A Place To Bloom

Naveris

Am I a coward?

I sat in the dirt with tufts of lavender on my left and a small tree covered in lemon blossom on my right. Before me was the polished salt-and-pepper stone etched with the name of a man whose sword I would carry. He'd given everything to the orphanage so that people like me and Sarina could have a place to bloom, and when he was called to war, he went.

Now it was my turn.

Except in the morning I would save my own life and allow Davod and Geraln, two of my best friends since childhood, to march off to die. I would lag behind, sneak into Doren the Hermit's place, and wait there while Sarina quietly packed some things. From there, the two of us would spend our lives running from the Emperor's Invisible Hand.

Tonight, there was another matter, Naveris.

Pagan traditions notwithstanding, thoughts of Sarina and I breaking our chastity together saturated my mind. The world would know it as a man giving his body to her not knowing if he would ever see home again, but for us, it would be our wedding night. Merely precluded for show.

I wanted to fuck her so bad!

Break myself in her.

Become one with her.

Which was worse, to shirk my duty for cowardice, or naked lust?

We would be properly eloped soon enough, surely God would understand.

Right?

"There you are!" A girl's voice called out from the kitchen. Talys's voluptuous body scarcely filled half the door frame, and I went to her. Standing two steps above the garden, her eyes almost made it up to my chin. Her words danced up and down the musical scale as she spoke. "Everyone's looking for you. The guests are here, the food is ready, and Father Yewan is waiting to give a long-winded speech."

That made me smile. "It's called a toast."

From the kitchen behind her, baked rosemary, maple, and pears filled the air. In the waning dusk in the garden where I stood, I could barely make out her face smiling up at me as she toyed with my shirt, flattening it out over my chest. I tried to get a peek inside when an older woman rushed up behind her and urged me. "No, no, you can't come in here! You have to go around front!"

Talys stepped down and laced her arm in mine. "Come, let me show you where it is."

I couldn't help but grin. "You do realize I grew up in this church, right?"

We stepped along the round stones that made a walkway leading through a chorus of herbs towards the gate. In the western horizon, the orange glow of the sun had all but disappeared, leaving the chill night air. Above us, early stars dotted the purple sky.

"Um..." she started, then held her words.

"What is it?"

She laughed nervously. "I, uh..." I could hardly see, but I could hear her take a deep breath and hold it in for a moment. Finally, she stopped and wrapped her arms around my waist. "May I be your Naveris?"

Those words cut through my veins. "I'm sorry. I think that would be... truly wonderful, but I already asked Sarina, and she said yes."

"Are you serious?"

"Why?"

"Nothing," her voice smiled. "I didn't expect that. After you and Guenevieve in the hot bath the other day, I'd assumed..."

"We didn't do anything! Teryn took her clothes, I brought her something to put on, and she invited me in is all. Nothing happened."

Talys giggled lightly. "You don't have to excuse yourself with me! Have you told her about you and Sarina?"