Chapter 26
The chapel inside the Tortallan royal palace was barely recognizable. There was an archway in the front, covered in intertwining violet and sapphire strands of silk. There were roses, lilies, daffodils, and countless other flowers. Above the archway hung a banner. On the banner was the shield of the house of Conté, a sword surrounded by a tin crown on a blue field. The Conté shield slightly overlapped a crimson shield with a golden lioness rampant- the personal insignia of Alanna the Lioness. Courtiers in their best clothes filled all the seats. But, in the very back of the room, men and women from the Dancing Dove wore their best, which was much less grand. A Mithran priest stood back under the archway, holding a book in his right hand. Suddenly, the music started. All eyes focused on the doors.
A handsome, raven-haired man with bright sapphire eyes held the arm of a youthful, copper-haired woman with violet eyes. She was obviously several years his senior, but no one suspected her of being the man's bride-to-be. The man wore black hose, a white shirt, and a royal blue tunic. In the upper right of the tunic was a shield matching that of the one over the archway. Even without that, it was clear that he was Prince Jonathan. The woman on his arm, however much she resembled the Lioness, was Lady Eliena of Trebond. Jonathan led her to her seat of honor in the front row. They hugged and Eliena kissed his cheek before sitting down and producing a handkerchief.
Next, a man with copper hair and violet eyes walked in. He wore the robes of a Master, and the woman on his arm wore violet. They walked down the aisle. The mage bowed to Jonathan and the woman curtsied. She went to stand opposite Jonathan while the man stood behind him. Master Thom of Trebond, the twin of the bride, was smiling at his mother. Lady Elizabeth of Goldenlake smiled at her large cousin seated on Jonathan's side of the chapel.
A man slightly smaller than the previous man walked from the doors next. He, too, wore crimson and gold, but his hair and eyes were chestnut. The woman on his arm was a few inches shorter, with hair spun from gold and blue eyes. She wore a violet dress that looked as good on her as it did on the Saren princess. Sir Gareth the Younger of Naxen and Lady Cythera of Elden repeated Raoul and Thayet's movements.
The last set of attendants came through the doorway. A man that most of the courtiers did not recognize, but the people from the Dove did, walked through. His brown hair was perfectly groomed and his hazel eyes twinkled. He was obviously proud to have the auburn-haired beauty on his arm. Her eyes were golden brown, and twinkling just as much as the man's. Her gown was the same color as the previous two women's, and the man's ensemble was the same as the men before him. George Cooper bowed to Jonathan and stood closest to him. Rose Archer curtsied to the prince and would stand closest to his bride. They were the maid of honor and best man.
The music changed and everyone rose. A plump, shaggy knight dressed in crimson and gold had the arm of the woman they had been waiting for. Her white gown was dazzling, the beads glowing different colors in the pattern of her shield. Her white veil concealed her face, but her copper hair and violet eyes were clearly visible through the sheer material. They walked down the aisle, her smile widening with each step. The man was beaming like the proud father he was- adopted or no. When they reached the archway, the woman curtsied deeply to Jonathan and the man bowed. The man took his adopted daughter's hands and lifted her veil. He kissed her on both cheeks. Her violet eyes glistened with unshed tears. He wiped them away gently. "You'll ruin your face paint," he whispered so only she could hear. She smiled and kissed his bearded cheek. She faced Jonathan with a small smile.
"Who gives Sir Alanna of Olau to his royal highness Prince Jonathan of Conté?" the priest asked loudly. Eliena had come to stand beside Alanna's adopted father, Sir Myles of Olau.
"I, Lady Eliena of Trebond," Eliena replied.
"And I, Sir Myles of Olau," Myles added. Eliena curtsied and Myles bowed before taking their seats. Jonathan put out his right hand. Alanna daintily put her white-gloved left hand in his right one and allowed him to help her step up to his level. They faced the priest.
