Chapter Forty:Duchess Alianne

Aly sighed contently as she looked at herself in the mirror in her room. This was her wedding day. Today, she had woken up alone as Lady Alianne of Trebond, but tonight she would go to bed as Duchess Alianne of Naxen with her new husband laying by her side.

"Mother?"

Aly turned around and saw Alanna standing in the doorway dressed in the royal blue dress that everyone in Aly's bridal party was wearing. She and Thom together would be walking her down the aisle.

"Alanna, you look beautiful." Aly said, smiling.

"I'm nothing compared to you in that dress, mother," Alanna said as she looked over her mother carefully. "You look simply stunning."

The dress Aly wore was made up of white silk and lines of emeralds wrapped around her sleeves and along her dress' waist.

"All Lianne's doing," Aly said smiling, "You'd think, with how the seamstress bustled to follow her exact instructions, that she was the queen or something."

Alanna grinned at her mother's joke. "Are you ready? Your wedding starts in ten minutes."

Aly turned back to the mirror and looked herself over one more time. Her dress looked perfect, and she only had the lightest touch of face paint on, just enough to make her natural features, like her emerald eyes, pop out. She hadn't really done anything with her hair, and she wasn't planning on it. She would just let the curls fall naturally and frame her face. Gareth had commented one day when she and Lianne were working on details for how she would look that he liked her hair best when it was left alone.

Aly turned back to look at Alanna and nodded. "I'm ready."

"Come on in, Thom." Alanna called into the hallway. Aly grinned as her son walked in. She gestured to her appearance. "Well?"

"You look stunning, mother," Thom said, "I hope my apparel works well?"

Thom was wearing a white shirt and navy blue breeches, with a royal blue tunic.

"You look dashing, Thom." Aly said. She took Alanna and Thom's hands, "Both of you are all grown up…."

"Uh-oh," Alanna groaned, "Mother, please don't get sentimental on us. Not now."

"Mother, remember, you have face paint on and no time to refresh it." Thom said quickly.

Aly laughed. Her two children knew her so well. "I am not going to cry," she promised, "I just wanted to soak in this moment. I never dreamed I would ever be this happy after I married your father. I am marrying my first love, and I have the first Lady Knight in over 200 years and the youngest Master Sorcerer in history for children."

"Let's not forget that you are going to be the king and queen's sister-in-law, and you are the future king's godsmother and future aunt." Thom said.

"And that you are going to have Gary as a stepson." Alanna said, "And that you'll have the title of Duchess."

Aly sighed, "Life really can't get much better than this, I don't think."

"Aly, you look amazing."

Aly looked up. She hadn't noticed Lianne come into the room.

"Thank you, Lianne." Aly said.

"Can you believe we will finally be sisters?" Lianne asked excitedly.

"No, I can't," Aly said in the same tone, "After Gareth and I return from our honeymoon, you and I are going to have to figure out some sisterly activities to do."

For their honeymoon, Gareth was taking Aly to Naxen for two weeks, where they could be alone and Aly could get to know the lay of her new land and get to meet the servants. Alanna and Coram would be leaving for some adventures tomorrow, and Gareth and Aly would head for Naxen the following day.

"I'll start planning when you leave," Lianne promised, "Now, let's get you to that alter."

Lianne led Aly to the doors of the palace's temple dedicated to the Goddess. Roald and Jonathan stood outside the closed doors, and when Lianne arrived, Roald held out his arm to her. She took it, and the two stood together in front of the doors with Jonathan stationed about three steps behind them. Roald nodded to the herald and the two servants that were stationed outside the door. The servants pushed open the door and the herald spoke loudly and clearly.

"Their Royal Majesties, King Roald and Queen Lianne of Conté and His Royal Highness, Prince Jonathan, the fourth, of Conté."

Aly heard the rush of cloth as those present at the wedding rose in their seats to bow or curtsy to the royal family as the door once again closed. After a few minutes, a faint knock was given from inside the temple, and the servants re-opened the door. Everyone was standing and looking at the direction of the doors. Alanna and Thom each took one of Aly's arms in their own, and the three headed down the aisle towards the alter where a Priestess of the Goddess stood waiting alongside Gareth.

Gareth looked very handsome. He was dressed different from the other men involved in the wedding…he has royal blue breeches and shirt matched with a gold tunic. The second their eyes met, he smiled a huge smile, with love shining through every centimeter. She smiled back at him, knowing her smile was the same.

