Frost Boarding house

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The Wedding

By Joanna Reeder © 2021

Grandmother Frost would roll in her grave if she knew I was marrying a phoenix today. Camilla Frost laughed at her reflection as she fumbled with the pins she tried to get into her hair. But to no avail. She pulled out the pins for the hundredth time and threw them onto the hotel vanity, then lifted the brush to run it through her impossible, limp hair.

Her head was hurting with all her failed attempts to put it into a somewhat pretty arrangement, and her arms ached with the effort. Camilla had to push back the sharp pain that threatened to pierce her heart with the accompanied memories of everyone she’d lost. Especially the loss of those who should be here, helping her get ready for the most important day of her life. Her arms would not be tired if someone else’s hands arranged her hair.

She focused on the absurdities of the day instead.

And Grandmother would die all over again in her horror if she knew a vampire was walking me down the aisle.

At least that brought another smile to Camilla’s face as the pretty blonde-haired girl knocked once, then let herself into the room.

“Please tell me you know how to arrange hair?” Camilla asked her, blinking to rid the forming tears.

The girl was a couple of years younger than Camilla, perhaps fifteen or sixteen. When she and Evandrus stumbled on the quaint little church last week, Camilla found the girl sitting on an overgrown stone bench behind the church, gazing out into the forest.

“Are you lost?” Camilla asked.

The girl looked at her once, then looked back into the trees. “No. I don’t live far. This is just my favorite place.”

“It is beautiful,” Camilla said, looking into the forest. It wasn’t her forest, but it had a similar face as the Washington forest. Still, Camilla knew if she ventured into these trees, she wouldn’t happen upon the bank of the Columbia River. She wouldn’t find her orchard. She wasn’t sure what she’d find if she explored this strange forest. She was far, far away from home.

“Are you lost?” the girl asked.

Camilla wiped the tear she hadn’t realized escaped, then shook her head. “No, I am not lost.”

“But you aren’t from here.”

She shook her head again, then gestured at the bench. “May I?”

The girl nodded and Camilla sat next to her. “My fiancé is inquiring whether he and I can marry in your pretty little church.”

The girl sighed. “Someday I want to marry in this church too.”

“It is lovely.”

Camilla felt the girl’s eyes on her, watching her. When Camilla turned to introduce herself, she recognized something in her blue eyes that made her pause. An emotion that was similar, but a little less raw than Camilla’s own grief. She wanted to ask, but didn’t know how to find the words.

Instead, she asked, “Do you think you could be my attendant for my wedding?”

“Like a bridesmaid?”

Camilla winced, then looked down at her hands folded in her lap. “More like my maid of honor?”

The girl sat back, but her expression wasn’t one of judgment, just curiosity and a hint of understanding even though they didn’t know one another’s tragedies. “Don’t you have any female relatives or friends to fill the roll?”

“I have lost all my female relatives and friends,” she said, trying not to let the ache of losing Gemma, her mother, and even Aline write their story on her face. 

But it was no use. The girl saw it and nodded. “I lost my parents.”

“I did too.” Her mother had not died, but she still lost her.

“I have my sisters. I don’t know what I would do without them.”

“You are lucky then. I have no sisters, but I feel the same about my brother,” Camilla said, feeling the strength from this young girl who found strength despite her loss.

“I would be happy to be your maid of honor, but I should at least know your name.”

“Camilla Frost.”

“Nice to meet you, Camilla Frost. I’m Lucy Rhett.”

“Actually, someone is here to see you,” Lucy said, opening the door wider to reveal a familiar face Camilla had not seen in at least a year. 

“Mrs. Suzuki?” she whispered, standing to greet the woman.

The kitsune smiled at Lucy, who excused herself and shut the door behind her.

“Please, sit,” Mrs. Suzuki said, gesturing to the vanity chair. 

Camilla obeyed and handed the brush to the small woman. Her prayers had been heard. There was only one task she’d come here for. The kitsune began her work of twisting and braiding parts of Camilla’s hair, reminding her of the time she created the masterpieces for both her and Aline for the Harvest Ball. So much had happened since that fateful night.

“H-how?” Camilla asked as she worked.

“Miss Dracul contacted me and brought me straightaway.”

“But I thought you were in California?”

She shook her head. “When we learned of the events at your boarding house, we fled east.”

“I didn’t know.” A deep regret pitted itself in Camilla’s stomach. She rolled several tiny ice balls between her fingers, lining them along the vanity to expel some of her grief. It was safer than setting off an arctic winter, which she was once guilty of. She also felt responsible about what happened at the boarding house. Organizing a school for changers, gathering so many in one place and so close to a vampire fortification, was foolish and proved devastating.

