The Sentinel of Cassendar: Resquarian

Chapter 9

Somehow Leal pulled himself away from Dracia and walked with her out of the parlor and back to the throne room. It was not easy. All he wanted to do was lay her down on the sofa and spend the rest of the evening loving her, but he took solace in knowing he would soon be able to spend the rest of the event with her, eating by her side, and dancing with her. Then they would go back to their rooms as the King and Queen of Lanoxan, and he would be very pleased to take her offer of seeing to her duties as his queen. He would make sure she never regretted agreeing to be his wife.

The reentered the throne room to see Ethen motioning for them to come forward to the dais.

“I began to worry, you wouldn’t come back,” said Ethen with a smile. “I suppose I should have known better than to offer you a private room to visit with your wife for a few moments.”

“We are not late, are we?” asked Leal.

“No, but it was a near thing. Are you ready to take your place as king, your majesty?” asked Ethen.

“I am as long as my queen is beside me,” said Leal as he pulled Dracia closer to him.

“I will never leave your side, and you know it,” said Dracia.

He smiled at her, reveling in the fact he could have her close to him in such a public place. He knew he should be focused on his coronation, but he couldn’t help but feel euphoric at the feel of Dracia’s hand in his as they walked up onto the dais. He breathed in deep, taking in her lovely smell of flowers and fresh air, a late spring day.

“Leal, come here my boy,” said Leal’s father. “I will crown you myself as we do not have a high priest of Lanoxan here. It will be a short ceremony, and not what you deserve. Once you secure our kingdom, we can do it right if you wish, but this should do to make a statement and officially hand the throne off to you.”

Leal nodded. “I care not for ceremony, father. I only wish to serve my kingdom.”

“Good,” he said as he turned to Dracia. “We do not have the queen’s crown here as my wife did not take it with her to the summer palace, but it might be better you have your Siccarian tiara on as we are uniting our kingdoms.”

“Crowns mean nothing to me,” said Dracia. “I only wish to serve by my husband’s side, and be a force of good in the kingdom where I can.”

“You are very good,” said the king. “I wish I could find some way to truly apologize to you for all you have endured because of my actions. You have done nothing but continue to serve my kingdom and love my son despite all the pain I caused you. I could never truly make amends with you.”

“I wish no ill will between us, your majesty. Much of what happened cannot be held against you. I hold nothing against you, so no amends need to be made. I hope you can find peace and time to enjoy your life with you wife,” said Dracia as she held out her hand.

Leal’s father took her hand and held it as Leal looked on marveling in the goodness of his wife. The king bent over her hand and kissed it before letting go. He stood up and looked at Leal.

“It is time,” said King Rommel. He walked up to the dais and nodded to Lord Quain.

Quain called the crowd to order. “Before we begin our festivities of the evening, there is one more event I wish you all to witness, and that is the crowning of a new King of Lanoxan. A kingdom that has long been our friend, and is now connected to us in a permanent way due to my niece’s marriage. King Rommel, please come forward.”

“Thank you, Lord Quain,” said King Rommel as he came forward. “I come before you tonight the King of Lanoxan, but I am ready to pass on my crown to one who is worthy and ready to lead. I have served many years. I pray I have done some good, and I ask for the mercy of Clementine for all that I have done wrong.”

Leal’s father moved slightly to the side. “Leal Cassendar, the Crown Prince of Lanoxan, please come forward.”

Leal walked forward and stood by his father.

“Leal Cassendar, do you promise to serve your kingdom following the way of the king’s gods, respecting the sanctity of life, showing mercy in your rule, watching over your subjects’ well-being, and giving your life for its preservation if needed?”

“I will,” said Leal. “I will do all I can to see Lanoxan prosper and it’s people live well. I will strive to keep the peace in our land and work together with our neighboring kingdoms to see to the protection of the land and its people.”

“Then kneel and receive the blessing of the gods and the responsibility of your title.”

Leal kneeled down as his father put his hand on his shoulder. “May your rule Lanoxan as a true follower of the gods and a wise ruler of your people. Your reign be long and prosperous.”

Leal looked up at his father, as his father took off his crown and placed it on top of Leal’s head.

