Chapter XXIII
A festive atmosphere reigned among the cold corridors of BPRD: Red and Liz had officially announced their marriage, which would take place three weeks later. It seemed that the bride and groom were eager to pronounce that fateful "Yes". Other agents organized a party in their honor in the library. Obviously, were also inviter Abe, Johann, Selene, Lorcán, the two real Beethmora, and a considerable number of elves, fairies, bogart, trolls and goblins. Human agents tried an initial discomfort to see the whole room filled with magical creatures, but after a while they managed to chat with them friendly. It was from immemorial time that were no longer visible human enter into peaceful contact with the children of the Earth.
In the midst of the crowd pushed the future husband, that took the hand of his beloved, and he went to the entrance of the library, going up the stairs, so that everyone could see it: "Ladies and gentlemen human and magical!" began, tearing a chuckle General: "Liz and me are happy you're all here! You don't know how beautiful it is for us to see you all safe and sound, after the dangerous situation that three months ago has involved so many of us! Liz and me have made an important decision, beautiful but ... challenging! " this time the laughter grew louder. then Red went on: "It is an honor to share it with you."
All agents were genuinely moved by the speech of the clumsy demon: his simple nature and a bit gruff not always allow him to make speeches like that. At one point, Red asked to Liz if she had anything to add. At the denial of his girlfriend, Red exclaimed aloud: "Then we give a shock to this funeral, guys!" He leaned to the side to pick up one of the crates of beer they had brought to celebrate. He pulled out several cans, which he distributed generously to all those who were meeting to offer him their best wishes. When he began to drink a fair amount of beer, Liz snatched the can, saying reproachfully: "You have already want to get drunk?"
"It was just the first ...!" Red protested weakly.
"You do not want to force me to drag you in the bedroom ... you know that I'm not able to do it!"
"Okay ... I do not get drunk! Idea ... But I would like to do something, I could steal the Manning's tutu, I think that I'm nice in pink!"
Liz laughed, and Red retorted: "I mean, I could wear it at the ceremony! " he said as he patted his belly with his left hand to Liz, now rounded.
The girl, putting aside the joke, he said equally amused: "About Thomas ... I'm sorry that we have wrongly suspected of being Edgar. ..."
"Yeah ... he' s just a little ass, but he is a good man!" Red confirmed. Then he added: "But in his apartment I found a way to blackmail him if he tries to break our boxes ...!"
They both laughed at the joke, looking right at Thomas Manning, intent on arguing with Fred Simmons, probably for the old story of the coffee machine.
Across the room, by the fireplace, Abe was timidly trying to talk with Princess Nuala about something he wanted very much. He had not had many opportunities to talk to her, as Prince Nuada was often present, but now he could jump on the fact that he went to speak with Selene and her uncle Lorcán.
"Now that we are alone, Nuala, I want to tell you ..."
"Tell me, Abraham." The princess asked curiously. That night she was dressed in a beautiful lavender dress, which highlighted her slender figure and sinuous. Abe was more than usual enchanted by her beauty, and had difficulty starting his speech.
"I love you, but ... I feel that this situation is not good enough anymore."
"What do you mean?"
Abe shook his gills: "I mean ... I want to make one more step ... more ... important! That strengthens our bond, really!"
The young elf was surprised, she now understood what about was asking Abe.
Before she could answer, the man-fish knelt before her, took her hand and said, "Nuala, will you marry me?" Even if he was trying to remain calm, Abe was terrified of her rejection.
The princess took his hand, making sure that Abe would rise, and said to him, full of emotion: "Yes!"
Abe would have liked to smile, but physically he couldn't. He just caress her cheek and kissing her tenderly. Then, struck by a sudden thought: he took a small blue box, and handed it to Nuala. The Princess widened her eyes, and Abe said, embarrassed, "I should give it to you before, when I was bent over in front of you ...". Nuala smiled tenderly, then she opened the box and gasped for the beautiful loner who shone as a pledge of the solemn promise of Abe.
"Oh, Abraham, it's wonderful!" Said the princess, hugging him.