Mrs. Suzuki paused her work, leaning over her shoulder to meet Camilla’s eyes in the mirror. “Do not blame yourself. It was not your fault.”

“I just didn’t realize what happened affected more than those who were in Washington.”

“It affected all changers.” Mrs. Suzuki was quiet a moment as she worked. “It is wise to lie low for a while, but we can rebuild. I think what you tried to do, creating a haven and a school for changers, is just what our kind needs.”

“Do you think another school will exist?” Camilla asked, but didn’t know how she could ever find the strength and the courage to do it again.

Mrs. Suzuki must have seen the trauma and anxiety in her eyes. “Someday. For now you would do well to live your life, have lots of babies, and keep your future family safe. You are a rare and precious alicorn, after all.”

Camilla blushed at the mention of children. With her wedding day today, children might be in her near future. “You said Aline brought you?” she asked, directing the conversation elsewhere.

Mrs. Suzuki frowned at the back of Camilla’s head.

“Is she here?”

The kitsune nodded, her fingers slowing. “She wishes to see you.”

The door swung open, as if on cue, and Aline Dracul walked into the room.

Camilla straightened in front of the mirror but didn’t turn. Although she could see her well enough in the mirror, she didn’t think she could face the dragon who took so much from her. 

Aline stood with her dark hair unbound and loose around her shoulders, her hand clasped in front of her, partially hiding the small bump in her lower abdomen. Camilla had almost forgotten her former friend was with child, and she wondered if Aline knew the curse that affected her also applied to her progeny.

Mrs. Suzuki finished with Camilla’s hair while Aline stood in patient silence, then pulled out a mirror for Camilla to see another masterpiece decorated with glittering, diamond-like balls of ice. Her ice. Camilla’s eyes shot to the vanity where her ice balls had vanished, taken without her notice by the kitsune who used pieces of her guilt and her grief to decorate her hair.

“They’re a part of you,” Mrs. Suzuki whispered. “You should wear them with pride, even if you bore them out of grief.” She then excused herself and left the room, glancing briefly at the dragon before walking out the door.

“You look lovely, Camilla,” Aline said, when they were alone. 

Ice seeped from Camilla’s heart through her extremities, forming chilled tears in the corner of her eyes.

“Can you ever forgive me?” The dragon’s volume dropped so low, Camilla barely heard it.

“You killed my friend.”

“I know.”

“And you killed the man who might have brought her back. Frederick might have brought her back, and you ruined that too.”

“I know. Can you ever forgive me?”

Camilla stared at her. She stared at the woman who was once a dear friend. The woman who walked into her life with such a force it knocked the breath out of her. The woman who terrified her the moment she laid eyes on her. 

But… she was also the woman who became nearly as dear to her as Gemma MacLugh.

She was the woman who taught her how to accept her own alicorn nature. She was the woman who taught her how to shift, and how to use her powers. She was the woman whose desire to help other changers was so great, she undertook the task of forming a school for changers from scratch.

But… she was also the woman who killed Gemma and any hope of bringing the powerful selkie woman back.

“You can’t be here,” Camilla said. “Today is my wedding day, and we did not invite you. Please leave.” She felt a tightness in her throat as she shoved down the tears that threatened to spill. She could not walk down the aisle with red cheeks and puffy eyes. Not today. Not the day that was supposed to be the best day of her tragically ripped-apart life.

“Camilla.” Aline took a step toward her, arms outreached.

“My brother is here, if he sees you…” She couldn’t finish the sentence, and gritted her teeth at the terrifying image of what might happen if Leif stumbled upon the royal dragon.

Aline nodded sadly, opened her mouth to say something, but then thought better of it and left without another word.

Camilla waited until her footsteps faded before she burst into sobs.

***

It took some time for the tears to stop, and then longer for dear Lucy to hide all traces that Something had upset Camilla before the two of them exited the hotel and made their way to the church. But the ache in her heart no longer throbbed so painfully when she saw her brother waiting for her just outside the double doors.

“Camilla,” he breathed when he saw her. His suit was smart, his shoes were polished, his hair was clean and tied back. Leif’s smile was genuine, and she knew the love she saw in his blue eyes for her was real and would never wane despite what he now was, but she knew him well enough to see the pain hiding behind the smile. He was not her grimy, orchard-keeping, carefree brother anymore. 

