Rupert made a point of passing Sam on his way to his designated seat. “Good to see you again,” he said in greeting. “Would you do me the honour of joining me for a dance later?”
“I would be delighted,” Sam replied, silently praying that Ellen’s spell worked. She watched his departing back, then looked around again.
“Your group of witches certainly did a good job,” she congratulated Ellen. “Everyone looks really good.” She was looking at Modo and Oak as she spoke; the former in slate grey and the latter in various shades of brown. Both looked exceedingly comfortable in silk, though neither had ever worn it before.
Ria, who always seemed up to date on local gossip, provided a running commentary on each wedding guest as they appeared. Not only was she able to name most of the Lords and Ladies and their multiple offspring, but also indicated who was betrothed to whom, who was cheating and who with and, and more importantly in her opinion, which of the men were eligible and how rich they were.
Samson, not wishing to be left out, crept between the chairs and lay down at Sam’s feet. “Wrong side stupid,” she informed him, giving him a gentle nudge with her foot. Reluctantly he pulled himself off the ground and padded over to Tor, looking back to give Sam a sour look before lying down again.
Suddenly a lone harpist started to play and everyone fell silent. Selene had timed her entrance perfectly. The sun was just beginning to set behind her, producing a glow around her as she walked down the aisle between the two sets of chairs. She looked amazing as she took the solitary walk toward her groom. Her dress had been cleverly altered to reduce the obviousness of her pregnancy; the low plunging neckline drawing focus away from her swollen belly. She walked slowly and sedately, her bare feet making no sound in the grass. Tallon looked up and their eyes met. He held her gaze until she was standing beside him and he was forced to face forward once more.
“Yellow really is not your colour,” Selene whispered to him.
“I know,” he whispered back. Both received a scathing look from Bellak.
The harpist fell silent and Bellak addressed his audience. “We are here today to witness the union of not only Tallon and Selene, but also Kinfen and Amenia, two countries that have been in conflict for many years. Today is an historic day and will be remembered by many generations to come.”
“He’s overdoing it a bit isn’t he,” Sam whispered. “Didn’t the first wedding signify the union?”
“Not exactly,” Liselle whispered back. “When members of different royal families marry, they are not legally wed until there have been ceremonies in both countries, especially when one of the couple will take over the crown one day.”
Bellak continued his oration for a while longer and Sam stopped listening, allowing her mind to wander. She thought about how different the setting was to all other weddings she had attended. This was warm and romantic, making marriages held in buildings, especially some old churches, seem cold and dreary. She made herself a vow that if she was ever to marry, it would be outside, in the sunshine and fresh air, surrounded by nature’s beauty.
Tuning back in, she realised that Bellak had progressed onto the significance of marriage and the commitment the couple were making to each other. He spoke about a groom’s duty to his new wife and, in turn, her duty to him. Finally, after what felt like hours, he turned his attention back to the happy couple. When instructed, Tallon removed a thin chain from around his neck and handed it to Bellak. He took Selene’s hand in his own and watched as Bellak placed the chain over their joined hands while incanting a spell.
The wizard then instructed Tallon to place the chain over Selene’s head. The instant it touched the skin on her neck it started to shrink until it was too small to be removed, but not so tight it would choke her. Bellak announced that the chain now permanently bound them to each other, forming a bond that could not be removed by man nor beast.
“Does that mean they cannot get divorced?” Sam asked.
“No, he’s just being theatrical,” Liselle said.
Ellen, however, contradicted her. “Actually, that may not be a true statement. If he has used the spell I think he has then their marriage can only be broken by death or removal of the chain, which is now one solid piece with no clasp and cannot be cut or broken. Any divorce documents they try to sign will spontaneously combust. I presume he got their permission to use it.” The three of them exchanged glances, none of them certain that that was indeed the case.
“Do you think we should warn them?”
“Probably best not to mention it. Hopefully they will never have the need to find out.” They returned their attention to the ceremony, where Bellak was addressing the groom.
“Tallon, you may now say your vows to Selene. Bear in mind that what you say, though not legally binding, is binding in more important ways. You must stay true to what you declare here, in front of these witnesses.”
Tallon’s nerves seemed to have gotten the better of him as he turned to face his bride. He tried to speak, but no words came out.
“Why is he so nervous?” Sam asked.
“He had to write his own vows. If he is a typical man then he is either trying to remember what he wrote, as he left his notes in the palace, or he has not given any thought to what he plans to say and is having to make it up on the spur of the moment.”
Unbeknown to Selene, while the majority of the men were out hunting, Tallon had shut himself in her father’s study to work on his vows. He knew exactly what he wanted to say, he just had trouble finding the right words. It took him hours, but he was happy with the end result. He had spent the next few hours memorising it.
“You are my fire. You make me burn with desire and the flames of my happiness die when you are not by my side. You brought meaning into my life and taught me forgiveness, understanding and compassion. I am not worthy of you and every day I thank the stars that you are mine. The beauty of your inner spirit overwhelms me. I know my life with you will be an amazing journey and hopefully a long one. I will hold you tight when you are cold, fan you when you are hot. I will stay by your side when you are sick and stay away when you wish some peace. I promise I will listen to your advice and not keep any secrets from you. You will be my Queen in more than just name. When I take my throne, you will be my co-ruler not just my wife.”