"Men and women of the Tortallan Court, we are here today to join his royal highness Prince Jonathan of Conté and Sir Alanna of Olau in holy matrimony. Together, this man and this woman will rule our great realm, with the aid of the Dominion Jewel, which the bride so graciously bestowed us with. Our only regret is that their majesties King Roald of Conté and Queen Lianne of Conté, Black God bless their souls, are not here to share in this joyous moment with their only son." Jonathan's eyes glistened. "But, before their passing, both the king and queen blessed the marriage of their son and heir to the lady knight.
"Your highness, please repeat after me. I, Jonathan of Conté, swear by the gods in their Realm to treat my wife with the respect and honor that she deserves. I swear that I shall not be unfaithful, beat her, or turn a deaf ear to her. I promise to help her in times of need, protect her, and give her say in the matters of the realm of Tortall." Jonathan repeated.
"Sir knight, please repeat after me. I, Alanna of Olau, swear by the gods in their Realm to treat my husband with the respect and honor that he deserves. I swear that I shall not be unfaithful, injure, or maim him in any way. I promise to help him in times of need, support him, protect him, and aid him in running the great country of Tortall when the time so comes." Alanna smiled and repeated. They had to add the "protect him" part for her because of her status as a lady knight. They exchanged rings and Jonathan removed her veil.
"Let anyone who believes heart and soul that these two should not be wed speak now or forever hold their peace." No one said a word, and Alanna smiled at George. They had joked over that in the past few days. "By the power vested in me by the gods and the rulers of the realm of Tortall, I hereby pronounce that you are now married. You may kiss the bride."
A cry went up as Jonathan turned toward Alanna and kissed her hard and deep on the mouth. Alanna put her arms around his neck and held on as Jonathan dipped her back dramatically. Alanna heard their friends laugh. They pulled apart and Alanna took Jonathan's arm as they faced the crowd. The music was fast and exciting as the attendants followed the newly-weds down the aisle and the courtiers applauded.
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
"It is my distinct honor to present to you, for the first time ever, Prince Jonathan of Conté and his bride, Princess Alanna of Olau and Conté!" Gary bellowed. He ran down the staircase. Alanna and Jonathan, beaming, walked down the steps. Alanna saw the faces of her family and friends, and then looked at her husband, her Jonathan. He looked so happy. And…proud. Alanna was touched to see a glimmer of pride in his eyes. He was proud to have her as his wife!
At the bottom of the staircase, they were surrounded. Myles and Eliena hugged Jonathan and Alanna, and congratulated them both. Myles welcomed Jonathan into the family, and told him how proud he was to have Jonathan as a son. Eliena kissed Alanna and told her that Thom's spell would keep her alive until noon the following day. Next, Buri and Liam hugged them. That greeting didn't last as long. Thayet and Raoul came next. Thayet complimented Alanna on her gown and they hugged. Raoul practically squished his smaller friend and made a remark about how she wasn't Alan anymore. Gary and Cythera had the same encounter with them as Thayet and Raoul. Thom and Elizabeth followed. Elizabeth behaved the same as Cythera and Thayet, but Thom welcomed Jon to the family and teased Alanna about how "soft" she looked. She burned him with violet fire as they hugged. Finally, George and Rose stepped up.
"You're married!" Rose cried as she hugged Alanna fiercely. "And you're going to be queen in a week!" Alanna grinned.
"You'll be married within the year," Alanna told her friend. "I swear it. If you're not, George is a blind fool." Rose went to congratulate Jonathan and George came to Alanna.
"Well, look at ye," he said. "A real princess now." Alanna smiled.
"George, are you going to hug me or not?" she asked. George put his arms around her and hugged her tightly.
"Ye looked as beautiful as ever up there, lass. I'm proud t' call ye my friend," George replied.
"I don't know how I kept a straight face when he told Jonathan to protect me!" Alanna exclaimed, slipping her arm around Jon's waist. She turned her face to Jonathan. "As if I need protecting!" Jonathan laughed and kissed her.
"Alanna, what if they're a wrestler?" Jonathan asked, referring to Alanna's issues with wrestling as a page. Alanna slapped him.
"Then I'll use Liam's teaching!" she replied with a laugh. Jonathan laughed along with their friends.
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
At the banquet, Jonathan and Alanna's closest friends and family made toasts.