“Rise, King Leal Cassendar, ruler of Lanoxan, blessed by the gods, and caretaker over your people.”

Leal stood and nodded to his father before turning to Dracia and holding out his hand to her. She took it and walked closer to him as he stared at her.

“Will you serve by my side, Dracia Cassendar, Princess of Lanoxan, High Noble of Siccaria, and High Captain of the Sentinel of Cassendar.”

Dracia kneeled in front of him. “I will, my king. I will serve as your queen, assisting you in any way to further the good of the kingdom. I will keep my promises to you as you keep your promises to me, as we rule together with mercy, justice, and when possible, peace.”

“I name you my queen. I will protect and cherish you, listening to your council as I keep my promises to you as you keep your promises to me,” said Leal as he took her hand and helped her to stand. He bowed over her hand and kissed it reverently.

“I give you King Leal of the line of Cassendar and Queen Dracia Cassendar, a High Nobel of Siccaria,” said Rommel.

“May they rule long and fair,” said the few lords and ladies of Lanoxan in the crowd below them. They kneeled and the rest of the crowd followed their lead, kneeling before Leal and Dracia.

“Please rise my people and my friends. Let us go forward and celebrate High Winter’s feast together, as we ask the gods to see us safely through it,” said Leal.

Everyone made their way into the adjoining ball room which was set up for the High Winter’s feast. Leal stood on the dais, holding Dracia’s hand as those from Lanoxan stood before him and swore their fealty, all expressing their delight in finding the Cassendars alive and well.

The Yates waited until all had left the throne room except the Cassendars and the High Nobles.

“Dracia, wait can I call you Dracia still, or will you expect your majesty?” asked Dracia’s brother Kellen as he came forth and took his sister’s hand. “Never mind, I prefer to call you, your majesty, or my queen, so your opinion will not matter.”

“It is good to see you Kellen,” said Dracia as she squeezed her brother’s hand. “I can see you are very well, and much the same.”

“Of course, I am well. We have been couped up in that big house with nothing to do, but I suppose we have been safe so it will all be worth it. This little bit of ceremony tonight has been just the trick to lighten my mood. I do wish Cecelia were here with me. She would love all of this.”

“I am sorry your wife could not come, but we are trying to keep everyone safe, and traveling in Lanoxan is dangerous at the moment,” said Dracia.

“I know,” said Kellen. “But I imagine our summer manor will not be safe forever either.”

“No, but we will think of way while you are here to keep all of you safe. Now, you must be hungry, go on into the feast,” said Dracia.

“Your majesty,” said Kellen has he gave a deep bow to Leal. “It is good to see you as well.”

“Always a pleasure, Kellen. I am sure we will have a chance to talk soon,” said Leal dismissing the man gently.

“Come on, Kellen,” said Colm as he smiled at Dracia. “Let us go find our table. I am sure the king and queen would like to be able to leave this room and eat as much as the rest of us.”

Dracia’s parents came forward and stood in front of Leal and Dracia. “My king, I hope you know you have the support of the Yates for your reign. We have long been in partnership with the Cassendars in ruling Lanoxan, and now we are truly united.”

“Indeed, Lord Arwel,” said Leal as the man bowed before him. “I look forward to the support of your family as we work to secure Lanoxan, and save it from any outside threats.”

“You shall have our support without doubt, your majesty. I hope you will do all you can to see to the well-being of our queen,” said Lord Arwel as he looked to his daughter.

“As much as Lanoxan should be my first priority, I cannot say it is true, when in my heart the queen will always come first. I will keep her safe, as I believe the future of Lanoxan lies in her hands in many ways, my lord,” said Leal as he smiled at Dracia.

“You are right, my king,” said Lord Arwel.

“I am glad you are where you belong, my queen,” said Lady Owena as she took her daughter’s hand. “I can think of no one more prepared for this position than you. I am sure you will serve well.”

“I will serve the kingdom and my king with all that I am,” said Dracia.

“I know you will, but I hope you will keep safe as well. I believe your king is right when he says the future of our kingdom is truly on you. It is a large responsibility but one I know you are able to carry.”

