by Jan Stryvant
#
"Damn, would you look at all those people," Steve said to Sean.
"I know," Sean sighed. "Cali's family even sent a couple of people out here."
"What about Peg?"
"Her sister and brother-in-law are here."
"Jolene?"
"She and her mother are now on speaking terms, and I think Arthur turned out half of Sapientia. Joseph did about the same for Eruditio."
"Daelyn's family is easy to pick out at least," Steve joked. "Are those tanker trucks really full of beer?"
"And it's the good stuff. Make sure to try some before it's all gone."
"Roberta's family?"
"Roberta's mom is here, along with the whole Sorceress Guild. Goliard is here, too."
"Well, it's a party! Of course they would be." Steve grinned.
"Actually, rumor has it that Goliard and the Guild have been working on an alliance, maybe even a partnership."
"I thought the Guild didn't want male magic users in their midst?"
"The guys at Goliard only want to do two things, work like maniacs, and party like maniacs. They don't like dealing with the world or politics. The women at the Guild, however, like dealing with the very things the guys don't, that's why they formed their own group. So there's benefits for both of them."
"Time will tell," Steve said with a shrug.
"Exactly. Now, why don't you go find Roxy and tell her I want to get this thing started before your father figures out how to talk the president into something we'll all regret."
Steve laughed. "Yeah, I hear you on that one!"
Sean looked down at the tuxedo he was wearing. He suspected it had cost more than the trailer he and his mom used to live it. Shaking his head, he wondered once again how he'd gotten here. Or, more appropriately, how he'd gotten here alive.
Obviously it was because of the girls, and he owed them, he owed them everything. So if they wanted to have some big extravaganza of a wedding, then dammit, he was going to let them have one. Putting a smile on his face, he resolved to enjoy the ceremony and the night.
Looking out at the crowd again, he nodded to Sawyer, who was sitting in the front row, on the "groom's" side, of course. Sawyer had an army of relatives with him, and Sean had told him as long as there weren't any incidents that came to his or the girls' attention, they could knock themselves out.
"Honestly?" Sawyer had asked, giving Sean a sidelong look.
"I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for your help," Sean said. "Just remember, Roxy's the one you have to watch out for."
Sawyer had smiled broadly. "I gotcha, Kid. We'll keep the fleecing to a minimum."
The minister showed up then, a friend of Roxy's family from Las Vegas, and Sean walked out to stand by the altar. Sean hadn't been to any of the rehearsals; he'd told them he wanted his part to be kept simple, and it was. He'd told them that this was to be all about them, not him; it was their show, their chance to shine. He'd actually spent all day yesterday and most of this morning working on an enchantment. The one thing he had taken charge of was the wedding rings. He'd hired a dwarven smith to make them and, using what he was learning from Maitland, along with a great deal of what he already knew, he was making a set of rings specifically tailored to each of their needs.
He couldn't help but smile as the girls started to walk down the aisle, one at a time. Roxy was first, and the gown she was wearing was stunning. It didn't show a lot of flesh, but what it did show was enticing. The rest of the gown, especially the bodice, was tight enough that it left no doubt at all as to the shape beneath it, and her long legs would flash occasionally as she walked, the dress being slit up the side.
Jolene was next, starting down the aisle as Roxy climbed up the steps to the altar. Her neckline plunged a bit more than Roxy's had, and Roxy's had plunged a lot. Her dress was a slightly different style than Roxy's was, of course, the skirt being more traditional. But it was tight in all the right places, all the same, drawing just as many looks from the people in the room.
Daelyn's neckline plunged as low as Jolene's, and with the heels she was wearing, it really did some interesting things to both the way she walked, and the way her body moved. Her skirts were even longer than Jolene's had been, and her long black hair had been brushed so much it seemed to gleam as it ended just above her butt.
Roberta's outfit was probably the least revealing of all, being reminiscent of the robes she tended to fancy, but when she walked, the front fold over her chest seemed on the verge of revealing the charms hidden beneath, but never actually offered more than a few tantalizing glances.
