News of the royal wedding to come filtered down into Yafirdom for the Yafir males were always secretly visiting the various corners of Belmair. Cinnia awaited each detail avidly, personally rewarding the bearers of news lavishly. King Dillon had decreed the wedding day to be a holiday for all in Belmair. The wedding guests, other than family, had been limited only three days at the castle. The day before, the day of and the day after the wedding. Gifts were pouring in from all over Belmair. The king’s family had already arrived from Hetar.

Lara had come with her daughters, Anoush, Zagiri and Marzina. Magnus Hauk and his only son and heir, Taj, would remain in Terah, for it was not thought wise for them to leave. Dillon was delighted to see his sisters once again. He was closest to the two elder, for he had shared a life with them before he had gone to Shunnar in the Shadow kingdom to be tutored in the sorcery that came so naturally to him.

Anoush was in her late teens. She showed no inclination toward marriage, but Dillon knew it would take a special man to husband Anoush, who was an amazing healer and had visions of the future. Her talents frightened most men. Several years younger, Zagiri was a golden girl whose greatest desire was to find a husband and wed. She had absolutely no magic in her at all, which was frankly to her mother a great relief. Marzina, his youngest sister, Dillon knew least of all. Dark-haired, violet eyed, Marzina was a secretive girl, but her nature was one of utter sweetness, according to her mother. She had been born the twin of Magnus Hauk’s heir, but she was not his child.

She had been conceived by force upon the Dream Plain, and her father was Kol, the Twilight Lord, now imprisoned deep within his own castle in the Dark Land for that particular crime. When Lara had seen this unexpected second child spring from her womb she had been shocked, especially given Marzina’s exotic coloring. But Ilona had quickly declared the child resembled a relation who was a Nix, a magical water faerie. And no one had questioned her. Kaliq knew, and Dillon knew. Magnus Hauk did not, and he adored having two daughters, one all golden like him, the other dark like a faerie ancestor. But unlike the evil Kol, Marzina exuded light and goodness.

“Where does her talent lie?” Dillon asked his mother curiously.

“I believe she will be like me with her magic,” Lara told her eldest son. “She is already doing simple shape-shifting.” Her voice was prideful.

“Perhaps it is the influence of her Nix ancestor,” Dillon teased his mother.

“Perhaps it is,” Lara agreed, her beautiful green eyes twinkling with the shared joke. “She is unique among my daughters,” Lara said quietly.

“How is my little brother?” Dillon wanted to know.

“His father’s son in all ways. He will be a good Dominus one day,” Lara said.

“He is obviously not your favorite,” Dillon teased her.

“I love Taj,” Lara said, “but I find him almost dull. While Zagiri has no magic in her she is lively and full of fun. Taj is very serious, and his grandmother, the lady Persis, encourages him to self-importance. I have spoken to Magnus on this, but he says Taj will outgrow it. I do not think he will. He is very impressed that his big brother is now a king, and hopes to visit you eventually.”

“I will welcome him, and perhaps I can even help him to understand that being a king is not all grandeur, but a great responsibility,” Dillon told his mother.

“I like your Cinnia,” Lara said. “You were fortunate to be able to retrieve her.”

“You know it would have been far more difficult had Sapphira not been her double,” Dillon replied. “But even if she hadn’t I would have taken my wife back.”

“But this way you have avoided conflict with the Yafir until you are ready. When planning a campaign it is always wise to have the advantage,” Lara said. “Ahura Mazda is content believing he has bested you, and you are content because you have Cinnia back. It was a piece of good fortune, and well done, my son.”

“I have placed you and my sisters beneath my protection spell. The Yafir lord is bold, and he will learn of the festivities here in Belmair. I understand him well enough to know he would enjoy stealing one of my sisters in order to prove to me once again that he can do whatever he pleases, and I cannot stop him.”

“But you can!” Lara said. “You have far more power than any lowly Yafir.”

“Aye, Mother, I do,” Dillon agreed with her. “But Ahura Mazda is bitter over Belmair’s treatment of his people. And it was indeed unfair. I will heal this breach between these two peoples because they need each other. Neither can survive without the other although neither realizes it right now.”

The royal castle was filled to capacity by the day before the wedding. Duke Tullio and his sister, Margisia, had arrived. Cinnia had been nervous at their coming, but Dillon had enough of Sapphira’s memories he could give to her; and he made certain they had little time with Cinnia. He had darkened her eyes, too, for while no one else was likely to realize it he knew that certainly Sapphira’s mother would know her own child had dark green eyes, and not light green ones.

The night before the marriage was to be celebrated the Great Hall was filled to capacity with all the nobility of Belmair and their families. A great feast was served. There was wonderful entertainments. And then the king stood up at the high board, and the hall grew silent. “My bride to be has something to say to all of you,” he said. He offered Cinnia his hand and she stood up to face the hall.

She wore a deep pink silk gown with flowing sleeves that had a wide square neckline. The garment was simple in style, and yet it suited her. Her black hair was contained in a delicate gold caul studded with tiny diamonds. “Tomorrow,” she began, “I, Sapphira of Beldane, will marry the king and become your queen. This should not be but for a tragedy we all know, but I shall not speak of on this happy night. I am said to resemble the good sorceress of Belmair, and so in her honor, that you may never forget her, I have this day added her name to mine. I shall be known from this time forward as Cinnia Sapphira.”

There was a moment of stunned silence, and then the hall erupted with clapping. Smiling, Cinnia sat down, and as she did she saw the looks of complete surprise upon the faces of Duke Tullio and his sister, Margisia. Sapphira’s mother leaned over and hissed at her angrily.

