My Heart Is True

A hush falls as Kryo and Stellar enter the cavern.

“My belly is aflutter, Kryo, but my heart is true,” she says to him in a hushed tone while smiling at all their guests. Kryo squeezes her hand and grins.

“My heart is aflutter, Stellar, but also true. I have no fear of eternity with you.”

The sparkles’ twinkling intensifies, throwing a glorious glow over the room. The couple part and walk slowly around the outside of the guests. They join hands again in front of Primella Star, Illuminati Priestess.

“Stellar and Kryo are committed to each other. They have built a home together and now they are joining for a lifetime together. Who is for this joining?”

The guests all stand. Some of the older ones with assistance from the younger. When everyone is upright, Primella continues.

“Stellar do you pledge to keep Kryo safe and secure?”

“Yes, I do.” Her voice trembles. It’s such a responsibility; will I do it right?

“Kryo do you pledge to keep the hearth and dome and obey Stellar in all matters, dark or light?”

“Yes, I do, mother.”

Primella smiles at her son, then, still smiling, she passes a circlet of goldinium to Stellar.

“Stellar, place the sacred circlet around Kryo’s neck.”

Stellar does so. It immediately locks.

“Kryo, here is Stellar’s sacred circlet, please place it around her neck.”

With quivering hands, Kryo raises the circlet to Stellar’s neck. It flies from his hands and secures itself, resonating with unspoken promise.

“You are now joined for eternity, Stellar and Kryo Dendrite. May your love last as long as your joining. The Illuminati and all present bless this joining. Stellar and Kryo you are now priestess and husband. Stellar you may seal your joining with a kiss.”

Stellar kisses Kryo on the lips, lingering only for a second because the guests surge forward to congratulate the couple.

Uncle Sol and Aunt Pris go into the kitchen to fetch the fixings for the feast. As they bring crystal platters and mazers forth, other guests join them. In no time, the feast is in the center of the cavern.

“Kryo is quite the dome maker,” Nanuq, Kryo’s cousin from the northern city of Cristella, whispers to his wife. “I particularly admire the embedded sparkles overhead; I must ask him how he did it.”

“Hmm, yes they would look fine in our cavern,” Malina replies.

When all the hugging and well-wishing has finished, the young couple joins their family and friends on the ice bear fur and cushions. Shoulders and arms bump with each other and their guests as they help themselves to aromatic morsels and hot crowberry wine. Crystal goblets steam with the silken black liquid.

When all the presents are given, and the feast is nothing but crumbs and bones, everyone pitches in to clear away the central area of the cavern floor. It is time for the dancing to begin.

As the sun rises, the last revelers leave with Uncle Sol. Stellar takes Kryo’s hand.

“My love, there is a burden in my heart.” How do I tell him?

“Your face creases with pain Stellar, tell me, what is this burden?”

“My parents…” Don’t cry, don’t cry, be strong. You are a warrior priestess. “An ice bear attacked my parents. It ripped out their hearts and feasted on them.”

“Stellar, breathe, my love, breathe.” Kryo soothes her tears from her cheeks with his thumbs, his eyes searching hers.

“Kryo, I miss them. I wished them to see our joining and our happiness.” He calms me. How does he do that?

“I believe their spirits are within you Stellar, in a way, they have been a part of you from the moment you were born.”

“Are they with me now Kryo?” Is what he says true? The Illuminati didn’t teach this.

“Yes my love, always. I can feel their love for you, their strong, fierce daughter. It shines from you.”

“I love you Kryo.” Oh, stars above, what if something were to happen to him?

“Stellar, tonight we have new history to make.”

Oh, I lost sight of us. Kryo is right. There’s no need to fear the dim past when we have a bright future. Those sparkles are aflutter again in my belly and my heart. She smiles.

“Race you to the bed-chamber.”

Kryo chases and catches her; they fall into bed as one, clasped in each other’s arms. Furs and silken cushions are scattered everywhere.

