I woke to something strange and familiar... but heavy.
I opened my eyes and saw Anna sleeping across me. She must've climbed in, or Zephyr had put her here after his early-morning movements. I hugged and gently rolled her, wiping off the drool and tucking her in, placing Uncle Lucian's doll next to her.
I got dressed quickly in something nice and airy-comfortable: his clothes. They were big, super cosy, and smelled exactly like him.
I went downstairs to a beehive of our family. Some ate, some cooked. Setil and the ladies were deep in planning, and Stuart had become a regular fixture in our house.
"Morning, people," I greeted them.
"""Morning Lylly,""" came the chorus from the general crowd.
"Morning, dear sister," Demelza added.
"Morning, sweetheart," Zephyr finished.
I walked over and received my morning kiss, even if from a somewhat pouty Zephyr, and got my plate of eggs and cheese toast from our usual cooks.
"Zephyr, we made a list of things, could you...?" Nifa, still sporting her blue hair, extended a hand with a piece of paper pinched between her fingers.
He took it and put it with some others, already feeling the weight of the tasks he'd inherited. "Whoa... why so much strawberry?" he went through some of it while still eating.
Nifa smiled, and Cintia blushed and turned away from him, huffing. "It's personal."
"It's personal," he mocked. "...fine, a butt-load of strawberries and... what is that word?" he showed her list and pointed at the bottom.
She looked up, waiving it off. "Jardon... it's a shop selling clothes. Just tell the ladies it's for Borea, and they will show you around..."
I knew what Jardon was. It would have been the ultimate, humiliating betrayal.
"Stop. My love, it's exclusively selling women's underwear," I informed him.
He tore off the bottom part of it and put the rest away. He didn't even look at the shameless faces of those two and got up.
"We're going, Stu... say your goodbyes."
He gave me a grateful kiss and a small peck for Anna. Setil went through her own needs, explaining the dress in detail to Stuart again.
"...the size might be tricky since we haven't... well, I'll trust you to pick the right one. Good luck, and don't forget to ask for Sapphire if they have any." She gave him a loving kiss, and the poor boy kept repeating what she said about the ring, the gemstone and color, pattern, and prayed for at least getting the size right.
"Stuart... come with me for a second." I walked up and grabbed the mumbling boy. They all looked surprised at my actions except for Zephyr.
I took him outside and handed him a pouch with 10 silver coins. I figured it should be enough for everything and a nice gemstone. He was shocked when he felt out its contents and heard the sound the coins made.
"I-I can't... L-lyyly... it's too much."
I closed his hand around it. "Consider it a wedding present... or I can just tell Zephyr how you told me last summer that..."
"Okay, I get it!!... By Ehlite... thank you." He quickly put it away and headed back inside.
I didn't even need to beat up the kid. He understood what would happen if Zephyr were told he wanted to propose last year but chickened out at the last second.
I walked back, escaping the chilly air, and saw them dressed in layers, and Stuart shaking like a leaf. Zephyr pushed him past me, and a few seconds later, I heard Stuart scream and the wind picking up.
"He was terrified, huh?" I sat down to finish my plate.
"Not all made for the sky," Demelza remarked, and we joined in with the others, finalizing Setil's wedding.
After tomorrow, we had no weddings to talk about until the happy summer one... or ones.
~
In the late afternoon, long after dark, Stuart was still hugging his knees, and his future wife admired her stone while wearing her dress, ignoring some superstitions along the way. The stone was nice, a size and perfect circle, which she loved even better. It was Sapphire, like she wanted.
Rachel was there checking the gem, seeing if she could get it done by the wedding. Her husband enjoyed some sweets delivered earlier with their son Bjorn.
"I can try it, might be after the wedding, I'm afraid," Rachel said.
Setil didn't seem to mind. "That's fine... as long as it ends up here!" She pointed at her finger, jumping around, excited.
Zephyr was hopefully making his last round trip. Those were long, but once word got around, other meek neighbors came, and being who he is, he couldn't refuse any of them. This meant he had been coming and going at high, cold altitudes for five hours now.
Granny and Metill enjoyed some tea and watched Setil finally having her big day on the horizon. Nifa was feeding expensive and imported strawberries to a happy Cintia. Mother and Carlos were in her house, and the kids were enjoying story hour with Ciren, who took it upon herself to educate the children of Emet.
Zephyr walked in empty-handed and delivered his last request. He looked cold but with a shy smile after what must've been some intense thanks received for his services.
"You look tired... what can I do?" I walked closer.
He rested his ice-cold cheek on mine and let my body warm him up. "You already doing it, love."
Granny walked over and tapped his shoulder while giving me pointed looks. "Son... the meeting will be held before you leave with Carlos for Dharma. Sometime after the wedding?"
He nodded along, a little confused. "...Absolutely... just let me know."
She left, and he turned to me. "What's this about? They're electing me for something, aren't they?"
I held my tongue about the official leadership. "I don't know... It's probably some boring stuff... anyway. Where were we?"
We forced about a dozen people to watch us tasting each other's lips for a long while before I sat on his lap while Demelza made some tea, and the boys asked their questions.
"Did the Lord try to talk again?" Alexander asked.
"No... last time, he congratulated me on my upcoming wedding and handed me the gifts." He shrugged.
"""Ohhh...""" The small audience murmured.
"It's strange... he is very generous, isn't he? To give such gifts just to lure you in, huh?" Cintia saw through this gesture as the thing it really was... a show of power that an ordinary man could never possess... a bait, really.
"It's all for nought... his days are numbered. If only he knew that Karta's good sense bought him time."
He sipped his tea casually, mentioning that the Lord of the Lands was living on borrowed time. Breathing and alive, but...
"Hmm... I hope one day you tell us why you plan that."
He smiled gently. "One day, hopefully soon..."
He turned back to me, rubbing his cold nose on my chin. While Nifa and company talked among themselves, guessing the reason behind his anonymity.
Since Carlos didn't mention Juan, he won't either. They knew about his intentions but not the reason behind them.
I suppose that will change soon, but it wasn't his decision to make. Once he rescued Juan and Carlos is in the clear... then the real revolution begins. After all, one day, maybe far off into the future, the King must go too... if for nothing else than vengeance.