and neck. Her husband leaned
against a pillar nearby her. His dark hair was long and held back
in a loose ponytail. By the pale coloring of his skin and the style
of clothing he wore, he was obviously not Firym. Her eyes lingered
on the fine white jacket he wore, trimmed in gold. The vest beneath
was a dark red as were his pants. “Aren’t those the Avanti colors?”
she asked Adana with a raised eyebrow.

“Indeed, Truce Avanti is the heir to House
Avanti. I suppose we should consider it an honor that Nallia gained
such a husband.” She paused and gave Jala a glance. Her lips were
pursed and her nose wrinkled slightly in an expression of distaste.
“We don’t though. He is, after all, Avanti. Out of all of them
though, Truce is the most tolerable.” She gave a long sigh and
shook her head slightly. “Past that though, the business is done
and the dear girl does seem to love him despite his obvious faults.
On the left of Finn is Talon, Arjuna’s Heir and Commander of the
Flame Riders. Beside him is his son Havoc.”

“Havoc?” Jala asked in surprise her gaze
swiftly moving from the impressive armored form of Talon to Havoc’s
more familiar form.

Adana looked at her in surprise. “You know
Havoc?” she asked.

Jala smiled and nodded her eyes scanning the
crowds for Victory. “I do. I consider him a friend, and I hope he
considers me the same. He has saved my life more than once,” she
told Adana, her smile fading a bit when she realized Victory wasn’t
in the crowd. “I don’t see Victory though. I’ve never seen the two
of them apart. Is he OK?”

Chuckling, Adana nodded. “I see, you know
them as Fionaveir then. Let’s not mention that fact with Truce
around. The Avanti do despise the Fionaveir. Victory is not here
because House Faydwer and House Avanti cannot be kept from
attempting to kill each other no matter how civilized the Avanti
claim to be,” she explained.

“Are Finn’s parents not here?” Jala asked
after scanning the platform and realizing it held no one else.

With a heavy sigh Adana shook her head.
“Sovaesh is no longer welcome in these lands. When he chose to
marry Avanti there was a falling out between Arjuna and my son. It
took all of my cunning to convince my brother to not punish the
children for the sins of their father. And so my grandchildren are
allowed within these borders but not my son.”

Frowning at the pain in the woman’s voice,
Jala gave her a light hug. “I’m sorry, Adana, I didn’t realize,”
she apologized, wishing she had never brought up the topic.

Adana returned the hug and began slowly
walking again. “Just wait until you see my Finn in his uniform.
Everything else will fade from your mind,” she said, abruptly
changing the topic.

The crowd parted quickly for Adana. Jala kept
a close pace behind her. As they neared the platform, Finn noticed
her and smiled. True to Adana’s word, all else but Finn faded from
her mind. The uniform jacket fell below his hips and fit so well it
had obviously been tailored for him. The material was fine black
wool with insignias that she didn’t recognize sewn into the high
collar and shoulders. Everything from the house sigil at his collar
to the gold buttons down the front had been polished to a mirror
shine. His dark red pants were of the same quality fabric and the
knee high boots he wore looked as though they had never been worn
before.

“You must be baking in all of that wool,”
Jala said quietly as he took her hand and helped her onto the dais
beside him.

He shrugged and shook his head. “Firym blood,
remember? Heat really doesn’t bother me much.” His eyes roved over
her and his smile widened. “Traditional Firym gown. I had wondered
if they would get you to wear one.”

“She had a struggle over it I assure you. I
feel naked,” Jala explained with a bit of a blush.

“You know, a tug on one strap and a tap to
those clasps on your hips and you would be,” he whispered in her
ear.

“That didn’t help at all,” she said frowning.
Suddenly, the prospect of standing in front of a large crowd of
Firym naked came to mind and she fought down the desire to run back
to the palace.

Grinning, Finn led her to stand before Arjuna
as if sensing she was about to bolt. The others on the dais quickly
stepped down from the platform and took places in the crowd. A
brush of fur against her hip caught her attention and she looked
down to see Marrow seated beside her.

The Avanti tried to talk him out of
this,
Marrow told her.

And what did he say?
Jala asked
keeping the conversation mental.

The Avanti told him that this marriage
would damage his reputation in Sanctuary because Cassia Avanti
dislikes you so. Finn laughed and said it did not matter what
Cassia thought, he is not too fond of her either. It felt like a
warning to me. I think I should have waited to eat so I could have
removed the Avanti,
Marrow explained.

“Jala?” Finn’s voice broke through the mental
conversation and from his expression she gathered it was not the
first time he had spoken her name. “Do you have the chain?” He
asked in an amused tone. He flicked his gaze toward Marrow and
smiled his understanding.

“I’m sorry I didn’t hear you when you first
spoke,” she replied in embarrassment and handed the chain over to
him.

He in turn handed it to Arjuna who spent a
good long while simply studying the links. Looking up at the two of
them, Arjuna nodded his approval. “One of the finest chains I’ve
seen, even on both sides with the same metal. This is truly a
blessed match,” he said quietly.

Finn leaned closer to her. “He is keeping his
voice low as he says that so his wife doesn’t hear him,” he
whispered to her loud enough for Arjuna to overhear.