Eliena: "Alanna, I couldn't be more thrilled that Thom brought me back for this. I am honored to have been a part of your life, for however short a time. You and Jonathan are going to have the greatest rule over Tortall in memory, and everyone will look back on it and say, 'Alanna was the greatest queen in Tortallan history.' You deserve to be sitting there, lady knight. You truly do."
Myles: "Well. We're a long way from sitting in a classroom, aren't we? I still remember 'Alan's' first day. But the day with Alanna that sticks most in my mind is the day she healed Jonathan. I knew she was a girl that day, and there was a little voice in the back of my head saying, 'I don't know who she is, but she is going to marry him someday.' And, here I am, making a toast to the happy couple, not as a former teacher, but as Alanna's adopted father. I'm proud of you, Alanna. I am proud to call you my daughter. Welcome to the family, Jonathan. I know you won't allow Olau to go to ruin."
Raoul: "Mithros, I hate these things. I'm going to keep this short. Jonathan has been one of my best friends since we were pages. 'Alan' became one of my best friends right before I was a squire. Back then; I never would have imagined that I'd be here, making a toast to them at their wedding. But, then again, I never would have imagined that Jonathan would be marrying 'Alan.' I'm glad you did it, Alanna. Because I'm honored to say I knew you when you were Alan."
Gary: "I want to keep mine short just because, if I don't, we'll be here all night. I was one of the first people, after George and Jon that is, to know that 'Alan' was really Alanna. I thought it was a grand joke, and was honored to instruct Alanna before her Ordeal. We all knew before Alanna left for the desert that Jonathan and Alanna were closer than friends. But, when he came back alone from the desert not long ago, we figured that Alanna would never be queen. Here we are, at their wedding. We figured wrong. No matter what, Alanna won't let Jonathan's pride get to his head. She keeps you humble, Jon. And he keeps you sane, Alanna."
Rose: "I've known the Trebond twins since birth. When Alanna left nine years ago, I had no idea that she was going to be a knight. I, like their father, was under the impression that Alanna was going to be a lady and Thom was going to be a knight. Imagine the shock I got when I heard Alanna was the knight! I'd thought I'd missed something. Seeing you again, Alanna, was wonderful. I'm so honored, as commoner, to be here, at your wedding. I'm still adjusting to the fact that my best friend is going to be queen in a week. I'm… I'm speechless. You look beautiful, Alanna. And, Jonathan, I don't care if you're king or not. Don't hurt her; because there are plenty of us in here you will have to answer to. You two are perfect. Cheers."
George: "I've known Alanna since her first day as a page. I met her on her way into th' City. She introduced me t' his highness not long after she introduced me t' Sir Gareth. I'm honored t' know such noble folk, comin' from th' streets of Corus. Alanna and Jonathan are two of my best friends, and I've known for years that I'd be here, at their weddin'. In th' City, there's talk of th' marriage. Everyone thinks Jonathan made th' right choice, choosin' Alanna for his bride. She's a lady knight, she'll know how t' help if, gods forbid it, Tortall goes t' war. Many commoners are offerin' to join up, wantin' for th' first time t' serve their country. Alanna and Jonathan are goin' t' have th' most interestin' reign in a long time."
Thom: "I guess I'm going last. I haven't known Jonathan all that long, but I've known Alanna forever. We're twins, aren't we? I have to admit, when she first proposed us switching, I was a little nervous. I've never been the adventurous type and I was afraid Alanna would get herself killed. This is all new to her, so excuse her face. I heard all about her… problems with the Duke, and, if you remember, was right there when he revealed her for who she really was. I'm going to jump to that for a moment. I know there are people in this room who still doubt Alanna. Let me tell you this: I was there when she fought Duke Roger. Jonathan was there. Sir Raoul was there. Sir Gareth was there. Duke Gareth was there. Sir Myles was there. If you weren't, ask one of them, they can vouch for it. Alanna fought like any other knight here. She was talented, and she kept her head in the fight. She was brave- braver than I could've been. If you doubt her as a knight, you will doubt her as a queen. As for that, I say this: if Jonathan were concerned about it, would he have married her? In the short time I have known Jonathan, I know one thing. He won't do something if he thinks it will be bad for his country. He thinks things through carefully. He wouldn't have married my sister without thinking it through and deciding it was the best thing for his country. Alanna and Jonathan's reign can be the best or the worst. We have the Dominion Jewel in the country, and powerful people behind them. I suggest that you have faith in your rulers, and trust that Jonathan made the right choice. I love you, Alanna. And I'm sure you'll thank me for this later."
