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Rivendell’s only port lies in the center of a fjord. It’s surrounded by steep slopes and rocky, red cliffs, inhospitable to anyone who does not possess a goat’s sense of balance. Azure water lies at the bottom, so deep and clear it reflects the movement of the clouds overhead.
The town growing around the harbor is little more than a lattice of gangplanks and bridges, dotted with brightly painted white and blue shacks, and on a normal day, the walkways would be filled with the quiet bustle of trade. Right now, the docks are bending with people.
Colorful pieces of cloth and paper hang from all available hooks, coats wave from open windows and music streams from every corner: fiddles and drums and singing, rattles and coins in purses and raucous laughter. Planks groan under stomping feet and barrels full of ale. Boats with painted wooden hulls, from the smallest dinghy to the largest ship the inlet would fit, bump softly against the jetties.
Jimmy once explained the difference between boats and ships to Scott, but he’d been too preoccupied with the fingers trying to sneak under his tunic to pay much attention to his words. A shudder runs down his spine.
‘Oh, for Aeor’s sake, would you stop that?’
His brother appears beside him, face screwed up in consternation. They put their hands over Scott’s on the windowsill. Under their fiery touch, the ice shards melt, releasing his fingers.
Scott shakes off the water.
Jimmy’s ship is the second-largest out there. It’s currently moored a ways away, by the wooden beacon that marks the entrance to the fjord. It has three sails and several rooms under deck, sparingly decorated but expertly put together. The carvers and craftsmen of the swamps did their kingdom very proud. Tonight, Scott will be alone out there with him. No one will disturb them until the morning dawns. Just the two of them, after swearing their oaths in the eyes of the gods…
‘… and you’ve frozen your antlers again.’ Xornoth groans. ‘By now I feel kind of compelled to ask if you’re getting cold feet.’
Scott’s boots have been covered in frostwork for hours now. He turns away from the window. ‘His sister is here. I didn’t even know he had one!’
‘From what I understood, that’s more of a recent development.’
‘There’s a nine feet tall finfolk-woman out there who looks like she wants to disembowel me with her trident every time she sees me!’
Xornoth snorts. ‘She absolutely wants to disembowel you. Or poison you, or murder you in your sleep. You’re about to get legal permission to do unspeakable things to her newly rediscovered baby brother.’
‘Xor!’
‘Am I wrong?’
Heat shoots into Scott’s cheeks. Ice encrusts his knuckles and forms spikes over his rings. His stomach lurches. ‘What if he’s– What if he doesn’t want to anymore? Get married, I mean. Now that he’s got an actual family? Oh Aeor, I don’t want to go down there.’
‘Don’t worry, he will,’ says Xornoth, patting their brother’s shoulder. ‘He’s too afraid of me to pull out now. I wonder why…’
‘Maybe it has something to do with you shouting “fried fish is my favorite” at him every time he annoys you – which seems to be always.’
‘No, that can’t be it. On a completely unrelated note, how do you stand that level of idiocy? It’s like if he loses any more brain cells, the space between his ears could be a bone flute.’
‘Mh, not your best one.’ Scott crosses his arms in front of his chest. ‘Don’t talk about my fiancé like that.’
‘Knock knock.’
A thumping sound comes from behind them. Both princes of Rivendell whirl.
An elf stands in the open doorway, her gloved knuckle resting against the wood. Purple hair cascades over her shoulder in a shower of tiny diamonds and splinters of quartz. Gold drips from the delicate loops threaded through her pointed ears, the same color as her fiery eyes, and a massive ruby rests in the center of her wine red dress’ plunging neckline. Her lips, equally garnet-colored, curve, revealing two sharp, white fangs.
‘Hello, boys.’
‘Mother!’
‘You’re back early!’
‘Astute observation, Scott. I knew there was a reason you were my favorite.’
Xornoth squeaks. ‘Hey!’
The queen’s eyes twinkle. Xornoth grumbles something under their breath about ‘fawns’ and ‘motherly instincts,’ but she ignores them, aiming her sharp smile at Scott.
‘In the realm of eternal fire, time has no meaning. Still I was surprised when, barely halfway through my sojourn into the Nether, the most curious of news reached me.’ She tilts her head. ‘What is this I hear about my youngest getting married?’
Scott’s mouth goes dry. ‘Um.’
The queen takes a step towards him. ‘To the ruler of a foreign empire, no less–’
‘Well–’
‘– when I hadn’t even been aware he had been courting somebody. Isn’t that interesting, Xor?’