“The sparkles are so bright Kryo,” Stellar says as they lay breathless in their bed.

“They are, my love. They’ll be sleeping soon, though, as will I.”

“Sleeping, my love?” she hears the huskiness in her voice as she teases him. I never imagined it possible to tingle all over.

“In an hour or two. Come here Stellar Dendrite.” He takes her in his arms again and again until their energy wanes. All around them, the sparkles dim to darkness.

The next morning, the sparkles are at full power, welcoming a new day.

Smiles on their faces, the pair rise and go about their ablutions. They bump into each other several times, some intentionally, and because it’s a small room, they end up back on the bed. Following another whirl in the furs and cushions, they dress and make their way to the kitchen.

The sparkle spirit has already powered the stove for hot water. Kryo goes to the warmer to retrieve the dough he prepared the previous morning. It has risen to perfection. He kneads it, then, when it’s ready, he shapes it and leaves it for another hour in the warmer.

As he prepares coffee and oats, Stellar goes to the larder for berries and milk, which she places on the ice crystal counter. She adds wooden spoons and mazers, part of Kryo’s trousseau. At last, she succumbs to the aromatic temptation and pours a crystal tankard full. The steam condenses on her nostrils as she inhales the heady scent. It’s too hot to drink, so she takes it out to the stable, where she readies the elk for the journey to Brilliant.

She hums as she grooms and readies the beasts; Herta and Greta snuffle at her hands for wintergreen, their favorite food. “There’s hemlock today my beauties. We must stock up on staples in Brilliant in readiness for the deep winter on our way back from our honey month.” She says to the elk, who, of course, do not reply. Our honey month!

She gulps her cooled coffee down, slings the dregs into the snow, and stomps back through the knee-high snow, recycling the holes she made earlier.

The smell of fresh bread envelops her as she enters the kitchen. Her stomach gurgles in anticipation.

“I’m ravenous, my love,” Stellar says.

“We don’t have time to go back to bed Stellar, we have a long journey ahead of us.” His eyes twinkle, almost as bright as a sparkle spirit.

“No, silly, for breakfast.” She smiles and lowers her voice. “Surely you are sated?” She looks at him in mock surprise.

“How can I ever be sated with you near me?” He pours porridge into the mazers and places the saucepan in the sink, filling it with hot water before the oats glue themselves to it. Then he is close to her and draws her body towards his in a powerful hug. She relaxes and whispers in his ear.

“Let’s eat, lover.” Can he see my cheeks burn? He is my lover, but the word tastes new on my lips.

“Yes, before the oats turn to paste. Berries, my darling?” He releases her.

“Ooh, yes please, Kryo,” she says as he slides the bowl of berries over.

The smell of the bread baking intoxicates the couple to such heights that after removing the loaf, they gorge on door stopper size slices slathered in hazelnut butter, only stopping when a more amorous craving strikes them both, there and then, in the kitchen.

With the bread cooled and their ardor slaked, Kryo packs provisions for the journey while Stellar bundles clothes and furs for their travels through Mazarin to Brilliant.

Stellar harnesses the sleigh to the elk while Kryo loads their bundles and packages. Then he collects the sparkle spirit crystal from the porch and slips it into a gossamer net attached to a long wooden pole. He fixes the pole to the side of the sleigh and leaps in beside Stellar. With a snap of the reins, Herta and Gerta prance on the spot, then gain a good grip in the compacted snow, and off they set.

The sleigh glides over the snow as though it were a knife through sugar glaze. The young lovers snuggle under furs as the air whooshes over their heads.

Hours later, they stop near an overhang of crystals. The spirits are resting, recharging in the sunlight.

“Pass the bread and meat, Kryo, my love, all this air has given me a hunger,” Stellar says.

“Is that all you require, Stellar, my dear?”

“Some of your coffee would be divine, darling.”

