Elda Evervale
In an ideal world, I’d have woken up at dawn on this day of my Choosing. The light would have come through my open balcony and the song of the thrushes in the forest would have been what pulled me out of a sweet dream. My mother would come to help me draw a bath. We’d put lavender and other sweet smelling herbs in the warm water and she would wash my hair with my favorite floral shampoo. It would be a slow and delicate morning, a way to say good-bye to my childhood and allow me to transition into the woman that I would become.
Instead, I was woken in the early hours of the morning, heart pounding with sweat trapping my curls against my forehead. I’d been dreaming, although I couldn’t have said what it was that had startled me out of sleep. It was still dark outside, and the sounds of the crickets and frogs from the pond in the garden were loud and comforting. I slipped out of the soft silken sheets and crossed the polished floors to the open balcony doors and looked out at the garden and the forest beyond.
In less than twenty-four hours, my fate would be sealed. The goddess, Blessed Alda would assist me in choosing a mate. In one week, we would be bonded for life, and regardless of the male my goddess chose for me, my life was about to change dramatically. It was enough to keep a girl from getting back to sleep.
I spent the early hours of the morning pacing. When it was light enough that I could see without lighting a lamp, I wandered back into my bedroom, taking in the modest sized bed with pale blue blankets. The embroidered tapestry of Alda’s Herald, the White Stag was the only added decoration. The rest of the space was brought to life by the clean lines of the wooden beams across the white ceiling and the numerous plants that I enjoyed tending to.
Would I even have a space to bring them to? Would my mate have a large enough home to justify bringing in all of my beauties?
My hand trembled as I reached for the small musical instrument on top of my dresser. The linett was the only instrument I’d ever spent any time getting to know. Carved from pale alder wood with six silver strings stretched across a teardrop-shaped body, the linett had a bright and clear tone that always sent my heart fluttering. This particular instrument had belonged to my sister, and she’d spent time carving an intricate rowan tree into the wooden side. She’d stopped playing it years ago, and like most of her things, it had wandered its way to me.
I loved the linett. Most of the stag clan learned to play the linett before they learned to read, and while few mastered the instrument like I had, I found that the connection to my people made me feel stronger.
I needed that strength today.
I settled myself on the balcony, perched on the wide railing with my legs hanging over the edge and I started to play softly. I had no melody in mind, but I needed something for my hands to do or I was going to go insane.
A gentle breeze caressed my warm skin and I took in the deep scent of home. The forest came alive in the spring, and the recent rains made it even more rambunctious. I could smell the wildflowers past the manicured gardens and the deep minty smell of the evergreens.
Surrounded by comforting sights and scents and strumming idly on the strings, I allowed myself to consider the Choosing Ceremony. Guided by Blessed Alda, I would use my magic to create something. Most often, females made a magical stag, symbolizing Alda’s Herald. The stag, guided by myself and by the goddess, would run to my chosen mate and that would be done.
Willow’s Choosing Ceremony had been a formality. She had been betrothed to the tiger clan’s second son for years now. They’d grown up together and already had such a strong connection.
“All I did was ask Alda to choose him for me,” Willow had told me afterwards, shrugging her thin shoulders. Alda was a good goddess, and she kept personal preferences in mind when choosing.
I didn’t get that same consideration. There had been proposals, of course, but my parents were adamant that the second daughter always held a true Choosing Ceremony, and they would not insult Alda twice. Not that I thought Willow had insulted the goddess. Willow didn’t insult anyone. She was the perfect older sister, and the ideal Crown Princess for the Rowanstag Clan.
So, it wasn’t a surprise that she was the first one to come into my room, rather than my mother, to help me get ready for the ceremony.
“I can see it now,” Willow said dramatically from behind me, making me jump and turn towards her. If I hadn’t looped the linett’s strap around my shoulder I might have lost it over the edge. “The second princess falls from her balcony on the morning of her Choosing. Was it just an accident, or was she trying to get out of her responsibilities?”
