Wedding Scene

Excerpt chapter 50. . .

A tribune had been erected at one end. It was framed in by an abundance of light green foliage: small leaves on slender branches. The air was fresh, and together with the scent from the foliage, it created a feeling of spring.
Hamnyah wore a white wedding dress, tied by a belt with inlaid precious stones, which sparkled in colours and played with the sunlight from the windows. On her breast shone her emerald green and sky blue eternal stones.
Yldrath was wearing a long coat of dark blue inlaid with precious stones.
Podrg, Stymnas, Szarack, Vanckard, Kurdets, Cirohus, Zyrkets and the seven sages attended. Zyrkets was the wedding officiant. Monvedo had initially refused to come. ‘Most irregular that a king marries in such a way, as if it’s done in secret and something one ought to feel shame about. A royal wedding is the concern of the people; it mustn’t be carried out in this way.’
But there was simply no time now for all ceremonies and all the festivities connected with a royal wedding; that had to wait. ‘Most irregular, very irregular and confusing,’ had Monvedo protested but then he had put on a broad smile and agreed to come.
Zyrkets opened the ceremony, “Friends, we are gathered here to witness Yldrath’s and Hamnyah’s promise of a life along the same line of fate; no longer two different lines of fate, but one single intertwined line of fate.”
Zyrkets looked at the two.
“One line, but two people, Yldrath and Hamnyah, who have chosen to affect their lines of fate to each other’s benefit.”
Zyrkets paused.
“Do you understand what this means?” Zyrkets looked at Hamnyah and then at Yldrath. “Can you explain it?”
“Where you go, there I too want to go,” said Hamnyah.
“And where we go, wherever we go, we’ll go together; and so it shall be until death separates us,” continued Yldrath.
“Until death separates us,” repeated Hamnyah.
“Until death separates you,” confirmed Zyrkets. “And the vows?”
“Your burden is my burden,” said Hamnyah.
“Your happiness is my happiness,” said Yldrath.
“In peace, and through the water of life,” said Hamnyah.
“By sword and through fire, if necessary,” said Yldrath.
The vows continued and described a life together during good and bad times.
“We have now heard their vows. Do we believe them?”
A unanimous “yes” was heard.
“And what does this imply for us, who have gathered here today?”
The response came with one voice: “We, who have gathered here today, commit ourselves to lay our own lines of fate, so they will promote this intertwined line of fate.”
Zyrkets took out a bottle and poured the red content into a large bowl of cut crystal. The crystal played with the sunlight so that the drink looked alive, as if it was luminosus.
“Let us confirm this.” He held up the bowl. “This drink is made from two kinds of berries, similar, yet different, and as the drink is one, but made of two different kinds of berries, similar, yet different, you are now one, but still two.”
Zyrkets put down the bowl.
“Let us confirm our vows by drinking from this drink!”
Hamnyah drank first, followed by Yldrath. When the couple turned to the congregation they were greeted by four cheers.
Then they all drank, with Zyrkets as the last one to drink.
Podrg was the first to walk up to them and hug them. “It was the best weizcel I ever drank and I say this because it was yours. I mean, to drink here was so good. I mean. . . ”
“We understand what you mean Podrg.”
“Do you?”
They laughed.
Yldrath smiled and looked seriously at Podrg. “We must beware, lest Bevelug finds out that you get so confused by romance; she might propose to you too.”
Podrg’s mouth opened and remained open. Then they all began laughing again and kept laughing. Finally, Yldrath wiped away a tear from an eye, put his hand on Podrg’s shoulder, and squeezed it.
Zyrkets clapped his hands. “If you will come with me, there’s a bit to eat in the hall next to this.”
“Eat, then it will be time for other things,” said Yldrath, but so quietly that only Hamnyah heard him. Hamnyah put her arm around Yldrath and they went to the hall where there was a bit to eat, but to say that over two hundred different dishes was just a bit to eat was something that could be discussed.

Copyright © Stefan B Sigfried 2014