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“What is this thing?” Acri glanced up to see Matty holding out a long strip of charcoal colored cloth decorated with embroidered silver paw prints with a puzzled expression.
“It’s a bow tie.” The war mage answered. “You wear it around your neck. Trust a cat to get you one of those.” Roland was responsible for ushering the two of them to a tailor some weeks ago and commissioning their finery, insisting that they be properly attired for this occasion. As if Acri would have shown the disrespect of showing up in work clothes or something. The cat had just gotten around to it more quickly than Acri had. But hey, if the cat wanted to pay for it, he wasn't going to object.
The teenager scrunched up his face. “Why?”
“Because fashion.” Acri answered, checking his own reflection. He looked good, better than he had since he’d left the Chosen. His face was shaved, his hair had been cut back and his clothing was new and well-made. It was mostly black with some silver embroidery and with a dark red shirt underneath the fitted coat.
He looked over at Matty. He looked pretty good too, being actually clean for once and wearing clothing made to fit him. He’d had to get it adjusted when they’d arrived, having already added an inch and enough width to his shoulders in the past month or so to make the clothing that had been made for him a bit uncomfortable. Thankfully, the elven crafters had been able to fix it easily enough. Now the boy stood before Acri with his sandy brown hair cleaned, cut, and combed while wearing a set of nice charcoal colored clothes.
“Who decided this was fashionable?” The boy muttered, trying unsuccessfully to tie it around his neck.
“Assassins.” Acri stated. “They thought it might help with strangling their targets.”
Matty eyed him. “I know you’re making that up, but it kind of fits.”
The war mage chuckled, then crossed the distance to properly tie the strip of cloth around the kid’s neck.
“How come you don’t have one?” Matty asked.
Because I conveniently lost it out the window the moment I saw it. Acri thought wryly. What he said was very different, though. “I look better without it.” He smirked.
Matty gave him a baleful look. “I probably would too.”
“That’s your choice to make, but brace yourself for Roland’s reaction.” Acri warned.
Matty grimaced in response, then took his own look in the mirror. “Huh.”
“Yeah, look at that. You actually look human for once.” Acri earned himself a glare with that comment, but was not particularly bothered by it. “Come on. We don’t want to be late.”
“Are elven weddings long?” The boy asked, scurrying to fall in behind Acri.
“They can be, but this isn’t exactly an elven wedding. Evariste and Angelique will determine how elaborate it will be.”
Matty scrunched up his face. “How’s that gonna work? He’ll want to show off for an hour or two and she’ll just want it over with.”
Acri couldn’t help the slight chuckle that came in response. “Don’t worry, I think she’ll win this one. And if she doesn’t… well, it will probably be entertaining.”
He led the way down the halls of the elven palace with a confidence he didn’t actually feel. But once they got to more public areas the flow of people gave him an idea which way to go, and before long they were making their way into a picturesque outdoor chapel. Evenly spaced trees marked the boundaries of the place, and elegant silver chairs had been set out for all of the guests. The chairs were set as close together as possible to allow for all the guests that were already filling the area, including young royals from nearly every country on the continent.
Cloths and streamers of silver and royal blue hung from the trees, and flowers bloomed everywhere they looked. A number of flowering vines of differing colors climbed or hung from the trees, but there was little else in the way of decorations. Instead, in true elven fashion, the simple beauty of nature was allowed to shine through.
Acri exchanged nods with both Severin and Fritz, whose wives were nowhere to be seen. That wasn’t too surprising. Snow White was a friend of Angelique’s, and Elle was… Elle. She could potentially fall out of a tree with a would-be assassin in custody at any moment. He met the eyes of several other people he knew, and made a point of ignoring the wild waving of Emerys when the elf king caught sight of Acri. If the elf king had really wanted to speak to Acri, he could have sent a servant with a message at any time. As Emerys had not done so, Acri knew the elf was just being himself.
Music began to play, soft wind and string instruments that caressed the ears and gently urged the audience to their seats. Acri and Matty found theirs in front of an elf and human that appeared to be a couple who were whispering while they waited.
“Disappointed Angelique didn’t ask you to be in the wedding?” The elf was playfully asking.
