“A binding ceremony is an...intimate affair,” King Lorial says. “Especially a heartbinding. It is not a public exhibition.”
Rominy’s heart accelerates again, but he feels Princess Elowyn’s efforts to calm him and looks at her as she encourages him to take slower breaths.
Stars above, she’s probably spent half her life breathing slowly for him while he was oblivious to her existence.
Father studies King Lorial. “When yousay...intimate—”
“It is a binding of hearts and souls and magic,” the elf king explains. “It can be disorienting for the couple. Especially as your children are not elves, it may be particularly overwhelming.”
Great. What in the world has Rominy agreed to?
Prince Tharios whispers in his wife’s ear, and she nods.
“If I may,” Princess Viala says softly in the Elvish tongue. Does she not speak Nunian? “Perhaps two...would be appropriate as...when Tharios and I...”
Rominy only catches some of her words. She has a slight accent, and his Elvish is apparently mediocre at best.
“My binding partner suggests two ceremonies,” Prince Tharios translates. “As we did when she and I wed to honor both our people’s traditions.”
“Is this acceptable to you?” King Lorial asks.
Father looks toward Mother.
“Two ceremonies will do,” she says.
Prince Cerian’s scowl returns. He actually looked...well, far from pleased, but at least he wasn’t glowering when he entered the room.
“Perhaps the elven heartbinding can take place between the human ceremony and the wedding feast,” Father suggests. “Unless you recommend a longer time to recover?”
“A half hour total should suffice.”
“Very well,” Mother says. “We should discuss the particulars of both ceremonies...”
Her words fade to a corner of Rominy’s mind as he finds Princess Elowyn’s eyes again, and the elf princess’s smile grows when their gazes meet.
Maybe this heartbinding thing won’t be so bad.
One Giant Cupcake
Episode 7
Arisannasighsashermother and three maids hover around her.
It all started with a soak in a tub of rosewater followed by two hours of every beauty treatment imaginable to turn her into some sort of porcelain doll in a sparkling white gown lined with freshwater pearls and a skirt nearly as wide as the door. The excessive train is longer than she is tall.
Prince Cerian will probably think a monster of silk and satin ate her for lunch.
That’s assuming he looks at her at all. He barely glanced her way when their families met this morning. And now he expects her to promise her life to him and go through this intimate heartbinding ceremony together?
She bites her cheek to stifle another sigh.
It is what it is.
“There.” Mother’s eyes glisten, and Arisanna’s heart softens. This isn’t easy for Mother, either. She waited so long for children. Now she’s parting with one of them for political reasons.
Plus the whole heartbinding thing.
“You look stunning, dear,” Mother says softly.
