Chapter 5
When they cleared the tops of the trees, still rising, the ground below was beginning its incline to the pass into the next valley. Soon they sailed far above the pass and into the valley beyond, though they were still far below the tops of the mountain peaks all around.
“This is incredible!” Mark shouted over the howl of the wind, for though they felt very little of it, Talia was deflecting a mighty blast of air. “I don’t even want to know how high up we are! How fast are we going?”
“Every minute, we travel about a league.”
“A league a minute? But that’s…” he had to pause to calculate it. “That’s about two hundred and ninety kilometers per hour!”
“Yes.”
Mark looked around in wonder, for at their height the speed was not as apparent. Furthermore, the three flyers around him were standing at their ease, and since they chose to block the wind completely, they sailed along without a hair out of place. He shook his head in amazement.
“Why did Dilimon fly the way he did, instead of standing up like that?”
“He flies three times as fast as this. At that speed he must minimize the wind he must deflect, or the noise would be deafening and the cold would be dangerous. He is very skilled at it.”
“Oh.”
Now they were over the next valley, which was also perfectly round and hemispherical except for the flat of the valley floor, though it was somewhat smaller than First Valley. And where the trees around Yazadril’s home seemed to be of every variety that Mark had ever seen, those in the second valley were all of types that shed their leaves in the fall, with none of the evergreen varieties.
“That oak is the oldest tree in The Nine Valleys.” Talia told him. The one she pointed at stood by itself in the exact center of the valley. Mighty it was, the highest in the valley, five hundred and fifty meters tall and fully as wide, with only grass beneath it, surrounded by a clearing five times as wide as it was. “It was planted soon after my people settled here, when there was nothing else but blasted rock. Most of the first trees died early, till there was a sufficiently nutritious soil base, but that one has survived, and thrived. It has a very long name in my language, but we simply call it The First Tree.”
They curved gradually to the right, aiming for the pass to the third valley beyond. This pass was long, and had a road that climbed as it wound between five mountains, each higher than the one before. Talia flew them up and up, over the second and third peak, between the last two.
“This is Laylas Valley. It is the largest of the nine. The chapel is at the center.” Talia explained as they flew over the last high notch of the pass.
“Wow!!” Mark exclaimed as the valley came into view. It was five times as wide as First Valley, and five times as deep as well, fully seven thousand six hundred meters from the valley floor to the jagged rim. It was more of a bowl than the other two, since the flat at the center was a smaller proportion of it, and the rim much more consistent in height. And in contrast to the previous valley, every one of the great trees here was of a single variety of redwood fir. They were more closely spaced as well, and in many places the tips of their branches intermingled. They smoothly rose in height toward the center, forming a round peak.
Now they flew down into the valley. Soon Mark noticed swarms of elves flying about the center, and as they drew closer, he saw that there were throngs of them on the ground. “Sweet mother of all! I never knew ten thousand could look like so many!”
Yazadril frowned. “That’s because there are far more than ten thousand here already! And more arriving every moment!”
They flew above the trees to the center of the valley, where a perfect ring of twelve redwoods, each exactly the same height and shape, towered over all. A somewhat shorter ring of twenty-four surrounded them, with another ring of thirty-six around and below that. Around the three rings the symmetry was lost, for though the trees around them continued to smoothly decrease in height, they were positioned more randomly.
Talia came to a stop in mid-air above the center of the innermost ring, then descended into the round space between them. Now they were veritably surrounded by flyers, though all maintained a discreet distance. Some who recognized Yazadril, Nemia or Hilsith called greetings, which were fondly returned.
As they neared the ground they approached the east side of the clearing, then slowly settled toward a huge deck six meters up the trunk of the easternmost tree of the inner ring. Talia kept the chair hovering just above the deck as the others alighted, and Nemia opened the large, windowed, double doors with a gesture. Talia floated the chair in after them, and Nemia used another gesture to close the doors and draw the gauzy curtains.
Within they found a large, round, elegant room, with a high ceiling, graced by a magnificent and delicate crystal chandelier. Like the rooms in Yazadril’s home, it was a natural seeming hollow, and its floors, as well as the walls that curved up to form the ceiling, were surfaced by the highly-polished living wood of the great tree. On one side was a row of elf-sized dressing tables with padded stools interspersed with wall mirrors, so the bridal party could do last-minute touch-ups to their appearances, and on the opposite wall was an open cabinet with an assortment of fine spirits and beverages, surrounded by groupings of small armchairs and side tables.
On that side, Alilia conferred with several other elves, all attired in magnificent array. She wasn’t damping her glow to Mark’s sight, and a few of those with her were almost as bright, but he had come upon it gradually this time, and his eyes seemed to be more able to adjust to it now. He found that by narrowing his eyes a bit, he could look upon the group without too much discomfort.
At the rear of the room, near a door that led deeper into the tree, stood Theramin, Dilimon, and two female elves Mark hadn’t yet met.
Theramin looked agitated almost unto apoplexy. “Finally you are here, Yazadril!” he exclaimed as he hurried over. “I’ve been casting Speaking at you for forty minutes or more!”
“I was working on something delicate, so I blocked communication.” Yazadril told him, vexed. “I’m sorry I didn’t restore it afterward, but why didn’t you simply use an Official Priority Speaking?”
“Because officially speaking, there was nothing unusual happening until just now!” Theramin said as he threw his hands in the air in frustration. “Those within the inner ring are the only ones who are officially within the chapel, and they are all invited guests; all of The High People, and those Alilia invited from her people on Talia’s behalf. Everyone outside the inner ring are from her people as well, and they are, so they say, ‘just visiting’, as is their right under the terms of the alliance! It looks like the entire nation of The People of Life will soon be ‘just visiting’ around the chapel! Of course, it doesn’t really matter that they are outside the chapel, because unless you expressly forbid it, everyone outside will be taking a Reading from someone inside!
“Word has spread like wildfire! About the deaths of Dalia and Bezedil, about Mark, about Alilia’s curse, and about this wedding and how many have been invited! Rumors are spreading like a plague, and many of the young hot-heads are talking all sorts of foolishness!
“And this is spreading around the world! Those are the Princes and Princesses over there with Alilia, and they tell me that millions of elves from all over the world have asked for permission to come here! Just for a visit, of course! Alilia had to invoke the charters of war to insure that none spoke of any of this to any but elves! She had to actually declare a state of war in order to ensure compliance from the plains elves, just a moment ago!”
“Let them come.” Mark said as he stood and Talia banished her illusion. His powerful, rumbling voice drew every eye in the room.
He looked to Talia. She smiled and nodded, and offered him her hand. He returned her smile as he gently took it, then met the eyes of those around him one by one. “They must each swear to keep the peace, and to not crowd into th
e chapel or do anything else that would disrupt the ceremony, or the celebration. But on those conditions, we extend an invitation to any elf who wishes to come to our wedding.”
“Done!” one of the elves with Alilia shouted, loudly and triumphantly. “Let all see the truth, whatever happens!”
As he spoke a flash had lit in the room, so bright that Mark blinked hard and rubbed his watering eyes.
“I hope you’re satisfied.” Alilia declared in frustration. “For better or worse, there will soon be over two million elves in attendance!”
Mark nodded as his eyes cleared, and he gave her a smile.
Despite her ire, she was magnificent, her beauty easily outshining any he had seen except Talia and Nemia. And despite everything else, he could not help but be struck by it. She wore a white silk blouse with ruffled lace on the front, form-fitting black velvet pants tucked into high, black leather boots, and a black velvet cape secured with a gold chain over it all. Atop her gleaming white hair was a shimmering tiara of some white metal, centered with an oval sapphire as big as a chicken’s egg, and she held a black staff of power topped by a diamond as big as her fist.
“Wow Alilia, you’re really beautiful! I mean, that’s a nice outfit!” he blurted, then blushed at his own youthful impetuousness.
Alilia’s eyebrows rose in surprise, and then she could not help but chuckle at him. A quiet laugh went around the room as the tension was suddenly released, and everyone relaxed a bit. “Ah Mark, you are such a good boy.” She told him with a smile of her own. “And I will have you know that this is the raiment of a Battle Wizard of The People of Life. But thank you.
“We speak Trade Common around Mark, as he does not speak Elvish.” Alilia said to the royalty around her. “You all know Yazadril of course, and you met Nemia at their wedding. This is Hilsith, Master Healer of The Warm People. This is Talia, daughter of Yazadril and Nemia.”
Yazadril had given a shallow, dignified bow at his introduction, and the ladies gave a curtsy.
“And this of course, is Markhan Reginus Longstrider the Fifth, Forest Ranger of Shinosa Valley in Finitra, of whom we’ve been speaking.”
As he’d done before, Mark made his courtly bow and politely declared; “I am entirely at your service.” before smoothly standing again.
“Mark, this outspoken fellow is Prince Jaromer of The Elven Peoples of The Empire of Thon, Viscount of that realm and Imperial Wizard to His Excellency Osbald the Eighth. He’s feeling a little defensive right now, because he’s just learned, under a provision of military secrecy, that Yazadril and I were cursed from the vicinity of his homeland.”
Jaromer stepped forward and shook Mark’s hand as a man would. He was tall for an elf at one hundred and sixty-eight centimeters, with dark brown hair and eyes, and wore very ornate red robes of state. “Hello, young fellow!” was his jovial greeting. “My people have benefited greatly from our association with the humans of our country, and we’re of the opinion that the other elven nations could do the same. Segregation leads to conflict, we think, so I’m quite glad to see you come to dwell here! Hopefully this will lead to more pleasant relations between our more rural and conservative cousins and the human nations they share borders with.”
“Nothing would please me more, Prince Jaromer.” Mark returned. “And I’m glad to meet you!”
“I hate to risk breaching any royal protocols, but we must prepare for the ceremony.” Nemia politely interrupted.
“She’s right.” Alilia nodded. “Mark, you will meet the rest of these august personages after the ceremony, but for now, I will show them to their places, and check on the progress of the preparations and the feast.
“And by the way, Yazadril, it’s been a long time since I’ve seen you looking as you should.”
Mark gave the group a smile and a polite bow. “Thank you all for coming.” he told them as Alilia led them out the door and down a set of stairs.
“Actually,” Dilimon remarked as the door closed behind them, “Over three-quarters of an hour remains before the ceremony begins. I assume you will be using our people’s ceremony, which is not lengthy or complex, so you should have plenty of time to coach Mark in what will be required of him.”
“We will use our people’s ceremony, though we will be conducting it in Mark’s language.” Nemia told him, then laughed. “I simply couldn’t abide having to listen to a political debate right now!”
“Thank you, Mother.” Talia smiled. “I’m nervous enough without being surrounded by royalty!”
“Me too!” Mark laughed. “So, how exactly does the service go?”
“At the appointed moment, the chandelier there will chime, and out by the podium, the Orchestra of The High People will begin to play the music that Talia and Nemia have chosen.” Yazadril said, falling habitually into his teaching manner. “We will then proceed down the stairs to the room below at ground level, and while we are doing that, the bridesmaids and groomsmen will take their places on the third tier of the podium at the center of the chapel. As Theramin will be conducting the ceremony, he will be the first to emerge from the room downstairs, walk down the aisle, and take his place atop the topmost tier of the podium. Then you, with Dilimon as your best man, the two of you constituting the immediate party of the groom, will walk down the aisle and take your places to Theramin’s right on the second tier of the podium. Then Talia, with Nemia and I as her parents and Alilia as her maid of honor, and thus constituting the immediate party of the bride, will walk the aisle and take our places to Theramin’s left on the second tier.
“Theramin will then begin speaking the ceremony.”
“Right. And I will say… Please correct me if you think my translation could be better.” Theramin said as he stroked his chin. “Welcome, gracious people, to an event of great joy and importance. We gather here in this revered place to join two lives into one, and to join two hearts into one, with bonds and oaths of love and honor, proudly sworn in assembly to be witnessed by all.
“Who speaks for the bride?
“And Yazadril will step up to the top tier and say…”
“I will say that I speak for the bride, and introduce myself as her father.” Yazadril said. “And from there we must be brave, for much that follows may be difficult. All know of the deaths yesterday, and of the curse. When I speak, I will have to squelch the rumors, and explain enough to make them see the necessity and the rightness of this marriage.
“I still wish as few as possible to know that you passed the barriers. But, they will need to know the reason why you were here in the first place. I will tell them that as you approached the border, I detected that you were unaffected by most spells, and that you agreed to stay here so that I could study your unique properties. Skirting the truth to be sure, yet true enough to avoid compromising my honor, I think, because even before you passed the border I could tell that the Illusions and Force barriers of the Wards were not affecting you. I will explain your feelings about sexual intimacy outside marriage, so that they can understand why you would ask a girl you do not love to marry you, and that the curse has driven you to it.”
“I do love Talia.” Mark quietly interjected. “It’s come upon me quickly, but she is beautiful and adorable. Though I must admit, after losing my family and after six months of solitude, my heart is as ready to find new love as it’s possible to be. And while I first asked her to marry me so that what we must do for the curse would at least not be a dishonor, it’s more important now that the vows help to insure our happiness in the future, no matter how long that will be.
“How long is it, Yazadril? How long will it be, until the end of days?”
“Ah, that’s difficult to say.” Yazadril said as he considered it. His hand automatically rose to stroke a beard that was no longer there, giving him a momentary start, then he put his mind back to the problem. “Hmm. You know that a thousand thousands is called a million?”
“Yes.”
/> “And that a thousand times that, a thousand millions, is called a billion?”
“A thousand millions? No, I’ve never even considered such a big number, so I didn’t know that. But now I do. A billion.”
“Yes. This world has had simple life for at least six billion years, and complex life such as exists now for about two billion. It will be habitable for at least another four billion years, and perhaps for as long as seven billion. After that, the sun will start to grow. Life will adapt to it for a while, for it will be a slow process, but eventually all life will be exterminated. If the curse can somehow keep you living after that, you will have some eight to ten billion years in total before the sun grows enough to envelope and consume the world. And that will be the end of days.”
“Huh.” Mark grunted after a moment. “Knowing the answer does me no good, because it’s inconceivable. Four to ten billion years! I simply can’t grasp how long a time that is!”
“No one can, Mark. No one.” Yazadril told him gently. “But back to the subject at hand. I will speak for the bride, and then I will step back down to the second tier, and Theramin will ask; ‘Who speaks for the groom?’ At that point, since you have no close family here, you can have Dilimon speak for you, or if you so choose, you may speak for yourself.”
“Ah, no offense Dilimon, but I think I’ll speak for myself.”
“Likely a wise choice, Mark.” Dilimon grinned. “If you manage to make as good an impression on the rest of your guests as you made on the assembled rulers of the elven nations, you’ll be well thought of indeed!”
“Yes? You think I did okay with them?”
“You were wonderful!” Nemia assured him with a smile.
“You were.” Yazadril agreed. “So, after you speak for the groom, so to speak, ahem, then you will step back down to the second tier, and Theramin will say…”
“Then let the bride and groom step forth, that they may be joined in matrimony.” Theramin continued. “The two of you will then step up onto the top tier and join hands.”
“I don’t want to seem like I’m looming over you too much.” Mark mused. “Do you think it would be better if I went to one knee at that point?”
“I think it would be a seemly gesture. I’ll make sure there’s a small cushion to rest your knee upon, for the podium is hard stone.” Theramin smiled. “Then I’ll say; Do you, Talia, take this male; Mark, to be your husband? And she’ll say; I do. And I’ll say; Do you solemnly swear to love him before all others, and to strive to bear his children, and to care for him as best you are able, and to seek always to bring him happiness, for as long as you both shall live? And she’ll say; I do so swear.
“Then I’ll give her a moment or two to regain her composure, if necessary, for it’s a powerful feeling when the oath takes effect, and it can take your breath away. With so many in attendance, you should be ready to steady her, in case she needs it. Then I’ll say; ‘Place the ring, which symbolizes love without end, upon his finger.’ Alilia will hand her your wedding ring, and she will place it on the third finger of your left hand.
“Then I will ask the same things of you, in exactly the same way, except that you will swear to strive to give her your children, rather than bearing hers, of course. And you will answer in the same way as well.”
“I do. I do so swear.” Mark repeated, feeling more nervous by the moment.
“When you say; I do so swear, Yazadril and I and half the groomsmen will stand ready.” Dilimon chuckled. “For if you falter badly, it will take all of us to catch you!”
“After Dilimon hands you her ring and you put it on her left ring finger,” Theramin continued, “I’ll say; And so let it be. Let all who are present bear witness, for I now pronounce you to be husband and wife. At that point it’s customary for the groom to kiss the bride, while the bridesmaids and groomsmen toss flowers upon you and the guests all cheer and call good wishes.”
“Do you have a ring?” Mark asked.
“Yes, and Alilia already has the other.” Dilimon answered as he reached into his pocket and drew it forth. All gathered close to see it.
It was a fairly wide gold band sized for Talia’s finger, encircled by a narrower complete ring of faceted diamond that flashed in the chandelier’s light. Talia sighed at the beauty of it.
“Yours is exactly the same, except of course that yours is sized to your finger.” Dilimon revealed. “Perhaps the only two complete ring-shaped diamonds in existence. Certainly the only ones I’ve ever heard of. Alilia provided them, and they are magically enhanced in the same ways as Talia’s engagement ring.”
“How did she know my size?” Mark asked. “Even I don’t know it, for I’ve never had a ring.”
“The measurements that Yazadril took of you, and passed to Alilia when she made your conveyance, were complete. They included the size of your fingers.” Dilimon explained, then pocketed the ring again as Theramin concluded his itinerary.
“At any rate, after you’ve kissed the bride, I’ll conclude the ceremony by saying; ‘Now let us rejoice with feast and celebration!’ Then we’ll descend the podium to the tables that have been reserved for us. Most will serve themselves, as we agreed on a buffet style feast, but some of Talia’s friends have agreed to serve the head table. Anyone else important enough to have staff will probably be served by them. You’ll choose from the many dishes available from a menu that Alilia’s cooks have provided. After most have finished eating, there will be dancing and mingling for hours, and the bride and groom are expected to lead the first dance. When you two feel that it’s a good time for the presentation of wedding gifts, let me know, and return to your table. I’ll call for the presentation.
“After that, when you’re ready to leave, let us know. We’ll go back to First Valley, to the land set aside for Talia’s home a few hundred meters from Yazadril and Nemia’s. There we will make you a home as our wedding present, and provide it with any furniture and accessories that you need right away, but were not given as wedding gifts. And after that, we will leave you to enjoy your wedding night.
“Now, do you have all that? Do you have any questions?”
“I’ve got it. How much time do we have left?”
“Thirty-six minutes.”
“Oh. If we may, I’d like to spend that with Talia. We still know little about each other.”
“One moment first.” said Dilimon. “Do you still wish us to find the most powerful eleven males and females of all those attending to be bridesmaids and groomsmen? It will be a bit more challenging with so many more here, but we can do it.”
“Actually, only ten for bridesmaids.” Talia decided. “That is, Hilsith, if you would consent to being my second bridesmaid?”
“I would be honored.” the Healer smiled.
“All right. Ten females, eleven males.” Dilimon nodded. The girl beside him lightly elbowed his side with a smile. “What? Oh. Sorry dear.
“Mark, I would like you to meet my fiancé Yalla, Second Force Wizard of the Sentry Corps of The High People.”
“Pleased to meet you.” Mark smiled with a bit of a bow.
“Though we haven’t met, I’ve seen you, for I helped scout you, before Yazadril spoke to you the first time. You… You are ever so much more handsome, now.” Yalla smiled nervously.
“Thank you. And while we are about introductions, who is this lovely lady with you, Theramin?”
“Ah, I have been as pre-occupied and remiss as Dilimon.” Theramin chuckled. “For this is the love of my life, my beautiful wife, Yzell.”
“Pleased to meet you.” Mark smiled and bowed.
“And I you, young man.” Yzell said with a big smile as she stepped forward and squeezed the edge of his hand for a moment. “We haven’t had excitement like this in The Nine Valleys for over a thousand years! Actually, we’ve never had excitement like this!”
“Ah, well we never had excitement like this back home, either!?
?? Mark laughed. “And how are your children, Lady Yzell?”
“Quite well, and growing like sunflowers, thank you for asking! And I’m pleasantly surprised that Theramin mentioned them, he almost never does once they’re out of his sight!”
Theramin blushed a glowing pink and ducked his head a bit, and Mark laughed.
“Actually, there was a manner about my mother and the other mothers of Shinosa Valley that the lasses didn’t have, a mother’s way, a kind of no-nonsense friendliness that I recognized in you immediately, and so I knew you had children.”
“I love them dearly!” Theramin protested defensively. “But we have had four children in only twenty-five years! That is as rare as a marriage among your people producing twenty children!”
“Yes, I can see that!” Mark laughed. “A man could get mighty tired of hearing; ‘Wow! You have twenty children!”
“Exactly! Once they know, they can’t seem to talk about anything else!” Theramin agreed, pleased to have elicited some empathy.
“Perhaps you sensed my motherhood because it is my profession, as well as my domestic situation.” Yzell smiled. “I study every aspect of it; fertility, conception, pregnancy, birth, and rearing. My own fecundity is no accident, but a hard won achievement, and I think it speaks well of my expertise. I believe that every thinking people should be able to control their fecundity, either to reduce it, as some human women are starting to do, or to increase it, as our people sometimes need to do to recover from devastating war or disaster.
“Interbreeding between elves and humans tends to be even less fertile, far less, than between two elves. You may wish to see me in this regard in the days ahead. If you choose to have children, and you have the courage to try new techniques, you have a chance to become parents while making a huge contribution to our knowledge of interbreeding between the races, and the workings of conception in general.”
“We’ll have to, perhaps tomorrow.” Mark answered thoughtfully. “As we’ll swear in our wedding vows to try to have children.”
“Yes, but you will not swear to strive to have them immediately.” Yzell chuckled. “It’s recognized that it takes a few years for a marriage to be ready for young ones.”
“Ah.” Mark nodded.
“We’ll give you some privacy now. You’ve about half an hour remaining.” Nemia assured them.
Dilimon and Yalla left by the doors to the deck, already mumbling as they magically communicated with the other Sentries who would assist them in their scan for the powerful.
The rest moved over toward the liquor cabinet, and Nemia called; “Would you like something to drink?”
“Just water. Better yet, some of Hilsith’s herbal tea, if we can get it.” Mark answered, and Talia called; “Me too please.”
“I’ll brew some.” Hilsith nodded.
Talia led Mark by the hand to a spot near the doors to the balcony. For a moment, they simply smiled at each other, and they could hear Nemia say; “I didn’t know Dilimon and Yalla were engaged!”
And Theramin answered; “He bent his knee to her only an hour or so ago, and she was delighted to say yes. I think he was affected by the ambiance of the chapel, but I think Yalla has been waiting for him to ask for a long time.”
Then, over the murmur of many voices heard through the doors from outside, a girl elf’s voice was heard crying out in anguish, followed by two angry males, then they faded into the background noise. Though Mark didn’t understand their Elvish, Talia did, and what she heard made her shiver, and her skin went a shade paler.
“What is it?” Mark asked in concern.
Talia swallowed hard. “I know them. They are friends of mine, and of Dalia’s. The first said; “I tell you, Dalia couldn’t have killed herself! She was the happiest person I’ve ever met!’ And the second said; ‘I tell you, the human must have killed her, and somehow made Alilia cast the curse, so that he could have Talia! Nothing else makes sense!’ And the third said; ‘Be quiet you fool, they are right up there!”
Mark could find no answer to that.
“So much of our happiness in the days ahead depends on what father and you say to all our guests.” Talia quietly mused. “You must find a way to win them over, and to convince them of the truth. We cannot be happy together if there are so many who are against it.”
“I’ll try, Talia. I’ll do my very best, and so will your father.”
“I know.”
They were silent for a moment, then Talia asked; “Could you pick me up? It’s so nice when you hold me like that.”
“It’s as nice to hold you.” he told her sincerely as he gently lifted her, and held her close so she could hug him around his neck. “You’re… You’re wonderful Talia. You’re wonderful and magical and beautiful and adorable.”
“So are you, Mark. You’re all of those.”
They shared another warm moment.