“Don’t be ridiculous. I barely know the lady enchantress.” The human responded primly.
“I don’t know, you two seemed thick as thieves when you challenged us to that archery contest.”
The woman squeaked in such a way as to suggest something had startled her. “Yneari! Behave!” She gasped.
He chuckled, but Acri didn’t hear what he said next as the most beautiful, redheaded woman in a green dress sat next to him. It took him far too long (and a nudge from Matty) to organize his thoughts to greet her.
“You look stunning, Lovelana.” He told her softly.
A slight flush of pink came over her face as she fussed with her gown. “Thank you. You look very nice yourself, Acri.”
Matty made a gagging noise on Acri’s other side, and he slowly, theatrically turned to glare at the kid. The young teenager grinned unrepentantly, then leaned over to wave cheerfully at Lovelana. She smiled graciously in response, but Acri didn’t turn back right away.
“Just you wait.” He mouthed at the boy, but Matty seemed unphased by the warning.
All three of them settled and turned their attention forward as the music subtly changed to warn them that the wedding was going to truly begin now. There was a small dais at the front of the chapel, but no altar or table. Instead it was just open, and off to the side the musicians were visible as they played their serenade. Evariste stood on the dais with an elven official of some kind. The enchanter was in dark blue with gold embroidery, looking very put together. If he was nervous, he hid it well.
But then his eyes fixed on the entrance that the others involved in the wedding would be entering through. The audience followed his gaze and watched a visibly pregnant Gabrielle walk up the aisle, seemingly alone. It wasn’t until she passed quite close by that Acri could see she was escorted by a large cat wearing odd little black boots and looking irritated. There were probably people in the audience that didn’t see Roland at all, even when he hopped up on the dais.
Stil came escorting Queen Snow White next, both of whom sought out their respective partners in the audience with their eyes before they reached the dais and parted ways. Behind them was Clovicus lending his arm to a very pregnant Elle, who nevertheless grinned broadly to the audience as she waddled up the aisle. Last came Emerys (smirking and looking just slightly mussed) with his own wife.
The elf lingered right in Evariste’s line of sight for a moment before the enchanter playfully shoved him out of the way. Then the man’s eyes fixed completely on the last figure, and the audience stood for the white clad woman standing at the entrance to the chapel.
Angelique seemed unusually shy as she stepped forward with practiced grace, her thin, shimmery veil doing little to obscure her features. The bodice of her dress hugged her form, her long sleeves a sheer frost of intricate designs. The skirt floofed outward in several transparent layers, the outermost decorated with tiny silver forms that one could not tell until she was quite close were swords and arrows, bows and shields. Her train trailed behind her, but remained untouched by the dirt ground. Enchanted, of course.
After a few steps her shyness seemed to evaporate in favor of confidence, and Acri could see that her eyes had fixed on Evariste and did not waver. The groom stepped forward to give her a hand up to the dais when she came within reach, and she took it with a small smile.
Then came the talking. The official did little besides guide the flow of it, briefly addressing the audience before giving Evariste and Angelique a chance to exchange their vows.
Acri probably should have been listening. He sort of was, in a distant sort of way, but at the same time the memory of how he’d met these two struck him. He’d first seen Evariste unconscious after the enchanter was captured by the Chosen. He’d first seen Angelique when he was trying to kill her in Zancara. In both cases he'd seen them as mortal enemies, and in neither case would he have ever foreseen himself attending their wedding. Their funerals, perhaps, but never this.
And yet here they were, friends of a sort. He was witnessing one of the most precious moments of their lives, and if he ever married he expected them to be right near the front to watch. Whether he ended up with Lovelana, or someone else he hadn’t even met. He hoped that it would be Lovelana, though.
His attention returned to the ceremony as the official, as was tradition, gave the audience a chance to object if they so desired. Acri could see Emerys whisper something to Evariste that looked suspiciously like last chance to run . Angelique’s smile seemed to grow just slightly sharper, and Emerys flinched due to some unseen cause. Given Angelique's magic, there were quite a few ways she could have caused that reaction. Otherwise the required silence passed without incident.