After the Yates moved on, Leal walked with Dracia towards the ballroom. In the back of the throne room in the doorway, he could see Malven standing against the open door with the pretty young woman who had been serving as Dracia’s attendant, halfway visible behind him. Leal stopped, smiling, and nodding at Malven as the young woman looked at Malven with awe.

“Go into the ballroom, my love. I will be with you in a moment,” said Leal as he kissed Dracia’s hand.

She looked at him curiously before looking to the back of the room and smiling. “Have Malven tell Lanie I will not require her assistance tonight. As long as it is not too much below my king to see to my needs for the evening.”

“I will see that all your needs are meet my queen,” said Leal quietly.

He walked across the throne room as Dracia followed the others to the ball room from the side door. Coming to the main door, Leal stood before Malven.

“Your majesty,” said Malven with a bow. “I hope you don’t mind me peeking in. I wanted to see you crowned.”

“I don’t mind. You helped get me to this point. It would only be right you are here in some way.”

“I have been very proud to serve you, and I hope I will be able to for many years,” said Malven. “You and your queen.”

“We both want you to stay on, Malven, you must know it. My queen would not let me dismiss you even if I wanted to,” said Leal. “You should take the rest of the night off, and if you can, let Dracia’s attendant know she will not need her services tonight.”

“I am sure I can find her,” said Malven with a wink. “She is a rather lovely young woman. Perhaps she could come with us to Lanoxan and serve our queen there.”

“Oh, do you think she is trustworthy?” asked Leal.

“I am doing all I can to find out, your majesty. I will continue my investigations tonight.”

“I am sure you will,” said Leal with a laugh. “Have a pleasant evening, Malven.”

“You as well, my king. I will bring breakfast to you both in the morning, but I know to make it later than normal, so don’t worry.”

Leal shook his head as walked back to the side door to enter the ballroom. He found his place at the table set up for the Cassendars and High Nobles. Leal could barely eat despite the hunger he had felt before eating the room. The thrill of having Dracia by his side for a high festival at supper was a new novelty that gave him much pleasure.

He constantly found reason to brush her hand or lean over and whisper to her, gaining a smile or slight laugh over some observation he had made. She in turn entertained him with her witty remarks. How long had he wished for a time just like this? While being with her in more intimate settings had always been his favorite times, and he was sure that would not change, he had longed for the simple pleasure of being openly married to her. To be able to experience her smiles, to hold her hand, to be able to steer her through a room by placing his hand on the small of her back, it was all he had ever wanted, and now it was all possible. Tomorrow would bring worries and dangers. They would have to start planning to save Lanoxan, but tonight Leal decided he would live for the moment. He would revel in the simple pleasures of being married to his love, and store up the memories for harder times to come.

After the meal, the tables were all moved quickly by attendants, setting up a large space for dancing. As the musicians changed from quiet background music, to a tune fit for dancing, Leal took his queen to the dancefloor. There was no worry if they were standing too close, or talking too intimate. He didn’t have to look constantly over his shoulder to see if anyone was watching him. He could hold her as close as he liked, even daring to move her hair slightly and drop a small kiss on her neck as they danced.

“You are very bold, my king,” said Dracia as he leaned up.

“I can be as bold as I want now,” said Leal smiling down at her. “But if it bothers you, I will not be so bold with you again.”

“No, it does not bother me in the slightest, though it does make me wish this festival were not so long,” said Dracia with a sigh.

“At least I can spend as much of it with you as I wish,” said Leal.

“You will still need to do you duty, your majesty,” said Dracia. “You will be expected to dance with more women than just me.”

“But I can look at you as much as I want as I do it, and not care who sees,” said Leal. “After each dance I can come find you and pull you close without having to drag you off to some hidden corner.”

“I don’t mind being swept away to some corner with you,” said Dracia quietly as she leaned into him, her breath tickling his ear.

“I will keep an eye out for the perfect one then,” said Leal as he rubbed her side gently as they danced.

He did do his duty and danced with many different women including Lady Owena, Lady Maia and even Lady Elise. As Leal watched Dracia being led to the dance floor by Lord Owin with some surprise, he looked over and saw Lady Selene standing by herself, looking forlorn. It was an expression he had never seen on her face.

“Would you like to dance, my lady?” asked Leal as he walked over to her.

