She paused, and looked to the two people before her.
"Old Scottish custom, I believe, lets two people in love be hand-fast in a simple ceremony, where their hands are bound by a tartan cord. They are then bound for a year and a day, and if all is well, are married."
Jamie looked at her, a bit stunned.
"Of course, we don’t expect them to wait, so will be going ahead with the normal ceremony," continued Jane, a twinkle in her eye, as Jamie took a deeper breath in.
Jane reached out with both hands, and placed one on the outside shoulder of each of them. She looked over their heads towards the crowd in general.
"Before I go any further, it is traditional to ask if there is any person here who believes Jamie and Anna cannot be wed today. If so, speak up now, or forever hold your peace."
There was a dramatic pause, and then laughter as everyone relaxed.
The room exploded.
Eighty Five
Jane saw the explosion begin, and shifted into AI mode.
Not more than thirty nanoseconds in, it was still located around a man, his shape still obvious, but beginning to disintegrate. She stored an image of him for later investigation.
Frozen as she was in the moment, her sensors saw all.
The Destiny Stone was already pure white.
The Talisman had activated.
Power flooded into her, and she focussed the Talisman on the exploding man.
A shield formed around him, containing the explosion to a centimetre beyond his body.
The shield pulsed as it absorbed the energy trying to force its way out, and for another thirty nanoseconds the man became a beacon of light.
And was suddenly gone. He simply vanished, the shield dissipated, and it was as if he hadn’t been there.
Jane stepped down to human speed, but left her hands on their shoulders.
No-one noticed a man had vanished, so absorbed was everyone on the trio at the front.
"Could I have the rings please?" Jane asked Snark, who was standing beside Jamie.
Snark looked blank.
Everyone in the hall looked at Snark.
Snark patted his suit, but realised of course, it didn’t have pockets, and for that reason, he'd put the rings in a small pouch, which was supposed to be around his neck. He fumbled for it, but couldn’t find it.
There was a titter of laughter from the room, as people recognized the hitch in proceedings.
Fred was standing next to Snark, and realizing Snark's problem, bent down and untangled the strap of the pouch, which was now hiding under his cloak.
With the pouch now reachable, Snark pulled out the rings, and handed them to Jane, who was doing her best to keep a straight face.
She passed one ring to Jamie, who turned to Anna, and held it out in front of her.
"With this ring, I plight thee my troth."
He slipped it on her finger. With a smile, Anna took the other ring from Jane.
"With this ring, I plight thee my troth."
She slipped it on Jamie’s finger. He grinned at her. Jane smiled at them both.
"I now pronounce you, husband and wife."
Jamie and Anna leaned together to kiss.
As they parted, a cheer rose from the rowdier of Jamie’s friends at the back of the hall, Maraid cried even harder into more tissues, and there were ahs and sighs breathing sentimentality through the hall.
Jane pinged them both with the paperwork, and they happily signed electronically. They were now officially married under the laws of the Kingdom, and Scots World.
Jamie offered Anna his arm, and linked together, they made their way down the aisle, acknowledging their friends and family, followed by the bridesmaids and groomsmen in pairs, Lyana gripping Fred’s arm firmly.
They emerged out into the driveway and garden, followed by the bridal party and the guests, to the brilliant sunshine even at late afternoon, blinking after being in the relative dimness of the hall. As the guests spilled out onto the lawn and into the gardens, there was much backslapping, image taking, vid making, and kisses all around. Maraid happily cried and laughed at the same time, Mac hugged and kissed his wife Martha, everyone hugged and kissed anyone they should hug and kiss, or had secretly been dying to hug and kiss for some time, to varying reactions.
A flock of surprised pigeons launched into the air in a great flock, having been feeding on the lawn, and disturbed by the flood of beings emerging from the hall. They flew off in pairs, which for those who noted such omens, was seen to be a good one.
Jamie looked at Anna and laughed.
"It’s as if the pigeons are in league with Maraid," he said, and kissed her again.
While the hall was being re-made into a banqueting room, the guests were treated to some pre-dinner drinks and canapes, offered by smiling flunkies on silver trays. A Gaelic band started playing Scots tunes, and a squad of Scots dancers put on a demonstration of Scottish dancing, tartan reeling, swishing and swirling in a colourful display. Snark was tempted to join in, but seeing Maraid frowning sternly at him, made do with swishing his tail in time to the music.
Maraid, having quickly repaired her makeup, was the hostess with the mostess, and directed operations behind the scenes with steely determination. Even though there had been some hiccups, there was no way anything would go wrong from here.
Jamie and Anna circulated amongst the guests, as everyone caught up with their family and friends, made new friends, and enjoyed the sunshine, good food, and beverages.
The sun was just disappearing over the trees, to a blaze of colour as some clouds magically appeared in the right place at the right time, when the guests were called back to the hall, now resplendent as a banqueting space. The bridal party made their way to the top table at the back of the hall, where the dais had been, and the guests followed to their pre-arranged places, which had taken Maraid weeks of anguish to work out, and subsequently been continually changed as more and more guests were added to the list, making seating arrangements for so many species a real nightmare to sort out. Maraid and some of the flunkies helped guests find their seats, to mixed reactions when they found who they were seated with.