Then the bride and groom were given permission to kiss, and Evariste seemed to take great pleasure in drawing close to his blushing wife. Applause quickly flooded the chapel when the two kissed, and when they finished the pair each flung up the hand nearer to the audience to release a bright flash of magic that gleamed silver and blue.
The magic flew upward and exploded in stunning fireworks, somehow visible even on the backdrop of a sunny blue sky. Then the dozens of tiny lights zoomed downward and burst into the larger forms of dozens of creatures, each almost appearing to be made of water but colored with shifting silver and blue. Some simply ran out of sight, but most interacted with the audience in some way. An owl-like form with antlers landed on Matty’s head, prompting laughter from him while a catlike one with a feathered tail hopped up into Lovelana’s lap.
The creatures let people touch them for a moment, but then they too made their way out to dissipate out of sight. Then the audience’s eyes returned to the dais, where Pegasus had decided to make an appearance without his usual earth-shattering noise. Evariste hoisted Angelique up onto the constellation’s back with a smile, then went to climb up. Pegasus took a slight side step just before the enchanter could hop up, mistiming it just enough that Evariste didn’t actually jump but did pause to glare at the magical equine. If horses could smirk, this one certainly was.
Pegasus’ tail twitched, but he held still long enough this time for Evariste to join his new wife. Then he tossed his head and pranced forward, bearing his two companions out of the chapel and onward to their new life. Not too far, though. It sounded as though there was supposed to be quite a celebration shortly, after all.
It was perhaps an hour later, and Acri lingered along the edges of the party. He’d been separated from Lovelana when Queen Cinderella had approached the enchantress while Matty was tugging him towards the food. Then the boy had disappeared among the much larger crowd that had gathered to celebrate the union of the beloved enchantress and her enchanter. The newlyweds had reappeared, still astride Pegasus, to a great deal of cheering.
As he understood it, this place had been where the elves had been cursed to dance each night while their curse lasted. Yet none of them seemed to hold a dislike for the area, and they spun, sang, and laughed merrily in the open spaces in front of him. He kept his own back to a tree, with a glass of some kind of punch in his hand as he scanned the area.
He caught a glimpse of Matty on the far end of the grassy knoll, an elf girl who looked about the boy’s age with him. As he watched, he thought it looked like she was trying to teach him some of the steps to the dance. A quick grin flashed over the boy’s face, and he said something that made the girl tilt her head back and laugh.
Acri’s own mouth twisted up slightly. He was glad Matty had made a new friend, and one far from Carabas. The ocean village had become home, but there was a part of him that longed to wander. He wouldn’t leave Matty, though, so if the kid got the inclination to explore or wanted to visit the friends he made here they could both win. Maybe they’d travel part of the year and return to Carabas for a different part.
The smile disappeared as he suddenly wondered just how much Matty’s father had told the kid about girls. He didn’t think he had too much to worry about yet… but sooner or later he may have to have an awkward conversation with the young teenager. Ugh, he didn’t want to have that particular talk.
He sensed the quiet approach of someone and turned to smile at Lovelana. “Good talk?” He asked, and she released a deep breath.
“She had a question about the logistics of opening government supported magic schools.” Lovelana answered, gesturing helplessly with her hands. “I had to tell her we’re still figuring that part out.”
“How is the work on the schools coming along?”
“The monarchs or heirs of most of the countries have voiced their support of changing the systems that way, and Tristisim has finally stopped dragging his heels on whether or not we do that. Now we’re stuck on how, and on getting enough teachers. While many are glad to continue in the more advanced school we still plan to open in Verglas, they do not want to teach the basics alone somewhere without support.” She told him.
“I suppose that’s not surprising.” He answered dryly.
“I’ve offered to take the one in Loire.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Really?”
The enchantress shrugged. “It seems hypocritical to ask others to do it if I were unwilling to do it myself. And Lucien has been eagerly asking if there are any Loire-born mages that have enough training to be returned to their home country. I think he’s hoping for a war mage to try to add to his intelligencers. Unfortunately, many of our records were destroyed when the Chosen moles fled, and while some children remember where they came from a nearly equal number were too young to remember anything about it.”
