Luminary by Krista McGee

Author:Krista McGee [McGee, Krista]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction
ISBN: 9781401688745
Amazon: 1401688748
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Published: 2014-01-07T08:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

People are clapping and Alex is hugging me and the king is laughing genially. I am frozen. The fog that my mind was in has lifted, and I am suddenly, painfully aware that this cannot be. I will not embarrass the king or Alex by refusing at this dinner. Planned for me. And Alex. And our engagement.

How did this happen? Why would such an announcement be made without even consulting me? That is State-like behavior. Not the actions of a place that allows for freedom and emotion. Surely there has been a mistake. Or perhaps engagement means something different here than what John spoke of.

I release a breath I did not realize I had been holding. Of course that’s what it is. I will ask Alex afterward how they define it. We will laugh over my misunderstanding.

We sit and begin our meal. Music is playing. “I thought you said there were no instruments here,” I say to Alex as a delicious-smelling liquid is placed in front of us. Alex sips it with a spoon, so I do the same.

Alex looks at me, his brows coming together. “I didn’t think that would be the first question you asked me.”

“I’m saving the others for when we are not surrounded by dozens of people.” I smile. “The music?”

“Right.” He points to a box above our heads. “It is a recording, from before. We have some specialists who restored all the recordings the people of Athens had. We play them only on special occasions. Like this. Do you like it?”

There are several instruments playing at once. I love the sound. “It is beautiful.”

The rest of the evening goes by in a blur. I cannot focus, cannot even think of the questions I want to ask. Alex is kind and attentive and very handsome. I would not mind if the Athenian definition of engagement is the same as the other one I have heard. Although I cannot seem to remember where I heard that other one. Nothing seems to be real except Alex and the king and this food and the party.

The king stands again, after we have eaten a food made from apples and sugar. My stomach is too full to hold any more food, so I hope he isn’t announcing that more is on its way.

“Thank you all for coming.” He motions to the doors, which are being opened by the men who work here. “We will invite you all back for the wedding.”

The people clap and walk out. They do not talk as they exit. They simply leave, filing out one at a time, very orderly.

Wedding . . . I know the word wedding, and I know the word engagement, though I still don’t recall how I know them. When the king made the announcement, he said I was their future queen. Engagement. Wedding. Queen. And I am struck with an uncomfortable reality.

The woman who fixed my hair walks by, and I smell “my” perfume again. I keep my mouth closed but breathe it in.

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