Chapter Thirty-One

Compassion

 

Six weeks later…

I could hear the city of Bellebryn bustling with activity and see the white garlands of fresh blooms adorning the shops and houses. There were so many of them, the very air smelled like a blossom. All the lanterns had been changed, even the ones on the boats that rocked at anchor on the emerald green sea. They were all now white. The huge wrought iron, silver-crested gates to Tor’s castle were festooned with draping sheets of ivory held up at the sides in massive rosettes decorated with flowers. And in the fountain in the courtyard, blossoms drifted as the water drifted down twinkling like diamonds in the sun’s rays.

Today was a day of celebration.

But first, there was some unpleasant business to attend to and I wasn’t looking forward to it.

To say the least.

The fingers holding my hand squeezed.

“Tell me again about our parents in your world, Cora,” Rosa whispered from my side and I turned to my sister and smiled.

She asked me to do that a lot and I figured she did it because she thought it helped the ache in my heart.

And she was right.

“They’re funny and crazy and they would love you,” I told her what I always told her which also happened to be the truth. Rosa, I had discovered what I thought to be true when I first met her, was very lovable.

Her head tipped to the side and her pretty blue eyes lit. “Do you think our mother has talked our father into getting rid of his…” she hesitated then finished, “car?”

I shook my head, looked back to the amazing view and whispered, “Probably not.”

And this was probably true.

Rosa moved closer to me and I let her hand go so I could slide my arm around her waist. She reciprocated the gesture.

Aggie, on my shoulder, hopped gently and gave a soft, “Chirpy, chirp?” which meant, “All right, Cora?”

“I’m all right, Aggie,” I whispered.

Aggie gave my neck a soft peck and that made me smile a soft smile.

Rosa was doing well after the loving care Dash and her parents had showered on her once she’d been rescued from the clutches of Minerva. She hadn’t talked to me about it, rather she seemed intent on learning more about me. This was likely in an attempt to create a replacement for the sister who had betrayed her, a sister she loved, a sister she could never again trust.

I was letting her have that play because Rosa was delicate and she needed it but it wasn’t entirely altruistic.

I liked having a sister.

I let the happy vibe in the air fill me as I gave her a squeeze and let out a sigh at the same time I heard the beat of boots on the marble floors behind us.

I let Rosa go and turned to see Tor striding purposefully our way.

God, he was hot.

Tor stopped at us, swept me with his eyes then he looked at his soon-to-be sister-in-law.

“You’ll stay in these rooms, no matter what. Yes, Rosa?” he asked gently.

She nodded. “No matter what, Tor.”

He watched her a second then his eyes came to me. He reached in, took my hand and I sighed again.

“Come, my love,” he murmured, clearly looking forward to this as much I was. “Leave the bird,” he ordered and I nodded.

Rosa’s hand came up and Aggie hopped from me to her.

Without delay, Tor pulled me away from my sister.

Well, might as well get it over with.

As Tor pulled me along, I looked back at Rosa. “I’ll be back in time to help you get ready,” I promised.

“I’ll be here,” she replied on a smile that was half bright, half sad.

She knew where we were going.

Poor thing.

As I hustled after Tor, I gave her what I hoped was a reassuring smile then turned away to follow him through the bedroom and I saw Perdita rushing in carrying a ring of needlework.

“She doesn’t leave these rooms,” Tor ordered.

“Yes, your grace,” Perdita said on a quick curtsy.

I smiled at her and gave her a wink. Perdita smiled and winked back. She did not curtsy to me because I told her not to. I didn’t like people curtsying to me, it weirded me out and enough people curtsied to me everywhere in town, in the courtyard and around most of the castle, I didn’t need my closest servants curtsying to me (in other words, Perdita, all the girls in the kitchens and all the maids who cleaned the castle). So, I asked them to stop doing it.

Tor led me out of our rooms and when we were through the doors and walking down the wide hall, his head bent to me and he caught my eye.

His face was disapproving.

He’d seen me wink at Perdita and he noticed the absent curtsy.

I looked away, biting my lip.

Okay, so, I promised never to vex him and be the perfect princess. And I was breaking that promise.

Hmm.

I gave this a moment of reflection then I mentally shrugged.

Oh well, whatever. He’d get over it.

He always did.

* * * * *

“You understand what you have confessed, Cora?” Tor’s Dad, King Ludlum, was sitting in Tor’s uh… prince chair (or whatever you call it) in Tor’s throne room. It wasn’t exactly a throne, as such, but it was a freaking big chair, the seat and a big panel at the back covered in royal blue velvet, the intricately carved wood painted a gleaming black and it had a lot of silver accents on it that looked real.