“For sure the second one,” I replied, swinging one leg over the railing so I could look at her without craning my neck.
Like her namesake, Willow was tall and graceful, with a powerful will that bent and flexed but never broke. She kept her long brown hair pulled back from her face, and with her striking five point antlers, my sister had a face that was meant for a Queen.
“Did you sleep?” Willow crossed the space quickly, concern flitting across her face as she reached out and touched my cheek.
“A few hours. I was anxious.”
She pulled me into a hug and kissed the side of my unruly hair. “Trust in Blessed Alda. Did you say your prayers already?” She stroked my hair, and for a brief moment, I was transported back ten years, to a simpler time when we would stay up all night reading and giggling like maniacs.
“No,” I admitted. “I was planning on saying them after the preparations, since I’m supposed to get ready, and then spend my time in quiet contemplation. That seemed like a good time for talking to her.”
“I agree. Now, I’m going to start your bath. Mother will be here soon.” She kissed my hair again and then walked into the adjacent bathroom.
I glanced out again at the new dawn, the golden sky accented by dark clouds that refused to let go of the sultry night, and I smiled. I was nervous, but I wasn’t alone. No matter what happened, I would remain a child of Alda, and a member of House Evervale.
The rest of the morning passed in a blur. My mother had come in while Willow washed my hair, her hands massaging my temples in a way that helped drain away the nerves. With the two of them doting on me, I started to feel less like kin and more like a prized sheep. Still, it was nice and by the time they left me alone in the chapel above the main courtyard, I felt relaxed in a way that I hadn’t imagined possible that morning.
Even though I wasn’t supposed to, I’d brought my linett. I kept it looped over my shoulder, the weight a familiar comfort while I sat in front of the simple shrine. The two alder posts held a third one above it, kept together by wooden dowels. The wood was worn well-loved, as ancient as Rowanstag itself, created by my first ancestor when she received the Herald’s Blessing and chose to follow Alda’s teachings.
I sat in front of the shrine, head lowered while I tried to clear my thoughts of everything except for the qualities I was looking for in a mate. The exercise was made next to impossible because of the location of the shrine. Located above the main courtyard, the shrine was never silent. It was meant to remind us that we are not alone, that through community we become stronger.
In reality, the constant shouts, pounding of horses hooves, and the rattle of carriage wheels kept pulling me out of my thoughts. I almost gave up when the sound of horns rang through the air as the final clan representatives arrived. I’d met the other four clans last night at dinner, but the Dragon Clan had been running behind due to a bad storm. I’d never met a dragon kin before, and I couldn’t help myself as I stood from my seated position and went to the large windows.
The open courtyard was decorated for the upcoming festivities, with flower garlands lining every wall. Nature was sacred to the stag kin, so while we used stone as our foundation, we often built with wood and accented with living plants.
The warm, forested colors of my home contrasted sharply with the loud and garish colors of the dragon kin. They wore red, vivid blues, and fiery oranges that reminded me of a blacksmith’s forge. The guards wore their ceremonial armor, the plated gold glimmering aggressively in the sunlight. Even the royal carriage was covered in gold leaf.
The first one to exit the carriage was a young man, some sort of assistant or attendant. He wore a sapphire blue waistcoat that looked much too heavy for the season. It was decorated with ornate embroidery that seemed to have no discernable pattern and was more jumbled together than a wild bramble patch. His black hair was cropped short, and even from here, it made him look severe. He seemed barely sixteen, which meant he was not a candidate for my chosen. That was a relief. If all of the dragon kin were as loud as he dressed, I really hoped that Alda would choose someone else for me.
I looked away, making sure the windows were closed. I would meet the Dragon Clan’s General this afternoon. He would be attending the Ceremony, along with the members of the court that were fitting matches for a princess.
I couldn’t make myself refocus on Alda, so instead I pulled the linett forward, and let my mind fly across the strings. I hoped that my mate enjoyed listening to music.
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