Jeyne IV

The night was filled with joy and festivities, booming music and hundreds of loud conversations. All sorts of entertainers got a spotlight on the stage; musicians, jugglers, jesters, performers, singers, pyromancers, and countless others all vyed for the favour of the crowd. Yet a good third of the audience was too drunk to fully notice, having drowned themselves in the alcoholic beverages that had been towed in from all corners of the Northern Coalition. There was rare and delicate ice wine, harvested from the frozen vineyards of the Grove, a mountain sanctuary whose clansmen kept their winemaking process shrouded in secrecy. Whiskey from the Lookout Keep, with a distinct smoky, maple flavour, attributed to their unique aging process in the castle's cellars. Casks upon casks of rum and brandy from just about every place you could think of, and sweet fruit wine produced from the bountiful orchards of Honeysuckle and its surrounding southern villages. Sweeping her gaze across the long table, Jeyne saw at least a quarter of the diners had passed out on the table. More were swaying unsteadily, just a few cups away from blacking out themselves. Still others seemed fine, heedlessly downing bottles in silly drinking contests or boasting loudly of their achievements under the hazy influence of alcohol.

The rest of the audience that was still sober seemed equally as distracted by food and company. The poor entertainers were lucky to get half the crowd's attention, for everyone else was deep in their own festivities. Yet that did not stop the bards and singers from filling the night with blaring songs as everyone else gorged upon the fine food the cooks had spent days preparing.

The wedding had started out with a few toasts from various tribe leaders, each of them wishing Jeyne and Otto a healthy wedding, many strong children in the future, and for the continued peace and cooperation of the Northern Coalition. But soon enough even the small gulps of wine that came with each toast were not enough to sate the diners, who were starting to get impatient for food. When it became apparent that the others were starting to lose interest in the endless stream of formalities, Otto abruptly stood up and toasted to the health of all the diners, then motioned for the cooks and servants to bring on the banquet.

There were more delicacies than Jeyne had ever thought existed. From the inland regions came prime ribs basted in smoky sauce and roasted over bonfires, entire haunches of savoury boar legs served with potatoes and carrots, venison stewed with peppers and mushrooms over a bed of wild rice and herbs, spiced honey garlic sausages, and dodo wings fried in a generous helping of plant oil. There were salads made of fresh plants and fruits, sprinkled with nuts and herbs and little chunks of bacon. From the coastal villages came fresh and savoury seafood; steamed lobster drizzled with citrine juice, shrimp grilled in a generous pool of butter and herbs, fried calamari, thin slices of delicate and coveted whale meat, and salty but savoury oysters.

As the bride and groom, every dish the cooks made was offered to her and Otto first. Jeyne enjoyed every last bite of the food, but there was just so much of it. Still, not wanting anything to go to waste, she tried to finish off the plates that were set before her. Luckily whenever she was too full she could slide pieces of meat under the table to Winter, who was lounging by their feet. Like her, Otto was also trying to savour the rich and delicious food but could do little against the overwhelming flood of dishes circulating around the table. When they were both too full to eat another bite, they decided to go dancing in the castle hall. There were already many drunken couples staggering around to the melody of a sweet song from one of the singers who had decided to stay here rather than the dining room. Jeyne and Otto twirled around in each others' arms, laughing and smiling with each other. She was dressed in a simple but elegant white gown, which flowed and twirled with her every movement. Otto was wearing a sharp black tunic trimmed with grey fur. Jeyne was sure they made quite the spectacle, as she sensed lots of the other dancers watching them move across the hallway. She didn't care. Whenever she was with Otto, all the other worries and struggles of the world faded away until they were left alone with only each other. Jeyne lost track of how many times she smiled that magical night. It was the happiest moment of her life.