“I can hardly deny a king any request, can I?” she said, some spark coming back to her dark eyes.

“You can if you wished to be left alone,” said Leal. “But it looks as though you could do with some cheering up.”

“I will dance with you, your majesty, but I am not sure how cheerful I will become. I am sure it will have nothing to do with your effort.”

Leal held out his hand, and she took it, letting him escort her to the dance floor.

“So, are you not enjoying the festival?” asked Leal as they started dancing.

“The festival is fine. I enjoyed seeing your wife join her family, and you crowned of course, but there has been much on my mind of late,” said Lady Selene.

“Would you like to talk about it?” asked Leal. “Or should I guess what is plaguing you.”

“Do you think you could guess?” asked Lady Selene.

“Well, you see there is a man just over to the left of us, that looks over here a great deal. I happen to know this man very well, and from what I can tell, he very much wishes he was the one dancing with you instead of me,” said Leal with a smile.

“Then he should ask me instead of avoiding me,” said Lady Selene as she looked over to Roderick. “I think you might be mistaken in his wishes. If he wanted me tonight, he could have me.”

Leal felt his eyes widen at her bold statement as a small smirk formed on her lips. “Perhaps that was the wrong choice of words,” she said. “I only meant I am very willing to dance with him.”

“I am sure,” said Leal not really believing it. “Why do you believe he doesn’t want to spend time with you? Have you traded harsh words?”

“No, we have barely spoken in a week. He has been civil when we are together, but he does not seem to respond to any conversation I try to start with him. He seems very distracted.”

“There is much going on. He is concerned for his family and his kingdom,” said Leal.

“And his High Captain,” said Lady Selene. “When he is not looking over here, he is watching her, like always.”

Leal sighed. “You do not understand their relationship, do you?”

“No, not at all. I believe he is in love with your wife, though I know it is not correct to say such a thing to you. I am sure her conduct is exemplary. I am not accusing her of any unfaithfulness to you.”

“No, I don’t believe you are, but would it shock you if I said I believe Dracia is in love with him as well?” asked Leal.

Lady Selene missed a step of the dance at this statement, Leal quickly helping her to correct. “You say that so casually,” she said shaking her head.

“Because it is true, but it is not what you imagine. She has a love for Roderick that I think might go beyond simple friendship, yet I wouldn’t call it family either. They are bonded in some way, but I know it does not eclipse what she feels for me. It is so different than the love she feels for me, that they don’t even touch,” said Leal. “The heart is not some bottle that can only hold so much. It is some strange, wonderful vessel that has limitless compartments to hold the many forms of love one might feel for another.

“I love my wife more than I ever thought possible, but it does not stop me from loving my sister completely. It does not stop me from becoming fond of new friends. Roderick may love Dracia in a way that seems complete, but I think you will find there is plenty of room in his life to love another in a wholly different way.”

“So, you are not jealous of him spending time with your wife or his devotion to her?”

“There have been times I have felt jealousy towards him, but it was not his fault. I was not able to care for Dracia as I wished, or be there for her when she needed me. He could always openly show his devotion and care for her when she needed it. I never truly doubted her love for me, or thought he would do anything to try to undermine my love for her. He is a good man, my lady.”

“I know he is. I think he might be one of the best men I have her met. I suppose that is why I am a little thrown off by him. I didn’t show attention to him in hopes of me becoming truly attached.”

“But you have, have you?” asked Leal.

“Maybe not quite yet, but I believe I could easily become very bound to the man if I let myself, and I thought he might want to tie himself to me.”

“I believe you need to decide if it is worth the effort then. You shouldn’t toy with him,” said Leal. “If you do not wish for this to go further, you would do better to leave him alone. If you do hurt him in some way, I am afraid you will see how fierce my wife can be in protecting those she loves.”

“I do not wish to hurt him,” said Lady Selene. “I will think on our conversation, your majesty. I believe you are very wise.”

“I will take your compliment, though I could show you a thousand times I have been very foolish.”

Dracia danced next with Roderick, and Leal stood to the side, drinking a glass of wine, watching them with a smile. She was such a beautiful woman, made even more beautiful as she laughed and relished in the companionship of her friend. The effort of the dance had put a rosy hue on her cheeks. Leal was very ready to find a way to leave so he could enjoy her attentions to himself.

