The Dragon and the Singer

by Renee Carr

  “I couldn't get through anything without family,” he said. “Even if I want my brothers to drown most of the time.”

  “I know,” she said. “I don’t think I could walk down the aisle without my father. If I was one of those girls who thought marriage wasn’t forever, I wouldn’t care...but I’m only going to do this once. And you’ve shown me how important it is. Life is short.”

  “It is short,” he replied. “But I know that you have had conflict with your family.”

  “They just thought I was being reckless,” she said. “And they gave me advice that I chose not to take. And instead of even listening, I just basically took a temper tantrum like a child. And I don’t want that, forever.”

  “I think that’s wonderful,” Nathan said. “Do you think it’ll be hard, approaching them?”

  “I think that the hardest part will be reconciling with them, and then...not living close by.”

  “It is not an easy situation, that you’re about to be in,” he said. “And I know that I’ve asked you a hundred times...”

  “Nathan,” she said. “The past year, I’ve hated everywhere I worked, you know that. I complained about my costars, I complained about the commute, I complained about everything. I didn’t know how to do anything else, though and I didn’t know that I wanted anything else...until I met you and your buttoned-up suit.”

  He smiled.

  “And,” Ivy said. “Being Dragon Queen is slightly cooler than being a singer. I think I’m leaving it in a good place, quitting while I’m ahead. Because I’m not sure there would be anymore, really. I went as far as I could, I lived that dream...and now I want to live a dream with you.”

  “How can I help?” he asked.

  “I was thinking...” she said. “If I told them I was getting married, and our wedding was on Earth... then they could be a part of it. If that’s ok.”

  “This is my Kingdom,” he said. “A wedding here is as good as a wedding anywhere else. And the coronation is more of the ceremony that matters to me.”

  “It’s just for me, though, right?” she asked. “I mean, you’re already King?”

  “It changes my rule,” he said. “The Kingdom goes from mine to ours, and it will be acknowledged in the history books as a new rule, not an extension of mine.”

  “That’s a lot of faith in me,” she teased him, but he was serious. He leaned in to kiss her.

  “I know you can do it,” he said. “Now, how can I help?”

  “When do you want to do the coronation?” she asked. “Because I would also like to check if the church I grew up is available...I didn’t picture my wedding much, but I did always picture it there.”

  “I think that would be lovely,” he said.

  “Good,” she said, as she pulled out her phone. “So now, I just have to call my parents and tell them I’m getting married to a man they’ve never met who is going to make me Queen of the entire universe.”

  “Probably leave out that last part,” he said, and she grinned.

  “Perhaps,” she said. “Depends on how the conversation goes.”

  He reached out to take her hand as she dialed her parent’s number. She talked to them a few times a year, so it wasn’t completely strange that she was calling them now. Still, she felt nervous when she heard her mother answer the phone.

  “Hello?”

  “Mom, it’s Ivy,” she's said. “What I am going to say next will come as a surprise. Are you sitting down?” She paused. “I’m getting married.”

  There was a long silence on the other end of the phone and then her mother cried out in happiness.

  “Oh my goodness!” she said. “Oh my goodness! Tell me all about him. Does he treat you like a Queen?”

  Ivy smiled, looking to Nathan.

  “He does,” she said. “Let me tell you what happened.”

  Chapter 22

  Despite the fact that she was in a gown fit for a Queen, with a tiara under her veil and lace dripping off every inch of her body, she couldn’t believe that she was getting married. Staring at herself in the mirror, it felt like she was about to go on stage. She couldn’t believe this was her life.

  None of her Earth friends or family knew that she was going to live on a different planet, nor did they know she was marrying a Dragon King. All that they knew was that she was going to marry the love of her life, and he seemed to have changed her for the better. He had made her reform a relationship with her parents for the better, and she seemed happier, lighter. She seemed like she had found her purpose in life. She was no longer exhausted from back to back gigs, splitting her time between Nathan’s palace and Earth. She had the best of both worlds, and she couldn’t wait to walk down the aisle to him.

  When they went back to Knorpp, there would be a coronation for them, and she would have to be more than just herself. She would have to be a Queen, concerned with her whole Kingdom. Today, she was a bride, glowing and thinking about her future with Nathan by her side.

  “You look beautiful,” her mother said to her. Ivy was hesitant to answer, half in disbelief still that her mother was there. Nathan had changed so much in her life, including rekindling her relationship with her family.

  Of course, she couldn’t tell her family where she and Nathan would be living, or what challenges they would be facing after their wedding. Most of her life from here on in would be secretive, which was a radical change from the public life she had been living. These were the few precious moments she had as a normal human Earth girl, and she wanted to savor them.

  “I always pictured a grand ceremony,” Ivy said. “In a chapel in Europe or something. But this...somehow, this is perfect. I have so many memories in this church before I moved away.”

  “And we’re so glad to have you back, dear,” her mother gave her a little hug., just as her father came and knocked on the door.

