Sahara Ashdell: Rebirth of Patreek (Book 3)
Chapter 22: Three in One

The Tari had guessed exactly what was wrong with her and Sahara felt embarrassed. “It is alright Elfie. I understand because I felt the same before my wedding to Rayterbay.”

“You did?” Sahara asked.

“I did. Though I will say it was much different for me than it is for you. At least your betrothed loves you.” The Tari’s words make Sahara feel sorry for her and begin to feel bad about how she is feeling. “I assure you that it is something to look forward to, not to dread. Do you enjoy kissing him?” Sahara nods her head feeling slightly embarrassed. “Then trust me, you will enjoy the rest much more. I would be happy to answer any questions you may have.” The Tari places her hand on Sahara’s and it helps her relax. Sahara begins asking questions and the Tari answers everyone of them. They lost track of time but the Tari gasps in surprise when there is a sudden knock on the door. “Oh! It is almost eleven.” She says rising from the bed and moving towards the door. She smiles over towards Sahara as Brystol steps inside.

“Did you forget about me waiting down in the office?” He asks looking agitated for only a moment before seeing Sahara smile at him. She feels much better now that she and the Tari chatted.

“We had some elleth things to discuss.” The Tari says winking at Sahara. “I will see the two of you later.” She says patting Brystol on the shoulder.

He looks toward Sahara in surprise after the Tari disappears. “We are trusted alone?”

“We do wed in a week’s time.” Sahara says feeling comfortable.

“We do.” He says with a faint smile of excitement. “Does this mean you are alright now?”

“I will stop skipping meals and courses, I promise.” She says standing up from the bed.

“Well, alright then.” He looks awkward for a moment. “I guess you just needed a good chat with my mother rather than me.”

“A mother usually knows best.” Sahara says smiling at the thought that in a week she would actually have her as a real mother, or mother-in-law.

“Indeed.” He says moving over to her.

“Sorry about the water on your bed.”

“It is alright. I will just sleep in here tonight.” He says before kissing her cheek. “Unless you are staying?”

“No. Please stay. I should get back.” She says wishing he had kissed her lips instead of just her cheek. “See you in a few days at graduation?”

“At graduation.” He confirms with a sweet smile. She fiddles with the hem of her shirt for a moment. “Was there something else?” He asks looking intrigued by her hesitancy to leave.

“Could I maybe stay for a bit?” She asks nervously.

“Alright.” He says sitting down on the bed and pulling her hand gently to join him. “Mother may come and run you off soon though.”

“She actually suggested I say the night with you.” She says avoiding his eyes. “She thought it would make me feel better if we spent some time together. Innocent time together of course.” She clarifies.

“Hmm.” He says thoughtfully. “Interesting of mother to suggest.”

“I don’t want to stay all night but just until I fall asleep, and then maybe you could teleport me back?” She asks.

“Alright.” He says with a happy smile as he pulls her down next to him in the bed.

To her surprise, Brystol sat down next to her on Monday in her classroom. “Brystol?” She asks sitting up straight and looking around the room. “You are taking exams here?”

“I am.” He says with a confident smile. “I will be in them all week.” She smiles realizing they get to see each other all week.

“But what of your Aran duties?” She asks curious about who is acting as Aran in his absence.

“Mother is helping out until after our return from the wedding.” He says before kissing her temple.

“Don’t do that.” She says looking around at their classmates feeling uncomfortable with the whispers occurring. All he does is laugh in response and she replaces it attractive. The remainder of the exams that week went well, with her and Brystol passing all the courses. She enjoyed having him there and eating all her meals with him again.

“Come on! You will be late.” Carol says smiling giddily waving Sahara’s graduation hat in the air.

“I wish we were all graduating together.” Sahara says feeling more excited about tomorrow than today. These three events in one single weekend were too much excitement for her.

“Are you set to leave as soon as the ceremony is over or do we get to attend the party?” Marol asked curiously.

“I have wedding rehearsal after, so I must leave immediately after I am afraid.” Sahara says not feeling a bit sad about missing the graduation party.

“I can’t believe you will be eighteen tomorrow and married!” Savanah says helping Sahara fix her hat.

Sahara rubs her fingers along her now pointed ear and feels giddy as she sees Brystol speaking with a couple of their classmates in their graduation suits and hats. She laughed at the odd look of their outfits. It was so different from human graduation gowns and caps. Here the ellons wore pointed hats and pants with cape-like shirts and the girls had pointed hats as well but dresses that looked like balloons.

