Page 79 of Ties of Frost

“Are you in good enough shape to shift?”

“Oh, certainly. In fact, the magic involved in shifting will help me heal faster.”

I wrinkled my nose. “Seems a little unfair, though. I should go with my betrothed. You can carry Rouven.”

“Ha!” Rouven burst out of the cabin with a massive bag he could barely lift and slammed the door behind him. “This is my one chance to ride a wyvern, and I amnotpassing on that.”

Sajen slapped my back. “I think you’ll have future opportunities for Zee to carry you. And it’s still an honor to be carried by me, you know.”

“Yeah, sure.”

We parted ways with Rouven in Gamnica, then returned to Lighthouse Haven for much needed rest and baths. The next morning, we finally had time to wash our clothing. While everything was drying in the sunshine, Sajen bought food for our journey. Zidra and I took the opportunity to sit in the garden and care for our weapons.

“How are we traveling back to Laedresh?” I asked while oiling my swords.

Zidra looked up from running a sharpening stone down the edge of her blade. “I suppose I’ll carry you. Wyveri have more stamina than gryphoni over long distances.”

I narrowed my eyes. “On your back…right? Not in your claws?”

She shrugged and returned to sharpening her sword.

“Zee. On your back, right?”

Even with her head bowed, she couldn’t hide her growing smile. I plucked a withered blue flower and tossed it at her, and it bounced off her shoulder.

Zidra laughed. “Of course, Kyr. I’m not going to let my fiancé dangle from my claws all the way to Laedresh.”

Once we were outside the city, though, I discovered mounting and riding a wyvern was tricky. Her scales were slicker and the space between the ridges on her backnarrower than I’d realized. She bobbed up and down during flight more than Sajen did. Truthfully, riding a wyvern wasn’t as glorious as I’d imagined, but it was thrilling and fast.

When we arrived in Laedresh, we visited Archon Aekyrdra first. She had already notified the Council of Archons and the imperial advisers, who had dispatched an imperial investigator to Rupich to investigate Nevros and Malvoy. She promised to pass on our new information and send a notice about the Ascendant League to every Haven in the empire.

Then we told her about our engagement. I’d never seen an archon look giddy before.

“I’ll notify the town criers, and obviously we’ll send word to the Havens,” Aekyrdra said in a rush.

“Oh, that’s really not necessary.” Zidra curled down in her armchair, looking like she hoped the furniture would eat her alive.

“Of course it is! Kyrmaris is getting married!” Aekyrdra’s smile made her light-bronze skin nearly glow. In fact, her green eyes shimmered with forest elf magic. “Three weeks out should give guests time to travel. I’ll officiate, naturally—”

“Actually,” I interjected with an uncomfortable chuckle, “we asked Sajen to officiate.”

Her eyes dimmed. “But you’ll be getting married at Vairdros, and that cathedral is under my authority. I do of course understand if you want your friend to do it…”

Zidra adjusted in her seat. “I would also love if youofficiated, but I don’t want to insult Sajen. Perhaps you could talk to him?”

With that settled, we retired to Riverfront Haven—at my insistence, as I preferred its relative seclusion, although Zidra caved quickly.

Tailors, seamstresses, restaurant owners, and decorators lined up as soon as the announcement was made. We opted for small donations from many vendors and promised we would post a sign listing their donations. Of course, we also suggested that we hoped our wedding would help the businesses secure more clients in order that their generosity could continue in the future toward others as well.

Two days before the wedding, the capital was crowded with a swell of visiting citizens and rengiri. It was so difficult to avoid well-wishers that we had to sneak out well after nightfall to pick up Zidra’s gown and my wedding tunic without getting mobbed.

“The novelty will wear off,” I promised Zidra as we walked back to the Haven in the dark, deserted streets. “At the very least, in a decade, some other rengir will be awarded the Merit, and we won’t seem as special.”

She wrinkled her nose. It was adorable. “Unless the next recipient is another couple, I’m not sure we’ll ever be not-special.”

“Good.” I draped the linen bag containing my wedding attire over my left arm so I could loop my right around Zidra’s waist and draw her against my side. “Because you’re incredibly special, and I’d hate for you to ever forget it.”

She huffed a laugh. “You’re ridiculous.”

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