The Beginning of Everything by Kristen Ashley Page 0,94

the minute the two women sat, Queen Elpis started speaking,

“Silence of the Dellish, Countess of the Arbor, betrothed of the King of all Firenze, today you prepare to take the most sacred of vows you’ll ever make. More sacred than those to your father. More sacred than those to your mother. More sacred than those to your children. More sacred than those to your nation. They are the vows you will take in joining with your husband.”

I pressed my lips together and slid my eyes right, catching my mother’s gaze.

She gave me a nervous smile.

I took a deep breath.

“This will be cold, mia figlia,” Elpis murmured.

After she said that, I felt the cold of the ice all along my ear.

“In all,” Elpis continued, “you stand by your husband. In all, you give him your ear. In all,” I saw another hand come toward my face (Nyx’s) and felt the ice held to my nostril, “you give him your thoughts. In all,” another hand was added (Zosime’s) and ice was held to my lip, “you give him your honesty.”

Well then.

That was rather profound.

Not to mention beautiful.

“To remind you these are what makes a strong marriage,” Elpis intoned, “you wear the wedding chain. You wear it daily. You wear it so your husband can see he can share anything with you, and you’ll listen. He can be far away, but he’ll be in your thoughts. And he can count on you telling your truths to him, so he can know your mind.”

Yes.

This was rather beautiful.

“In turn,” Elpis went on, “he will wear his chain as his vow to you to listen, to hold you in his thoughts and to share his soul.”

Oh my.

Very beautiful.

So much so, I might even cry.

“You will take my son’s chain at your wedding, and you will hold it dear. He will take your chain at his wedding, and he will hold it blessed. Until your last breaths, it symbolizes not your union to those who look upon it. But your intimacy toward each other. He will be but yours, and you will be but his, in heart, in mind, in speech, forevermore.”

All right yes.

I might cry.

They’d told me how this would go (though obviously not the words).

But I hadn’t asked if I could show emotion.

Therefore, I held back the tears.

“Do you understand this, Silence of the Arbor?” Elpis asked.

“I do,” I answered, my voice sounding husky.

It was then, Elpis leaned over me and looked into my eyes.

Her thoughts had always been deftly concealed.

And they were right then.

Until they were not, and I saw tenderness sweep in.

“I am glad, mia figlia,” she whispered. “Now you will be pierced. Are you ready?”

Carefully, so as not to disengage the ice held to me, which it must be admitted, was so cold, it was getting uncomfortable, I nodded.

“As this is so, we shall commence,” Elpis told me. “All four. At once. So it will be over quickly.”

I nodded again.

It was then I saw, for the first time, my soon-to-be mother-in-law’s eyes smiling at me.

They disappeared.

The ice disappeared.

I heard the sloshing of liquid.

And then I felt the tips of the needles at upper ear, lobe, nostril and lip.

Faith.

I held steady.

“Lei è coraggiosa.” This came in a whisper, I thought, from Nyx.

She is brave.

How lovely.

I drew in breath when the needles pierced my flesh.

Quickly, they were drawn out and I felt the hoops slid into the holes, the one at my lobe the last, as Elpis was at my ear, Nyx at my nostril, and Zosime at my lip, and Elpis could not do both at once.

Not long after, each was bathed with something that stung.

A spirit to keep the poison out.

After that, the ice was back, covered in cloth and held to the piercings.

I barely felt anything.

Just a tinge then a sting.

Yes.

Not bad a’tall.

“It is done,” Elpis announced. “Silence of the Arbor is prepared to wed a Firenz. She is prepared to be a good wife. She understands what will make a good husband. And they will serve each other in confidence and understanding for the whole of their days. Praise the blessings.”

“Praise the blessings,” the women around me murmured.

“Praise the oath of marriage,” Elpis chanted.

“Praise the oath of marriage,” all around repeated.

“Praise understanding,” Elpis said.

“Praise understanding,” everyone repeated.

“Praise harmony,” Elpis finished.

“Praise harmony.”

“Do you praise these things, mia figlia?” Elpis asked me.

“I do,” I answered.

“Bello,” she whispered. Then louder, “Bring the king’s gift.”

The king’s gift?

What gift?

Should I have a gift for him?

Oh dear.

The ice was taken away.

“Sit up,” Elpis bid. “We shall

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