“I’m a wizard, by inclination and talent and profession.” Talia then softly told him. “And I’d be a fool to choose otherwise, and pass up the opportunity for my parents’ training. I spend much of my days in the libraries and workshops of The Hall Of New Magic, learning. I haven’t chosen a specialty yet, but then I’m not expected to for a few centuries at least. Even Mother hasn’t chosen her specialty yet. Dalia and I… We were lucky to inherit Mother’s strength in the power, even more than we did Father’s intellect, because Mother is first in raw power among The High People. Dalia and I… Well, I’m right behind Mother, and I’ll probably equal her when my power has finished maturing in a decade or so.
“It’s very hard to talk about Dalia, but I must, if you are to know me, for she was half my soul. She was my boldness, and I was her thoughtfulness, we always said. We did everything together, and we were never apart except when she was with a boy, and she and I were equals as wizards as well. She made sure I was included in everything, for when I was too shy to ask, or to even bring myself to the attention of others, Dalia would drag me along, and I was always glad she did. We loved to go flying and swimming and to do other sports, to paint and sculpt, to sing and dance, to simply sit and enjoy the sun or the moon or the breeze, to laugh together about silly things, to visit friends.
“I need you for many things, my handsome great human, and I hope you don’t mind that one of them is to fill the hole in my heart and the empty place by my side left by her absence, for before, Dalia was always there for me.”
“I’ll do my best for you, Talia.” Mark murmured soothingly.
Just then Hilsith came over with a smile and two cups of tea. She handed them up to Mark and Talia and withdrew without a word.
“I also need you to help fill the absence of my family, for we were close, and got along well, and I loved them dearly.” Mark thoughtfully revealed. “My mother’s name was Helem. She was a trapper’s daughter, she was from the valley, and it’s from her I get my black hair, though I get my blue eyes from my father. Mother had brown eyes, and the most beautiful smile. She’d gone down to Finitra proper for a year when she was seventeen to attend school and find a husband, for there was no one for her in the valley.
“She came back with my father, who’d been a Ranger, a Scout, and an officer in the King’s Military. He had dark brown hair and just a bit of a limp, from an injury he’d gotten in the king’s service. He’d used it as an excuse to retire early so he could come to the valley with my mother, for he was only twenty-six at the time. He retired from the army that is, he remained a Ranger. I was closer to him than anyone, and I took after him a lot. The last few years I spent most of my days with him, learning my trade; learning to hunt and trap, and when not to hunt or trap, and why, clearing fire-breaks in the forest, felling the occasional tree and hauling it behind our mule to the mill, and much else as well. And I learned the ways of a warrior, in case there were poachers, or in case the king called forth the muster to defend the realm. So I learned the bow, as a hunter and as an archer as well, and th
e sword and the spear and shield, and how to fight unarmed or with anything that was handy. In the late afternoon we had book lessons.
“Not that there was no time for leisure, there was, and we had a wonderful life. I had a little brother, Steb, who was thirteen, and a little sister, Shelvy, who was ten. We and the others of the valley had plenty of time to go swimming and sliding and what have you, to build tree forts or snow forts, to go hiking and climbing and picnicking. In the evenings we’d play cards or dice or puzzle games, or read, sometimes to each other, or tell stories, or make music and sing. Every two weeks, everyone got together for a dance in the Tinlo’s barn. All the musical instruments in the valley were like community property; we all borrowed them around and learned them all. My father and I were making me a harp, with extra space between the strings for my thick fingers.”
He fell silent, and finished the rest of his tea.
Hilsith had noticed him tipping the tiny cup back, and she came over with the pot to refill it and Talia’s, smiled, and again left without a word.
“Did you have a sweet-heart?” Talia asked in a teasing voice.
“Kind of. Marja Dobbim was the only girl about the right age for me in the valley, and she realized it before me. When she was six, she told me I would marry her some day. I was nine at the time, and I told her she was crazy, and it was kind of a friendly joke between us for a long time. Then a year and a half ago, when she was twelve, she started dropping by for visits a lot more often. At first she said it was so she could visit my sister, but she somehow ended up spending most of the time with me, and after a while I noticed that my family always seemed to leave us alone together when Marja was over. We never even thought of kissing or anything, or even holding hands, but I had to admit that she was fun to spend time with, and I liked the special attention she gave me. I eventually came to realize what everyone else already seemed to know; that it really was almost certain that she would be my wife. She was thirteen, and just getting to the point where she was alluring, when… When… Sweet mother of all, Talia, she died right in my arms!” Mark broke down, sobbing and gasping. “She screamed and screamed, and everyone was screaming, and there was nothing I could do, and then she died, so horribly… so horribly.”
“Shhh.” Talia gently soothed as she caressed his cheek. “I’m so sorry Mark. I know it’s hard. Thank you so much for telling me that. And I know I can’t replace your whole family, but my family is here for you, and with the new friends you’ve made, and a new life here with me, we will find happiness again. I know we will.”
“I know Talia. I’m so glad and thankful to have you.”
He took two steps over to the nearest dressing table and sat on the top of it, and they simply sat and cuddled, until Nemia came over.
“Things will be beginning soon. And we all must have our minds and thoughts in place for it.” she brightly advised.
“You’re right. Thank you Mother.” Talia nodded, and smiled at Mark. “We are soon to be married! Just the thought of it sets my heart aflutter!”
“I know.” He nodded, and gave her a bit of a smile as he wiped his eyes. “We should spend the remaining time mentally rehearsing what we will do, and say, and when. I’d hate to do it wrong, that’s for sure!”
“Good thinking.” Talia smiled.
They spent five minutes doing that, then Dilimon and Alilia returned.
“It’s incredible out there!” Alilia told them all. “It’s like a pilgrimage! Almost every elf alive is here, over three and a half millions of them! They fill the whole floor of the valley!”
“We’ve got everyone settled into a place, and made sure everyone has Tongues for Trade Common, and that everyone will receive a Reading from someone near the podium.” Dilimon related. “And the bridesmaids and groomsmen have been chosen, and are in place. None refused the honor, and a more powerful group has never been assembled! Some of the Princes and Princesses made the grade, and some did not, so in order to avoid any ruffled feathers, we gave them all an equal place of honor. When the ceremony starts, they will array themselves around the fourth tier of the podium, one step below the bridesmaids and groomsmen. They seemed to think that was just fine.”
“Yes. And the feast for the first ten thousand is coming along nicely, and will be ready when the ceremony finishes.” Alilia added. “The rest have agreed to stay out of the chapel proper. Most of them have brought their own provisions, and the shortsighted who did not can do without! And Theramin, I was told that all other preparations are complete.”
“Good. We’ve got about two minutes.” Theramin nodded.
“Then I have time for one more cup of tea.” Mark smiled as he held his cup out for Hilsith to refill. “They’re really not very big.” he added, a bit sheepishly.
“Don’t be bashful about your appetites, dear boy.” Yazadril chuckled. “For I’m sure they’re quite natural.”
“Yes, well…” Mark began, then took a drink of tea while he ordered his thoughts. “Thank you. Thank you all, so much, for everything.”
“On that note, I must hurry to join the other bridesmaids.” Hilsith smiled. She set the teapot down on the nearest end table, and ran lightly out the door.
“You’re most welcome, Mark.” Nemia smiled. “We have much to thank you for, as well. You were thrust into difficult and strange events, and have met the challenge with decency, kindness, and honor.”
“You’re very welcome.” he nodded. “Alilia, I don’t want there to be anything but friendship between us. I don’t think I’ve told you this already, but I want you to know that I do forgive you for the curse. I’ve no hard feelings toward you, and I don’t feel that you owe me anything. Because of what you did, Talia is going to be my bride, and that balances everything.”
“Thank you.” Alilia nodded, and swallowed hard. “But you’re wrong about my owing you. You’ll see that, later.”
“Well if I do, I suppose I could have you come over and wash my dishes. I’ve always hated doing that.” Mark told her with a grin.
“What? You want me to wash your dishes? By hand, like a human drudge?” Despite her best intentions, Alilia was almost sputtering with indignation.
“Of course, it’s a moot point, since you don’t owe me a thing!” he laughed. “And it’s just as well, don’t you agree?”
She paused in surprise, then could not help but laugh with him, and shake her head at his blatant attempt to maneuver her. “No. Nicely attempted, but no. If you ask me to wash dishes, I will do so, and no doubt you would find a way to make me laugh about it.”
“You know, Alilia, I do believe that having him around will be good for your disposition!” Yazadril chuckled.
At that moment the chandelier’s crystals chimed in a wave from the centermost crystal outward to the perimeter, producing a shimmering descending arpeggio. Through the doors to the deck an orchestra was heard to begin playing at a medium tempo. Their music was so beautiful that for a moment it captured Mark’s entire attention.
Then the enormous crowd was heard to gasp collectively, and some politely clapped their hands in applause.
“Here we go.” Theramin said as Yzell tucked her hand under his arm, and they stepped to the door leading downstairs. “First us, then the groom’s party, Mark first, Dilimon being behind him and to his left. Then the bride’s party, Talia first, then Yazadril and Nemia, then Alilia behind them.”
They lined up behind him and Yzell as he’d described. He took a deep breath and let it out, then opened the door. “All right. We go forth with dignity.” he said, and led the way down the stairs.
As they followed the stairs down and to the left, Mark quietly asked Dilimon over his shoulder; “What were they oohing and aahing and clapping about out there?”
“Until that moment, all the decorations were invisible, and they were revealed as the ceremony began.” Dilimon discretely answered.
The stairs emerged at ground
level within a great hall, and they made their way across it until Theramin and Yzell stood before a great double doorway, the doors opened wide. The rest lined up behind them, keeping their formation.
The doorway faced straight down the aisle, which was marked off by white ribbons hanging in gentle curves between gold stands. Adorning the stands were bouquets of white-petaled flowers with gold centers and leaves. To either side of the aisle stood the thousands of attendees, wearing an eye-dazzling array of colorful finery. The mighty trees around them were decorated on the lower twenty meters of their trunks with white and gold flowers, and ribbons placed in fanciful designs, about four white ribbons to every gold one. In the air above a similar collection of long, flowing ribbons danced to the music as if they had life of their own, most of them concentrated over the podium, forming three-dimensional drawings of flowers and butterflies, fawns and unicorns, and other pretty things, each picture dissolving after a moment to soon form another.
The aisle was a hundred meters long, and at the end of it was the podium, in the center of the clearing. The podium was like seven great disks of gold-veined white marble stacked atop one another, each thirty centimeters thick. The top one was two and a half meters wide, the second was five meters wide, the third seven and a half meters wide, and so on, forming steps with risers thirty centimeters high and treads a meter and a quarter deep. The orchestra was arrayed in a circle on the lowest tier of the podium, which was seventeen and a half meters wide, the aisle passing between them marked by bouquet stands without ribbon between.
They could see the bridesmaids and groomsmen slowly making their way in couples up the aisle to the third highest tier, where groomsmen went left and bridesmaids went right, until they stood in an even circle.
Next, the assembled leaders of the elven nations, with their spouses or escorts, moved with stately pace into the aisle from either side at the base of the podium, then up to the fourth highest tier, until they stood in couples in a circle on it.
All eyes then turned to the doorway. Theramin and Yzell stepped forth to a polite smattering of applause and made their measured way to the base of the podium. There Theramin took both of Yzell’s hands and kissed her cheek, she stepped aside out of the aisle, and he continued alone to the top tier of the podium and a bit to the far side, where he turned to face back down the aisle toward the door.
As Theramin had approached the podium, Dilimon had cautioned Mark; “Those out there cannot see in here, because the shadow of the doorway is magically enhanced, so that we will make a grander entrance when we step forth into the daylight. So don’t act surprised at their reaction.
“And know that the podium will start to rotate very slowly when all are in place upon it, and will make one full turn before the end of the ceremony, so that all will have a chance to see you from the front.
“As soon as Theramin is settled in place, go forth, keeping to the center of the aisle. And try not to walk too fast. I’d look silly having to jog to keep up.”
“Thanks.” Mark chuckled, and Dilimon’s light jest was perfectly timed, for it reduced his nervousness a bit just as the moment came to step out onto the soft, dense moss that floored the clearing.
As he emerged, Dilimon behind and to his left, the thousands of voices that were whispering and murmuring to each other suddenly fell completely silent, leaving the music seeming clearer and louder. Then just as suddenly they started up again with greater volume and intensity than before. Many spoke Elvish, but of those he could understand, most exclaimed at his size, though a few females were heard marveling at how cute or handsome he was, and there were more than a few angry grumblings and mutterings as well.
It seemed like a long walk to the podium, and a few along the aisle made impolite comments that he was meant to overhear. Mark tried to ignore it all, and hoped he wasn’t walking funny, unused as he was to the slow, dignified pace Theramin had set. (He was later assured, to his relief, that he’d walked with a very graceful stride.)
He had little attention to spare, as he was awed by the magnificence of his surroundings. The decorations were magical and beautiful, but the chapel itself was even more amazing. Though he estimated the clearing within the circle of gigantic redwood trunks to be over two hundred meters across, it felt as enclosed as a building, since the lowest branches three hundred meters above him filled most of the space overhead, and the circle of blue sky that could be seen between the branches at the tops of the trees looked very small, some seven hundred and thirty meters above.
Then Dilimon spoke, barely moving his lips, just loud enough for Mark to hear. “Be careful. I know the lass ten meters ahead on your right, in the blue striped gown. Her name is Balen, and she has a way with childish pranks, and I think she’s getting ready to do something foolish.”
Mark spotted her, but let his eyes sweep over her and beyond. She was just a hundred and twenty centimeters tall and looked to be about twelve years old, with bright red hair in a long braid down her back, and green eyes that were flashing in adolescent outrage.
When Mark was almost even with her she made a hand motion, and Dilimon gave the quiet but tense warning; “She casts!” He suddenly stepped to his right and smoothly bent to pick up one of the white and gold flowers that had fallen, and brought it to his nose to test its scent, as if that was his only intention. Thus when the spell passed cleanly through Mark, who had ignored it, it missed him as well. Three elves on the left instantly developed bright green and purple blotches on their faces, though they apparently didn’t realize that.
“Oh! I’m so sorry!” Balen blurted as she blanched white as snow, then blushed crimson as she reversed the spell.
Mark had to fight not to laugh as he noticed that the two adults with her were thunderstruck at their child’s audacity, and absolutely mortified with embarrassment.
He was just past her when Balen shouted out at the top of her lungs, pointing at him accusingly. “It went right through him! He’s not even real, there’s nobody there! It’s an Illusion!”
Mark stopped, and turned to her with a gentle smile. Still, she stepped back against her mother in fear as she stared wide-eyed up at him. He smoothly went to one knee and held his hand out to her. “Your hand please, my lady?” he asked her pleasantly in his rumbling voice.
She gave her head a tiny shake of refusal.
“It’s all right, I won’t hurt you. You know Dilimon here, he’s a Sentry, and he would never let anything happen to you.” he assured her, still smiling.
She looked to Dilimon, who smiled and nodded to support Mark’s gambit, whatever that was, and silently pleaded with the cosmos to not let this become a fiasco. In a sudden inspiration, he handed her the flower.
She took it, then looked to Mark, who waited on one knee with a smile, his hand still held out to her. Hesitantly she reached out and laid her hand in his, or rather laid her tiny hand over his huge index finger. He slowly raised it to his lips as he leaned down to touch it with a gentle kiss, then covered it with his other hand and gave it a soft caress.
“You see, pretty one?” he asked. “I’m not an illusion. Please don’t think ill of me. After all, it’s my wedding day.”
“I… I won’t.” she stammered, and he gave her another big smile before he stood to continue up the aisle.
Some broke out in spontaneous applause at his gallantry, and many were the females who commented wistfully on how sweet or charming it was.
Finally they reached their place on the second tier of the podium, and all eyes turned to see Talia begin her walk down the aisle.
“Well done, Mark!” Theramin told him at private volume as they watched the bride’s party emerge into the daylight. “You really saved the day there! Almost any other response you could have made would have been a disaster!”
“I know. Thanks. I’m so glad the orchestra played through it.” Mark grinned as he whispered his response. “Nice touch with the flower there, Dilimon.” r />
“Thanks. My heart was almost choking me at the time.”
“Me too. Why do you think she did that?”
“Dalia was her tutor in elementary wizardry, she grieves as do we all. And you know how adolescents can be; you’re happy and she’s not and it’s not fair, and all that. Still, her parents will have things to say to her later, you can be sure of it.”
“Poor thing. Could you have them drop by our table after the vows? Maybe I can keep her out of trouble.”
“You have a big heart, Mark. I’ll ask them.”
“Thanks.”
They watched as Talia approached, and Mark marveled anew at how lovely she was. Her choice of a dress of simple yet elegant design had its desired effect, visually setting her apart from the many busily-detailed and complex fashion ensembles around her. He also reddened a bit at how much more alluring its form-fitting design was.
When Mark had begun walking down the aisle, away from her, Talia’s heart had pounded harder and harder, for fear that at any moment she would be too far away from him, and the curse would strike. When he’d reached his place on the podium, she knew the curse would not strike, and she thought to herself with great relief; ‘I’ll never let him be farther away from me than this. Ever.’ And then it was her turn.
She moved gracefully, her eyes upon Mark as she walked, except for a moment when she glanced at Balen as she passed.
The incident with Balen had left her initially furious with the girl, then fearful at the shouted accusation, and finally laughing with relief at Mark’s answer to it. Now she had to give her head a shake and chuckle, for in an adolescently mercurial change of mood, Balen was gazing at Mark in youthful adoration as she held the hand that he’d kissed to her cheek, the flower Dilimon had given her clutched tight to her chest in the other.
And then Talia could only think of Mark, and how pivotal and critical the next few moments were going to be. His smile was full of warmth and adoration for her, and she saw pride and love there as well.
When everyone was in their places on the podium, the ribbons swirling in the air ceased their dancing to move together over the podium, forming the outlines of a round peaked roof above them, like an open-air gazebo, with some ribbons hanging down in six places around the edge, like support pillars that ended six meters above the ground. As the ribbons stilled, the orchestra finished their piece and fell silent.
As they had each led their parties and turned in opposite ways when they reached the second highest tier, Mark and Talia were separated for the moment by Dilimon, the aisle, Yazadril, Nemia, and Alilia. She shared one more smile with Mark before she gave her attention to Theramin, and then he did as well, when Theramin spoke.
His voice was magically enhanced, so that everyone in the chapel could hear him clearly, and he’d embellished his translation a bit. “Welcome one and all, gracious people of every elven nation, to an event of great joy and importance. We are gathered here today in peace and harmony, in this most revered place, to join two lives into one, and to join two hearts into one, with bonds and oaths of love and honor, proudly sworn in assembly to be witnessed by all.”
He paused before he asked; “Who speaks for the bride?”
Yazadril stepped up to the top tier and bowed to Theramin, who inclined his head in return. “I am the father of the bride, and I speak for her.” Yazadril announced, his voice strong, then he turned so that the crowd knew that he addressed them, and not Theramin. “I am Yazadril, Prince of The High People of The Nine Valleys. For eight thousand, four hundred and seventy-six years I have lived and loved and fought and survived upon this world, and so stand as Third Most Senior among all elves, and Most Senior among those who remain unretired, and in the full of their power and ability. I am First Battle Commander. I am First Wizard.”
He paused for a moment, and gazed intently around at the other Princes and Princesses, and at the circle of mighty wizards who were the bridesmaids and groomsmen, as if daring any to challenge his claims. Instead they all acknowledged his status with respectful nods. Then he returned his gaze to the crowd around him, where many were quietly exclaiming at the sudden change in his appearance and demeanor.
He waited another moment, and an incredible silence fell, so intent were the assembled on what he would say.
“I speak for Talia, my daughter by Nemia. She is fully of age to marry, and she comes to this marriage willingly, full of hope for the future.
“Most of you know some of the reasons for this marriage, but there are things you do not know, and there has been a great deal of foolish speculation. There have been untruths spoken that can lead to great harm, and so the truth must be known.
“The most important thing you must know is this; about one hundred and twenty years ago, a human wizard, acting from the vicinity of The Empire of Thon and The Kingdom of Yazzak, cast a curse upon myself and Princess Alilia of The People of Life. We were cursed that our children would slay each other. Yesterday the curse struck, killing Alilia’s son Bezedil and my daughter Dalia.”
He had to pause then, for a rising uproar of outrage had drowned him out, despite the chapel’s augmentation of the words spoken as part of the ceremony. He let them go on for a few moments, then added his own power to the augmentation and calmly spoke the single word; “Order.” The word boomed out, recapturing the attention of all. He continued. “My daughter Talia narrowly escaped death twice. The first was when she was driven by the curse to leap to her death from our home, immediately after the same had happened to Dalia and Bezedil. Yet she was caught and saved by Nemia, who was heroically aided in this by Jinimin of The High People, and he almost gave his life to help save my daughter.
“Jinimin, please let yourself be seen, for in the rush of events since then, I have yet to thank you for your courageous and selfless action.”
About thirty meters to Yazadril’s left, tiny twelve-year-old Jinimin was proudly lifted above the crowd by his mother to stand balanced on his beaming father’s shoulders as the two steadied him. Yazadril looked to him immediately, so everyone else did as well. He waved shyly to the crowd, a bashful smile showing beneath his light brown hair.
“Thank you, Jinimin, for your courage, and for my daughter’s life.” Yazadril graciously told him.
“You’re welcome!” was Jinimin’s friendly reply, and the crowd gave him a mighty cheer for his bravery and youthful charm. He waved around again, and then his father lowered him from view.
“But perhaps the curse was not finished yet.” Yazadril continued. “As all who were in First Valley saw, we cast a Reading upon Bezedil and were only able to read the last few seconds of his life, which implicated Talia in his death.
“This may have been affected by the curse, for if we had seen only a few seconds more, Talia would have been cleared of suspicion. As it was, Alilia was overcome with rage and grief, and would have killed Talia, were it not for a random factor that our hidden enemy could not have foreseen. And even the extent of Alilia’s rage may have been affected by the curse. It drove Dalia to leap to her death over what Bezedil had done, and Bezedil leaped because of what Dalia had done, so the curse was fulfilled by that, for it could be said that our children indeed caused each other’s deaths. Yet Alilia was filled with rage because of Bezedil’s death, and she almost killed Talia because of that. In the uncertain way of curses, I think the curse would have been fulfilled by that too, because indirectly, Talia would have died because of what Dalia and Bezedil had done.
“If Alilia had tried to kill Talia to revenge Bezedil, Nemia and I would have defended our daughter, with our lives if need be. If that had happened, at least one of us would almost certainly have been killed, perhaps all of us. And if that had happened, it is quite likely that there would now be a state of war between The High People and The People of Life.
“We believe that that was the true purpose behind the curse that our children were to slay one other; to sunder the friendship between
Alilia and I, to sunder the alliance between our peoples, and to bring war between our peoples; elf killing elf due to outside interference. I have seen it happen many times before; a war is triggered between two peoples by an outside third party who acts in secret, hoping to be able to step in after the devastation and control all.
“But that did not happen.
“The day before yesterday, the young man who is my daughter’s groom approached the Wards on the border of our lands at the southern pass into First Valley. His name is Mark Longstrider, and he was seeking no more than a high vantage that faced south, so that he could assess the lay of the land in that direction, as he planned to continue traveling that way. At the time, I was near, meditating in my glade of contemplation, and I detected his approach. I also detected that he has completely unique magical properties, and so I observed him without his detecting me, and allowed him to pass within. I cast a Reading on him, and learned that he was completely unaware of his unique properties, and that he was an honest and honorable individual. All who know me can attest to my skill at casting such Readings, and to my judgment of character, and to my record of honesty. Contrary to many rumors I have heard today, there is absolutely no chance that he is other than what he seems, or that he arrived here with a hidden agenda to do any of us harm.
“I approached him, and I asked him to stay so that I could study his magical properties, and he agreed.
“I wanted another wizard who could wield a great deal of the power to help me study him, and so when I returned to my home I called Alilia, who agreed to help me with it. Her son Bezedil came as well, and that gave the curse against our children its chance to strike.
“So our human visitor was still on Alilia’s mind at the fateful moment when she would have killed Talia, and Alilia at that time thought that her son was dead because Talia had raped Bezedil by trickery, by impersonating Dalia. So instead of killing Talia, and perhaps triggering a terrible war between our peoples, at the last possible instant she cursed my daughter instead. As many heard when she revealed it to me later in the Council Hall of The High People, she cursed Talia to be raped by Mark until the end of days.”
