The days passed, and Tait remained in his father’s home. He knew he was a burden on them, but they welcomed him with open arms. Mani had promised to help Tait build himself a home. He spent the past few days rounding up some friends to help with the building process. If all went well, Tait would have his own home not far from his father’s within the month.

While his father searched for volunteers, Tait spent his time following Seri through the village. He kept his distance. He kept his hood up to hid his face, and he watched from a distance as she spent time with the various suiters bidding for her hand. She never saw him, but he was always watching. From time to time, a suiter would make some attempt at intimacy, but she would shoot him down, and that would make Tait grin.

It pained him to know she was moving on, but he knew it was best. Still, if she had to marry another, he wanted to be sure she married a man worthy of her. Today she had gone for a stroll with one of the men. They had talked and then he was called away. Seri sat down on the edge of the well and stared down into the water below.

“I know you are there.” She said, never looking in Tait’s direction, but he knew she was speaking to him. “I always know you are there.” Tait stepped out of the shadows and lowered his hood so she could better see his face. Seri turned to look at him. “Why are you following me?”

“I want to make sure you… I just… I want to be close to you.” He said honestly.

Seri stood up and came to him. “You told me to forget you.”

“Yes, and I meant it.”

“How?” She snapped. “How can I forget you when you follow me around?”

“I told you to forget me because I feared…”

She waited for him to finish. How did he tell her the truth? Would she hate when he did? Perhaps it was best if she hated him. It would make it easier for her to move on if she hated him. “Feared what?” She demanded.

“I feared you might be my kin… my sister.”

Seri looked horrified. “What are you talking about? How could I possibly be your sister?”

“Your father and my mother, they were lovers.” Seri took a step back, shaking her head. “My mother is Lotta.”

“No.” She breathed in disbelief.

“It is true. My mother gave your father those scars. I am the child she was carrying.”

“No.” She whispered as she backed away.

“I feared your father might also be mine.”

“Oh, God.” She placed her hand over her stomach and then Tait watched her run off before he could assure her, he was not. He tried to let her go, but the image of her tears tormented him. Tait raced after Seri. He overtook her quickly and grabbing on to her arms; he dragged her behind a building. “Take your hands off me.” She struggled against his hold.

Tait pushed Seri up against the building and grabbed her arms, forcing them down so she could not fight him. “I am not.” He told her, but she kept fighting him. “I am not.” He repeated pinning her down, but she was so upset she refused to calm down and listen to him. Seri screamed for help. He had to shut her up before someone heard her. He was certain that assaulting the princess was punishable by death. “Stop.”

“Help!”

“Seri, stop!”

“Help!”

Tait dipped his head and kissed her hard shocking her system and instantly silencing her. The tension in her body faded, and Tait’s lips lifted from hers. He looked down into her bright, questioning eyes. He knew she was confused by her feeling for him and the thought of them being siblings. She stared up at him, and Tait lovingly caressed her face. “I am not.”

“Not?” She asked, dazed.

“I am not your brother.” He smiled.

“Are you sure?”

“Positive, my mother named my father when I confronted her. My father is Mani?”

“Mani?” She said with disbelief. “I see the resemblance now. You are certain?”

“I have never been more certain of anything in my life. We are not related.”

“But, you thought we were?”

“It is why I left. I had to know for sure. I had to know if my love for you was wrong. I thought I could let you go. I thought I could let you marry another. I cannot. I cannot see you with another man.”

“We cannot be together, Tait.”

“But your father gave me his blessing.”

“My father has revoked his blessing.”

Tait did not understand. “Why?”

“I do not know. He will not tell me. He told me I was never to speak to you again.”

Tait took a step back as he thought. “He knows.” He said, running his hands through his hair. “He knows Lotta is my mother. He has shunned me because of her.”

“He is wrong too.”

“He does not trust me. I cannot blame him. He will never let marry you.”

Seri stepped forward. “Then we marry in secret. We tell no one. We wait until the time is right to tell them. Give them time to see you can be trusted. Then we tell them we are married.”

“He will not be happy when he finds out.”

“It is easier to ask for forgiveness than permission.”

Tait laughed and brushed her hair behind her ear. “Seri, you are a bad influence, and I love you for it.”

She giggled. “Well then, what will it be? Tait, son of Mani… will you marry me?”

He looked thoughtful. “I must consider my options.” Seri punched him in the shoulder hard enough that it hurt mildly. “Ouch.” Tait took Seri into his arms. “Alright, Seri, daughter of Cain. I will marry you. There may be one problem.”

“What?”

“Who will marry us.”

It was a question they had to ponder. Traditionally the head of the village performed weddings, but here in Vremore, that was Cain. They certainly could not ask him to wed them if they were attempting to hide their marriage from him. Seri looked thoughtful, then she smiled. “Grandmother.”

