Star Crossed Teaser

I walked to Maralice and we went to my suite. “Are you alright, Empress?” Maralice asked.

“No. I am still filled with so much anger, but with Edward, I hope I can refocus that anger into something useful,” I sighed, removing my simple clothing. “Are you alright? You are no longer wearing your clothes of mourning.”

“I spoke with my beloved Jamel’s brother, Laur’ent. I told him about what had happened to me on Lapus. Laur’ent was not upset with me and he apologized for my ordeal. Then, I told him all about Jasper and how he helped me. Laur’ent, he … he gave me his blessing to be happy. He said that Jamel would not have wanted me to live my life alone. Before the discovery of N’essie, Jasper asked if he could court me. Take me out on dates and build a relationship. We are mates, but he is a … what did he call it? Oh, right. A Southern Gentleman.”

“I’m happy for you, Maralice,” I said, hugging her.

“I am excited, but I still harbor some guilt for moving on. I would like some sort of sign from Jamel that he is okay with me being with Jasper,” she said, running her fingers through my curls. “Now, you need to bathe. Jerasse and Tia will be in here in a couple of hours to prepare you for N’essie’s H’aaruune. Be careful with your wound.”

I nodded and watched as she left. Once she was gone, I began my preparations for H’aaruune. I stripped my body of my clothes. I prayed to my Gods, my family and my lost friend as I methodically rubbed the s’likoya oil on my skin, making it flame a warm, rosy pink. The oil burned my skin, reminding me that I was very much alive. I cried as the oil came in contact with my wound on the palm of my hand. I clenched my hand into a fist and poured water over my hair. I sat in the sun, shivering as the water dried around me.

Once it was dry, I began the ritual again with a stronger elixir of s’likoya mixed with lysa. I was sobbing by the time Jerasse and Tia came to bathe me, freeing my skin of the burning sensation of the oils. They cleaned my body, using large sponges and the pain of loss slowly ebbed from me. It gave me solace that Edward was going through the same ritual.

The last time I went through a full H’aaruune was when my father died. Charanel did not understand the process and he did not have to be cleansed as I did. I felt like my skin was boiling off my body, my grief was so great, with the loss of my father.

My skin was cleaned of the oils and glistened in the waning sunlight. “Empress, we must drain your tub,” Tia whispered. “And you must stay standing until we dress you.”

I nodded and watched as the water in the tub went down the drain. I shivered uncontrollably as my skin dried, shimmering with the residual crystals of the oils. Jerasse dried my hair and tied it into a tight braid falling down my back. Weaved into my hair, I wore a simple circlet with ajur stone. I would wear this circlet for a month, honoring my friend. When father died, I wore a circlet with an amur stone, honoring the loss of a family member. I wore that until I left Forx to fly to Lapus. Maralice told me to wear my Imperial ioti circlet, reminding Jakob of my status.

Jerasse helped me into my white mourning gown and Tia deftly applied simple makeup, including a smaller ajur stone between my eyes. Around my wrists and ankles, I wore ajur stone bracelets. Once I was ready, I walked out of my bathroom and out to the throne room. I wore no shoes. I wanted to feel every pebble, every crevice as we walked to the cliffs overlooking the Renien Ocean. Edward greeted me. His face was somber as I looked up at him. His hair was tamed and on his head, he wore a matching ajur stone circlet. He, too, was barefoot. We turned to face the crowd of dignitaries, nobles and visiting Federation personnel.