He continued without pause, despite the huge crowd’s shocked reaction to this news.
“Alilia cast that curse under an understandable but mistaken impression of what had happened, and almost certainly under the influence of the curse against her and I. She now thoroughly regrets having done so, but it cannot be reversed. It was by far the most powerful and passionate curse I have ever seen cast, or even heard of. To attempt to deny her curse, or to alter it in any way, could lead to a disaster of untold calamity. Only long and careful study of the problem could reveal a practical solution. Meanwhile, we must deal with what has occurred, and try to make the best of a very difficult situation.
“This morning we went to visit Mark, to explain to him what had happened. So that he might truly understand, we took a Reading of Talia, and that is when we discovered that she was completely innocent of all blame in Dalia and Bezedil’s deaths. Later, it was Mark’s insight that led me to thoroughly check for external influences, and that is when I discovered the original curse that led to the deaths of our children, and led to Alilia’s curse upon Talia.
“Because he is a good hearted soul, Mark at first refused absolutely to cause Talia any pain. When we impressed upon him that to refuse to do so would certainly lead to disaster, and that the curse would certainly find a way to make him do so anyway, Mark realized that he had been cursed forever, even as Talia had been.
“They decided that since their lives had been forced together, the least harmful choice they faced would be to accept it, and to try to find happiness together, despite the requirements of the curse of Alilia.
“His people see sexual intimacy with any but one’s lawful spouse to be dishonorable. And since he did not want the fulfillment of the curse’s requirements to be a dishonor in his people’s eyes, he asked Talia to marry him today, since Alilia’s curse may force them to act as soon as tomorrow.
“Affection has grown quickly between them, perhaps even the beginnings of love, and they hope that their marriage can bring them happiness. And to ensure their best chance for that happiness, they chose to invite as many elves to their wedding as could attend within this revered place, to further augment the power of their wedding vows. Thus all of The High People and eight thousand of The People of Life were initially invited. When Mark learned that many more were gathering without, he invited all elves to be part of the proceedings, and Talia agreed.
“And so we hope that all of you will sincerely wish them joy and happiness on this special occasion, and for the many years ahead.
“Thus I speak for the bride, for Talia, my daughter.”
With that Yazadril stepped back down to his place on the second tier.
Theramin let a moment pass before he asked; “Who speaks for the groom?”
Mark stepped up and went to one knee as he made his finest bow to Theramin, then stood, turned halfway around and did so again, to signify that he bowed to the assembled elves. He noticed as he stood that the podium had already rotated a few meters.
“I’m Mark Longstrider.” he calmly announced, his amplified, rumbling voice reaching all with its richness. “I’m the groom, and I speak for myself.
“What I most truly wish for is for Talia to have a happy and carefree life. She’s the most wonderful girl I’ve ever met, and she deserves that. Surely she deserves better than me for a husband, but fate has cast us together, whether we will it or not. So I must do everything I can to ensure our happiness together. Your opinions of me will affect our happiness, and so it’s important to me that you all like me, or at least not dislike me, and for that you must trust me, and for that you must know me and understand me, to some extent at least.
“We are very different, yet we have things in common. I have the most in common with those of you who are of The High People, the people of my bride, for I also come from a very isolated mountain valley filled with lush forest. And though the place that was my home lacked the magical magnificence of The Nine Valleys, still it was beautiful and we loved it dearly. Our touch was light upon it, for we nurtured it as much as we utilized it. I’m a Forest Ranger, and I shared responsibility for the well-being of the land and the life around our homes.”
Mark went on to speak of his home, his people, and his family, and his life thus far. His incredibly low voice had a storyteller’s pacing, and a melodic quality that was almost hypnotic.
Then he spoke of the magic atrocity that had slain all he knew and loved. He spoke plainly, describing the events without embellishment, though he revealed greater detail than when he had described it to Yazadril. His voice remained calm, though there was the occasional catch in it. Tears flowed down his face, and he ignored them except to blink them away. It was obvious to all that as he told them this part, it took a supreme effort of will to continue speaking smoothly, and to not weep outright.
Finally, he spoke of his trek south, and how he had survived alone in the wilderness for almost six months before meeting Yazadril.
“If I had known before I started walking up the pass to First Valley that I was approaching the lands of the elves, I’d have gone wide around, for in my almost seventeen years of life I’d never seen an elf before, nor seen any magic at all except for that which killed my kith and kin. I would never have dared to approach any elf, but Yazadril approached me with courtesy and friendship, which I sorely needed. He soon cast a Tranquility upon me, which I was also sorely in need of, or I’d still be weeping almost constantly for those I’ve lost.
“Now you know most everything there is to know about me.
“I know that I have the very profound honor to be the first human who has ever entered The Nine Valleys, and that many of you feel that I should not be here. I understand that, and for my own part I would gladly leave rather than offend any of you or risk the peace. Bu
t I promised Yazadril that I’d stay and make myself available for his study for at least five years. Further, if I leave, then Talia must leave as well, since she cannot risk being apart from me, or the curse will torture her far worse than it’s going to make me do. So I pray that you will not begrudge my presence here for a while, for I think that Talia has seldom been beyond The Nine Valleys, and I think it would wound her heart to have to leave her home.
“Thank you all very much for coming to our wedding. I hope you wish us all the best, and I hope you enjoy the festivities.”
He gave a simple bow, and stepped back down to his place beside Dilimon.
Theramin waited a moment while Mark was given a friendly round of applause, then continued. “Let the bride and groom step forth, that they may be joined in matrimony.”
Mark and Talia stepped up and came together before Theramin, facing one another. Mark went to one knee as he took both of Talia’s hands in his, and they shared a warm smile. Mark didn’t even notice that just before his knee met the marble, a small white cushion with gold piping appeared beneath it.
The watching elves could all see the magic field around them intensify as all of their ambient power joined with that of the wedding chapel and roiled around the podium. The anticipation in the air was intense as the swearing of the vows approached.
Theramin’s smile was so wide it was a wonder that he could speak properly. “Do you, Talia, take this male; Mark, to be your husband?” he asked.
“I do.” she answered, and seldom were two words said with such warmth. Her eyes never left Mark’s as she spoke her vows, nor did his leave hers, though he’d seen an intense flash all around them as she’d spoken.
Theramin continued. “Do you solemnly swear to love him before all others, and to strive to bear his children, and to care for him as best you are able, and to seek always to bring him happiness, for as long as you both shall live?”
“I do so swear. HUHH!!!” The power of the binding was incredible, as the cloud of magic around her contracted and intensified, and much of it was drawn into her. It was the most powerful act of magic ever seen by almost all of those in attendance. The feeling of it had driven her breath from her lungs and staggered her, though she was well used to dealing with large quantities of the power. She leaned against Mark to keep from losing her balance completely, then started to slide to the floor as her legs gave out on her.
He was completely blinded by the flash of the binding of her major oath, but he sensed it when she started to collapse, and he hurriedly passed her left hand to his left and held both her hands with his one, so he could wrap an arm around her and support her. The back of his right index finger touched the tine band, still on his left bicep, and his heart slammed even harder as he realized that he still had to put it on his head and remove the velvet covering!
It took her a few moments to get her breath back and her legs steadied. As she stepped back a bit he took the tine band from his arm and put it on his head and removed the velvet cover, trying to do it in one smooth motion that he hoped looked like he was wiping sweat from his brow. He adjusted his belt as he tucked the velvet under it, and asked Talia; “Are you okay?”
“I’m…” She began as she opened her eyes and looked at him, and then she fully felt the effect of the vow. “Oh Mark! Oh Mark! I love you so much! It’s… overwhelming! Oh Mark! I love you! I love you!”
She realized that she was in danger of becoming hysterical, and she leaned against him and closed her eyes again. She concentrated on the calming exercises she used to center herself before casting a major spell, and soon she felt she could continue. She straightened again, took a deep breath, and braced herself for the blast of emotion she knew she’d feel again when she looked at him.
“All right.” she nodded as she opened her eyes once more, and she was saved from being overwhelmed again because she was distracted by the realization that he had a very strange and fearful expression on his face, and that he was not precisely looking into her eyes anymore, or even focusing on her.
“I’ll need a moment or three.” he stated, sounding strange.
“What is it?” Theramin asked.
“I can’t see. When Talia completed her vows, there was a flash like silent lightning striking right in front of me. All I can see are big white spots moving around.” he said as he blinked repeatedly. He tried rubbing his eyes a bit, with no effect.
Hilsith stepped to him and inspected his eyes. “I can’t tell. My diagnostics don’t work on him, but his eyes appear to be undamaged.” she quietly stated.
“Wait a second… I think it’s coming back. Yes, definitely, the spots are fading.” Mark said in obvious relief.
Soon he was focusing on them again, and a few moments later he said; “Okay. I’m okay. Please, let’s continue.”
Hilsith stepped back to her place.
Theramin nodded, and said; “Place the ring, which symbolizes love without end, upon his finger.”
Alilia stepped forward as she handed the ring to Talia, who slid it onto Mark’s finger.
Mark smiled at the beauty of the ring, and gave Alilia a big smile and a small nod of gratitude before returning his smile to Talia. Then he again took both of Talia’s hands in his left one, and covered them with his right.
Now the anticipation was ten times greater, as everyone wondered how the vows would affect him, and their concentration upon him was intense. As Theramin spoke, the power field seemed to become a bright storm of magic that filled the entire glade, intensifying towards the center.
“Do you, Mark, take this female, Talia, to be your wife?”
Just before he spoke, Mark reached up with his right hand, pressed the center of the tine band hard against his forehead with his thumb to hold it firmly in place, and plucked the five tines simultaneously with his fingertips. “I do.” he answered, and as he said it he couldn’t help but squint his eyes almost shut against the expected flash. When it happened, he was glad he’d done so, or he’d have been blinded again. He could feel the magic rushing through him with a sensation that was indescribable.
The onlookers let out a collective ‘Ahhh!’ of amazement, for it appeared that he had absorbed as much of the power field with his minor vow as Talia had with her major one! And still the field intensified, becoming a maelstrom of boiling magic brighter than any there had ever seen!
Theramin asked the question. “Do you solemnly swear to love her before all others, and to strive to give her your children, and to care for her as best you are able, and to seek always to bring her happiness, for as long as you both shall live?”
This time Mark plucked the tines as hard as he dared, holding back only enough of the strength of his fingers to be sure not to bend the steel.
However, there were those among the gathered elves who were not satisfied to simply let their ambient magic reinforce his vows, and chose instead to actively bolster it by casting Compulsion on him at the critical moment.
The total magical effect was staggering. The enormously intensified magic field seemed to get sucked into Mark, all of it and then some, for it pulled some internal power out of every elf present as well, leaving them all noticeably weakened for a moment.
Mark said; “I do so swearAAAAAAAAAARRHHH!!!” His body spasmed like he’d been shot with a crossbow bolt, and he clutched frantically at his left shoulder.
At the same time, Yazadril cried; “NO!!!”, for he and some of the other wizards had felt the Compulsions being cast, too late to do anything about it.
He, Dilimon, and as promised, half the groomsmen leaped to Mark’s aid, even as Talia cried his name in alarm, and Hilsith yelled; “Heart cramp!”, having instantly recognized the signs. “Lower him quickly!” she barked, and even as they did so she had her ear pressed to his chest. As soon as he was down she began striking him sharply over his heart. She did so five times, then listened again. “Damn it, there is little I can do for him!” Again she s
truck his chest repeatedly, then listened. “Source above, I’m losing him! UHH…”
At that moment Mark spasmed so powerfully that Hilsith, Yazadril, Dilimon, and two groomsmen were thrown aside like toys, and at the same instant Talia screamed; “AAAHH THE CURSE!”, and fell to her knees beside Mark, shuddering violently. But only for a moment. Then she lifted her face in wonder, even as Mark’s seizure ended.
“It’s gone! Already, as suddenly as that! It’s completely gone!” she marveled, then wondered if she was going into shock, and Healed herself against it.
Hilsith scrambled back to Mark and again pressed her ear to his heart. “It… It’s fine!” she stammered in amazement. “The beat is strong and steady! It’s like nothing was ever wrong with him!”
Talia took his hand as his eyes opened, tears pouring down her cheeks.
He looked at her wide-eyed. He tried to speak, but could not. He tried again, and still couldn’t make his voice work.
Suddenly Yazadril’s voice called out in fury, amplified by the chapel’s spell, and cast as a mass Speaking as well. “Who cast Compulsion?!!! You will appear before me NOW!!!” He’d drawn his great sword as he spoke that last, his motion smooth and fast as he reversed his grip in a continuation of the draw, and used both hands to drive its point into the marble just in front of his feet as his last word rang out.
All those who had cast Compulsion instantly appeared, even before the awesome CLANK of the impact had finished ringing, for he held mighty Mountainfire, and its power would not be denied. They appeared in a huge loose ball of frightened and confused elves floating from three to eighteen meters in the air in front of him, since there was no room for them on the ground.
“Great source!!!” he cried, and cast a quick counting spell. “One thousand six hundred and eighty-one of you cast compulsion on the poor boy AT THE SAME TIME?!!!” he yelled in outrage. “One thousand six hundred and eighty-one!!! No doubt every one of you fools thought you were the only one to do so, but for even ONE of you to pile it onto the power the oath had gathered ALREADY, would OBVIOUSLY risk his life and his sanity!!!
“Know that you are Marked! And if his mind or his body is damaged, you WILL be held accountable!!! Now get out of my sight!!! BEGONE!!!” and at his last word he clanked the great sword against the marble again, sending them all back to the places it had fetched them from.
He turned back to Mark and those gathered around him.
Mark was still trying to speak, and could not. He tried to sit up, but was so weak he could barely move.
“Relax. Gather your strength slowly.” Hilsith said as she urged him to remain prone with a gentle press on his shoulders.
“Ta… Talia…” he finally gasped.
“Sweet source above.” Hilsith softly cursed. “I have always thought there could not be such a thing as too much love, but if there is, he is feeling it now! It will be no wonder if his mind comes unhinged from it! I’ve never seen anyone absorb so much power! What an onslaught! I’d have thought that nothing could live through such an ordeal!”
“He did not.” Talia softly sobbed.
“Pardon me?” Hilsith asked in surprise.
“The vows and the Compulsions killed him, and the curse brought him back to life.” Talia stated tearfully. “Till the end of days. The curse would not let him die, just as it would not let me die. Till the end of days.
“Oh please be all right, my husband! Please! Oh Mark, I love you so much!”
“‘Mallrie’…” he mumbled.
“What? Pardon me, Love?” she asked tearfully.
“Umall right.” he mumbled, a little clearer this time, so quiet that only she could hear him.. “Love you. Lots.” He took a deep breath, then managed a shaky little smile. “Think I’m gonna be okay. Can’t see though. Probly come back in a minute.”
“You… You can’t see?” Talia asked in confusion. “But you’re looking right at me!”
“No. I know where you are. Exactly. Hard to put into words. I just know where you are. Think I always will. I love you Talia. I love you so much. My wife. That’s so incredible. You’re my wife! Oh Talia! Oh Talia!”
He became completely overwhelmed with emotion, and began crying like a child, with no effort to stop.
Talia leaned down and threw her arms around his neck, buried her face in the hollow of his shoulder, and cried as hard as he.
“Ah. This is good.” Hilsith murmured, nodding.
“Pardon me?” Yazadril worriedly asked, and absent-mindedly sheathed his sword behind his back. It was an effortless motion, and he didn’t need to look away from Hilsith as he did so.
“This weeping is a healthy sign.” Hilsith told him. “They desperately need to vent a great deal of excess emotion, and this is a healthy and natural way to do so.
“I think it’s safe to announce that they’re going to be all right.” she added, nodding toward the guests.
“Thank the source.” he stated reverently. Then he turned and realized that millions of elves were anxiously waiting, their faces worried, and some showed that they were deeply afraid for the young groom’s well-being.
He stood and called; “They’re going to be all right!”
This was greeted by cheers that shook the trees, and a few shed tears of relief.
Mark and Talia cried for over eight minutes, then Talia gradually stopped, and she held him while he cried for another minute. Finally, and with great effort, he got himself under some control, though it took almost another minute before his breathing stopped jerking and the lump in his throat went down.
“All right. My vision’s coming back.” he said. “Let me sit up please Love.”
Talia sat back on her heels to give him room.
He sat forward and put his head in his hands. “Whew! I’m glad I don’t have to do that every day!” he declared, and there were relieved chuckles all around.
“Well love, we still have things to do.” he smiled as he dropped his hands. “I guess we’d best get to doing them.”
“I guess we’d best!” Talia laughed.
He rose unsteadily to his feet, then everyone near rushed to support him as he swayed and almost fell.
“Easy there, you big youth!” Theramin laughed. “Take another minute or five. There’s no rush.”
“No, I’m all right now. I don’t think I’ll be going back down on one knee though. We’re almost done the ceremony. When it’s finished we can all go sit down.”
“All right. Places everyone!” Theramin called with a quick double clap. When all were back in their places he continued. “Place the ring, which symbolizes love without end, upon her finger.”
Dilimon handed the ring to Mark, who almost dropped it as his hands were still shaking a bit, and it took him two tries to get it over the tip of her finger. Then it was in place, and he sighed in relief as he realized he’d held his breath.
“And so let it be.” Theramin said with a grin. “Let all present bear witness, for I now pronounce you husband and wife.”
Mark didn’t trust himself to bend over far enough to kiss Talia, so he picked her up under her arms and held her close, uncaring if it contradicted elven decorum.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him like their lives depended on it, and so it was a pair of minutes later that they first noticed the roar of millions of elven voices shouting approval, and that everyone else in the wedding party was pulling flowers of every variety from out of thin air and tossing them upon the pair and that the pile was up to Mark’s knees, and that Theramin was waiting patiently with a huge grin on his face, and that the orchestra was now playing a joyous and lively refrain, and that the ribbons overhead were dancing almost frantically to the tempo in beautiful abstract patterns.
“Now let us rejoice with feast and celebration!” Theramin called, and the crowd roared even louder.
As he led them down the podium, its aisle was again almos
t aligned with the aisle on the ground, since it had made a bit more than one complete rotation during the ceremony. To allow people to move freely, the ribbons that marked off the aisle on the ground detached themselves at one end and tied themselves in neat bows on their gold stands, as an Illusion of a double ring of tables and chairs appeared around the podium. Since that ground was still filled with elves, many of them found themselves standing embedded in the middle of an illusory table or chair, and they hastily moved back. Room was available for them to do so, since many were moving out to the tables laden with the buffet feast, set up between the trees around the edge of the clearing.
Suddenly an amazing wave of the scent of the feast washed over them.
“Wow, does that smell great! Suddenly I’m starving!” Mark laughed.
“The cooks held back the scent of their wares, so as to not distract from the ceremony, and now they release all the scent they have stored.” Alilia told him.
“Everyone is clear.” Theramin said. “Be careful Mark, the tables and chairs are about to become solid. You don’t want to be in contact when they do.”
A sudden glow in Mark’s vision, and a shift in the slowly-recovering magic field in the elves’ vision, marked the transition.
Nemia led them a third of the way around the circle of tables, and it was obvious when they came to the one that was theirs. All of the tables were themselves round and each set with twelve chairs of a size to suit elves, and the gold-trimmed white dinnerware was similarly small. Mark’s place had items that matched all the rest, except in size. His dinnerware and silverware were sized for him, much larger than human standard sizes. His chair was also sized to him and situated in a depression in the moss with room for his feet in front, so that the low table would be at a comfortable level.
His table-mates were Talia, Yazadril and Nemia, Dilimon and Yalla, Theramin and Yzell, Alilia and her husband Gorsh, Hilsith, and Prince Jaromer of Thon, who appeared quite pleased to be seated with Hilsith. Hilsith appeared rather bemused by the Prince, gracing him with a raised eyebrow and a bit of a smirk.
Their table was in the outer ring, and the rest of the Princes and Princesses, along with their spouses and escorts, filled the four tables to either side. The rest of the bridesmaids and groomsmen, as well as some of the other senior wizards, and all their spouses and escorts, were seated at the four nearest tables on the inner ring.
The rest of the tables were occupied by those of The High People who knew Talia and her family personally, and by the Council and other senior elves of their people.
Alilia’s husband Gorsh was introduced as they sat, and was the tallest elf Mark had yet met at a hundred and seventy centimeters, a handsome fellow with blond hair and blue eyes wearing a flamboyant blue and yellow suit. He spoke little that evening, alternating between grief for his son and petulance at the scant attention Alilia paid him.
Alilia, for her part, made sure that Prince Jaromer was seated on her other side, for reasons that would soon be apparent.
Talia disdained her seat, leaving it open for any who chose to stop by their table for a few minutes, and instead settled herself on Mark’s lap as soon as he was seated. She introduced six of her friends who would serve at their table that night, and theirs were the first of a great many names that Mark couldn’t remember the next day.
“Well Talia,” one of them teased, “I can’t believe that you didn’t ask any of us to be bridesmaids! You definitely owe us one! Perhaps we’ll forgive you if you share your big handsome husband with us some night!”
“Or perhaps I’ll just have to live without your forgiveness, and keep him all to myself!” Talia grinned, possessively hugging him around his neck.
“Now don’t be petty!” another rejoined. “There’s obviously more than enough of him to go around! Besides, we’re not asking you to give him up for a night, only to share him, and perhaps we can spare a few kisses for you too!”
“And as I understand it, you have eternity anyway!” a third added. “Out of the millions of nights you’ll have, surely you can share him for at least one!”
“Hmm. Perhaps if he’s been very good, we can arrange something as a treat for him some time.” Talia giggled.
“Great! I suggest the night after tomorrow!” the first waitress laughed. “I think my schedule is open then!”
“We’ll see.” Talia smiled.
Mark, who had been blushing increasingly bright red since this conversation had started, suddenly asked; “Excuse me, do you know where the menus are? I was told there’d be menus?”
One of the giggling elf girls produced a stack of menus out of nowhere, and they handed them around.
“It’s somewhat traditional for the bride and groom to endure a certain amount of ribald teasing.” Talia quietly giggled into Mark’s ear. “Particularly if they wear white, as we’re more susceptible to it.”
“I guess some things are the same everywhere.” Mark grinned as he opened his menu.
It was printed in Trade Common, but that didn’t really help, since he didn’t recognize any of the dishes.
“Just bring me a portion of everything they’re serving, or enough to fill this plate, starting with whatever they have the most of. And a pitcher of apple juice.” He told the nearest server as he handed her his menu. She smiled, nodded, closed her eyes and whispered, and a moment later serving vessels began appearing in her hands, which soon filled the table around Mark, while another server began dishing their contents onto plates.
Every dish was delicious, and new ones arrived constantly, most steaming hot, some warm or cold, a few iced. A few were quite recognizable, like roast beef in a honey-ginger glaze that was called Cyoolian Shining Cattle, and in most cases he could identify the meat, vegetables, or fruits that were the main ingredients, but in some cases he had no idea what he was eating, and enjoyed it anyway. He got the impression that his menu had been hurriedly and poorly translated, since his was the only one not printed in Elvish.
Over the next hour the conversations were short and light, being largely comments on the food between bites. Most had ice-cold fruit juices with their meal, and many had liquor mixed with fruit juices, or wines, or ales, though tea and milk from various herbivores were also popular choices, as well as other beverages whose natures Mark never learned.
The elven royalty, wizards, and High People from the surrounding tables made their way over in groups of two to six, each spending a few moments to be introduced and to offer their congratulations.
The last and most interesting of those was Pimall, Princess of The Warm People, who knew Hilsith personally and who approached near the end of the meal. Like every northern elf Mark met, she had the same blue-tinged white coloring of newly fallen snow. After introductions she had asked; “So, you fine young couple, do you know how many, out of the world’s population of elves, have not attended your wedding today?”
“Well, since I doubt you’d leave your borders completely undefended, I’d guess a few hundred at least, perhaps a few thousand.” Mark speculated.
