Chapter Fifty-One
My wedding night was spectacular.
I wasn't sure how it would go. Tiernan and I didn't have the most traditional wedding, and I still felt like I should uphold Raza's condition of being only with him until after we married. But my marriage to Tiernan changed everything. As did my engagement to Killian. Raza gave me his consent to proceed with both men as I saw fit. His words, not mine. It was a little surprising and a little terrifying. Three men. Wow.
But I spent my first night in Seelie alone with its new King, and there was nothing terrifying about it.
The royal suites had been cleaned and redone within the hours it took for us to settle matters of court. Alfred led us to our rooms late that night and smiled in supreme satisfaction over our expressions of shock and delight. Lord Marcan had been moved to a comfortable room, and his things had gone with him, including the bed he'd slept in with his wife. I had made sure to ask Alfred to see to that. I had no desire to sleep in my grandmother's bed.
So Tiernan and I had a brand new bed to break in.
As soon as Alfred left, Tiernan and I quickly divested each other of our clothing. But when skin pressed to skin, we froze and just stared at each other. It was the first time we'd been this intimate since our break-up, and it also happened to be our wedding night. So strange. So awkward. Then Tiernan stroked the hair back from my face and laid his palm to my cheek.
“I've lost my father today,” he whispered, “and yet, I've never been happier. These months away from you have been a slow death for me. I thought I would never touch your face again, and that alone was poison for me. Arsenic in my soul. That I stand here with you now, as your husband, is miraculous. I can't even fathom how we got here.”
“I love you too,” I laid my hand on his heart. “I never stopped, and though there were moments when I wished we had remained together, I'm glad we didn't. Without that fight, we wouldn't be here.”
“I'm strangely grateful for Danu's manipulations too,” he shook his head, then chuckled.
“I do have mixed feelings,” I grimaced. “But on the whole, I'm grateful.”
It's so obvious now,” he shook his head. “I remember thinking after our fight, that I had overreacted, that I couldn't understand what would make me strike you. As loyal as I am to Danu, I'd never allow it to bring me to violence against you. Then this anger would rise, and those thoughts would vanish.”
“Other wild natures,” I whispered.
“What?”
“Danu told me that she would help me with other wild natures which needed taming,” I said. “I'm beginning to wonder if you weren't the only one whose emotions Danu has toyed with. Look at how Raza suddenly became copacetic with you and Killian.”
“And how my own jealousy has faded,” he frowned. “Funny.”
“What's funny?”
“I still don't mind her interference,” Tiernan pulled me closer. “It has brought me back to you, not just as a consort, but as your husband. If Danu hadn't changed Raza's feelings, you wouldn't have pushed him. He needed to be okay with this. So, I'm okay with a little help from our goddess.”
“I don't know if Raza would be.”
“Then maybe we shouldn't tell him,” Tiernan smiled.
“Tiernan.”
“It's only a theory anyway,” Tiernan picked me up and carried me to the bed. “No need to rile the dragon without concrete evidence.”
He spread my legs slowly and lowered himself between them.
“Now, can we stop talking about Danu and your other men?” Tiernan asked. “I have plans for you that will remove your ability to speak.”
“Plans?” I shivered as his hot breath hit my intimate flesh. “We've only been married a few hours. When did you have time to make plans?”
“I've dreamed of being with you again from the moment you ceased being mine,” Tiernan bent his head and started enacting his devious plans.
He was right. I couldn't speak. All I could do was scream.
Chapter Fifty-Two
Why was I so nervous? I had already married one man, why would marrying Raza be any different? Maybe because I married Tiernan in like five minutes, barely giving myself time to think about it, while Raza had drawn it out for a week. Long enough for me to start freaking out. But mainly, it was just enough time to invite fairies from all over the realm, human council members, extinguishers, and witches. Everyone had accepted the invitation. They had probably thought it unwise to refuse an invite to a royal wedding, especially when the royals would unite all of Fairy.
Craos-Teine was once again overflowing with people, and it was a delicate balancing act to house them. Everyone of importance had to be given a room, but we had a whole lot of important people there. My father had a bedroom on Raza's floor, as did Dylan, Killian, Tiernan, Bress, Sorcha, and Latharna. Family always shacked up together in the royal suites if rooms were in shortage. Rayetayah already had a suite of rooms on the royal floor, which he was generously sharing with his Aunt Hana and Uncle Kader. Then came the dragon royals. Daiyu and Yazi had both decided to attend. Yay. Chad lived in Craos-Teine now, so we didn't need to find a place for him.
