15| The Ceremonial Preparations

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," Bjorn grumbled.

Lori laughed, waving a hand absentmindedly. "Oh, Dov. Come take a look at the grouchy face here." She looked at Bjorn, her tone jovial. "Annoyed as usual."

Bjorn sighed, fed up, but his frown remained. "You're—"

"Be still, Bjorn." Lori smiled. "You seem to forget that I am now a married woman."

His jaw twitched. He knew. He knew all too well.

"Obviously. You don't have to remind me," he merely said.

"Indeed," Lori added, turning her gaze to the busy men whom her husband turned back to supervise.

Bjorn looked away. Single women weren't supposed to assist with the wedding preparations of the groom. They weren't even supposed to be in the same space or anywhere nearby. Married, widowed, and old women, were the exceptions, but none of them were as bold as Lori to strut in without any task at hand.

Nonetheless, her presence still didn't make him entirely comfortable.

He couldn't just tell her to get out.

Then again, he wasn't a young man anymore, and as his mother had said, it was time to let it go. Lori had chosen Dov after all, and he had lived with that. But it hadn't been easy. Not when he had to see Lori with his best friend on a regular basis.

His feelings were gone for the most part. Except for the lingering bitter-sweet emotion he felt from time to time. That had almost faded too, but with Lori barging in here to frolic around when it was his day… it didn't seem right to him, and as much as he tried to deny it, it annoyed him just a bit.

"How is she doing?" he asked, wanting to tear away from his disruptive thoughts.

"Oh." Lori shrugged. "Well, she has been throwing tantrums here and there since the start of this morning."

His frown returned. He had found something to latch his annoyance too. "Why am I not surprised?" he muttered. She seemed spoiled. Couldn't she at least bother to compose herself here?

"Honestly." Lori sighed, resting a palm on her chest. "She complained about a number of things."

Bjorn huffed, and the helper, done with his work on Bjorn's back, shifted to crouch beside Bjorn and work on his chest.

"Why don't you both leave the young girl alone." Dov walked up to them, letting out a low chuckle. He clasped a hand on Lori's shoulder and dragged it down to massage her upper arm. "Not everyone embraces something new."

"Not when it would cause trouble for the others," Lori pouted.

Bjorn remained silent and Dov sighed, taking his hand off Lori to rest it on his hip. "She just may have had something to complain about. Remember that not all of us have ever groomed someone from Sprite or another beast person. Her personal maid should be there to help with that, but only one person can do so much…" Dov scratched his stubbled chin and looked down at Bjorn. "Then again, she pushed aside the date of the ceremony just so she could learn more about our customs. I'd say she tried enough to adapt."

"That's true," Bjorn said, a sharp knife of shame stabbing at his conscience. How could he have forgotten that? That was foolish of him.

Even worse, he had behaved this way in front of his men.

"Lori, you may leave now," Bjorn added. "She needs your help more than I do here."

The helper finished painting on Bjorn's chest and he straightened, giving a slight nod to Bjorn.

"Alright." Lori smiled, patting Dov's cheek before making her way past the other helpers and out of Bjorn's chambers.

_________________________

"Don't do something all of a sudden without telling me!"

Mel sat, hunched over, her hands wrapped around herself as a fur robe shrouded her tiny figure. Her knuckles were white as she clasped her hands together at her stomach and she stared at the floor, anger, and embarrassment tingling her cheeks and ears.

The helpers cast confused glances at each other. They felt they might have been a little rough with Mel while she was bathing but they had been very gentle during the massage, even treating her the way they would treat their newborns.

"You wouldn't want to do it," Annie answered, standing in front of Mel with her head slightly lowered.

"What is it?" Eustace walked in, her brows quizzed with confusion.

"The wax—I…" Mel frowned and looked away.

"She…" Annie started, "My lady has never really liked waxing… it was a slightly painful method back in Urn."

"I see." A look of understanding crossed Eustace's face and that of the helpers. "But didn't you tell Mel that she wouldn't feel a thing here? Our waxing methods and ingredients…"

Annie and Mel's lips twisted into wry smiles.

"My lady would refuse… I learned it was part of the preparations and I didn't want to be rude. I personally tried it and it was wonderful so I felt if my lady experienced just one strip she would find it painless too and there would be nothing to fear," Annie whispered and turned back to face Mel, lowering her head even further. "I sincerely apologise for my error. I presumed your silence when you returned that miss Lori may not have gone into detail about it—"

Mel frowned. "What do you mean? Lori didn't tell me anything."

"Lori didn't tell you anything about the ceremonial preparations?" Eustace's confusion grew and Annie appeared puzzled.

Mel paused at the old woman's reaction. She seemed offended, not at her, but someone else not in the room. Fear seeped into Mel. She hadn't paid attention when Lori was talking to Mel a few days ago.

Lori had never mentioned anything about the preparations for the ceremony after her first day in Grime. She had talked about the ceremony itself, but nothing before it. It could only have been when Lori was taking Mel on a tour through the clan, and it just had to be on the day that Mel wasn't attentive.

Was Lori going to be in trouble because of her?

"I—I think she may have told me about it," Mel spoke up, running her hands through the soft fur robe. "I just wasn't… paying attention at the time… I'm sorry. That was very bad on my part."

"It's alright, Mel." Eustace shook her head, her face relaxed. "All is forgiven. The waxing…?"

"Finished," Mel answered shyly.

She couldn't believe she had overreacted. She had screamed only to feel nothing a second later. As one of the helpers explained the wax mixture and how it worked, she had allowed them to finish the procedure but had requested for them to immediately cover her when they were done. She wanted the floor to swallow her.

But she had deserved to panic. How could Annie… She paused, unsure if she should blame Annie or herself. She had been the one not listening when Lori was explaining things to her.

"I would like to rest, even if it's just for a minute," Mel mumbled, shrinking into her robe. "And I'm hungry," she added.

"Leave us," Eustace said with the wave of her hand and the helpers shuffled out of the room, with the exception of Annie.

She lingered between them, looking back and forth between Mel and Eustace. "Should I…?" She pointed at the door.

"Hmmm," Eustace pursed her lips. "You may stay. Kindly close the door." When Annie did so, the maid stayed back at the door and Eustace walked towards Mel. "I should apologise for the inconvenience. I was so caught up organising the other preparations that I didn't fully consider putting your through as to the ceremony's details myself."

Mel's head snapped up and she waved her hands, shaking her head. "No, no. Please don't be like that. I don't blame you in any way."

Eustace sighed, her brows slightly lifted in an apologetic gaze. She glanced toward Annie. "You assumed she knew about it, why?"

Annie straightened, clasping her hands at her stomach. "Miss Lori told me you said she would take care of that aspect."

Eustace's eyes narrowed and she raised a hand to her chin, looking into space. The focus returned to her eyes and she told Annie. "That was my mistake… Please, Annie. The next time she tells you anything, let me know."

Annie blinked rapidly and then quickly answered, "Yes, ma'am."

Mel's eyes widened. What had Eustace meant by that?

"Mel." Eustace faced Mel. "When did you say Lori told you about the ceremonial preparations?"

"I'm not sure… I think it was the day after I arrived…"