After they retired back to the dining table at their shared seat of honour, they spent the rest of the night chatting and catching up with friends over drinks. It was fun to learn what the others had been doing recently, even if most of it was unfortunately related to the threat of war, which everyone was trying to forget for the night. Jeyne listened to Alysanne's developments with her Angels, Joseph's perilous journey south and back, Willam's activities at the Wolf's Den, and so much more. She was grateful that so many of her friends had taken time out of their busy schedules to come celebrate her wedding. It meant a lot to see all the friendly faces around the table, laughing and having a great time together. It was so rare that all of them could get together after they had been separated to different corners of the north. This was a night to cherish and she could tell Otto felt the same way. Jeyne loved how cheerful and animated he seemed as he shared laughs with his friends after so many months of separation. The looming war was taking a huge toll on everybody, perhaps Otto most of all. To put those worries off for a night were relieving to say the least.

When Otto had first proposed to her that night in the hot springs, Jeyne had been taken completely by surprise. But of course it had been a welcome one. Throughout the entire course of her relationship with Otto, she had enjoyed and savored every last moment they spent together. It made her feel happy and whole whenever she was with him. If there was anybody she could imagine spending the rest of her life with, it was Otto. So of course she had said yes, and that brought them to where they were now. Planning for the wedding had taken up a huge chunk of Jeyne's time lately, especially since Kevan departed for Cerulean Falls. Without the Head Steward around, she had been forced to get most of the details down herself. Everything from sending invitations, to planning the food and venue, to finding the right night for such an event. It had been exhausting but rewarding, and fun to do. Jeyne had gotten to spend a lot more time working closely with Otto, whereas normally they had to oversee different aspects of the Northern Coalition. Any time she spent with him was wonderful and she enjoyed every second of it. And now, as she looked around, she saw that all the planning had paid off spectacularly. The room swelled with joy and happiness.

Of course, the wedding wasn't solely for joy and entertainment. As always, there was an underlying political benefit to gathering leaders and ambassadors from all the different tribes that made up the Northern Coalition. The wedding was a great way to strengthen bonds with their vassals and allies. Represented at the wedding were over twenty different castles and villages, ranging from as far north as Ice Harbour to the southernmost tribes in the Coalition, like Brandy and Honeysuckle. The festivities were also a great way to flaunt the power of the Hotspring Hold, with all the luxurious food and drinks that smaller tribes could only dream of. In short, it was a smart way of solidifying the Northern Coalition into one unified nation.

With them, each of the ambassadors brought gifts and pleasantries for the newly wed couple; exotic furs and pelts, stunning jewelry, ornamental daggers, flowers, pastries, and countless other thoughtful offerings. The wedding so far seemed to be a huge success, with everybody enjoying themselves over fine food and company. The ambassadors had been a bit more stiff and formal at the start, but now that some were roaring drunk they were having a blast. Jeyne was happy to see that her hard work had paid off so well. She was sure that tonight would secure the Northern Coalition's future, not to mention her own relationship with Otto. It was a complete win.

She had lost track of the time, but Jeyne guessed it had been hours and hours since the wedding started. She remembered anxiously waiting for the first set of guests to arrive, leaning out the balcony to watch the plateau below the mountain castle. It had been early evening back then. Now it was probably creeping closer to midnight. In either case, some of the diners were now shouting for the wedding cake, which would mark the end of the ceremony. Soon the entire hall took up the chant. Jeyne smiled and nudged Otto. "So what do you say?"

"I say let them eat cake." Otto laughed and motioned for the servants to bring out the pastry.

It took four grown men to carry the platter. The cake was huge, but absolutely beautiful. Jeyne had personally never tried the delicacy; the closest thing she had eaten was frosted pastries from the bakery. Neither had her guests, from the way most of them were salivating at the sight. But soon enough they would all get the chance to eat. Three concentric circles were stacked up, one on top of another. The entire thing was plastered in a generous layer of white cream and frosting, milked straight from the goats, sheep, and taurus of the Hotspring Hold. On top there were a few stunning decorations; blue snowflakes, grey direwolves, and fluffy clouds. The entire cake was also sprinkled with a fine layer of chocolate dust, harvested from cocoa beans deep in the jungle. Jeyne had commissioned the cake weeks ago. She wouldn't be surprised if it had taken that whole length of time to create such a magnificent dessert.

