Chapter 43: Chapter 37 – Spring of Joy

"Even when we were still lowly serfs, properties of the necromancer lords, to witness the wedding between our children was one of the few joys left for us to celebrate. That joy had been tainted by the all too many children who never got to experience that happiness, because the necromancers had chosen them before their time, but we persevered.

 

By now in Vitalica we had basically made it tradition that any wedding was to be celebrated, and even when the parents were too poor to throw a proper celebration, their neighbors would have helped them make it possible.

 

Needless to say, for one of my grandsons to be marrying, much less both? Was an occasion to be celebrated grandly, and I could have accepted nothing less myself." - Diary of Theodin Fiachna, Pope of the Theocracy of Vitalica, circa 40 VA.

Grand Chapel, La Fiachna, Theocracy of Vitalica, first day of the first week of the third month (first day of spring), year 40 VA.

 

On this first day of spring, the city of La Fiachna rejoiced.

 

The long awaited marriage of the pope's grandchildren was an event that the citizens happily came to celebrate, and the Fiachnas had not skimped on the celebration either, as they offered plenty for the guests who came to celebrate and join in their happiness.

 

The fields in front of the grand cathedral were filled with tables and benches, where men and women from every walk of life sat and enjoyed the hospitality offered by the Fiachnas. Food and drink flowed freely, and none were left wanting.

 

Barrels of ale and mead were rolled out onto the streets, where it flowed to glasses that wetted thirsty throats, while livestock were slaughtered and cooked up to serve the many people in their revelry. Many in the city shouted their best wishes to the couples to be, as they walked through the aisle reserved for them towards the grand cathedral.

 

Aoife led Faerghus and Akeshia along with Akeshia's father, while behind her, Ciarran stood across the Bone Lord himself, who had graced the marriage with his presence, as they led Diarmuid and Kestera towards the grand chapel.

 

The two brothers looked visibly nervous on their wedding day, both dressed in fresh, white tunics and trousers and wearing crowns of flowers. Akesia and Kestera also wore such floral crowns, and while Akeshia wore a white dress, Kestera wore a light green one woven with flower patterns instead.

 

The two women held hands with their respective men as they entered the chapel, where at both sides chosen members of the templar order lined the sides. The seats in the chapel were thoroughly filled, excepting for four spots at the very front, reserved for the bride and groom's escorting guardian.

 

Kestera was an orphan, as the group her parents and herself had been in was hunted during their escape to Ptolodecca, and neither of her parents had survived the trip. Like the other escapees, she had looked at the Bone Lord like a savior, and while she lacked the talent to be his personal disciple, she was still apprenticed to one of them.

 

Since the man was a human who had since passed on from old age, the Bone Lord himself took the initiative to escort her to her wedding, which had filled the young elven girl's heart with both pride and nervousness.

 

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The audience who sat as they waited for the couples were neatly separated into two segments, with Aideen, Akeshia's family, and a few other Vitalican councillors seated at the front row on the left side, while behind them were other councillors and their families, as well as members of the templar order.

 

Seated across from them on the right side, were most of the Bone Lord's personal disciples who were free to attend, as well as many elves he had taken in, Drietven and Yvgenia included. Mimia was also present and was seated at the front row together with her parents and grandfather.

 

Theodin himself was garbed in his papal robes as he stood at the altar with a beatific smile on his old, wrinkled face. The guardians brought the couples to the altar, where they stood side by side, before they went and seated themselves in the seats reserved for them.

 

The couples stood facing each other to either side of the pope as he recited the simple wedding oaths - Vitalica never had time to bother beautifying the less relevant things so far, and many customs were kept simple, harkening back to the days when they were serfs - and blessed the two couples.

 

"And now, by the power invested in me, I pronounce you, as husband and wife," said the pope as he intoned the final words of the ritual. "You may kiss the groom."

 

Cheers of jubilation echoed through the grand chapel as both couples kissed before them. The templars at the side presented arms and gave respectful salutes as well, while the audience - the Bone Lord included - clapped loudly.

 

The newlywed couples then walked out of the chapel, as the audience streamed behind them, and greeted the crowd outside, hand in hand with their new spouse.

 

More cheers erupted from the crowd, and as the couples walked back down the aisle revelers splashed the grooms with ale and mead - it was tradition to try to drench the groom, while sparing the bride the indignity - and much merriment was had.

 

Raucous laughter was heard when Kestera nimbly maneuvered Diarmuid into the path of some thrown ale that had missed and headed her way instead, and more laughter was had when Ciarran and Aideen had each dumped the contents of a flagon accurately on Faerghus and Diarmuid's faces.

 

It was only after they walked away did the crowd turn and cheer again, as the newlyweds were left to bathe and change from their drenched clothes, while everyone else celebrated the marriages with copious amounts of food and drinks.

 

An odd, yer harmonious sight presented itself that day in La Fiachna, as necromancers and elves mingled with the common people of Vitalica, and happily shared in the revelry with them. For many, it was a day of realization that despite the differences of status and race, they were not so different after all.

 

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