Always - Iris Johansen [58]
“Wedding? But how did—” Lisa broke off. “Don’t tell me; let me guess. Marna.”
Kira nodded. “She woke me up at six and told me it was going to be today.” She shook her head reproachfully. “You could have given me a little more time. I’m not a miracle worker, you know. I’ve been on the phone since seven inviting all the guests. I’ve called Zalandan and Philip and Pandora and …” She waved an all-encompassing hand. “Oh, everyone. The ceremony is set for noon at the palace with the reception directly following it.” She frowned. “I would have preferred an evening reception, but I thought that would have been too strenuous a day for Lisa.”
“We were just planning a simple ceremony,” Lisa said faintly. She felt as if she were being swept along by a tidal wave. “I don’t know.…”
“This will be simple,” Kira assured her. “Nothing to wear you out, I promise.” Her expression suddenly became grave. “It won’t really be a social occasion. We just want to be there and share your happiness. Marna’s tribe has a saying that to share joy is to share the soul. The only people who will be there are the people who love Clancy and want to love you.” She smiled gently. “Let us share your joy, Lisa.”
“You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do,” Clancy said. “What has been planned can be unplanned.”
A very pregnant bride, a roomful of strangers who would be wondering, as Kira had, if she was good enough for Clancy. It wasn’t an inviting prospect, yet these were Clancy’s friends and he must want them to share this important moment in his life. It was a little thing to give, compared to what he had given her. “Why should I want to do that? It sounds wonderful.” She smiled at him. “That’s why you brought me to Sedikhan, remember? You wanted me to meet your people.”
“Marvelous,” Kira said. “Now I suggest you hurry downstairs and have your breakfast. You have twenty minutes to do that, and then I figured you could take Lisa on to Marasef in your helicopter. I’ve arranged for a chauffeur from the palace to meet you at the airport and take you to Alex and Sabrina. I’ll follow you in the helicopter you used to fly here last night and bring Galbraith and Marna.” She stopped for breath. “Okay?”
Lisa chuckled. “Okay. I have only one question.”
“What? Oh, Lord, have I missed something?”
“No, I just wanted to know why you thought you weren’t suited to rule a country. You obviously could reorganize the entire social structure of the world single-handed, if it suited your fancy.”
Kira shook her head. “If I did, you wouldn’t want to live in it. Pure chaos. Clancy will tell you.” She smiled. “This is different. This is joy. I’m very good at joy.” She turned away. “Now please hurry. I have to get dressed myself, and I still have to make sure the flowers are delivered on time.” She was hurrying down the hall as she spoke. “I’ll see you in Marasef.”
“You know, I bet she is very good at joy,” Lisa said softly as she watched Kira disappear down the corridor.
“But then so are we,” Clancy said as he took her hand. “And we’re getting better all the time. Shall we go down to breakfast? We’re already two minutes behind Kira’s schedule. We’ll have to make it up somewhere or face the consequences.”
They made up the two minutes by skipping a second cup of coffee at the end of breakfast and were walking across the courtyard toward the helicopter precisely on time. Besides the familiar blue-and-white airship, there was another bright canary-yellow helicopter sitting some thirty yards distant.
“Mr. Donahue.”
They turned to see Marna hurrying toward them. “I have something for you.”
“Another talisman?” Clancy’s brows raised quizzically.
“In a way. It’s an ancient Tamrovian coin severed in two.” She handed one piece to Lisa and the other to Clancy. “I have put a very powerful spell on it. If you both carry it with you during the ceremony, you will never be parted.”
“That’s a spell I’d be willing to try to cast myself,” he said gently. He turned and opened the helicopter door. “Thank you, Marna.”
Lisa impulsively