I didn’t know what Tor’s Mom looked like. But, now knowing his Dad, I knew Tor took after him. And hopefully Tor would age like him. His Dad definitely still had it. He even looked not stupid wearing a big, gold crown with lots of brilliant sapphires on it and seriously, anyone who could pull that off definitely still had it.

Tor was standing to his father’s right side, Orlando to his father’s left. Dash was on his way to Bellebryn having spent the night in a village miles away.

They were taking no chances that day.

I was standing next to Tor. There were four sentries across the room, standing two and two on both sides of the door.

The Forrest and Dara Goode of this world were down the steps to the right, holding hands and looking like they were doing exactly what I was certain they were doing. Fretting.

Seeing Rosa’s parents didn’t hurt me like I thought it would. This was mainly because I knew them both now and I was getting to know them pretty well. They might look like my Mom and Dad but they were not one thing like them. Forrest of this world would be a staunch conservative Republican in mine and Dara wasn’t all that bright (albeit sweet and kind).

I knew they were worried about their daughter but they were already treating me like one, even though I could tell it startled them to look at me (still). Then again, I was now a dab hand at this business and they were not.

They’d get used to it.

The Cora Goode of this world was bowed in a curtsy before us. This was the first time I’d seen her, she had been sequestered the minute Tor returned to his world (the time he returned without me, of course) and she had not been allowed to talk to anyone but Orlando and members of his trusted guard.

Seeing her freaked me out. Definitely ten pounds lighter than me, at least, even with all that takeaway and junk food she ate when she was away.

But other than that, all me.

Creepy weird.

Tor had the annulment drawn up the evening we arrived back in his world, waking some official dude to do it. He signed the paper before the ink was dry.

Then he took me to bed.

I would have preferred it the other way around but in the end I got what I wanted (three times) so who was I to quibble?

Four days later, Rosa, Dara, Forrest, the king, Orlando and Dash all descended on the castle and Tor and I were wed in this very room.

I wore a new kickass gown made of ivory silk.

Tor wore his usual black but he added a brocade vest for the occasion.

I wanted to invite all the servants in the castle to the festivities but I wasn’t allowed. The information that I was not of this world would be held only by the inner sanctum (the inner sanctum being whoever Tor decided to let in, I might add). This was Tor’s decree but at least, even being bossy in giving it, he took the time to explain it to me.

He made sense so I gave in.

We had one more guest. Aggie attended the ceremony and he did this perched on the pastor’s shoulder.

Salem, although the throne room was big enough to accommodate him, was not invited (Tor put his foot down, saying, “I’ve already given in on the bird, I’m not having a horse at my bloody wedding.”).

Just to be safe, I didn’t see Tor the day of our wedding until Rosa and I walked hand in hand into the throne room.

We got married at seven o’clock in the morning.

This was another Tor edict. He didn’t want to wait to take me as his bride, he said. And after two weeks of enduring the same pain as I had while he was searching the kingdom high and low for a witch who could magic him back to my world, he wasn’t all that hip on spending even half a day without me.

I got where he was coming from.

It was a bitch getting up way early to prepare for my wedding. But I did it.

And, in the days prior to the wedding, I thought it kind of sucked I wasn’t going to have a big do to celebrate my nuptials, nuptials that bound me to a handsome prince from a fairytale land. All the heroines in animated movies got their big do. But Dara and Rosa had arranged for me to have a beautiful bouquet made of peach roses and white lilies, Tor had arranged for us all to have a delicious wedding breakfast after the ceremony and Perdita and the girls went all out on a sumptuous spread (Perdita and the girls obviously being in Tor’s inner sanctum since they were there to see us disappear, and they were sworn to secrecy, and thus they knew the important occasion they were preparing for so they went all out).

Then Tor took me straight to our rooms and neither of us left them for twenty-four hours.

So, in the end, it wasn’t a wedding extravaganza but it was still sweet and it meant I was Tor’s real wife and a true princess so I certainly wasn’t complaining.

I watched Cora lift her head and she started, “Your grace –”

King Ludlum cut her off. “You sought the company of witches for reprehensible purposes, to find the means to keep your sister, who you should cherish and do all in your power to keep from harm, and her intended, who, incidentally, is my son and a prince of this realm, from being wed. You discovered the existence of another world and conspired with The Shrew to transport yourself from this world to that. You schemed to place your sister in harm’s way. And all of your plots succeeded, causing your sister to be held by the she-god putting her, your prince, your other self and your world at great risk.”