  “Are you ready?” he asked. “Everyone’s here.”

  “I think we’re ready,” her mother said. “Look at your daughter.”

  “You look beautiful, dear,” he said. “I just wish I could have gotten to know this husband of yours a bit better.”

  “You’re here now,” Ivy said, holding out her arm. She always thought that she would walk herself down the aisle if she ever submitted herself to getting married. But now, she was grateful to take her father’s arm as they stood at the back of the church. The little chapel was full of people that she knew from years ago; in what she considered her old life. She felt comfortable, and happy as if all versions of herself were finally coming together. “Nathan is here, isn’t he Dad?”

  “Yes,” her father gave her an odd look. “What would you say if I said no?”

  “Well, I’d go and find him,” she said, and her father laughed, kissing her on the head.

  “That’s my girl,” he said, as the church doors open. The bridal procession began to play and Ivy moved forward. Nathan was standing at the front of the altar and he turned his head towards her, their eyes locking.

  Earlier, Ivy felt like all versions of her life were coming together. Now, looking into Nathan’s eyes, she knew that she was home, and home would continue to wherever he gazed at her.

  When they finally made it to the front of the church, her father passed her to Nathan’s waiting arms. Nathan, being a gentleman, shook her father’s hand and thanked him, before turning to her and lifting her veil.

  “Hello, my love,” he said, softly.

  “Hello,” she said. “Fancy meeting you here. You feel like getting married this fine morning?”

  “I think I can manage that,” he said, and they turned to the priest. The priest nodded and opened his book.

  They had practiced the Earth ceremony twice yesterday, and Nathan thought it was strange how long it was. He had told her that ceremonies on Knorpp were generally short because it was the union that mattered, not the ceremony.

  “Dearly beloved, We have come together in the presence of God to witness and bless the joining together of
this man and this woman in Holy Matrimony. The bond and covenant of marriage was established by God in creation, and our Lord Jesus Christ adorned this manner of life by His presence and first miracle at the wedding in Cana of Galilee. It signifies to us the mystery of the union between Christ and His Church, and Holy Scripture commends it to be honored among all people. The union of husband and wife is intended by God for their mutual joy; for the help and comfort given each other in prosperity and adversity; and, when it is God's will, for the procreation of children and their nurture in the knowledge and love of the Lord. Therefore marriage is not to be entered into unadvisedly or lightly, but reverently, deliberately, and in accordance with the purposes for which it was instituted by God.”

  The words brought her back to her childhood and the life that her parents had brought her up in. She had thought that she hated a scheduled and rigid religion, but there was a place in her life for all of the experiences that she had.

  “Into this union, Ivy and Nathan now come to be joined. If any of you can show just cause why they may not be lawfully wed, speak now, or else forever hold your peace.”

  “If only they knew,” Ivy said quietly. Nathan raised an eyebrow at her but said nothing. She had offered to do a wedding ceremony on Knorpp, but he told her it wasn’t necessary. The whole universe was under his control, and his wife on Earth was his wife on Knorpp, by law and by the Creator’s rule.

  “I charge you both, here in the presence of God and the witness of this company, that if either of you know any reason why you may not be married lawfully and in accordance with God's Word, do now confess it?”

  “No,” Ivy was quick to answer. She wasn’t supposed to go first, but she couldn’t resist. “There is absolutely no reason why we shouldn't be married.”

  “No,” Nathan answered, smiling at her. “There is absolutely no reason why we shouldn't be married.”

  He squeezed her hand three times and she squeezed back twice, their secret code for their love for each other. She knew that on Knorpp, there would be many times when they couldn’t communicate their feelings on a matter. She never wanted to be apart from him, and she never wanted to be stuck not being able to say she loved him.

  “Ivy, Will you have this man to be your husband; to live together with him in the covenant of marriage? Will you love him, comfort him, honor and keep him, in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all others, be faithful unto him as long as you both shall live?”

  “I do,” she said, looking deep into his eyes. She meant every word that was read to her. There would be many trials and tribulations over the next few years, but she knew that they would stand strong, given what they had already gone through.

  “Nathan, will you have this woman to be your wife; to live together with her in the covenant of marriage? Will you love her, comfort her, honor and keep her, in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all others, be faithful unto her as long as you both shall live?”

  “I will,” he said. She felt honored that he could have had any woman in the universe, and yet he couldn’t stop staring into her eyes.

  “Will all of you witnessing these promises do all in your power to uphold these two persons in their marriage?”

  “We do,” the congregation replied.

  “Bless, O Lord, these rings as a symbol of the vows by which this man and this woman have bound themselves to each other; through Jesus Christ our Lord,”

  They could have chosen simpler rings, but Ivy had decided she wasn’t going to fake her marriage once Nathan said one ceremony was good enough. And so, the royal rings of Knorpp were brought forth on a pillow. They were unique, twisted gold and sapphires, and nothing like wedding rings on Earth. The sapphires and rubies were embossed in them, to symbolize the dragon fire. Ivy thought they were some of the most beautiful rings she had ever seen in her life.

