Page 94 of Ties of Starlight

Finally, they reached the hills and ruins surrounding the Constellation Pool, riding right to the edge of the camp and coming to a screeching halt as the rest of the camp rushed out to meet them. The Constella looked ready to combust as Nyrunn swung off his horse, and before shecould even attempt to slide off hers, he was lifting her up and down.

His fingers curled into her waist. “Idonea, please, free yourself. Make this life your last. My life, my love, all of me is yours. Whether you do or not, that remains true. You'll be my last. All I ask is that if you love me, let me be yours as well.”

“Your Majesty, you and Gytha's chosen must get ready now if we're to do this in time!” The Constella started dragging Nyrunn away as Lady Asa did the same to Idonea.

Idonea was the only one who could break the cycle.

She hadn't murdered Olaug.

He'd left her anyway.

Idonea was shoved into a tent and Lady Asa and the maids made quick work of getting Idonea out of her dusty travel clothes and cleaned up before dressing her in the last Cometa Couple outfit. It was a simpler one than the others. It was a mixture of purple and dark blue shifting into each other, decorated with stars, but in a simple silhouette. A straight-line skirt that was gathered slightly at the waist with a belt, still quite a bit of fabric, which Idonea always thought was ridiculous since she was about to get soaking wet in it. The top was gathered at the shoulders, and the style was loose, not that it mattered since it was about to get stuck to her skin from the water. Idonea's hair was let down, for once not up in any kind of elaborate style. It wasn't even pulled back in a braid.

There wasn't time to make it look perfect. Loose would just have to do. Idonea was rushed out of the tent to see Nyrunn also being ushered out by his attendants toward the stairs. Her breath caught in her throat as he was dressed to match her. No crown, no royal insignia or adornments, just Nyrunn.

He was safe with her. But could she trust he wouldn’t one day get tired of her and leave her?

He looked back at her as they were both ushered through a path cleared in the large crowd and up the stairs built into the hill’s slope, toward the Constellation Pool at the top. The guards took up their positions, blocking the stairs to prevent anyone in the crowd from interrupting. The sun vanished and the stars took over the sky. The comet broke across the inky darkness.

They didn’t really have time for this. But she did it anyway. She broke away from Asa and ran across the stone until she grabbed Nyrunn by the arm. She kept her voice low. “Why were you going to Olaug’s room before the wedding? Why did you even find the letter to yourself in the first place?”

Nyrunn caught her by the arms and whispered, “Because I was in agony over the fact that I was losing you when I never actually had you, and if the only thing I could do for you now was as king, I was going to use that to ensure your husband honored you and cared for you and was faithful to you until the end of your days or he would have to answer to me. The same reason I followed you to the library the night before. I needed to know you were going to be happy and you were going to have everything you ever wanted even if it wasn’t with me.”

Lady Asa grabbed Idonea by the arm and hissed, “Idonea, we have to start the ceremony!”

And Idonea was dragged away right as Frode pulled Nyrunn away as well so they could continue on their traditional path to the Constellation Pool.

Asa kept a tight grip on Idonea as she marched her right up to her pool and Nyrunn was in front of his as the Constella launched into the rite, speaking much faster than usual to make up for lost time.

Idonea wasn't listening to him. She was just staring at Nyrunn, who was just out of arm's reach, and he was staring back at her. It was the look that had been plaguing her for so long. That she'd never understood.

She did now.

It was love.

Olaug had never loved her.

“Agnarr's chosen.”

Nyrunn lifted his hand, and the starlight lines glowed, nearly blinding as the comet trailed above them, pulsing as they connected.

“Gytha's chosen.”

She stretched her arm out diagonally like Nyrunn's. Her fingertips brushed his.

The magic flooded her arm, the familiar exhilarating sensation burrowing deep into her soul as she recognized the source her life was connected to. The necklace glowed.

“Now, into the pool, the lifeblood of our people. May Agnarr and Gytha's union bless us from now until the return of the great comet.”

Lady Asa took Idonea by the shoulder and helped tip her back until she fell straight into the pool as Frode did the same for Nyrunn.

The water was cool like always, glistening with the light of the stars, and Idonea sank into her destiny. She wasn't afraid of it. She wasn't wincing, her lungs had plenty of air in them for now. Instead, she kept sinking down into the depths of the pool that stretched so far down, she'd never before reached the bottom, not even on her most adventurous searches.

It was impossibly dark save for the stars in the water.

Idonea opened her eyes as she kept sinking down, and the comet and the moon above got smaller the farther away she got from the surface. Her arm glowed, the light shiningand the magic swelling. As the lines on her arm began to fade and the bond connecting her and Nyrunn began to spread across the land, her blood started to thunder in response. All her people’s magic began to pulse and strengthen as the last ritual was completed. Her skirts floated around her, her hair dancing around her in the water as she kept sinking faster and faster.

The necklace floated, the pendant hovering in front of her, glowing, and her magic, her soul hummed in response.

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