This was all true. She’d copped to it. Tor told me. It was all about Dash. Stupid cow.

Cora came back to this world, Tor guessed, because Minerva had double-crossed her, not meaning to send her to my world for all her natural born days as Cora said Minerva had promised she would. When we went back, Tor had come along for the ride, again a guess, because he held me in his arms – a mistake Minerva rectified with all due haste, taking Tor away from me but separating us before she did.

Since no one had (or wanted) a direct line to the evil Minerva, we would never know, except, of course, Cora and since Minerva couldn’t get to her on sacred land, she couldn’t ask either.

What was certain was that Tor and I shared a soul. That we knew (boy did we know). And from the battle on the coast, Minerva was willing to throw everything at keeping us apart which one could assume meant that was her plan all along, to bring us together then tear us apart… forever.

And the Cora of this world had fed into her scheme beautifully.

Luckily, however, her plot didn’t succeed.

“But, your grace, in doing this, Prince Noctorno found the true half to his soul –” Cora started.

“A lucky coincidence,” King Ludlum cut her off tersely and Dara Goode started visibly trembling.

Her daughter’s lip curled. Tor shifted at my side and I looked up at him to see his jaw was hard. He’d seen the lip curl and it pissed him off.

I looked back at Cora when she kept talking and saw she’d managed to control her expression. “They are happy, your son is happy, does this count for nothing?”

“You did not hatch your schemes with the intent to make my son happy, Cora,” King Ludlum said quietly and she lost control of her expression and her face twisted.

Then she cried out, “This is not fair! This is not just! He was not destined for me!” She tipped her head to Tor. “He was never destined for me! Don’t you see? This was why I had feelings for Prince Dashiell. This was why I found my mate in that other world! Doesn’t anyone care about me?”

“Oh boy,” I muttered and Tor’s hand moved, his fingers curling around my own.

“You found your mate in the other world?” King Ludlum asked, his brows rising.

“Yes! She,” she pointed at me, “is the destiny of Prince Noctorno but I am destined for the Noctorno of the other world!” she announced.

“Oh boy,” I repeated and Tor squeezed my fingers.

“My Noctorno is perfect!” She kept going. “My Noctorno is beautiful. He suits me!”

My body locked and I whispered, “Um… hell no.”

“Still, love,” Tor ordered and I did as he asked. It was hard but I did it.

“Send me back to the other world so I can be with my mate!” she demanded. “That is fair! That is just! And in the end, all will be well for everybody!”

This was a mistake. I knew it when I felt the air in the room get heavy; I felt Tor’s body tense and peered around Tor to see King Ludlum’s face was hard as granite.

“I believe, my dear, that I am your king and I decide what is fair and just,” he said quietly and I looked back to Cora to see her grinding her teeth to keep her mouth shut but her eyes were flashing.

“It pains me,” King Ludlum went on, “to see you do not struggle with the consequences of your actions, that you do not wish to atone for the decisions you made which caused harm to others, that you do not understand that conspiring with Minerva…” he shook his head, “Cora, that alone is an act of high treason.”

“And I do not, your grace, because Prince Noctorno is bound to his true mate and my sister weds hers this very day. If not for me, the former would never have happened and everything, in the end, is as it should be,” she retorted.

Tor’s fingers squeezed mine and I drew in breath. I did this because, it sucked, but this was true

“It also pains me,” King Ludlum stated, “to agree that this is true.”

My head snapped around to look at the king again but I didn’t miss Cora’s face brightening with hope.

King Ludlum looked at me. “Cora, the Gracious,” jeez, I totally loved that, “it is my understanding you came to know my son of the other world.”

“Yes, your grace,” I replied.

“Is it his wish to be bound to this Cora?” he asked, tipping his head at Cora.

Oh dear.

“Um…” I avoided looking at the other Cora’s parents and then said honestly, “No. He’s not that into her.”

I felt Tor move and I looked up to see his head tilted slightly back but I could also see him fighting a smile.

“Not that that into her?” King Ludlum asked, taking my attention back to him.

“He doesn’t like her much,” I explained.

“He loves me!” Cora exclaimed. “He’s devoted to me! Totally devoted to me.”

I looked at her. “Uh… not so much,” I muttered and I heard Orlando stifle a chuckle.

“She lies!” Cora shrieked, my body got tight but not as tight as Tor’s.

