The Warrior-king's Wedding
The Never Ending Quest - Episode 119098
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"No!" protested Fred, but in a moment her mind had become a fog, as the spirit of the wardrobe clouded it and tugged her along on a magical string. She found it impossible to think, and merely followed that tug mindlessly. It brought her to a congregation of muscle-bound warriors in animal pelts, and the largest and strongest among them, wearing the cracked cap of a horned skull as a crown, approached her at once. He said something she didn't understand, words fell from her mouth in response, time seemed to pass, and she realized she was wearing something different - a crown of flowers, a few scant scraps of leather to cover her privates, and a long, thin cape extending from woven pauldrons decorated with twisting red designs. There was ceremonial paint on her face and on the man's as well. Slowly, her mind began to clear, and many things came into focus: her surroundings (they were in a vast village of tents at the foot of a mountain overlooking a wasteland), the words being said around her (they were not in the common tongue she had long spoken, but she found she understood them), and the reality of the situation (she had just, apparently, gotten married). Still somewhat dazed, but now vigorously trying to shake herself out of it, she turned to the man next to her, who also wore extensive face and body paint. His startlingly blue eyes stood out against his dusty hair and darkly suntanned skin, and there was no denying he was very handsome, and very stout, his chin strong and shoulders broad. A few leather scraps of armor were strapped to him, but they were quite crude indeed, juxtaposed by the full suit of armor Fred had chosen - though Fred suddenly realized she was no longer wearing it. "Now comes to us your queen, my new wife, the Silver-clad, Folcrada of the Far!" he was crying to his people, who all howled in excitement. Fred felt somehow very vulnerable, her body unfamiliar and barely clothed, standing at the center of attention of a tribe of barbarians. The man, who must be Vodirk, went on, "She is given us by the Great Voice, and will lead us in glory with her exotic wisdom! Her armor shall be a beacon of light and hope in the winters, and her womb shall bring forth spring!" Fred was feeling very hot, and yes, the evening summer sun was somewhat unforgiving, but that was hardly the main problem. The Great Voice? The one from the wardrobe - was that a religious thing here? Did they have any idea where she had come from? Who she actually was? What the voice actually was? Where even was she? Where was Allaria? She had nothing but questions, and one of them was did she even want to stay to try to get answers?
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10/30/2022 3:54:44 AM
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