The Lion Soul by Amy Sumida

Chapter Forty-Seven

My clan stayed for the celebration at the Wolf Camp. Not only were we rejoicing in my return but also the success of the warlords' and valorians' united attack, and we were honoring our fallen as well. There was some solemnity at the beginning of the night when the bodies were either buried or wrapped in linen to be sent to their families. But soldiers shake off such sadness quickly and the camp was soon overcome with laughter and overflowing with alcohol.

My father was seated on my right and Kaelen on my left, on chairs around the campfire outside the Wolf Lord's tent. There were too many of us to congregate within the tent, what with so many warlords, valorians, and Nazakians in our group. But the fire-lit darkness did well for my kin, who were more comfortable letting go of their warrior stoicism where they could hide it. I grinned as I caught a glimpse of my sister kissing her husband. My father saw where my attention was and shook his head.

“There is nothing wrong with showing affection for your spouse, Father,” I said defensively.

I wasn't sure who I was speaking to—him or me. After nearly losing Kaelen and my life, I wanted to be that free with him. I wanted to be able to walk down a street, holding Kaelen's hand without feeling awkward. I wanted to be able to hug him or even kiss him no matter where we were, just as my sister was doing with her husband. And I suddenly decided that I would. I would get the fuck over myself, as Ravyn would say, and just be happy with my mate.

“That wasn't disapproval, Son. I was recalling when I was her age and how I used to take your mother—”

“All right, you could have stopped with the first sentence,” I cut him off.

My father laughed brightly, surprising me further, and lifted his mug to me. “This is a good clan, Rie. You've done well.”

“Thank you. I think so too.”

“Lion Lord?” A fae man stepped up to us.

“Yes?”

“I have come with a message from the Queen.” He presented Kaelen with a sealed parchment.

Kaelen straightened in his seat and took the letter. He cracked open the Lion Queen's seal and read the contents, his eyes widening, then his expression softening.

“Kae?” I asked in concern.

He held up a palm as he said to the messenger, “There is food and drink in the Wolf Lord's tent. Help yourself. Rinmae will attend you and then find a tent for you to use for the night. In the morning, I'll have a letter for you to take back to the Queen.”

“Yes, my lord.” The man bowed as Rinmae stepped up, then he followed the knight into the Wolf Lord's tent.

“What did she write?” I asked Kae.

“It wasn't my father,” Kaelen whispered. “He wasn't the one who betrayed us.”

I let out a soft sigh of relief before I asked, “Who was it?”

Kaelen looked at me with tear-glossed eyes. “It was Betheal. Rinmae was right. Betheal served time in the Lion Army; he knows the scent of a Farungal, and he recognized it on you. He spread rumors that you were possessed by Ry'zaran.”

“He did what?” I gaped at Kae.

“Yes. That's why the citizens of Caralin were so scared; they thought you were possessed by the Farungal God.”

My father watched us carefully, frowning in confusion.

“We were driven out of Varalorre by a mob of Lion Fae,” I explained to him. “Kaelen thought it was his father's doing because we confided in him about my Shirie form, but now, we're learning that it was a courtier who betrayed us.”

My father grunted.

“How did Queen Vervain discover Lord Betheal's treachery?” I asked.

“She interrogated the faeries who her guards noticed in the mob,” Kaelen said, his expression lightening more and more as I watched. “They were all acting upon that vicious rumor, and the rumor was traced back to Betheal. He's been stripped of his rank and property and banished from Caralin.”

I grunted in approval.

“It wasn't my father,” Kaelen whispered again.

I took his hand and squeezed. “It wasn't your father.”

“The Queen said that she's made a royal declaration, explaining the truth of your Shirie form to the Lion Fae, and they've reacted well to it. We can return whenever we wish.”

“That's wonderful, Kae.”

“I couldn't have forgiven my father such a betrayal, but believing it was him for all this time, then learning that it wasn't, has shown me that his reaction, though awful, was not as bad as it could have been. I think I can get beyond it eventually. I can forgive him.”

“I think so too. He just needs some time to see who I am.”

“We both have our families back, Rie,” he whispered.

“We do.”

Kaelen leaned over and hugged me before getting to his feet. “I'm going to refill my mug. Would either of you care for more wine?”

I shook my head, but my father nodded and held out his mug. Kaelen took it and headed into the Wolf Lord's tent where casks of wine and ale were set up beside platters of food on the war table.

Once he was gone, my father said, “Your mother will be sorry to miss your wedding.”

“My wedding?” I asked in surprise.

“But she would be happy to hear about a proposal,” he went on as he tapped the hilt of one of the swords he'd given me.

I looked down at the gold cherry blossom pin that had been hammered over a gold circle. There were three such designs on the sword hilt, with thin cords woven around them to provide a better grip, but it was tradition for a warrior to remove the center circle—a ring—and offer it to his intended. She would wear the ring until a wedding band could be made and then return it to the warrior. It was considered to be his wedding band, worn on his most prized possession instead of on his hand, where it could get in the way of fighting. I'd forgotten all about the tradition, and about the fact that my father would now be commissioning a new wedding band for himself. It would be a symbol of his honorable retirement as well as his love for my mother.

But a sword's ring was never offered to a man.

