On the morning of the third day after their decision to leave Faria for the dragon world, Talia was rushing around trying to finish up last minute details. There was so much still to do!
She was already completely dressed for the journey ahead in some thick woolen clothing that were soft and warm.
The handmaids had eschewed all the fancy and frilly things in favor of much more sensible clothing. They had thought of everything.
Her skirt was black and her blouse was ivory. Over her shirt was a leather jacket made of soft brown cowhide. Her boots were soft but waterproof so she could walk through snow and not get her feet wet.
Over all that, she had on her travel cloak which was a thick waterproof material in a soft shade of blue.
"Don't forget!" She held up a hand towards Anna and Portia. "Devin gets a bit finicky with food but you still have to figure out a way to get him to eat. I don't want to come back and see a skin-and-bones child!"
"Yes Milady."
"And another thing. The wedding dress that is being made for me should be ready in about a week. Make sure you bag it up and hang it for me so it doesn't get damaged."
"Yes Milady."
"Alright then. I think I'm ready to leave."
"Please be careful Milady." Anna and Portia twittered.
"Oh don't worry." Talia laughed and waved a hand. "It's going to be like going on vacation with three men!"
Portia and Anna looked at each other with eyes full of concern. Even though they had begged and pleaded to attend to Lady Talia on her trip, King Cedric had turned down their request.
All they could do was prepare as best as they could, the items that their new Queen would need on her journey. She would be venturing out into the unknown without a single female attendant.
"Hahaha!" She threw back her head and laughed to get them out of their serious funk. "I'll be back before you know it."
She reached out and patted the two leather trunks that they had packed for her.
"It seems to be a lot to pack for such a short trip."
"Milady, it is winter. You need your thick clothing, as well as your various toiletries and female things."
"Female things?" Talia's eyes widened. "Oh those things! But I'm pregnant. I won't need any of that."
"Milady." Anna pursed her lips. "It's always best just to have them. They don't take up much space."
"Yes, yes." She waved a hand.
She bade them all goodbye and left in good spirits with the attendants who had come to carry her things away.
The handmaids were teary-eyed, but Talia simply smiled and brushed away their fears. She had every intention to return within a week to attend her own wedding.
Her mother and Mother Athena had been working all hours of the day and night to get everything together for the wedding. She couldn't let them down.
"Milady." An advisor approached her from the opposite hallway. "A moment, please."
Talia nodded at the attendants and told them to take her things and go ahead without her.
"Is there something the matter?" She turned back to the advisor.
He gave a brief bow.
"The King has asked me to take you to the Royal Library. Please follow me."
"He did? Isn't he waiting for me at the front foyer?"
"No, Milady." He extended a hand. "Please follow me."
Talia raised an eyebrow. Better check on Wolf Man to see what was going on.
'Cedric. There's some man wanting me to go to the library. He says you're waiting for me there.'
'Follow him, Darling. I sent him to get you.' Cedric's voice came back immediately.
'I will be there!'
Talia smiled at the man and gave a nod.
"After you—since I have no idea where the library is."
Within ten minutes, Talia and the advisor had reached the library.
The door was opened, revealing a large chamber with shelves of leather-bound books that went from the floor all the way up to the ceiling.
Talia took a deep appreciative sniff at the scent of old books mixed in with the fragrant lemony scented oiled wood that made up all the furniture within the library.
Added to that mix of aromatics was the smoky firewood crackling and snapping in one of the three library fireplaces, and all Talia could think of was that this room smelled like a man's room.
Cedric was standing with his back to a row of books towards one end of the huge royal library when Talia appeared.
"Love!" He turned and strode towards her with intensity in his gaze.
As Talia turned to greet him, the advisor gave a deep bow and stood to one side, awaiting for Cedric's commands.
Cedric completely ignored the advisor, setting his sights only on Talia.
He reached out, and without warning, crushed her body within his arms.
"Hmm. You smell so good." He muttered as he kissed her face and neck.
His mouth zeroed in on her lips and he kissed her thoroughly, hungrily, and without reservation.
"You taste good too." He whispered with longing.
Talia smiled. "You sound as if you haven't seen me in ages when you barely left my bed only a few hours ago."
"A few hours is a long time when you miss someone." He ran his fingers through her soft silky hair as if he was unable to get enough of her.
"Was there something here we needed to do?"
"Yes. There is something important that we have to do."
He led her over to the large lion claw oak table and produced a document.
Talia blinked in confusion. "What is this?"
"This is our marriage documents."
"But our wedding is a week away. Aren't we leaving right now?"
He nodded. "I just want to make sure before we leave that the documents are all in order so when we get back, we have one less thing to worry about."
He turned to the advisor and gave a nod.
The man pulled from a drawer, a set of fountain pens and handed one to each of them.
Talia held her pen with a nervous grip and glanced over at Cedric. Without hesitation, he signed his name with a royal flourish in the appropriate spot.
"Now. Your turn." He indicated at an empty spot next to his signature.
Talia scrawled in her name as she normally wrote on bank checks and legal documents.
The advisor added his own signature and then stamped the document with some official looking red stamp.
"It's done." Cedric smiled down at Talia with tenderness. "You are now officially the Queen of Faria."
As she leaned back to inspect the signatures, Cedric chuckled.
"But I must say. Your signature is like a kindergarten just barely learning how to write."
Talia frowned. "It's just a signature. It's not supposed to be ostentatious and ornate, is it?"
"Woman. You are now the latest Queen of Faria. Documents that you sign from this moment on will be archived and preserved as part of history."
He laughed and pointed at her chicken scratch scrawls.
"Is that what you wish to preserve for posterity?"