Peg's outfit had a low bodice laced all the way down to her navel, though it wasn't quite as closed as perhaps it should be. Which was probably the point, knowing Peg, giving quite the view of her cleavage and skin underneath. She was wearing black heels and black gloves, which, along with her long red hair, he suspected was a subtle nod to her fox aspect. Her gown also had a small bustle, which acted almost like a tail, highlighting her nice ass.
Cali's outfit was, as he should have expected, skin tight. The dress had a slit up one side, which was probably the only reason she was able to walk, exposing one of those long, lean, and very dark legs as she carefully made her way down the aisle after Peg. The bodice was also laced, but it went up to her neck, though again, the gap between the laces was enticing, and went from her neck all the way down past her bellybutton, stopping just beyond it. Combined with the tightness of the thin fabric, it left nothing to the imagination. She had her fiery red hair pulled back for a change, tied up with a white bow beneath her bridal veil.
"Like?" Roxy asked in a whisper as she stopped next to him and they waited for the others.
"I'm afraid if anyone looks at you too long, I just might kill them out of jealousy," Sean said with a smile.
"Ha, ha," Roxy deadpanned.
"I'm not so sure I'm kidding. Suddenly I like the idea of all these people watching as I claim the most beautiful women in existence as my own."
Roxy 'shushed' him then, and from that point on, all Sean had to do was say 'I do' at the proper time, put the rings on each of their fingers, and then, when all was said and done, kiss the brides.
That last part took a while, because Sean was in absolutely no hurry as he took his time kissing each of them.
Then it was down into the crowd to meet everyone as the party started. That was when things got confusing, after a while, because there were just far too many people to remember, and he had to meet all of them.
Roxy smiled as she led them around to all the different groups and people they had to meet. She could tell that any and all of Sean's resistance to tonight's event had fled; he really was enjoying himself, which made them all very happy. She was also starting to suspect that Sean really was feeling very possessive tonight; the public displays of affection he was giving to each of them were almost non-stop, and she didn't doubt for an instant that if anyone were to step out of line tonight, Sean would set them straight in an incredibly violent instant.
So of course she was extremely turned on by the fact that her big, tough, dominant lion husband was being a big, tough, dominant lion.
He greeted each person he was introduced to with a ready smile, and a firm handshake. Then he'd hug one of them, exchange a comment or two about tonight's wedding, while the girls greeted them as well. Sean would then kiss another of the girls, thank the guest for coming to the wedding, and give another hug as they went off to meet the next guest.
When they came to her family, she could feel Sean relax for a moment.
"Congratulations, to all of you," Bill said.
"I guess this means you're officially part of the family," said Gloria, Roxy's mom, with a grin as Sean and each of the girls gave her a hug.
"If I'd known how much it meant to all of them, I'd have had a ceremony sooner," Sean admitted.
"This from the man calling all our plans 'insanity' for the last week!" Daelyn snickered.
Sean smiled.
"Not your plans, just the way you were all behaving while making them."
"You seem to be handling it just fine now," Roxy said with a smile.
"As long as I don't have to remember anybody's name, I'll be fine," Sean said with a grin.
"Well come on then, I think I see Jo's mom over by Arthur."
Jolene took over the introductions when they reached the members of Sapientia who had come to attend. She couldn't help but smile as she recalled how she'd come full circle, just not in a way anybody had expected.
Uncle Arthur was as welcoming as ever, as were the other council members. After them, Jolene took a deep breath and led Sean and the others over to her mother.
"Sean, this is my mother, Sharon. Mom, this is Sean, my husband, and Roxy, Daelyn, Roberta, Peg, and Cali, my wives."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Sharon," Sean said and, stepping up, gave her a hug. "I hope you can both work this out. Jo means so much to me," Sean said with a sincere smile.
Jolene couldn't miss the blush or the look of embarrassment on her mother's face.
