The sight of food made Noele's stomach
recoil. Why was she so nervous? She'd been prepared for this
her entire life, knew it would happen.
But she hadn't expected Garick. Hadn't expected the magic
between the two of them to be so powerful. He frightened her,
excited her and worried her, too.
Her destiny was in his hands, and she did not care one bit
for that part of this entire marriage rite. To possibly be
cast aside or given to another was not what she would choose
for herself. And yet Garick held that right.
For someone like her who had done exactly what she pleased
her entire life, it was a bitter pill to be forced to bend
under someone else's will.
Noele looked down at her plate of food and pushed it away.
She had no appetite, merely picking at the roasted pheasant
and dola on her plate.
"You must eat," Garick said, having already devoured
his meal. "You will need your strength."
The thought of why she needed
strength wasn't something she wanted foremost on her mind,
so she tucked the thought away. "I
am much smaller than you, Garick. I do not require as much
food."
"Then drink this. It will relax you." He
poured her a cup of wiloa, an ancient elvin wine that burned
her stomach
and fired her blood, heating her from the inside out. She welcomed
the relaxing effects of the drink, knowing what would be forthcoming.
"You seem uncomfortable."
She looked up from the table
and met his probing gaze. "I
am not uncomfortable."
"You do not wish to
be here."
His search of her innermost
thoughts had not been successful earlier. He was merely guessing
now. "Why do you say that?
I am where I am supposed to be."
His lips curled in a half smile that Noele found quite appealing. "But
it is not where you would want to be."
"Does it matter?"
"No."
"Then why ask?"
"Curious. If the situation
were reversed, I would not be happy at all."
"No, I cannot imagine you would be." Garick
was not the type of man who would bend for anyone. She already
knew that much about him. His will was strong. She had to fight
hard to keep his thoughts from invading her.
At least so far she'd managed to prevent his entry into her
mind. She may be forced through official rites to do certain
things, but she was not required to give up her thoughts to
him.
"Shall we get on with the rite of inspection?" he
asked, pushing back from the table.
Noele swallowed past the lump in her throat and stood. Garick
nodded to Roarke, who had returned and stood at the doorway.
He stepped in, closed the door and guarded silently.
"Must he remain?"
Garick arched a dark brow. "Have
our customs been explained to you?"
"Of course," she answered quickly, surprised to
hear the nervous rasp in her own voice. "I merely assumed
his presence would not be required until consummation eve."
"Roarke is required
to view the inspection, but he will not participate."
She nodded. "Very well." As
if she had a choice. She could no more change elvin custom
than she could change
faerie. If she could, she would be anywhere else but standing
here right now, about to be stripped bare and inspected by
the elvin king.
Because of him she'd nearly died out here.