Gasps filled the garden. This had never happened before in the history of any country. The only person to remain calm was Yeland. Tallon had discussed his wish with his father early that morning and had received his blessing.
Silence returned. Selene made no vows. When she enquired later that evening, Sam was informed Amenian weddings required the bride to speak only one word during the ceremony. Bellak turned to address the groom. “Tallon, Selene wants you as her husband. Will you protect her, cherish her and love her? Will you be strong when she needs your strength and gentle when she wants your tenderness? Will you stay true and never leave her?”
“Yes.” Never before had Sam heard so much emotion put into one word.
Bellak turned his attention to Selene. “Selene, Tallon wants you as his wife. Will you look after him and care for him? Will you obey him when he is right and teach him when he is wrong? Will you bear him strong and healthy children to continue his bloodline?”
Selene barely managed to keep the amusement out of her voice as she said, “Yes.”
“Then I declare you both married and may you stay happy together for many years.” A cheer went up as Tallon took Selene in his arms and kissed her deeply. Samson turned his muzzle to the sky and howled a serenade. He ran out of air before they parted, causing great amusement for the bride and groom. A basket had been placed beside Hetta’s chair and, at a cue from Bellak, she lifted the lid, releasing a dozen brightly coloured flying lizards, which happily flew around the couple’s head, making small chirpy noises that sounded almost like purring. As they flew off down the aisle, Tallon and Selene followed them, hand in hand, both grinning broadly.
They led the guest
s to the great hall where tables had been laid out and servants were standing by to start serving food as soon as everyone was seated. The men and women still remained separated, the only exception being the bride and groom. The food was wonderful and there was plenty to go around. Vegetables that Sam did not know the name of, but tasted good, were piled on plates along with many different meats and fish. There were no set courses; all of the diners ate what they wanted when they wanted. There were fresh fruits and pastries and desserts aplenty. Tallon looked at his new wife in horror as she piled slices of meat on her plate.
“I have been dreaming of meat all day,” she explained. “And I am eating for two remember.”
He grinned at her then leant forward to kiss her cheek. “I love you,” he whispered in her ear, making her blush as her thoughts strayed from her food to the bridal bed that had been set up for them.
“How soon can we get out of here?” she asked. Concerned that events had been too much of a strain for her, he looked into her eyes, which sparkled mischievously. “I want to get you out of that hideous outfit and into something you look better in.”
“Oh yes. Like what?”
“Me.”
“We have to dance the first dance together before we can retire,” he informed her when he had recovered from a choking fit. “But then we can claim you are feeling tired and I can carry you off to bed.”
“I cannot wait,” she said, smiling happily.
Chapter 28
When the wedding feast was over, servants cleared away the tables and moved the chairs to the side of the room. A number of women withdrew to their rooms to change into ball gowns, while those that remained joined the men in sipping wine and conversing with the bride and groom. Samson, having been well fed in the kitchens, had decided to join the party. Seeing that it was in a temporary lull, he found a sofa tucked away in the corner of the room, jumped up on it, turned around and made himself comfortable before anyone could see him and turf him off, and promptly fell asleep. Soft snoring was soon heard coming from his direction.
Sam slipped into her dress and looked at herself in the mirror. She was quite impressed with the result. The dress was a light shade of blue, full length, backless and clung tight to her body. The long split at the side allowed her to move freely while revealing a large amount of leg. The dressmaker had chosen the material, but Ellen designed it. She had a lot of talent in that area it seemed.
Ria brushed and retied Sam’s hair while Ellen looked her up and down critically. Sam almost mentioned that she was capable of dressing herself, but did not want to sound ungrateful for their help, so kept quiet and put up with their ministrations. She felt like she had become their new pet project.
“Something is wrong,” Ellen said, tapping her lips with her finger. “Turn around.” Sam complied. “It does not seem to flow right.”
“It looks great to me,” Sam assured her.
“Yes, but it is not your opinion that matters. Someone else is supposed to think it looks fantastic.” Sam did not ask who. She knew she would not like the answer. “I have an idea.” A sinking feeling hit Sam’s stomach. Ellen took hold of the bottom of the dress and cast a spell. She then had Sam spin around again and smiled, obviously happy with the result.
“Take a look,” she suggested. Sam turned and looked in the mirror, but saw no difference. She threw a questioning look at Ellen.
“Turn around slowly.” Sam obeyed and the result left her speechless. As she moved, the dress shimmered and changed shade; it was breath-taking.
“Oh wow,” River exclaimed. “He is going to love that.”
They arrived back at the great hall just as musicians were setting up in one corner. Most of the room had been cleared, leaving a large area for dancing. Many more guests were starting to arrive. One old lady spotted the lone sofa and made a beeline for it. Seeing Samson, she grabbed the nearest available male and requested that he remove the animal. The man happened to be Tor and she was highly offended by his response.
