*****
Greg
Greg watched Mandy dance toward him, graceful as a leaf swirling in the wind. He took a deep breath and gasped as the pain in his chest reminded how near death he'd come. His grandfather's grip on his arm tightened. Magnus and Boudicca had raised him after his parents died. Boudicca was the Queen, of course, and he knew she loved him in her way, but Magnus was the one he'd always felt close to.
"Just stand still and enjoy the show," Magnus said quietly. "Weddings are for the bride. The groom's time to shine comes afterward."
"Yeah," Greg said with a little smile for the older man. "I hope so."
Boudicca was convinced that joining with Mandy would both heal him and make Mandy more powerful, but first Greg had to summon enough strength to get through the wedding. Even though she'd used some of his magic to bring them here, Greg still felt excess power zinging along his nerves like electric shocks. Between the superabundance of magic and the battering his body had taken, just staying upright was all he could manage. But he never took his eyes off Mandy as she danced closer, as tantalizing as a promise, as beautiful as a dream. Her soft brown hair curled around her head in a wild mass that made him long to run his hands through it. Her golden brown eyes were half closed, as if she were already feeling the sensual pleasures to come.
Or to be realistic, as if she wished she were somewhere else. Greg knew Mandy had agreed to the joining only because there was no other way to rescue the others still trapped in Dormolon's cave. In her heart, he knew that she was still convinced that this ceremony was a kind of suicide.
He caught his breath as Mandy reached Boudicca and stopped. The drums and rattles stopped with her. There was an expectant silence in the hall, and then Boudicca's clear voice carried throughout the room.
"Amanda Allison West, do you come here of your own free will?"
There was a moment of hesitation that had Greg's heart beating faster as he wondered what her answer would be. He'd done everything he could to convince her that he'd never hurt her, but Mandy was sure she'd wind up as nothing but an appendage to his personality and his magic. By the Goddess, that was so untrue! He loved Mandy, and he'd never do that to her, but he didn't know how he was ever going to make her believe it.
At last, Mandy answered, "I am here of my own free will to join in magic and in life with Gregory Mordred LeFay."
Boudicca motioned to Greg to come forward. With an encouraging pat on Greg's shoulder, his grandfather let go of his arm. Greg had to take these final steps on his own. He went to stand next to Mandy, doing his best to conceal the pain the movement cost him. Standing beside her, he took her small, cold hand in his own. He felt her trembling and suddenly wondered if this was truly the right thing to do. He'd had his own hopes for how this ceremony would go, hopes that Mandy would join with him out of love in a bond that would enhance both of their lives. Instead, he was cast as the villain of his own wedding.
But this was the only way they could stop Dormolon and free his captives, the only way to save the world from a second Great Flood. He had to go through with this, even if doing so meant that the woman he loved would hate him. Greg braced himself as Boudicca turned to him.
"Do you, Gregory Mordred LeFay, come here of your own free will?"
Suddenly nervous, Greg had to try twice before he got out the answer. "I am here of my own free will to join in magic and in life with Amanda Allison West."
The rest of the ceremony was a blur of pain, words, drums, and the feel of Mandy's small hand in his. There were solemn chants from Boudicca and choral responses from the witnesses. The drummers drummed as everyone joined hands in a circle around them and danced with solemn steps. Poor Mandy, her heart must be breaking! Finally, Boudicca handed each of them a wreath of flowers and Greg put his on Mandy's hair as she reached up to put hers on his head. Hands on her shoulders, Greg bent forward to place a gentle kiss on Mandy's lips.
"Go now," Boudicca said, "and let this joining be complete."
Taking Mandy's hand in his, Greg led her to the flower-bedecked door at the far side of the room. Magnus opened the way for them, and they passed through into the hall that led to the guest suite that was normally reserved for only the highest of VIPs. Neither spoke as they entered the room. Quietly, Greg shut the door and sank down onto the big bed. His head was spinning and his heart hammered. It would be some joke, some very bad joke, if he passed out before they could consummate the joining. He turned to his bride.
"Mandy, you know I wish we could have done this differently, that joining with me could have made you happy."
She sighed and pushed her hair away from her face as she sat down beside him. "It doesn't matter, Greg. Let's just get this over with quickly so we can get the others out of the cavern."
His lips tightened. "Fine. Let's do it, then."
She was right. It had better be quick if it was going to happen at all. He wasn't going to last much longer. It didn't help that his heart was breaking, and he just wanted to tell her he loved her. That he'd always loved her. But clearly, Mandy didn't love him. From the look on her face tonight, she never would.
So, she was right. Best just to get this business over with. Greg pulled off his tunic, and then groaned as the movement pulled the wound in his chest. Prickles of cold sweat covered his face and neck. He dropped his shirt onto the carpet.
"Greg!"
Mandy took his arm. Great, how not to impress his new bride. He glanced down at her. He'd expected her to look disgusted at his weakness, but she seemed concerned instead. Maybe she didn't love him, but could he at least hope that she didn't hate him?
"Here, let me help," she said. She slipped off the bed and knelt down to help him out of the green silk trousers.
This wasn't how he'd pictured his wedding night. But the adrenaline of the ceremony was wearing off, and all he could do was submit to being undressed like a child. How was he supposed to make love to Mandy with the room spinning around him?
When he was naked, she sat on the bed next to him. Her small arm went around his waist.
"Why do you put up with me?" she asked. "I am such a rotten person."
"No! No, you're not." Greg spoke lightly, hoping to win a smile. "Baby, you've been forced into a marriage you don't want with a man you hate. Nobody can blame you for being cranky."
There was a moment of uncomfortable silence, and he turned to find Mandy looking up at him, her golden brown eyes enormous and overflowing with emotion.
"I don't hate you," she whispered.
*****
Mandy
Time for honesty again, Mandy thought. Time to stop lying to herself. Time to stop lying to Greg.
"I don't hate you," she repeated. "It worked, you know, Mom's idea."
"You mean my lying to you about who I am?"
His voice was so weary. Even with the healers' work and an infusion of fresh blood, this ceremony had to have brought Greg close to the limit of his strength.
"No," she whispered, sitting next to him again. "I mean letting me get to know you without the baggage of your family and position."
She ran her hand over the smooth bare skin of his chest, skimming lightly past the gauze that covered his wound, and let her arms close around his neck. "Mom sometimes has good ideas," she said as she drew his head down to her. "She was right. I fell in love with you."
"And then you found out who I really was."
Mandy laughed a little, laughing at her own stubbornness as much as anything. "I don't care if you're a Duke of the House of Merlin. I don't care that you're Queen Boudicca's grandson. I love you, Greg. I love you because you're brave and smart and loyal and funny—"
But she couldn't say anymore because Greg's lips were on hers. Magic flowed over her skin in a smooth caress. It was as if Greg were touching her everywhere at once, and each touch set off sparks of pleasure on her skin. Oh, yes! She'd missed this, missed his touch, she'd missed him.