Chapter Nineteen — Part 5

“So, are you having fun?” Uruza said.

I giggled. The wine I had so recently taken a sip of was flushing my cheeks and making me feel giddy. “Yes. How often does this happen?”

“Every day, though few as lavish as yours. Though there are indeed less reasons to celebrate, we find ourselves celebrating even more.” Uruza dipped me down, then spun me around.

Before I expected it, the song was over. The drum beat two times, followed after a long pause by a third, flat beat. Uruza led me back to the throne, through the crowd, the flat of her sword again beating a path past the onlookers yet again. Flushed from dance and wine, I tried not to giggle as I saw my future husband waiting impatiently before the King. Eohl was wearing a suit unlike any I’d seen before. It was a cross between a fashionable tuxedo and a military uniform.

We had the same suede shoes, and his uniform used the exact same black and white cloth that adorned me. A sash that matched his eyes was wrapped around his belly. His hair was drawn back in a queue. He wore gloves of thin white cotton, and a sword hung at his side. All the skin below his collar was concealed. The ceremony was unlike any other in the galaxy — except, perhaps, for the ancient traditions of Earth.

They asked me in Elfin tongue if I would protect my mate, and serve his needs. I agreed, of course. They asked him the same, and he agreed. We drank from the same glass of wine, and then turned to face the Priest, who adorned us with silver crowns. The crowns were composed of simple silver wire with no jewels to adorn them. The curves of that interwoven wire were the crown’s only ornamentation. Eohl took my hands, his fingers shaking nervously. The ceremony ended with the most wonderful kiss.

The festivities continued for another hour, music and drink, food and laughter merging in glorious harmony. Then the drums started beating again, at a faster tempo. People left the chamber. King Lotus left us alone, but I could see a concerned look on Eohl’s face. He took my hand and started to lead me away from the crowd.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

“The Scandivat advance assault force has come a little early, probably to try to get at you. We’ll all be going from the celebration to battle, I’m afraid.”

I tried to clear my head, and the wine wasn’t helping. We walked down an amethyst hall to a single ship, looking like an apple seed tossed among the apples. As I walked closer, Genesis dropped down to my side, the smile gone from his face. He helped me get out of my clothes and into a new uniform. Genesis strapped a flute to my side, followed by a sword, and a pistol.

“These were Level Ringbreaker’s. He never had to use them. Just like he never had to use the jewelry he left you.” He put his hand into Otherspace and handed me a wood wand that’s once living roots now held a red ruby in their knobby grip. “Your angelic memory has many rituals stored in instinct that will

help you use this wand. If that bastard uncle of yours escalates the battle to the

cosmic, don’t hesitate to use it on him.”

I tried to make familial connections. “You mean Wastik, right?”

“Yes dear. You only have a few minutes, so leave. Once you’re gone, the Scandivats should take the bait at the edge of the solar system and be on their way. We’ll be guarding your retreat.” Genesis shifted into Otherspace.

I walked through the hatch of the ship, and it sealed tight behind us. The ship was smaller than the Persimmon, but the tactical display betrayed technological superiority. Eohl sat down in front of the weapon’s console, hands and feet flying over controls.

“If you could take navigation, I’ll handle the defenses.” I jumped into the tight cockpit, flipping switches, bringing the ship’s systems online.

“You’re a gunner?” I asked, surprised.

“Four years of military service is a requirement of all physically healthy Elves. Being a prodigy, they pushed me into service much earlier than others. I had no intention of being a grunt for four years, so I took fighter training and was promoted to the King’s First Aerospace Assault Force as a weapons master.”