by Eric Vall
“Come on, Master, even I don’t obsess about that asshole so much,” Rana chided me as she suddenly poked her head out from behind me and looked into the mirror. “Put that amulet away and focus on the party.”
“Ah, you look wonderful,” I said as I turned to face my fox-girl lover.
“Oh, this?” she said as she held the sides of her dress and batted her eyelashes. “Yeah, it’s pretty sexy, and fancy, and amazing. Thanks for noticing.”
The fox woman was in the dress that had been hurriedly made for her by the Tamarisch royal seamstress. The emerald silk of the tight bodice shone in perfect contrast to her red hair and fur while the tight lacing only served to accentuate her lithe form. To match the base fabric, actual emeralds were embroidered into the cloth which gave the entire dress a shimmering effect. From the waist, the dress flared out into a gossamer skirt of almost gauzy fabric, sheer enough that I could see the faint shape of her strong legs moving through them. There was even a tailored hole that let her bushy tail lash from side to side when I complimented her.
“I approve,” I said with my usual nod.
“Glad I could distract you from staring at that amulet,” she laughed, “but you’re about to get married to a real-life High Queen. It may not seem like a big deal to you, Mr. High-and-Mighty-Underworld-Deity, but trust me, it’s a big deal to us.”
“You misunderstand my intentions, Rana,” I said solemnly as I set the amulet on the desk near the mirror. “You see, I never have had the chance to do anything like this in all my millennia of existence. The gods, we did not often become attached in this way. As you may have noticed, we were not often on… friendly terms.”
The fox woman’s smirk softened into a sympathetic smile. “Yeah, I noticed most of your fellow gods are kind of assholes.” She chewed on her lip a moment in thought. “But what about Isolda? Like, you were tossed out of the heavens for her, so surely you…?”
“No, nothing like this.” My voice was distant and thick with nostalgia as I thought of my one past mortal love, but unlike the times before when I had thought of Isolda, I was not struck with pain. My heart did not seethe with emptiness, and I looked up to see Rana staring up at me, a hand on my shoulder as concern flashed in her eyes.
“I am all right, my beautiful minion,” I said with strength and confidence. “While the other gods may have ripped my dear Isolda from me, you four have given me a second chance. They damned me for one love, but they are powerless to stop me now from having four.”
The moment I said that, it was as if a weight had lifted off the redhead’s shoulders and her fox ears perked up noticeably. “So, like, when you say that…” There was a distinct pause before she continued. “... Master, you mean, that even after you marry Annalíse…?”
“Nothing shall change between you and me, or Morrigan, or Carmedy.” I spoke those words as if they were an oath because to me, they were. “In fact, if you ever desire a formal arrangement as we are about to do for purposes of joining these kingdoms, you need but ask me. It would be my pleasure to see your wish granted.”
“I…” Rana began as her voice started to tremble with emotion and her tail lashed with what I took to be happiness. “I, uhhh, haven’t really thought about it. I mean, I just didn’t think you would ask. I guessed I was just fine with, uhhh, you know, the bedroom stuff, and I didn’t think you’d want a poor mortal fox to be your--”
“Do not undervalue your worth to me,” I said as I brushed my fingers against the back of her ear. “The passion we share is real, Rana.
“Thanks, Master,” she whispered as she bit her lip and glanced up into my eyes. “It makes me really happy to hear you say that. I mean, I’ll always be here with you, as long as you want me, but with everything that’s happened in my life… it means a lot to me to know that you’ll always be there for me, so I’ll think about the marriage and let you know.”
“There is no rush,” I said as I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her to me. I took in her delightful scent, and then I kissed her on the forehead. “I always will be here for you, dear Rana, and so will your friends-- No, Carmedy is right.” I gently tilted Rana’s head up so I could stare into her eyes. “You are truly sisters, and in that bond, there is an unbreakable strength.”
