Although I was most pleased I could pleasure him so thoroughly in this way, I batted his chest.
He started chuckling.
At that moment, a hush fell over the crowd.
Noc lifted his head and we both turned our attention to the colossal lip of sand-colored rock that jutted out over the city of Korwahn creating its Majestic Rim.
There we saw Korwahk’s Dax Lahn, his chest and back painted in blacks and golds, striding to the clearing before us where his throne and that of his queen were sitting.
The Golden Queen Circe was at his side, in extraordinary regalia, including a band of glittering golden feathers around her forehead.
And loping next to her like a trusted pet (something I’d found last night when we’d arrived and I was introduced to it that it was) was a large, grand white tiger.
Following them, under a drooping shade of golden silk, was a young couple, the pretty, plump woman beaming happily, the lean, tall man at her side looking serious.
The shade was held up on four poles by four young women, all practically skipping in their excitement.
Coming up the rear was a regiment of Korwahk warriors, all wearing black and gold paint.
Just off to the side of the clearing, Lahn and Circe’s three children were being looked after by Circe’s friends, Narinda and Nahka (women I’d also met last night), who had their own children with them, this large brood easily managed considering Narinda’s husband, Feetak, and Nahka’s husband, Bohtan, were keeping a stern eye on the crew.
Circe and Lahn made it to their thrones just as Diandra, Circe’s best friend, a kind and exceedingly attractive Valerian woman (which meant she spoke Noc and my language), sidled up next to us.
I looked to her and returned her smile before my gaze shifted back to the rim to see Circe seated in her throne made of white horns.
The honor guard had lined up behind her.
Lahn’s throne, made of massive black horns, was empty for he did not seat himself. He stood, hands on hide-covered hips, looking like he was scowling down at the couple who were now situated in front of their king and queen, facing each other, the four women still holding the shade over them.
“Iykoo!” Lahn boomed.
“Kneel,” Diandra whispered in translation.
I at once had the urge to kneel, but as the throng around us did not, I stayed where I was, in the curve of Noc’s arm, and watched Jacanda, Circe’s trusted slave girl, kneel across from her soon-to-be-husband, Derahn.
The instant they settled on their knees, a collective gasp came from the crowd as a shower of flower petals in the colors of yellow, orange and deep pink fell from the underside of the awning held over them, raining down on the couple below.
Feeling my lips quirk, knowing that was the queen’s magic, I looked from the couple to Circe, seeing her mouth curved up in a soft, indulgent smile, her eyes glued on her slave who was also her friend.
And I noted it again.
Since arriving the day before, I realized in her home, she was the Circe I knew. My friend. A woman from my new world living in a savage land in my old, a woman who was giving and amusing and kind.
But when she walked out of her home, she was the Golden Warrior Queen of Korwahk.
It was her way that this distinction was rather vague.
But it was nevertheless unmistakable.
Now she was queen.
And she was a sight to behold.
Even so, I tore my gaze from her to another sight that was always one to behold and saw her husband, his torso twisted so he could look at his wife.
When he turned back to the couple, he was shaking his head but doing it quite clearly fighting a smile.
Lahn was not one for flower petals.
But he liked that his wife was.
He became serious again when he looked to the subjects kneeled before him.
Then he opened his mouth and started speaking.
Diandra translated as he did.
“Today, the slave Derahn takes to wife my queen’s servant, Jacanda. Today, he gives his oath that he is now her possession. She owns his body. She owns his spirit. She owns his seed. And today, the queen’s trusted servant Jacanda gives her oath that she is now Derahn’s possession. He owns her body. He owns her spirit. He owns her womb. They will take no other until death. They will be owned by no other until death. Derahn will sow children into Jacanda and he will offer protection and guidance to the family he creates until his final breath. Jacanda will deliver him these children and offer nurture and care to them and Derahn until her final breath.”
As Lahn paused, there seemed a stirring of the warriors both behind Circe and Lahn’s thrones as well as those painted for the ceremonial day who were standing amongst the crowd (including, I noted with a sidelong glance, Zahnin, who had transferred his children to his wife, and was now looking much more alert and back to fierce).
My gaze returned to Lahn as he spoke again.
“And they will do this as free man and woman…”
The stirring around us increased as Noc’s hold on me tightened because this stirring was not only of the warriors, but also the entirety of the crowd.
Lahn spoke through it, I had no doubt noting the feel of the gathering, but ignoring it entirely.
“Owned from now to their death by no merchant, no man, no warrior. Owned only by each other. This is my decree. This is the decree of my golden queen. And this will be done. As their oath is now done and they are man and wife to each other from this day until they burn on their pyres.”
I shifted my gaze to the couple to see that this declaration of freedom was another gift bestowed on them that was a far sight sweeter than flower petals falling. They were staring up at their Dax in open-mouthed wonder.