“Officially, eight!” Pimall laughed. “Three are retired recluses who never leave home, three are too physically infirm to leave their beds due to magically inflicted injuries, and two are hopelessly insane! And the injured three are receiving long-distance Sendings of the Readings beings taken all over this valley, but of you two primarily, of course. As for the elven sentries and guards, they are following the procedure The High People use for weddings, where they are divided into two by drawing lots, with half attending at any given time in turns! Of course, there are a few elven criminals who dare not show their faces.
“Everyone else is here! And I don’t mind telling you that I find it deeply ironic that the wedding of a human and an elf should have such a hugely unifying effect on elvenkind! Things are happening tonight, both here in the chapel and without, as advantage is taken of this unique opportunity to meet and get to know any other elf, to sign trade a
greements and settle disputes, to re-acquaint with seldom seen friends and relatives, to experiment with other cultures’ ways of feasting and celebrating, to make new friends, to play with new lovers, to fall in love with someone exotic from far away! You simply must find time tonight to stroll around the valley! Every elven people have brought their own pavilions to showcase their lifestyle and celebrations! Every product in the world can be had here tonight, for sale or barter or for just a smile!
“I tell you, our peoples have never been as united as they are right now! The results of this night will have a major effect on the world, far into the future!”
“Yes, and there will be a lot of explaining to do!” Jaromer laughed. “By now the human royalty, and that of the dwarves and other races on the other continents, will have noticed the sudden disappearance of the entire elven race, without a word of explanation to any of them! And when they hear that we all came to attend the wedding of a human, their reactions to not being invited will range from miffed to furious!”
“And perhaps it will put them in their place a bit!” Pimall laughed. “They could stand to be reminded that we are a powerful allied force in this world, and that they rule over none of us!”
“Well said!” Alilia said as she raised her glass in salute.
“And by the way, Jaromer, how is it that you sit at the head table, and I do not?” Pimall teased with a smile. “If it’s a matter of seniority, I have you by two centuries, and I’m a better wizard, and my people have by far both the most population and the most territory of all the elven nations!”
“I can only assume that our groom wanted someone at his table who is accustomed to dining with men!” Jaromer laughed.
“I’m just as glad to have you, Jaromer, but I’m afraid it was none of my doing!” Mark told him, enjoying the banter.
“I arranged your seating, Jaromer, through Nemia.” Alilia revealed. “For two reasons. The first is that we had one chair available, and you are the only one of the leaders who is single and unescorted.”
“There you are, Pimall, that is what I have that you do not!” Jaromer laughed. “A rather complete lack of a love life!”
“A rather complete lack of ability to commit to a relationship, you should say!” she returned. “You came unescorted so you could choose from all the available females here, you rake!”
“Ahh, you wound me deeply, though perhaps you have the truth of it.” He said with hilariously exaggerated melancholy, laying his forearm across his brow. “What was the other reason, Alilia?”
“I wish to ask your assistance. It’s a more serious conversation than we should have right now, but when the young get up to dance I will speak of it.”
“I think I can guess, and if I’m right, I would prefer that you not delay.” Talia stated firmly as she hand fed Mark a tidbit of some unknown candied fruit.
“And what is your guess?” Alilia asked.
“We wish to know of human wizards.” Talia answered. “Both the one that cursed you and father, and the one who slew Mark’s people, assuming one did. Jaromer is the obvious person to turn to for information and investigation of humans, and of their wizards. My soul burns for justice in these matters, as much as does yours or anyone’s, and if that is not what you meant to ask of him, then I so ask him now myself. A few minutes of seriousness will not spoil the evening, and our enemies may act again at any moment.”
“That is exactly it.” Alilia nodded.
“I see.” Jaromer nodded. “First, Yazadril, if you think that the detection spells you used to find the curse on you gave you any psionic signature of the perpetrator, give me what you’ve found and I’ll pass it on to my investigative specialists. If they’ve encountered the person or the person’s work before, they’ll know it immediately. As to the atrocity in Shinosa Valley… Give me a moment. All right, I’ve sent for my ambassador to the court of the King of Finitra. He may have some information on that matter. He’ll be here in a moment.
“Yazadril?”
“If I encounter the person who cursed us, or their work, I will most certainly recognize their aura, so I do believe that what I have will be useful in that regard.” Yazadril stated firmly. “Prepare for the Link. Here.”
“Received and sent on.” Jaromer nodded after a moment. “Ah, Bomil, there you are. I present Bomil, my ambassador to Finitra.”
Bomil was a very short elf, barely a hundred and twenty centimeters tall, blond, blue eyed, a bit bow legged, and with ears and a nose that were decidedly too large for the rest of his head. He bowed to the table in general, and habitually straightened the jacket of his neat brown suit. “What can I do for you, Jaromer?” he asked.
“Tell us, Bomil, what do you know of the atrocity in Shinosa Valley?”
“It was discovered five months ago, by a visiting resident of the next inhabited valley to the east, and word was passed to the garrison at Copper Strike, and thence to King Dren.” Bomil told them. “Some of the residents were found in the mill, some in the surrounding valley, and the rest close to their homes. Three are unaccounted for, and it’s assumed that they died while out hunting or trapping in more remote environs. I presume that Citizen Longstrider here is listed among those three, for there were no survivors reported. No cause of death has been decided upon, as it was not reported till at least a month had passed after it happened, and the deceased had been… disturbed, by scavengers, reducing the utility of examining them. The most popular theory at court is that they were struck down by a plague. The Royal Wizard of Finitra and his staff could find no lingering signs of the use of magic, but then, they are little more than a pack of twits at any rate. I would not be surprised if some of them were involved in some way.
“The nearest living relatives of the deceased were found, and internments were held according to the traditions of the Finitrans. The relatives of the deceased claimed their kin’s possessions and lands, but none of them chose to live in Shinosa Valley, and no one wanted to buy the land from them at first, for fear of plague. Then, perhaps five weeks ago, a village in eastern Finitra called Whiskers Delta and the lands surrounding it were slowly destroyed by flood, their land silted with sand, and the king felt he needed to re-establish Finitrans in Shinosa or risk losing sovereignty of the Whilo Peaks range to the Kingdom of Membitra, your neighbor to the west. So to solve two problems with one stroke, Dren bought the lands and buildings in Shinosa at the going rate, and sold them to the dispossessed from Whiskers Delta, who were allowed to take possession immediately upon promise of payments spaced over ten years.
“So I’m afraid it’s too late to reclaim your home, Citizen Longstrider, but if you so choose, I will contact your relatives, and see about having your family’s possessions and the proceeds from the sale of your home returned to you.”
“Uh…” Mark swallowed hard. “I’d appreciate that. There are a few of our things I’d like to have, for sure. As for the money, well I guess that depends on my relatives’ financial situation. If they need it, I’d like them to have it. I know my father had close kin down on the flats, and they exchanged letters once or twice a year, but my mother’s closest kin outside the valley were third cousins or something, and she’d never met them or even written to them. And she had a sister who’d married a trader, but I think they were out of touch for years due to constant travel. It’s, ah, it’s good to know my family were decently buried, at least.”
“I’m sure your kin will be glad to know you’re alive.” said Bomil. “And King Dren would be very interested in hearing your account of the events. Shall I give it to him? I assure you, your narrative during the ceremony made a strong impression on me, and I remember every word.”
“I don’t know. What’s he like?”
“King Dren? He’s a good man. A harried, nervous young man who can’t trust half of those around him, thrust into power too early by the magical assassination of his father King Wittan nine months ago; still unsolved.
Despite that, he’s fair to all, and is quickly building skill at his role. Yes, I’d say that he’s a good king.”
“Oh. Well, tell him then. And you might tell him that although I’m an expatriate now, I still consider myself a loyal Finitran.”
“Ah.” Bomil nodded. “You should know that if I tell him that last, he will inquire as to your new circumstances, and if I tell him that, he will certainly ask me to place you in contact with him, so that he can press you for an introduction to Yazadril for diplomatic purposes, or better yet for him, an introduction to Alilia.”
“Oh. What do you think, Yazadril?”
“Hmm. Hold that thought, Mark.” Yazadril mused. “Now there are three major magical events that have struck recently within the environs of Finitra, that may or may not be related. The curse upon Alilia and I, the atrocity at Shinosa Valley, and the assassination of a Finitran king. Do any of you know of any other events of note that involve diabolical magic, that have happened since Alilia and I were cursed?”
“Many.” Jaromer snorted. “Though only one on the scale of Shinosa Valley.”
“I agree.” Bomil nodded. “The truth of politics has never been more true than today.”
“The truth of politics?” Mark asked.
“A saying among the politically minded.” Alilia said. “I quote; The truth of politics is that magic runs the world, and wizards rule it.”
“At any rate, though over the last two centuries there has perhaps been a sporadic increase in acts of diabolical magic, as you put it Yazadril, I doubt anyone has tried to find a larger pattern in it all, which is what I believe you’re suggesting.” Bomil nodded. “It’s hard to say whether the increase is any greater than the increase in the general population.”
“The thought of such events being linked in any way is worrisome.” Jaromer said. “As it would imply that there is either a very powerful and evil wizard with some long term plan to destabilize the nations of this continent, or a conspiracy of evil wizards with such a plan. I assure you, tomorrow we will begin study of the possibility with every resource I can bring to bear.”
“Thank you.” Yazadril nodded. “Bomil, if you would, skip that part about Mark’s loyal citizenry, and convey my regards to King Dren directly. I’ll have a letter in your hand for him before you leave here, informing him that we wish to bring a delegation to his country next week, and that it will include myself, Mark, and a group of wizards who will assist us in investigating what happened at Shinosa Valley. We will wish to visit his capital, as well as Mark’s relatives; wherever they may live in his country, before we go to Shinosa Valley. And I will imply, without saying so directly, that if this goes well I will consider further contacts of a more diplomatic nature.
“And I think that is quite enough seriousness for a young bride and groom on their wedding night. You two may notice that a small but quickly increasing number of those around you are anticipating your leading the first dance.”
“All right, but you are not sending us off like children so you can discuss adult matters without us.” Talia stated firmly. “We are central to any proceedings in these matters, in every way, and furthermore, as accredited professionals; a warrior and a wizard, our skills and insight are fully pertinent.
“So when we dance, so should you all, and we will be honored to have you join us on the dancing ground.”
“Well said, my love. I couldn’t agree more.” Mark declared equally firmly, as he met the eyes of those around. Then he grinned. “On the other hand, I doubt I know any of the dances you do here.”
“You’ll just have to show us one you know, and we can teach you one of ours.” Talia laughed, and kissed him on the tip of his nose. “Shall we?”
“I believe we shall!” he laughed, and stood with her in his arms. “Will you be joining us?” he asked the group.
“After all the valid points your wife made, we couldn’t very well refuse, could we?” Nemia laughed as she stood.
“I’ll get my husband!” Pimall laughed as she turned in a swirl of blue velvet hooped skirts, and the silent Knight of The Warm People who hovered a discreet pace behind her and to her left went with her.
“My Lady, may I have the honor of this dance?” Jaromer asked Hilsith with a bow and a sweeping gesture toward the dancing ground.
“All right, as long as we clear the table now.” Hilsith smiled. “I more than half like you, Jaromer, and I’m honored to know you, and I even find you rather charming. In a completely-not-attracted-to-you manner of speaking.”
“Ouch! And ouch again!” Jaromer laughed with a shake of his head as she took his arm.
They all got a chuckle out of that as Nemia and Yazadril led them around the circle of tables.
“Since I am both morbidly curious and a glutton for suffering,” Jaromer said as he continued the banter, “May I ask what aspect of my person or character dismays you so?”
“You play a great game, but still, you’re only playing. You’re Prince of the second most powerful elven nation, but I get the impression that life is all just a great jest to you. It works well for you and I respect that, I’m not criticizing, but those I’m attracted to are more serious than that. You are simply far too frivolous.”
“And ouch again!”
A quarter of the way around the clearing lay a perfect circle of white ribbon on the ground, a hundred meters wide. A ring of expectant elves had formed around it, obviously waiting for the bride and groom to begin the dancing. The orchestra had broken into three smaller groups, so that one third could perform in turns while the other two-thirds enjoyed themselves.
The ribbons above it all drew pictures alternating with elven writing. Mark realized that as it had gotten dark, all the ribbons had begun glowing with increasing brightness, and now cast a comfortable light throughout the clearing.
“What’s that say?” Mark pointed to the ribbon writing.
“Dancing in this area only, please.” Talia chuckled.
“Ah, I should’ve guessed. You know, it strikes me that you could dance on the moss, or I could pick you up and carry you, but either way, we’re going to look silly, and maybe awkward as well. I don’t mind looking silly that much, but I’d rather not on the very first dance, if we can think of something else. Do you have any wizard’s tricks that would come in handy in this situation?”
“I’m sure I do!” Talia laughed. “Let’s see, I’ll start with a standing levitation at a consistent height above the ground,” she rose a meter in the air, floating along beside him as he walked, “I’ll apply a coefficient of friction and a state of resiliency similar to those of the moss to my pseudo-surface,” she bounced on her toes, “I’ll apply a horizontal movement locked to my motion over the ground,” she started walking beside him with quick little steps to match his pace, “And I’ll reduce the horizontal component by a ratio equivalent to the proportional difference between your pace and mine. Ta daa!” She walked the remainder of the distance to the circle of ribbon with her steps timed with his, and her smaller stride still carried her along beside him at the speed of his longer stride. “You can’t hold me too close while we’re dancing though, or my toes will be bumping you!”
“Well, done, Talia!” Yazadril congratulated. “That’s an extremely ingenious combination, my girl!”
“And a solution quickly arrived at!” Nemia added proudly as Yazadril swept her into his arms in preparation for the first dance. “I might have arrived at an equally elegant solution, but it would take me far longer to do so!”
“Even if I could do the spell, I couldn’t walk like that!” Mark chuckled as they reached a spot near the center of the dance floor. “I definitely couldn’t dance! I couldn’t ignore the ground going by at the wrong rate like that! I’d trip over my feet!
“Now let’s see…” He turned to the waiting musicians. “Could you play something like; DUM tum tum THHRRumm tum tum DUM tum tum THHRRum tum tum… Like that?”
/> The players smiled and nodded, and conferred for a moment, then the harpist tapped her fingernail on the frame of her instrument three times, and they began to play My Love’s Shining Eyes.
“Exactly the one I was thinking of!” Mark grinned, and turned back to Talia. “All right, we start with our feet together, take one step with each foot, and bring them back together on the third beat. I’ll start with my left foot. Then we do the same again, starting with the other foot, and repeat the six-beat pattern. I’ll hold you almost at your arm’s length so you have room for some footwork, and just follow my lead. Ready? And… Go.”
They began dancing like they’d done it a thousand times, and they had, if not with each other, for the elves enjoyed the dances of the other races as much as those they originated themselves, and Talia had known this one since she was a child.
Talia’s spell worked perfectly, and as long as Mark didn’t look at her feet, it was as easy to dance with her as it would have been if she were only twenty centimeters shorter than he.
“This is great!” he enthused as he whirled her along over the moss, and everyone gave them a round of applause before joining in the dance.
They danced well together, yet Mark soon realized that Yazadril and Nemia were far more skilled, and moved with a sure grace that spoke of decades dancing together. Some of the other long-married couples around were just as impressive.
“Look at them!” Talia smiled and nodded to Mark’s left.
Mark saw that her nod indicated Alilia and Gorsh, who were incredible, and obviously the most skilled pair there. Mark had wondered at dinner whether their relationship was failing, yet their moods blossomed on the dancing ground, and they grinned like children, obviously delighted in each other’s company and deeply in love. They executed amazing double and triple spins together, and their footwork sometimes included two steps on each beat, and occasionally three, instead of one.
“Wow!” Mark grinned, and looked away to avoid being so distracted that he missed his own steps.
“Don’t worry,” she giggled, “We’ll be as good as that when we’ve been at it as long as those two have.”
“And how long is that?”
“About four thousand years.”
“Wow. It still seems impossible that I could expect to live so long!”
“You will.” she nodded. “How much do you recall of what happened to you after you swore your vows?”
“Every single second.” Mark said, and became serious as he thought about it. Then he smiled again. “Not a lot of fun, really, but all’s well that ends well!”
“So you realize that the curse brought you back to life, though you were not sounding the tines at the time?”
“They were ringing a little, from Hilsith hitting my chest. But I’m not sure if that had anything to do with it.”
“I think not. I think we are immortal.”
“That’s too strange a thought to even think about right now. I think I’ll kiss you instead!” he laughed, and did so without missing a step.
They danced the better part of an hour without stopping before he called for a break.
“Let’s go back to the table for a bit, and then maybe stroll around the valley, as Pimall suggested.” he proposed.
“All right.”
“But keep this spell on, please Love? It’s nice to be able to look you in the eye without having to look down so far.”
“I’d rather you carried me.” she giggled. “I can make myself lighter if I get too heavy.”
“That won’t be a problem, and I would prefer to carry you as well.” he grinned.
She settled into his arms and they shared another kiss, and this one fired their ardor and left them breathless.
“Ah! Hold, my love!” Talia giggled as she broke the kiss. “I’m afraid that if we do that any longer, I’ll have to drag you back to our bed for satisfaction! And there is still much fun to be had here tonight!”
“Uh, yeah.” Mark agreed, and blushed.
As they left the dancing circle, Mark noticed that everyone from their table, as well as those from all the tables around theirs, also chose that moment to end their dance. They all walked around the newlyweds in a loose group. A loose crowd of perhaps a thousand followed around those, the curious and interested drawn both to the honored couple, and to the amazing concentration of the most powerful individuals in the elven nations.
Yazadril and Nemia were to their right, and Yazadril inquired; “So what would you two like to do now, my fine young son-in-law?”
Mark stopped and turned to them. “You know, I just now fully realize that you’re now my father-in-law and my mother-in-law.” he stated emotionally. “That you’re the only parents I have, and you and Talia are my only close family.”
There was an emotional moment, then Talia said; “I think this calls for a hug.”
“I think it does.” he smiled as he went to one knee and crouched low, and the three elves gave him a warm group hug, while his arms went around all three of them, and many of those watching gave a sentimental sigh to see it.
“And as for what we’re doing, we thought we’d stop by the table for a refreshment, and then stroll around the valley.” Mark said when he again stood with Talia in his arms. “Though with three million out there, we won’t have time to see much.”
“Actually, the first ‘visitors’ to arrive were of Alilia’s people, and they gathered just to the east of the chapel.” Theramin remarked. “The first to arrive from another people were Warm People who stationed themselves to the north, then a group from The Sea People who chose a place to the west, tropical elves to the south, and so on, until groups from every nation formed a ring around the chapel, and that is where their pavilions were erected when their attendance was officially recognized. So all you need to do to see the entire elven world represented is walk beyond the third surrounding ring of trees, then circumnavigate them!”
“Ah! Well that’s good to know!” Mark chuckled.
“And extremely convenient!” Talia agreed.
They stopped at their table for beverages.
“You must try this snow-flower elixir!” Talia suggested as she poured his huge glass full of a clear, ice-cold liquid. “It’s a rare and delectable drink made by The Warm People.”
“And a potent liquor as well!” Yazadril cautioned, chuckling.
“As for touring the nations’ temporary consulates, for want of a better term, I suggest you start with the more familiar, and work toward the more fantastic.” Dilimon chuckled. “For that, I suggest you depart the chapel in a north-easterly direction, then proceed to your right. Yalla and I skipped a few dances and made a quick tour by air. What began as hasty camps have become amazing showcases for proud nations, and I know you’ll be astounded at some of them!”
“Lead on, then!” Mark laughed.
As they cleared the third ring, one of the Princes that Mark had yet to be introduced to made his way close, his wife affectionately holding his hand.
“Mark and Talia, may I present Prince Simenir of The People of Clouds, another nation of mountain elves whose lands lie some five hundred and twenty kilometers to the south. This is his wife Fevia.
“We’re pleased to meet you.” Talia smiled as Mark made a polite bow in answer to Simenir and Fevia’s.
“We are pleased to meet you as well, and congratulations!” Fevia answered for the pair. “These are our people. We’re a small nation who numbers only a few more than The High People, and our lifestyles and lands are very similar to theirs as well. We therefore didn’t make such a big effort to display our uniqueness.”
The area was full of merrymaking elves milling about, talking and visiting, telling stories, playing games, displaying showy magic spells, and reciting poetry, and there were groups of musicians surrounded by crowds of dancers, interspersed among tables and booths bearing food, drink, artwork, and merchandise of every sort. The area was lit by amazing display
s of dancing light and cold fire that floated fifteen meters overhead. They visited there for twenty minutes, then moved to the next nation’s area.
That nation and the next one were mountain elves from other continents, and they had cast illusions on their areas that made the trees and plants look like those of their homelands, all of which were strange varieties that Mark had never seen.
Then they reached the area of Alilia’s people.
“The temporary demesne of The People of Life.” Dilimon told Mark.
“This is what it’s like around my home.” Alilia stated proudly. “It’s a perfect illusion.”
“It’s beautiful!” Mark smiled.
Though many of the plants and trees were of types he knew, it was a far more lush forest than any Mark had ever seen. Though it was dry, the air seemed full of moisture, like it had just finished raining. The trees, both the giant varieties and the more normal types that grew between them, were much larger than those in The Nine Valleys, as well as being more closely spaced. None of the bark of the trees could be seen, for every bit of it was covered with other plants and mosses. Where there was room for ground cover between the trees, it was covered with an amazing variety of bushes bearing leaves, flowers, berries and nuts. It seemed impenetrable, yet a more careful look revealed a dense profusion of wildlife moving through it; from squirrels to deer to great bison, from weasels to wolves to immense bears. Great flocks of birds winged overhead through the branches of the great trees, with an occasional raptor diving after prey. Clouds of insects buzzed and hummed between them, though none bothered Mark or the elves. One could almost feel all the life growing at a fantastic rate. Everything glowed with a soft light that made any additional illumination unnecessary.
There were no activities or facilities at ground level here, but the great trees had many platforms, walkways, and structures. They were built against the sides of trunks and hollowed into the wood, on the branches and slung beneath them, and suspended between the trees on giant webs of thick, cabled vines, and all were packed with elves. No tree or vine had been cut or attached to make the constructions, instead it had all been grown into shape and into place.
“It’s easy to see why your folk are called The People of Life, Alilia.” Mark commented as a hand-railed lifting platform descended to the forest floor at the edge of the area. “I’d love to visit your lands sometime.”
“You will always be welcome there.” she nodded.
The size of the lifting platform wasn’t apparent until it had reached the ground, and over two dozen boarded it. Similar platforms were touching ground on either side, though most elves simply flew up, and a few Translocated.
The view only became more beautiful as they rose through the branches to an absolutely massive open platform over three hundred meters above the ground. It was suspended by hundreds of the living cables, and there were thousands of elves engaged in celebration upon it.
One of the elves who waited upon their arrival there was not celebrating. She was a very delicate seeming beauty with ice blue eyes and black hair, wearing a simple yet attractive black dress, and she was crying in a mixture of sorrow and rage. She accosted Alilia immediately. “How could you do it?!!” she demanded without preliminary. “You, who know exactly what it is like as much as anyone can without experiencing it themselves, you are now another female’s rapist!! It matters not that you were too cowardly to do the deed with your own hands, and so forced an innocent to be your weapon!! You are still the one who is violating her! And for eternity, Alilia!!! Eternity!!! You are the worst rapist who has ever lived, or who ever will live!!! You have shamed us all!!! How could you do it?!!!”
Alilia stared at her, and could find no answer, but tears gathered in her eyes.
“You must forgive her, Yzandra.” Talia softly insisted, for she had guessed who faced them. “Even as I have forgiven her. She was overcome by grief at the death of her son, and under the influence of the curse cast upon her and my father. If you want to lay the blame where it truly should be, blame the unknown wizard who cast that curse.”
“You based your curse upon my experience, didn’t you?” Yzandra demanded, ignoring Talia for the moment.
Alilia tearfully nodded.
“Does she know what she faces?”
Alilia shook her head. “In general, but not yet in detail.” she murmured guiltily.
Now Yzandra turned to Talia. “You forgive her now, but you’ll feel differently before another century has passed! Gods’ teeth, you will hate her and the very air she breathes in a week! I will tell you what she lacks the courage to say! You will be raped in the most brutal ways, and if you try to prepare yourself for it to reduce your suffering, you will be raped by surprise! You will be bound, naked and helpless, in the most humiliating positions imaginable! You will be tormented upon your most private places, with cruel little whips, and with pins, and with hot candle wax! You will suffer buggery, the ultimate violation! You will be violated in every place with phalluses and fingers and every common object that can be made to serve the purpose! You will not be able to feel forgiveness for her after decades and centuries of such torments!”