Sparks sizzle in her hair; flecks of color in pink and aqua and yellow. They fill the room with the scent of burnt incense and fleeting wisps of smoke.
Xornoth nudges Scott. ‘You’re in trouble,’ they sing-song, very quietly.
‘Not helping,’ Scott says through gritted teeth. Then: ‘Mother, I–’
‘Were you even going to introduce me to your husband to be, Scott Smajor?’ Her voice cuts like sharpened steel. ‘Give me a chance to form my opinion of him before things escalated past the point of no return? Because I thought I taught you manners. Both of you.’
‘Both?’ Xornoth gapes. ‘You expected me to snitch on him?’
She shoots him a look so quelling Xornoth ducks their head, but doesn’t deny it. Scott clenches his fists.
‘It was not my intention to insult you, mother.’
‘Yet you did,’ the queen says. She steps right up to him, tugs off her glove and curls the tip of a scaly, black claw under his chin. ‘By judging my heart by your father’s reaction.’
Scott’s eyes widen.
She waits.
He clears his throat, all too aware of the warmth seeping into his cheeks. ‘My… apologies?’
Her face softens. She brushes a kiss to his forehead. ‘Standing by the one you love is never easy. I am proud of you, my little stag. I wish for your future to overflow with joy.’
Xornoth snorts. ‘Wait until you meet the fish.’
‘Again,’ Scott says. ‘Not helping.’
‘You’re hogging all the attention!’
‘Peace, Xor,’ says the queen. She embraces her oldest child. They grin, bouncing on the balls of their feet.
‘I’m glad you’re home, mother.’
‘Just in time to save the day, no less.’ She claps her hands. ‘Now, I took the liberty to instruct the servants to move the ceremony out to the harbor. It will fit more people.’
Scott blinks. ‘What?’
‘The feast will be held in the town hall,’ she continues. ‘It’s more spacious. Unfortunately, I’ve been unable to locate a place for the tournament, given the ruggedness of the terrain around here. There is simply not enough open land for jousting.’
‘Jousting?!’
The queen purses her lips. ‘Don’t get too excited, knife-throwing will have to do. At least I had the foresight to have a few Nether beasts caught and caged. A giant magma cube, a breeding pair of hoglins… that should make the gladiatorial fights to the death much more interesting.’
The blood drains from Scott’s face. ‘What? No! There will be no gladiatorial fights to the death! This is a wedding!’
‘Exactly! All of Rivendell shall remember it for decades!’
‘It’s my wedding.’ Rushing fills his ears. Scott takes a breath to drown it out and straightens his shoulders. ‘I get to decide how it goes and I want it to be cute. No blood, no deaths, just me and my husband promising eternal love to each other.’
‘How about a bit of international maiming?’
‘No!’
‘Backstabbery and political intrigue is allowed, though, right?’
‘You can do that at Xor’s wedding!’
‘Aw, you’re no fun.’ The queen turns on her heels in a swirl of fabric and smoke. ‘I guess I’ll see you at the ceremony, then.’
The moment she’s out the door, Scott throws open the closest window, greedily sucking in the icy Rivendell air. The cold is tinged with salt and snow. Down by the docks, a strawberry blond figure stands waiting on a raised dais. Scott’s heart skips a beat.
‘Oh, Aeor. This is going downhill fast.’
‘Hey, baby brother, notice something?’ Xornoth’s lips curl. ‘You haven’t frozen anything in over ten minutes.’
Scott’s gaze drops to his hands. They’re dry and rosy around the knuckles. ‘Huh.’
Xornoth snorts. ‘You’re such a mama’s boy.’
‘At least I didn’t wet my pants when she came in.’
They shudder. ‘No comment. On the bright side, she definitely won’t be scared of the Ocean Queen.’
‘No, they’ll get along like a house on fi–’
Realization dawns. The siblings lock eyes, staring at each other in muted horror.
Xornoth gulps. ‘I– I’ll see if I can sneak into the town hall to change their place cards to the opposite ends of the room.’
Scott nods hard enough for his blue bangs to bounce. ‘You are a true hero.’
His brother, still pale, offers him their hand. ‘Shall we?’
‘But… it’s another hour until the ceremony?’
‘Do you really want to risk any of our other relatives showing up here?’
At his words, a clap of heavy hooves echoes in the distance. Drawing nearer. Scott grabs Xornoth’s arm and yanks them towards the door.
‘Never mind, let’s go!’