The catering had also been something of a Herculean task of organisation. With so many different species, the menu was a veritable culinary tour de force, which had also taken Maraid and the head chef days of work to perfect.
She had carefully briefed Snark, Sissness, Mac, and Jenny about toasts they needed to make. According to her research, these were supposed to be formal and uplifting. With all the honoured guests present, she had checked them herself, and admonished them all to stick to the script.
Everything was going well, with a spirit of camaraderie and bonhomie filling the hall, and infecting even the most pessimistic of people. Laughter and music resonated in equal measure. Maraid sighed to herself with satisfaction. She had pulled it off.
Snark stood, stepped up onto a high stool positioned behind him, tapped with his knife on a glass as Maraid had instructed, and it shattered into little pieces. Jane face palmed, Jamie grinned, and Anna giggled. Snark kept his composure as if nothing had happened. Slowly the conversations finished, and expectant silence settled over the guests. Resplendent in Anderson tartan, Snark sat upright on the stool so everyone could see him. His tail waved back and forth.
"Honoured guests, I am called to make a toast to the Bride. Anna, it is my pleasure to have shared adventures with you and Jamie, and I think you know what you might be getting yourself into, not that knowing ever stopped you before."
A titter of laughter ran throughout the hall. Maraid looked slightly alarmed. This wasn’t according to plan at all.
"Let’s see, Jamie." He paused dramatically. "Handsome by mop head standards, I’m told, although red hair can make him look like a carrot. Fearless in the face of the worst the galaxy could throw at him, or at least ignorance is bliss, and full of good humour." He paused slightly again. "Although his jokes are so bad, we fought off a wh
ole battalion of valderians with one of them."
As Snark continued, there was plenty of disparaging remarks about the groom, funny anecdotes and humorous imagery, which had the guests in stitches, Jamie sometimes embarrassed but always in good spirits, and Anna suddenly realising what she had indeed got herself into. Finally, the hilarity came to an end.
"So, for my two friends, this is a great day. Congratulations on your marriage. And as we say on the Cat World," he paused, "actually we don’t say anything, as we don’t get married like this!"
Snark took a deep breath and raised a glass Maraid put into his hand.
"To the bride!"
Everyone repeated the toast, and drank from their raised glasses. Snark stepped down onto his chair, and sat.
More toasts followed, with Mac toasting the Bride and Groom, Jenny also following suit, and coming up with some rather embarrassing anecdotes of Jamie as a youngster. Sissness gave a very well thought out and researched toast to the Groom, with some rather interesting and amusing anecdotes about Anna. The speeches were witty, a bit risqué at times, and altogether the opposite of the carefully drafted scripts submitted to Maraid, much to her disgust. Anna and Jamie both gave speeches, Anna’s was quite moving, and Jamie’s peppered with bad jokes and puns.
Everyone had a very good time, and were heartily gulping drinks at every toast.
The dinner continued, with dancing in the centre of the room. At one point, Jamie escorted Anna for their first dance as husband and wife, and everyone cleared the floor. Jamie had been dreading this moment as he had two left feet, but Anna had promised to drag him around in semblance of a slow waltz. They waited for the music they had carefully chosen, a soft romantic melody, but instead a Scots reel blared out, and Snark leapt onto the dance floor, imitating Highland dancing, and Jamie and Anna quickly followed, Jamie with some relief, as he could make it up and no one would care, although he was in danger of poleaxing people with his wild kicking. The guests all enthusiastically joined in, with some interesting results. Maraid, by this time, had given up on things going to plan, joined in, and partnering Mac in a gutsy if rather more sedate version of the fling.
Maraid had planned an elaborate wedding dessert. She'd researched cake was cut by the bride and groom together, and served to all of the guests. She and the chef had planned an elaborate concoction which was going to be a surprise.
At the right time, just before the guests had consumed too much alcohol, she sent the message to the chef, and he wheeled in the dessert. There was a hush as everyone saw the 'cake'.
At the centre of the stand was a large ball of white meringue, and 'circling' the ball, was a replica of the Seasprite, with all the details made out in different layers of frosting. Applause broke out as Jamie and Anna stood, and made their way over to the cake.
"Still a terrible name for a ship," quipped Jamie, as Maraid signalled the chef, who set fire to the sphere. Oohs and ah's followed, as Jamie and Anna both 'cut' the Bombe Alaska part of the display.
Everyone was having enormous fun, in different ways, depending on their cultural norms. Dancing continued, as Jamie and Anna circulated to say a few words with everyone there. At last, it was time for them to leave, ostensibly on their honeymoon, but in reality, to a suite in the Manor House.
This was the part of the wedding Anna thought was a bit silly, actually a lot of it was as well, but throwing flowers at people, just seemed a bit of a strange custom. However she was willing to follow the rules, just to keep Maraid happy.
