It went on for days, and poor Daran was engulfed by treacle-laden smiles as the girls of Isle of the Winds each tried to enchant him.
‘If this goes on much longer, Aunt Pol, I’m going to run away,’ he threatened one evening.
‘Don’t do that, dear,’ I said. ‘I’d just have to chase you down and bring you back. You have to get married, Daran, because you have to produce an heir to your father’s throne. That obligation takes precedence over all others. Now go get some sleep. You’re starting to look just a bit haggard.’
‘So would you if people kept looking at you like a side of beef.’
It was the next day, I think, when she came into the hall. She was quite small, and her hair was almost as dark as mine. Her large luminous eyes, however, were so dark as to be almost black. Her father was a very minor nobleman, hardly more than a peasant, who had a small holding back in the mountains. Her name was Larana, she wore a plain dress, and she entered the Hall rather hesitantly. Her eyes were downcast, and there was a faint flush on her alabaster cheeks.
I heard Daran’s breath catch in his throat, and I turned sharply to look at him. His face had gone very pale, and his hands were trembling. More importantly, though, was the fact that the Master’s Orb on the pommel of his father’s sword was glowing a soft pink, a blush almost exactly matching the one on Larana’s cheeks.
I stepped over to where the Rivan Warder stood. ‘Send the rest of them away, Kamion,’ I advised him. ‘We’ve found the one we want.’
Kamion was staring incredulously at the rosy Orb. ‘Was that supposed to happen, Pol?’ he asked, his voice a little strangled.
‘Of course,’ I replied in an off-hand sort of way. ‘You didn’t think we were just going to have all those girls draw straws, did you?’ Then I stepped down from the dais and approached the bride-to-be. ‘Good morning, Larana,’ I greeted her.
‘Lady Polgara,’ she responded with a graceful curtsey.
‘Why don’t you come with me, dear?’ I said.
‘But – ’ she looked at Daran with an almost naked longing.
‘You’ll have time to talk with him later, dear,’ I assured her. ‘Lots of time, I’d imagine. There are some things you’ll need to know, so let’s get them out of the way right at the outset.’ I firmly took our bride-to-be by the arm and led her toward the door.
‘Aunt Pol.’ Daran’s voice almost had a note of panic in it.
‘Later, dear,’ I told him. ‘Why don’t you and Lord Brand go to our meeting room? Larana and I’ll be along in a little while.’
I took Larana to my rooms, sat her down, and gave her a cup of tea to settle her nerves. Then I told her in rather general terms something about the peculiar family she’d soon be joining.
‘I thought all those stories were just that, Lady Polgara – stories. Are you saying that they’re all really true?’
‘They’ve probably been exaggerated a bit, dear,’ I said, ‘but they’re still more or less true.’
‘Does the prince know? That I’ve been selected, I mean?’
‘Oh, dear, dear Larana,’ I laughed. ‘Didn’t you see his face? Right now he’d walk through fire just to get to you.’
‘But I’m so ordinary.’
‘No, dear,’ I said firmly. ‘You’ve never been ordinary, and you never will be. Drink your tea now, and then we’ll join the menfolk.’
She set down her cup. ‘Shouldn’t we hurry, Lady Polgara?’ she asked. ‘I wouldn’t want him to get away.’
‘Not to worry, dear. He’s not going to get away from you. Let him wait just a bit. It’ll be good for him.’
When the two of us joined Kamion and Daran in the blue-draped tower room, I was treated to a repetition of that day in the inn at Camaar when my sister and Riva first met.
‘Aren’t they going to say anything to each other, Pol?’ Kamion whispered to me after about half an hour of absolute silence.
“They are saying things to each other, Kamion. Listen with your eyes, not your ears.’
He looked at the happy couple and saw the absolute adoration on their faces. ‘I think I see what you mean, Pol. It’s almost embarrassing to be in the same room with them.’
‘Yes,’ I agreed. Then I looked speculatively at Larana. ‘You’d better give me about ten days before you schedule the wedding, Kamion. I have to have a long talk with Arell about Larana’s wedding dress and a few other details.’
‘It’s all settled then? That quick? My courtship went on for half a year or more.’
I patted his cheek. ‘This is more efficient, dear boy,’ I told him. ‘You’ll probably have to make most of the decisions here on the Isle for the next couple of months. Daran’s not going to be very rational for a while. Oh, you’d better talk with Riva and let him know what’s afoot. He’ll have to be present, of course, and we’ll want to give him time to prepare himself to appear in public again.’
‘That might be a little tricky, Pol. He’s become very reclusive in the past year. If I didn’t know better, I’d almost say that he’s afraid of people.’
‘Let him know what’s happening, Kamion, and then I’ll talk with him.’
Kamion looked at the children again. “The next problem is how we’re going to get those two apart. Besides, it’s starting to get dark outside, and we should probably feed them.’
‘They aren’t hungry, Kamion. Give them another couple of hours, and then I’ll take Larana to my quarters for the night.’
‘Be sure to lock your door. Keeping Daran and Larana away from each other might be just a bit difficult.’
‘I’ll take care of it, Brand. Send for Arell, would you, please? Tell her that I’ll need her first thing in the morning.’ Then I went over to where the children were still gazing into each others’ eyes. ‘Did you ask her yet, Daran?’ I said, shaking his shoulder to get his attention.
‘Ask her what, Aunt Pol?’
I gave him a long, steady look.
He flushed slightly. ‘Oh,’ he said, ‘that. It’s not really necessary, Aunt Pol.’
‘Why don’t you do it anyway, Daran? These little formalities are the very soul of civilized behavior.’
‘Well, if you think I should. It’s already been decided, though.’ He looked at the young woman who’d fill the rest of his life. ‘You will, won’t you, Larana?’ he asked.