The Dream Oath

Chapter 3.2

Ralse rolled his shoulders to shake off his discomfort as he waited for Edgar and Maria to arrive. The guests were assembled and the great hall was full. It seemed all the nobility who had been in hiding came out in droves to congratulate their king. Good. Once everyone fell into line, it would be easier to work with the lords and pull the country out of its squalor.

He didn't like forcing himself on his woman. He and Edgar had fought the night before about the whole heir business, as he thought of it. Edgar was pragmatic. He needed an heir. Ralse kept feeling sick at the whole idea. So the argument had ended with Ralse shouting at Edgar that Maria would have all the time she wanted to come to terms with their marriage and if she never did, he would marry Edgar off to some noble lady and make their children his heirs.

Edgar looked shocked, then angry, then huffed around the room unwilling to argue with his brother or at the logic he presented. Neither brother was enthusiastic about the wedding. Both wanted it over with, so they could return to their rebuilding.

The door to the anteroom opened, admitting Edgar without Maria.

"Well?" Ralse asked, trying to hold in his discomfort and impatience.

"She will walk alone. I'll escort you in now, and we will get this whole sorry performance over with so you can start bringing the lords into line."

"How was she?"

"Cold," Edgar stated honestly. "I don't think she will cause any problems for you, but you'll have your work cut out for you if you want to pull this woman out of that fortress she's built around herself."

Ralse sighed. He'd always thought not being an heir that he might get lucky enough to choose a partner. He'd hoped for someone who at least got along with him. He might be marrying the most beautiful woman in the world, but if she detested him, that wouldn't do him any good. He was not a monster, no matter what she thought.

Ralse and Edgar walked out of the anteroom into the crowd. Their heads held high. Edgar trailed slightly behind Ralse and to his right. The King was clad in red and gold, setting off his rich brown hair. Observers in the crowd found they could not hold his eye. Edgar, in his armor, was taller and broader than the king, cutting an imposing figure himself. While deadly with a sword, there was no question about which man was the more imposing figure. Ralse carried himself with an air that said more than words, obey. The crowd did, without hesitation.

Standing at the other end of the hall, Ralse turned and waited for Maria. He prayed that she wouldn't cause a scene here, maybe he shouldn't have given her the option to walk alone.

No sooner had he thought that than Maria appeared in the doorway. Her presence sang into the room. Even the people who couldn't keep their eyes off the king twisted around to see her when she entered.

Ralse was stunned. Her beauty had surpassed itself today. It sang a challenge to him. "Come and take it," it whispered into his heart. It might take a lifetime, but he would court his wife in style. Eventually, this presence underneath would come to him. Beyond her beauty was a soul as wild and powerful as his own. He would break down every wall to free it.

Their eyes met across the long aisle as Maria waited for her cue to start. Her blue eyes bore into his green ones, and Ralse wished his life had been different. He wished he'd left his father's court earlier and come here where he could have wooed her properly. He would have done anything to give her happiness and a home. Even though that wasn't so, Ralse promised to do his best for her sake, not just because she was his responsibility.

Their wedding ceremony was fast. Neither the bride nor bridegroom looked at anyone but the other. The silent twisting of two souls joining cast a surrealness over the room. Every person watching found themselves in a trance watching this dance between two proud spirits, wondering if they would end in opposition or union.

The reception lasted all afternoon and continued into the night. Wagon loads of food were devoured by hungry guests and the castle's wine storage nearly emptied. When Ralse saw Maria starting to seem tired, he quietly took her hand and led her out the back exit toward their chambers.