“Careful, Cora,” he warned low.

She wasn’t careful. “She does not know and you do not know what we shared.”

“I’m afraid we do. He was a member of their city guard. He was investigating illegal gaming and using you to do it,” Tor told her and she gasped. “When my Cora returned and broke things off with the other me, he said nary a word and explained later to my Cora that he was relieved to walk away. He said you were not very bright, you were lazy and he held disdain for your incessant gaming…” Tor’s eyes swept her pointedly, “amongst other things.”

Her face had paled before she whispered, “That cannot be.”

Oh dear. She was into Noc. She did try. And she failed.

Poor Cora.

Tor didn’t reply.

“That can’t be,” she repeated softly, her eyes searching Tor’s face.

Then she saw the truth, dropped her head and her shoulders slumped as she looked to the floor.

“Cora, your king demands your eyes,” King Ludlum commanded and, slowly, she looked at him. “You will be sequestered in solitude, except for your guard, at Merrygate for the rest of your days.”

The air in the room changed again. Both of the Goodes, I noted, looked relieved at this announcement. Orlando sent a dark look to Tor who was also glancing at his brother so I couldn’t see his reaction. After I caught Orlando’s look, I turned to Cora to see she was about as happy as Orlando.

“Merrygate?” she whispered.

“It is a lovely property with vast gardens. You will be happy there.”

“It’s a five day ride from anything!” she cried.

“Indeed, and also surrounded by sacred land which means it will be difficult for you to find trouble,” King Ludlum replied.

“But –”

“I could give you a choice,” King Ludlum interrupted. “You can live your days in Merrygate or you can live them in the dungeons of Castle Tristrom. Your choice.”

She snapped her mouth shut.

Well, with that reaction, I guessed Castle Tristrom wasn’t Club Med.

Then she forced out, “Merrygate, your grace.”

“Excellent, it is decided,” King Ludlum started to stand but Cora spoke again.

“Will I be allowed to see my parents and Rosa?”

King Ludlum settled back in his seat. “They have a new daughter and sister now.” My body jerked at this announcement, Cora’s face froze and he went on, “But they care about their old one, although it still astounds me my future daughter-in-law holds any regard for you after your heinous deeds. Nevertheless, she did no wrong, nor did your parents so I do not see any reason to punish them. They will visit you but as your existence will be held in deepest secret, these visits will be rare so I will advise you to make the most of them when you have them.”

Her mouth thinned but she said not a word.

King Ludlum continued and he did it with quiet warning, “And I will remind you, Cora, that your existence is to be held in deepest secret. If you connive in any way to reveal that secret to anyone, it will be considered treason against the crown, your second such offense, and that one will not be handled with the generosity I am bestowing on you today. Is that understood?”

She stared at him, fear plain on her face.

I guess treason didn’t buy her a trip to Castle Tristrom but something a lot less fun.

Oh dear.

“Cora, is that understood?” the king prompted.

She stared at him some more. Then she gave in with a soft, “Yes, your grace.”

He nodded, then, pushing to standing, he declared, “We’re done here.”

Once he was on his feet, he flicked a wrist at the four guards standing at the opposite end of the room. They advanced forward and the king’s eyes went to the Goodes.

“Say your farewells, my good people, then we will move on from this sad business to the celebration.”

The Goodes nodded, Forrest bowed, Dara bobbed a quick curtsy then they rushed to their daughter and crowded her as she was led out of the room.

Cora didn’t look back. Cora had no words for Tor or for me. Cora had no words for Orlando, who put his neck out and expended considerable energy saving her sister. Cora was thinking about Cora.

Stupid cow.

Sliding an arm around my waist, Tor turned me to face him and I looked up into his eyes.

“It is done, my love,” he murmured. “Go to your sister, share this news, it will bring her relief so she can put it aside and focus on her wedding day.”

“Your Dad made a compassionate decision, I gather,” I murmured back.

“It is his way.”

Yeah, I was noticing that. King Ludlum was a decent guy.

I nodded. Then remarked, “Orlando didn’t seem happy about it.”

“Orlando rescued a drawn, terrified Rosa from Minerva’s clutches. Orlando was also called upon by Algernon to assume my rule while I was in your world, making it so those who witnessed our disappearance did not speak of it, taking on all my responsibilities while I was away at the same time trying to discover the powers that were at work that took me away. Orlando cannot call up much compassion for Cora, the Exquisite.”

Hmm. Understandable.

His head dipped down and he brushed his mouth against mine.

