The War Gift - part 20

Cailan’s sleep was deep after his private ceremony with his father.  He’d expected to be restless during the night, but the emotional draining he’d felt and the activity of the last week kept him asleep all through the night.

He awoke in the morning just before a team of servants were brought into his rooms, his mother leading them in.  The servants dispersed to pre-ordered duties as soon as they entered, but his mother sat by him on the bed without saying a word, her arms wrapped around him tightly. 

He hugged her back, not entirely sure of the emotion behind his mother’s embrace.  It was several minutes before she released him, and her eyes were moist.  She clearly struggled to speak, but Cailan could read her eyes now and he recognized a lot of the expression held in them.  Trying to make it easier for both of them, he simply said, “I love you, Mother.”

She sucked in a breath and kissed his cheek.  “I love you too,” she managed, and then took a deep breath and seemed to gather herself together.  “It’s time to get you ready.  The servants know what I expect of them.  Let them help you bathe and dress.  There will be a morning meal brought in for you shortly.  If you need anything, send me word.  I’ll see to it myself that you have it.”

“I can’t imagine you’ve left me in need of anything, Mother.  I’ll be fine.”

She patted his cheek.  “I know you will.  I need to go get myself ready now as well.”

She bussed his forehead with one more kiss, and then left him in the hands of the servants.

He thought he was prepared for what the servants had been ordered to do for him that day, having had their services for other significant events in the palace, but that morning was above and beyond anything he’d experienced in the past.

In the bathing room, his tub had been filled and the water scented with pine oil.  He could have bathed himself, but following his mother’s wishes, he allowed the servant hovering in the room to scrub him down, using a coarse sponge first over all his body, and then following that with a soft cloth fully soaped up.  Every inch of him was scrubbed and his hair washed twice, first with the typical hair soap, but then with a thick cream that he was told would soften the strands.

Cailan rolled his eyes a little, but didn’t fuss.  That is, he didn’t fuss until the servant produced a thin tube-like device and started making requests of Cailan that the prince blushed red over.

Demanding to know what the servant was attempting to clean, the staff member, who had been attending to the prince’s bathing in a kind but impersonal way, now looked surprised and uncomfortable.

“It will be your wedding night, sire.  There is…preparation involved,” she explained.

Cailan hadn’t thought about that aspect of things at all, and while it made sense, he was not pleased to have such an intimate thing brought up by a servant.  He had no intention of being touched in such a way by anyone other than Jarek; and now that the details of what that would include were there in his face, he was a little uncertain as to how far he really wanted Jarek to go.

Knowing the mechanics of what the servant had planned to do, he dismissed her from the room, and then uncomfortably took care of things himself.

It wasn’t the most pleasant part of his day, and the entire experience made him feel more nervous instead of prepared for the night ahead, but he called himself a coward and worked to push it out of his mind.

When the bath was done, a different servant brought a long, wraparound, bath tunic for him to wear, telling him they’d help him dress in his wedding attire after he ate.

The morning meal had been delivered while he’d washed, and now sat appealingly on a large tray at the foot of his bed.  Fruit, hot and sweetened grain cereal, and meat rolls had been provided.  Cailan ate hungrily, but wished he was sharing the meal with Jarek, or at least someone.  He didn’t care to eat by himself.

As if in answer to his wish, the servants answered a knock on the door and the royal healer entered.  Clearly he was there to re-bandage Cailan’s leg, but the prince urged him to sit and share the meal with him first.

“Please, there is plenty here and I prefer to eat with someone.”

It was an unusual thing for a royal to unexpectedly do, but the healer joined him and they managed to make small talk—mostly about care for Cailan’s leg once he left Arten—while they ate.

Afterwards the healer took special care wrapping the wound.  “Continue to bandage it in this way for at least another week and use the cream,” he advised.  “After that, let the Cylandrean healer deem what treatment it needs.  When he says the wrappings are no longer needed, start doing gentle stretches to help the skin move about the muscle as it should, and you can work on strengthening it more then as well.”

That all sounded good to Cailan, and he thanked the healer before the man left the room.