She turned back to Alilia, and spoke coldly. “Until the end of days. Who would have thought it possible. Alilia the Great, Princess of The People of Life. The cruelest rapist who ever lived.
“I am renouncing my citizenship, for I am shamed by it. I leave tomorrow for The Stone Islands.”
With that, she turned on her heel and walked away.
“Now you hold right there, Yzandra!” Talia called sternly. The instant she wanted down, Mark sensed it in her body language and released her. She set out after Yzandra with determination in her stride, down an invisible ramp that deposited her feet on the wood just as she drew abreast of the outraged elf, who had stopped at the call.
“You have not considered what I have said with any seriousness at all, and furthermore, you are acting just like Alilia did when she cursed me!” Talia lectured. “For you have shown undeserved discourtesy to myself and to my party, a behavior you would normally abhor in yourself and which you will regret when this has passed, and anger has driven you to do it! Now I realize that painful memories have been reawakened in you by all of this, and I feel deeply for what you have gone through. But still, you must try to control your emotions, and realize the truth of what I am telling you!
“Alilia was cursed, Yzandra! Her son was lying freshly dead upon the ground right there, horribly broken and bleeding, because she had been cursed! She was IN HIS MIND, trying desperately to find out what had happened, at the final moment of her son’s death!!”
She took a deep breath, her eyes locked with Yzandra’s, and continued more calmly. “No one could be held responsible for their actions under such circumstances.” She looked around, and saw that everyone within earshot had stopped to listen. “No one.” she repeated firmly, and turned back to Yzandra.
She shook off the mood, and took a more friendly tone, with a gentle smile. “Just as I will not hold this outburst against you, for it is all too understandable.
“Furthermore, you must realize that what I face will not be the terrible ordeal you experienced, or even the tiniest fraction of it. I can imagine what a horror that was, and I feel great sorrow for your pain. It must rip at your heart to think of me having to go through that for eternity, but I will not. You need not feel that bad for me. I will not experience imprisonment, or enforced solitude and monotony. I will not be tormented by strangers, or feel the emotions that go with it. I will merely have rough sex with my husband, who loves me, and who will only be doing it because he is forced to do so to serve my needs, and that difference in intent changes everything.”
Yzandra broke down crying, and Talia stepped up to hug her.
“My father and Alilia were cursed to sow discontent among the elves, Yzandra.” Talia softly told her. “We must not let our unseen enemy succeed in that.
/>
“Come. You should celebrate with us for a while. It will be good for your mood.”
She drew her over to the group.
“I’m sorry, Alilia.” Yzandra sniffed.
“As am I, Yzandra. As am I.” Alilia nodded, and Talia drew the three of them together into a tearful hug.
“I think we’ll go to the privacy, girls.” Hilsith smiled, and turned to the group. “We’ll meet you at that table full of deliciously scenting delectables over there.”
The four made their way into the crowd, who resumed their celebrations, albeit with a more subdued mood.
“That was… Spooky.” Dilimon quietly stated.
“Wasn’t it?” Yazadril thoughtfully mused, and wiped a tear away.
Nemia turned into his arms and hugged him, and she also shed a few tears.
Theramin noticed the puzzlement on Mark’s face. “Talia and Dalia were exactly alike, except that Dalia had the boldness, and Talia the thoughtfulness. But as Talia pointed out, her recent experiences seem to have cured her of most of her shyness.
“And she seemed just like Dalia a moment ago.” Mark nodded in understanding, and they began making their way over to the table Hilsith had indicated.
“Exactly. Before, it would have been Talia who thought of the words she said, and she’d have told Dalia what she thought, but it would have been up to Dalia to deliver such an effective remonstrance. And she’d have been very much like that. For a moment, Talia seemed much more like Dalia than herself.”
“Talia said that Dalia was half of her soul.” Mark mused. “I guess if that’s so, then half of Dalia’s soul lives on in her sister.
“I’m very sorry I never had a chance to know them both together. I can barely imagine how wonderful they must have been.”
Then he thought that his words might be taken to be insensitive to their grief, but as he turned to check, Nemia re-assured him with a warm smile as she repaired her appearance with a casual spell while marshaling her emotions.
“Those are lovely thoughts, Mark. I know if Dalia were here, she’d want us to celebrate Talia’s wedding with joy. Perhaps you would care for a dance with your new mother-in-law, till your bride returns?”
“I would be honored!” Mark chuckled with a polite bow as he held his hand out to her. “With your permission, Yazadril?”
“Of course, Mark! And you should know that among my people, it is almost ridiculously overly-courteous of you to ask!” Yazadril laughed. “Our females value their freedom of choice in such things, and our wives more than most!”
“Overly-courteous? Is that a real word?” Mark asked Nemia with a mischievous smile as he led her to the nearest crowd of dancers.
“I couldn’t say!” Nemia laughed. “This translation spell is standard-issue, and it could be better I think! It supplies both words and grammar, and while I’d give its crafters average marks for its dictionary functions, it’s often too slow to supply the correct sentence structure, and elves sometimes find themselves using the more formal modes of the syntax of Elvish. Especially when emotions run high.”
“I’ve noticed that!” he agreed as he took her hands, then cocked his head at the song the five piece fife and drum group were playing. “Do you know this dance? It seems almost like a jig.”
“No. It’s particular to the People of Life.” Nemia said as she watched the joyous capering around her. “I do know some that are similar. But what the hey! We’ll just improvise!”
“All right!” he laughed, and they bounced around together for a few moments. Unfortunately, it was like a normal man dancing with a six-year-old child, and as Mark had suspected, it was rather awkward. He looked around at the other dancers and marveled at how much he must stand out in this crowd, since almost all of them were shorter than his belt buckle.
“Could you do that dancing spell that Talia did?” he asked.
“I don’t think that would be wise, since I have had six cordials!” she laughed. “But you’re right in that this isn’t working that well! I’m getting a kink in my neck from looking up at you! Just pick me up, like you do Talia!”
“All right!” he laughed, and swept her up in his arms. This allowed him to do a much better job of following the other dancers.
“Mmm! I can sure see what Talia appreciates about this.” Nemia giggled.
“What?”
“Do you remember what it felt like to be a child, being carried by an adult, who was so much bigger and stronger, yet so gentle?”
Mark smiled. It hadn’t been that long ago. His father had stood two hundred and twenty-nine centimeters tall and weighed well over a hundred and forty kilograms, and he’d been fit and muscular. He’d had no trouble carrying his son around until Mark was almost thirteen.
“I see that you do.” Nemia smiled. “I get a similar, wonderful feeling being carried so effortlessly by you, like this. But then, I’m not a little girl anymore, I am fully mature, and you are male and very attractive, and that adds other aspects of wonderfulness to the feeling.”
“Ah, okay.” Mark nodded, growing a little uncomfortable with the direction the conversation was taking.
Nemia didn’t notice that. “We shall have to ask Talia to share you with me some night soon.”
“Now don’t you start with that!” Mark laughed. “I got enough of that kind of teasing from those girls at dinner!”
Nemia didn’t say anything, and Mark suddenly stopped dead in shocked realization.
“Great fried toads! You’re serious!” he muttered. He looked around and resumed dancing, hoping not to make a scene. Then he noticed the hurt look on Nemia’s face.
“Hey, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to… to dismiss your feelings or anything! It’s just… I mean, you’re my mother-in-law, and the way you are, I mean it’s just not fair that you’re… Ah crap, I’m babbling like an idiot, and Yazadril warned me about these differences in our cultures, so I should be handling this better, but I’m not, so I’m sorry.”
She couldn’t help but laugh at his bashful frustration and stroke his cheek. “No, it’s me who should be sorry. I didn’t mean to scandalize you. I too forgot for a moment what great differences there are in our cultures. And perhaps I still have too much girlish pride. I’ve never been refused before, and I was surprised, as I don’t grant my attentions lightly, or often. Except for Yazadril, of course.”
Then she cocked her head to one side and smiled mischievously. “What did you mean, that it was not fair, me being the way I am?”
He took a deep breath. “Look, Nemia, I dearly love Talia, but I am not blind to the fact that every single elven female is beautiful! Now a man expects that he will have to exert a certain measure of willpower to resist the allure of other attractive girls after he gets married. And, I’m lucky to be able to truly say that I find Talia to be the most attractive among you by far, not only for her alluring prettiness, but for her intelligent and adorable manner as well. But for pure, dazzling, breathtaking beauty, there are two of you who are her equal, and it just doesn’t seem fair that you should be one of the two! I mean, a man expects his mother-in-law to be wrinkled and gray, and neither you nor Talia look a day older than I am! In fact, if I hadn’t been told, I wouldn’t be able to choose which of you is older than the other!”
“So you are saying that it’s not fair for you to have to exert so much willpower to resist the allure of your mother-in-law? Oh, Mark, that is so cute!”
Mark had to shake his head and chuckle. “I’m glad you think so, Nemia.”
“Tell me, who is the other that you find so beautiful?” she asked with a teasing smile.
“Well… It’s Alilia.”
“Alilia! I can see that. She is very striking.” Nemia nodded, smiling. “You should know, in order to avoid misunderstandings in the future, that Alilia would pleasure you or Talia, or both, in a heartbeat. True, part of it is her need to make amends, but she is not blind to the fa
ct that you are an incredibly attractive couple. And those friends of Talia’s at dinner were teasing you, but that does not mean they were one whit less serious about pleasuring you. They would dearly love to climb all over you in a big pile of naked elf girls!”
“Well that’s it! I need a drink!” Mark declared as he set Nemia down on her feet and led her by the hand back to their group.
Back at the table, he picked up his glass and slammed back the contents, set it down with a deep shudder, then picked up Talia and held her close.
“What is it, Love?” she asked, unsure whether to be concerned.
“I’m just having a bit of trouble getting used to our cultural differences. It’s nothing.” he assured her.
“It’s my fault.” Nemia explained with a smile. “I expressed my desire for him, and he said that it wasn’t fair that he should have to exert willpower to resist the allure of his mother-in-law. Isn’t that charming?”
“Ah, Nemia, you are still so young!” Yazadril laughed as he drew her into his arms. “And still so unknowing of human ways! You’ve probably mortified the poor boy!”
“Well there’s no need to trouble yourself, Love!” Talia soothed. “I wouldn’t mind sharing you with Mother some time, not in the slightest!”
Mark stared at her in shock.
Yazadril shook his head in bemusement. “Talia, you are not helping the situation. The thought of you and your mother sharing a bed in that way will be shaking his mind to the core right now.”
“Oh! I’m sorry!” Talia told him.
“Look, it’s not just that!” Mark stated in hurt exasperation. “I mean, Talia, we just got married! We haven’t even slept together yet! You can’t really want me to sleep with other women do you?”
She searched his eyes, and considered her answer very carefully. “Not if it makes you feel badly, my love. Not if you feel that it is a betrayal of our love, or of our marriage. But for my own part, if I thought you would genuinely be comfortable with it and enjoy it, I think it would be fun as an occasional treat. I mean, I know how you human males feel about being with other males that way, you are famous for your aversion to it, and so I would never suggest it. But I was under the impression that human males liked to be pleasured by as many females as possible.”
“That’s true, in a way, but…” Mark stammered.
“You are also very young, Mark, and so there is much you don’t realize.” Yazadril said. “Among your people you swear in your marriage vows to not share sexuality except with your spouse, and so it is considered wrong to do so, and so when it is done it is generally done in secret, and so it is a betrayal. Even among our people, it would be a betrayal to sneak away from your spouse to pleasure another in secrecy. But among every race, even humans, it sometimes happens that a happily married couple will together share their bed with another, or even another couple, by mutual and respectful consent, for the sake of enjoying a novel experience. I can guarantee that such things occasionally went on in Shinosa Valley while you lived there, though you can be sure that the adults would never let you children know about it. And among my people, such play is very common. The differences in this regard between your people and mine stem from the fact that your people are vulnerable to sexual diseases and unplanned pregnancy, while elves are not.
“Simply take it slowly for now, no one will ask you to do anything you feel uncomfortable with. You’ll get used to us in a few years.”
“Huh. You really think that adults among my people do such things?” Mark asked uncertainly.
“I know it for a fact, though they are a small minority.” Yazadril nodded. “Every sexual practice you can imagine is done among every race on this world. The fact that certain practices are forbidden among humans only seems to make them more fascinating to some of you. If you had reached your adulthood a few years before you came to us, you would know this, and so you would not be nearly as shocked by our customs.”
“Come, let’s move on to the next consulate!” Dilimon laughed. “At this rate it’ll be midnight before you’ve seen them all!”
At this, many of those around them began nonchalantly making their way to the ground, most by Flight, though some began crowding happily onto the lifting platforms.
“Everyone around us is listening to every word we’re saying!” Mark stated in surprise.
“Of course!” Talia laughed. “We are the bride and groom! We are naturally the center of attention.”
“And you are surrounded by royalty and mighty wizards.” Yazadril added. “You would be the center of attention under such circumstances among any race in the world. It only surprises you because elves are far more discreetly polite about eavesdropping on the famous, but how could the nearest among them not do so, in such a dense crowd? And since there is no reason why some should be privileged to hear the words of the famous by chance, while others are not, those around you are passing the experience to everyone else. Discreetly, of course. I thought you realized that. That young fellow there, who is so skilled at being innocuous, is Kenesir of Sming, a famed recordist. He has sacrificed his celebrating tonight to so that he can concentrate on recording the events for the historic records of the elven nations. He magnifies his vision and augments his hearing to do so, and his memories of tonight will be impressed into a jewel in a form that can be re-experienced by others. He is truly a great artist at the task. No doubt a copy of it will be given to you as a wedding present, for it is traditional among us to do so.”
“Oh. Well I didn’t know about that fellow, but I guess I realized the rest.” Mark said as they stepped onto the lifting platform. “I just forgot, because I’ve never even seen a crowd before tonight, never mind having to deal with their attention upon me! Being famous, as you say, is a strange experience. I’ll have to watch what I say a little closer!”
“Why? You’ve said and done nothing that you cannot be proud of, by anyone’s morality!” Talia told him. “Just be yourself. We all love you that way. Don’t we?” She asked that last of everyone on the platform, and they all gave a laughing cheer of agreement, abandoning for a moment the pretense of not paying attention to them.
“Oh.” Mark said, and blushed bright red.
“You might think it better if everyone who is paying attention to you acted like they were paying attention to you,” Yazadril opined, “But believe me, you would find it far more unnerving to have thousands doing nothing but standing there and watching you, or worse yet, yelling and gesturing wildly for your notice, as some in human crowds always do. Better that they be discreet, and put some of their attention on enjoying all of this fun and feasting!”
The next four small areas were those of the elves from the tropical jungles. Their Princes and Princesses were introduced in turn, and each spoke to provide insight into their people. The tropical elves were dark, like those of all races who dwelt in such climes. Their skin, their hair, and their eyes were black, to protect them from the intense sunlight, and even the ‘whites’ of their eyes were black, so that their pupils and irises were only apparent in the uniformly black orbs when the light reflected from them at certain angles. All had dense, straight hair that grew to a uniform five centimeter length, and stuck straight out from their heads in a spiky ball.
Like Alilia’s people’s area, the ground was covered with an impenetrable abundance of life, all of it strange, and they conducted their affairs entirely in the trees. The four areas seemed very similar at first glance, yet a closer look showed that they were filled with completely different species, for they represented three different continents and an isolated archipelago. The trees lacked the great height and breadth of those of some other areas, but were far more densely spaced. Those from continents wore loose, colorful robes, tied at the waist with chains of flowers.
The islanders’ area had a smoking volcano visible in the distance, the scent of the sea in the air, and the sound of distant surf. Many of them wore on
ly flowers in their hair and short white kilts, and Mark blushed purple to see that as many females as males went unclothed above the waist.
To provide lighting for their areas, the wizards of the four tropical nations had co-operated on a great illusion. It was night in the rest of the valley, but in these four areas it was high noon, and a blazing tropical sun shone directly overhead.
After that they visited the plains elves of the three great empires, whose only illusions were fantastic castles of delicate design between the great trees, their halls and courtyards and the spaces between filled with tens of thousands of merrymakers.
“There’s not a lot of trees out on the plains.” Jaromer commented. “So my people have embraced the art of building in stone.”
“And they do so beautifully!” Talia told him.
“I’m curious about something, Jaromer.” Mark asked as they stopped to watch an amazing display of juggling and acrobatics. “You were introduced as Prince of your people, and as Viscount of The Empire of Thon and Imperial Wizard to His Excellency Osbald the Eighth. Yet Pimall said that none ruled over you. You’ll forgive me if I see an inconsistency there.”
“Ah. You see, our titles are reciprocal.” Jaromer explained. “Osbald is introduced as Emperor of the Humans of Thon, and as Viscount to the court of The Principality of the Elves of Thon, as well as being Royal Wizard to the Prince of The Elves of Thon, who is of course, me. We are two peoples and two nations, one a principality of elves, and one an empire of humans, who happen to share the same land. We share the same laws and justice system, the same civil organizations, and the same military, though tradition dictates that we conduct our own training and form our own companies. Yet it is explicitly stated in treaty, as well as completely understood in practice, that Osbald commands no elf, and that I command no human. The governments of my associates here from the other empires of Sming and Kuth are very similar. It is a system that has worked well for six thousand years so far, for it allows all of us to politely claim in public that we are part of a united nation, while each secretly believing that we have conquered the other race!”
“It keeps the peace, and that is an amazing and beautiful thing.” Yazadril nodded.
“Why do you say that?” Mark asked.
“Because my people and Osbald’s, all the humans and all the elves of the plains actually, were at odds for thirty-five thousand years before the empires became united.” Jaromer revealed. “Sometimes it was all-out war, and the rest was just long breaks between battles, full of minor skirmishes and covert destruction. There was poisoning hatred, one race for the other. At the end, neither side had enough population left to hold more than a fraction of the land, and it was realized that if we couldn’t make peace between us, both our peoples would lose everything to invaders from more distant places.
“Now our mottoes are Peace, Trade, and Prosperity.”
“As reflected in the incredible displays of various merchandise available here!” Talia nodded gleefully as she eyed the endless tables and racks of items all about.
“Indeed!” Jaromer chuckled.
“I’m kind of surprised that I haven’t seen you trading for anything.” Mark chuckled to Talia. “I’ve sure noticed your eyes widen at a few things tonight, and I know you could easily afford most of them!”
“Yes, it’s a deliciously frustrating experience!” Talia giggled. “Any other girl here can go on the shopping spree of a lifetime, yet it would be foolish for me to do so, since no matter what I buy, I may just receive another exactly like it for a wedding gift! That would diminish the value of the gift, and leave me with redundant duplicates besides!”
“Ah, the troubles some girls face!” Yalla laughed.
“You know, at every elven wedding I have ever heard of, every attending guest brought a gift, even if it was only a trinket.” Nemia stated thoughtfully. “The gifts we received when Yazadril and I married still constitute over half of our wealth and goods. Over seven and a half thousands attended, since Yazadril knows so many from beyond The Nine Valleys.”
“That’s generally the case.” Yazadril nodded. “Most of the other half of our wealth and goods are things that were given as gifts at my last marriage, over five thousand years ago. My things from my first marriage, back when I was but a lad of two centuries, were plundered by… Well, they were plundered in a war, and none were ever recovered, but it was a substantial trove. And you know, a surprising amount of the wealth and goods I’ve gained by my own efforts have gone to provide gifts at the weddings of others, now that I think about it!”
“That’s the way of elves.” Gorsh said. “We keep what we are given, and give what we have earned. I’ve given away everything I ever made except two items, or spent it in the consumption of life, and everything else I own was a gift.”
Alilia’s husband had spoken so rarely that Mark was surprised by it, but he was soon distracted by the realization of what Nemia was getting at.
“You don’t think everyone who came tonight will give a gift, do you?” Mark asked in amazement. “Most of them never even got a chance to see us with their own eyes!”
“Yes, I do think they will.” Nemia nodded.
“Of course they will!” Gorsh insisted, vaguely offended at Mark’s suggestion. “They all got to see you in their mind’s eye, and closer than they could with their own eyes at most human weddings! They have all enjoyed the most spectacular wedding that was ever held! It would be rude to fail to give a gift, after sharing this wonderful experience!”
“He’s right.” Pimall nodded. “Your decision to extend your invitation to the entire elven race was an unprecedented and astounding act of openness and community, and you can be sure we all appreciate it as such!”
“Oh.” Mark said in surprise. “I never thought about it. It just seemed like the thing to do at the time.”
“My point is this; Yazadril, Theramin, Alilia.” Nemia said as she looked to them in turn, and cast a quick counting spell. “There are three million, six hundred forty-nine thousand, four hundred and thirty-one in attendance, and we four will make these newlyweds a home as our gift. We may need to reconsider the design, with an eye to increasing the vaults and storage.”
“That’s a good point, my dear.” Yazadril nodded. “We’ll know the extent of the modifications needed after the gifts are given.”
Mark chuckled. “My father used to say; the valley was our home, and a house was only shelter from the elements and a place to keep your things.”
After the areas of the plains elves they visited a single area that represented the four nations of the elves of The Sea People, who had once been one people before they spread to four continents. Their only holdings on land were trading enclaves on the waterfronts and docks of the ports of the world, full of warehouses and shipyards and such, for they lived almost their entire lives aboard their great ships. Their area around the chapel appeared to be flooded to a great depth, an illusory sea that filled the spaces between the great trees, and many great wooden vessels over a hundred meters long floated within. Once aboard the closest and largest one they danced to merry sea shanties and snacked on seafood delicacies.
Though as merry as any, The Sea People were a fierce looking bunch, with necklaces of shark’s teeth, gold rings pierced through their ears or noses, and hauntingly beautiful tattoos on every exposed square centimeter of skin, including their faces.
When Mark asked about this, Princess Bluvi of The Sea People of Kletiuk told him with a laugh that it was a practice that helped to discourage piracy.
Finally, Pimall showed them around the huge area of The Warm People. Here everything was covered with a forty centimeters of snow, with more constantly falling between the great trees, yet it was just as warm as the rest of the valley. The area was lit as almost bright as day by the polar aurora twisting and turning in colorful bands that filled the sky. Mark grabbed a handful of white and made a snowball, and it felt and acted li
ke snow, but it didn’t feel cold in his hands.
“Is this real?” he asked, indicating the snow.
“It’s real snow, but spelled so that it can’t absorb any heat.” Pimall informed him. “We are called The Warm People because we have a natural immunity to cold, a sub-development of the innate elven healing ability. So we always feel warm. When the ocean is freezing over, we are comfortable swimming naked among the icebergs with the seals. This display gives everyone a chance to experience what that is like.”
“It’s great!” Mark laughed, and lightly tossed the snowball at Dilimon.
Dilimon blocked it in an explosion of dry flakes. “It doesn’t even get you wet!” he laughed.
“Yes, that is a difference!” Pimall laughed. “Normally snow that’s warm enough to pack into a snowball will make you wet, even if you’re one of The Warm People!”
“Let’s join that dance! It looks like fun!” Talia suggested.
They joined hundreds of others, most of whom were Warm People, who were doing a simple communal stomping dance in a great circle around a huge bonfire. Everyone wore jingling bells on their ankles, and a smiling youth of The Warm People shyly handed them some. “My gift to you.” he said, ducking his head in a bow.
Mark took the pair of smooth white satin ribbons he was handed, each mounted with four small bells of gleaming fine silver. “Thank you! They’re very nice!” Mark grinned as he tied them on.
It was a very freeform dance, and they stomped and spun and whirled each other around with jingling carefree abandon.
After half an hour of that they were happily winded and sweaty, and at the urging of their hosts, they all went for a swim in a half-frozen pool with ice chunks floating about. The water did make them wet, but only absorbed enough heat from them to be barely cool to the skin, and refreshingly so. Some swam in all their clothes, some stripped to their underwear, and some swam completely naked. Mark, Talia, and the rest of their party chose to swim in their underwear, and Mark tried to not to look at the more exposed elves all about him.
