Bonded

EMRICK

“I don’t think your father likes me very much right now.” I said, taking her into my arms.

“I don’t really care at the moment.” She replied, turning to face me. “Emrick, I’m scared.”

“You don’t have to fight love.”

She pulled out of my embrace and walked over to one of the portholes. She turned to look at me with such a look of despair. I crossed the distance between us in two steps and took her shaking frame back into my arms. I raised her face towards mine with a finger under her chin. As soon as I touched her, I knew.

“You’re not afraid of fighting are ye?” I asked her.

“No… I’m… I’m afraid of what I could be capable of. I exerted my will over that man so easily.” She replied in a small voice

“And you couldn’t do that before?” I asked.

“There are a lot of things I can do now that I couldn’t do just a few days ago. Remember when I said that I was in the wrong body?”

“Aye.”

“I feel like there is someone else’s consciousness in my head as well as mine.”

“How long have you felt like that?”

“It started on the battlefield the day we met. I was me and then… I was me but more. And sometimes when I look at you, I see you and someone else.”

“Who?”

“Johan.” She said,

“Who is he?” I asked, jealousy making me see red.

“The other me’s husband.”

KERRIENE

I could see that Emrick didn’t understand where I was coming from. Though I could see Johan’s soul through his eyes and feel his presence within him, I don’t think he was aware of him on any kind of level. Come to think of it, I’m not sure why I’m aware of the other consciousness in my head.

I raised my lips to his and he leaned down to meet them. After that, we got lost in each other’s arms. We were making our way to the bed when there was a knock at the door. We both sighed as Emrick headed towards the door.

Lars was standing there with his hand raised like he was about to knock again. My father was standing beside him looking nervous and fidgety.

“My lord, there is a strange looking man asking to see you and the lady Kerrienne. He claims to be the real Druid Conmael.”

“Was he a stow away? We’re in the middle of the ocean.”

“No my lord.” Lars answered looking rather pale. “He just appeared on deck.”

“What do you mean, appeared?” I asked.

“One moment I was at the bow of the boat alone. Then poof, he was standing next to me.”

“Bring him to us.” Emrick instructed.

My father, Emrick and I waited for the stranger. I felt a strange tingling sensation as he neared the cabin. I sensed the man’s energy before he even came into view. Lars entered the room with the hooded man behind him.

He was so tall, he had to bend down to enter the cabin. He pulled his hood back. His light brown skin was so pale, it was almost translucent. His eyes were the palest brown almost matching his skin tone and his long dark brown hair fell in thick dreads down past his shoulders, almost to his waist. He walked over to us and bowed slightly. “I am Conmael. I am sorry I could not be here sooner.” He said in a thickly accented voice.

He reached his hand out to me. I took it and felt his power flow into me from our joined hands. I gasped and looked up into his eyes.

‘I have more than enough and you’ll need it. For what’s to come.’ He said in my head as he pushed more power into me.

‘Thank you’

Out loud he said, “I have come to preside over your wedding ceremony.”

He turned to Emrick and my father.

“Don’t worry about anyone noticing that Emrick is still alive. I have used a glamour spell on the men that are not of your clan.” He said, giving me a probing look.

I nodded at a loss for words. Is that what I did to the man on the dock? I thought.

‘Yes.’ I heard the answer in my head and looked up to find Conmael smiling at me.

Up on deck, Conmael opened his arms wide and the wind picked up, blowing his hair back from his head and for the first time I noticed that his ears were pointed. Flowers of all different shapes and sizes floated up from the depth of the ocean and arranged themselves like garlands over our heads. Twinkling, floating lights appeared and swirled above our heads as the moon peeked out from behind the clouds, making the scene look surreal.

I looked down at myself then at Emrick. We were both dressed in armor. Emrick snaked an arm around my waist and whispered in my ear. “It isn’t exactly the wedding you deserve.”

I looked up into the eyes of the man who’s come to mean so much to me in such a short time and answered back. “But you are the man I want.” ​

Conmael turned to us and smiled. He waved his hands toward us.

​“Face each other.” He instructed. ​“We are gathered here to unite these two souls into one. Pledge your vows.”

“I Emrick take thee Kerrienne to be my wedded wife, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health for as long as we both shall live.”

My heart swelled when it was my time to say the words. “I, Kerrienne, take thee Emrick to be my wedded husband, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health for as long as we both shall live.”

“You may kiss your bride.” Conmael announced.

Both of Emrick’s hands reached out to take hold of my face gently as he leaned over and kissed me deeply. I held on to the front of his armor as I moaned into the kiss, pulling his body closer to mine. I felt a burning pain on my left ring finger that left me gasping. I pulled away from Emrick’s arms to look down at my hand. My ring finger was covered with black and red delicate intertwining vines.

“What the..?”

“I have one too.” Emrick said in awe, showing me his finger.

“You have bonded.” Conmael said in surprise.

We both turned to look at him. “Bonded? What does that mean?” I asked.

“You are soulmates.” Conmael said as if that explained everything, right before waving a hand in the air. Food and drinks appeared out of thin air.

Emrick and I watched as our men celebrated the joining of our two clans.

Towards the end of the night, Conmael pulled me aside “You need not be afraid of your power little one. And whatever you do, do not doubt yourself.”

I wasn’t sure how to respond to that so I didn’t. He turned his face up towards the moon and I watched as he took a few deep breaths, a gentle smile gracing his lips.

He must have noticed my worried look towards the drinking men as he turned to me “You will reach shore in the early morning hours, three days from now. They should be sober by then, but if any of the men are still drunk after landing, say the incantation Patet Capitis and the men will sober up for the fight.”

Emrick joined me and pulled me into his side as he kissed my temple.

“I will find you after the battle and answer all your questions, so no need to worry. I will be around.” He said smiling. Without another word, he disappeared into thin air right before our eyes. I gasped in surprise and silently repeated the words Patet Capitis in my head.