As soon as he was gone, the servants still lingering in the room immediately restarted their duties.  Absorbent oil was rubbed over his body, leaving it moisturized and with a gleam to the skin even after the oil dried. 

They then brought out his wedding attire.  Red, silver and black were the dominant colors of the garb.  Silver leggings, the same color as his hair, were the first to be put on.  They fit perfectly and the material was so soft that there was no irritation at all when it rubbed against the bandage on his leg.

A beautiful red tunic with detailed edging of black and silver around the hem, wrist cuffs, and neckline was delicately placed around his torso, and a servant carefully fastened the silver buttons down the front.  The style of the tunic broadened his shoulders while flattering his slim waist. 

A gleaming black cape, longer than the one he’d worn the previous night to meet his father, would be put on just before the ceremony, with matching knee height boots making his outfit complete.

Cailan knew the time was getting close.  The ceremony was set for mid-morning and his parents would come to his quarters to escort him to the ballroom.

In the meantime, the servants urged him to sit and one of them began styling his hair.  Cailan never liked this part of formal ceremonies, hating the fuss and hands in his hair, and always wondering if he was being judged.

He put up with it though, and was thankful that the servant did no more than brush it straight and pin back a few strands from his face.  He was surprised nothing more elaborate was planned, but he discovered why the simplicity was done when his parents arrived a short while later.

The servants immediately left the family in privacy when the king and queen arrived in his quarters.  His mother looked elegant and sophisticated in a red dress draped just right over her body.  Gold jewelry adorned her neck, ears, and wrists.

His father was wearing his royal robes as was right for a prince’s wedding.  Both wore the most ornate crowns made for them as the high royals of the kingdom. 

Cailan’s father carried with him a black velvet box, and opened it toward Cailan as the three of them faced each other.  Inside was a newly made crown that made Cailan gasp to see it.  It was ten times more elegant and expensive than his past princely crowns had been.  He looked to his parents in surprise.

“It’s for you,” his father confirmed.  “You will always be a prince of Arten, and you deserve a crown marking this day for you.”

The king carefully lifted the crown from its velvet cushioning and took a step nearer his son.  With pride, he lowered the golden diadem until it rested perfectly around Cailan’s brow. 

“Now you are ready,” he said proudly, if not a little sadly.  “Come, my son.  Your intended waits for you.”

Cailan walked between his parents to the ceremony room, while every servant and soldier not assigned to the ballroom lined the halls and bowed in respect and well-wishes as the trio passed.

*****

When Cailan and his parents reached the doors to the ballroom, he felt a tremble of excitement and nerves running through him.  He hadn’t been given this option before.  Previously he’d been a concubine, forced into servitude; and after that he believed he would never be bonded to anyone.  Now he was a groom, about to form a union with someone he had come to love and who had shown him love and respect in return. 

Now in position for the ceremony about to start, Cailan’s parents each held an arm out so he could place his hand in their crooks and be escorted inside.  This part of the ceremony was a bit different than normal.  Had he been marrying a young woman, he would have already been waiting inside, but his and Jarek’s situation was different.  To show the equality of the union so neither kingdom nor groom felt slighted, both men would be escorted inside from opposite ends, meeting in the middle under the wedding arch. 

Cailan heard music start, the soft and romantic sound of a harp and pan flute floating on the air.  There was the softest click at the doors he stood in front of, the hint that they were about to open—and then they did.

Cailan froze for just a moment as he saw the doors across the room opening as well, and there was Jarek standing between his parents, all three of them looking stunning from the hem of their clothes to the silver shimmer of their hair and the elegant crowns that adorned them.

He would have just kept staring, but the feel of his parents starting the march inside set his feet into motion.  The three of them walked as one, slow steps that matched the approach of the other trio closing the gap between them.

Cailan was subtly aware of the presence of the guests in the room, but his focus was entirely on Jarek. It seemed to take an inordinately long time to meet in the center, but finally they stood in front of the beautifully decorated arch, the smell of the roses and sweet incense in the room adding to the surreal feeling enveloping Cailan’s senses.  This was a beautiful ceremony, and a serious one when you committed your life to another, but Jarek’s face was alight and one blue eye winked at Cailan, making the younger prince break into a grin he couldn’t hold back.

