Chapter 45

Part 5

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 almost 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.