| The ceremony begins.
Natthias, former king of Ethiopia, smiled as the groom and two brides
step forward towards the front where they would be wed in short order.
Having been one of the few able to come when invited hastily in a flurry
of wedding invitations sent out by the D'Honaires (many couldn't get away
from business...and several are going down to Afrika to Ethiopia for Probe's
son's birthday).
He himself had come because while he may be not high in the Aqualarian
hierarchy (by choice), he did play an important part in a few behind the
scenes issues. One in particular was promoting religious tolerance and
understanding (and stopping those who'd unbalance this). In recent times
he'd stopped cold the efforts of one particularly virulent preacher (one
Father Rivera....a surviving clergy member of the old Allarian section
of the old Church) back in Walants (with the Ethiopian Church inheriting
the role of the now defunct Rome things had been interesting...but the
remnants of the system of the old Church lead by Rome fell in line, the
story of which was an adventure in and of itself but not important right
how). He'd come personally to witness (and speak with) the three lovebirds
to give credibility to the marriage if any rabble rousers tried to denounce
it later. See, he had a "feeling" about the marriage, and after finding
out how the three had fallen in love, he'd seen that it was legitimate
(i.e. not a product of lust), and thus good in the Eyes of the Lord. He
had much pull in the Church (being a Paladin...and a rather famous one
as that beings the former head of Ethiopia) and nothing bad should come
of the marriage.
A small commotion in the back drew his attention and Natthias eyebrow's
rise a bit in surprise.
Eh, I thought that Anina 2 had gone up north somewhere to see about
something, the Paladin thought to himself, And who are others with
her?
He then chided himself for a memory lapse! It had been Anina who'd gone
up north, not Anina 2. Whatever the case, the problem up north appeared
to have already been taken care of, since she'd been able to give away
the bride(s).
It was a rather odd grouping of beings. There was a bare breasted centaur
lass. A nymph was over there as well as another hamadryad (associating
so long with Anina had allowed the old paladin the ability to see the subtle
clues in the face and body). There was also a platinum blonde woman with
a young boy at her side (something was odd about the woman that wasn't....hostile,
but made Natthias feel odd). Then there were two young Amazonian woman
warrior (in battledress, albeit a bit antiquated). Then there was another
group, also a bit odd.
This group stood out because they were oddly dressed....out of step
with the times....
Wait, I've seen that style of dress from the other worlds....those
two other Earths who'd got dragged to our universe! Natthias thinks
to himself, surpised.
Not many from those other worlds chose to visit Terra Prime (being that
the inhabitants were still in a bit of shell shock from all they'd been
through). However, Natthias had seen films and videos of these other alien....far
away places, and recognized the style of dress. One looked to be dressed
in a similar manner as that of a cowboy from the old American wild west
(complete with six shooters on hips), if a teenager. By his side was a
young blonde woman in a blue dress who was clinging to him in love. Then,
dressed in an odd mix of frontiersman leather and 20th century jeans and
shirt was a man in his early twenties. The other was a young woman who'd
looked like one of his own country patrons for her dark skin, also dressed
in a dress of blue (who kept looking down at her legs as if expecting them
to not be there for some reason). The last was a young boy of no more than
eleven.
Natthias was wondering what their story was when the official who was
going to perform the ceremony stepped out....and drew a few whispers of
surprise.
-
 Queen Astra,
having heard of recent events, had come to town!
Go Back
|