She finally reached the alter and took Gareth's arm. Thom walked over to stand beside Gary, who was beside Roald and Jonathan, and Alanna went to stand beside Lianne.

The priestess looked at both Gareth and Aly and then turned to the crowd, "We are gathered together today to witness more than the binding of more than two people. We are witnessing the binding of two families. Duke Gareth of Naxen and his son, Sir Gareth, the younger, are adding three additions to their family this day; Lady Alianne of Trebond and her children, Master Thom and Sir Alanna." the priestess turned to Gareth and Aly. "It is a wonderful thing when two souls the Great Mother created for each other are brought together in marriage. It is a very sacred thing."

Aly took a deep breath. The priestess who married her and Alan had said the same thing, and it had made her nervous then. Now, she felt nothing but excitement and pleasure at the idea of the life she had to come.

"Duke Gareth of Naxen, do you take Lady Alianne of Trebond to be your wife? To have and to hold from this day forward? For richer or poorer, in sickness and in health as long as you both shall live? Do you swear to protect her and be faithful unto her?"

Gareth turned to look at Aly, and smiled before turning his attention to the priestess "Before these witnesses and before Mithros and the Great Mother Goddess, I do."

"Lady Alianne of Trebond, do you take Duke Gareth of Naxen to be your husband? To have and to hold from this day forward? For richer or poorer, in sickness and in health as long as you both shall live? Do you swear to remain faithful unto him?"

"Before these witnesses and before Mithros and the Great Mother Goddess, I do." Aly said confidently.

"Then I now pronounce you husband and wife," the priestess said, "You may kiss the bride."

"Gladly." Gareth whispered softly to Aly before kissing her passionately.

The priestess addressed the crowd as Aly and Gareth broke apart from each other. "Ladies and Gentlemen, I am pleased to give you Duke Gareth and Duchess Alianne of Naxen."

Aly grinned, Duchess Alianne of Naxen, she thought for the millionth time. It has a nice ring to it.

Aly and Gareth were currently on the dance floor sharing their fifth song as husband and wife.

"Mind if I cut in, your grace?" a deep voice said from behind Aly. She gasped, and turned around. Her father was standing behind her.

"Of course, Lord Thomas." Gareth said, offering Aly's hand to her father with a bow. He took it, and father and daughter began dancing around.

"I missed you in the ceremony," Aly said, "I didn't see your face anywhere."

"That is because I wasn't there." Lord Thomas said. "When your mother left for the wedding, she left alone. It took me a few weeks to realize my place is at my daughter's wedding. I arrived about an hour ago, went straight to the Trebond Suite, and got myself cleaned up. By the time I was ready, the wedding was over, so I came here, to the reception. I am just sorry that I didn't realize I should be here sooner."

Aly didn't have a response to that, so she kept quiet.

"You look beautiful." Lord Thomas said.

"Thank you." Aly said.

"Do you still hate me for matching you up with Alan and forestalling this wedding?"

Aly thought for a moment, "No, I don't. For the most part, being married to Alan wasn't as bad as I thought it would be."

"I am sorry about what happened at the funeral." Lord Thomas said, "I suppose I was scolding you a little."

"Try a lot." Aly said.

Thomas frowned at his daughter, "I admitted I was wrong, Aly, can't you drop the matter?"

"That will take some time," Aly admitted, "But I'll be sure to let you know when I have forgiven you completely."

The following day, with Gareth's arms wrapped tightly around her waist, Aly saw Alanna and Coram off as they went in search of some adventure. Soon, the newly-weds were the only ones left.

"Well, I don't know what I am supposed to do with myself." Aly said, "Alanna is gone, Gary is a fully trained knight with his own life to pursue, Thom is busy with some magical experiment, and you have pages to train."

"Well, all I really have to do today is sit in my office in case a page decides to cause trouble, and wait for today to pass so we can be closer to the two of us being alone for a week." Gareth said, "You could always join me."

Alanna smiled up at Gareth and nodded, "Sounds like a plan to me."

Review Reply

SarcasticLoner: I didn't do the scene with Roald and Lianne's reactions, but I might go back later and do it as a flashback.

: LOL....you'll have to wait and see if Aly stops Thom from being stupid.

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LittleMissGiggles'94': Thanks for the review, and btw, we were in the second book, not the first....next chapter will be the first of the chapters taking place in the third book.

iloveredshoes: Thanks for the review. I know the chapters seem to be spaced out a little more than they were earlier, but it has to go through my beta, and FF was causing her problems.

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