When they emerged, spells were cast that dried them instantly and repaired their hairstyles.
Finally they returned to the chapel. As they sat back down at their table, Mark found himself yawning. “Ahh. It’s been quite a long and exciting day, especially for a simple mountain boy such as myself.” he mused.
“It has.” Talia agreed with a smile.
“Perhaps we should call for the presentation of gifts, then take you two home.” Nemia suggested.
“How long will it take though, with so many here?” Mark asked, worried. “I mean, if I have to say three million thank-yous, we’ll be at it for days!”
“Don’t worry!” Nemia laughed. “Even at my wedding, where there were only seven and a half thousand or so attending, everyone knew that only a few could make a personal presentation of their gift. Everyone else will send their gift with a card, usually a very artistic one, and within the card will be their names and a picture of them, and their congratulatory sentiments. Over the weeks and months ahead you two will have time to appreciate every gift individually, to read the card, and open the gifts that are wrapped, and if a gift is particularly appreciated, perhaps write a thank-you note to the sender.”
“Ah. So what happens when they’re presented tonight?”
“Well, we’ll simply clear a space for the gifts, and Theramin there, as Master of the Ceremony, will call for the presentation.” Nemia told him. “A few will consider their gifts of such importance as to be deserving of a personal presentation. Those will come to speak privately with Theramin, and he will choose a reasonable number of them to do so. They will speak briefly and present their gifts. Then everyone else will Send theirs over. And by ‘Send’, I mean the outgoing Translocation spell. Which is distinct from a ‘Sending’, which is… Oh drat this shabby translation spell! At any rate, the gifts will magically appear.”
“Then before we go, we’ll address the guests.” Talia added. “We’ll thank them for their attendance and their gifts, and add our personal sentiments of the moment.”
“Hmm. Perhaps I’ll follow a bit of Yazadril’s advice then.” Mark grinned.
“And what is that?”
“He said that I should sing. I think I’ll accompany myself on the harp, if one can be borrowed for me to use.”
“Oh, would you Mark?” Talia enthused, clapping a bit in glee at the thought. “That would be delightful!”
“Believe me, you will not have to borrow a harp after the gifts are presented!” Dilimon laughed.
“Why? Are you giving us one?” Mark asked.
“As a matter of fact, I am not.” Dilimon snickered. “But consider how the guests will choose their gifts. Most of them do not know either of you personally, but you can expect an assortment of practical and decorative items such as any young couple will need for their first home. Beyond those, Talia is in many ways a typical elven maiden, and furthermore, as the daughter of a Prince, information about her is more widely known than most. These things make her somewhat easy to choose for.
“As for yourself, you can expect what could be considered typical gifts for young human males; bows, boots, sporting equipment and the like, as well as things that would be typical gifts for young male elves; including charmed or magically enhanced items.
“But for the most part, they will be guided by the words you spoke as the groom during the ceremony. And there are over three and a half millions of them. You can expect to receive at least one of every item you mentioned using in your life, and there was a poignant moment when you spoke of the unfinished harp you were building with your father.
“To conclude, I consider it a mathematical certainty that at least one person will gift you with a harp.”
“Oh. You’re really very shrewd, aren’t you, Dilimon?” Mark teased.
“It’s my military training.” Dilimon laughed, tossing a lock of sandy hair back from his brow with a shake of his head.
“Having discussed it so thoroughly, shall I now in fact call for the presentation?” Theramin grinned.
“Please!” Talia laughed, almost shivering with excitement on Mark’s lap. “Oh, I feel like a naughty, covetous child, but I simply can’t wait to see what we’ll get!”
“We should move to the podium. That is, I’ll go up there to make the call, and I’ll wave you up when the presentation is ready.” Theramin explained.
“Could you give us five minutes first?” Mark asked, a bit anxiously. “I’d really like just a few minutes of privacy with Talia, if there’s anywhere we can go that’s private, that is.”
Without a word, Talia smiled, stood, and led him by the hand to the lounge where they’d awaited the start of the ceremony, settled him into his huge flying chair, and climbed into his lap.
She giggled as she caressed his face. “This place is private for us right now, reserved for the bride and groom after the ceremony for moments like these.”
“Ahh, thank you.” he nodded as he gently wrapped his arms around her. “These last few minutes all I want to think about is you, and how much I love you, and how much I need to just concentrate on you for a while. Everything else was rapidly becoming nothing more than a maddening distraction, and all I want to do is just hold you close and... and just love you.”
“I felt the same.” she murmured against his chest as he settled back in the chair and cuddled her adoringly. “It is so... powerful, so beautiful and profound. Never has anyone felt a love like this. Though as much as I need this, we should not take too long right now. There’s still enjoyment to be had for us this night, and the sooner it’s done, the sooner we can finally be truly alone together.”
“Gods, Talia, I love you so much.”
“As I love you, Mark.”
When they returned to the head table ten minutes later, both smiling happily, Talia turned to Theramin. “Sorry for the interruption. We’re ready to continue with
the festivities now, if you would?”
“I would!” he chuckled, then rose and strode to the top tier of the podium and held up his hands. “Your attention please!” he called, and the chapel’s spell carried his voice to all within. He waited an extra moment for those monitoring Reading spells in the valley beyond to give him their attention. “It’s almost time for the presentation of wedding gifts to the happy couple. Would those who wish to make a personal presentation please come to the podium? And would everyone around the podium please move back, perhaps twenty paces, to allow for the placement of gifts? Thank you.”
To his obvious surprise, only one elf appeared beside him, and spoke to him privately in an urgent manner.
“Ah, that industrious and rather harried-looking female is Mileemi, my Chief of Staff!” Jaromer laughed as he pointed to the red-haired elfess in a blue gown who spoke to Theramin. “She is the finest administrator on life, as well as being the most compulsively organized! I’ve no doubt that her appearance signals her having coordinated the presentation of every gift from those outside the chapel, and timed it to the second like a military drill!”
“Actually, she’s included those from within the chapel as well, except for those at the head table.” Pimall laughed. “Don’t worry Jaromer, you’re giving a wonderful gift, so Mileemi tells me!”
“I am?! What a wonder she is! And I already had something in mind! I suppose I’ll just have to give them both.”
Mileemi finished speaking, handed Theramin a stack of cards, and disappeared.
Theramin waved them up, and the immediate wedding party rose to join him, those being Mark, Talia, Yazadril, Nemia, Alilia and Dilimon.
Talia brought Mark’s chair by Levitation, and it floated along behind and settled in the center of the top tier. Mark sat and Talia curled in his lap, while Theramin stood beside their chair and the rest stood on the second tier.
Theramin turned to Mark and Talia, and every other eye was upon them as well. “Many normal traditions have been changed for tonight, due to the unique circumstances of tonight’s festivities.” he announced with a grin. “I’m told, because it was held on such short notice, a mad scramble to choose gifts ensued as soon as it was first announced to The High People by Yazadril. Of course, this intensified among those whose invitations went out at the last moment, and apparently it continues even now, as a few last-minute procrastinators are still frantically trying to find just the right thing among the plethora of choices available here tonight.”
He paused while everyone got a chuckle out of that.
“This is more difficult than you might think, as each person’s gift was registered on a list, and so exact duplication has generally been avoided. But the greatest difference between tonight’s gift giving and the more usual presentations is this; Because of the numbers attending, and I suspect out of a mild hope to out-do one another, many have co-operated in selecting gifts, and pooled their resources, so as to be able to give a more significant and meaningful gift as a group. This trend has been taken to amazing extremes among the more late-arriving peoples.
“In general, The High People have gifted you as individuals and families, since their gifts were selected when it was thought that they would be the only guests.
“The next to be invited were eight thousand of the magically gifted among The People of Life, and they generally co-operated in groups of dozens to hundreds in contributing to gifts and selecting them. About one third of the rest of The People of Life did the same. This was almost necessary, as almost anything within the budget of an individual was already given.”
Theramin took a deep breath.
“The vast remainder of The People of Life, as well as the rest of the nations of the race of elves, with some exceptions, have gifted you as nations!
“Now, though it might embarrass her, I will say that this presentation was organized by Mileemi of Thon.
“First, that you should have a happy and functional home…” he had to stop and giggle for a moment as he flipped through the cards in his hand, then he resumed. “Ah, let those whose gifts are household goods, furnishings, and decorative items present them now!”
Items began appearing in coordinated roomfuls, with the furniture and other items arranged floating in the air. Rugs and carpets lay on invisible floors, with shelves and cabinets, already filled, along invisible walls, along with paintings and other decorations. Each item had a card to show who had given it. Kitchenfuls, bedroom suites, living room suites, nurseries, items for privacies, workshops, studies, games rooms, two music rooms including instruments of every sort, even items found in a stable and a smithy.
Mark and Talia stared in amazement, and the crowd clapped in appreciation, as roomful after roomful, suite after suite of items appeared, hovered for a few moments, then disassembled their groupings to stack themselves neatly on the open ring of moss around the tables.
Finally that was done.
“Where could we possibly put it all?!” Mark muttered in consternation.
Theramin only grinned and continued. “Would those who have given items of apparel to the groom, including items of armor, please send forth their gifts?”
“I hope they have my size!” Mark chuckled.
“They do.” Theramin grinned.
Hundreds of items of clothing and armor appeared, arranged in complete outfits, before moving off to their places on the moss.
Next was a much larger collection of clothing for Talia, arranged on long rows of floating hangars.
Then personal items for him of every kind, climbing gear and camping equipment, swords and shields and bows, the things needed to play any popular sport, flasks and shaving kits and things he didn’t recognize.
Then personal items for her, brushes, combs, games and puzzles, scrolls, wands, and a great many things that Mark didn’t recognize, but later learned were other specialized items for wizards.
“Would those who have given wealth, that the young couple may have ready resources in troubled times, please send forth their gifts?” Theramin asked. “That is, those who have given bullion, coin, nuggets, unworked precious stones or unset finished jewels smaller than ten carats?”
First a few coins and jewels appeared only ten centimeters in the air above the dais in front of Mark and Talia, and they fell and bounced a bit with merry tinkles, then more and more, and then a flood of wealth flowed out of the air. After it had tapered off and the last coin had settled with a plink, the pile was a meter deep in the center and over two meters wide, spilling down onto the second tier in front of them. Then a pile of cards appeared on it, before the whole heap of it picked itself up in a loose sphere almost two meters wide and floated down to settle on the moss.
“Enough to buy a kingdom!” Mark gaped, and Talia giggled.
“Would those who have given unset cut or polished jewels larger than ten carats please send forth their gifts?”
This time only a few dozen items appeared one by one, each incredible gem floating right in front of Mark’s chair, while stacks of cards from a few to hundreds deep appeared beneath each one. They were all incredible jewels, the most impressive one a flawless diamond teardrop larger than Talia’s fist, and the biggest one a ruby bigger than Mark’s fist.
After that came completed items of jewelry for Mark, mostly rings and the rest bracelets, brooches, necklaces, and jeweled daggers and other weapons.
Then appeared jewelry for Talia, a much more extensive collection than Mark’s.
Next were Magic Items of Special Significance. There were only nine of these, though they were accompanied by over one hundred and fourteen thousand cards. Except for their bright glow in Mark’s eyes, they appeared quite ordinary; a cup, a ring, a gray cloak, a staff, two scrolls, a wand, and two swords, one a slim silver saber of a size Talia would find comfortable, the other a great black two-handed double-edged blade that was so huge, even Mark wondered if it might be too big for him.
When thos
e had floated to their places, Theramin allowed a long moment to pass to let the anticipation build. “And now, the gifts of nations.
“I present Prince Simenir, of The People of Clouds.”
Simenir appeared, grinning. “Greetings, and congratulations on your happy nuptials, Talia and Mark, from The People of Clouds. We wish you the best of lives.
“That your home may be secure, we give a pet for your new family. It is well known that the finest trainer of magical beasts is Gerticol Meresias of the dwarven clan of Meresias in Kletiuk, across the oceans on the other side of the world. He takes over a decade to train each one, and he seldom sells more than four every century, for his prices are not inconsiderable. None-the-less, the collection taken among The Cloud People for your gift was sufficient, and we have purchased for you a Sleng cat, which has been trained to guard you, your home, and your children, should you be so blessed.
“Only seventeen persons who live in the Sleng cat’s environs have ever seen one, and all were dwarves, so we will all see something new and rare and wonderful for the first time tonight.
“Sleng cats have mental powers that allow them to remain unnoticed, and they can detect the intent of persons or animals that approach. None who wish harm to you and yours, or to your home, can escape the Sleng cat’s notice, and it will warn with a loud and piercing cry and place itself between the intruder and your home or yourselves, and it will attack upon your command. To defend your children, it will attack without command. Those of friendly intent have nothing to fear from it, and they will find it friendly in return.
“Now, Gerticol told us to give you this talisman, which is spelled. Hold it with both your hands upon it, for when you speak the cat’s name, which is written in Trade Common after the last word of the spell, it will appear here and form a lifelong bond with the holders of the talisman. The Bonding takes a few seconds, and then the cat will want you to give it the talisman. Do so. After that it will obey simple commands you give in any language, for it follows your intent, rather than your words.”
He handed a small leather disk to Mark. Of all the small words upon it, only one was written in Common, and it was tooled larger than the rest. Mark laughed as he read it, and then Talia did as well.
“The name was chosen to appeal to your children, apparently.” Simenir chuckled.
“Are you ready Love?” Talia asked with a grin. “You say the name. I’m not much of a pet person.”
They each held the leather disk from either side with one hand, and Mark loudly called out; “Stripe!”
An immense and beautiful animal appeared before them on the second tier. He had the body and hair shape of a tiger, but his stripes were horizontal instead of vertical, and they ranged in lightening bands from dark red on his back down to light yellow on his belly and legs, with white whiskers on his snout and eyebrows thirty-five centimeters long. He was three meters long from his nose to the back of his haunches, and another two meters of tail lashed behind.
“Great source! That thing must weigh six hundred and forty kilos!” Dilimon exclaimed as the beast spun around in surprise at his sudden new circumstances, and he gave a mighty roar before his attention was drawn to the talisman.
He suddenly calmed, and padded over the two steps he needed to lay his head in Talia’s lap. Of course, Talia sat in Mark’s lap, and he looked up at them with curious eyes and panted with his tongue hanging out.
“Hey, Stripe, how are you? You’re a big boy, aren’t you? What a handsome fellow you are!” Mark chuckled, and scratched firmly at the base of a huge red ear. Talia scratched the cat under his chin and murmured similar words, and Stripe’s eyes closed in bliss as he gave a thundering purr. Then he opened his eyes and gently took the talisman from them with his teeth. He promptly ate it, and stood looking at them expectantly.
“You go lie down over there, Stripe. We’ll get to know you better later.” Mark instructed with a grin. The cat turned and contentedly padded off to lie down beside their table.
“Thank you ever so much, Simenir!” Talia told him. “And thank you to all The Cloud People! Stripe is a wonderful addition to our new family, and I know we will love him dearly.”
“You are most welcome. We’ll send our cards around later, along with Gerticol’s manual on the care and feeding of Sleng cats.” Simenir nodded, and disappeared.
“I present Waakeen, Princess of The Mountain Elves of The Thundering Escarpment, in the far continent of Kletiuk.” Theramin announced.
Waakeen was an almost-plump elfess with bright blue hair to match her bright blue gown; a hue that Mark later learned was a cosmetic effect, and not her natural hair color. He hadn’t been sure.
“As it so happens, we also have gifted you with a magical beast trained by Gerticol, and since Gerticol is from the same continent as us, we thought it so appropriate that we don’t even mind admitting that we got the idea from The People of Clouds!” she announced, and everyone laughed a bit as she handed Mark and Talia a small strip of leather with runes similar to those on Stripe’s talisman. “Why don’t you call and bond the animal, and I’ll tell you about it after that?”
“Gerticol likes simple names, doesn’t he?” Talia laughed as she grasped the leather with Mark. “Go ahead Love.”
“Scout!” Mark read, and a huge silver and black crested eagle appeared before them, sitting on a perching stand. He wasted no time, but spread his wings to a span of almost four meters and beat them once, lofting himself toward Talia’s lap.
“Look out!” Mark exclaimed as he saw talons almost five centimeters long flashing toward Talia’s legs, and he stuck out his arm to block it. The huge raptor promptly landed on his wrist, so gently that his grip was painless, and cocked his head to one side as he folded his wings. His unexpected weight at the end of Mark’s arm pushed down till his hand rested on his thigh. “Wow! He’s gentle as a lamb, but he weighs over thirty kilos!” he exclaimed as Talia giggled, already cooing affectionately to the bird and scratching him beneath his hooked beak.
Again the onlookers exclaimed in amazement as the beast bonded to them in a few seconds, then ate its talisman.
“Scout here is a King Eagle from the continent of Serminak.” Waakeen explained, and the crowd gasped. “He is the only one of his kind who has ever been seen close at hand by those not of that continent, though they have occasionally been seen at a distance high above the coastal waters of Serminak by mariners. Scout was blown out to sea by a fierce storm while so young that he was barely old enough to fly, and was found floating in the ocean, half dead, by a crew of dwarves who were deep-sea fishing. Being able to do nothing for him, they Sent him to Gerticol, who bought the bird from them and nursed him back to health, and trained him for over twenty years.
“I hope you don’t find me petty for saying, but due to his rarity and the effort required to train him, Scout’s worth was marginally greater than Stripe’s.” Waakeen laughed, as Scout spread his wings and waved them a bit.
Mark threw him up and he took to the air effortlessly, and began circling around the clearing.
“He will hunt for you, he will fight for you, he will find people, animals, or objects for you. And as his name implies, he will scout for you. His vision is the best of any living thing, and you can see through his eyes as he flies high above the landscape. There are commands and spells for these things, along with instructions for his care, in this pamphlet, which Gerticol provided. Since you are bonded to him, he will come to you when you call his name. We have only given this one card, but it is magic, and has a page for each of my people.”
She handed Talia the pamphlet and card with a smile.
“He’s beautiful! Thank you to all from The Thundering Escarpment for this wonderful gift!” Mark said, and Waakeen smiled and nodded and disappeared.
Next was the gift of the elves of The Stone Islands. Prince Binyacim of that tropical archipelago presented them with a fourteen-meter sailing yacht named
Sunrunner, which had been grown into shape from a single tree. As he explained while it floated in the air above them, it was heavily spelled, and could be sailed by one person at the tiller while it tacked and adjusted for the wind automatically, or it would even navigate itself to any port in the world on command, evading storms, rocks and other obstacles. It was sleek and low, dark and smooth, with gleaming white sails and lines, and its interior was luxuriously appointed for ten travelers. Since there was no room for it on the moss, it was Translocated by a team of Stone Islands wizards to Crescent Lake in First Valley, close to where the rest of the immediate wedding party would locate Mark and Talia’s new home.
“I present Prince Fayam of the Empire of Kuth, and The Council of The Elves of that empire.” Theramin then announced.
“Hello and congratulations!” Fayam jovially said as he and a dozen others appeared. “As our gift, we have made a hire for you. We present Silaran!” He waved his hand, and a creature out of dream appeared.
He was a brilliant white unicorn with pink hooves, mane, and tail, a dark pink spiraled horn, and light pink eyes, and he was immense. Mark stood up in amazement with Talia in his arms, and Silaran’s back was as high as his chin, even though the unicorn stood on the second tier. His mane and tail were very long and luxurious, and he went to one front knee and bowed his head for a moment, then stood and snorted.
“Hello! Nice to meet you both!” rang in their ears, and they knew the unicorn was speaking to them mind to mind!
“Uh, hello!” Talia giggled.
“After careful negotiations, Silaran has agreed to be your mount, when you should wish to ride, for the next one hundred years.” Fayam explained. “Like you, Mark, he is a young stallion who is the largest of his kind, and he loves to run. He can go almost a hundred and forty-five kilometers in an hour, and maintain that pace indefinitely. That is, if he’s running for fun. If he really needs to hurry, he can Translocate unerringly with those he bears to any place in the world. His sense of balance is supernatural, and even an unconscious person or a newborn child could ride safely upon his back, for Silaran would balance them like an acrobat with a ball on his nose, without the slightest chance of them falling off. Should you have occasion to engage in mounted combat, Silaran will serve you far more effectively than the finest war horse that ever lived, so long as you fight on the side of justice.”
“But we can’t ride you, like you were a beast of burden!” Talia exclaimed. “You’re a person!”
“And I thank you for making that distinction!” Silaran chuckled in their minds, and gave his mane a toss. “But every thinking being needs to earn some resources at times, and I’m being more than fairly compensated, I assure you!”
“I’ll say!” Fayam laughed. “For what you’re charging us for this service, I’d be glad to carry them around on my own back for a century!”
“Ha! I’d do it for a tenth of that, and polish their boots besides!” one of his councilors laughed.
“There, you see? And besides, it’s honest work that I enjoy, and I’ve spent a lot of effort learning the martial aspects of my trade!”
“I see!” Talia laughed. “Welcome to our household then, for we’re very glad to have you!”
“I’m afraid that dwelling in your household is not part of my contract. Simply call my name when you wish my service, and I’ll come running! Any time, any place!”
“Silaran, can we think with you privately? Talia and I that is?” Mark silently asked.
“What a unique way of putting it! But yes, go ahead.”
“I’m surprised that I can hear you, since I’m transparent to most magic. And I’m wondering if your Translocation will work with me.” Mark firmly thought.
“Psionics such as Stripe and I use work on different frequencies that elven magics. We draw upon the light of the source itself, rather than the field of power re-radiated from stone such as that in this valley. From your feel, you resonate on some rather unique frequencies yourself. Since you can think with me, as you put it, I think my Translocate should work with you. But, we’ll have to try it to see, as I’m no theoretician on such matters. Call me when you wish to travel home from this place tonight, and we’ll find out.”
“Thank you.” Mark said out loud.
“You’re welcome.” Silaran tossed his head and snorted, and disappeared.
“Thank you so much, elves of Kuth, for your wonderful gift!” Talia told them.
“Yes, Silaran is quite a likable fellow!” Mark added. “I think you’ve given us more than a mount and an employee, for I think we’ll form a friendship with him that will far outlast the century of his hire!”
“We’re pleased that you think so.” Fayam smiled and bowed. “We only hope that you choose to go riding often over that time, for the wily unicorn was a shrewd negotiator, and it would be a shame to waste the limited opportunity we have purchased.”
“We will, I’m sure!” Talia laughed.
Fayam bowed again, as did his Council, and they disappeared back to their places.
“We have one more gift in this category.” Theramin announced. “And it is not given by a nation. Rather, I am pleased to present the mightiest wizards among the elves; your bridesmaids and groomsmen.”
Those twenty-two elves appeared as a group, Hilsith smiling among them, and she stepped forward. “Though I am not among the mightiest of wizards, I was still a bridesmaid today, and so made an equal contribution to our gift. And due to my knowing you two personally, I was asked by these others to act as their spokesperson.
“We also have made a gift of a hire. I now present Kragorram, Noble and Just, the Crimson Dragon of Ziklan Heights!”
With a ferocious boom of displaced air, the mighty red dragon appeared before them fifteen meters in the air, and just found room to settle on the last of the open moss that had been cleared for gifts. Those around him hurriedly moved back. Shining and smooth he was, his scales so small as to be indiscernible at this distance. His body, neck and head were thirty-seven meters long, his tail added another twenty-five. He furled his huge wings, and his great golden eyes actually seemed to twinkle beneath rearward-pointing horns, his mouth to smile at the corners of his long muzzle, over a small and neat red beard beneath his chin. At least, his beard looked small on his face, though it hung down almost two meters.
“Greetingzzzzz.” Kragorram slowly said in a voice so low and throbbing it could almost not be discerned, the ‘z’ sound accentuated by a unique resonance of his vocal cavity. The bride and groom simply stared in shock, and the red dragon chuckled at them, a sound that was felt more than heard. “Pleazzzze. I know I am beautiful, but that izzz no reazzzzon to forego courtezzzy, izzzz it?”
“Uh, your pardon, great Kragorram, we are just so surprised!” Talia stammered in amazement.
Mark bowed low, and swallowed hard. “Ah. Greetings!” he said as he straightened, then he realized he had tipped Talia sideways in his arms as he bowed, so distracted was he. “Uh, sorry Talia!” he stammered.
