Heart of Stone

Chapter 13

Evander was in a good mood when he saw his brother and Patrice approach the throne room. It lasted until they were close enough to see that not everything was going as he'd hoped. There was an obvious sign that their relationship had taken another step, and it had improved vastly but there was something wrong.

The pair stopped in front of him, silent until Patrice pulled out the crystal and showed it to him. Evander saw the issue and lifted his eyes to his concerned brother.

"Read. The. Book."

Jarek shot him a look of expectation. Evander huffed as he rolled his eyes.

"She is not from this world. The stone senses that she does not have a stakalis of her own and is doing something about it. For Patrice to assimilate to the land completely, she must be bound to the nature of this world. It is breaking a piece of itself off to become hers. If you'd bothered to read the book as I have repeatedly asked you to do, you would know that this is normal."

Looking into the throne room, Evander gestured for a cleric to hand the book to him. Jarek watched with fear growing. The cleric delivered the book and stepped back, then Evander held it out to his brother.

"I can't," Jarek said softly.

Patrice clutched his arm, giving him a supportive smile.

"I can help."

"No."

Jarek grumped, angry that things were not going as they should be.

"Why not? It's just a book. You've never had issues,"

"Because I can't," Jarek snapped loudly at his brother. "Look at these."

Evander watched Jarek lift his hands. Purple spider veins filled the ashen skin. As Jarek curled his fingers, it sounded like ice cracking. Jarek ripped open his tunic, showing the veins that spanned his nearly white chest.

"Even if I could hold the book, it wouldn't do any good," Jarek admitted. "I cannot read anymore."

"I thought,"

"You thought wrong."

Evander was lost, unable to understand why this wasn't working. Jarek stormed out of the entrance hall and into the courtyard. It was the only place where his mind could find peace at the moment.

"Niwen said that he stayed with you last night."

Patrice smiled gently, hiding the pain that was growing by the second.

"He did, and yes, we did as the book suggested."

"You're not married," the cleric offered. "It says marriage and fornication. Perhaps it is not a rigid view of decency at all. Maybe they stated this because it has to happen and perhaps in that order too."

Evander and Patrice looked at each other.

"Do it," Patrice said firmly. "Whatever you need to do to make it happen, then you get it done and quickly."

"I can perform the service. We require another witness, one that is not a cleric."

"I'll get Niwen."

Patrice and the cleric entered the garden, finding Jarek sitting in the gazebo. His attention turned, watching them rush through the garden. Jarek's eyesight was fading. He could no longer see more than a few steps away.

"We're going to marry," Patrice said as she did the buttons of his tunic up.

It was still torn, but at least the panel wasn't hanging freely anymore.

Jarek stood, almost stumbling. Patrice helped him up even though she suggested that he should remain seated.

The cleric turned to see the young prince running through the courtyard with the maid, gripping her hand as if he thought she would run away. The concern on her face told him that she would not.

"We shall keep this incredibly short as you have another task ahead of you, and I fear that your health may decline rapidly."

Evander and Niwen stopped under the shade of the gazebo, puffing from the exertion.

"We're here. Get on with it." Evander rasped.

"I call to the land and the kings of old to recognise this union between His Royal Highness, King Jarek Saolisk and Patrice Baldwin, forever bound to each other's love and fidelity. May the love they share be never-ending."

Taking a deep breath, the cleric forced a smile. It was not an easy time for any of them.

"Under the power vested in me, a cleric of the state, I pronounce you husband and wife."

Stepping back, the cleric nodded to the young prince.

"Everyone out. It doesn't matter where they consummate, so here will be sufficient."

"No," Jarek groaned.

Gripping Patrice's arm, he urged her to follow. Jarek believed that he had enough energy to climb the stairs. It was a slow process, but the pair made it out of the courtyard.

Evander turned to the cleric.

"Return to the books and start again. Search those damned books. Every single paragraph is to be scrutinised heavily."

"Yes, my lord."

The cleric rushed out of the courtyard as Evander slumped to the stairs. Niwen sat beside him, wrapping a comforting arm around Evander.

"Is this the answer, or will we find out that we were wrong about this one too?"

"I hope that this is what we're looking for. Taking the passage literally seems the right thing to do."

Evander sighed as he sank into her embrace. He hoped that this worked. Despite how much he taunted Jarek with the statements, Evander didn't want to be king. If he was, then it meant that Jarek was dead.