After finishing addressing the graduating students and the townspeople who were in attendance Lord Walter called Ralph back up to the dais. Ralph took in a deep breath even as Aine and Patty squeezed his hands and Ralph stood.
"I'm so proud of you Ralph." Paige told him as he bent over and kissed her cheek before stepping out of the row and then walking up.
Lord Walter stood smiling down at his wife as Ralph made his way up the few steps and then stepped up to stand facing his Father.
"Normally when a squire has failed their tenets it is never broadcasted publicly." Lord Walter's voice boomed across the town.
Ralph's heart sank as he quickly reviewed the questions his Father had asked and the answers he'd given him in response but he couldn't think of any he had missed. And now he was going to publicly embarrass him. He'd failed the greatest knight in his life, by failing to learn the tenets properly.
"That said, I still need to ask you some questions Ralph." Lord Walter turned to face him with a grim expression on his face.
Lady Paige sat shaking her head at her husband the whole time.
"Do you still swear to honor the wise Lady's tenets by living by them?" Lord Walter asked.
"I do, Father." Ralph said nervously as he tried to remain strong and not falter at his failing.
"Do you swear to continue to be a champion of the weak, of the sick and downtrodden?" Lord Walter asked.
"I do Father." Ralph replied a bit firmer in voice.
"Do you swear to always seek out the wise Lady's truth?" Lord Walter asked.
"Always Father." Ralph told him.
"Then it is indeed my honor to bestow upon you the title, Lord Ralph, Paladin knight of the wise Lady." Lord Walter said with a booming voice that carried to the far side of the great bridge. And the guard who stood his post grinned at the news. The townspeople cheered and applauded thunderously.
Ralph's relief was instant and he nearly collapsed to his knees, and would have if not for Lord Walter's left hand. He had taken hold of the waistband of Ralph's leathers and held him up firmly with the strength of his left arm.
Lord Walter clasped his hand before hugging him tightly. As he stepped back his left hand dropped even as he slipped his own tenet ring off his right hand. Ralph's eyes were large at what his Father was doing. He watched as his Father slipped it on his hand even as many of the people gasped seeing an aura of golden light pulsing from Lord Walter and seemingly being absorbed into Ralph.
"Father, I can't take your ring." Ralph said softly.
"And may it always rest here until the day you wed when you move it to your right hand." Lord Walter said softly in response to him.
Lord Walter half turned to face the people even as they gasped at a charger which now stood near the dais that hadn't been there before.
"Happy, and Sylvester, step forward." Lord Walter said, ignoring the commotion.
Sylvester gave their daughter to Megan as he stood and stepped out of the row they were in and waited on Happy.
Happy grinned as she handed Alicia to Grace before she stood up from where she sat. Happy brought up with her a rectangular box and stepped out of the row and walked up with Sylvester to the dais.
Happy winked with a smile at Ralph even as she held the box on her open palms out to Walter.
Walter flipped the locks and opened the box. After reaching in he pulled out a broadsword in its scabbard.
"Happy and Sylvester worked long and hard on this for you my son." Lord Walter raised it up overhead by the scabbard. He pulled against the jeweled hilt and the sword emerged shimmering brightly with a green aura of power about the silvered blade. "I give you, Avenger." Lord Walter said as he held the sword aloft even as the crowd cheered.
The cheer died suddenly as Paige grew angry seeing Lord Walter draw the blade back down across the back of his left hand. The blade bit deep into the back of his hand and the crowd gasped watching the blood run down across the blade.
"As you are blood of my blood, may this be the only time my blood is spilt in times that you must defend yourself or others. In Athena's name do I offer this." Lord Walter gave the benediction before he sheathed the sword and handed it to his son.
Ralph reached out for the scabbard even as his eyes looked at his Father's hand and the blood that still ran down his hand to drip on the dais.
"Father, I think you cut yourself a bit too deeply." Ralph whispered before he turned and thrust the sword up to take peoples' eyes off of his Father.
The crowd gave a thunderous cheer and applause even as Lord Walter stepped down with Happy and Sylvester and moved to his seat. Lady Paige glared at him the entire time. But she gently lifted up her voice and while the melody was soothing and began healing the curtness of her words were anything but soothing.
"We had a deal,"
"Which you swore to uphold,
"And now let me reveal,
Just what." Her voice was silenced as Walter crushed his lips into hers. Paige resisted the passion with which he kissed her. But Walter was determined and the kiss stretched to thirty seconds and slowly Paige began to respond to him. Walter relaxed and continued to kiss her as only someone who had spent years learning everything about what she liked could. Slowly Paige's hands rose up and while one entwined in his hair the other reached around him and helped to pull him tighter against her. Their kiss hit the one minute mark and continued on. The youngest of kids in the crowd began giggling as they continued. And then they reached the two minute mark and some of the older kids began giggling as well. And then some of the townspeople began laughing as they enjoyed the display of love between them.
Ralph's free hand stretched out to point to his parents.
"Such has always been the cornerstone of our family. The great love between our parents. No matter what else was going on, they always lost themselves in each other like this." Lord Ralph said to a cheer from the crowd.
Lord Walter broke the kiss as he whispered.
"I know my love and I apologize, I was a little overzealous in my benediction. Please forgive me." Walter kissed her lips tenderly again.
Paige nodded with an over-large smile even as she wrapped her hanky around his hand.
