Chapter 38

Part 5

“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.