"These are the Gods and Goddesses of the world. There is Ishla, the Goddess of Nature. She is very powerful. Next is Arkvon, the God of Death. He is probably as powerful or almost as powerful as the Goddess of Nature. He is the opposite of the Goddess.
"Next is Shabasonti. She is the Goddess of Chaos. She too is very powerful, but is a most capricious being. Sometimes it seems she works against herself. Then is Natorza. He is the God of Order. He brings order and stability to the world. Finally is Pejoru, God of Magic. He, along with Shabsonti make the impossible possible.
"Each God, while very powerful, has a bit of the other Gods' powers in their own powers. They overlap each other's powers. It can be no other way. But the nature of their powers, dictate how we view them and choose them. Praying to a specific God or Goddess also enhances their power," Vostich explained.
He was telling me this in response to my asking about the Gods or rather, the pantheon of Gods in this world. I really had not paid that much attention to it before. I listened and looked with wonder at the now brightly glowing Temple, announcing to all that at least one God or Goddess had returned.
I asked how the temple was run. I was told a priest or priestess of each God and Goddess was present, of course. In the central hall of the temple, was a five-pointed star. At each point of the star was a sort of throne upon which the God or Goddess sat.
Each God or Goddess had their own section of the temple that seemed to be as large or small as they wished. It contained as much or as little as they desired. Now the big question was, what had changed that they were appearing now.
"Are you ready for your marriage to Mariel, Paul?" Vostich asked me.
I mentally changed gears. I had not been ready for this question. I really did not want to marry the child. True, historically on that other earth, woman and girls had married early. But still, it left me feeling like a child molester. I shuddered.
"If you wish this, I will do it. I must say it is unsettling to me to have to marry a child, though," I said a little grimly.
"I have looked into her, and she makes a good match for you. She is learning to control her powers quickly, and she will make you a credible bride and partner. This marriage need not be onerous," Vostich told me.
I nodded unhappily. I had resigned myself to this, but it still left a sour taste in my mouth.
"Mariel's fifteenth birthday approaches. In two weeks time she will reach the age of marriage. At that time, you will marry her. The ceremony will be held at the temple of the Gods. I suggest you make yourself ready," Vostich told me in a serious tone of voice.
We continued to look out over the city, and I marveled again at the brightly glowing temple. I was about to say something to Vostich when he teleported out. I sighed. I concentrated, and I teleported myself back to the palace. I tracked Vivian down, and asked her make arrangements for a tailor to come tomorrow. She looked at me, amused.
"This is for clothes for the wedding?" She asked me.
I nodded. "Got it in one. I am doomed to marry a child," I said sourly.
"Paul, don't let it get to you. Historically, in our own world, girls married early for centuries. It wasn't until the 20th century that it became popular to wait until the girls were older," she said sympathetically.
"I know," I sighed, "I just have a modern perception of what is right and what is wrong. It just seems very wrong for someone my age to marry someone so young," I replied flailing my arms in frustration.
A couple days later I got an idea. I had not really talked much with my bride to be. So I decided to have a small dinner that I would cook for her. I sent her a brief letter asking if she would care to dine with me in two days time.
She responded with a note saying she and Trayla would love to have dinner with me, and was looking forward to it with anticipation. Well, I had not really thought of having three for dinner, but what the hell.
I looked over my supplies, and decided on steaks, potato salad, vegetables, and Jello for desert. I had everything I needed except for the steaks. I sent a message to the cooks and told them I wanted three raw steaks cut one inch thick, with just a bit of fat on the edge, if possible.
So I cleared my calendar and made a feast. The Jello took just a bit of magic for the cooling and jelling to take effect. Everything was perfect. I spiced the steaks with hints, to give it flavor, and had some A-1 steak sauce out so I could let them experiment with it.
My guests arrived right on time. I let them in. Mariel was still cute, but her 15th birthday was around the corner, as was our marriage. Trayla grinned at me, and rushed in plopping herself into a chair at the table. I grinned at her.
"Trayla! Where are your manners!" Mariel exclaimed in a most appealing fashion.
"Oh, come off it. I met this guy before. He is more 'regular people', than anyone I have yet met in this palace," Trayla said.
It was amazing what this young waif was saying. She seemed to be a natural when it came to dealing with people. When I had first met her, she was in trouble but still feisty. Nothing had seemed to change.
I sat Mariel down and we ate. The meal was good. The potato salad was a hit, as well as the Jello. Nothing beats Cherry Jello if you ask me.
"That was a great meal, your Dukeness" Trayla said grinning.
"Trayla! Behave yourself! This is the Duke and you can't talk to him that way!"
I couldn't help it. I started laughing. It was a big huge belly laugh that I actually had been needing, for some time. Nothing releases tension like a good laugh. I guess my laughter set off the others, because soon we were all laughing.
Finally, getting control of myself, I got up and opened another Coke. I gave it to Trayla, and told her I needed to talk privately with Mariel for a while. She got up nodded, and gave me a look that spoke volumes.
I raised my eyebrows at her. She grinned and left Mariel and I alone.
"Mariel. I know we have not really talked much. We are going to be married, and I want to know how you feel about that," I asked her seriously.
"I have always known I would marry for reasons of state. I have to say, that you seem a much better person than I could have been required to marry," she said.
I felt like crying. Damn it! People should have a choice in marrying, and here was a young girl who didn't have the opportunity of dating, and doing the normal things a teenager should be doing. Of course, parents frowned on that stuff, but it was normal.
"Is something wrong? I did not mean to offend you," she said as she watched me.
My face must have reflected some of my thoughts.
