Balmythra

Chapter Twenty

  The Donning of the Ring

  I woke to a cool hand pressed against my forehead. Without opening my eyes, I knew it belonged to Tirafalen. I pictured the concern on her face. I felt Rocc’s presence behind the Sunsanean and the poPs standing uncomfortably in the background. I also picked up on Matt’s angst.

  Beyond them, I didn't feel a thing, including the constant weight of my own people, weight that had grown heavier since I'd exposed my fear. I opened my eyes and tried to sit up. "What happened?"

  Tirafalen restrained me with a firm hand on my shoulder. "You needed rest. They’ve simply put up a..." She turned to Rocc for help.

  "Thought shield," he said. "So much has happened to you in such a short time."

  "They don't think I can handle Guardian responsibilities, do they?" That hurt, even though it was only what I'd been thinking myself. I closed my eyes against threatening tears and pressed my palms to my lids.

  Rocc came closer. "Not that. Never that. You're expecting too much too soon."

  "Is she going to be okay?" asked Brady.

  Ashley shushed her. Without looking, I knew that Brady stood huddled with the other young poPs and that they were all fearful and concerned. Now I even had the little ones worried about me. How much worse could this get? I felt completely useless.

  "How long have I been...?" My throat constricted, making it difficult to talk.

  "Just a few hours." Tirafalen's tone soothed me.

  "Hours!" Once again I opened my eyes and tried to sit up. This time, she let me. "I can’t lie here any longer. I have so much to do."

  Rocc nodded. "And number one on that list is getting ready for the ring ceremony."

  "The what?" asked Kenny.

  "Ring ceremony," said Rocc, adding, "It's one of the most important rituals we have, and it's happening tonight." With that, he began explaining the history of the tradition.

  I suspected my big brother did that to remind me of its importance. He didn't have to bother. I knew Ionian history—knew the necessity of the donning of the ring—even though I'd never attended an actual ceremony, myself.

  The last one had occurred long before I was born, when my mother, Ceedrill, accepted Guardianship. I knew that my father, even though Guardian in my mother's absence, had never been so honored. The ring was handed down from one female Guardian to the next, usually a daughter. According to legend, it had been in the House of Cassiopeia since first presented to the Ionians by the Sairons centuries before.

  The Sairons. How I hated the thought that they'd be part of the ceremony.

  "So we do this when the new Guardian officially accepts her position." Rocc ended his explanation.

  "Will she have a white dress and a veil?" Katie was obviously trying to relate Rocc's explanation to the only kind of ceremony she'd ever witnessed, a wedding at church.

  He grinned at her. "This isn't a wedding. This ring is worn on the head."

  Matt's eyebrows shot up. He'd clearly thought I'd wear the ring on my finger.

  "I get it!" Ashley was now all smiles. "Leah's going to be crowned. She's a sort of queen, after all."

  "Not crowned and not a queen." I didn’t want them to think of it that way. "The Guardian is not really a ruler. She’s more of a protector." My heart sank when I heard my own words. What kind of protector was I?

  "When does this ceremony take place?" Matt, quiet up to this point, now walked forward and squatted next to my silk covered bedding.

  "Seven o'clock," Rocc told him. "Preparations are actually being made now."

  "But we can’t have it here," I said. "Vannarius is—"

  "We have other options. You know that, Leah." Rocc turned from me back to the poPs. "We usually have the ceremony in the home village of the most recent Guardian, and that would be Vannarius. But it can be performed in any village."

  "But isn't the ring still there?" I couldn't imagine how the Ionians could hold the ceremony in such troubled times and without the actual ring.

  "No, it's here." Jor stepped into the room. "And has been since right before your mother disappeared."

  "I don't get it." I made no attempt to mask my suspicion.

  "She gave it to me. I brought it here." Jor's intense blue eyes watched me closely.

  Oddly, I could not feel his mental probing of my mind as I'd have expected. Then I realized the Ionian thought shield would keep him out, as well.

  "Your mother sensed danger a few days before she disappeared," Jor said. "She made me promise to take you and the ring to Saironalis if anything happened. So when the Dagonel attacked, Rocc and I tried, but couldn't find you. We panicked. I got to you first and pushed you into the Stream to save you."

  It was all I could do not to roll my eyes. Really, Jor? Really? My mom would never have entrusted something as precious as the Cassiopeian ring to an eight-year-old kid. Did my people actually believe this ridiculous lie? More important, did Rocc?

  "So, what’s this ceremony like?" Kenny seemed to want to fill the uncomfortable silence that followed Jor’s revelation.

