The Hurricane Wars

Talasyn makes it down the aisle without falling. Alaric offers her his arm and gently leads her to the altar. Talasyn feels skittish with all the eyes watching her, but Alaric centers her as her Lightweave calls out to his Shadowforge. As Talasyn ignores the words of the officiant, she keeps her hands clasped in Alaric’s as the officiant binds their hands together in a symbolic ritual of fate.

As they exchange vows, Alaric finds himself affected by the romance and dedication of the words Talasyn says to him, even though he logically knows she does not mean them. The only marriage he knows is that of his parents, which ended in betrayal and heartbreak. His magic calls out to Talasyn’s the way his body calls out to hers, as he never wants to stop touching her. His bare hands relish the touch of her skin.

When they finish exchanging vows and rings, Talasyn knows she must kiss him. She mentally prepared herself for a short, perfunctory kiss, but when she starts kissing Alaric, she can’t stop, especially when he wraps his arm around her waist and pulls her closer. They kiss for what feels like an eternity before Talasyn pulls back, listening to the sound of gongs filling the tower, announcing to all of the Nenavar that they are wed.

Alaric and Talasyn board a schooner after their wedding. Talasyn’s dress is so large it takes up three seats. Alaric cannot stop looking at her, which Talasyn notices. Uncomfortable, she picks at the beading of her dress. Alaric stops her, holding her hand. He doesn’t let go until they reach the Roof of Heaven.

At the feast, the air is tense, as Talasyn is now the Night Empress, and the power balance with Urduja has shifted. They sit for the meal, and Elagbi makes a joke about how he never thought Talasyn would marry Alaric after she learned of her royal identity. Alaric finds this strange, and later during the feast, he asks Talasyn why she returned to the Continent to fight a losing war. Talasyn cites her duty, but Alaric is suspicious, noting to himself that Talasyn previously said she was lonely all her life and wanted a family desperately, but ran from it once she found it.

When it’s time to leave the feast, Talasyn returns to her rooms, and Jie dresses her in a flimsy, revealing nightgown after washing her makeup off and braiding her hair. Talasyn objects to the dress, feeling vulnerable, but Jie insists she wear it. Alaric arrives, and there’s no time for Talasyn to change.

Alaric is shocked by the sight of Talasyn in her nightgown. She tells him not to laugh, though he does not think it’s funny; he finds it arousing as he takes in the sight of her body through the sheer fabric. Talasyn tells him to share the bed with her; otherwise, when the servants arrive, they will gossip that he was sleeping on the floor. He climbs into bed, and Talasyn tells him to go to sleep, as she has to train tomorrow when he returns to Kesath. He presses her for what her training is about, and she keeps it vague, saying she must study with Urduja to learn politics, politics she clearly doesn’t agree with. Alaric finds himself wanting one more fight, one more passionate moment before he leaves, so he pushes her, chiding her for needing to be told what to do even as Lachis’ka. She reminds him that he also lives under the thumb of his father, calling him a dog on a leash, and as the argument heats up, they get in each other’s faces, culminating in another passionate kiss.

As they kiss, they touch each other intimately, finally using each other’s first names. Alaric calls Talasyn “Tala,” which means “star” in Nenavarene. Talasyn loses herself in the moment, in the intimacy, in the feeling of another person touching her. After they finish, though, she feels again that she’s betrayed her people. She tells Alaric it was a mistake and makes him sleep on the floor.

Alaric wakes to Talasyn throwing a pillow in his face. He realizes someone is at the door, so he quickly climbs into bed with Talasyn. He regrets taking liberties with her the night prior, but he feels a pang as he remembers how gently she touched him and stroked his hair. He knows he has to go back to Kesath without Talasyn, and when she arrives in a fortnight those moments will be lost to him.

Talasyn meets with Urduja to discuss the future. Urduja is providing the Sardovian fleet with ship repairs, Enchanters to help them, and supplies, but she states that she cannot shelter them indefinitely; within a year, they need to be ready to attack the Night Empire, or Urduja will cease helping. Talasyn is angry, as she regards Urduja as a potential enemy if she decides to side with Kesath. Urduja tells Talasyn that she has to be politically prudent and choose the right side for her people: In order to protect the Sardovians, Talasyn must continue to perform her role as Lachis’ka. Talasyn leverages her power as Night Empress to insist that, with the exception of the Storm God’s Eye, she be allowed to travel wherever she wants in Nenavar and commune with the Belian Sever. Urduja agrees.

As Alaric prepares to leave, Talasyn says goodbye to him. They barely discuss their intimacy, with Talasyn again repeating that hate and love are both passions. Alaric tells Talasyn he will look for Khaede in the Citadel. Talasyn asks if Khaede can come to Nenavar, and though Alaric is reluctant to release a prisoner of war, he tells Talasyn he will try. His departure is emotional, as Talasyn realizes she wants to be intimate with him again as his ship disappears into the distance.

As soon as Alaric returns to the Citadel, Gaheris summons him. Alaric realizes something is off about his father, and Gaheris reveals that Mathire captured one of the sariman birds during her search through Nenavar for the Sardovian forces. Gaheris wants to study the sariman, to find a way to rob Talasyn of her Lightweaving powers once and for all, while also using the technology to overtake the Nenavar Dominion. Alaric clenches his fists as he watches the bird flit around the cage.