Acri nodded. “Unfortunate, but again, unsurprising.”
“Felicienne has offered to take the one in Baris. That one did surprise me.” Lovelana admitted. “She seems to think of it as a fitting punishment for failing to realize her fellow counselors were Chosen moles.”
“Do you trust her after that?”
“She had no trouble crossing into Verglas”
The war mage shook his head. “Not that. Do you trust her to deliver the education young mages need if she doesn’t actually want to be there doing that?”
The enchantress tilted her head thoughtfully. “I… am uncertain. Unfortunately we don’t have enough teachers to be picky, and we cannot begin to open the new schools until we have the teachers to fill them. Can’t be seen as preferential to one country, after all.”
Acri grimaced. “They’re sticking to that?”
“For now. Once the schools are open and the mages begin to be responsible for their own individual choices and loyal to their own countries, I imagine that pressure will ease. But there are also objections to 'losing' some experts to these schools. Some of the leadership are arguing that it would benefit the mages more to have some of us teaching our specialties in Verglas and leaving the basics to less accomplished mages.”
"That's... rather selfish of them."
"Agreed."
The war mage exhaled with some frustration over all these problems and his inability to help address them. Lovelana answered his questions easily enough, but something about her seemed tired. Worn. She was putting a lot of time and effort into an idea that had originally been his, and a part of him felt guilty that she had to do so much while he played at being a normal man. His eyes skimmed over the celebrations around him. She shouldn’t have to work at a wedding.
“Did you want to dance?” He asked, nodding towards the floor where the music had briefly paused to change to a new piece.
The beautiful enchantress looked surprised, but reached out to take his hand. “That sounds delightful.”
“I should warn you I don’t dance often. You may have to lead.”
She chuckled. “Good thing this is one that I know, then.”
He spent the next couple of hours by her side, dancing when she wished to dance, learning her preferences when she grew hungry, and meeting her friends when they approached to speak with her. Matty popped by every now and then to make a comment or urge Acri to try something or other, but he never stayed long. Acri got the feeling Lovelana’s presence made him uncomfortable, and though that saddened him a bit he chose not to leave her. He’d be going back to Carabas with Matty soon enough, and who knew when he’d get to see Lovelana again.
Of course, somewhere in all of it Evariste made his way over to greet them. He nearly managed to sneak up on Acri in all the noise of the party, but the war mage knew better than to ever let his guard down. So when Evariste clapped him on the shoulder - apparently having completely forgotten an incident shortly after Acri had lost his magic - he didn’t really react.
Acri looked around, pointedly setting his gaze on the deepening dark of the night sky. “Shouldn’t you be busy ?” He snarked.
Evariste adopted a bland expression. “We have our whole lives ahead of us to be busy if we so desire.” He responded, turning Acri’s own tone back on him. “We’re enjoying catching up with our friends right now. We are glad to see you and Matty made it.”
“Oh, saying no was an option?” Acri exaggerated a shocked expression, but it quickly faded to a grin. “I wouldn’t have missed it for anything.”
“Mm. As long as I provided the portal to get halfway across the continent?”
“Exactly.” Acri nodded sagely, and Evariste laughed. Then his eyes fixed on someone waving at the far end of the celebrations.
“Ugh. I am being summoned. I’ll catch up with you before I send you home.” The enchanter promised. The elves had been generous enough to offer their hospitality to many of the guests for a few days after the wedding to give Evariste a couple days of being married to enjoy before he had to get back to work. So Acri and Matty would get to enjoy that time in Sideralis before they got sent home, and were pretty much guaranteed a chance to speak with Evariste again soon.
It got later, and somewhere around midnight Evariste and Angelique took their leave to applause and a chorus of whistles that was of course led by the elf king. The party, however, did not look like it would end anytime soon. Acri probably could have stayed to the end, but he noticed Matty was fading fast. So he grabbed the kid and escorted him back to their shared space. He fell asleep that night with a feeling of deep satisfaction that this was the way things should be, the way they were always meant to be. And with that feeling came gratitude that he’d somehow found his way to being here.