Healer's Wedding (Fiction)
About Sediryl and Jahir's wedding.
Publication Data
- Series: Jubilee Summer
- Book: 1
- Publication Date: January 2019
- Editions: Ebook and Paperback
- Revisions: 1
Blurb
Nearly a year has passed since the conclusion of the Chatcaavan War… which means it’s time for Jahir and Sediryl to marry, and Sediryl to kneel for the coronet of the imperial heir! All their allies are gathering to celebrate, from the expected, like the Queen Ransomed and Lisinthir, to mentors and friends from years past. But life doesn’t pause for momentous events, no matter how joyous or anticipated. There are issues Jahir and Sediryl have yet to resolve, issues that reflect the greater challenges besetting their world and the Alliance. Before they can join hands for the wedding cloth, they’ll have to face at least one of those challenges… and it won’t be the first.
Healer’s Wedding, Book 1 in the Jubilee Summer duology, brings together the characters from Her Instruments, Dreamhealers, and Princes’ Game for a capstone season of politics and pleasure. Return to the homeworld of the Eldritch and the company of friends!
Tags and Content Notes
- Tags: politics, space elves; multicultural; bisexual content; city building; feel-good story
- Rating: R for references to adult relations, difficult family relationships
Buy Links
http://books2read.com/u/3yDBpn
Synopsis
Prologue
Beth continues her convent tour, where she plays up the fact that she's some kind of damaged person, skillfully manipulating the tenants into revering her while she travels. She arrives at the convent of Saint Militha, where she has a meeting with Amber. Amber tells her he dislikes Lisinthir, both because he rescued her and also, with Sediryl, declined to let him do something he found sufficiently dramatic to avenge Beth. Filing this away, Beth manipulates Amber into pledging himself to her cause.
Key Quote
"You speak of the Queen, now styling herself Empress, and her new heir, our cousin. And all their coterie of alien-lovers, who would throw our world into the arms of people who could not defend themselves from dragons. And they expect these failures to defend us?" - Amber
Chapter One
Sediryl is being given a tour of Jerent Mysfeldt's test plot, and she is amazed that these plants are growing on her home world. Qora, who with another Faulfenzair has volunteered to take the tour with her, reminds her that she also has to think of a gift (meaning for her investiture), also asking her what Beth brought to her investiture. However, Sediryl is more stumped on what to give Jahir as a troth gift for their upcoming wedding. At Maia's suggestion, Sediryl decides she'll turn to Vasiht'h for help.
Back at her office at Ontine, Sediryl is ambushed by Val, who presses her about her training. Qora volunteers to take over her training since she can't give Val the time he says she needs to take, and Val leaves, satisfied. Qora was serious, however, and intends to keep teaching her Faulfenza dance. Sediryl reluctantly agrees to give an hour each day to Qora right as the sun rises.
Chapter Two
Amber's coming home! And before the wedding! Jeasa is excited and tells Jahir, Vasiht'h, Sehvi, and Marevhe about it, inviting them all to come, then goes off to prepare. After she's left, however, Sehvi wonders why now, since Jahir's been home from the war for months. Jahir reminds them that lacking modern technology, travel isn't a minor effort, but Sehvi presses. In the end, Sehvi volunteers to go round up whoever else might be able to come and apologizes to Jahir for "being too forthright", which Jahir accepts. Marevhe decides to leave as well, leaving Jahir and Vasiht'h to talk. Vasiht'h immediately begins with the possible political nature of Amber not showing up yet. Jahir floats that he could be returning in order to attend the wedding. Despite his misgivings communicated through the mindline, Vasiht'h expresses some optimism.
When he later talks to Sediryl, she is less sanguine about it, and offers to come. Jahir declines, citing Jeasa's desire to keep it to immediate family, though Sediryl points out Amber might not think so due to the presence of aliens. The conversation shifts to them discussing Beth's meddling via letters sent to the broadsheet before Jahir leaves for the day, opting to study in Firilith. Vasiht'h decides to come with, because his mother is going in that direction and he wants to eat Kis'eh't's pies.