She stopped in front of him, looking up into his face, and a part of her wished she could erase everything that happened since a certain dragon and phoenix arrived in their corner of the world and uprooted everything. But had they not arrived and uprooted, Camilla would not have fallen in love with that phoenix. Nor would she be standing in front of church ready to walk in and marry him.

Leif’s eyes narrowed, studying her, and a smile upturned one corner of his mouth.

“What’s wrong?” Camilla asked, checking her teeth even though she’d eaten nothing today with the bundle of nerves churning her stomach and stealing her appetite. She silently asked Lucy if anything was amiss. Lucy frowned, then shook her head.

“I’m just looking for my irritating little sister who requires rescuing from trees and chiding for not minding her manners, underneath all the lace and behind the freshly scrubbed face.”

“I could say the same about you.” Camilla smiled and lifted one of his frigid hands, looking for nonexistent dirt underneath his fingernails.

“Instead—” Leif’s voice caught, and he gently squeezed her hand. “A beautiful, grown-up woman stands before me, ready to marry one of my friends.”

“Your friend?” Tears threatened to build again.

Leif offered his arm and Camilla took it.

He leaned closer to her, lowering his voice. “I do not fault Evandrus for what happened.”

She didn’t realize how much that question had worried her until he said the words. She worried he would slowly and effectively remove himself from her life because of the man she chose to spend her life with. “So… you approve?”

“I approve.”

“Oh, Camilla!” Lucy interrupted. “You don’t have a bouquet!” The girl ran off before Camilla could say anything.

“I don’t need flowers,” she said to Leif, who shrugged.

But it gave her an idea, and she pulled away from her brother to form a handful of intricate and delicate flowers with her ice. He watched her as she worked, his eyes widening in awe at her creation. One by one, she handed them to Leif to hold until she finished. Some were clear, sparkling in the sunlight like crystals on a carnival carousel, others cloudy and etched with designs like a certain golden ball she’d once seen made of fire. By the time Lucy returned with some already-wilting wildflowers, the ice-bouquet was complete. Leif handed it back to Camilla.

“That’s beautiful,” Lucy said, reaching a hand out as if to touch them, but drew back at the last moment.

Camilla plucked an ice flower—a rose—from her bouquet to hand to Lucy. “Here. You carry this one.”

The blonde-haired girl discarded her real flowers on the dirt and gingerly took the ice-rose before standing in front of Camilla and Leif to lead them inside.

Leif smiled down at her, holding his arm out for her again. “Are you ready?”

She bit her lip, but nodded and held onto him for support.

The doors opened, and Lucy led the way. The music of the organ enveloped them.

“Have I ever told you the story about the phoenix who burned down an entire village because a naughty child stole one of his feathers?” Leif asked, leaning closer to Camilla as they crossed the threshold.

Camilla lifted an eyebrow and held her head higher. “Your stories don’t frighten me anymore, Leif Villers.”

“What about the story of the phoenix who—”

She nudged him to stop him and smiled, barely holding back the laugh that wanted to burst. “Not now!” she hissed. “I’m about ready to marry one of them!”

“Fine then, I’ll just save them for Little Camilla and Evandrus Junior.”

She squeezed his arm. He might tease her to help quell her nerves, but she heard the pain behind his voice. And it pained herknowing that wound might never heal. Her brother had found love after his first disappointment with Beatrice Morton, but Camilla feared no woman could hold a candle to the one he’d lost. She just hoped he could find some semblance of happiness in his long existence.

When her eyes lifted to the man waiting for her at the end of the aisle: hair ablaze, eyes filled with fire and a smile that ignited her very skin, her breast was filled with a realization and Lucy’s question behind the church a week ago came to mind. Camilla might have lost the three most important women from her life: Gemma, her mother and Aline Dracul, but she still had two of the three most important men in her life. Her heart still grieved for her father, for the man who should be walking her down this aisle and was the only parent who accepted her nature unconditionally. But she had not lost her dear adoptive brother, Leif Villers. And she had not lost the man who held her heart, Evandrus Quinn. She would have both Evandrus and Leif in her life and between the three of them, perhaps they could heal the wounds that had inflicted all of them over the past year.

The church was near empty. The pews were vacant. Only the pastor of the church and her beloved stood at the end of the aisle. And when Leif kissed her on the cheek and gave her away to the man she loved, it was only he and Lucy and the organist who looked on as witnesses of their union.

