For a swift moment, Eustace was dazed, taken aback by the question. Mel couldn't fail to notice it and she paled, wondering if she had offended the woman.
Eustace immediately shook her head, an odd expression Mel couldn't place on her features. Whether it was pity, relief, or surprise, the young woman couldn't tell."I don't know if I should be pleased or relieved about the fact that you do not know the answer to that question," Eustace eventually said.Mel relaxed a bit, but still puzzled, she asked, "What do you mean?""Mel. I am afraid I am not in a position to answer that. Even if I did, I am not certain I would still tell you." She took Mel's hand in her slightly wrinkled one and gave her a soft, gentle squeeze. "It is not a mental burden you should carry. Just know that we won't blame you for the sins of your father."Mel watched Eustace's hand. "But I am… I could have married someone else…"Eustace sighed and averted her gaze. "It saddens me but you're right. My brother and I tried persuading my late husband and this was the most lenient "instruction" he could give." She swallowed. "We truly wish you no harm. And you shouldn't worry. Your husband-to-be is a very good man. He will take good care of you. We all will."Mel's heart couldn't help but flutter at those last words. She was marrying a good man. If his own mother said so, then that must be true.But…"Why wait this long? I almost gave up. Thought you weren't coming," Mel whispered.A fond smile graced Eustace's lips. "Well, my son was nervous to a long extent, plus he was busy taking over the clan after his father's passing. He wouldn't have been able to tend to you amidst all that."Mel smiled, relieved. All those worries might have just been in her head after all. She looked up at Eustace. "But I am still curious and I would like to know, if you're not in the position to tell me, then is it…?"Before Eustace could answer, they heard a few light taps on the body of the wooden carriage."Yes?" For some reason, Eustace's smile widened."The Lord has arrived."Mel's heart thumped hard in her chest. The lord had to refer to her husband, right? Come to think of it, she had never even bothered to know his name. Eustace was a sweet woman, but would she be pleased to know that her daughter-in-law to be didn't even know her betrothed's name?The carriage was still moving, or was he right outside riding with them? Mel clamped her hands on her thigh, nervous all of a sudden."Is he—" she dared to ask Eustace, pausing before continuing to speak. "Is he right outside?" her voice came out in a light squeak.Eustace looked back at Mel. "No. It just means he and the men are back from hunting… We will get to his residence before him, don't you worry.""I—pardon me for asking but… I don't want to assume your clan is small or anything, but I saw a considerable large number of people compared to the houses on land… and you have such mighty ships…"Eustace relaxed in her seat and she beamed. "Majority of our settlements are underground."Mel's eyes immediately grew wide and she tried to fathom how that could be.Eustace continued, amused by Mel's surprise. "We have a few markets above ground, but even more down below. It is a beautiful sight down there, and most sections of some houses reside just beneath them. That explains the large spacing between each building."Mel's mouth opened and closed several times, unable to properly get the words out. "I—I—I do not know what to say. That is beyond… how do you see in the dark—" She immediately shook her head, berating herself for such a foolish thought. Most creatures had night vision and the bear kin were no exception."Do not worry. We have light sources down there. In addition, the winters are heavy and harsh, so we usually hibernate or rest underground."Mel felt the coat still around her. Come to think of it, it had been somewhat cooler than when she was in Urn. It hadn't occurred to her to take off her coat and Eustace hadn't bothered to ask her to remove it. She thought of Anna. Her maidservant had quickly become friends with a few others working under Eustace and she had gone ahead with the others to prepare Mel's new home.Eustace regarded her warmly. "You will find everything you need here, Mel."Mel hid a sheepish smile that was about to surface. It seemed she would still have some of the freedom she had at home and she would love to explore this new world. The underground dwellings of the Grime clan were something to look forward to.She looked closely at Eustace. Aside from her tall height and immense build, she didn't look that much different from Mel. This led to an immediate thought of her husband. How big would he be? Would he be taller than his mother the same way Enmel was taller than his sister?A discomforting wave came over Mel and she swallowed. "I apologize if I seem adequate. I learned what I could about Orion, but not about individual clans. My mother wouldn't give me such detailed knowledge—"Eustace raised her hand and shook her head. "It's not a problem, Mel. It honestly saddens me you are more sheltered than I was told, but this is how it is in every nation. We know of each other's general traditions, but not too much of the ones precise to each clan. And you don't need to apologize for anything. Your mother was the one who told me herself that she had neglected to teach you anything after you came of age. It's us who should take the blame for taking this long to inform you about the union," she finished in a whisper.Mel cast a nervous gaze at the window. Anything to look away from Eustace. Her mother had only given the woman the half-truth. Mel had never been serious with what she learned, even regarding lessons about her own clan. If she had been attentive enough, she would have remembered whatever was necessary even four years after."Well, here we are!" Eustace announced and the moment she finished those words, the carriage halted. She held Mel's hand, giving it a warm squeeze as the carriage door swung open.The sky had been cloudy the morning they set for Orion, the late afternoon they arrived, and the early evening she set foot on the wide streets of the Grime clan. This led to Mel wondering if the sun ever rose in this part of Orion.Mel was faced with a large domed concrete structure and she faltered behind Eustace. Anna was standing at the closed entrance of the building and her mood visibly brightened when she caught sight of Mel.Other servants moved around, carrying whatever luggage from the caravan into the building. From the corner of her eyes, Mel could catch sight of the peeping masses through the surrounding homes, along with passers-by bold enough to linger out in the streets and stare at Mel with rapt attention and excitement.Mel blushed, not used to all the attention at a go. Anna hugged Mel to her side and gingerly urged her into the building. Eustace walked in after them and paused almost immediately. From the floor to the walls, to the spiralling staircase leading upst
Mel went to bed early that evening, not just exhausted from the trip, but disrupted by an entirely new feeling. She never saw Bjorn again for the rest of that evening, but she could clearly recall the shivers that ravaged her whole being at the sound of his voice. A light shiver coursed every surface of her skin and she tightened the covers around her. The fur of the bed covers did little to nothing to alleviate the strange sensation. She could remember the silken white strands of his hair, cut short at the nape of his neck. They hadn't seemed that impressive until he had stood before her. The way his eyes studied her made her giddy. The memory of his deep, rich voice enveloped her with a vague warmth. Her heart ached. She had maybe expected her future husband to be fair-looking, but not this… Mel sat upright, unable to sleep from her burning cheeks. What was wrong with her? She had to get a hold of herself! She slapped her hands to her cheeks and winced at the stinging pain in b
Mel stared at the mirror in a daze, with Annie attending to her hair. Eustace had arrived with some maids to further furnish the guest room and add a vanity for Mel. The young woman had thanked Eustace for the help and when the maids had helped her into an Orion attire, Annie had stayed behind to help her mistress take care of her. As she ran the large brush down the smoth waves of Mel's dark hair, she couldn't help but feel uncomfortable in the odd silence of the chamber. Mel would usually be relaxed at the soft strokes flowing through the strands of her hair, and her eyes would be closed, on the near verge of falling asleep.But this time… it was different.Mel's eyes weren't just open, they stared at her reflection in a far off gaze. Her mind wasn't in the present, and it was far from Annie's comforting brooding of her hair.Annie did not want to admit what she had noticed the previous evening, but now that she was seeing her mistress in full focus… Mel was smitten with that man.
