Page 64 of Heart of Defiance

Now it’s my turn. My throat closes up with a swell of emotion before I manage to summon the words, raw with truth. “I never knew how much love I was capable of until we found each other. What I feel for each of them seems incredible on its own; to feel it all at once three times over is a blessing in itself.”

Did that come out all right? My men seem to think so, all of them beaming down at me. The cleric’s expression gives no indication of approval or concern.

She tips her face back to the multi-colored light and raises her hands. “I have given my blessing to many couplings in Ardone’s name—man to woman, man to man, woman to woman. To so bless four in their shared union, I reach out to the godlen herself. Ardone, if you would exalt this love, please give us a sign.”

I have no idea what to expect. The gods normally work in subtle ways. I wait, my heart thudding, unsure how long we have before our relationship is declared unsanctioned after all.

Then a shadow passes through the sunlight streaming through the dome, like a puff of cloud. The pink-tinged beams swirl and intensify in a ring around the four of us for afew fleeting seconds before it expands back into its previous diffuse glow.

My lips part in awe. When I look at the cleric again, her eyes are open, sparkling with happiness. “Ardone has welcomed you into her embrace. You may go forward with all the same respect and consideration as any other union.”

A laugh both startled and relieved tumbles from my mouth. Iko catches me in his arms and whirls me around. The moment he lowers my feet back to the ground, Jostein and Landric draw in around me in a joint embrace of our own.

The cleric lets out an amused hum. “I think you can celebrate a little more ardently than that.”

Before I can get out so much as another giggle, Landric has accepted that challenge by planting his lips eagerly against mine. I’ve barely recovered from that dizzying kiss before Jostein swoops in. Not to be left out, Iko waits for his turn and dips me over with the melding of our mouths, his arm firm against my back.

“Come on,” Jostein says, nudging his friend. “Let’s go share the news.”

I raise an eyebrow at him. “Share it with who?” The cleric and all the devouts serve as our witnesses if we need to prove Ardone’s acceptance, but I didn’t think we needed to worry about that immediately.

Iko simply grins. “You’ll see.”

We step out of the temple, and my jaw drops.

Tables have been set up amid the rose gardens that surround the temple lawn. They’re laid with pitchers of ale and wine and platters of food—and surrounded by a few dozen guests I hadn’t known had arrived, their expressions bright with anticipation.

Landric slips his arm around mine, and Jostein lifts my other hand into the air. “Ardone has blessed our love!”

At his announcement, a joyful cheer rises up from our spectators. Captain Amalia, standing near the head of one of the tables, waves us over. “Let’s get on with the celebration, then!”

As we descend the temple stairs to join the merriment apparently in our honor, I spot several of my old neighbors who I fought alongside until the final driving of Darium influence from our country a couple of months ago, a bunch of Jostein and Iko’s colleagues, and even the new duchess who replaced Duke Berengar.

The last of those glides over to offer her congratulations. She bobs her head to me as if I’m the one with the greater name here. “I’m so pleased to see the four of you receive all the acknowledgment you deserve. If there’s ever anything you need that I might be able to supply, please don’t hesitate to reach out.”

She meanders off, leaving me blinking at her back. Iko chuckles and bumps his elbow against mine. “Don’t look so surprised. She wouldn’t have her job if it wasn’t for you.”

I guess that’s true in a way. Shortly after our confrontation with the Darium force at Feldan when I cut down High Commander Livius, the royal family of Velduny began rallying all the country’s troops to join our rebellion. King Manfred and Queen Rinka hadn’t been able to do much for Velduny while under the emperor’s watchful eyes, but they jumped at the chance to win the country back once and for all.

And when they heard about how Duke Berengar and his family had sided with the empire, they were rather displeased. As soon as the war was won, they stripped them of their titles and elevated a different local noble family in their place.

I find myself gripping a glass of wine in one hand and a pastry in the other, overwhelmed by the flood of well-wishes.It’s been obvious that people appreciate my part in the rebellion, but other than an intimidating meeting with the king and queen themselves to receive a token of honor and a promise that they’d call on me again soon, the past two months haven’t been particularly eventful.

Everyone might have been busy pulling their lives back together and deciding what they’ll make of themselves with our newfound freedom, but that doesn’t mean they’ve forgotten how we got here.

A smile crosses my lips. I offer my thanks to everyone who approaches us, nibbling my pastry in between.

“You’re going to be even more celebrated soon, if that’s possible,” Landric tells me. “The bards are just starting to present their first compositions recounting the Veldunian Quest for Freedom.”

Jostein shakes his head. “And they have taken some liberties too—only in your favor, from what I’ve heard so far. One version has you charging down a hilltop straight at the emperor himself.”

I snort. “Emperor Vitus was never even here.”

Iko shrugs. “They enjoy making their stories as epic as possible. I don’t see any problem with that.” He leans closer and steals another kiss. “I’m honored to be one of the few who knows the whole, true story of our reckless, unshakeable Signy.”

“Hear, hear,” Landric says in agreement, grinning.

I beam back at all of them, basking in the warmth of their affection, and raise my glass. “And here’s to all the other stories we still have ahead of us.”

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