“Are you happy, brother?” asked Lexine as she walked over to stand by him. “I know much has happened tonight, and you seem well-pleased, but I would like to know for sure.”

“I am happy, Lexine,” said Leal. “I know I have taken on a large responsibility, and much will need to be done in the next few weeks, but how could I not be happy tonight being tied to such a woman, and knowing I have her by my side to help me with all of my troubles.”

Lexine nodded. “You have my support as well, and Galen’s.”

“Where is your young man at the moment?” asked Leal.

“Dancing with Lady Maia,” said Lexine as she moved her hand towards his direction. “He is not the most graceful dancer, but his conversation is above all I have ever experienced.”

Leal watched as Lexine looked at Galen dancing awkwardly with Lady Maia with a wistful smile.

“You do love him, don’t you?” asked Leal.

“I do. I love him very much. I cannot imagine loving anyone as I love him,” said Lexine.

“Then when the war is over, and all is well in our kingdom, I will find a way to make sure you can marry him if you both wish it. I have already had it in my mind to make him a lord and put him on my council if he will accept. I know he has made an oath to the Sentinel, but perhaps with the right persuasion he might give it up to serve the kingdom in another way.”

“It doesn’t matter to me if he is a lord or an Elite, I will have only him,” said Lexine. “Though I think he might be persuaded to leave the Sentinel if you give him some duties that require him to work with your queen. He has grown fond of her, and I believe the feeling is mutual.”

“I will take it under advisement. I do believe their minds are quite similar,” said Leal.

“They are very similar, and it is almost scary to think what they could do together, but they have us and Roderick to keep them grounded as they solve all our kingdom’s problems.”

Leal laugh as the dance came to an end. “Excuse me sister, I believe I would like to speak with my wife for a moment.”

Leal walked over to Dracia as she was being escorted to the side of the room by Roderick. He kissed Dracia’s hand as Leal walked up, giving him a nod before walking off. He was replaced by Lord Owin who walked to stand next to Dracia.

“Good evening, your majesty,” said Lord Owin with a bow. “I hope you don’t mind me dancing with your lovely wife earlier”

“Not at all, she may dance with anyone she likes,” said Leal.

“I did not mean to cause offense the other day in the library. I was only looking out for the interests of my kingdom.”

“Of course, you were,” said Dracia before Leal could respond. “I can understand it as I have great affection for Siccaria. I wish to protect it, and the best way to do it is to stop Navalia as soon as we can.”

“I understand your views, your majesty,” said Lord Owin. “You expressed them very well during our dance.”

“I like you, was not trying to cause offense. I was only speaking as I find, and in the best interest of both of my kingdoms,” said Dracia.

“You did not cause any offense with me,” said Lord Owin. “I doubt you could ever offend me even if you tried. Your mother tried to offend me quite often, but she was much too charming to ever put me off.”

“I doubt I have inherited her charm. I tend to be too blunt and honest,” said Dracia.

“Your honesty is what makes your charming, just like her,” said Lord Owin. “I hope you both have a pleasant evening.” Lord Owin walked off towards the back of the room.

“I was surprised to see you dancing with him,” said Leal.

“He asked, and I could hardly say no. He is a leader in Siccaria, and it would be nice to have him on our side at some point,” said Dracia.

“It would, but I don’t wish to talk of such heavy matters tonight. I have something else I would like to spend my time doing, and I have identified a rather well hidden corner in the back left of the room,” said Leal, taking her hand and walking with her.

They were delayed a few times, exchanging a few words with some who stopped them. The music started again, and they were able to escape other greetings as people made for the dance floor. By the time they reached the back corner, Leal looked around to see none were paying them any notice. He quickly pulled her into the shadows up against the wall and kissed her.

“Could we not just slip out? We are very close to the door,” said Leal as he moved to kissing her neck.

“I suppose you could do as you wish. You are the king now, but it might not be proper for us to leave without some notice to our hosts,” said Dracia as she turned her head to give him better access.