Then Roxy, Daelyn, Roberta, Peg, and Cali all gave her a hug too, and Jolene almost cried at that, and hugged her mother herself when they were all done. As her old master had once told her, forgiveness of another is the biggest reward you can give yourself.
"I forgive you, Mom."
"Thanks, Jo," Sharon said and hugged her daughter back. "I'm sorry for what I did."
"It's in the past, Mom."
They spent another minute making small talk, then after a promise to talk later, they went back to making the rounds.
"Thanks, all of you," Jolene said to the others.
"It's what family does," Cali said with a smile, "I learned that from you."
They stopped for a momentary group hug.
"Who's next?" Sean asked.
"My turn," Peg said with a grin that was a little too wide to be totally friendly, as she led them over to where her sister Camellia was waiting with her husband, Richard.
"Camellia," Peg said as she nodded to her sister, "Richard. It's nice to finally meet you both as a couple; I do hope you're happy, and I honestly mean that. Now, you know Sean already, but I don't think you've met Roxy, Jolene, Daelyn, Roberta, or Cali."
"Sean, Peg," said Richard, the head of what was now the local Council of Solidad. "I just want to congratulate you both, as well as your wives, Roxy, Jolene, Daelyn, Roberta, and Cali."
Sean smiled politely. "Thank you for coming, and," Sean lowered his voice, "thank you very much for taking my advice and leaving Gradatim."
"Thank you for giving it," Richard said with a smile, "that's why we asked to come. Finding out that the Stuttgart Treaty had been violated was a very serious wake up call. With the number of rumors floating around lately, I'm starting to wonder very seriously about how some of us came to where we are today."
"Really?" Peg asked with a hint of sarcasm in her voice.
"None of us are angels, Peg. I think we can all agree to that, and I'm sure there's going to be a lot of bad blood floating around for a very long time. But, as Joseph says, we have to start somewhere."
Peg sighed and nodded. "Of course." Then she smiled as she noticed that Camellia was staring at the necklace she was wearing, her eyes wide.
'Gotcha!' Peg thought to herself and winked back at her sister, who then turned a very bright shade of red as she realized just who had robbed them that night.
Cali led them over to the contingent of dark elves that were also attending tonight. Each of the four families in North America had sent two representatives, and both of her parents, as well as two of her former house's leaders, had come as well.
She couldn't help but smile when she saw them. The last time they had seen her was when she'd been sent off on her 'mission' with Deidre and her two sisters. A mission apparently doomed from the start, yet she had redeemed herself and her honor, and found something so few of her house knew anymore.
"Cali," her mother greeted her in their native tongue, "what becomes?"
"A new House becomes. I am redeemed and have reclaimed that which was lost. I have done that which I was purposed for."
"How?" her father asked.
"That is no longer your concern." Switching to English, she then introduced House Valens and smiled happily as Sean put an arm around her and kissed her in front of the others.
"House Valens, House Tlyysengarten greets you and thanks you for the invitation this day; I am Feorn, the second of House Tlyysengarten."
Sean gave a small bow. "You're very welcome to be here. Cali has been a true gift to me, even with the many things she was forced to learn as a young girl." Sean smiled at Cali once again and pulled her closer to him, as the people from Cali's former house suddenly looked very suspiciously at Sean.
"I understand your codes and morals are very different from those I was raised with and live by now. So I feel it only fair to tell you House Valens will not engage in those kinds of activities."
"We had hoped for an alliance, seeing that your wife, our daughter, is from our house," Cali's father said.
Sean lowered his voice to a whisper. "What you did to my wife doesn't sit very well with me. I would strongly advise you to reconsider your methods, and perhaps investigate what lions often do to people who mistreat their wives."
"But that was before your marriage!" Feorn whispered back.
Sean smiled slowly. "When you're immortal, you tend to become chronologically challenged. Something to consider. I have no argument with you, nor do I seek one. But for now, I'm not interested in any alliances, either."
