I glanced at Kellen, not sure what to do, and his lips tightened. “I’m sorry,” he said as put his arms around his daughter. “We have borrowed some of the old ceremonies and included them in our Christmas celebrations, but there are no Druids here or anywhere nearby.” He looked down at his daughter. “Joking helps me deal with our loss. But I never meant to hurt you, my little mountain princess. Is Christmas Day a good time for Eire and me to wed? Or should we wait until spring?”
Isleen shook her head, her long dark braids tossing over her shoulders. “I wish it was today, Da. Spring would be too long to wait.” Then she gave me a timid smile. “But there will be no human sacrifice, Eire. I promise. And we’ll never kill another wolf, either. On Christmas, there will only be gift-giving and feasting and the telling of tales.”
“Thank the stars and moon for that!” Ambrose said, as if that was the most important thing he had heard all day.
Benen laughed and pushed his brother. They fell on the floor in a tangle of arms and legs and before we could stop them, they became wolves again, barking and chasing each other around the cottage. We were all laughing by the time we caught them, just before they knocked over the pot of stew and ruined our dinner, but not before they chewed up the last of our pine branches.
Kellen and I chased all three children outside.
Once we were alone and done cleaning up the mess, he sighed and I feared his heart had turned serious after the mention of his dead wife.
“I’ll never be one of the Fair Folk,” he told me. “My beliefs and my ways are different from yours, Eire. But I’ll always love you. From now until my last day, and even after that.”
I slipped my arms around his waist and pulled him close. I pressed my head to his chest, listening to his steady heartbeat, knowing that his would stop beating long before mine.
“I don’t want one of the Fair Folk for my husband,” I told him. “I chose you, even before you chose me. I’d love you even if you cast me out today—”
“I’ll never do that.”
“Listen, you need to know the way of the Fair Folk. I choose you as my husband and, like the Duine women, I choose to follow your God too—as long as we don’t take part in human sacrifice, and I liked what Isleen said about not killing wolves either—so I pledge myself to you, Kellen of Sléibhte Chill Mhantáin, here and now. When you call, I will come.”
He grew so quiet I wasn’t sure if he had heard me. I pulled away to look up into his eyes.
“Are we married now?” he asked, confused.
I laughed. “No, you have to say the same thing back to me. And mean it, of course. And we still have the proper Duine ceremony on Christmas Day, with all your kin and the other Guardians—”
‘When you call, I will come,” he said. “I will always be here for you.”
He kissed me then, before I could explain the other differences between a Fair Folk wedding and that of a Duine. But it didn’t matter. He’d learn about them soon enough. Even without me telling him.
Eighteen
While the rest of my country celebrated this new holiday of Christmas, Kellen and I were wed. Our small cottage was dressed in winter greenery and I sprinkled it all with a touch of magic. If you walked through the front door, everything in the room began to sparkle and glow. Everyone marveled over it, though truly it was the simplest of spells. Kellen’s family traveled from all over the mountain and beyond, and when they arrived we refreshed them with a whiskey toddy brewed with herbs, lemon, and a touch of magic. I met his cousins and uncles, his beautiful grandmother and his sister. So many children ran underfoot that it was dangerous to walk through the house, so we set logs outside and built a bonfire to warm everyone.
Gifts were given and received. Isleen got several new dresses, Benen got a set of bow and arrows, Ambros got a sword made from this new metal, which I discovered was iron. My boys promised not to change into wolves while our guests were here, but they did anyway. Soon my new family and all the Guardians were laughing as my wolf children chased one another through the forest.
At first, everyone was frightened when our party was joined by a pack of real wolves. But once they heard the story of how these wolves had saved Isleen—told by none other than the pack leader himself, spoken in a fine, high Gaelic tongue—they accepted these beautiful creatures as friends.
Duine babes played with wolf cubs and no one was hurt, not by tooth or claw. One wolf grabbed a child by the collar and pulled him back when he got too close to the fire. Another wolf stole a plate of Isleen’s cookies, but once we realized they had a longing for sweet treats, we baked a cake just for them.
During our feast, one distinguished Duine elder came forward, a crest of roses on his tunic. He bowed to me and then took a knee.
“I am your eldest living Guardian, my queen,” he said. “It has been an honor to serve you.”
“Then you are my most trusted knight,” I told him. I took my sword, a weapon that had been forged by Faelan to kill me, and I laid it across my Guardian’s right shoulder. “You shall always be called the First Knight of the Roses.”
Then, when a slender moon rose and our guests had eaten and drunk their fill, Kellen took me by the hand and led me through the forest. Our guests followed us in a single file, each of them carrying a glowing candle. The women sang a wedding song, their voices a lovely harmony that made me wish Caer was here, and that she was singing along with them.
Be safe, be well, dear sister, I said in my heart.
I never expected an answer. Perhaps it was born of this magic night. Or perhaps it was a Christmas gift from Kellen’s God. However it happened, I heard my sister’s voice, as clear as if she stood beside me.
The enchantment is over and my spell has protected you, dear one. And now, you have the love I promised you. This is the man I told you about, so many centuries ago. I saw him in a vision that day in the cave and I made sure your sleep would last until the two of you met—
My heart swelled and I closed my eyes, remembering how she had stood between me and an eternal darkness, with only her love to protect me. I hoped she was safe and that I would see her again one day.
I also hoped that one day, she could be set free from Faelan, the evil one.
That was my vow to her. If it took all of eternity, one day, I would make sure that she could choose freedom.
We wended through the trees, following a curving path until we reached a place I had never been. It surprised me that there was a hidden hollow on the mountain I had known for so many thousands of years. As we approached, the ground grew warmer and the snow melted. Wildflowers, green grass, and trees with fresh, spring leaves greeted us. This was a magic as strong as any I’d ever seen.
Kellen smiled, that sparkle in his eyes telling me he was glad I hadn’t known about this place.
A spring of warm water fed this secret grotto, while tall rock walls sheltered it from the snows.