“And we would be happy to,” Liv said firmly.
“Absolutely.” Kat linked one arm through Allara’s on the right and Liv took her left arm. Lauren and Sophie were right behind.
“All right,” Kat whispered. “I’m going to peek around and cue the music and then we’ll go.”
She leaned forward and looked around the edge of the archway. Apparently she caught someone’s eye because she made a motion.
Suddenly, the most beautiful strains of music came wafting through the air. The melody was being played on an instrument or instruments that Allara had never heard before but it had a light, delicate sound that reverberated through the air and sent chills down her spine.
The beauty rushed through her like a fever and Allara felt it overcome her like a river of ecstasy rushing her away to unknown lands. Her legs suddenly lost their strength and she began to collapse.
“Oh, watch out—is she fainting?” Liv gasped, gripping her arm more tightly.
“Allara? Are you all right?” Kat asked anxiously, pulling her up on the other side. “What’s wrong?”
“The…the music,” Allara managed to say. “So beautiful—every note is true! What is it? Please tell me!”
“Oh, that’s Pachelbel’s Canon in D,” Kat told her. “It’s kind of become a traditional wedding song for us on our part of Earth.”
“What…what instruments?” Allara somehow managed to ask. Instruments were used infrequently on her planet—mostly only on Holy Days. But the musicians who played them were revered and respected above all others on Q’ess.
Long ago, before she had truly understood what her fate was to be, she had dreamed of becoming a musician. She did have, after all, the ability to hear every true note and to sing it as well.
Of course, that was before she’d known about her destiny and understood that women could not be musicians. But still, it had been her dream as a girl.
“I hired a string quartet,” Kat said, answering her question. She was still looking anxiously at Allara. “Are you going to be okay, doll? For a minute I wasn’t sure if you were fainting or having a kind of musical orgasm.”
“I…I will be all right,” Allara assured them, though chills were still rushing through her and igniting her nerves like sparks. “It is just…so beautiful. I find it difficult to think of anything else. Please, may we go pay our respects to the musicians? They are so very talented—not a note is untrue!”
“Well, maybe after the ceremony,” Kat said, frowning. “Right now we’re supposed to be walking you down the aisle to meet your new hubby and get you married, remember?”
As a matter of fact, the beauty of the music had made Allara forget. For a moment, she had lost herself in the trueness of the notes and everything—her quest, the evil one she must marry, and the horror she must soon endure at his hands—had all faded away. Kat’s reminder was like a splash of chilly water right in her face.
“Oh…of course.” She nodded, trying to stand up straighter. “Forgive me.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Liv told her, smiling. “Um, I guess music really is extremely important to your people.”
“It is the essence of life,” Allara said earnestly. “And to one like me, who can sense the trueness of the notes, it is everything.”
“Wow. Well, I’m really glad I picked music you like, doll, but we really have to get going now,” Kat told her. “Listen, they’re playing it for the second time—we’d better get in there.”
“All right.” Allara nodded and tightened her grip on Kat’s arm. She must be brave now, she told herself. Soon she would stand face-to-face with the evil one.
“Come on, hon—you’ll be okay.” Liv squeezed her arm reassuringly. “Let’s go.”
She and Kat led Allara towards the entrance of the ceremonial area and they walked under the archway of white blossoms to the strains of the delicate, beautiful music.
Looking down, Allara saw that she was walking on a long, white ribbon of silky material. Her bare feet were a creamy caramel-brown against the paleness. On either side of the white ribbon, there were white chairs, only a few of which were occupied by very large males. She saw her escorts waving at the various males and realized these must be their Kindred spouses. Well, they certainly were large, Allara thought, but at least, sitting down as they were, they weren’t overwhelming.
She was not looking ahead—the prospect was too frightening. She didn’t want to see the evil one—the one called “Brand.” She didn’t want to see the man who would defile her before she stabbed him through the heart.
Just a little longer, she thought desperately. Let this walk down the white ribbon take a little longer. I do not want to see him!
But then she heard Kat murmur in her ear,
“Here we are, doll. Look up.”
Fearing what she would see, Allara at last forced her eyes up…and up and up. For the man standing there, waiting for her, was truly a giant.