Jahir settles into his favorite table at the new cafe in Forecourt, sampling the emotional presence of those around him and noting that while there was harmony, there was also some friction, but a healthy friction. The proprietor of the cafe's mother brings him some food and the broadsheet, leaving to get him some coffee, and Jahir begins to read. Vasiht'h doesn't like what he feels through the mindline, so (after some prodding) Jahir lets Vasiht'h read the latest missive some Beth, with the Glaseah providing caustic commentary. In the end, Jahir finally gets some studying in, and as he leaves, talks with Mistress Ivali, who makes pointed comments about not believing everything he reads.
Chapter Three
It's dinner time, and Jahir is looking over the table set for nine people: Vasiht'h's parents, Vasiht'h, Sevhi, Kovihs, aunt Sattri, Jeasa herself, and, of course, Jahir and Amber. The table is set with exquisite care with little cards for each of the participants, and Jeasa mentions to Jahir that she put all of Amber's favorites on the menu, which Jahir doesn't mind. Jeasa also brings up the matter of the succession (since Jahir is marrying out of the Seni line and into the imperial one), but Jahir assures her that it's not an issue.
This nice moment is interrupted by a servant bringing news of riders on the lane. At least 10. Vasiht'h, picking up Jahir's uncertainty at the amount of riders, comes along to see what's up. Two riders have come forward, one of them Amber. Jahir tries to sense the other rider, but finds that like Sediryl, he couldn't sense an aura off them. Vasiht'h, who arrives at this point, wonders aloud why Jahir is thinking of using his mind-mage powers to force himself into the stranger's mind. He also figures out that, by standing out on the lane and not approaching, they are both threatening and insulting the Seni household but with no clear reason as to why.
Jeasa goes to the top stair as Amber helps the other rider down... a woman. The guest reveals themself to be Bethsaida, and both Vasiht'h and Jahir figure that this dinner is going to go poorly.
Amber immediately questions the number of place settings, though Jeasa is still smarting (and hiding it) from Amber bringing a guest without warning her, denying her an opportunity to provide hospitality. Amber further objects to aliens (Vasiht'h and family) from attending, to spare Beth the reminders. Beth pipes up that she'll be fine, and after a quick conversation in the mindline between Jahir and Vasiht'h, Vasiht'h volunteers to go tell the rest that they've been uninvited.
During the dinner, Jahir (who can barely see that Bethsaida has an aura, from up close) sees the former heir spend most of the time sighing and not eating, with Amber shamelessly doting on her. Plus, Amber basically recounts a blow by blow account of Beth's letters to the broadsheet. Jahir tags him for a fool in unrequited love with Beth. With it over, Jeasa suggests they retire to the library as they used to do. Amber says he and Beth can't stay long, and won't stay overnight, since they wouldn't have stayed this long had they not been riding past. Jahir calls him out on that, and Beth finally pipes up by calling him a mind-mage. Jahir still wants to know how he insulted Amber because he wants to make amends, which Amber doesn't answer, but Beth does: Amber apparently felt slighted and ignored their whole childhood. Neither Jeasa or Jahir know what Beth is talking about, and as they start to leave in a huff, Jeasa tries to call Amber back to at least talk about the Seni succession. Amber wavers, but ultimately chooses Beth and they leave. Jahir tries one last time to call Amber back by inviting him to the wedding, but Amber insults Sediryl while insinuating his relationship with Lisinthir would be disapproved by greater Eldritch noble society.
Jeasa takes Jahir to the library.
Key Passage
Amber met her eyes, and for a long moment, Jahir thought... he would come back to them. He saw it, the wavering. Silently, he begged his brother to give into it. Not for the estate's sake, for the estate would manage even if Liolesa had to appoint a new lady to its head after their mother's death. But for their mother's, and for the memory of their father and... for him. Yes, that too. He loved Amber, and didn't know this stranger who held himself so pridefully apart.
"I will go where my lady goes," Amber said. "And she goes not here."