“We have hired Kragorram to be your bodyguard and companion at arms.” Hilsith smiled. “Should you call upon him, he will defend you against any attack, and so long as you fight on the side of justice, he will fight at your side against any enemy.”
“That’s… That’s just amazing!” Talia gaped.
“We’re, ah, we’re very, very proud to have your service!” Mark nodded. “Tell me, what is the term of your hire?”
“Why, forever!” the dragon laughed, then spoke in his slow and patient way. “I have been told that you exzzzpect to zzzee the end of dayzzz. Zzzinzze that izzz an event that I alzzo fully exzzzpect to zzzee, we can keep each other company when we get there!”
“Great source!” Talia gaped. “Um, your pardon great Kragorram…”
“Juzzt Kragorram will do.” The dragon slowly interrupted with a thundering laugh. “The ‘great’ part goezzz without zzzaying, I like to think.”
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“Oh! Well as I was saying, uh, Kragorram, I know it’s impolite in the extreme to inquire as to the price of a gift.” Talia continued. “But I find it incredible to think that there is anything anyone could offer to entice you into such a great service! I understand completely if you or these fine wizards don’t wish to tell me, but I’m dying of curiosity to know what you were traded for it!”
“Actually, it wazzz my own idea. I am alwayzzz eager to fight injuzztizzze wherever I find it, but it izz zzzo often impractical to do zzzo. The complexzzitiezz of the politiczzz of the zzmaller folk make it difficult for an outzzider zzuch azz myzzzelf to choozzze the correct zzzide in large conflictzzz. And my interferenzzz in zzzmaller affairzzz, while well intenzhioned, hazz often led to azzz much harm azzz good. Zzzo, when my good friend Zzzilaran the unicorn told me of the deal he had zztruck to be your mount, I contacted Hilzzith there, who onzze helped me with a zzzore tooth. I am hoping that by fighting at the zzide of yourzzelf and your huzzzband and friend Zzzilaran, you will guide me to my proper plazze in my fight againzzt evil. Like yourzzelf and your huzzband and friend Zzzilaran, I am mighty among my kind, yet zztill young among them azzz well. Perhapzz our azzzozziazhion will help me find wizzdom in my choizze of foezzz. Of courzze, I truzzzt Hilzzith’zz word that the two of you are of noble intent, but if you zzhould ever behave in an evil manner, our contract izz voided.
“Azzz to my prizzze for thizz zzzervizze, I dezzided that azzz well, and I will be delighted to tell you what it izzz, if thezze wizzzardzz who arranged my hire do not mind?” With that, he turned his huge eyes upon Hilsith and raised a gigantic brow in inquiry.
“I think it would be best.” Hilsith smiled.
“Know then that for a time of two thouzzand five hundred eighteen yearzz, four monthzz three weekzzz and two dayzzz, I have offered my courtzzhip to the mozzt beautiful of the femalezz of my kind. I have plied her with the poetry of my heart, with the zzzongzz and muzzic of my zzzoul, with giftzz of fragrant zzcentzz and delizhiouzz foodzz and trovezz of glittering treazzurezzz. Zzhe hazz neither aczzepted nor declined my zzuit. Zzhe ignorezz me. Zztill, zzinzze zzhe hazzz been far lezzz friendly than that to her other zzuitorzz, I am encouraged yet fruzztrated by her lack of rezzponzze.
“Zzzo, azz their part of our contract, thezze twenty two wizzardzzz have joined their talentzzz to produzzze for me a love charm. One that will work on dragonzzz.”
“Now don’t be overstating things, Kragorram!” Hilsith lectured. “It is not a love charm, it’s a charm of fondness, that’s all! As we agreed, it will cause the recipient of your affections to be somewhat more fond of you for a period of seven days, and no more! As we know you to be of good character, we see little harm in this, but we will not allow anyone to think that we had any part in the coercion of any free being!
“Furthermore, though you have had the wisdom to not mention her name, you spoke of her during our negotiations, and those of us who know of dragons know that there is only one of whom you could be speaking! You know as well as we that she is among the mightiest wizards the dragons have ever produced, so you must realize that she will certainly detect the effects of the charm, and will be able to negate those effects if she so chooses by merely ignoring them! To top it all off, knowing what I do of her character, there is a good chance that she will be furious with you for using it upon her!”
“I know, Hilzzith, but what elzze can I do?” the dragon sighed forlornly. “I have wooed her azz valiantly azz I can, for more yearzzz than any other male of any razze hazzz perzzued any female. I am dezzperate. My heart yearnzz to declare my feelingzz for her before the entire world. And why not?”
He paused, and rose up till his head was fifteen meters above the ground, his stance defiant, his wings slowly waving in agitation, and he gave twin puffs of fire and black smoke from his nostrils. “Why not indeed?” he asked determinedly. “Why zzhould everyone not know that my heart yearnzz to be one with that of the beautiful Povon?”
“Oh crap.” one of the wizards muttered.
Then the minds of everyone present were simultaneously and powerfully Probed.
“YOU STUPID CHICKEN, KRAGORRAM!!!” came a psionic screech that none could ignore. “HOW DARE YOU BRING ALL THESE TINY ONES INTO OUR AFFAIRS?!!!”
“I zztand unrepentant, lovely Povon.” Kragorram stated determinedly. “I have reached my limit. Either appear before me and aczzept my troth, or deczzide, onzze and for all time, that you will never do zzo. To continue to do neither is to rizzk that my zzzoul will become poizzoned with bitternezzz.”
“HOW STUPID CAN YOU BE?!” was the outraged reply in the minds of all. “I CANNOT APPEAR BEFORE YOU, EVEN IF I SO CHOOSE, FOR YOU STAND BEHIND THE WARDS OF THE NINE VALLEYS!!!”
“Upon your word that you will cause no harm while here, and reduce your volume significantly, AND take a more courteous tone, I will grant you permission to visit The Nine Valleys, Povon.” Yazadril stated firmly.
“Done!” Povon said as she appeared in the air above Kragorram, her wings beating to hold her in place until room was hastily cleared for her on the ground, fire gouting from her mouth as she panted in anger. She was indeed beautiful, a silver dragon with blue claws and blue eyes, half the size of Kragorram and with a lighter, more graceful build that lacked his aggressive muscularity, and though her voice was almost as low as Mark’s, it still had a feminine aspect.
“Well?!” she demanded of Kragorram.
“Well yourzzelf. I have declared my affeczzhion for you a million timezz. You have not rezzponded, but you have never inzzulted me before. Zzzuddenly, and for the firzzt time, I feel like a lovezick zzimpleton, and I wonder if I have been played for a fool. I do not think I dezzerve zzuch treatment azzz you have given me. If you want my continued affeczhion, the time izz long due to tell me zzzo. If not, releazze me from thizzz torment. Choozzze, Povon, while I can zztill give my affectionzz whole and pure, before bitternezz overcomezz me.”
She had landed before him, and now she recoiled as if she had been struck. Then she hung her head and closed her eyes. “Ahh, Kragorram. You are indeed a romantic fool, but I have not played you for one. I have listened closely to every note you sang to me, every word you’ve called to me, treasured your every gift. I have gloried in your courtship, for it is the only good and beautiful thing there has been in my life for a long time.”
“Then why have you not told me zzo, Povon?” Kragorram asked in soft frustration. “Why will you not aczzept the love I offer you?”
“Because I knew that if I did, we’d only end up having stupid arguments like the one we’re having now!” she snapped. “Don’t you see? You run around doing good deeds and mixing with those of every race like some noble champion, while I am cranky and mean and irritated by almost everyone and everything! I seclude myself in my lair till hunger drives me forth, because I am afraid that I will become so enraged by the stupidity of the world that I will strike out, until my soul is finally lost to evil, and then someone like you will kill me!! You do not even know me, and if you did you’d know that a relationship between us is unworkable, because I am unlovable! Though I have treasured your attentions Kragorram, I have never been able to guess why you chose to bestow them upon me, of the dozens you could love!”
“Becauzze I love you, Povon! I zzenzze the beauty of your zzzoul from anywhere in thizz world, and I feel your lonelinezzz conzztantly reaching out to me like an ache I cannot heal! I feel the unknown hurt that zztruck you millennia ago, that made you turn away from the world like you have, and I yearn to eazze that hurt.”
Povon stared at him for a long time, then looked away. “He loves me he says. He loves me.” she muttered. “You’d think if he loved me so much he’d do something about that ridiculous speech impediment.”
“I… I have a zzzpeach impediment?” Kragorram softly asked in hurt surprise.
“Yezzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz you do!” Povon snapped as she turned upon him.
“You see, this is exactly what I was talking about! You’re intelligent enough, yet you never realized that! And every one of the noble friends you’ve had have been either too intimidated by you or just plain too inconsiderate to take you aside sometime and tell you; Hey, have you never noticed that no one else talks like that? I tell you, the sheer stupidity of reality and everything in it just makes me want to burn something!”
Now Kragorram drew back in hurt as if struck.
Seeing this, Povon flopped dejectedly onto the ground. “Damn the source, now I’ve hurt you, just as I feared I would when this day finally came.” she griped petulantly. “I am no fit mate for such as you, Kragorram, and the stupidity I hate the most is my own. I release you, my noble suitor, for I reject your suit. Find someone else who could love you as you deserve.”
She disappeared.
“WAIT, POVON!” Kragorram cried in anguish. “I am zzorry for my ultimatum! I will fixzz my zzpeech zzzomehow, I zzzwear I will! I love you Povon!!!” He waited for a moment, listening, to no avail, then let himself crash to the ground, crushing two roomfuls of furniture and household goods. “Oh Povon, what a wazzte. All thizzz time, and then you break my heart.” he moaned.
Complete silence.
Mark realized that his eyes were leaking tears, and he was not the only one so affected. He felt a giggle coming on, at the thought that he was crying for the heartbreak of a dragon, and forced it from his mind.
Then Dilimon leaned over and murmured; “It’s okay. We can get those fixed.”
Mark stared at him, flabbergasted by the incongruity of his words, and fiercely ground out the urge to laugh, for he knew it would be a bitter laughter, and that once he started, he wouldn’t be able to stop.
“You could still love me, after the way I just treated you?” Povon’s soft voice floated in their minds.
Kragorram sat up, his wings quivering. “Yezz.” he answered simply.
Another long moment passed, then Povon appeared again. “Use the charm.” she told the fallen male.
Kragorram rose and held up his front right foot, or paw or hand or claw. Mark realized he didn’t know the proper terms for dragon’s appendages, but a smooth sphere of smoky quartz some sixty centimeters in diameter appeared in it.
“I am to think of you while I cruzzzh it againzzt my head, and zzzay your name.” the crimson dragon revealed.
“Fine. Do it.” Povon said. “Here, I will lean close. Proximity should help the effect.”
Kragorram also leaned closer, and with their heads almost touching, he effortlessly crushed the big stone to pebbles and powder against his head, just between his brows, with a huge cracking and grinding sound. “Povon.” he said, almost reverently, and there was a flash that made Mark blink a few times.
A long moment passed.
“Oh that’s nice! Really, very nice!” Povon stated in surprise. She opened her eyes and seemed to smile up at Kragorram in bemusement. “This might work. I’ll have to work up something similar to that, with permanent effects. Otherwise I’ll drive you insane with my unthinking cruelty. But this just might work.”
She turned and surveyed the small folk around her.
For once Mark was one of those, for her intense gaze upon him made him feel very small and insignificant indeed.
Her eyes settled on Hilsith. “You are Hilsith the Healer. You have the knowledge of how to fix Kragorram’s speech, and of the making of the dragon charm. Give it to me.”
“Do you wish to be a better person, Povon?” Hilsith asked with a smile. “Do you wish to deserve Kragorram’s love? For you will need to be a better person to do so, and charms and such will only go so far towards that.”
Povon considered her in surprise. “Yes.” she admitted. “I wish to be a better person. I wish to truly deserve his love. And what you say of charms is true.”
“Then make a start at it now. Try to treat other people with respect and courtesy. Even if they irritate you. Ask me nicely, and I will give you all of the therapies that can help his speech, from counseling to surgery. Personally, I think he has a charming accent, and since I have no trouble understanding it, I do not consider it to be an impediment. If he wants to change it, I’d wager we could do so with a few weeks of lessons and practice, and then he would have the choice of sounding as he does or not.
“If you ask me nicely, Povon, I can suggest things that will help you heal your soul from the wound you bear from the death of your loved one.”
“How did you know that?” Povon asked suspiciously.
Hilsith gently smiled, and inclined her head. “I am an elven Healer. To me, it is as obvious as your coloring.”
Povon stared at her some more. “He died in a war when I was adolescent, before Kragorram first reached life.” she hesitantly revealed, then seemed to reach a decision. “Please advise me, Hilsith, and I will follow your advice, for though you are a very young person from a very young race, it seems you are wiser than I. I will speak to you of such things in a few days.
“I apologize to you, and to all of you here, for my rudeness.
“Kragorram, I apologize to you. I welcome you into my life, my heart, and my lair. Meet me there in a few minutes. Please. I need to straighten it up.”
And with that she was gone.
“I can hardly believe it!” Kragorram exclaimed in his thundering, slow voice. “She has aczzepted my courtzzhip!” He leaped into the air with a whoop and flew around the clearing in tight circles and loops, raising a wind that blew the wedding cards around on the ground.
Alilia cast a determined Restore, bringing the cards back to their places and repairing the broken gifts.
“I conzzider your part of our bargain to be wonderfully fulfilled!” the red dragon laughed as he alighted on the moss once again, and he turned to Mark and Talia. “Call my name if you need me, or juzzzt to vizzit! I go now to wait outzzide my paramour’zzz bower, where I will zzerenade her until zzhe callzzz me within!”
And with a flash, he was gone as well.
There was a rather stunned silence before Hilsith shrugged and said; “Well, that’s our gift.”
A great tension-relieving laugh was shared by all.
“Thank you. What a wonder of romance we have witnessed.” Talia marveled.
“I’ll say.” Mark agreed. “Two and a half millennia of courtship, and finally a mighty dragon wins his love’s affections here tonight. Who could have dreamed of seeing such events?! Thank you.”
“Esteemed guests, I give you the bridesmaids and groomsmen!” Theramin called, and started an enthusiastic round of applause as the twenty-two took a somewhat sheepish bow.
Mark muttered to Talia; “Does a dragon have paws, hands, or claws?”
“In this language, people have hands.” she murmured. “Dragons are people, so they have hands, with claws rather than fingernails since those two are functionally distinct. Follow that pattern, and one is unlikely to be considered impolite.”
“Thanks.” he whispered with a smile and an affectionate little squeeze.
“Now, our next category of gifts…”
“Hold off on that, Theramin!” Mark laughed. “Why don’t we take a short break for refreshments first? My mind is so boggled I can’t even think!”
“An excellent idea. I admit to being a bit boggled myself!” Theramin agreed.
“We’ll take a short break to refresh ourselves before continuing the presentation.” he announced, and conversations started everywhere as elves marveled at all that they’d seen.
“I tell you,” Mark commented as they went back to their table, “I have the strangely guilty feeling that I’ve been given far more than I deserve! Far more than anyone could ever deserve!”
“I feel that too, my husband.” Talia nodded, part of her concentration on floating their chair along beside them. “And the major gifts have yet to be given!”
“Hmm. It’s very nice to hear you call me
husband, my lovely wife.” Mark happily crooned as she set the chair back in place in its depression at their table’s edge. “And what do you mean, the major gifts? Weren’t those major gifts?”
“They were indeed!” she giggled as they sat. “But I know that the presentation will have been arranged so that in general, the most impressive gifts would come at the end. That’s just basic showmanship, common to all peoples.”
“True.” he nodded. “I’ll admit that if I knew more of the value of things, I’d have probably noticed that. I mean, the magic items didn’t seem more impressive than all the furniture and stuff! Nor did the big jewels seem more impressive that the pile of raw wealth that came before! And the effect was made less obvious by the coordinated presentation of so many gifts at once, at first.”
“Yes. Though in a way, the best gifts were given first.” Talia mused.
“How so?”
“I’m thinking that if a person co-operates in buying a gift with a large group of other people, they are each likely to contribute less time and personal attention in making their selection than they would spend on a gift that they purchased and presented as an individual. And of course they would each spend less funds on a group purchase as well.”
“A marvelous insight, and one worthy of a Thon!” Jaromer laughed. “We have codified many of the typical behaviors of large groups at market, and that is one, whether the contribution is to a gift, a warehouse, or a company. By your hypothesis, those of The High People will have been the most generous per person, as they purchased as individuals, followed by the first third of Alilia’s people who generally purchased as groups, followed by the rest who acted as nations. This progression follows the order they were invited in, which itself follows how close they are to you, both in physical proximity and in strength of relationships.
“I can see that you especially, Mark, are feeling that you are unworthy of these great gifts, yet trends in purchases are the same among races, and among individuals they are dependent upon prosperity. In other words, almost everyone spends the same small portion of their own total worth on a wedding gift. And because of the trends we just mentioned, most everyone out there spent about two-thirds of that.”
“Yes, that is a different perspective!” Mark agreed.
“And is it worth it to them to do so?” Jaromer continued. “Since as you say, most will not even see the bride and groom they are gifting? It’s more than worth it! If tonight’s great extravaganza had been organized as a fair in Thon, the price of admittance would be higher than the cost of the average individual’s wedding gift! Not to mention the opportunity to take part in, and contribute to, a great event that may well become legendary! The feasts and the displays of magic and performance alone are worth it, and so the guests get value in trade from those who paid for the feasts and displays.
“So you might think that the wealthy individuals who paid for the displays and feasts out there are the ones who truly deserve your gratitude, yet they have more than profited from their venture by having the chance to display their wares before such a great crowd, insuring many sales, and by the chance to enter new markets in the future!
“The exceptions are your lovely bride’s family, who contributed this marvelous display in the chapel, and much of the feast here, out of love. They, more than any others, deserve your gratitude.
“Hilsith said that I play life as a game, and it is very true. People and their worth are the markers, their behaviors are the moves, but you do not control them, for they are all playing the game as well! We can each only move our own little marker, and though you two have gathered great worth tonight, you are still only playing your small parts in the great tourney of life and commerce.
“You will probably receive more worth tonight than any other couple has ever received as wedding gifts, and you now have a big marker on the game board. But if you look around the board, you will see that there are tens of thousands of larger markers, and some that are hundreds of times larger, and that even the total worth of the wealthy few still pales beside the total worth of the prosperous multitudes. Since the widespread use of magic has been embraced by every nation of every race, life is easier, poverty is rare, populations are large, and the world is a vast sea of resources.
“It’s true, you are now playing in the elite levels of the game, but now you play with others of that level as well. You will do well to consider their moves. And since you are now well-known, the actions of millions of unknown individuals may affect your affairs, to your detriment or benefit.”
“Well said, Jaromer.” Theramin nodded, to general agreement.
“As long as you remember that wealth is only one form of power, and it is your total power that decides the size of your marker, to continue the analogy.” Alilia stated firmly. “Political power and wizardry can count for more than wealth.”
“It gets more complicated than even that.” Yazadril nodded, and regarded Mark and Talia. “Intellect, creativity, charisma, allure, all are power. You both have those in abundance. And your power increases if others are willing to help you or to work toward the same goals, that is, if you have social power.
“Social power depends on who you know, and who knows you. Look around at those you’ve gotten to know personally tonight. That is a lot of power. And since we are allied, you can picture our markers as stacked. Now consider that every elf alive knows you. You are famous for the gigantic magnificence of your wedding, for knowing the powerful, for owning mythical beasts and having the service of a unicorn and a dragon, for great wealth. For being immortal, for being a huge human warrior in love with a small elven wizard, cursed to torment each other for eternity. In two days, almost every thinking being in the world will know of you. Also, your personal power as immortal warrior and wizard are not inconsiderable. I think the curse would immediately restore your life after a fatal sword thrust or power strike, and that makes you formidable indeed.
“When you consider all of that, your marker on Jaromer’s game board may not be so small. And you may have to counter the moves of great players, allied into huge stacks that spill over the board.”
Mark considered all of that, then grinned and gave his head a shake. “Please, Yazadril! We took this break so I could recover from having my mind boggled!”
A round of laughter went around at that.
“Remind me later that I need to learn a great deal more about the world and the people in it. But for now, I need to think about something a little more everyday!
“Speaking of which,” he said as he turned to Dilimon, “Did you convey my message to Balen and her family?”
“Ah. I spoke to them, and conveyed your invitation.” Dilimon informed him. “But Balen isn’t allowed to see you tonight. It’s part of her punishment. I think it’s also because she has apparently become completely besotted and infatuated with you, and they’re worried that she’ll make another scene. At your request, they’ve set aside the rest of the punishment she would have received for her offense against you personally, which was to begin with scrubbing pots by hand after the feast for a few hours.
“Unfortunately for her, the three who were struck by her spell and momentarily developed green and purple discolorations have since seen Readings of the event, and they have not been as forgiving as you. Balen will be doing their drudgery for three weeks, serving one week with each.
“Furthermore, as her parents explained it to me, if she had done her mischief in a more private setting, that would have been the end of it. If she had cast her discoloration spell at you while we were within The Hall of Anticipation, for instance, or while you were dancing at one of the consulates. But to have done it where and when she did, in a deliberate attempt to disrupt the ceremony at a very large and important wedding, makes it an offense against everyone in the wedding party, everyone who helped with the wedding preparations, and all of The High People in general. They feel that such an offense is beyond th
eir authority as parents, and they have formally charged her with misdemeanor mischief and creating a disturbance. The case will be heard by the Council of The High People sometime during the next three weeks.”
“Ah. Drudgery?” Mark asked.
“Washing and hanging their clothes, re-organizing stored items, and the like.”
“I see. And I take it that The Hall of Anticipation is the big room at the base of the tree where we waited before walking down the aisle?”
“Yes.”
“Huh. She seems too young to be facing the law like she were an adult.”
“She is nineteen years old, Mark, more than two years older than you, and old enough to be responsible for her actions by the standards of your people or mine.” Dilimon stated.
“Wow! She’s nineteen? I’d never have guessed! She seems like she’s twelve!”
“To your eyes perhaps, but she is of average development for an elf of her age. Contrast her with Jinimin, who is a typical elven twelve year old.”
“I see what you mean. He seemed like he was six or seven. It’ll take a while to get used to.”
“Yes. In assessing ages, you must compensate for the smaller size and lighter builds of elves, as well as for elven physical and emotional development, which is about half as fast as that of humans, and lasts until the age of about twenty-eight for girls, and about thirty-two for boys, when development is finished.”
“I see. Well, on that informative note, let’s continue with the presentation!” Mark laughed, and he rose from his chair, Talia still in his arms.
When they were again assembled on the podium, Theramin checked his cards, and grinned again. “We now continue the presentation.” he called to the crowd, and waited a few moments for their attention, and to give the next presenters time to prepare. Then he directed his words to Mark and Talia. “Your remaining gifts are all of a similar nature. I doubt it was planned to be so, but there are only so many things that are worthy to be the gifts of nations.
“I now present Princess Wemetik of The Fisher Folk.”
That smiling tropical elfess appeared, wearing a great headdress of multicolored feathers and pearls, and a very colorful linen sheet with flower patterns draped about her in a manner that left half her shapely bosom bared.
Mark resolutely kept his eyes on her face, for fear he would end up staring if he did not.
“Congratulations on your nuptials. We wish you all happiness in your marriage.” Wemetik said with a happy smile. “We have found that many of those whose lands experience winter sometimes yearn to travel to somewhere warm and bright for a vacation during their coldest months. And so we have become expert at the making and operating of seaside resorts for them, an industry which now stands second in our commerce, after fishing of course.
“Accordingly, we of The Fisher Folk have gifted you with a vacation home in the luxurious resort of White Sands Beach.”
She waved one hand while tapping a tiny xylophone that hung from a cord about her waist with the other, and an Illusion twelve meters wide and six meters tall appeared over the remaining open moss among the gifts. It showed a rotating view of a breathtakingly beautiful cove, its white beach bordered by palms and other carefully arranged tropical growth. Elves and humans could be seen taking their leisure on the sands, or riding the huge breaking waves toward the shore in tiny dugout canoes. The view moved in closer, centering on a large peaked roof woven of palm fronds and supported by tall bamboo poles, with carpets and furniture placed on the sand beneath it.