The servants set the platter down and began cutting slices from the cake. The first piece naturally went to Jeyne and Otto. They shared the delicacy, taking turns feeding each other bites. Otto's face lit up when Jeyne fed him a spoonful. Then when she had the chance to try the cake, she was sure she must have seemed equally overjoyed. It tasted delicious, with a distinct sweet creamy texture, no doubt attributed to the thick layer of frosting. Jeyne loved the sensation of the chocolate dust melting in her mouth, the soft fluffy texture of the cake itself, and of course the fine frosting.

Now that cake slices were making their way to the other diners, Jeyne saw that they were equally delighted to taste such a wonderful dessert. The cake went extremely well with the fruit wine, and Jeyne saw that many more guests were bound to join their unconscious neighbours if the drinking continued. She laughed at the sight of some other tribe leaders about to lose the battle against alcohol. Daven's face was flushed pink from all his drinks, and Jeyne could see he was swaying unsteadily as he talked to Alys, who only giggled and seemed amused by her friend. Joseph was also slightly out of his senses, but he was at least still alert enough to half carry on a conversation with Otto. Other guests were not faring as well. Jeyne saw Reuben, the fat Lord of Honeysuckle, collapse onto the table and spill his wine onto the linen table sheets. Bertholdt was just barely clinging onto consciousness, leaning on Dietrich's shoulder with a glass of wine in his hands. Even Merith, who Jeyne had judged to hold more self control, had put her head on the table to rest.

Jeyne herself was getting a bit drowsy from all the food and drinks. She rested her head on Otto's shoulder, content to just watch the festivities rage on. I'm a bit too exhausted to continue celebrating but at least I can watch the others have fun. She felt her eyelids growing heavy, and all the bright sounds and colors started to blur together. The night was fun while it lasted but now I think it's time for a bit of rest. . . Jeyne was just moments away from falling asleep when something jolted her back awake.

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see a man approaching her shared seat with Otto. It must have been the unobtrusive way he was walking, as if trying to hide something from the rest of the guests. It was not a servant, as she first thought, but instead a castle guard. Strange, Jeyne thought to herself. What could this possibly be about? Even though lots of the guards and rangers are celebrating in their own barracks, the Hotspring Hold should still be well-defended. Otto glanced at the man curiously.

"Lord Otto, might I have a moment of your time?"

"What is it?" Otto asked, nodding at the mysterious burlap sack the guard was carrying.

"I thought it might be best to bring this to your attention. . . A pteranodon flew over the castle and dropped this."

Otto shot upright. So did Jeyne. "Was there a rider?" She asked.

"It was too dark to tell, but I'm sure it wasn't a coincidence."

"What's in the bag?" Otto asked with dread.

"I didn't look, but brought this to you straight away."

"Open it," Otto commanded. Jeyne noticed his hand had gone to Frostbite, which had previously been leaning against their shared throne the entire dinner.

The guard glanced at them hesitantly, then did as he was told. With a flash of cloth and a flick of his wrist, he emptied the contents of the burlap sack onto the ground. Immediately the vicinity was hit by a repulsive rotting smell, and a few objects tumbled out. Jeyne screamed. Mixed amongst the thick coagulated blood were a few limbs and Kevan's brutally decapitated head.

Author's Note:

DinoNerd89, For sure! Keith was always more brutal and straightforward with his methods, so having Arlyn in charge changes things up a bit.

Thunder, Ha thanks! Glad you changed your mind.

Caleb R. Watson, Well no choice, you found out this chapter lol! Glad you enjoyed.

Thanks for taking the time to check out my work, I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Feel free to comment, ask questions, or criticize my story, review is always welcome! If you liked what you saw, make sure to check out the other ARK stories on this site! Have a great day!

- DaRumpyBurr