  "You'll see soon enough," Jor told him. "I've been sent here to get Alleana." He crooked his finger at me. "You're required at the Temple of Meditation. The rest of you need to go with Rocc and Tirafalen to the Garden of Tranquility, where the ceremony will take place."

  I felt my brother’s gaze on me and turned to him.

  "I know you don't want to take time for this," he said, "but it's really, really important to our people. They've suffered so much. Think about the comfort the ceremony will bring."

  He was right, of course. My cheeks burned with embarrassment that I'd put my own feelings before those of my people yet again, another goof on a growing list of them.

  All eyes focused on me. Though reluctant to accompany Jor anywhere, what else could I do? I stood with Tirafalen's help and got my balance before I attempted to follow him out the door. Jor said nothing as we slowly walked, and the moment we entered the Temple of Meditation, he left. Only Ionian women were allowed to be with me now.

  Outside, the drumbeats started, gently rhythmic at first. But as the attendants dressed me, the beats grew stronger and faster. I'd never experienced anything like it before. It was as if their rhythm soothed my very soul, quite a contrast to the drums in that Sairon cave. I also heard crowd noises—chatter, exclamations, laughter. Bells began to chime, a melodic tinkling that accented the drums and relaxed me—something I desperately needed.

  Lost in the beauty, I barely noticed how my attendants dressed me in a fitted ankle-length tunic of sheer white, belted with a delicate silver chain that rested just below my waist. Though they urged me to look in the mirror, I wouldn't and not just because of my girl-next-door looks. As always, I was afraid I'd see a shadow face, staring back at me.

  Eight attendants pounced before I could give the mirror thing much thought. They led me from the Temple down long winding steps and into the fading sunlight. I saw the four musicians at the front of the procession, making their celestial music by manipulating thin air with their hands. I felt nothing but joy as I watched their artistry. Subtle fingers elicited the tinkling of bells and, slightly cupped palms, the steady drumbeat. I remembered happier times with my parents and smiled to myself. Rocc and I had loved mimicking the musicians who made beautiful melodies from nothing.

  Just ahead lay the Garden of Tranquility, where throngs of people undoubtedly awaited. Trembling with excitement, I noted its resemblance to a Japanese rock garden I'd seen in a book. Upon my approach to the steps of the marble platform where the ceremony would take place, the music grew in intensity. Onlookers automatically moved back to let me and my entourage pass. The poPs, clearly enthralled with everything, had been given places of honor on the first row, very close to the stage. Near them sat Rocc and Tirafalen.

  I saw other faces I recognized: Petria, Lucianis, Mandaus, Ilsada, and Cadrow. Only the sight of my own parents' faces could have made things more perfect. But their absence was why I wa
s there.

  A soft soprano voice rose into the air. The drums and bells provided beautiful accompaniment. Glancing back, I saw the soloist was one of the young women who trailed me. Colors burst around the other attendants like Nodyran fireworks, engulfing them in swirling reds, yellows, and blues that pulsed with the beat and blended into greens and purples in constant motion. I heard the reactions of the poPs. In spite of my earlier doubts, my heartbeat quickened with excitement, and pride made me smile. I was Ionian and a Balmythran. Better yet, I'd escaped Pringle's and lived to tell about it. At that moment, what more could I ask?

  Once I mounted the marble stairs, my companions stepped away and another procession came slowly forward. Sairons, I realized, with Jor in the lead. In fact, he served as ring bearer. My heart sank. A Sairon always presented the ring in the donning ceremony. I'd forgotten that. But why didn't Cadrow or another of the elder Sairons do the honors? Jor stopped right next to me, an intricately beaded pillow in his hands. On it sat a thin metallic circlet.

  "Is it sterling silver, do you think?" John asked Ashley in a whisper just loud enough for me to hear.

  The blonde shook her head emphatically. "Oh no. It would have to be white gold or even platinum. You know, something a lot more valuable."

  We stood face to face and in profile to the audience. Jor handed the ornate pillow to the nearest Sairon, took the circlet in both hands, and raised it high over my head. The music of the bells and drums swelled dramatically. He looked me in the eye. "Alleana M’Orrean, daughter of the House of Cassiopeia, time-honored ring holder, and daughter of the noble House of Orion, do you accept your lineage?"

  "I do." I kept my voice strong and my eyes on his, lifting my chin defiantly. He couldn't upset me tonight.

  Jor immediately set the ring on my head, his fingers lingering just a fraction as they brushed my short hair. That unexpected touch brought a flood of warmth to my face, and I had to look away.