Leaning into Sean and putting her arms around him, Cali said something then in a language Sean didn't understand, and her relatives said something back, bowed, and returned to their seats.
"What did you say to them?" Sean whispered as they walked away.
"I told them I loved them, and I'd begged my husband not to kill them like you had Peg's father, and out of his love for me, my husband had agreed. But it might be best for them not to bring the matter up again for another hundred years or so."
"I don't seem to recall any begging," Peg said.
"Weren't you there when Sean knocked her up?" Daelyn asked with a snicker.
Peg blushed, surprisingly. "Other than that..."
"What they do not know," Cali smiled, "can be used to our benefit."
Roberta smiled and gave her mother a hug. "Thanks for coming, Mom."
"Daddy!" Sarah said and ran over to grab Sean around the legs.
Deanna laughed. "Oh, trust me, none of us would have missed this for the world! It may have taken six of you, but this time, you brought that lion to heel," Deanna said and winked at Sean.
"Mother!" Roberta protested. "You're not supposed to let them know!"
"At least not right away," Peg said with a nod.
"I think it's more Sarah that has him on a leash than any of us, sometimes." Roberta smiled, looking at her daughter as Sean squatted down to give Sarah a hug.
"Oh no, it's totally her mother and the rest of you," Sean said without looking up from Sarah.
"Apparently lions are really big on weddings and all that," Roberta said, still smiling.
"Actually, it's our wives who are really big on it, we're just devoted love slaves who know when we have it good."
"Oh! I see you already have him trained!" Deanna chuckled.
"He even puts the seat down," Roberta said with a nod.
"Amazing! What's your secret?"
"It's the sad cheetah eyes," Sean sighed. "Just ask Dae, no one can resist them."
"Oh, your daughters are going to rule you, Sean!" Deanna snickered.
"Somehow, I don't see myself minding," Sean said, looking up and smiling.
"No, you wouldn't, would you?" Roberta agreed.
They talked a few more minutes with Deanna and some of the others before moving on again.
"Let's pay our respects to the president," Sean said, "before we hit Daelyn's family.
"Why are mine last?" Daelyn asked.
"Because once your uncle starts pouring beer down my throat, I ain't getting up again," Sean said with a chuckle. "It's called 'saving the best for last'."
Daelyn smiled at that.
"Mr. President, I'm so happy you could come," Sean said, shaking hands with him, and then stepping aside so each of the girls could give him a hug, including Sarah, who had now attached herself to the group.
"Always a pleasure, Sean. Always a pleasure. I like your friend Steve, he's such a character. I think I'm gonna try to talk him into running for office when Senator Murlen retires."
"I'm not so sure you want to unleash the likes of Steve on the Senate," Roxy warned.
"Oh, they'll be fine, those old men could use a little shaking up," the president said with a smile.
Sean greeted both the governor and the mayor, who had also turned out for the wedding and were sitting with the president.
"Thanks for coming."
"Wouldn't be right if I didn't turn out for one of our leading citizens," the governor said diplomatically.
"And access to the president doesn't hurt, either," the mayor said with a smile.
"After all I've put our city through," Sean said with a guilty smile, "I can't blame you."
Sean retrieved the girls from the president then, and they all made their way over to where Daelyn's Uncle Samis and Aunt Sarah were waiting. After a couple of hugs and hearty back slaps, Sean sat down and was immediately handed a large mug of beer.
"What'd I tell ya, Daelyn?" Samis whispered as he hugged his niece. "He's better than any dwarf you could ever have married, right?"
Daelyn smiled and hugged Samis tighter. "Thanks, Uncle, for setting me straight; you were right, and I couldna' be happier with my Sean."
"Have you noticed all the envious looks yer getting?" Sarah said as Daelyn let go of her uncle and hugged her aunt.
"Oh, yeah!" Daelyn snickered. "And not just from the single girls, I think more'n a few of the married ones got that look in their eye as well."
Daelyn's brother came over to wish her and the others well, then joined Sean, who was already on his second beer.