  “I give you this ring as a symbol of my love, and with all that I am, and all that I have, I honor you, in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,” Nathan said first, slipping the ring on her finger. He surprisingly didn’t have to be taught the words the way that Earth would say them. Ivy had teased him in rehearsal that he was more prepared for this wedding than she was.

  “I give you this ring as a symbol of my love, and with all that I am, and all that I have, I honor you, in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,” she answered, sliding a ring onto his finger. She had never thought that this would be her future, but now that it was, she didn’t want to go back. She adored the idea of walking down the street, clearly displaying to anyone who even looked twice at her that she was taken. She was in love - she had found her soulmate.

  “Now that Ivy and Nathan have given themselves to each other by solemn vows, with the joining of hands and the giving and receiving of rings, I pronounce that they are husband and wife, in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Those whom God has joined together, let no one put asunder,” the priest said. Ivy felt a shiver go down her spine.

  No planet, no being, no amount of distance, and no evil plot was going to separate them this time. He had risked everything to marry her, and she had given up the things she thought would make her happy. Both of them had learned that happiness was not in their work but in each other.

  “Let us stand and pray together the words our Savior taught us,” the priest said, and everyone bowed their head. Ivy had never thought she’d return to say a prayer within this small religious community. Now, she was happy to thank whatever God existed for bringing them together.

  “Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.”

  “Amen,” echoed the community, strongly.

  “God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit, bless, preserve and keep you; the Lord mercifully with his favor look upon you, and fill you with all spiritual benediction and grace; that you may faithfully live together in this life, and in the age to come to have life everlasting. Amen. The peace of the Lord be with you always,”

  “And also with you,” everyone said.

  “Ivy and Nathan, having witnessed your vows of love to one another, it is my joy to present you to all gathered here as husband and wife. Nathan, you may kiss the bride.”

  She couldn’t believe that it was over, and they were officially married. Nathan stepped forward, dipping her low, and then kissed her in front of the waiting crowd.

  “Officially married,” she managed when he brought her to her feet again. “On every planet.”

  “Yes,” he said, softly in her ear. “But marrying me means marrying my throne.”

  “Well, then I’m ready for part two,” she replied, knowing that the coronation was still to come the next day. Nathan had insisted on doing it as fast as they could, so that she would be protected by all the laws of the Kingdom and no one could say a word against her.

  They walked down the aisle of the small church, hand in hand. People reached out to touch her in congratulations, or to shake Nathan’s hand.

  When the doors opened to the chapel, she was startled to see more than just her own wedding photographer. There were several flashes of what she realized were the media.

  “Ivy!” they cried. “Ivy! Congratulations!”

  “Who would have thought that one award would get this much attention?” she muttered, as she started to pull back. Nathan stopped her, though, pulling her am so she was firmly in the spotlight. “What are you doing?” she asked. “Everyone will see. Your cover, your...”

  “One last moment in the life that built you will not hurt me,” he said. “One more moment in the life that made you mine.”

  She paused, and then smiled, turning to the cameras. She had worked hard for her career, it
was true. A year ago, she would have felt like her greatest accomplishment was singing on bigger and better stages. But now, she knew that it was all fate; a stepping stone to stand beside Nathan and become the Dragon Queen. She took his hand and posed, leaning her head on his shoulder. Today, she was a singer and a new bride. Tomorrow, she would be in control of the entire universe.

  Chapter 23

  Surprisingly, Ivy was not nervous as she stood at the gates of the grand hall, waiting to enter with her new husband. Nathan seemed more nervous than she was, which made her smile.

  “Why are you nervous?” she asked. “You’ve already done this once.”

  “The first time I did, it was unexpected,” he said. “I was more focused on whether I could put one foot in front of the other. This time, everyone will think exactly what you are thinking, which is what I’ve already done it once, so I better be perfect.”

  She laughed.

  “Well, if anything goes wrong, they will just say you are distracted by your beautiful wife.”

  “I love you,” he said, turning to her. “You know that, don’t you?”

  “I do,” she said. “I love you too. Thank you for giving me this opportunity.”

  “Thank you for changing my life,” he said. “For showing me light when I thought there was only darkness.”

  “And for solving a mystery that neither you or the entire Kingdom could figure out,” she teased him. “Honestly, you did just have to look in an abandoned warehouse.”

  “Obviously,” he said as the doors suddenly opened.

  Both of them were dressed in royal colors of red and purple. She had on a purple and red gown that came to the floor, and was lace from the bodice upwards, with lace sleeves and a high neck collar. She looked stunning, and nothing like her former self. He thought she looked like a Queen already, with her hair piled on top of her head and long earrings touching the top of her shoulders.

  He had on a red jacket, with dark pants, and his crown already on his head, shining with fire rubies and gold twisted metal.