Finally, Jonathan rose. He and Alanna were to make toasts as well.
Jonathan: "First, I want to thank Lady Eliena, Sir Myles, Sir Raoul, Sir Gareth, Demoiselle Rose, Freeman Cooper, and Master Thom for their moving toasts. I want to touch first on what Thom said. Alanna and I have been friends a long time. I watched her learn to use a sword, and I watched her fight with one. I've watched her make hard choices, and I've helped her defeat worthy opponents. I believe Alanna will be the greatest queen Tortall has ever seen. That said, Alanna. Alanna, I don't need to tell you how long I've loved you. I don't need to tell you how much I love you. Truthfully, I don't even have to tell you I love you. But, I will. I love you, Alanna. Finding out you were female in the Black City put the seed in my heart- do not make that face- and watching the way you fought, both real enemies and invisible ones, to gain the right to call yourself a lady knight made it grow stronger. You and I are practically gods to the Bazhir. I don't have to remind you of 'the Night One' and 'the Burning Brightly One.' You are a Bazhir shaman, the Woman Who Rides Like a Man, and I am the Voice of the Tribes. We fought the Tusaines together, we fought the Ysandir together, and you made sure I could be all I could. You keep my vanity and pride in check; you make sure I make the right choices, whether I wanted to or not. Without you, I never would have been the Voice of the Tribes. You're my other half, Alanna. My better half. And I love you."
Alanna stood as the room clapped. She was wiping her streaming eyes.
"Take a look, men and women of Court. This is one of the only times you will ever see your future queen cry. First, mother. I don't know how I'm going to go on now that I know you. Myles, thank you for welcoming me into your 'tent', as the Bazhir say. I am deeply honored you chose me for that. Raoul, Gary, thank you for your wonderful toasts. You are two of the best friends I could ask for. Rose, you know that you will always be one of my closest friends. I'm so happy you're here with me for this. George, if I were to say what I wanted, you know how people would react. Whether you know it or not, George, I love you. You are one of my best friends, and I will always love you. Just… in a different way. Thom, thank you endlessly for defending me. I may yell and curse and behave rudely to you, but, at the end of each day, you're my twin and I'm stuck with you. Jonathan, for the first time in my life, I am speechless-"
"Praise Mithros!" Thom, Raoul, Gary, George, and Rose exclaimed. Alanna glared at them.
"You will all pay dearly for that, my friends. I may be queen soon, but I am still, and always will be, a lady knight first. Jonathan, this will be the first time anyone but I hear this. I have loved you since I was a page. I can't pin point exactly when, but it was probably as I brought you back from that place between life and death. I saw you as you are now. I don't need to remind you of how terrible that place is. I never want to go there again, and, if the gods will it, I will never go to that place again. You don't know how embarrassed I was during the Black City, or how terrified I was. I was terrified for you during the Tusaine War, and during your Rite of the Voice. I felt like a soft noble lady. But, Jonathan, after all of the things we've been through, one of the biggest reasons I love you is that you've taken me for what I am. You don't want to change me; you let me be myself, lady knight, tongue, temper and all. I love you, Jonathan. More than words can express, however un-Alanna that sounds."
The room erupted in applause for the lady knight as she sat down. As soon as her butt hit the seat, her tears streamed down her face again. Jonathan enveloped her in his arms and held her tight.
She was his, all his.
Author's Note- four hours. It took me FOUR HOURS of nonstop writing to bring you that chapter. Six pages long, four hours to write, and ALL FOR YOU. I hope you appreciate it. I'm STARVING now. I didn't have lunch because I wrote this. Review, or I will be VERY disappointed.