On the other side of the arch, the cleric who would lawfully unite them spoke.  “On this day a moment of history and camaraderie is being forever bound.  Who gives these two men to one another?”

Across the space between them, the two kings and two queens reached out and connected hands, creating a circle of the six of them.  “We do,” the four spoke in unison.

“Has a blessing been prepared?” the cleric asked.

“It has,” King Saxon and King Jonerick spoke again as one.

Cailan’s father moved until he stood between the two grooms and placed a hand on each shoulder.  He looked to Jarek first, his eyes serious, almost fierce, but also benevolent.  “Prince Jarek of Cylandrea, I willingly give my son to you.  He has blessed his family with courage, love and devotion, and I pass those attributes to you through him.  May your lives together be filled with joy, respect, and growth.”

King Saxon then turned to Cailan and his eyes softened from their intensity.  “My son, I see a good man in Prince Jarek and I offer my blessing to your union.  May you always find joy in one another. You have the approval and acceptance of your family, and we offer our services to both of you if you ever have any need.”

Cailan blinked rapidly to clear his eyes as his father stepped back to his side and King Jonerick took position.  The older king put a hand on each younger man’s shoulder as Cailan’s father had done, and then addressed his words to Cailan first.

“Prince Cailan of Arten, I willingly give my son to you,” he said sincerely, his voice showing the huskiness of age although his body stood proud and strong.  “He has spent his life in service to his family and country, a man never wavering from his commitments, promises, or those he loves.  He has blessed us all from the moment of his birth, and I pass those qualities to you through him.  May the two of you be one another’s companions, friends, and lovers for all your days together.”

The king offered the briefest but kindest of smiles to Cailan, and then turned to his son.  “My son, Jarek, my second born who has been faithful to all that has been asked of him his whole life.  You have found an honorable, brave, and beautiful gift in your betrothed, and I offer my blessing to your union.  May your lives intertwine with each other until two become one, and know that your family will support and aid you all your days.”

King Jonerick returned to his place then, and the cleric spoke in the silence.  “May the two families give their sons to each other?”

Cailan received a kiss on his cheeks from both parents, and Jarek’s mother and father did the same.  The two mothers then each took a son’s hand and brought them together. 

Cailan instinctively interwove his fingers with Jarek’s and smiled when the older man tightened his grip.  The two royal couples then stepped away and took their seats as Cailan and Jarek turned to face the cleric, centering themselves under the arch.

For the next several minutes, the cleric spoke to those gathered about the eternity of marriage and gave examples of some famous Artenian couples, both good and bad, and how those in attendance could learn from those examples. 

Cailan tried to pay attention, but his mind was more on the feel of Jarek’s fingers interlaced with his, and on controlling his desire to lean into the taller man. 

Finally, the cleric moved on to the words of union that would make their marriage official.  He directed the two of them to face each other, and without being told Cailan and Jarek reached out and clasped their hands together.

“A bonded marriage, particularly between two royals, is a sacred union that cannot be broken except through death,” the cleric said sagely.  “There are promises to be made at this time.  If you both are willing to agree to each promise, say ‘We will’ after each one.”

The man seemed to pause for effect, and then spoke loud enough for everyone present to hear.  “Will the two of you promise to be bound from this day hence until your last breath?”

“We will,” Jarek and Cailan said in matching voices of strength and assurance.

“Will you be selfless so the other will always come first?”

“We will.”

“Will you stand firm through hard times, be they sickness or tragedy?”

“We will.”

“Will you fulfill your royal duties together, supporting one another?”

“We will.”

“Will you be an example to all of faithful love?”

“We will.”

“And will you make these promises aloud and with these witnesses in this room?”

“We will.”

“Then do so and complete your vows,” the cleric told them.

Cailan, knowing he was to go first since his was the host country, spoke looking directly into Jarek’s eyes.  “Prince Jarek of Cylandrea, I promise to be selfless, to stand firm at your side, to fulfill my responsibilities to you and our people, and to be an example of faithful love to all who see us.”

