She lifted her arms. "This clan was built on hope. On the belief that even in the darkest times, there is light to be found if we have the courage to seek it. On the conviction that family, whether by blood or by choice, is the most precious gift the Fates can bestow."
Annani looked out over the sea of faces, seeing the love and loyalty reflected back at her.
"Today, we celebrate that belief. We celebrate reunion and new beginnings. We celebrate the resilience of the spirit and the endurance of love across time and distance." She turned her hands palms up, toward the sky. "We celebrate family."
The word hung in the air, resonant with meaning.
She lowered her arms and waved in the direction of the buffet. "So let us feast. Let us drink, laugh, dance, and make merry, for today is a joyful day." She paused, her eyes twinkling. "Please, help yourselves."
The applause was thunderous, a wave of sound that washed over the lawn and seemed to shake the very ground beneath Annani's feet. Hands clapping, voices cheering, the joy of a community united in celebration.
Beside her, Areana was shedding tears and making no attempt to hide them. Annani turned and pulled her sister into an embrace, holding her close as the applause continued to roll over them.
"That was beautiful," Areana whispered against her shoulder. "Thank you."
Annani chuckled. "I'm good at making speeches. What is important is that you are home now."
They held each other for a long moment before separating, and Annani kept hold of Areana's hand as they descended the steps. The crowd was still applauding as they made their way toward the buffet.
People approached as they walked, offering words of congratulation to Areana, and Annani accepted their greetings graciously but kept moving, guiding her sister toward a quieter spot where they could sit, and Areana could catch her breath.
When they finally reached the table, Annani helped Areana into a chair and took the seat beside her.
"I usually do not stay for this portion of the party," she said. "I deliver my speech and then depart, leaving so people can enjoy themselves without the pressure of my presence."
Areana looked surprised. "Don't you want to celebrate with your people?"
Annani smiled wryly. "The celebrations are for the clan, and the clan celebrates more freely when they do not feel they are being watched by me."
"That is rather sad."
"It is simply the reality of my position. I have made my peace with it." Annani patted her sister's hand. "But today is different. Today, I am staying. I want to be here with you. I want to see you smile and laugh and remember what it feels like to be free."
20
ESAG
The applause was still echoing across the lawn when the crowd began migrating toward the buffet, a cheerful stampede of hungry immortals eager to sample Soraya's cooking.
Esag kept his hand on the small of Tula's back as they joined the flow, partly out of affection and partly because he didn't want to lose her in the crush. The harem ladies had clustered together during the speech, but now they were scattering, drawn in different directions by the novelty of mingling freely with so many new faces.
"That was a beautiful speech," Tula said, glancing back toward the podium where Annani and Areana were coming down the steps. "Annani has a gift for words."
"She's had a very long time to practice."
"True. But not everyone improves with age. Some people just get more long-winded." Tula grinned up at him. "You talked for over an hour this morning about the difficulty of carving a nose."
"The nose is the most important feature of any figurine, and it's the most fragile. I've ruined many nearly completed carvings because I messed up the nose."
"It might deserve a five-minute explanation, not an hour-long lecture."
Esag laughed. "You should have said something instead of pretending to be fascinated."
Her expression softened, and she cupped his face. "I was fascinated by you. You were so animated, so passionate about the stupid nose, and so incredibly sexy that I couldn't stop looking at you."
He was about to pull her into his arms and kiss her to oblivion when he saw his roommates heading their way.
"There you are," Davuh said, his eyes sweeping with undisguised interest over the group of ladies standing in line for the buffet. "We've been looking for you."
