Page 88 of The Exile's Curse

Chloe let go of her thread of magic again, feeling slightly guilty. Lucien had told her not to use the power. Hopefully he couldn't feel that she had. But still, unlike him, she'd sworn no oaths not to use it, and, frankly, when there were unknown people trying to manipulate her and him, she was going to use all means at her disposal to try and resist them.

The small party Katiya and Irina arranged was far more enjoyable than the rites before it. Chloe even forgot for a time why exactly it was happening and relaxed. The Andalyssian women invited were mostly Uleniskas, Katiya and Irina’s mother and aunt and a few cousins. Along with the other Illvyan women. Lady Cela wasn’t included, to Chloe’s relief. Honore stayed for a time before leaving for yet another meeting, but Giane and the others stayed.

They ate and played silly games and drank wine and admired Chloe's dress and the ring on her hand. There wasn't a tscherov as such, though Katiya and Irina had both produced one of the woven bands and slipped them over Chloe's wrists. Katiya's was white and silver and then paler versions of the colors of the balance. Icy green and blue and blossom pink and yellow. Irina's was bolder—she'd woven black and a red similar to Chloe's hair with emerald green, then silver, blue, and gold.

"Like your dress at the wedding," she said, running her finger along the band.

The wave and swirl design was lovely and Chloe smiled at Irina. The party and the tscherov may have been frivolous, but they were a comfort. A reminder she had made friends here, even if there were some amongst the court who didn't wish her well.

After a few hours, Sejerin Neni arrived, accompanying a young woman dressed in indigo blue who carried a square basket covered with a cloth of the same color.

Irina's face lit at the sight of the two of them, and she went to greet them, hurrying them back over to Chloe and Katiya.

"Chloe, this is Mila. She's the Tintzmach. Come to do your marriage marks."

"Oh," Chloe said, blinking. She'd forgotten those. Part of Mikvel’s reasoning for at least a short delay, that she and Lucien needed the marks. "Here?"

"No, there's a smaller room next door. We thought you'd be more comfortable with that given you don't know us well. You can have company with you—Lieutenant Giane, perhaps, or one of us if you'd like, or just you and Mila," Katiya said. "And remember, this is just indigo. No needles." She touched her own chest as though seeking the mark over her own heart. "It doesn't hurt, I promise."

Chloe nodded. It wasn't pain she was worried about. Well, not the kind of pain Katiya was trying to reassure her about. A few symbols drawn with dye weren't going to harm her.

Getting through this marriage and a divorce would likely do some damage. But she had pushed Lucien into this, so there was no point in borrowing trouble against the future, as Madame Simsa would say. She wasn't a seer—Andalyssian or Illvyan—and she didn't know what would come. She just had to handle the present.

"Maybe you could come with me? Tell me how this is all supposed to work," she said to Katiya. "After all, you've just gone through it yourself." She didn't want to mess part of the ceremony up and make things worse. Sejerin Neni wasn't as intimidating as Silya, but she seemed less friendly than she had at Katiya’s tscherov. What did the seers see when they looked at her that worried them?

Hopefully nothing after tomorrow.

The smaller parlor was warm, the fire burning steadily.

The Tintzmach busied herself laying the indigo cloth over the white one laid on the tiny table and setting out her supplies. No needles, as promised. Just a jar of pigment, a couple bottles, several delicate brushes, sheets of paper, and a pencil.

"Now, my lady," she said in a surprisingly deep voice, "if you come and sit here with me, we can discuss the design."

"Discuss?” Chloe said, looking to Katiya.

"You get to choose," Katiya said with an encouraging smile.

"There aren't particular runes or something I should choose?

"No, we keep those for seers and priests. For weddings, it is the intention that matters, not so much the symbols. The marks are there to remind you of the intention behind your wedding vows." The sejerin looked meaningfully at Chloe.

"I see," Chloe said. What was the symbol for “I intend this to be temporary”? Not a question to ask aloud. So she took the seat that Mila had indicated. "But what kind of thing do people usually choose?"

"For nobles, usually the choice is between the common symbols of the two houses," Katiya said. "One each for the husband and the wife. Some add additional elements if they wish to include something personally meaningful."

"What is yours?" Chloe asked, then shook her head. "Sorry, was that rude? To ask? You don't need to answer me."

"No," Katiya said. "Not rude. Though most people probably wouldn't ask the queen. Mine is Misha's mountain and a deer. The deer is one of the symbols of my family. And I added a ring of starflowers. The first flowers Misha ever gave me. He picked them out of my mother's garden on a visit to our family home. He got in trouble for it, but I thought it was very kind. I believe I was six and he was eight." Her smile was both nostalgic and pleased.

The smile of a woman well satisfied with her love. It was a long time since Chloe had seen anything close to that look on her own face, let alone felt the emotion.

"Take your time," Sejerin Neni said. "I appreciate that it is unlikely you will get the tattoos. You'll be home in Illvya before there's time for that, but it's still important that these symbols mean something to you."

Chloe was tempted to ask what Lucien had chosen. But that seemed like cheating. She looked down at her hands, toyed with the ring on her finger. The light through the window caught the engraving. She held it up. "Lord Castaigne's family have this on their banners. A tower—well, a castle, really, and the stars. Would those be appropriate?" She pulled the ring off and passed it to Mila, pointing at the signet.

Mila held the ring up to inspect it. "Yes. That's a good choice. And for yourself?"

She didn't really have a family symbol. Henri, though he was respected and influential due to his position and his magic, wasn’t from a noble family. The de Montesse arms, well, they weren’t appropriate to carry in a new marriage, no matter how temporary it may be. It occurred to her then that she would be leaving that name in truth. She would be Lady Castaigne. For a short time, the Marquesse of Castaigne. A true lady. It seemed ridiculous. And ridiculous to try and choose something that would have any chance of representing all the complications of this wedding. Or her feelings for Lucien.

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