“White Sands Beach has the mildest weather of any place on Kellaran.” Wemetik continued. “And so most homes there are open, and have only a roof for shelter from the noonday sun, though they are provided with silk drop-sheets that you can secure in place of walls when privacy is desired. This is a standard promotional illusion, and does not show that your hut will have three meters of clearance beneath the roof, instead of two meters as the other huts designed for human use have.
“While there, you will also be entitled to every amenity of the resort, from sailing excursions to fine dining, from jungle tours to swims among the beautiful life of the coral reef.
“We hope you enjoy your times with us, and that you visit often.”
“Thank you, to all of The Fisher Folk, for your wonderful gift!” Talia grinned.
“You are most welcome!” Wemetik laughed, and vanished, to appear back at her table.
“I present Prince Dizil Of The People of Rain, from the far continent of Felion, land of giants and gnomes!” Theramin called.
“Greetings and congratulations.” that tropical elf smiled when he’d appeared. He also cast an Illusion of his people’s gift. “Often a young couple appreciate the opportunity for solitude while on vacation, particularly while on their honeymoon, and so we have made you a gift of the small island of Hilia, where you will be the only residents. It is a bit more than five kilometers long and almost two in width. It is typically sunny in the morning and early afternoon, with refreshing warm rains toward evening.”
The view showed the entire island, ringed with reefs, with black sand beach around tropical forest, and a volcano at one end. Then it closed on a white cottage with a thatched roof on the slope of the volcano, above the tree line.
“The home commands a wonderful view of most of the island, and is provided with fresh water that flows from a spring, which is itself fed by the pure lake in the crater of the volcano. And by the way, the lava plume that fed the volcano moved off eons ago, and so the volcano is extinct, and will erupt nevermore.”
“How absolutely beautiful! Thank you! Thank you so much!” Mark told him.
Dizil smiled and bowed a bit in acknowledgment, and was gone.
Next came Prince Himo of The Elves of the Dakrin Cliffs in Kletiuk, continent of dwarves, and the last of the tropical elven peoples. Their gift was a suite in the luxurious Dragon’s View Inn in the town of Bekka, which owed its existence to its close proximity to the abandoned city of Kraka. It was explained that forty-one million years ago the population of the dragons had been much more numerous. They had built Kraka, then abandoned it when they later voluntarily reduced their populations to reduce conflicts between them caused by their territoriality instinct. The lost city of the dragons still stood whole and invulnerable, and was the premiere wonder of the world, drawing tourists from every race and people. They were served by Prince Himo’s people, since Kraka was now surrounded by the jungles of their lands. Himo explained all this, while his illusion showed the fine points of their suite, their inn, and the resort town of Bekka.
“I refrain from showing Kraka in this presentation, because its wonders should be first seen with your own eyes.” Himo finished, then bowed at their sincere thanks, and was gone.
“Presenting Princess Jmia, of The Lava Shapers, mountain elves from the mystical continent of Xervia!” Theramin announced.
Jmia was of tiny stature even for an elf, with light brown hair and green eyes, wearing a neat brown wool suit with a short brown jacket, knee-beeches, hose, and polished black pointed shoes.
“Our gift must surely be the strangest of all.” she chuckled. “For as our Gift Selection Committee was being formed, we received a courier sprite bearing a message from Tithian, a famous seer and oracle of the people you would name unicorns. Though the message was sent three days ago, she sees the shadows of the future, and her message arrived just in time to instruct us to gift you with a specific unnamed dormant volcano lying some twenty-six thousand kilometers west of our lands, the location of which is shown on this map.”
She handed Mark a hollow black obsidian sphere forty-three centimeters in diameter, the volcanic glass being about a centimeter thick. It had thin, glowing, squiggly white lines drawn upon it, and a tiny blinking blue light on its uppermost surface.
“This is, ah, a map of the world?” Mark asked hesitantly.
“Yes, a globe of our world, the planet Kellaran.”
“Ah. I see that I’ve much yet to learn of geography.” Mark nodded in embarrassment. “I was taught that the world is a ball, but many at home didn’t really believe it. I’ve seen a flat map of this continent, which we name Debivin, but I only know the northern kingdoms in any detail.”
“Oh. Well let me add some detail to the map, then.” Jmia said as she took the globe back from him. She hummed a few notes and gestured over it, adding thin silver lines of latitude and longitude, the borders and names of nations, and giving a transparent light blue sheen to the areas that represented bodies of water. “See, here is Debivin, as we also name it, and within it here, the Kingdom of Finitra, and here, The Nine Valleys of The High People, our present location. This long continent here on the other side is Xervia, and the blinking dot shows the location of our gift.
“The only explanation that Tithian’s message gave us, as to why we should gift you with this volcano, was, and I quote; ‘Their efforts will be significant, and he will need this.’
“When we made inquires as to the owner of this mount, we learned that it was within the territory of Grakonexikaldoron, mightiest of the gold dragons. We initiated a group Speaking to her, explaining the situation. She was sorely vexed, for her lair is in the next peak to the south, and she had no wish to have neighbors so close. But, while we were speaking with her, she also received a courier sprite from Tithian, and apparently the unicorn seer’s message convinced her to entertain the notion of selling to us. She demanded to know what we were offering, and when we told her the amount of our collection, she immediately and flatly demanded twice that, allowing no negotiation. We, ah, we conferred, and agreed to make up the difference from the treasury of the High Council of The Lava Shapers, and so the mount was purchased for you. I only tell you that last so that you will understand why we have not provided it with a home or constructions or amenities of any sort, indeed, we don’t even know if there is a source of fresh water upon it. And we have no illusion to show you what it looks like, as none of us have seen it.
“We do know that the property is somewhat triangular in shape when seen from directly above, and the volcano is dormant but not extinct, but we know nothing of its eruption phases. It is part of a vast range of volcanoes, and is surrounded by them. You own the peak and its slopes down to the bottom of the valleys to the north and southeast, and to the edge of the river that runs in the valley to the southwest, which may be polluted by eruptions upstream. We made this globe to mark its place after translating its co-ordinates from a unicorn system of mapping that uses hexagons, and we Sent it with our payment to the seller by Translocation. She then marked it and Sent it back in receipt. These letters in the ocean next to Xervia are in Grand High Draconian, placed there by Grakonexikaldoron, and form your Xervian legal deed to our gift. She made this small round hole next to the words with the tip of her tongue, and it stands as her signature. The pattern of it is unique, and it contains a minute amount of her saliva, which is also unique and cannot be duplicated by any means. Do not wash it. It will never get dirty, so you will not need to.
“We can only hope that Tithian will intervene with the Grand Council of Xervia to allow you to visit your new holding, for by their law, you are barred from the continent.”
“I am?” Mark asked in surprise.
“Not you in particular, but all humanoid peoples.” Jmia explained. “Of all of Xervia, only the port of The Sea People on the western coast is open to humans, dwarves, giants, or gnomes. Sylvan are of course banned from the continent entirely. Elves are only permitted at the Sea People’s port, or within the lands of my people. And even my people must get special permission from the Grand Council of Xervia to visit the continent outside our lands.”
“Oh. So who lives there?”
“Xervia is the home of the unicorns, the dragons who stand for justice, the gargoyles, the selkies, and other highly magical non-humanoid peoples, most of whom do not choose to have their existence known outside of Xervia.”
“Oh. And what are Syl…”
“Don’t ask.” Yazadril interrupted firmly. “Jmia should not have mentioned the word before such a vast assemblage, for our Wards are good, but not of the quality of the ones about Xervia. I will tell you about them later, Mark.”
“I apologize, Yazadril.” Jmia told him with a bow. “It was a slip.”
“Understandable, since you in Xervia have nothing to fear from them.” Yazadril allowed.
“At any rate, I hope you can make use of our gift.” Jmia told Mark. “We don’t know how to contact Tithian directly for further explanation, but her reputation as a Justicer is such that we dared not refuse her request without strong reason.”
“I see. Well, thank you, to you and to all your people.” Mark said, as he slowly turned the globe in his hands. “I really appreciate that you chose to make up the extra cost. And I want you to know that this globe, though it’s only a tiny part of your gift, means a great deal to me. It’s a beautiful thing, but more importantly, the knowledge it gives me is… profound. Now I can picture the whole world in my mind. If someone tells me about a place, I can look at this and truly know where it is. It gives me a powerful feeling of newfound understanding.”
“Oh!” Jmia said in surprise. “Why in that case, may I have it back again for just a moment?”
“Sure.” Mark said as he gave it to her.
She cast upon it again, and it gained subtle texturing, as well as blue lines on the continents, and tiny yellow dots with just as tiny script beside them, barely large enough to be legible.
“Here you are.” she said as she handed it back. “Now it also shows mountains, plains, forests, rivers, and the contours of the bottom of the oceans, and major nations and cities are shown and named. And since we have given no stand with it, I have cast a Levitate upon it that activates when touch is taken from it, so it will stay where you put it.”
He released it, and it floated in the air without moving. “Amazing! Thank you very much!”
“Ah, to be so young again, and have all the world’s discoveries to make anew. You are most welcome.” she sighed with a smile, and was gone.
“Before we continue with the presentation, I must point out that it is now over two hours past midnight.” Theramin announced. “Our young ones are growing tired. Therefore, though it is a discourtesy to hurry the presentation of such magnificent gifts, I ask that the rest of you try to be succinct.”
Next Pimall presented the gift of The Warm People, a seventeen-room home in the city of Axis, which was on the permanent ice cap over the North Pole. Like every construction there, the home had been made by excavating rooms in the ice by removing blocks of it, and the blocks were then used to build more rooms above on the surface, then magically melted together and strengthened. Her Illusion showed a squat round tower with a domed roof, with four smaller half-towers capped by hemispheres attached equidistantly around the outside of the main tower. And, she assured them, the interior of their new home was well sealed, magically heated, and to prevent its melting was equipped with a permanent version of the spell that blocked the transfer of heat into the snow at her people’s consulate.
Then came the gift of The People of Life, or rather, the two thirds of them who had co-operated in gifting them as a nation. A rather harried-looking white-haired elf named Smogin, who was Alilia’s regent while she was away, presented them with Sweettower, the largest maple tree that had ever lived at over five hundred and twenty meters in height, and with over two hundred and eleven thousand years of life, the oldest as well. It had three homes in and on its trunk, and another in its branches, with a total of thirty-seven rooms, which were all being connected by new hallways into one huge home and renovated to accommodate Mark’s height. Smogin told them that they could expect the renovations to take three days. Furthermore, their ownership of Sweettower entitled them to its annual harvest of many tons of maple sap, prized the world over for making s
yrup and sugar, giving them an annual income equivalent to some seventeen hundred Finitran Gold Crowns, the highest denomination of coin of that realm.
Prince Gotimin of The Elves of Sming presented them with Winghoof Estate, a working horse ranch boasting some six hundred and forty of the finest riding horses, complete with a sprawling home of sixteen rooms, outbuildings, gardens, and a few farm animals, as well as an established staff of ranch hands. It had a prime location, being only fifteen kilometers north of Latrel, the capitol city of Sming. As Gotimin explained, the human who had owned it previously had died, and his many heirs had contested his will for years, neglecting the ranch and its bills in the meantime, until the empire had seized it for unpaid taxes. The emperor had assigned a competent foreman and supplied its operating costs for the last year and a half, and it had recently returned to a marginal profitability, though in the future it should provide ‘a tidy income’, provided the foreman agreed to stay on.
“Thank you! Thank you very, very much! I’ve always wanted a horse ranch!” Mark grinned. “And if you would be so kind as to convey my regards to the foreman, please tell him that if he stays on I will give him a free hand in the estate’s management, and I will pay him his present salary plus half the after-tax profit. And that we would appreciate his reply being prompt, as I don’t want the ranch to lapse into operating at a loss if we have to take very long to negotiate, or to replace him.
“That is, if you don’t mind my making this decision, Talia?”
“I think it’s most wise, husband.” Talia giggled. “I’d never have thought to do so, as I care little for commerce.”
“Most wise indeed. And you are most welcome.” Gotimin smiled. “I will convey your words and regards to Citizen Joseth Narr, for that is your foreman’s name.”
Prince Jaromer appeared next, with the gift of The Elves of Thon. “Our gift is the property known as two seven four Riverside Park Way, in fabled Bojoston, the capital city of Thon. It’s only two blocks from my home, so I can assure you that it’s in a fine neighborhood!” he announced with a grin, and cast his illusion, showing a fantastic white marble palace on five hectares of beautifully landscaped and gardened grounds, surrounded by a matching white marble wall all around, with huge double wrought brass gates onto the wide avenue. “It’s one of only five homes of such consequence that were built entirely by elves, at the hire of humans, and to human dimensions. As such, it’s a very desirable property among the human elite. For that matter, there are more than a few elves who would love to own it, despite its larger dimensions! It boasts thirty-six rooms, with twelve bedrooms including the master suite, stabling for thirty horses, and garage space for six carriages. Across the Way lies Riverside Park, which runs along the river Bouk for kilometers in both directions, affording endless opportunities for scenic strolling, boating, or riding.”
“Thank you thank you thank you!” Talia gushed, and at Mark’s slightly puzzled grin at her enthusiasm, explained; “I’ve always wanted a palace!”
Finally Theramin introduced Prince Fdek of The Sea People of Debivin, Princess Bluvi of The Sea People of Kletiuk, Princess Sfosil of The Sea People of Felion, and Prince Wraftin of The Sea People of Xervia. Despite their smiles and grins they appeared rather fierce, with tattoos and shark’s teeth covering every square centimeter of their skins.
“Congratulations and salutations.” grinned Fdek, who spoke for the four. “As you may realize, many hope to give the final and greatest gift at a wedding, and it is especially so in this case, since there are friendly rivalries between some of the elven nations. However, we of The Sea People have only recently in our history separated from one nation into four, along somewhat arbitrary continental divisions, for the sake of practicality of administration. Since none of our four nations could match the purchasing power of the more long-established nations of elves, we, the four nations of The Sea People, have all pooled our contributions to give you a great gift. And since we are the last to present, we can only assume that it was enough to convince Mileemi of Thon, who was our judge in this informal contest, to give us the victory!
“Now the yacht given to you by The Stone Islanders is a very fine little boat, we buy them ourselves for visiting river ports and other shallow anchorings, and for private excursions. But we of The Sea People live to be upon the ocean. We travel it in great cargo vessels, not for the purpose of delivering cargo, but rather for the love of being on the sea. The carrying of cargo is merely the most convenient way to finance our lifestyle. In your long lives it is certain that you will eventually hear the call of the sea, and you may wish to spend a few years or decades or even centuries enjoying a shipboard life upon the deeps, and for that you will need more than a yacht. Of the eighteen great shipyards of The Sea People, only that of Vertiwin and Descendants at the port of Gimoosh in Thon will build for human customers and to human dimensions, and we have gifted you with the finest such vessel they have ever made. We give you; The Queen of Waves!”
An Illusion of the great ship appeared in semi-transparency floating six meters above the ground, rocking slowly and majestically like it was already upon the deep water. It filled much of the chapel, for it was over two hundred and twenty meters long, twenty-five meters abeam, and thirty-six meters deep from the rail around the top deck to the bottom of the keel. Within its outline could be seen its many holds and staterooms in five to sixteen decks above the ballast hold. Its nine mighty masts supported dozens of gigantic white silk sails, and kilometers of white silk ropes formed the rigging.
“The Queen of Waves has comfortable accommodations for up to four hundred and sixty crew, and the Captain’s cabin has eleven rather palatial rooms.” Fdek continued. “The ship is proof against the fiercest storm, and is equipped with a mighty spell of Movement that will drive her for up to four days and nights, in case she is becalmed. She has systems that warn of rocks and shallows, and in an emergency she can be operated by the helmsman alone, though you could not bring her to dock without at least twelve good crew.
“She is also well armed with weapons both magical and mundane, in case she faces war or piracy. The Movement spell can also be used in conjunction with the sails to move the ship at very high speed if you need to flee a superior force, but that is a dangerous operation requiring a full complement of experienced crew, and relatively smooth waters. If the worst happens, and the ship fills with water because she has foundered or been holed, the ballast stones will automatically be dumped by Translocation, and if necessary much of the cargo as well, until it has been freed of enough weight that the wood of her material is sufficient to keep her afloat. Though she may be swamped, she will never sink and be lost. Salvaging her from such a state would be costly, but not an unusual response to that rare eventuality.
“When you wish to sail her, The Sea Peoples will be glad to assist you in contracting for cargoes and crew. That last would not be difficult, for any sailor would be eager to voyage upon such a fine ship.”
“I’m certain you’re right, for she is magnificent, and I’m certainly eager to sail aboard her myself!” Mark stated in amazement.
“We’ll sail her within a decade or two, I think.” Talia grinned. “And we will visit every port with an enclave of The Sea People when we do! Thank you all, thank you so very much!”
“That would be a voyage of almost six years, and would give you a fair taste of the sea.” Fdek smiled. “And you are most welcome!”
And with that the four princes and princesses bowed, and made their exit.
“That concludes the presentation of gifts, with the exception of the home we others of the immediate wedding party will build in First Valley. We will broadcast a Reading of that event for those of you who wish to see it.” Theramin announced, then turned and smiled at Mark and Talia. “Would you care to address the assemblage?”
“Yes please.” Talia nodded, and stood, so Mark rose as well. “Our marriage was born of tragedy, yet you have all
made this the greatest, most beautiful, and happiest wedding any bride ever had.” she said. Her voice was calm and sincere, her expression joyous, yet her eyes shone with tears. “I am so thankful for the warm welcome you have shown my husband, and all the thanks we could give in a century would be meager trade for the overwhelming generosity and thoughtfulness of your gifts. I have never been so proud to be an elf as I am today. Thank you, each and every one of you. Thank you.”
She bowed her head and closed her eyes for a moment in conclusion, then smiled up at Mark.
He shared her smile and caressed her hand as he gently held it in his, then looked around at the thousands of elves.
“It’s difficult to find words to express my thoughts to you.” he said after a moment. “I awoke yesterday morning absolutely alone, owning only one suit of ruined clothes and a bundle of simple things I carried in my cloak. You can imagine what an overwhelming experience the last two days have been.
“It’s a humbling thought to realize, without a doubt, that yours is a better race than mine. A race whose oaths can be trusted completely, who stand united on the side of justice. The gifts you have given are mind-boggling in their magnificence, and as Talia said, we can never thank you enough, though I do thank you with all my heart. But the greatest gifts you have given me have been all your warm smiles, the friendly greetings of everyone I’ve met, and the amazing courtesy of all those who didn’t have a chance to meet us. Certainly if we’d have been married among a similar number of human folk, or even a small fraction of that, we could not walk about as we’ve done tonight without being mobbed to distraction.
“I feel deeply honored to have been part of bringing you all together like this, and I think you should have a regular gathering of all of you, for it would be such a shame if this were the only time it happened. Perhaps, given all your agreement, you could meet next year on our anniversary, or even our every tenth anniversary.
“And now I would like to give you the only thing I can give to every one of you; the gift of song. I’m sure I saw a harp among the roomful of instruments earlier on…”
“Allow me, Love.” Talia said, and whistled a few notes.
Three harps rose from the other gifts and floated up to them; a small cherry wood lap harp, an ironwood grand harp, and a great golden instrument that had been magically constructed according to the description Mark had given of the one he had been building with his father. Its extra space between each string made it seem strangely elongated horizontally, and only a musician with Mark’s arm span would have the reach to play it.
“Ah. I think the golden one will be my favorite eventually, as I’ll be able to play properly for the first time since I got my full growth.” Mark mused. “But I haven’t practiced with it, and until I do, my fingers will automatically reach for the strings in the wrong place. I’ll use this one tonight, and pick it with my fingernails, as I’ve become used to doing.”
He selected the ironwood harp by taking it out of the air, and the other two floated back down to their previous places. He sat at the edge of his chair, set the harp on the marble between his knees, and nestled the instrument against his shoulder. He plucked an experimentive chord with all ten fingernails, giving a unique, harpsichord-like tone, and smiled at the beauty of the rich sound.
He considered what to play. At first he went over the list of the songs he knew, and by habit tried to find one that wouldn’t sound too strange in his voice. Then he reconsidered as he thought of Yazadril’s comments when recommending that he sing to the elves. For the first time, he slowly hummed down a major scale to see how low he could sing, and was surprised to find that his voice was full and stable down to two whole notes below the lowest string on the great harp. He chose a song, then plucked a descending series of chords, humming along as he did so, transposing until the lowest note in the song was the same as the lowest note of his voice.
He tapped his foot four times to set the tempo in his mind, and played the introduction to a light-hearted folk song, playing the chords with his left hand and picking the melody with his right.
Then he sang;
Father’s coming in from the field
Mother’s cooking a delicious meal
Soon comes the dusk of another fine day
Soon we will sing and we’ll dance and play!
Whistle the fife and strike the drum
It’s dance night tonight and everyone comes
Those from the country and those from the town
We’ll laugh and we’ll dance till we all fall down!
We’ll all meet together at the Tinlo’s farm
We’ll kick out the cows and we’ll dance in the barn!
And if we’re still there at the dawn of the day
We’ll dance till we drop and we’ll sleep in the hay!
So whistle the fife and strike the drum
It’s dance night tonight and everyone comes
Those from the country and those from the town
We’ll laugh and we’ll dance till we all fall down!
He played the intro through again, then ended it with a last chorus.
Whistle the fife and strike the drum
It’s dance night tonight and everyone comes
Those from the country and those from the town
We’ll laugh and we’ll dance till we all fall down!
Yes we’ll laugh and we’ll dance till we all, fall, down!
He let the last notes ring and fade.
“My father wrote the music to that, and my mother wrote the words.” he quietly revealed. “I only wish they could have been here with me today.”
Then he realized that everyone was silent. He looked up, and saw that everyone in the first twenty rows or so were squinting, and those who were close enough to see their eyes clearly seemed to be in tears. He looked to Talia, perched sideways on an arm of the chair. She was gaping at him, tears were streaming down her face, and her eyes were squinted almost closed.
“Oh. Uh. Sorry.” he stammered. “I guess that didn’t come out that good, compared to elven musicians…”
Talia shook her head, and gently covered his mouth with her hand for a moment. She swallowed hard. “You don’t understand.” she told him sincerely. “That was incredibly beautiful. And you’re glowing. Brightly.”
“I’ve never seen anything like it!” Yazadril marveled. “It’s obviously magic, but there is no corresponding effect on the magic field around you! I don’t know where the energy for it is coming from!
“Damn.” Alilia muttered as she shook her head, then wiped tears from her eyes. “That’s bright. Now I know how you felt when we met. I think it’s dimming now.”
That brought Theramin’s attention back to the situation. “Let’s have a round of applause for our fine groom’s wonderful performance!” he called as he wiped his eyes, then began clapping madly.
That triggered a wave of thunderous applause that went on and on
After a moment of it Talia urged him to his feet. “Take a bow!” she grinned, wiping tears from her eyes. Then she swung her legs over and stood, and joined in the ovation.
He stood and took his bow, and the elves all applauded even louder.
He waited for it to end. And waited. Finally he had to grin and shake his head. “Oh come now! It couldn’t have been that good!” he laughed.
Still it went on undiminished, and now there was laughter in it as well.
“It was amazing!” Dilimon enthused, and put a hand over his heart. “I swear, my chest still feels funny from the rumble of your voice!”
“Well then, we’ll bid you good night.” he called into the unremitting noise as he turned and picked up Talia. “I understand that many of you will stay here and make merry for quite a while, but it’s our wedding night, and we’ve things to attend to!”
With that he stepped down from the podium toward their table. He waved to everyone as he did, and Talia joined him in that,
her grin matching his.
After they were again seated the applause finally faded away. Many then began making their farewells, including most of those with children.
“We have only one more thing to attend to before we leave for First Valley.” Yazadril told them.
“The council of war.” Alilia nodded as she gained a serious expression.
“Perhaps more appropriately, a council to prevent war.” Yazadril mused. “It won’t take long, as there is little to be decided until we learn the identity of our enemy. We’ll meet in the Hall of Anticipation.”
“All right then.” Alilia nodded. “Let’s pour ourselves a last drink to take there with us, and have it done.”