“Hey.” She says wrapping her arms around Brystol’s back and hugging him.

“Hey.” He says in return placing his hands on hers. “See you in a minute.” He says dismissing the ellons he was speaking with. “It is our final moments as Malorsty students.” He pulls her hand guiding her from behind him to in front of him. He then wraps his arms around her and pulls her lips to his.

“Stop.” She pleads trying to pull her lips from his. “Elves are everywhere.” She feels relief as he releases her from his grasp.

“I think they all know we like each other by now. I mean, we do wed tomorrow.” He says.

“Oh there is your mother!” Sahara says smiling and waving toward Tari Nathila and Trylla.

“Yes. We can say hi after the ceremony. Come.” He leads her to their seats as music sounds through the crowd.

After the ceremony, Verdiwild wasted no time splitting up Sahara and Brystol. He forced them to ride to Holestroy in separate carriages and Sahara was hoping she could teleport to him but Verdiwild was a step ahead of her. He had arranged for each of them to have carriage mates to avoid such a possibility. “You will have plenty of time together from here on out,” he said.

“Your Royal Highness.” A strange older ellon says bowing toward Sahara as she exits the carriage at Holestroy. He has a strange looking handheld bag with him that Sahara replaces unsettling.

“Hi.” She says looking over toward Verdiwild and the Tari who nods toward the older ellon.

“I shall hold your hand the entire time.” Tari Nathila says in a whisper moving up next to Sahara.

“What?” She asks not understanding what is happening.

The Tari seems unsettled also. “I am sorry you must endure this, but it is a requirement I fear.”

“What is?” Sahara still doesn’t understand what is happening. They follow the older ellon up the stairs to Holestroy and two other ellon join him.

“The elders have sent them to examine you elfie.” The Tari says arching her eyebrows as if Sahara is trying to understand what she means but she obviously does not.

Sahara hears Brystol laughing behind her causing her to turn and see him just as he exits his carriage. “It will only take a moment and then we may progress.”

“Examine me for what?” She asks still missing what is happening.

“Your virtue elfie.” The Tari whispers again. Sahara suddenly realizes what she means and stops walking. She feels speechless and suddenly nervous. “It is alright.” The Tari takes hold of her hand and hugs her briefly. “I had to endure this process as well and I assure you it is not unbearable. It must be done. So it’s just better to get it over with quickly, yes?”

Sahara nods her head in agreement as she looks back down toward Brystol, who obviously knows what she is headed to do because he gives her a consoling smile and nod of reassurance. It makes her feel more confident as she starts to move up the stairs again. Though it was the most uncomfortable thing she has ever been through, it was not unbearable just as the Tari had promised. “I didn’t know I would be passing an exam today as well.” She jokes as the three ellons leave her and Tari Nathila alone in her bedchamber. It actually causes the Tari to snicker.

The next few hours feel like a whirlwind as she is guided through a rehearsal and then poked and prodded for a dress fitting. Before she knows it, she is dressed for bed and two elleths are sitting in chairs next to her door. “They will be here to ensure your virtue is kept intact until after the ceremony tomorrow.” The older ellon from earlier says to her as he nods exiting the room. The two elleth smile at her and Sahara feels awkward.

“Do you sleep sitting up in the chairs?” She asks the two elleth who look at each other as if they are unsure what to say.

“We are not to speak to the Royal Highness.” The one on the right says bowing her head in respect. “Nor shall we sleep.” She says keeping her head down from Sahara.

Sahara just sighs and moves over to get into bed. She looks over toward the two elleths who are staring straight ahead and not at her. She is not sure whether she will be able to fall asleep with them in there or not.

She sits up in bed excitedly as the knock on her door awakens her. One of the elleth next to her door is opening it and looks surprised by whoever she sees. “I am sorry but you...”

Brystol pushes past her before she can finish. “Nonsense. I am the Aran.” He smiles at Sahara and she can’t stop smiling back. “Happy Birthday, your Majesty.” He says holding out a large present.

Him calling her Majesty sounds odd. “Please don’t call me that?”

“Aran!” She hears the scolding voice of an elleth enter the room. “You should not be here!”

