Note: This story was dynamically reformatted for online reading convenience.
 
 Chapter Four



   The next morning, Gracie paced back and forth nervously.  Today was the
day of her Wizard Exam.  She was nervous and on edge.  Rand watched her
pace for a few minutes before realizing that she needed something to
distract her.  Softly whispering the spell, he watched as a gentle breeze
filled the small area that he created around her.  The breeze caressed her
face.  Stopping she smiled softly and turned fully into the gentle breeze.
He could remember the first time that he had created this breeze for her.
Gracie had instantly been hooked on it.  Although most wizards could create
breezes such as this, the stronger wizards's breezes tended to carry the
wizards personality.  For a few more minutes Grace lingered in the breeze.
She felt much calmer now.  She should leave the breeze now.  She knew that
Rand could hold this breeze for long amounts of time but it wasn't fair to
him.  Turning she got ready to move out of the breeze when to her surprise,
Rand joined her in the small area that he had created to contain the
breeze.

   "Rand?" She questioned, surprise in eyes.

   "Hush," He said softly and pulled her in his arms.  They remained locked
together until a knock on the door jarred them.  Sighing he released the
breeze before answering the summons.  "Better?" Wordlessly she nodded.  "Go
get em' Gracie." He said softly as the official from the Wizard Exam
Registry entered the room.

   While Gracie took her Wizard's Exam, Rand went in search of his father.
He found him sitting in his mother's withdrawing room.  His mother sat,
cuddled up next to her husband.  Rand smiled softly at the picture that his
parents made.  They had been in love as long as he could remember.  Their
marriage was what he hoped to achieve with Gracie.  Not to say that his
parents hadn't ever fought.  But in the end they loved each other to much
to let their differences come between them.

   His father glanced up from the book that he had been reading.

   "Rand, son, what's wrong?" Mica asked with concern.  His son's aura was
turbulent at the moment.  "I need to talk to you." Rand said as he walked
over to the chair that faced the couch.  Sitting down, he rubbed the bridge
of his nose.  His mother stirred.  Glancing up at her husband, she debated
on leaving to give her husband and son privacy.  Stirring, she went to
stand.  Rand immediately motioned her sit back down.  "Stay, Mother.  I
could use a woman's view, too." Settling back down, she waited for him to
compose his thoughts.  Finally he sighed.  "How do you tell when the
mezclar has started?"

   His father paused as he thought back on his courting days, then
answered. "The frequency and intensity of the dreams became more frequent
and stronger.  It came to the point that they were all I could focus on
just before the wedding.  It was very distracting.  It was difficult not to
kidnap your mother and lock the door and throw away the key.  " Mica said
as he held his wife a little tighter.

   "And it's suppose to start during the full moon, correct?"

   "Yes, in our history it has always started on the full moon."

   "Then why has it already started?" Rand asked, in a frustrated voice.

   His father sat up straight.  "What?"

   "It's started.  It is only getting stronger.  And I can't figure out
what triggered it."

   "Did Grace initiate the mind merge?" His mother asked.

   "Yes."

   "When?"

   "The same day that you spoke with her about the social duties of the
queen." He said.

   "I need to talk to Gracie." The queen said as she stood.  "I'll be back
in a little while."

   Rand sat with his father as he watched his mother rush out of the room.
"Great." Rand said softly.  "So what do I do now?" Rand asked.  His father
laughed.

   "Son, I don't envy you in the least.  Somehow, Gracie has triggered the
mezclar and now the only thing to do is resist temptation and survive til
your wedding night.  I know that the last night before our wedding, I had
several dreams that one night.  I was never so glad to see your mother walk
down the aisle."

   "How am I going to survive for another ten days?" He groaned.

   "I don't know, son." Mica said softly.  Picking up the phone, he dialed
Colin's number.  Waiting for a moment, he then spoke.  "Colin, come to the
queen's drawing room.  Your daughter has created an issue." He paused and
then responded.  "She triggered the mezclar."

   Cursing softly, the man eavesdropping on the conversion, immediately
left his post.  Telling his supervisor, he wasn't feeling well, he headed
out the door.  He had to do something fast.  So far he hadn't turned up
much on Grace's past love.  He was going to devote all his time into
finding this man.  He wasn't sure what the mezclar was but if it had the
king worried enough to call in his advisor, it couldn't be good.  It might
just be the opportunity that he was searching for.