“Your Grandmother?”

“Before my father was King, she was Queen. She still has the authority to bless marriages.”

“Do you believe she will do it?”

“Grandmother believes in love. She will do it. We will need witnesses. Someone who can be trusted.”

“My father and his wife.” Tait loved the idea that his father would see him married.

“Alright, you talk to them, and I will talk to Grandmother. I will send you word in the morning.”

“I will count every minute.” He kissed her lips and then left her where she was before anyone saw them.

***

Seri was nervous when she knocked on her grandmother’s door. When Ellika welcomed her in, Seri came in and smiled at Ellkia, who was sitting at her loom. “Hello, Child, this is a pleasant surprise. Dinner is not for a few more hours.”

“I wished to speak with you alone, Grandmother.”

“Oh?” Ellkia said, turning in her chair to give her granddaughter her undivided attention. “What do you not want your parents to know?” Seri smiled; her grandmother knew her well.

Seri came to her chair. She got down on her knees and placed her hands on Ellika’s lap. “I am in love, Grandmother.”

“Oh, that is wonderful, Child. I am so happy for you. Who is he?”

“Tait.”

“Tait? The Outlander?”

“I am madly in love, Grandmother. I wish to marry him.”

Ellika stroked Seri’s hear. “Dear Child, your father will never marry you.”

“That is why I came to you. You are the Queen Mother. You can perform the ceremony.”

“Behind your father’s back.”

“Please, Grandmother.” She pleaded. “I promise I will tell father when the time is right.”

“Your father will be very angry.”

“I will take his wrath. Marry us.”

Ellika looked into Seri’s begging eyes. “You love this man?”

“Heart and soul.”

“Alright, I will marry you, but you must tell your father soon.”

“I will,” Seri said, jumping to her feet and hugging her Grandmother, so suddenly she almost knocked them both over.

“Ok, Child, mind me, I am an old woman.”

“Thank you, Grandmother.”

“We will marry you tomorrow night. At sunset. On the bluff to the south.”

“Yes. I will send word to Tait.”

“There is one more thing.”

“What?” Seri asked, watching her grandmother get up and walk over to a chest Seri had never seen opened. She had believed Ellika had misplaced the key years ago.

Ellika lifted the lid and reached inside. She removed a beautiful white dress with green and gold embellishments. Ellika brought the dress over to Seri. “If you are to be a bride, then you will need a bridal gown. This was the dress I wore when I married your grandfather. It brought me many wonderful years.” She said with tears in her eyes. Seri had never met her grandfather, but she could tell her grandmother missed him and that she had loved him dearly. “I would be honoured if you wore it on your wedding day.”

Seri did not have the words to express how honoured she felt. Seri hugged Ellika and accepted the dress.

***

Tait stared at the stew in his bowl. He stirred his food with his spoon but never took a bite. He looked up at the table. Everyone was talking, and Tait was enjoying the family feel. This was what he was missing all his life. He had been here only a week, and he already felt like he had been there all his life. He felt like he could tell his new family anything, and he was hoping he was right.

“I am getting married.” He blurted out loudly over the chatter. The conversation ended immediately, and everyone in the room was staring at him with dropped jaws.

“What?” Mani spoke first.

“I am getting married.” He repeated with a little more hesitation. Perhaps he had misjudged their acceptance.

He could see Mani had a million questions and was struggling with which one to ask first. Finally, he decided. “When did this happen?”

“This morning.”

“Who? Last week you were in love with the princess, and now you are marrying someone. Who?”

Tait grinned. “The Princess.”

“No.” Mani shook his head. “No. You cannot do that. Cain would never allow it.”

“I do not intend to ask his permission.”

“Oh, when he finds out he is going to skin you. Cain is one of my dearest friends, but I have seen him in battle. I have seen him angry. Cain is far from nice when he is angry. There is a reason they call him the Destroyer. You do not want to incur his wrath.”

“I would face the wrath of the Gods before I gave up Seri. I will marry her. I would like for you to be there.”

“You want to do this?”

“I do.”

Mani groaned. “I will be there. I have missed every milestone in your life. I will not miss your wedding.”

Sanna took Tait’s hand and smiled at him. “You will need a bride groom’s garment.” She looked at her husband. “Let him wear yours. It should fit.”

“If he wants to.”

“I would love to.”

“I assume you have a plan for pulling this off?” Mani asked.

There was a knock at the door, and Tait went to answer it. He opened the door to find Seri’s friend Malin. “Yes?”

“Seri says, sunset… tomorrow… the bluff south of the village. She said you would know what that means.”

Tait smiled. “Thank you.” He shut the door and turned to face his family. “Tomorrow at sunset, the Queen Mother will bless our union on the bluff south of the village.”