“It is Sahara’s birthday. So I shall be here.” He says sitting down on Sahara’s bed facing her and sitting the gift down on her lap.

“Your mother will have my head.” The elleth says panicked. “It is your wedding day.”

“Open it.” He whispers to Sahara with a smile. She excitedly opens the package revealing an exquisite sword laced with blue and gold that resembles Brystol’s.

“A weapon?” She says feeling confused why he would think this was a good birthday and wedding day gift.

“Not just any weapon.” He says taking the sword out of the box. “It is possibly more powerful than my own sword. I had it forged for you and used our kingdom’s colors.”

“I see that.” Sahara says with a smile. “How did you have it forged like the other one? I thought it was forged from your family’s magic?” She asks.

“This one is forged from elder and Pixie magic.”

“Thank you.” She says holding it up toward the light revealing a rainbow of colors on the blade. “It is beautiful.”

“We shall place it next to mine in our bedchamber.” He says before leaning toward her for a kiss but the elleth’s words stop him.

“Oh no your Majesty.” The elleth protests. “I must force you to leave.”

“Maybe you should go.” Sahara whispers to him with a flirtatious smile. “Your mother has probably already been alerted to the matter.”

“I am sure.” He says whispering with a smile back at her. “See you tonight?”

“Definitely.” She whispers again knowing full well the elleth standing next to them can hear every word.

“I am leaving.” He says to the elleth holding his hands up in the air innocently as he stands from the bed. Sahara can’t help but laugh at how cute he is when he turns to wink at her as he moves toward the door.

“Brystol Treegan!” The Tari’s scolding voice entered the room meeting Brystol just as he was about to exit.

“It is her birthday mother.” He says stepping around her through the door. “I caused no harm.”

She huffed in agitation before smiling at Sahara. “Happy Birthday Elfie.” She moves closer to Sahara holding a gift. “Ah.” She says looking surprised by the sword Sahara is holding. “Was that from Brystol?”

“Yes it was.” Sahara says placing it back in the box.

"Interesting gift for an elleth, I must say.” She laughed before directing her words to the other elleth in the room. “Leave us please.” As soon as the room empties, Tari Nathila sits down with Sahara on the bed. “This is from me.” She lays the golden wrapped gift in front of Sahara. “It is more of a welcome to the family gift rather than a birthday gift.”

“Thank you.” Sahara says smiling as she opens the gift. “It is beautiful.” She says pulling a beautiful golden necklace from the package.

“It has been passed down from Tari to Tari on their wedding day for the past twenty-four generations.” She slides an old wrapped gift the size of a shoe box in front of Sahara. The grey cloth it is wrapped in is old and dusty looking. Sahara notices a Kinderton symbol on the cloth. She realizes it must be a gift from her parents. “Your mother left this gift for your wedding day.” Sahara feels frozen as she looks up into Tari Nathila’s sympathetic eyes. “Open it after I leave.” She says patting Sahara on the hand before leaving the room.

Sahara isn’t sure how she feels about opening the gift. It looks so old and fragile. She finally works up the courage to open the gift and gently tugs on the rope holding the cloth closed. Removing the cloth she replaces a blue satin box that has a unique symbol stamped on it. It wasn’t the Kinderton crest but a new one she had never seen before. She traces her fingers on the crest wondering what it means. She then removes the lid of the box and replaces a beautiful crown inside with a blue triangle in the center of the box. She first pulls out the crown, which has the same crest as the top of the box. It resembles a crescent moon with stars that appear to be moving around it when the light hits the glass just right. It is beautiful she thinks as she looks at all the white gold swirling designs and colorful jewels that reside in each star. She gently lays the crown down before reaching for the blue triangle.

As she raises the blue triangle from the box, she notices a small piece of string dangling from the bottom. She pulls on the string, thinking it was not meant to be there. Suddenly smoke begins to pour out of the bottom of the triangle. It is so much smoke that she drops the triangle on the bed and tries to back away from the growing cloud. The cloud seems to be forming into a figure and then turns into solid form. Sahara quickly grabs the sword Brystol had given her and hides behind the drapes of her bed. “Sahara?” She hears a strange voice say.

Sahara tries to calm her breathing as she peeks around the drape over toward the figure that is sitting on her bed. The figure smiles at her and Sahara recognizes the elleth. “Mother?” She says with teary eyes.