I smacked him on his arm. He pulled me into him, squeezing me with his strong arms.
“Don’t you dare say that. She may be ready, but I’m not.”
“It’s not up to us.”
“You say that as if she’s already found someone.”
He stiffened and fell silent. It was the slightest of movements, almost escaping my awareness. I gazed into his eyes. He avoided returning my gaze. He usually did that when he gave into our daughter’s wishes after my explicit demands otherwise. He couldn’t hide anything from me, no matter how hard he tried.
I sighed. “Who is he? Do we know him?”
“I promised I wouldn’t say anything about him. I did say that I would talk to you about meeting him tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow?”
He nodded.
“When?” My heartbeats quickened and my palms started to sweat. I wanted to find Naloud and wrap her in my arms and prevent anyone from taking her from me forever.
“Over lunch.” He smiled.
“You know who he is, don’t you?”
“No,” he said it so assuredly I believed him.
“Okay.” I let my head rest on his chest. Something isn’t right about this. The timing of it all. It could be Jiren.
Jiren wouldn’t do something like that. He lacks the patience.
I hope you’re right. I lifted up on my toes and pressed my lips to his.
I am uwoduhi. His arms tightened around my waist as he lifted me up and carried me upstairs and to the bed.
***
Morning came with the break of dawn along the horizon. I understood it meant I had little time to get up and try to stop Naloud from making a big mistake. Marren still slept, which meant my time to go arrived.
“Now or never,” I told myself then slipped my clothes from the previous night back on and went to the room that used to be Marren’s study, remodeled and made into Naloud’s room. I knocked on the door. It pushed opened at the force of my subtle hits. Her room was still dark. The sunlight usually hits her room around the mid-day point. Even in the lack of light, I could tell she wasn’t there. Panic struck me. I was too late.
I turned to Enid’s door, wishing he were there to help with some fatherly wisdom, but he was out trying to find what he could. Even Marren spent most of his days with the few books he salvaged from our return. He would pour over them, searching for clues that would hint to him the way to end the one and only threat in the way of rejoining the two realms. Whereas I spent my days practicing with my sword, tending to the garden, or working with Raden’s tools in his forge. He had taught me a few tricks of the trade over the years.
Giving up, I deciding bed with Marren was better than standing around and waiting for time to slowly trickle into afternoon so that I could meet this boy that dared to take my daughter from me.
Once I entered the room, my eyes found Marren in the same position I left him in. I smiled to myself and walked gingerly to the bed and climbed in even more so. I scooted up close to him, then propped myself up on my elbow. It had been so long since I just gazed at him. His golden bronze skin, his long, dark, and slightly wavy hair. The arch of his eyebrows, the shape of his lips and how they tilted slightly to the left. I remember once thinking he wasn’t perfect. What he lacked in symmetry, he made up for in passion and desire—tenfold. So, for all intents and purposes, he truly was perfect. Especially lying in front of me so calm and so peaceful. I decided to let him sleep and find something to eat for our “guest of honor.”
***
For the umpteenth time, I found myself pacing the length of the dining hall. Marren left to meet Naloud and her beau. I waited patiently for them to come, but I swore it took longer than it should. Familiar steps padded against the floor. Only one set. But that was okay.
Marren stepped into the room and found me wringing my hands. His eyes fell onto them as I dropped them to my side and gripped the ends of my shirt.
“You’re not going to believe who it is. You won’t even recognize him. He’s grown so much!”
I raised an eyebrow at him.
He cleared his throat. “Sorry, have you been waiting long?”
I eyed the food growing cold and drying out. “You could say that.”
“I haven’t been gone that long.” He approached then wrapped his arms around me and pressed his lips to my forehead. “You will be happy about this. I promise.”
I nodded and let out a deep breath I didn’t realize I was holding. “Alright, let’s get this over with.”
Marren walked through the foyer. I listened as his steps went out toward the garden. I stepped closer to the doors. Inching at a pace slower than my human self ever moved. By the time I caught the sound of footsteps again, they were accompanied by giggles and whispers.