“Is that all I’m good for Stellar? My food and drink?” Kryo asks.

“Why no, my love, you have many excellent qualities,” Stellar teases.

“Such as?”

“Your love of animals and people. Especially me.”

“What else?”

“You are strong and handsome.”

“And?” He challenges.

“You are a remarkable dome maker. Many of my friends are envious of your talents. You know that, don’t you?”

“I do now. What is my best quality, would you say?”

“Come now, Kryo, you should know better than to angle for a compliment.”

“Why?”

“Because we are joined. I would not have joined with you if I did not love you above all others.”

“But what makes you love me above all others, Stellar? You could have chosen a stronger, more handsome, better dome maker than me. What makes me so special?”

“Your appetites, my love. For life, for love, for me.” Stellar smiles and leans over to kiss him. She crushes his lips with hers. He tastes of nutty toasted coffee beans. “Mmmm and you taste so good.”

“Come here, Stellar,” he says.

She sidles up to him on the fur draped seat.

“Closer.” His strong arms slide around her waist, and he enfolds her against his torso.

“Mmmm and you feel good, too.” Stellar mumbles as she and Kryo disappear under the furs.

By late afternoon, the light is almost gone. The sparkle spirits are awake and shine enough light to see by. Kryo feels warm air on his ear. He opens an eye, and his entire body stiffens.

Staring back at him is an ice bear. His hand finds Stellar’s arm; he squeezes it three times. She reaches for her dagger. Then she tenses and springs from under the furs towards the ice bear’s back. At the same time, she raises her dagger arm above her head.

Time slows. She sees a fallen silvery bear, and the snow is blooming with blood-silks. Kryo is lying nearby, also surrounded by the blooms. Her vision clears, and she sees her path.

“Get out, Kryo,” she shouts and pushes him away from her.

Time speeds up, and her body is stopped by the rock that is the bear. At the same moment, her right arm comes down with all her force straight into the neck of the beast. Holding fast with her legs and left hand, she pulls the dagger out and goes to plant another blow, but the bear hurls her off his back.

The deep snow cushions her landing. She regains her feet in an instant. She can see Kryo running for the crystal overhang. The crystals emit intense white light, illuminating the snow in an eerie twilight. She rises and stands firm. The silver-furred monster turns and staggers towards her.

History repeats. No. A bear is not going to have Kryo and my parents. I won’t let the same thing happen again. I will finish this bear here and now. He is weakened. With the spirits in this dagger, I have the strength.

She grips the dagger, raises her arm again, and charges. The ice bear is so startled he flounders. This reaction allows Stellar to leap onto the bear, this time driving the dagger deep into its’ heart. She drops to her feet and scrambles away from the beast. The steam rises from the hot blood as he slumps, like snow sliding off a roof.

Stellar and Kryo hold each other as the snow blooms with blood-silks, the bear’s eyes dull, and his spirit flashes out of sight, deep into the crystals.

“Are you hurt, my love?” she asks him.

He pulls her close to him. “I’m well, my love, you saved me.”

“The dagger cousin Malina gifted to me saved us, the spirits are strong.” Any other dagger would not have broken the ice bear’s skin. I don’t want to scare him further.

“Remind me to thank her when we are in Brilliant. Thanks too, to your skills, Stellar.” He says.

His life is my life. I am sworn to protect him. “Yes, my love, the Illuminati taught me well.”

“Thank the stars,” he says.

“Come on, let’s get to your mother’s.” They join hands and stomp through the snow to the sleigh, where Herta and Gerta are munching on some bushes.

“How is it that the ice bear didn’t attack you?” Stellar asked.

“I don’t know, he had the time to,” Kryo replies.

“What if he wasn’t there to harm us?” Oh my stars, have I killed for no reason? Why was the bear there?

“Ice bears are killers Stellar, one killed your parents, you did what you must,” Kryo says.

“I know what you say is true, my love.” But is it?