Anna dutifully turned her back, and the female guests formed up behind her. Lyana was determined to catch the bouquet, mainly to stir Fred. As she bunched her muscles ready, Anna threw the bouquet backwards, and it sailed over the heads of the crowd. Lyana leapt up to intercept it, however mistimed, and just missing, it ricocheted off her hands, and swept sideways, almost hitting a surprised Sissness in the face. She fumblingly caught it, and held it up, a bit bewildered by the whole thing.
Everyone laughed and clapped, and made jokes about it being her next to get married. She blushed, but took it all with good humour.
As the now rowdy guests gathered to farewell Anna and Jamie, Jane stood slightly apart. Fitzy and Mac joined her.
"Well, that all went rather well," said Fitzy. "No security issues at all."
Mac nodded. Jane nodded as well.
"As things should be," she said softly, and they all looked at each other seriously for a moment, and grinned.
Anna and Jamie were climbing the stairs, as the guests surrounded them and wished them well, with a few inappropriate suggestions, and a lot of rather drunken laughter.
Jane looked up, as Anna and Jamie turned and waved again. Jane and Anna’s gazes met, and Jane could see Anna taking in the three of them. Anna nodded slowly at Jane, and then took Jamie’s hand, and followed him up the stairs.
For a moment, Jane wondered how much of what had actually happened, Anna had seen. It should have been too fast for her to even have had any awareness of, but the Talisman might have shown her something afterwards. It might be interesting to ask her sometime, but not today.
Maraid finally could relax, and sat down in a comfy chair with a glass of malt, and a satisfied expression on her face. It had all gone rather well. The expression faded when she realized the coach outside was not going to be used.
The Grand Mother joined her, as did Grandma Vi.
"You’ve done a remarkable job with this wedding," said Vi.
"Well done!" cried the Grand Mother, and the three of them clinked glasses.
Maraid laughed.
"Now I can let my hair down, so to speak," she said, as she patted her careful coiffure, which was now a bit ragged around the edges.
The party was now in full swing, spilling out into the garden, as the night was clear with a full moon shining down.
Jane wandered out into the garden, and for a while, stared up at the moon.
"You've done well dear," said Grandma Vi, coming silently up behind her. "Who'd have guessed humanity would not only survive the Darkness War, but the instrument of survival would bring everyone together in a new galaxy, living in peace and friendship with hundreds of alien species."
"I wish Jon was here."
"We all do dear. I read what he did, I relearned who he was. And it's not the war and our survival I credit as his biggest achievement. It's you dear. He trained you to lead, to love, nurtured your sense of compassion and caring, and you've done a better job than any human could have done, even Jon himself."
"Thanks grandma. But I'm not an instrument!"
The two of them laughed.
Eighty Six
The party went on for most of the night, but eventually it was just Jane and Maraid left.
"Who was he?" asked Maraid.
"Who was who?"
"The man who tried to blow us up?"
Jane looked at her for a moment.
"How did you know?"
"I saw it. I was staring into my drink, taking a few moments for myself, and the image of the man glowing and vanishing appeared there. So the original Seeings were right after all?"
Jane sighed.
"Yes, I'm afraid so. It was never about the Brotherhood. All that death and destruction was necessary, but my motivations for doing it were completely wrong. And I paid the price for my arrogance and negative karma afterwards."
"Who was he?"
"No-one really. Just a man I crossed the day the Corporates were exiled, back before the Federation was even formed. He lost his job, lost all reason to live, and his hatred of me and the Kingdom ate him up so badly, he decided his death to kill me and those I loved, was his only path left. Very sad really."
"Everything has consequences."
"Yes. And even peeking at the future doesn’t properly prepare us for them."
"We only get shown what we need to see. Sometimes its information, and sometimes its warning. It's up to us to determine which."
"Do you think this connect
ion we have will continue?"
"Unfortunately yes. With what you did with the Talisman, I think the link was strengthened."
"Hmmm."
"On that note, I must be off to bed."
Jane bid her goodnight, and returned to the garden to watch the sun come up.
She stood there watching the dawn, and realized she'd never actually done it before.
A new dawn.
The Kingdom was secure.
The sector was secure.
The four combined sectors were getting their act together. The first order of business when they returned to Hunter Prime was the creation of a new super-sector council. Jane had already been informed she would lead it as well.
The AI's were now accepted as a separate species, they had their own system, city, and roles to play in galactic society. The last act of the council before the wedding recess was to give the AI's their own seat on the council, without one being requested. As small in numbers as they were, they ranked last. By the time council reconvened, the seat would be in place, and Jane hoped one of her number would volunteer for the ambassador's job. There were a few of the non-military AI's who might be interested. But it was still a discussion to be had. One never knew, she might be surprised by who wanted the job.
Jane sighed. It had all been worth it.
She felt a presence beside her, and looked around.
"Well done, Leader Jane," said Ganesha.
Galaxy Maps
Acknowledgements
Special thanks to Elspeth Anders for the raw Scot's wedding chapters.
Thanks also goes to Kalen O'Donnell for the cover design for this book, and Kal S. Fox for the ship design.
A Message to my Readers
A.I. Destiny 6 Leader Jane Page 24