From that very moment, Mel’s calm morning spiralled into a pit of bottomless excitement, with Lori taking the lead. Eustace had sent Lori to take Mel around the vicinity of Grime. While Eustace had made sure Mel got acquainted with Bjorn’s house, the old mother-in-law didn’t have the strength to take Mel around the settlement.Despite Mel’s attempts of disguising herself, blending in into the simple streets had turned out to be futile. She had the stature of a young teenager in Grime, but the fact that Lori was taking her around the streets didn’t go unnoticed by the residents of the large settlement. And those who had seen her arrive at the shop earlier with Eustace could already tell what the young woman looked like.“Don’t worry, no one will disturb you,” Lori comforted Mel, taking hold of her hand and guiding her out of the markets and into a more secluded street. Mel tried her best not to wobble, her legs weak from walking here and there. Soft pants exited her mouth and beads of s
They sat in silence, the gentle breeze sp1laying across their skin and toying with Mel's hair. Lori's beaded braids were too heavy to be lifted by the soft wind, and so they tinkled instead, guided by the slight motions of Lori's head as she gazed upon the scenery before them, a relaxed smile on her face.Mel stared in awe. The smile had been different from the numerous ones Lori had directed at her earlier that day. The woman beside her now seemed to be at peace, and now that Mel paid more attention to her escort, Lori appeared to have a certain beauty Mel hadn't seen on any other woman in Grime.She had flawless skin with light freckles on the bridge of her pointed nose. Coupled with caramel eyes that matched her brown hair, it produced such a pleasant combination that Mel couldn't take her eyes away. From Lori's dressing, the woman seemed to be well endowed too.Mel glanced at her chest, nearly flat in comparison to Lori's. She had never bothered about her features since she had wh
Mel’s tears from the previous day had held a strange effect on her. She had woken up the following morning with an odd feeling. Her previously heavy heart was now light as if she had expelled all the negative energy along with her tears the day before. The calmness she had woken up to washed over her like heavy rolls of a warm fog.She got up from bed, the relaxation giving way to a firm resolution. She wasn’t just a pitiful woman. She was a noble of Sprite, and if she was to right a wrong done by her father, she had to do it with dignity. Mel stared into space with mixed feelings. She couldn’t bring herself to hate her father. She didn’t even know how to feel. But one thing she knew was that Bjorn would not have asked for this either, but he must have followed through whether he wanted it or not. The least she could do was reciprocate that dedication.Eustace, Annie, Lori, and even the other helpers, noticed Mel’s subtle change. Amidst the knowledge Eustace imparted to Mel about the
Bjorn sat still as the male helpers walked around his chamber, going about their tasks that ranged from packing most of his things into the underground manor to mixing the paint mixture that was to be applied on his back and chest.As they helped him with his boots, he gave his sleeping chamber one last look. This just might be the last time he would use it. To them at least. While his things would be moved to him and his bride's residence, he had no plans to spend his nights in their bed-chamber. Most of them, at least.He would have instructed them to leave behind some of his things, but with Dov in the room, his friend wouldn't have that."Lori," Bjorn heard Dov's voice call out and he stilled, a slight frown crossing his features as Lori greeted Dov in return."Darling!" she chirped and then tiptoed to stand in front of Bjorn.A helper started splaying soft strokes of the paint mixture on Bjorn's back, drawing sacred patterns of the Grime clan on his skin."You shouldn't be here,"
Mel stood still as the helpers dressed her up, but her mind wandered. Eustace had worn an unreadable expression after Mel’s words that morning and the woman had just left. She did say Mel didn’t have to worry about anything before leaving. She had eaten shortly after that and had been told to rest a few hours before Eustace came back to explain the remaining schedule for that day.Anticipation and excitement had set in Mel’s heart like a rooted seed the moment Eustace mentioned the wedding ceremony would take place underground. She would finally step foot down there. But something within her hesitated. The fact that she would be going underground for the ceremony—a sacred place for the werebears—meant that the moment she set foot down there, the deal was already done. There would be no going back.She was doing this. She was really doing this…Mel closed her eyes and drew in a deep breath. She looked into the standing mirror and faltered, her breath hitching. The dress had looked comp