“We usually have feasts, yes. Mayhap the guests have not yet arrived.”
Morla pushed through into the great room. “Come along, everyone inside so we can close the doors.”
Horland put his hand on her arm. “Where are the guests?”
“This, my knight, is a private party, family and close friends only.”
“And whose idea was that?” Bree wanted to know.
Brushing Horland’s hand away, Morla put her hands on her hips and said, “The king has requested it be so.”
“Oh,” Bree breathed the exclamation quietly. Her first thought was that she wasn’t important enough to warrant a grand affair. After all, she wasn’t a princess and while Horland was a king’s knight, he wasn’t an elite one, not like her father. Sir Garlain was the king’s first knight, and Horland was just a run-of-the-mill type of knight.
Bree glanced at her family behind her. They smiled their encouragement, but she could see they were also confused as to what was happening. At least she had them there, and they were the only people she cared about. No, she told herself she didn’t care as long as she had them to celebrate her new life with, but her eyes stung with tears anyway.
Letting out a long, soulful sigh, Bree turned her wet eyes back to Morla.
Morla grimaced and letting go of her hips, held her hands out to Bree.
Bree took them and Morla leaned in and whispered, “I am sorry this is not what you expected, and under normal circumstances we would have had a grand celebration; but trust me when I tell you, you will be happy about all this soon.”
Morla’s intense gaze had Bree nodding. She didn’t know what the king and his daughter were up to, but they had been nothing but kind to her and Horland up until that moment. She decided she would enjoy her family and the small celebration.Whatever they were brewing, Bree hoped it was something she and Horland would like.
Morla showed Bree and Horland to the front of the table. “Face the door and stand there.”
Once they did as she asked, she hurried to Bree’s cousins and placed them in line beside Bree. Abby and Iain were first, then Max and Peter, Izzy and Edward, and last on the line, Garrett and Laura.
On Horland’s side, Morla guided Sir Garlain, Princess Leeta, Kieri and Princess Tilly in a line. As she wedged herself between Leeta and Tilly, the doors opened, and King Pradwick walked in.
The king strode up to Horland and Bree. Taking Horland’s face in his hands, he kissed both sides of his cheeks then he smiled at Bree, love and humor in his eyes. He kissed her long on one cheek and stepped back.
“I welcome you, Briana, daughter of Sir Garlain and wife of my trusted knight Sir Horland, into my family.” He gazed intently at Horland. “And you, Sir Horland, are not only a knight of my realm, but you are also family.”
He looked at Sir Garlain. “You are my most trusted knight and also one of my own; you are family.” He then went to each of Bree’s cousins and their partners, kissing each one, first the males, on both cheeks, then the females on one cheek.
“Abigail and Iain, Maxine and Peter, Elizabeth and Edward, Garret and Laura, you are all welcomed into my family.”
He stood back once more and straightened his royal robe. “And families have no secrets.”
With that, he flung his robe over his shoulder, turned on his heels and strode to the doors. Once he’d flung them open, he stepped to the side, raising his hand in a sweeping gesture. “Family,” he pronounced.
Uncle Mark and Aunt Dianne stepped over the threshold hand in hand.
Bree grinned and her cousins gasped, their shock echoing through the great room.
The king chuckled.
Dianne looked stunning in a pale blue gown, her dark hair falling in waves over her shoulders, her eyes holding with a hint of worry.
Mark in his courtly black and white fashion grinned.
No one moved. Bree glanced at her cousins. Garrett and Laura smiled, happiness dancing in their eyes, enjoying watching his sister’s reactions. Bree caught his eye and raised her brow. He shrugged.The rat knew his parents were coming.Everyone else seemed glued to the floor, staring as if they could not trust what their eyes were seeing.
Bree ran forward. “Aunt Di, Uncle Mark, you’re here.”
She flung herself into Dianne’s arms.
Dianne laughed and hugged her hard. “I’m so happy for you, darling. Your mother would be so proud of the woman you’ve become.”