The fox woman blushed as she put her hand over mine and she smirked ever so slightly. “You’re right, but Annalíse will skewer me with that sword of hers if I don’t get you to the throne room on time. You guys need to walk in together after all.”
“You are correct.” I chuckled. “This is important to her, and we should not be late.”
“So, let’s get going. This place is stupidly huge!”
“Lead the way,” I said as I took Rana’s hand in mine.
With that, we made our way down through the labyrinthine fortress. As in all things, the High King’s… well, High Queen’s castle was built for defense first and foremost. Though the hallways were beautiful, the architecture tended to narrower, easy-to-defend hallways past the first floor, which was only as open as it was for the benefit of visiting dignitaries. Switchback passages and tight turns were also emblematic of that outlook, and even I might have gotten lost in them if it were not for Rana’s unrivaled sense of direction.
Still, despite all the walking, we arrived in the hallway before the still-destroyed Bear’s Gate with minutes to spare. Three days had been enough to make the most critical preparations for the occasion, but not near enough time to rebuild the massive gate. At least the wreckage was cleared out and the carpets prepared. From inside the immense throne room, music was already playing. It was a martial march as I expected from the people of this kingdom, and the sounds of the many men and women of the palace echoed into the hallway.
To my surprise, what wasn’t there yet was Annalíse or any of my other minions. I was about to turn to Rana and ask if something were amiss when her fox ears flicked forward.
“Here she comes,” Rana whispered to me and pointed straight ahead.
As if on cue, Annalíse turned the corner, flanked by Carmedy on her left and Morrigan on her right, and for a moment, I was struck speechless by the radiant beauties before me. Even in all my time in the heavens above or in the underworld below, never had I laid my eyes on the equal of the women I saw before me or the one who stood at my side.
Carmedy and Morrigan were garbed in magnificent dresses in much the same style as Rana’s, each properly tailored to best show off their best assets. Carmedy’s dress was done in rich honey golds that shone against her healthy skin and black hair and tail and accented with cut topazes, while Morrigan was garbed in the blackest satin and polished black onyx, the material and stones both almost shining with light against her pale skin and white hair. The cat-girl looked about ready to burst with glee, even though it was clear she had been crying beforehand as she blew her nose. Tears of joy, no doubt. Even the normally mild-mannered Morrigan had a shine in her eyes that could only be true happiness, and it elevated her icy beauty to something that would make even the gods gasp.
But, at that singular moment, Annalíse outshone them all. She stood tall and proud, with all the majesty of the queen she now was, and as I expected, she upheld the Tamarisch tradition by wearing ceremonial armor. Unlike armor fit for battle, though, her breastplate of shining silver was sculpted and shaped to show off her beautiful figure, with a narrow waist that flared out at the hips. Her shoulders were covered in the bear-headed plates that I guessed must be a sign of royalty here, but her arms were clad in fine white lace woven with what had to be diamonds. The sleeves clung to her toned arms until they reached her wrists where the material flared out into elegant cuffs. Likewise, instead of greaves, a skirt billowed out from the flare of her breastplate, layers of the same white lace as her sleeves replete with diamond accents came down to mid-shin, and that is when I took note of the laced sandals all three of the others wore.
My eyes raced back up to the freckled woman’s beautiful face. I was pleased that not only
had Carmedy’s healing ointments and potions healed the wounds from Annalíse’s battle with her father, but that a crown of chased silver and gold was on her brow, bearing the motif of rampant bears I had first seen on the Bear’s Gate.
“Master,” the warrior queen said softly as she gazed hungrily into my eyes.
“My queen,” I replied with equal tenderness. “Shall we?”
“Oh-my-god-oh-my-god-oh-my-god-this-is-too-perfect-I’m-going-to-die,” Carmedy gasped out between sniffles.
We all laughed a little at that, and Rana crossed over to take the feline by the arm.
“You lovebirds better get in there,” she said with a smirk. “I’ll make sure the pussycat doesn’t faint from lack of air.”