“Our hosts are your family now. They would show us mercy in our small crime I think,” said Leal as he ran his hands up her sides. “They would probably much rather we leave, than for me to do to you as I wish in this ballroom.”

Dracia half moaned, half sighed. “Then let us go out and start saying our goodnights. We have stayed long enough, but we should leave properly.”

Leal kissed her softly on her collar bone, and then straightened up. “You are right. You always are. No lengthy conversations, though. I’ve already told Malven we are not to be bothered.”

Dracia nodded as she straightened her neckline. “I do wish to check on Roderick before we leave. He seemed down this evening.”

“He is fine, Dracia,” said Leal as he took her hand. “What he is experiencing is something he will have to figure out on his own, or maybe with one other person if she is willing.”

“I do hope she is serious in her attentions if she continues them. I would not like to see Roderick hurt,” said Dracia as they walked out from the dark corner.

“Don’t worry, my love, I have already let her know what she shall face if she does anything to make Roderick unhappy. I don’t think she wants to be on the bad side of the High Captain of the Sentinel,” said Leal with a laugh.

“No, she certainly does not,” said Dracia with no hint of amusement in her voice.

Their leaving took much too long for Leal. The Siccarian High Nobles seem to have much to say to Dracia, though Leal thought Ethen might have delayed them on purpose with the sly smiles he was throwing at Leal. Leal’s father seem to be in a talkative mood, and Leal was probably a little rude in cutting him off. After finally dragging Dracia away from her two brothers and father, he finally had her all alone as they entered their dimly light room.

She walked over to the fireplace and threw out her hand, causing the dying fire to roar back to life. Leal walked immediately to her and kissed her as she pressed herself up against him. He moved to kissing her neck as his hands moved down her back, working to undo the buttons on her dress. She eventually turned around and held up her hair so he could better see what he was doing. After he had helped her out of her dress, and she had helped him shed most of his clothing, she led him to the bed. As he lay over her, she put her hands up to his face and held it as she stared at him.

“What is it?” he asked quietly.

She smiled slightly. “I am trying to show you just how much I do love you. I never want you to doubt.”

He was about to say he was never in doubt of her love when he suddenly felt slightly lightheaded. He looked into Dracia’s eyes and he could clearly see how she viewed him. He felt tears come to his eyes as he realized just how wonderful she really believed him to be. He saw that almost all of her happiest moments included him. Above all he could feel her intense and pure love that radiated off of her towards him. All he was to her overwhelmed him in a way that made him want to do nothing less than love her forever and keep her safe.

“I don’t deserve you,” he whispered. “I truly don’t”

“I believe you do, which you know is true, and it is all that matters.” She pulled his face down to hers and kissed him, letting every emotions she had be felt by him.

Their love that night was like none other he had experienced so far. He could feel all she was experiencing, and he was sure she could feel all he felt. He wasn’t sure when he had acquired this new connection with her, but he wasn’t going to question it.

Late that night, he slept soundly holding on to Dracia, lost in a dreamless, exhausted sleep. He was disturbed from his rest, by her moving restlessly beside him. It took him a moment to truly awaken and realize where he was and what was happening. She was moving around as though agitated or in pain. He could hear her mumbling, though he couldn’t understand the words.

“Dracia,” he said softly as he slightly sat up.

She continued to mumble and toss around as Leal sat up further. “Dracia,” he said louder as he lightly shook her. When she would not awaken, he slid back down into the bed and took her into his arms. She continued to mumble and move as though trying to get away from him. He could feel something at work within her. Something that felt like Navalian magic, but more powerful and if possible, more sinister. He felt his own power rise within him and reach out to her.

She opened her eyes and looked at him. Her normally brown eyes were gold, almost glowing in the dim light. Leal rested his forehead against hers and stared into her shining eyes.

You know who you are, he heard himself say in his old family tongue.

I do and all that I am is yours, she answered as she closed her eyes and sunk into him, laying still against his chest.

Leal held her tight, scared of what had just happened, wondering if Belleth or Lilith had found some new way to attack her.

“Do not worry, my king,” said Dracia very quietly against him. “I will not let your kingdom be destroyed. I will see it safe, and you as well.”

Leal bent down and kissed her forehead, and whispered, “And I will keep you safe, my love.”