Camilla had never dreamed of a large wedding, but she expected there to be a few dozen people in attendance at least. She expected to be standing among her beloved apple trees or amid the Silver pines of her Washington forest. More recently, she had even expected the event to be not unlike Aline Dracul’s wedding, with decorations of ice and fire and exotic guests of all different changer types. 

But when she finally and officially belonged to Evandrus, and he to her, as they walked out of the church hand in hand, she could not be happier with her tiny little wedding.

***

Camilla did not blame Leif for leaving afterward. She knew it pained him to see the one thing he wanted for himself, even though she also knew he was happy for her. And although the inside of that church was one of Lucy Rhett’s sanctuaries—sitting in the pew to view the pretty stained-glass window—she too left the happy couple, exiting with the organist and the pastor to allow the newlyweds a moment alone before they walked out to begin their new life together.

It was a happy moment. A perfect moment. 

But when they exited, a woman leaned against the church wall in the shadows and said Camilla’s name. Her face was concealed under the wide brim of her hat, but Camilla would recognize her voice anywhere.

“Mother?” she breathed, leaning into her new husband as her legs weakened beneath her. It seemed her happy moment was over. 

Evandrus steadied her until she could stand on her own. 

Jane Frost straightened when Camilla untangled her hand from Evandrus and approached. But realizing her mother likely knew about the wedding and hadn’t bothered to go inside to watch filled Camilla with anger and grief. 

“Today is the happiest day of my life,” she said. “Why are you here?” She could not help but think her mother was there to ruin things.

But the pain and trepidation in her mother’s eyes softened her anger. She looked… regretful.

Camilla waited for her to respond, afraid that she’d misinterpreted the look the way she’d misinterpreted her mother her entire life.

“I’m sorry I did not come inside. I heard the ceremony from out here, but I didn’t think you’d want— “A choked sob cut off her words.

“You’re my mother.” Camilla softened, realizing her initial reaction was wrong. “If you wanted to come to my wedding, I would not have resented you for it.”

Mrs. Frost sniffed once and composed herself. “So… you chose the phoenix?”

Camilla nodded. “I’m sorry if that disappoints you, but yes, I love Evandrus.”

“Where is your father? Why is he not here?” her mother asked. Why did that vampire walk you down the aisle, Camilla imagined she wanted to add.

“Since you’re here, I assumed you heard what happened?” When her mother didn’t nod, she continued, “Vampires destroyed the boarding house. And they killed Father. Then, all the changers fled.”

Mrs. Frost nodded. “When Miss Dracul contacted me and told me about the wedding, I thought…”

 “You thought I ran away to elope?” The assumption hurt. “How could you think that?” she whispered. “You knew Father as well as I. He accepted what I was, what I am, and he approved of my choice in Mr. Quinn. He gave Mr. Quinn his blessing before everything was taken from us.”

Mrs. Frost’s mouth opened, then closed again in silence.

“Will you ever accept what I am?”

“It’s not that, I…” Mrs. Frost’s brown eyes met her daughter’s. “I shall try.”

Evandrus, a silent bystander during the entire exchange, moved forward to hook an arm around his bride. When Jane Frost looked at him, she shook her head.

“No. I can’t.” She looked at her daughter for the last time. “I hope you have a good life, Camilla. I won’t bother you again.”

***

The pair of them walked along the unfamiliar road until they came to a small graveyard and found a secluded corner for Camilla to weep on the shoulder of her new husband until her tears ran out. 

“H-How did she even know we were here? How did Aline know we were getting married here?”

“I—”

“I saw Aline too,” Camilla interrupted, sitting up to look at Evandrus’ tanned face through her blurred vision. “She came to see me before the ceremony. She brought that kitsune woman, Mrs. Suzuki, to do my hair.” Camilla reached up to feel the still-perfect arrangement and fingered a few of the small ice crystals adorning it.

When he didn’t speak right away, she knew.

“You told her.”

“Listen to me, Camilla Quinn,” he said, lifting his hands to cup her face before she could turn away. “I will do whatever will make you happy. I left her service and my allegiance now lies with you.” Pause. “But yes, I informed her of our wedding.” He dropped his hands. “She is my oldest friend, and for once, and possibly the last time in my life, I contacted her because I wanted her to know about our joyful news.”

Camilla nodded.

He dropped his tone. “Even if you can’t find it in your heart to forgive her for everything that has happened, my allegiance now and forever lies with you.”

“But you want me to forgive her.”