“Indeed,” Morrigan added as she took Carmedy’s other arm. “We shall both ensure she does not come to any harm.” Her eyes flickered from Carmedy to me, and her smile grew ever so slightly. “We shall be watching, of course. I am most pleased for you both.”
Annalíse glanced at me, then the others, and then broke her majestic character for a moment to hug all three of them tightly. “Thank you, all of you, for everything you’ve done.”
I gave them only a moment to embrace, not because I wanted it to end exactly, but because a new song, one I recognized as a wedding march, began in the main hall. We were expected now, and as much I would have given for my minions to be forever joyful together, we had a different happiness to attend to. I laid a gentle hand on Annalíse’s shoulder, and so she stepped back from the others with a radiant smile.
“It’s time,” I said softly, and so the warrior queen took my hand in hers. Together, we strode with all our combined glory into the throne room.
As with the Bear’s Gate, all evidence of the deadly duel that had taken place a few days before was gone. Perhaps that is why they had a red carpet in the otherwise stark whiteness of the place, it served to hide the blood of who knew how many High Kings and how many challengers that fell in a struggle for the throne. Also, past the flanking statues along the path, long benches had been added and were filled with scores of Tamarisch soldiers, nobles, and citizens, while dozens more looked on from the balconies that soared above the great hall.
Ahead of us on the dais, things had changed as well. As per the High Queen’s decree, there were no longer one large throne and one smaller one. Instead, two identical thrones sat side-by-side as was only proper. Before those thrones stood two figures, both of whom I could recognize from Annalíse’s stories.
The first was an older man, older even than Animere had been, and from his strong bearing, almost fatherly look towards Annalíse, and his warrior’s armor I could tell that he had to be Kalon, the warrior who had taken the young princess under his wing and had been imprisoned for betraying her father. As wedding ceremonies in this frosty land were as often presided over by soldiers as they were by priests, this did not surprise me, but the other did make me arch an eyebrow as we approached.
The second could have been Annalíse’s twin sister, if not for the grey that streaked her wavy brown hair and her generally softer features. Also different was her elegant gown in severe black and a black lace veil that fell over her sad expression. This had to be the dowager queen, Adalyn, Annalíse’s mother, and despite the grief etched plainly on her face, there was a strange light of hope I thought I saw in her eyes through the gauzy veil.
Annalíse paused for only a moment at the sight of her mother, but if she was upset by it, she didn’t show it. Instead, she squeezed my hand that much more before we pressed on. The wedding guests rose and saluted us as we passed, and the rest of my minions filtered in behind us to take a seat in one of the front rows among the members of the royal council eventually. Sadly, none of Annalíse’s brothers were here, as they were all off attending to the stalled war with Tintagal and were some weeks travel away.
We stepped elegantly up the steps of the dais before coming to a halt in front of both the former queen and the honored warrior. It was Kalon who spoke first as he raised his hands to the crowd beyond us.
“People of Tamarisch, we gather here today to not only celebrate great joy,” the aged soldier began, “but also to look forward to a new, great future. One replete with honor and glory, one that will not only lead us to a reunion with our distant brothers in Tintagal… even if it be by force… but a grand new alliance with the great nation of Valasara to the south!”
With that, the guests, from servant to royal soldier, all let out a whooping cheer, be it from joy or a thirst for victory. It didn’t matter which to me as both pleased me. Kalon waited until the din quieted some before continuing.
“Also, we must mourn our lost king. Though High King Animere stumbled on his way and fell down a dark path, in his youth, he strived to be a great and honorable ruler.” The old soldier gestured to where a new base had been erected for a statue along the path of High Kings. “The memory of his honor shall be remembered, and his failings will serve as a cautionary tale for the future.”
At that, Annalíse and her mother both joined in with many in the crowd who lowered their heads in respect for the dead, though my warrior queen was the first to raise hers again. The others would learn in time just how dark Animere must have grown to side with Tuzakeur, but she knew all too well.