   After Gracie completed her exam, the first person that she wanted to see
was her soon to-be husband.  Frowning, she wondered when she had finally
had accepted that Rand was going to be hers.  Then decided that it didn't
matter.  She was surprised when she saw the queen waiting for her.

   "Your majesty.  " Gracie said surprised and dropped down into a curtsy.

   "Gracie we need to talk.  Privately." Nodding she lead the queen into
her room.

   "Is something wrong?" Gracie asked as shut the door.  She loved her
queen dearly but she wished that she could see Rand.  As if she had spoken
out loud, she felt a warm familiar brush of Rand's power flow through her.
Smiling softly she sighed.  Queen Aria watched her carefully.  The nervous
energy that had surrounded Gracie had calmed.  Her son was indeed strong,
she realized.  He had responded immediately to Gracie's need.  Smiling with
approval, she then spoke.

   "Has your mother explained the mezclar to you yet?"

   "No, but Rand has explained it." Grace said softly.  "It's hard to
fathom a mating ritual so intense that it takes away all reason."

   "Yes, I can imagine that it does boggle the mind.  I know I wasn't
prepared for it when I was a young bride.  Yes, Mica and I had played at
love before the wedding; kissing and such.  But I was almost overwhelmed
when I was in the grips of the mezclar and there seemed to be no end in
sight."

   "Does it last long?" Gracie asked softly, red flooding her face.  When
the queen saw her successor's embarrassment she gently drew her into her
arms.

   "Don't be embarrassed, sweetheart.  I know this is new for you.  And I
am more than willing to help you with these questions.  My own future
mother helped me the best that she could.  So don't be afraid to ask me any
questions." Aria reassured her.  "Now as far as the length of it, I can
tell you that it normally lasts 48 hours on the onset and then can last as
long as 72 after the first consummation.  This has always been this way to
help with the conception of the next heir.

   "Almost a week!" Gracie gasped, as the thought of the intense feelings
that she had felt during the dream merge came back to her.  How was she
going to survive that long and not go out of her mind due to all the heat
and passion.  Immediately her body went molten with desire at the thought
of being locked away with Rand for that long.  No, she couldn't think like
that, she told herself, but her body said, oh, yes you can, I'm more than
willing to take him all night, every night.

   Gracie, this is not a good line of thought, mi reina.  You are driving
me crazy.

   So, what if I like this line of thought.  I want relief.

   You'll get relief on our wedding night, Gracie not before.

   I want it now.  Gracie groaned, I want to be able to kiss you, and
caress you and all the other things I've read about.

   Knock it off, Gracie.  I'm at the end of my rope.  Rand ordered, trying
not to dwell on the idea of Gracie making love to him.

   I don't want to.  I'd rather have you knock me up.  She whispered
darkly, her body overriding her mind's desires.  At that moment she didn't
care if Rand and her were wrong together.  She just needed to have the
joining with him that would satisfy her.

   Oh, Gracie you shouldn't have done that, Rand groaned, at the thought of
spilling his seed deep inside of her.  He deliberately sent Gracie the
image of them peaking together.

   "Oh my." Gracie whispered.

   "What's wrong, sweetheart?" Aria asked as she felt the tension fill
Grace's body.  When Grace could do nothing but breath raggedly the queen
looked surprised.  Reaching out for her husband she connected with him. 
Mica, what is our son doing right now?  Tell him to behave.

   What's wrong, my love?  Mica answered.

   Gracie has shut down.  She can't even talk.  This worries me.  It the
mezclar is this far out of control they are never going to make it til the
ceremony.  It's been the 48 hrs since the trigger.  I don't know if either
of them will be able to hold on.

   Christ, I'll handle him.

   Rand stilled immediately, when he felt an even more intense desire flood
Gracie.  He couldn't handle it any more.  Abruptly he stood and walked out
of the room.

   Colin looked at Mica with a question in his eyes.

   "Stop him." Mica ordered.

   "What?" Colin asked surprised.

   "Aria, says that Gracie just shut down.  It's the mezclar.  They're both
ready to over load.

   "Aw hell." Colin said as they hurried after Rand.