T. Grey: Ties That Bind

Over the slip went the lace, gauzy-like material that she could see her skin through. It was a wrap that she had to hold the fringed ends to keep on. It also fell to mid-thigh.

“Is this all I wear?”

Celine nodded, her eyes bright. “You look very lovely. No shoes, no gloves, wear only this! The ceremony will begin when you come out front. Someone will be waiting for you downstairs to ensure you do everything properly.” She left and Lily turned to her sisters.

“I almost feel insulted by that but, hell, I have no idea what I'm doing.”

“You'll be fine,” Chloe said. She hugged her and kissed her. “I'm going downstairs. I can't wait to see this. I'd tell you that if you are still undecided I have a car parked at the curb, but let's just say I have Draven downstairs and he's prepared to port you out, if necessary.”

Lily laughed. “That won't be necessary. I love him.”

Chloe's eyes softened. “I know.” She left then it was Willow's turn.

“I love you so much, little sis. We wouldn’t be able to survive without you. You've always been special, different. Lucky for both of us, I got over my envious stage when I was eighteen.” Willow wrapped her in a hug. “I love you. Take care of yourself and your demon. And if he ever pisses you off, let me know. I have a man that can shapeshift.”

Lily laughed, tears wobbling and falling from her eyes. She started to wipe them away but Willow caught her hand with an unsteady sigh. She used her own hand to wipe them away.

“Don't use your hands on those tears now. This shit might wash off.”

“Right, good point.” Willow gave her a smile and wink then left.

Lily waited a few minutes then peered out the window. She faced the wrong side of the castle but she could hear what sounded like a crowd of people. Her stomach tightened again, rolling around like she'd eaten something bad. Unable to wait anymore, Lily stepped out of the room and made her way downstairs.

Two women waited for her. From their expensive clothing, she placed them to be royalty. They smiled at her.

“My lady,” the first with bright red hair said, bowing, “I am honored to present you. This is Prucilla and I am Jordana. We are but old friends of Telal's.”

“Nice to meet you.”

“You are so beautiful,” Prucilla said, her face breaking into tears.

Jordana slapped Prucilla's arm. “Don't cry now. The ceremony hasn't even begun yet. Now, my lady, once you step outside you will walk to Telal. Trust me, he'll be straight ahead. Then he will guide you in front of the people. There he will recite sacred vows to you and you will return them. And that is all, okay?”

Lilly nodded fast. “Yes, okay.” Her heart pounded and she tried to slow it but that only made her start to perspire.

“Please relax; once you see him you'll know everything's is fine.”

Lily took a deep breath and decided it best not to wait. Better to just get this over with. So she opened the door by the metal rung and stepped outside and into a massive crowd of royalty and non-royalty, of friends and family. She had only a moment to be overwhelmed when her eyes caught on Telal. He waited for her at the bottom of the stairs in a pair of fitted black trousers that stopped above the knee and nothing else. His stomach, hands and feet held the same painted drawings as hers did. On his golden skin, it looked breathtakingly beautiful.

Lily smiled and went to him. His own smile melted her heart and made it beat fast like a galloping horse. He locked their hands together, the paintings meshing perfectly as if they'd been meant to do so and then he walked down a path that had been carved out of the crowd. Everyone hushed and only the sound of the wind stirring the grass and trees graced her ears.

A man wearing a ceremonial gown of red, gold, and blue stood at the end of the row, his hands clasped behind his back.

“Nervous?” Telal said so only she could hear.

“Yes.”

“Don't be, I love you.”

She sighed and some of the weight on her shoulders eased. “I love you too.”

The ceremony began announcing her as the new queen of the shahoulin demons and mate to King Telal Demuzi. Everything passed in a rush as the leader in the robe, a holy man, she learned, shared words of love, trust, honor, and commitment. Then he ordered them to stand across from each other and hold out their hands.

Lily's gaze was captivated on the design as their fingertips just met. The design perfectly mirrored by his and she smiled at it, her eyes meeting his in wonder. He looked so young and happy, as if the worries of everything that had happened were erased, if only for this moment.

The holy man turned to Telal and said, “It is your turn.”

Telal's smile faded into a solemn expression. “Lily Bellum, I vow to love and honor you in the ways a man should from now until forever. Let these designs be a symbol of the ties that bind us together, that were created out of love, anger, trust, and friendship. May these ties never break even after the paint is washed away. May our love never sway but grow stronger, tying us closer for the rest of our days.”

His speech ended and tears fell from Lily's eyes. He smiled gently at her and looked so humbled that she wanted to squeeze him in her arms and kiss him for a very long time. The crowd looked onto her now, waiting for her.

With help from him repeating certain lines, she performed her part of the vows feeling her heart pouring into every single word. The last word fell from her trembling lips and the crowd stood full of cheers and cries.

Telal smiled down at her, then pulled her into his arms in a smooth move, bent her over his arm, leaned down in a dancer's move, then kissed her in front of all.

“I love you,” she said against his lips.

“I love you, my lilit .”

They turned to the crowd and he held up their painted hands. The holy man behind them yelled in a great booming voice, “King Telal Demuzi and his mate Queen Lily Demuzi!”

Through the sea of crowded faces, one person stood out. She didn’t cheer but wore a small smile that caught her attention. Her breath stalled in her lungs. Telal noticed the change and looked at her in question.

“My mother,” she said, her voice strained. “She came.”

In the back of the crowd, dressed in a pretty dress stood her mother, not clapping or shouting but looking at her with lucid eyes and a smile. Lily cried hard, smiling at her mother the whole way though.

“You look so much like her.”

Lily blinked back the tears and waved to the crowd once more. “Let's feast!”

They stood there, watching the crowd disperse into the castle to celebrate. “I do, don’t I?”

Telal pulled her against him, flattening their painted hands together. “I love you, Lily.” He said it in such a serious voice she laughed.

“And I love you.”

His eyes flicked to the castle, his eyes darkening in a way that tightened things inside her, made her breath catch. “Why don't we sneak upstairs for a minute and...?”

She snatched him by the head, bringing his lips to hers. “I thought you'd never ask.” Then she kissed him and let him take her away.

Twigs and leaves crunched under his boots. Crunch, crunch, thump . He managed two more steps before he collapsed against a tree, panting.

His chest felt like it’d been shredded, ravaged from the inside out. His fingers prodded his chest expecting to find black blood, but alas, his skin was whole. It was his heart that hurt. That seemed to make every inch of his body heavy and ache with pain.

With heavy steps, he kept moving. Going further and further into unknown lands, out of the shahoulin territory. He kept seeing her. Alive one moment, gone the next. Blood-pumping rage pulsated inside him, demanding someone’s blood. Surprisingly, it wasn’t Telal’s he wanted.