Jarek, his eyes surprisingly wet, released one of Cailan’s hands so he could cup the younger man’s face.  He repeated the promises back.  “Prince Cailan of Arten, I promise to be selfless, to stand firm at your side, to fulfill my responsibilities to you and our people, and to be an example of faithful love to all who see us.”  And then he added, “And to take care of you always.”

The cleric made a subtle noise that said he didn’t approve of the deviation from the norm, but moved ahead with the ceremony.  “With these promises I now pronounce you bonded for all your years.  You may seal your union.”

Cailan tipped his face up and Jarek dipped his down and they met in a kiss that sent sparks all the way down to Cailan’s feet.  He didn’t want to stop when Jarek broke the connection, but knew he had too.  Music began to play around them and their parents rose from their seats and came to their sides, this time escorting them as a couple into their group of witnesses.

One by one, everyone present kissed and hugged the two of them.  Cailan was pleased to see that Sorcerer Ristoph had attended the ceremony with his partner, and welcomed the introduction to the sorcerer’s husband, Avel.

Everyone in the room began mingling happily then while the servants in attendance prepared for the meal. 

The pleasant aromas of pheasant, ham, cooked vegetables, and hot bread began to fill the room, and the musicians added to the atmosphere with the lovely sounds of stringed instruments, subtle drums, and muted horns. 

Cailan and Jarek’s parents started to guide everyone to their seats for the meal, but Jarek kept the younger prince from following.  Instead, as everyone else took their seats, he guided Cailan into the open space of the room, pulled him close with an arm around his waist, interlaced their fingers and began to sway.

“I said I wanted to dance with you,” he murmured just for Cailan’s ears.

Cailan, feeling both awkward in knowing everyone was watching them, but pleased to be held as he was, smiled shyly.  “Dancing is usually saved for after the meal.”

“Do you wish me to let you go?”

Cailan pressed a little closer to him.  “Please don’t.”

Jarek smiled and leaned down to kiss him as they continued to sway.  He briefly nuzzled Cailan’s neck after the kiss, and then the two of them silently moved together until the song the musicians played faded away. 

Reluctantly they stopped dancing and took their seats at the table between their parents, let the cleric say a blessing, and began to enjoy the food that was served.

Everyone filled themselves up on succulent meat, roasted potatoes, garden fresh vegetables, and a half dozen other dishes.  Wine from the royal collection flowed freely, making everyone joyous and cheerful, although Jarek limited both himself and Cailan to two goblets only.  When Cailan frowned at that directive, Jarek leaned close and whispered in his ear.

“I want us both fully aware and able to enjoy our wedding night, petling.  Drown yourself in me instead of wine.”

That was a very convincing argument and Cailan quite happily switched to flavored water for the remainder of his meal.

After the main course was cleared away, Queen Adesina welcomed the group gathered to talk, dance, or rest in the divans that had been set up before a special dessert was brought out.

Jarek immediately began leading Cailan back to the dance floor, but they were intercepted by their mothers.  The women commented that they had the rest of their lives to dance together, but they could wait a few minutes and have a dance with their mothers.

Graciously, both men bowed to the queens, and Cailan stepped expertly into a slow waltz with Queen Adesina while Jarek twirled Queen Dyanna on the floor.  They switched partners a few minutes later, the men now dancing with their mothers-in-law until King Saxon and King Jonerick politely stepped in to dance with their wives and let Jarek and Cailan find one another’s arms again. 

Ristoph and Avel joined the dancing a short while later, and a few of Cailan’s brothers cheerfully claimed some of the female servants away from their duties to dance with them as well.

At one point Cailan’s oldest brother, Abed, brought little Doron’s nanny out onto the floor, so Cailan picked up his little brother and began carefully spinning and dancing him around the room with him and Jarek. 

Everyone laughed and enjoyed themselves, burning off the heavy meal to make room for more.

After an hour of activity, many of them retired to the scattered settees around the room.  Jarek and Cailan claimed one for themselves, but they didn’t get much time to talk alone as Cailan’s family and the few other guests sporadically came to chat with them, both to congratulate and to get to know Jarek a little more before he took Cailan back to Cylandrea.

