Chapter 46

Part 5

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 agreements 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!”