It was a difficult tradition to translate into a homosexual relationship, especially between warriors, because it would put one man into the role of the female—something frowned upon in my culture. Warriors, when united romantically, had to be equals, at least outside the home. Offering your sword's ring would be a public declaration that you believed yourself to be more powerful than your intended, something that would likely get you the opposite result than what was hoped for.

“He's a man,” I said to my father. “I cannot. It would be disrespectful.”

“He's a faerie, and you are clearly equals. I don't think he'd be insulted. This isn't Nazaka, Son. You need to make your own traditions now, and this would be a good start. A way of bringing some of your old culture into your new one.”

I gaped at him.

My father pulled his dagger and handed it to me. “If you hurry, you can get it out before he returns.”

I took the dagger and set it down, then drew my father into a hug. “Thank you. I thought I lost you, all of you. And now I feel as if I've gained everything.”

“I love you, Rieyu,” my father said gruffly and clutched me tightly. “You will always have us. Be happy and live well.” Then he pulled back. “Hurry, he's coming.”

I chuckled as I took the dagger and pried out the cherry blossom pin. Beneath it, I could see scratches from times when the ring had been pried loose before. The gold circle popped out into my palm, revealing itself to be a ring, and I quickly replaced the cherry blossom, tapping it down with the dagger's pommel. Then I stared at the golden band in my hand. The weight of tradition and destiny settled over me. My great-grandmother, grandmother, and mother had all worn this ring during their engagements. It would only fit Kaelen's pinky, if that, but the mere act of him receiving it would be profound. If he received it.

“I haven't even told him—” I started to say.

“Thank you,” my father cut me off as he reached across me to take the mug Kaelen offered.

“Haven't told who what?” Kaelen asked as he settled onto his chair beside me.

I clutched the ring in my fist and stared at Kaelen, my heart starting to beat faster. Could I really do this? Could I not only declare my love for Kaelen for the first time but also do so in front of an audience and then propose to him? I had just decided to be more open with him, but this was extreme. Then again, where was the romance if I didn't take a risk? If I wanted to make Kaelen my husband, I had to make a grand gesture. And there was honor in that. My spine straightened.

My father stood up. “Takahansi, to me!”

I glared at him as our warriors gathered closer around us and gave him their full attention.

My father looked down at me and grinned. “It will make a good story.”

I rolled my eyes.

“What's going on?” Ravyn called over to us from his seat on Dalsharan's lap.

“That's what I'd like to know,” Kaelen said.

I took a bracing breath and stood. “Could you get up, please?” I asked Kaelen.

Kaelen stood as he frowned at me. “What's this about, Rie?”

I dropped onto one knee.

Ravyn hooted, then shouted, “Everyone shut the fuck up! Something romantic is afoot!”

“Did you just say afoot?” Dalsharan drawled.

“Shh!” Ravyn hissed.

The area around our campfire went silent as both fae and human warriors gathered to witness what would hopefully be one of the happiest moments of my life. As long as I didn't fuck it up.

I took Kaelen's hand and met his surprised stare. With a deep breath, I began, “I have dreamed of you for most of my life. But I never dreamt what you would become to me. How you would consume me completely. You are everything I wish to be—honorable and brave, but with such a lightness in your soul that you lift mine. Your smile has become my treasure, no less precious for its abundance. Your laugh makes my soul sing, and your tenacious joy humbles me. But it's your heart that I desire most, Mate. You are my world. There is no me without you.” I held up the ring. “Will you marry me?”

The world seemed to hold its breath as Kaelen stared at me. His expression showed shock but nothing else, all of his usual emotion and transparency gone. My chest tightened along with my grip on the ring.

“That's it? That's all you have to say to me?” Kaelen growled.

The surrounding crowd shifted uncomfortably and my hand began to lower as my heart threatened to shatter.

“All of those pretty words, and you still haven't said the three I need to hear. The only ones that matter.”

I blinked and let out a relieved puff of air. After a low chuckle and a shake of my head, I declared, “Kaelen Brimara, I love you.”

“There it is.” Kaelen beamed at me and snatched the ring. “My answer is yes, Mate.” He shoved the ring on his little finger, yanked me to my feet, and kissed me to the roar of the massive crowd. He was still smiling when he eased out of our kiss. “I love you too, Rieyu.”

I grinned broadly. “Good. Because now you must be presented to the clan.” I turned to my father and bowed to him, then to the rest of our warriors. “Takahansi Clan, I present my betrothed.”

My kin converged on Kaelen, starting with my father and sister, to welcome him into the family. No, we weren't married yet, but an engagement was all they were going to witness, so they'd welcome Kae now and trust that we'd follow through. Of course, we would. Nothing was going to stop me from making the Lion Lord my husband.

Kaelen took it all with grace and joy, shaking hands with my people, now his too, as well as the warlords, valorians, and soldiers who came up to congratulate us. I stood beside my father and sister, watching Kaelen with a pleased smile and nodding to those who braved my father's stern visage to congratulate me.

“You look mighty pleased with yourself, Brother,” Sachira noted.

“Only mighty pleased?” I asked with a lifted brow. “Then you see merely a fraction of my joy.”

She chuckled. “Mother will be so upset to have missed this. But I will tell her what you just said, and she will be content with that.”

“Once the war is over, I will bring my husband to Nazaka,” I promised. “She will meet her new son soon.”

“Now that, will please her mightily,” my father said.