The Sapphire Rose

‘Thanks all the same, Your Majesty, but I think I can forgo the encumbrance of additional titles.’

‘But I want to give you titles.’

‘I’m sort of taken with “husband” personally.’

‘Any man can be a husband.’

‘But I’m the only one who’s yours.’

‘Oh, that’s very nice. Practise a bit, Sparhawk, and you might even turn into a perfect gentleman.’

‘Most of the perfect gentlemen I know are courtiers. They’re not generally held in high regard.’

She shivered.

‘You’re cold,’ he accused. ‘I told you to put on a robe.’

‘Why do I need a robe when I have this nice warm husband handy?’

He bent, picked her up in his arms and carried her back to the bed.

‘I’ve dreamed of this,’ she said as he gently put her on the bed, joined her and drew the covers over them. ‘You know something, Sparhawk?’ She snuggled down against him again. ‘I used to worry about this night. I thought I’d be all nervous and shy, but I’m not at all – and do you know why?’

‘No, I don’t think so.’

‘I think it’s because we’ve really been married since the first moment I laid my eyes on you. All we were really doing was waiting for me to grow up so that we could formalize things.’ She kissed him lingeringly. ‘What time do you think it is?’

‘A couple of hours until daylight.’

‘Good. That gives us lots more time. You are going to be careful in Zemoch, aren’t you?’

‘I’m going to do my very best.’

‘Please don’t do heroic things just to impress me, Sparhawk. I’m already impressed.’

‘I’ll be careful,’ he promised.

‘Speaking of that – do you want my ring now?’

‘Why don’t you give it to me in public? Let Sarathi see us keep our part of the bargain.’

‘Was I really too terrible to him?’

‘You startled him a bit. Sarathi’s not used to dealing with women like you. I think you unnerve him, my love.’

‘Do I unnerve you too, Sparhawk?’

‘Not really. I raised you, after all. I’m used to your little quirks.’

‘You’re really very fortunate, you know. Very few men have the opportunity to rear their own wives. That may give you something to think about on your way to Zemoch.’ Her voice quavered then, and a sudden sob escaped her. ‘I swore I wouldn’t do this,’ she wailed. ‘I don’t want you to remember me as being all weepy.’

‘It’s all right, Ehlana. I sort of feel the same way myself.’

‘Why does the night have to run so fast? Could this Aphrael of yours stop the sun from coming up if we asked her to? Or maybe you could do it with the Bhelliom.’

‘I don’t think anything in the world has the power to do that, Ehlana.’

‘What good are they all then?’ She began to cry, and he took her into his arms and held her until the storm of her weeping had passed. Then he gently kissed her. One kiss became several, and the rest of the night passed without any further weeping.

Chapter 20

‘But why does it have to be in public?’ Sparhawk demanded, clanking around the room to settle his armour into place.

‘It’s expected, dear,’ Ehlana replied calmly. ‘You’re a member of the royal family now, and you’re obliged to appear in public on occasion. You get used to it after a while.’ Ehlana, wearing a fur-trimmed blue velvet robe, sat at her dressing table.

‘It’s no worse than a tournament, My Lord,’ Kurik told him. ‘That’s in public too. Now will you stop pacing around so I can get your sword-belt on straight?’ Kurik, Sephrenia and Mirtai had arrived at the bridal chamber with the sun, Kurik carrying Sparhawk’s armour, Sephrenia carrying flowers for the queen and Mirtai carrying breakfast. Emban came with them, and he carried the news that the formal farewell would take place on the steps of the Basilica.

‘We haven’t given the people or Wargun’s troops much in the way of detail, Sparhawk,’ the fat little Churchman cautioned, ‘so you probably shouldn’t get too specific if you start making speeches. We’ll give you a rousing send-off and hint at the fact that you’re going to save the world all by yourself. We’re used to lying, so we’ll even be able to sound convincing. It’s all very silly, of course, but we’d appreciate your cooperation. The morale of the citizens and particularly of Wargun’s troops is very important just now.’ His round face took on a slightly disappointed cast. ‘I suggested that we have you do something spectacular in the way of magic to top things off, but Sarathi put his foot down.’

‘Your tendency towards theatrics sometimes gets out of hand, Emban,’ Sephrenia told him. The small Styric woman was toying with Ehlana’s hair, experimenting with comb and brush.

‘I’m a man of the people, Sephrenia,’ Emban replied. ‘My father was a tavern keeper, and I know how to please a crowd. The people love a good show, and that’s what I wanted to give them.’

Sephrenia had lifted Ehlana’s hair into a mass atop the queen’s head. ‘What do you think, Mirtai?’ she asked.

‘I liked it the way it was before,’ the giantess replied.

‘She’s married now. The way she wore her hair before was the way a young girl would wear it. We have to do something with it to indicate that she’s a married woman now.’

‘Brand her,’ Mirtai shrugged. ‘That’s what my people do.’

‘Do what?’ Ehlana exclaimed.

‘Among my people, a woman is branded with her husband’s mark when she marries – usually on the shoulder.’

‘To indicate that she’s his property?’ the queen asked scornfully. ‘What sort of mark does the husband wear?’

‘He wears his wife’s mark. Marriages are not undertaken lightly among my people.’

‘I can see why,’ Kurik said with a certain awe.

‘Eat your breakfast before it gets cold, Ehlana,’ Mirtai commanded.

‘I don’t really care all that much for fried liver, Mirtai.’

‘It’s not for you. My people lay some importance on the wedding night. Many brides become pregnant on that night – or so they say. That might be the result of practising before the ceremony, though.’