“Ask him yourself,” he said, trying to hide his disgust at hearing Samson being referred to as an animal. “He is very well trained.” He escorted her up to the wolf. “It is best to be polite though” he warned her.
“Why? He is just a worthless dog.” Samson opened one eye to regard her quizzically, closing it quickly as she turned her attention to him. “Get off the furniture you dirty beast.”
Tor winced. Samson snarled, making sure he revealed how sharp his teeth were. The old woman went pale and backed away. “Allias will have that animal destroyed when I tell him how vicious it is,” she stammered then headed off to find the King.
“Actually, I think you will find that Samson is on the guest list,” Tor called after her, then winked at the lupine. “Nicely handled,” he commented before leaving him to go back to sleep in peace.
Samson was woken again a short time later by Bellak calling for everyone’s attention. “It is now time for the bride and groom’s first dance.” Tallon escorted Selene into the middle of the room and the musicians began to play. A girl of no more than fifteen years of age stood in front of the musicians and began to sing. Her voice was clear and pure, the song slow and romantic, telling of eternal love. Tallon eased Selene around the floor, keeping perfect time with the tempo, her steps blending with his. She moved elegantly, despite her pregnancy. She had been in training most of her life for this moment and would not let something as simple as being with child spoil it. Sam watched them, enchanted by the music. Her daydreaming was interrupted by Ellen approaching, dragging a young witch with her. Pointing at the dancing couple, she furiously said in a low voice, “Fix it.”
“It was just a bit of fun,” the girl said, pouting.
“Magic is never used for fun,” Ellen informed her. “Fix it now.”
“Alright,” came the sulky reply and the girl muttered an incantation while waving her fingers in the general direction of the dance floor.
“That is better,” Ellen said, a little more calmly. “Now do not ever let me catch you playing with magic again.” The young witch scarpered to rejoin her friends.
“What was all that about?” Sam inquired.
“That little madam thought it would be funny to put a spell on the bridal gown so that the fastenings could not be undone. I knew she had been doing something she should not have been and when Selene danced past I could detect traces of magic on her.”
“That’s funny,” Sam said, barely suppressing a laugh. Nobody else saw the funny side. “So magic leaves a noticeable trace behind does it?”
“Not when performed properly. I will have to have a word with her teacher about that.”
“Hang on a minute,” Sam said, casting her mind back to the start of the conversation. “What was that crap you were sprouting about not using magic for fun? How do you explain my dress?”
Ellen smirked. “That was necessity. It does not count.”
The musicians stopped playing, the singer fell quiet and the room filled with silence. “Thank you all for coming,” Tallon announced loudly. “Unfortunately my wife,” he paused as though realising what he had just said. “That sounded good; my wife. Sorry,” he continued regaining his train of thought. “I got a bit side-tracked. Where was I? Oh yes, the day’s excitements have left my wife feeling tired so we are going to retire for the night. Please stay and enjoy yourselves.” He held out his arm and Selene sedately placed her hand upon it and was led from the room, smiling serenely.
A dance was announced and the musicians started to play. It was a sequence dance, where each couple danced one complete sequence before the ladies moved to their right to pick up a new partner. Allias was the first on the dance floor, escorting his wife. Worrel had been sent to the nursery with her nursemaid, so Everet persuaded his fiancée to join the King and Queen. Others quickly rose from their seats so that by the time the first sequence was complete there were more than two dozen couples dancing.
Rupert approached Sam, formally bowing to her
and requesting her to do him the honour of being his first partner. She nervously agreed, silently praying that Ellen’s spell would work. To her great relief, it did. Though she did not glide around the dance floor like a professional, she was competent enough to not make a fool of herself. It felt strange dancing with so many different partners, most of whom she did not know, and as soon as the music stopped she headed to the refreshment table. Brin, who had been watching her closely, was there, though that was not her only reason for heading in that direction.
“You dance well,” he said as she accepted a glass of wine that was handed to her and drank deeply. Dancing was thirsty work. “How did you get your dress to change colour like that?”
“Ellen,” she replied, secretly pleased that he had noticed. No further explanation was necessary. “I wish I had high heels with me,” she grumbled. “It makes this sort of dancing a lot easier.” She received a puzzled frown. “Where I come from you can get shoes that have long heels, keeping your foot in the upright position, as though you are on tip-toe. It’s a lot easier to make turns on your toes, hence they are worn a lot for dancing.”
“Sounds uncomfortable.”
“It can be, especially if you have to do a lot of walking. Many a night I have hobbled home complaining of sore toes or even had to remove my shoes altogether and walk home in bare feet. I must admit though, they do make my legs look good.”
Brin looked down at her legs. Though currently hidden under the material of her dress, her legs had been almost entirely on display through the split up the side as she danced. “You do not need different shoes,” he stated. Sam was still trying to work out if he was being sarcastic when the music died down and the next dance was announced. An elderly Lord standing nearby asked Sam to join him so politely that she held out her hand and was whisked back onto the dance floor. Ria, who was nearby, noticed this and grabbed Brin by the arm, ignoring his protests as she forced him to join in.
The Guide Page 35