After a time, Queen Adesina once more graciously requested everyone’s attention as dessert was about to be brought out.  She motioned to two servants who opened one of the ballroom doors, making the way for another two servants to carefully carry in the extravagant dessert.

Cailan’s mouth dropped open at the chocolate fountain that appeared.  The servants set it down on a specially decorated table, and then efficiently and quickly surrounded it with bite size pieces of fruit, sweet bites, sugared bread, and honey cheese.

The room buzzed with excitement and awe at the elaborate display, and Cailan rose to approach his mother and kiss her cheek.  “Thank you, Mother!”

He then turned and addressed the room as Jarek came to his side.  “Thank you everyone.  I can’t tell you how special you’ve made today for me…for both of us.”

Jarek added his appreciate as well.  “My thanks to Cailan’s parents, his brothers, my family, and the staff who have served us so well today too.  Thank you for blessing and witnessing our bonding with such love.”

The small group clapped their approval, and then urged Jarek and Cailan to lead the way to the chocolate fountain.  The men would have argued that they couldn’t eat another bite after the large meal, but the dessert was too tempting.  Cailan filled a dipping bowl with the warm chocolate while Jarek piled a small plate with the assortment of sweets provided.  They both then returned to their chaise, sharing the bites while Jarek, with a knowing look, occasionally offered a piece of fruit or bread for Cailan to eat from his hand.  They weren’t worried what the guests would think.  Lovers feeding each other would be accepted in this situation, but the two men knew the simple act meant much more between them.

The day progressed in the celebration, but eventually it was time to be saying good-byes. 

Cailan appreciated the supportive hugs and encouraging—if sometimes teasing—words from his older brothers as they offered farewells and promises to visit.  However, he choked up when he came to Doron and held the little boy in his arms, hating now just as much as the first time that he wouldn’t be around to daily watch his little brother grow. 

“Cay-in,” the child sing-songed and patted his face.  “Dance, Cay-in!”

Cailan let out a mixed laugh and cry, and then spun the little boy a few times before gripping him in a hug.  “You be a good lad, ok?  I’ll see you soon.”

He passed the boy to his mother’s arms and the queen kissed the child’s cheek and gave him to his nanny.  She then turned back to her second youngest and drew him into a hug.  “I’ll be in Cylandrea in two weeks to start preparations for the celebration there.  I’ll bring Doron with me, alright?”

He nodded gratefully.  “Thank you.”

They embraced one more time, and then King Saxon took his wife’s place.  He gave Cailan a strong embrace and kissed his cheek.  “Take care, my son.”

Jarek stood with Cailan through all the good-byes, understanding but clearly not facing the same emotions Cailan was.  Eventually they made some final waves and then procured Sorcerer Ristoph and the man’s companion.  Ristoph had prepared a portal to transport them to Cylandrea, so the four of them left the guests and servants to the end of the party and headed to Cailan’s quarters. 

His belongings had been taken ahead of time so he and Jarek had nothing to carry through with them.  Just before opening the transport, the sorcerer turned a fond look to the young prince.

“I am proud to call you my friend as well as my prince, your highness,” he said sincerely.  “Thank you for inviting me to your union and for the lessons you’ve taught me.”

Cailan bowed to him.  “Thank you, Ristoph.  You saved my life in Cylandrea, and you paved the way for hope for me here in Arten.  Please, you and Avel,” he said, including Ristoph’s husband, “are welcome to visit in Cylandrea any time.”

Ristoph looked pleased at that, especially since Jarek agreed with the invite.  “Thank you, my lords.  Avel and I look forward to that time.  Are you ready to travel?”

The new husbands looked to each other and nodded.  Ristoph smiled and then moved his hands in graceful gestures, whispering words unknown to Cailan, and opened a transport gateway.

“Well wishes, sires,” he and Avel said in unison.

They thanked the man and then Jarek took Cailan by surprise by lifting him up, his arm around Cailan’s back and the other under his legs, and carried him through to start their joined life.

The End