Forever Entwined

Queen Nixie

Nixie paused at the citadel doors. Even in the daylight, with the tiered seats overflowing with watchful eyes, the space felt suffocating. The stone walls seemed to lean inward, pressing down on her. A tremor ran through her legs as she began her walk beside Caspian down the long aisle.

"You're doing wonderfully," Caspian murmured, his hand a reassuring presence against her back, sensing her unease.

But with each step, the murmurs of the crowd intensified, a low hum that prickled her skin. "What are they saying?" Worry tightened her chest.

"It doesn't matter," Caspian said firmly, his gaze holding hers as they reached the end of the aisle. "You are their queen."

The Priestess, with an unsettlingly blank expression, repeated the ceremony as if the previous night had never occurred. This time, a heavy golden crown, its center a diamond the size of her thumb, was placed upon her head. Despite her lingering discomfort, a sense of regal bearing settled upon her as she stood beside Caspian, her mate.

A polite ripple of applause followed their brief kiss.

"What's next?" Nixie asked, her gaze sweeping over the dispersing crowd.

"Next is the midday feast, but come with me." Caspian took her hand, leading her towards a discreet side chamber where Millie had already slipped away.

"If you're comfortable, Nix," Millie began gently, "I thought I could help you change into your day gown now?"

"Another dress?" Nixie blurted out, the concept seeming utterly impractical.

"Yes, I know it's a bother, but it's custom to wear different attire for the three main events."

"Three?"

"Good graces, Cass!" Millie rolled her eyes playfully at her brother. "I'll explain while I get you ready." She took Nixie's hand, and in a familiar rush, they were back in the citadel, but this time in a lavish suite she hadn't seen before.

"These are the queen's chambers. Traditionally, the king and queen have separate sleeping quarters and are encouraged to share the marital bed during the optimal time of the month for conceiving an heir. However," Millie winked, "it's entirely up to you and Cass." She then held up a length of deep night-sky blue fabric. "Do you like the feast gown? I helped the seamstress design it!"

"Well, let's get you out of this." With practiced ease, Millie helped Nixie shed the heavy ceremony gown before guiding her into the soft folds of the new one.

"So, what's the third occasion?" Nixie asked, biting the inside of her cheek.

"Oh, that would be the bedding ceremony. Although," Millie's smile turned knowing, "everyone already knows you've consummated the mating, so it's more of a formality."

"How do they know?" A flush crept up Nixie's neck.

"You smell more potent, haven't you noticed?"

Nixie shook her head, her brow furrowing. "Is it a bad smell?"

"No, not at all. It's like watching a beautiful flower finally blossom," Millie sighed wistfully. "If only I'd found my mate my first solstice like you."

"How many solstices have you attended?" Nixie wondered aloud.

"Ten, including last night, and still no mate in sight."

"I hope you find him... or her," Nixie replied sincerely, recalling the two female fae who had once visited her village, their bond evident in their shared glances and easy laughter.

"I have a feeling my mate will be male, though I do enjoy a bit of experimentation," Millie said with a suggestive smirk as she expertly tied the laces at the back of the gown. "Anyway, I truly hope you find him soon, next solstice."

"Well, I think you're ready," Millie said, smoothing a few stray hairs and adjusting the small crown that now rested on Nixie's head.

"Off we go again?" Nixie turned to Millie, a hint of weariness in her voice.

"Yes, but this time we walk." Millie led Nixie out of the suite, down a grand corridor, and then a sweeping staircase to a vast foyer before they reached the entrance of a magnificent ballroom.

The towering doors swung inward, revealing a sea of faces – easily a couple of hundred guests. "This is what we consider intimate around here, on an official level," Millie half-joked, gesturing for Nixie to proceed alone.

Nervously, Nixie walked towards the raised dais where Caspian sat at a long, ornate table, an empty chair waiting beside him. As she approached, the entire room rose in a rustle of fabric and hushed reverence.

"Our beautiful Queen has arrived!" Caspian announced, raising his goblet. He gestured for Nixie to come around the table and stand beside her designated seat.

"To the Queen!" a lord called out, his voice booming through the hall, and the sentiment was echoed by the assembled guests.

Once everyone was seated, Caspian gave a subtle nod, and a procession of servants began to bring in an astonishing array of food. A whole roasted wild boar, its skin crackling, was presented, followed by platters piled high with pheasants, glistening fish, haunches of venison, glazed beef, and slow-cooked pork and lamb, all swimming in rich sauces. Alongside these were bowls of roasted potatoes, honeyed root vegetables, vibrant steamed greens, and baskets overflowing with various breads and dipping sauces.

"I... I don't think I've ever seen so much food before," Nixie whispered, utterly overwhelmed by the sheer abundance.

"Well, what is your favorite?" Caspian asked gently, his gaze moving between the laden platters.

"I don't know," she admitted, a wave of emotion washing over her. "All I've ever eaten is frog's leg stew, dandelion salad, or boiled eggs. We could never afford to buy food." She bit back the tears that threatened to surface, the contrast between her past scarcity and this present opulence too stark. Her father was still at home, in their small cottage...

"Well, we have lobster, which is a kind of aquatic food. Would you like to try some?" He offered, his eyes filled with a newfound understanding.

The feast progressed, a slow tide of lords and ladies approaching to offer their congratulations and pledges of loyalty to their new queen.

"Tis time!" a boisterous, clearly intoxicated voice called from the back of the room.

"For what?" Nixie turned to Caspian, a knot of apprehension tightening in her stomach.

"The bedding ceremony," Caspian murmured, pressing a soft kiss to her hand. Just then, Millie reappeared, her expression a mixture of amusement and sympathy, ready to lead Nixie away once more, back towards the queen's suites.

"I hope you don't mind, but this last dress offers considerably less coverage," Millie apologized, holding up a few wisps of white fabric.

A minuscule thong, barely concealing anything, and a sheer, almost ethereal cloth that wrapped under her arms and tied loosely at her back.

Millie gently unpinned Nixie's hair, letting it cascade down her shoulders, before pressing a light kiss to her cheek. "Cass asked me to show you this." She walked over to the enormous bed. Beside it, a decorative wall lamp caught Nixie's eye. On its side was an embossed daisy. Millie pressed the center of the flower, and a section of the wall silently slid open, revealing a dark passage lit by flickering torches.

"I'll see you tomorrow for breakfast," Millie winked, a hint of mischief in her eyes, before slipping out of the room, leaving Nixie alone.

Hesitantly, Nixie stepped through the opening. The torchlit passage stretched straight ahead, seemingly leading to a dead end. She followed the warm glow until she reached the far wall. There, beside the last torch, was another embossed daisy. With a surge of intuition, she pressed it. The wall shimmered and slid to the side, revealing the familiar opulence of the king's suite, the room where she had spent her first night in this strange new world.