Once most of the crowd had paid their respects, it was Adalyn who continued in Kalon’s place. “Now, though, we will look past our grief and forward to new life, new joy, and most of all, a new High Queen.” She took one elegant step forward and opened her hands to her daughter, who finally released my hand to take them.
“Thank you, mother,” Annalíse said with happiness.
Adalyn nodded slowly, then raised her voice to the crowd as she asked, “Annalíse Sophia Decathmor, do you pledge to serve Tamarisch as High Queen? To uphold our kingdom’s honor and never waver in your resolve to do what is best for your people and your country?”
“I do so pledge,” Annalíse said proudly as she looked deep into her mother’s hazel eyes, and for the first time since we had walked into the throne room, the former queen truly smiled. Then she turned to me and again held her hands out.
I gave Adalyn a respectful nod and did as she bid. As I grasped her hands in mine, she looked up at me and, much as Annalíse had told us, it was as if she knew everything about me with but one look of her hazel eyes.
“And do you, the Master of Valasara, pledge to serve Tamarisch as if it were your own kingdom? To uphold your Queen’s honor and never stray from her side and the side of this kingdom?”
There was both expectation and warning in Adalyn’s words: the expectant joy of a mother about to see her daughter married and the warning of what would befall me should I hurt said daughter.
Without hesitation, I said in my most solemn voice, the voice that swore oaths before the greatest of deities and commanded the dark magic of death to do my bidding, “I do so pledge.”
Adalyn kept her gaze locked with mine for a moment longer, a moment I did not flinch from, and then her smile grew just a bit more. Then she let my hands go and turned toward the audience with her arms spread wide.
“And now, Councilor Kalon, could you bring forth the wedding thread?”
With that, Kalon pulled from a belt pouch a woven gold chain, easily three feet long and held it aloft for all to see. Another wave of cheers roiled the crowd, but I know I heard above them all a very distinct “It’s so beautiful!” from Carmedy in the front row.
Annalíse turned to me as Kalon approached us and held her right arm out to me. “Master, grip my forearm with your right hand, and let me do the same.”
“Of course, my dear,” I said softly as I did so, and when our arms were clasped, Kolan began to wind the chain around our arms, starting at Annalíse’s elbow.
“The wedding thread is a representation of your bond as husband and wife, king and queen,” he explained loud enough for all to hear. “It is said that the power of our ancestors goes into the chain when your final vows
are made, and if ever one of you were to break them, the chain will shatter as well.”
“Of that, there is no fear,” I said with utter certainty.
“Yes, indeed,” Annalíse echoed, and my warrior queen smiled at me.
The entire crowd was struck silent by the moment, with the only noise being Carmedy’s sobs of joy. “It’s just… So! Beautiful!”
Kalon didn’t seem to be perturbed the over-exuberant cat-girl as he finished winding the chain around our arms. As he took a step back, I could feel a spiritual presence in the air, something very real and palpable, and from the look I caught in Morrigan’s eyes and the cocked heads of Fea and Macha, they sensed it too.
It would seem that the legends of the Tamarisch held at least some truth.
“Now, do you both pledge your lives to each other and vow to be faithful to one another until your souls leave this world?” Kalon intoned with graveness, his grey eyes dancing between us.
“I do so pledge,” Annalíse and I said in unison.
With those words, the spiritual presence flooded into the chain and the metal grew warm against my arm, and at that same moment, the throne room exploded into cheers of joy and celebration, so much so that even Carmedy was drowned out among them. The only thing I could make out loud and clear was Adalyn as she leaned close between us.
“Now is the time for you to kiss, I believe,” she said with a hint of amusement.
She was absolutely right.
I drew Annalíse close to me by our chained arm, embraced her with my other arm, and cradled her back as she eagerly leaned up to look at me. Her free hand found my waist, and even through my armor, I could feel the heat of her desire.