“How could you do such a thing?” she demanded.

“It was the right thing to do, madame,” Cinnia said. “The former queen was not my enemy. I did not even know her although we were distantly related by blood. And it made the king happy. Is it not my duty to make him happy?”

Lady Margisia glared, irritated. “You do your family a disservice by this foolish and emotional action. They will not call you Cinnia Sapphira. You will be remembered as Cinnia! Cinnia, a creature made impure by the Yafir!” She shuddered with her revulsion. “I cannot believe you did not think this through.”

“The king wants peace with the Yafir, madame. Is it not better that the unfortunate incident of the king’s first wife be forgotten?” Cinnia said quietly.

“He only chose you because you look like her,” Margisia said pettily.

“He chose me for a mistress. It is I, Sapphira of Beldane, who has made him love me, madame. It is I, Sapphira of Beldane, who will be married to the king tomorrow, and crowned Belmair’s queen. As queen I hold a modicum of power. Be careful you do not offend me lest I banish you from my presence forever. I know who I am, and it matters not to me by what name I am called. Why should it matter to you?”

“You have grown weak,” Margisia sneered.

“Nay, I grow stronger each day because of the power of love. You have no love for me, nor does my uncle. I was a thing to be bartered to the highest bidder. Well, madame, you have gotten the highest price for me. Yet you are not satisfied.”

“A woman is supposed to be of use to her family, and how else can she be but by making a good marriage,” Margisia said.

“Is my marriage to the king not good enough for you, Mother?” Cinnia asked her wickedly. And then she said, “I grow tired of this conversation.” She turned away from the lady Margisia and toward Lara, who was seated on her other side.

Do you speak the silent language? Lara asked Cinnia.

Aye, Nidhug taught me when I was a little girl, Cinnia answered.

You handled Lady Margisia well. She will soon be gone back to Beldane.

The sooner the better, Ilona chimed in from the other side of Lady Margisia.

Cinnia swallowed a giggle.

Cease your chatter at once! Dillon commanded them. Others will begin to wonder why you have all gone silent. No need to frighten those who do not possess our magic ways.

I do not believe I have ever been in a chamber so full of mortals, and quite frankly I find their vibrations disturbing. Too many uncontrolled emotions all boiling beneath the surface, Ilona declared. Then she said aloud, “The cakes are absolutely delicious, Dillon, my dear. You must give me the recipe to take back with me.”

“’Tis not my cook, Grandmother,” the king said. “But rather Nidhug’s Sarabeth.”

“And Sarabeth is an artist where food is concerned,” Nidhug told them all.

The evening finally ended with all those in the Great Hall finding their places for a good night’s sleep. The wedding was scheduled to take place at dawn in the gardens between the two castles. Lady Margisia joined Tamary and Anke as they finished dressing Cinnia. Her gown was of delicate white silk. The fitted bodice with its square open neckline was embroidered with dainty crystals, as were the edges of the flowing sleeves and the hem of the gown. The gown flowed gracefully down from her hips about which was a girdle of thin beaten gold decorated with tiny diamond stars. The bride’s hair was contained in a delicate golden caul, with two thin braids on either side of her face. She wore no jewelry.

Lady Margisia, in a better frame of mind this morning, could not help but crow. “You have done it, my darling daughter! I wasn’t certain that you could, but you have! Your uncle and I are very proud of you.”

“Thank you, madame,” Cinnia replied. She could not remember her own mother, but she was certain that lady would have been nothing like Margisia of Beldane.

Duke Tullio came to lead her to the ceremony. “The king requests that you carry this,” he said, handing her a pure white star lily.

The garden was filled with all the guests who grew silent as the duke brought her to stand before the dragon. Nidhug wore her seal of office about her neck. Her front claws were painted pink this day, and studded with flecks of gold and silver. Dillon a waited her, garbed all in snowy-white, the crown of Belmair upon his dark head.

“Cinnia Sapphira of Beldane,” Nidhug began, “will you have King Dillon of Belmair as your husband?”

“I, Cinnia Sapphira of Beldane, accept King Dillon of Belmair for my lord and my husband,” the bride said.

Nidhug turned to Dillon. “Dillon of Belmair, will you have Cinnia Sapphira of Beldane, as you wife?”

“I will,” Dillon answered.

“Then so I pronounce you wed to each other, husband and wife till death,” the dragon said. Then Nidhug took a small gold circlet with a bright diamond star upon it, and placed it upon Cinnia’s head. “And so I crown you queen of Belmair.”

The young couple turned to face their guests who responded with light clapping. At that very moment there was a clap of thunder, and the Yafir lord appeared before them, holding Sapphira by the hand. She was big with child. The guests gasped at this twin of their new queen, and stepped back.

“What think you of your Cinnia now, king of Belmair? She ripens nicely with my child.” Reaching out he patted the false Cinnia’s belly.

The wedding guests gasped, shocked.

“Perhaps I shall come and steal Sapphira from you one day. They are most alike, and it would be amusing to show them together,” Ahura Mazda said. Then he touched Sapphira’s cheek, and she was gone, but the Yafir lord remained. Boldly he walked among the guests. He bowed politely to Ilona and Lara, one magical being to another. He looked at Lara’s three daughters. “Which one? Which one?” he mused aloud, walking back and forth before the king’s sisters, a finger against his lips considering. “One is lovelier than the others. Two dark, one fair. Which one shall I have for myself.”

“They are all protected,” Dillon said.

“Perhaps I have a spell to overcome yours,” Ahura Mazda replied.

“If you did, my lord, you would already be gone,” Dillon answered. “Would you like to join us at the wedding feast, Ahura Mazda?”