"No, you have not offended me. I am just sorry that you are being forced to marry me. I was raised in a place where a young person like yourself would be going to school, worrying about boyfriends, who would take you to the prom," I stopped. She looked confused.
So we talked. Before I knew it, it was late. I really liked her. I just felt like a creep to be marrying someone so young. It was my problem, not hers. She was a very bright bubbly girl. Her brown hair had been artfully done for this dinner. Her blue eyes were easy to get lost in. Her Aura was soothing to see, and I could actually feel it.
We found Trayla, who had fallen asleep. Some watchdog she turned out to be. I smiled down at her and gently woke her. She yawned and looked closely at Mariel.
"Well, your not mussed. So he must have behaved himself," she said teasingly.
"You are going to find yourself turned into a toad if you don't watch your mouth, young lady," I said smiling.
She snorted. Both the girls left. I found that something went out of the room when they left. I'd had a very good time with Mariel. Trayla had always been a little minx. I chuckled thinking about her little parting shot. She needed a good spanking. I laughed at the thought of trying to spank her. I felt it would be a very hard proposition to accomplish.
The days passed. It was getting close to Mariel's birthday, and our wedding day.
I yawned as I watched the sun rise. I had gotten no sleep the night before. Maybe it had something to do with this day being my wedding day. The wedding was only a few hours away. I sighed.
I had what seemed to be an army getting me ready for this wedding. I found myself dressed in a brown tunic and trousers with black boots. I had a ceremonial sword which I wore. I was also given a little golden circlet to wear on my head. It was the crown of the Duke De Landkur, which I had, 'till now, avoided wearing.
I was taken to a 'coach and four' and got in. Four horses drew the coach from the palace to the temple of the Gods, which was still glowing. I had not gone to the temple. Frankly, meeting a God, or several of them at once, terrified me.
The street was lined with people who cheered as my coach went by. I was flabbergasted. Didn't these people have better things to do? The entire route was lined with people! Sheesh!
We arrived at the temple. It was a pure white in color, made from something like marble, only not marble. I could feel waves of power radiating and beating on me coming from the temple.
I was ushered in, along with my party and led through the temple to the hall of Gods. There were no Gods there, and we kept walking through the hall until we got to a door that had the symbol of the Goddess of Nature.
That symbol was a huge tree which seemed life like to me. I studied it for a moment, and I swear I could hear leaves rustling. The door opened and we went in. Ever been taken totally by surprise even though you expect something?
The first thing I felt was that sense of PRESENCE. Then I saw her. ISHLA, Goddess of Nature, and my family's Goddess. I was descended from this Goddess. She was beauty and power.
She had green eyes. But the green her eyes were, seemed to put the color green to shame. It was as if the greens I had known all my life were but a pale imitation, compared to her eyes! They shone!
Her hair was brown tinged with green, that gave her an exotic look. Her figure, while hidden by a robe of, you guessed it, green, seemed to cry out this was WOMAN!
Vostich was already there, as was Fithian and Mirwanna, and Salvadi. There was a priestess standing serenely close to the Goddess. Power radiated from Ishla and I basked in it. At some silent signal, the priestess stepped forward.
"It now comes to pass that Paul Landkur will marry the princess Mariel Minturi. With this marriage, the two realms will be joined firmly. Let the joyous event take place. Send for the bride," having said that, the priestess stepped back.
I watched the door, and sure enough, Mariel came walking through. Trayla was holding the train of Mariel's pure white gown. Trayla herself was wearing a nice off white gown that set off her features nicely.
Mariel was veiled, so I could not tell much about her, except she walked with a grace she had never exhibited before. She walked to me and stopped. I could now see her face through the veil. She was beautiful. I felt my heart thump! I swallowed hard.
The air inside this room was strange. Hell, the whole room was strange. Grass grew everywhere. The Goddess stood between two trees which seemed almost to be guarding and honoring the Goddess. There was a shimmer everywhere.
A ball of light appeared in the air close by. It grew in height and brightness until you could not look at it. Then there was another God standing there. I knew him even if I had never seen him before. It was PEJORU, Minturi's patron God, the God of magic.
Some force moved me to take Mariel's hand, and it was met as she was trying to take my hand. We both looked at the Goddess before us.
(The marriage between you and Mariel is much more than a simple union between a man and a woman. You two are the vessels of hope for two lands, and for what comes next in the cycle. With my blessing, you two are man and wife, ) the Goddess said in our minds.
As she said this, her arms reached out, and her hands touched Mariel and me. I felt a rush of power, and SOMETHING moved within me. I also felt a connection made with Mariel! I knew that she too felt this connection, as I heard her gasp!
PEJORU came to us. I didn't even see him move! One second he was several feet from us, the next he was in front of us, touching us in benediction. I felt a rush of power from him also. I FELT him do something in my mind, and Mariel's mind as well.
(Know that I, too, give my blessings to this union. My part is now done, and it will be interesting to see what fruit it bears. Know that you two are very well loved, ) he said and was gone.
The Goddess had disappeared too. Mariel and I looked at each other, a little uncertainly.
"Congratulations on your wedding. May you have long life, love long, and have the joy of children," Vostich said to us.
This kicked off a round of congratulations from everyone else who had witnessed the joining of Mariel and myself in marriage. I had to admit, it was the strangest wedding I had ever attended. Maybe because it was mine? I was not sure. We were hustled out of the Goddesses room, and taken outside to greet the people who were crowding. It was a very large crowd.
Vostich said in a loud voice I knew could be heard throughout the entire city, "Here is Your Duke, Paul Landkur, and his wife, the Duchess Mariel De Landkur. All honor them!" he said with a flourish. I could hear cheering and screaming coming from the crowd.
Edited by TeNderLoin