Evandrus shook his head, his fiery hair igniting with the afternoon sunlight filtering through the trees. “What she did is unforgivable, and I will never fault you if you cannot find it in yourself to forgive her. I will not speak to her or contact her again without your knowledge and blessing.”

“But you hope I do.”

His nod was so slight, it was barely a movement at all. She didn’t feel pressured by it, but Camilla didn’t want this hate in her heart forever. She turned the royal dragon away today, but she hoped there was redemption for their friendship. Someday.

“And my mother?”

She saw the doubt in his yellow-green eyes. He didn’t know her mother as well as she did, but they both knew they’d never see Jane Frost again. Camilla sank into that moment, allowing herself to feel the bitter pain of rejection from a once-beloved parent. She allowed herself to grieve and cried a few more tears, but they only lasted a finite moment because the feel of the strong arm around her shoulder, the feel of his lips pressed into her hair as she wept and the quiet stillness of her husband, Evandrus Quinn, healed her heart. He was her family now.

“So what happens now?” Her voice was raw, but no longer implied a deep ache. 

“Well, Mrs. Quinn,” he said, flashing her a smile that flipped her stomach. She liked the sound of her new name on his lips. “Now, we begin our lives together.” He nudged her, then stood and pulled her to her feet, then leaned in to whisper into her ear. “And hopefully bring little changers of our own into the world.”

Ice rushed into her cheeks and caused a fierce blush to color them, but she didn’t pull away when he leaned in for a lingering kiss.

“That was one thing my mother disapproved of in marrying you,” Camilla said when they parted and she took his arm to walk among the rows of headstones on their way out of the graveyard. “She said we might only have phoenix children, that the alicorn bloodline might be lost by marrying you.” She willed herself not to be embarrassed by the topic any longer, although her face chilled even more fiercely. It was no longer inappropriate conversation, since they were now husband and wife.

When he didn’t answer right away, she turned and saw a pensive look on his face.

“Do you think we might have an alicorn child?” Camilla heard the hope in her voice.

Evandrus frowned. “Your mother was probably right about our children, but I do not think the alicorn bloodline will be lost. I’m sure some descendant along the way will be an alicorn, or at least will possess your ice magic.”

“I hope so.” She pulled herself closer to him, squeezing his arm. He leaned down and kissed the top of her head again.

“Who knows, maybe a descendant will possess both.”

Camilla laughed once. “Can you imagine?” She lifted her hand and a mist of ice puffed upward from her palm as a snake-like fire danced around her wrist, melting her snow before extinguishing again.

As they walked out of the graveyard and back down the road, Camilla leaned her head against Evandrus’ shoulder. Her next question weighed on her. “Are we to rebuild a haven and school for changers?”

Camilla held bated breath while she waited for the answer. Especially when he stopped walking. She braced herself, knowing a school was what young changers needed. She needed guidance when she first changed. It was important work, possibly more important now, after the attack on her home. She felt a school and a haven was necessary, even if it terrified her to undergo the endeavor again.

But Camilla felt immediate guilt and relief when Evandrus shook his head. “No,” he frowned. “I think another school should be established… someday. But after what happened…” He shook his head again. “It is not safe now. So no… I do not think it will happen in our lifetime. It is more important that changers heal—that we heal.” He stopped walking and moved to wrap both arms protectively around her. “And that we protect and teach our own children and our children’s children so they are ready when it is time.”

Camilla hugged him back, then after a moment, pulled back to urge him to continue walking. When he didn’t budge, she looked up at him. “What’s wrong?” Too late she recognized the hint of mischievousness on his face and her face split into a smile too. “What is it?”

“I almost feel guilty after everything that’s happened, but I’m a very, very happy man right now.”

Her smile fell slightly, but only because she felt the guilt for being so happy too. “I feel the same.”

He kissed her again, then frowned when he pulled away. “Now… I’m sure I’ll get all levels of wrath for jumping into a wedding without inviting my family, but how do you feel about leaving tomorrow to meet the Quinns?”

Camilla twisted her mouth into a teasing grin. “Does it have to be tomorrow?”

Evandrus yanked her to him, making her squeal as he nuzzled her neck. “We don’t have to leave tomorrow.”

She playfully pushed him away. “It’s not just that,” she said, then sobered. “It’s just that Leif warned me about this phoenix who burned an entire village to the ground because some naughty child stole one of his feathers.”

He laughed once as she laced her arm through his again and they quickened their pace. “Remind me to make sure we don’t let Uncle Leif tell our future children bedtime stories.”

“I’m afraid it’s too late. He’s already planning on it.”