  The delicate band settled snugly on my forehead and molded itself to me. As one, the poPs gasped. A quick glance at them revealed many wide eyes, and I guessed that the band had assumed my personalized color. Every Guardian was different, I knew, and unable to contain my curiosity, I indulged in a quick peek into Rocc’s mind. I saw my own head encircled in flashing coppery glow that matched the flecks in my brown eyes.

  Jor’s sudden movement caught me off guard and reminded me that he had not completed his duties as ring bearer. The Sairon’s kiss came next and would culminate the ceremony. Though I expected a kiss on the cheek, he actually pressed his lips to the corner of mine. That simple caress touched me as deeply as the drumbeats had earlier. He gave me a brief smile, then stepped back to present me to the crowd.

  My attendants, still enveloped in pulsating vibrancy, began a song unlike any I'd ever heard on Nodyra. Its beauty transported me straight to happier days when two loving parents kept me safe and warm. I ached to be like my mother, Ceedrill. To be the Guardian my people truly needed. Somehow managing a shaky smile, I descended the steps into the audience. Instantly my Nodyran friends surrounded me...all but Matt, that is. He hung back a little as if he didn't quite know what to make of things.

  For the better part of an hour, Sairons and Ionians alike offered me individual congratulations. I worked the crowd, thanking each one and longing for escape. I did not like being the center of attention.

  "Excuse me." I saw that Ilsada now wound her way through the poPs to get to me. "Hello, Alleana. Remember me?"

  "Of course." How could I forget Ilsada, with her almond-shaped eyes, golden tan skin, and pure white hair? As smart as she was beautiful, Ilsada probably had no idea how badly she'd intimidated me all those years ago and even today. "Wow. You look amazing, as always."

  Ilsada shrugged off my sincere compliment. "Congratulations on your Guardianship."

  "Why, thanks. I'm glad you came to the ceremony."

  "I'd never miss such an important event." Ilsada stood in awkward silence for half a second, her eyes scanning the area.

  When she found what she was looking for, I followed her gaze. Not a what. A who. Jor. Hm. Did they have a thing for each other? But he was oblivious, and when Ilsada realized I'd caught her staring, she blushed. "You have friends waiting. I'll see you later."

  "Okay."

  Kenny waited until Ilsada left before grabbing me and exclaiming, "Wow! That was some ceremony. Did you see the guys making the music?"

  "You mean the air percussionists?" I began relaxing a little. Thank goodness for the familiar faces of friends who accepted my limitations and loved me anyway.

  "That was like no air playing I’ve ever seen. Do you think they could teach me to do that?" Kenny slashed the air with his hands to emulate the Balmythran drummers. His moves were more like karate chops. I actually laughed in response. A tug on my hand drew my attention to a wide-eyed Julie.

  "Doesn’t that fire burn your head?"

  "Oh no." I bent down. "You can touch it, if you like. It won’t hurt."

  Julie hesitated, but Ginzy accepted the invitation and touched her finger to the band. She jerked it back with a giggle. "It tickles."

  Seeing that no harm had come to the redhead, all the younger poPs, even the Kyle and Jeremy, wanted to touch it. They, too, laughed and reminded me how often I'd touched my fingers to her mother's band just to feel that incredible tingle.

  "What’s it made out of, anyway?" Matt asked.

  I was glad he'd finally said something to me even though he still hung back as if he were a little confused.

  "I don’t know. I asked my mother that once, myself, and she didn’t know, either. It’s very ancient, and its substance is apparently a secret the Sairons won't share with us."

  "A secret?"

  I spun around to face Jor, who'd just joined us.

  "Sairons don't keep secrets."

  "Oh really?" I felt the weighty stares of the older poPs and knew they'd picked up on the bad vibes between me and Jor. But the ceremony had boosted my morale, and I couldn't hold my tongue. "So tell me then…what is this little relic of our past made of?"

  Had I really just said 'relic'? I cringed at my bad choice of words. It felt downright sacrilegious to refer to something so revered by my people as a "relic."

  Jor never batted an eyelid. "We don't know anymore. That knowledge has been lost in time to us, too."

  Matt cleared his throat rather loudly. "Does it have...?" He hesitated and tried again. "What I mean is, does the ring contain some kind of special properties?"

  I wasn't sure how to answer. "It’s really just a symbol."

  "Oh." He sounded disappointed.

  That bothered me. "What were you expecting? Super powers? I'm still just me and always will be."

  He shrugged. "I just thought it might help you to be a better Guardian or something."

  So much for friends who loved me for what I was.