Jeez, I liked it when he did that.

“Go to your sister,” he urged quietly when he’d pulled away an inch.

“Okay,” I whispered, smiled at him and realized it was over. Done. The bad shit was behind us and all we had to look forward to was the good.

That was why my smile got brighter. Tor’s arms got tighter when he witnessed it, I got up on tiptoe and touched my mouth to his then moved away.

“See you guys at the wedding,” I called, starting to descend the steps that led up to the dais we were on and waving at Orlando and King Ludlum as I went.

“My sweet,” Tor called, I kept walking but looked at him, raising my brows. He pressed his lips together but his eyes lit with humor. Then he reminded me, “Cora, my love, you’re leaving the presence of your king and two of your princes.”

I stopped, whirled to face them and cried, “Oh shit! Right.” Then I dropped into a low curtsy to my king and two of my princes.

“Rise, my dear,” King Ludlum commanded, his voice shaking with laughter and I rose. “How about we leave such formalities for formal proceedings,” he suggested then he smiled at me. “We will just be… us when it’s family.”

When it was family. That felt nice.

“That’s cool with me,” I told him on a grin and heard Orlando stifle another chuckle.

The king and his handsome son didn’t stifle theirs.

“Later,” I called, turned and hurried through the throne room.

“Until then, my dear,” I heard the king say to my back.

“Erm… later, Cora,” I heard Orlando say.

Tor didn’t reply but at the door, I turned and saw him huddled with his family. He must have felt my gaze for he looked my way, I caught his eyes and blew him a kiss.

Then I rushed through the door and then through the castle to go help my sister prepare for her wedding.

* * * * *

“My prince,” I gasped.

“Eyes,” Tor growled and I tipped my head down to look at him, our gazes locked then my body fell forward, my hand landing in the bed by his shoulder as I came.

I was still coming when he flipped me to my back and continued to drive into me, his lips so close to mine, their touch was a whisper and I felt his groan against them when he climaxed.

I rounded his body with all my limbs and the fingers of one hand slid into his hair. His face went into my neck and I felt him kiss me there.

I loved his soft bed. I loved his lush sheets. I loved the room filled with candlelight. I loved the gentle breeze drifting in through the doors opened to an emerald sea. I loved the weight of him on me. I loved the feel of him inside me. I loved his scent in my nostrils. I loved the thickness of his hair.

I loved everything that had anything to do with my fairytale prince.

Therefore, I turned my head and whispered in his ear, “I love you, honey.”

He lifted his head and looked down at me through the flickering candlelight, his eyes tender, his face soft.

“And I you, my sweet,” he replied quietly.

I bent my neck until my forehead was against his and I smiled.

Then I dropped my head to the bed and noted, “We had a lovely day.”

“Indeed,” he agreed.

“It’s just you and me now,” I told him.

“For a time,” he replied, his body shifting, his hand sliding so it was resting on my belly that now had the barest hint of a hard, beloved bump, “then it will be you and me and our son.”

“Or daughter.”

Without hesitation and without indication of a shred of preference, he repeated, “Or daughter.”

I grinned at him. “It’s good being a princess.”

His hand left my belly and came to my face, his thumb sweeping my cheekbone when he remarked, “This I find surprising.”

I tilted my head to the side on the pillow, “You do?”

“Yes, for my princess doesn’t act like a princess.”

I let out a small giggle then informed him, “I’m the new and improved kind of princess.”

“Right,” he muttered, his mouth twitching.

God, he looked hot when his mouth twitched like that. Then again, he always looked hot.

I wondered if I’d ever think differently and decided I would not.

Not ever.

Not ever.

I sighed happily and when I did, I realized I was exhausted.

So I asked, “Are you going to let your princess sleep? I had a long day, danced all night and this kid is beginning to take it all out of me. Yesterday, I fell asleep right in the middle of reading to Clarabelle. Aggie had to peck my hand to wake me up.”

“No, I’ll not be letting my princess sleep,” he answered and I blinked at him.

“You’ll not?”

“No, love, you’re a princess. You can sleep all day.” His head dipped, his face disappearing in my neck. “Your prince gets your nights.”

“Tor –”

He nipped my earlobe and commanded, “Quiet.”

“Tor!” I snapped.

His lips moved to mine, he kissed me hard, deep and sweet and I was quiet.

Oh well, whatever. He was right, I was a princess. I could sleep all day.

So I rolled him to his back and then I kissed him.

My prince’s strong arms got tight around me and he kissed me right back.