Chapter 10

The queen stepped forward so that she was standing at the end of the aisle. Kit continued to make her way in that direction. Avinia and Isla were nudging her forward, the guards staying out in the hallway.

Once she somehow managed to reach the front of the room and found herself standing next to her mother, the queen began to say a few words, reminding those in assembly of how important this ceremony was and what it meant to their realm that the heir to the throne would be embarking on a journey to find her mate, which would in turn allow her to create an heir. Kit heard very little of it, however, as she stood with her face frozen in a half-smile, half-grimace she could not control and thought about the table behind her.

“For the goddesses and our realm, I call upon you now, Katrinetta Ronatta, Princess of All the Lands East of the Galacial Mountains and Princess of the Provinces South of the Compazional Sea, to fulfill your duty as the heiress to the throne. Now, let the Proem Ceremony begin.”

Polite clapping filled the chapel. Kit thought she felt her own nervousness echoed in those around her. Her mother gestured with her arm, and Kit approached the bed as she had been instructed. She kept her knees together and swung her legs up onto the bed, trying to be as graceful as possible as she was suddenly very aware that she was not wearing any undergarments under the thick, flowing white gown. Once her legs were beneath the sheet, she pulled the top of it down over her waist and slid down slightly, trying to feel for the opening with her backside and her upper thighs as she went.

Her mother went around and lifted the other end of the sheet only long enough to duck under it. Then, she guided Kit’s legs into the proper position, and with a gentleness Kit hadn’t felt from her mother in years, she lifted her gown out of the way so that when the guard took his position, he would have nothing to do except for complete the ceremony.

“That’s all,” Kit thought to herself. “It’ll all be over in a few moments.”

Her mother backed out from under the sheet. Kit couldn’t see her, only felt a brief breeze as the sheet went up and then back down again. From this position, Kit couldn’t see anything except the ornate gold ceiling, and since she couldn’t tell what was happening anyway, she decided to close her eyes.

The sound of footsteps echoed off the dais as she imagined her mother was going to retrieve Mikali, who she believed had been standing near a side door that led to a long hallway where there were several different prayer rooms. She had no idea how many guards had volunteered, but she figured it would make sense for them all to be waiting there. She knew her mother would double check that it was impossible to tell their identities, and for a moment, Kit imagined the young man coming into the chapel now was likely just as nervous as she was. Had he truly wanted to be a part of this, or did he feel that it was his duty? Would he be so distracted by all of the people staring, by the ancient physician, that he would suffer the same debilitation as the elderly doctor? She hoped not—it was best to get this over with now.

The footsteps approached. Her mother’s she knew by their confident clacking. She heard her step down off of the dais and took her place. They were followed by the shuffling steps of the physician, and then the heavy boots of one of her guards. Poor soul. She scrunched her eyes closed tighter and tried to think about a wide open chasm; that’s what Avinia had suggested. “Just pretend there is a great, opening between your legs. The tighter you clench, the more difficult it will be, the more it will hurt. So relax your leg muscles, and imagine everything spreading wide open.”

The physician was saying something in an ancient tongue, one Kit was meant to learn but still didn’t quite understand. She knew it was a blessing, though, and that it was for her and her journey. Her palms were sweaty where they rested near her hips, but she didn’t dare move them. She didn’t dare move at all.

The sheet went up slightly, though she didn’t suppose he actually crouched and stepped under it as her mother had done. That wouldn’t work, anatomically, if what Kit had learned about the male body was correct. He wasn’t looking. He was going to complete the ceremony by feel. She wondered if he was blindfolded beneath the hood her mother insisted he would be wearing or if he was able to see and just chose not to look.

She knew he’d be wearing a sheath, one likely laced with a lubricant containing a second layer of protection. It was forbidden for her to have any sort of relations before her wedding with a man not wearing one. Along with the special tea she’d been drinking for the past several months, she was assured she would not become with child throughout the process. The presence of the unfamiliar object, the sheath, raised another thought in her head—another worry. What if it came off and became lodged inside of her?

The feel of him bumping up against her, not his member, but rather his body nudging between her spread legs, made all other thoughts flee her mind, and Kit took a deep breath, hoping to calm herself, realizing the moment she’d been so anxious about for these past few weeks was about to be upon her. However, as she filled her lungs, a familiar scent wafted over her, and a calmness settled about her. She didn’t let her mind wander to where she knew that fragrance from, not in the moment, only sank into it, keeping her eyes closed, her knees open, and the idea that there was a wide cavern between her thighs in the center of her mind.

He was gentle with her. She could tell he was doing his best to be easy as she finally felt the tip of him entering her. She didn’t flinch; rather, she concentrated on that feeling of well-being that had overcome her. He took a small step forward, once he seemed sure of his positioning, and Kit felt a sharp pain streak up what would be the cavern wall if her imagination held true. She inhaled deeply again, trying not to cry out, and he pressed into her just slightly before extracting himself. The pain was alleviated almost instantaneously, though she had a feeling the slight stinging sensation she was feeling might last a bit longer and was happy for the Clearing so she would have time to physically recover.

She felt his hands brush the back of her leg and imagined he was making himself presentable again. Part of her wanted to sit up, now that it was over, to look at him, to see if there was a tell. His height perhaps. Maybe he had a misshapen head she could identify from beneath the covering. But then, the whole idea seemed foolish, and she realized it truly was best if she didn’t know who he was. A few seconds later, there was another breeze as the sheet was dropped back into place, and she heard the physician say something again, though she couldn’t make it out, and all of the women clapped.

Kit didn’t move. She knew Mikali would need to check. She hoped it wouldn’t be as intrusive as the act itself. The physician lifted the sheet quickly, and this time, Kit couldn’t help but squeeze her legs together, despite the fact that she could do nothing to protect herself with her feet spread apart so. Mikali let go of the sheet almost as quickly as he had raised it and said, “There is blood!” to which everyone cheered. Kit remembered that announcement from the other ceremonies she had attended and recalled feeling odd clapping that someone was bleeding, but she knew the significance of what it meant in her case. The Proem had been successful and was over now.

Still not sitting up, she waited until she heard the physician escort his ward back out the exit at the other end of the room, and then her mother was at her side, helping her to replace her skirts and back out of the coverings. Kit wanted to see the blood herself for some reason, perhaps to make sure that she wasn’t being fooled and wouldn’t ever find herself in this position again, but she didn’t have the chance, and in a moment’s time, she was standing next to her mother as the other noblewomen clapped respectfully, smiling, and shouting, “Huzzah!” as if she had just defeated a vicious foe. Perhaps she had. Kit did feel a bit like a dragon slayer as she made her way back down the aisle. Next, there would be another feast in her honor, but first, she’d be allowed to retire to her chambers to wash and to put on another gown, something with layers and layers of underclothes.

“See, I told you. Not so difficult, was it?” her mother whispered in her ear as they approached the doors.

“Not at all, Mother,” Kit replied, though that was certainly not the truth. Still, the feeling of serenity that had washed over her was enough to get her through, and as she headed back toward her chambers, escorted by the same two guards who had led her to the Proem, her two ladies behind her, Kit did feel as if she had accomplished something great on her way toward someday becoming Queen of the Realm.