"As most of you know Patty and I spent most of our years together since the first day we met, eight years ago this month. Truthfully I had been hers since that day we met when I was nine. I remember watching her run out of the courtyard of the Keep, after inviting me to come to the school house in the morning to play. I turned and Selase stood there staring at me. I felt a bit irritated at her for the way she looked at me and then she blinked at me. But she already knew what I had yet to learn." Lord Ralph told them to a quiet shriek from Selase. Ralph smiled at her even as he gestured to a Cleric standing towards the back of the crowd. "I was relieved a year ago when Sister Ann told me that the wise Lady approved of the relationship that Patty and I were building and gave me her blessing to continue it with Patty."
"And so armed with the knowledge of Athena's approval and the declared love between Patty and I, our relationship continued to grow. Five days ago Patty finally took the next step which would make it possible for us to marry. She went to the temple and pledged herself to the wise Lady. Sister Ann came to me later that day and told me that the wise Lady gave her approval for me to ask Patty for her hand in marriage. But I couldn't just ask her. I sought the blessing of my family before I would speak with her parents."
"And much like today Father had to tease me but my Mother got her way as normal and he relented and they both gave their blessing as they both loved my Patty as well. I journeyed out to the carpenter's shop in the courtyard of the Keep and I spoke as eloquently as I could with her Father. There must be some conspiracy among men to tease the already nervous suitor. He had great fun at my expense but he relented after a short period and gave me his blessing."
"I made my last journey down to town and spoke with the passion within me and Patty's Mother smiled and gave me permission to ask Patty to marry me. I was relieved as I thanked her and gave her my parent's invitation to dinner last night. As I returned to the Keep Father took me aside and he opened a cabinet where he kept precious keepsakes and he took out a beautiful sapphire ring. He explained the significance of the ring and offered it to me to ask Patty to marry me. I was of course touched and accepted."
"After our families had supper I asked as eloquently as I was able for her to marry me and Patty agreed to become my bride in front of our family." Lord Ralph gestured to Patty as she sat grinning back up at him.
The crowd cheered and Patty reluctantly stood and waved at the people she'd known her whole life.
"As I stood here listening to my Father I thought I had failed in my tenets and I was feeling such embarrassment. Not only for failing Father and the wise Lady but also a vision I had last night. I was a bit unnerved by it to be honest with you. I went to the Mistress of my Father's private temple, and spoke with her. She confirmed that the vision was genuine. So I went to my bride-to-be and we spoke at great length this morning which is why she was late to work and I was late to school." Lord Ralph told them.
Lord Walter had frowned as did Lady Paige as they listened.
"After our honeymoon we will be traveling to Aaron Springs. There we will be joined by the former pupil of Allie and she will come to serve us as Allie has so lovingly served my family here. Oxinear will be our next stop, to meet someone else who will become part of our company. From there we will travel to Los Angeles where we will pick up another member and then travel to Hesperia to pick up another and finally to Lancaster where we will pick up the final person of our company for now. And then we will be striking out North. I had always thought that part of my destiny would be to take over these lands when Father finally decided to step back. But the wise Lady has shown me where she wants us to build our keep." Lord Ralph's words were met with general unrest.
Lord Ralph held his hands out calling for it to remain calm.
"I know this comes as a shock to you, it was to us as well. I'm sure our parents are already choosing words to have with us over it. But this was a vision from the wise Lady and I have watched my Father live his life by her. He bows to her will instantly and before any other. I have been guided by his unfailing faith in something far greater than we know so how can I not do the same? Our lands will come to be known as Twin Oaks and will rest in comparable mountain territory as we live here. Just south of the great Sequoia forest. And with it, it will bring greater safety to these lands as well as ensure a safer passage of people traveling up to Lake Tahoe." Lord Ralph finished.
Florence's eyes darted about seeing how upset people were at this pronouncement and even as she prepared to stand to call order to the proceedings, suddenly Lord Walter stood and whistled shrilly. Everyone grew silent.
"Enough! Friends, I know this doesn't seem to sit well with you but rest assured that I shall test this vision myself, before anything is so hastily done, besides we still have a wedding to prepare for. And barely a week to prepare." Lord Walter told them with a forced smile.
Slowly the festive mood began spreading back out even as Ralph moved down to his parents who stood there waiting, fairly miffed, along with Frank and Gemma.
"Father." Ralph started but Lord Walter drew his finger across his own throat and his eyes looked to the Keep and Ralph nodded. "Father, nothing you say will change our plans. I will honor the wise Lady as you have taught me. But for now, we will join you shortly up at the Keep Father."
Paige reached out and put her hand on Ralph's shoulder and kissed his cheek before looking at Patty. She smiled and winked.
"Why don't you send your charger to the Keep and you and Patty ride Selase up to the Keep? We'll follow along in the carriage." Paige told him.
"Would you and your lovely bride like to ride with us to the Keep?" Lady Paige looked at Frank and Gemma.
They both nodded as they bit back on the words they wanted to say.
"That didn't go as well as I figured it would." Patty told Ralph as he helped her into Selase's saddle.
"Not even half as well. I thought they'd be happy for us." Ralph said before he climbed up behind her. "But no matter what their opinions are, we are adults now and we have made the decision that was presented to us by the wise Lady."
Patty nodded as she kissed Ralph before Selase took off for the Keep.
Paige had tried all of her tricks to calm Walter down as they rode in horrible silence towards the Keep but they all failed. Lord Walter hit the door of the carriage and leaped from it before the driver even began to slow down and as he started to charge into the Keep he was stopped by Ralph calling to him.
"Father, you need to slow down and relax. We're right here waiting on you." Ralph told him from just the other side of the entrance.
"I'll relax once you renounce this ridiculous scheme. You are not traipsing off into the wilds with our daughter. It is far too dangerous." Walter told him.
Greetings! I hope this finds you all well!
To the Adventure! -Tim