4. What's in a Name?

“Therefore what God has joined together, let no man separate.” (Mark 10:9)

*****

~ JESSE ~

I stood there, stunned, while the guards cleared the room. The King spoke briefly with the man who’d been at his side this entire time, then he gestured to me.

“We have a short time before the Cleric arrives. You should bathe.”

The words seemed so alien in the middle of this surreal and terrifying day, for a moment I just stared at him. But he either didn’t notice my stunned silence, or didn’t care. Because he and the man turned and started toward the end of the room from which he’d first arrived.

A moment later, realizing I had no choice, I stumbled after them.

The two men never spoke to me, though the King looked over his shoulder a few times to make sure I was following, and his servant tried to give me an encouraging smile that was just more terrifying than when they weren’t looking at me.

At the end of the room we’d been in there was a door that led into a wide corridor—much more obviously a cave tunnel than the other rooms we’d been in. The ceiling was rounded and the space clearly cut out of the rock.

I walked after them, staring around. There was no one behind me. I could have fled, darted down the hallway back into that room, or tried one of these other large wooden doors we were passing. But their casual acceptance that it wasn’t a risk to leave me to follow only affirmed my conviction that while the King wasn’t actually watching me, he’d know the moment I tried to flee, and I wouldn’t make it more than a few steps.

He walked with the casual grace of the predator, and even in the hubbub of that crowd of people he’d heard me mutter to myself. This wasn’t a man I could easily flee.

If I tried to run now, I’d probably be dead before I reached that room.

Still talking quietly, the two men led me to a small chamber off the hall, like a bathroom in a cave. It was a small, elongated semi-circle shape with rounded walls and ceiling. Small lanterns nestled in tiny self-alcoves in the wall all the way around a huge bathtub, already full and steaming—how had they done that? The copper basin was easily big enough for two people—even if one of them was a large wolf-man, which made me nervous what he thought was going to happen right now.

But as soon as I stepped inside, the servant opened a small, freestanding cupboard against the wall and brought out two massive, fluffy towels, and some soap.

“You’ll have about thirty minutes,” the King drawled. “I trust that is enough time to… improve yourself.” He smirked.

I gave him a flat look, then took the towels. “I’ll do my best.”

He nodded as if that was only expected. “I will prepare for the vows. Ghere will remain outside. You can call him if you have need of anything.”

“I… okay.”

He turned on his heel and started for the door and it seemed so strange to look at him—the man was about to become my husband—and I knew nothing about him except that he was beautiful and cold.

“Wait,” I said quickly, lifting one hand.

He stopped abruptly, then turned to look at me, his forehead pinched with disapproval.

“What?” he asked impatiently.

I swallowed. “What… what do I call you?”

He smirked. “Majesty? Lord? Master? You can choose.”

My heart sank and frantic fear began to chitter in my head. I wasn’t sure I could do this.

“We’re going to get married and… and mate and… you want me to call you Master?”

He sighed and folded his arms, his lips twisting as if he was considering me. “My name is Casimir. Those who are… intimate, call me Cazz. You may. If you wish.”

“Cazz-uh-meer?” I asked hesitantly.

He nodded. “And you are?”

“Jesse,” I said, and had to swallow a humorless, hysterical laugh as it came home to me that I was introducing myself to a man that I was about to vow my life to.

He frowned. “Isn’t that a male name among your kind?”

Why did that make me bristle? “It’s… it’s both.”

His forehead pinched again, but then he sighed as if he didn’t care enough to pursue it. “Well, Jesse, our time ticks away. Please, clean up as best you can. I will have a gown brought for you in twenty minutes, and then we’ll return to the chamber for the vows.”

I nodded, speechless with his casual reference to what was going to amount to our wedding.

“Do you prefer hair up or hair down?” I asked quietly as he turned away again. And this time he froze for a moment before turning back to me again slowly, looking at me suspiciously like he was anticipating a trap.

“What did you say?”

I frowned. “I was asking if you’d prefer my hair up or my hair down? For the vows?”

His eyes narrowed. “Why would you ask me that?”

I was confused. “You’re going to be my husband. This is our wedding, right?” How ridiculous that sounded coming out of my mouth. I didn’t even know this man! “I… I guess I thought you might have a preference?”

He glanced at the servant who was watching our exchange nervously, then returned his gaze to me, scanned me once, from head to toe, then back up.

“Hair up,” he said suddenly. “I’ll have some combs and clips brought with the gown.” Then his voice dropped to a deep, silky gruffness. “I’ll enjoy taking it down for you.”

A clench of heat gripped me low in my belly. A shocking jolt behind the fear and confusion. His eyes remained on mine, that eerie glow behind them flaring, though I didn’t feel any of that horrific power coming off of him, thank God. Then with a small, lopsided smile he turned again and prowled out of the door.

I was left standing there with his servant.

A moment later the man sort of flinched, then stepped forward like he was leaping to it. “I’ll leave you,” he said, ducking his head without meeting my eyes.

“I’m sorry… but what’s your name?” I asked him quickly as he darted for the door. He drew to a halt, one hand on the handle of it, turning only his head and smiling at me. “I’m Ghere.”

“Gear?”

He nodded. “And might I say, Jesse, that I think… I think I am looking forward to this.”

“To what?”

He looked out the door like he was checking that no one was there, then he whispered, just loud enough for me to hear. “To seeing someone show him… humanity.”

He was still smiling when he bowed his head quickly, then left, closing the door behind him and leaving me alone.