Not far from the two newly engaged, Nuada had approached with a bit of awe Selene and Lorcán, who were talking with two agents. Some time ago the prince came to know personally Labhràs: the royal family, in fact, was very grateful to him for his services. The whole story of his secret marriage with the human mother of Selene left him surprised, however, since the devotion of Labhràs for the elven people was known to all in Beethmora. One who knew little, however, was the brother of Labhràs, who had joined the board for a decade or so, when the prince was still in exile. Nuada knew that Selene that now lived with Lorcan, and she did nothing but ask questions about her parents, and he answered all her questions willingly. Now Selene was no longer alone, no longer needed for his protection. Yet, somehow, he was sorry ...
He stepped toward her, not forgetting the presence of her uncle.
"Good evening, Lorcán."
"Good evening, Highness." replied the other elf, bowing. Even Selene, who was with him, did the same. Keeping her eyes on the ground. They had not seen since the girl was out of the hospital.
"Nice party, sire. Isn't it?" Lorcán said again.
"Yes. Very nice."
Selene continued to remain mute as a fish, unable to look him in the eyes.
"How are you, Miss Wood?" asked the prince.
"Well, thank you."
" Are Your wounds completely healed?"
"Yes .." then she looked around, "If you'll excuse me, height, uncle, they're calling me." and walked away, almost running with an awkward reverence.
Prince Nuada would give an arm to take her hands and declare everything he felt for her. He could not explain all that polite detachment with which she treated him, he just knew that it hurt him.
It was Lorcán to stop Nuada's thoughts: "I hope that the events of recent months have you done to change your mind."
"About what?" asked the prince.
"With regard to humans."
Nuada took a deep breath: "I do not know ... I do not think that will ever change anything."
"Look for yourself, your highness. Children of the Earth and humans are talking peacefully. You really want to crush any attempt at reconciliation?"
"Of course not. But I demand that the truce must be respected. I will not give my people the pain of another broken promise.".
"It will be difficult to build a path of peace and bring everything back like old times. But if ye will obey my humble opinion, I think it's worth a try.".
The prince nodded thoughtfully. "If you'll excuse me, my good Lorcán ... I also have urgency to get away."
" You most go to my niece, right?"
Nuada turned around, surprised and even slightly awe.
"She didn't say anything about you two, if that's what you believe. I understood how you looked her.".
The prince made no reply.
"Go to her only if you are sure to make her happy.". Lorcán cut short.
Nuada nodded and went away in a hurry, making his way through the crowd.
Selene had moved away from a piece from the party. She walked nervously in the hallway adjacent to the library. She was holding a glass of champagne, which she abandoned almost immediately on a shelf. The meeting with Nuada had made her heart beat wildly. She touched her cheeks with both hands, still flushed and she chided herself soon after. He should be more rational, she could not behave like a teenager again. "It seems to me to be back in high school!" she thought. "You're a woman, damn it! Behave for the age you are." The truth was that 'the meeting had done so much evil. She never wanted to see him again. She knew what he wanted from her, she could not jump into a relationship that she would have been meaningless. She'd suffered, kowing that she could considered a mere concubine, perhaps she would cry seeing him with other women, be abandoned as soon as he was tired of her ... She did not want to take any chances like that. Life had already taken off so much, the only thing that remained was the dream of a true love, forever.
She saw that Liz was heading toward his room, "Hey, Selene. What're you doing here all alone?"
"Ehm ... no, I was tired." Answered.
Liz raised an eyebrow, "Really?"
"Yeah .."
"I do not believe you. Treasury. It's all night you always look around. You are looking to escape the prince, isn't it?"
Selene blushed, startled.
"Ho .. how ...?"
"It 's clear to everyone that he loves you, except to you."
Selene laughed, but behind her laughter there was a hint of bitterness, as well as nervousness, "Oh, come on. You say that because you don't know what happened."
Liz thought a bit about before answering: "I do not know what happened between you and him, but I know that ... I mean, I do not know very well. But from what little I've seen I realized something: Prince Nuada is a warrior, a person not accustomed to express what he feels. Maybe he has his own way to prove it, but I'm sure he loves you. ".
Selene shook her head in disbelief. "You have no idea what he said to me ..."
"Believe me, my dear, he could really ...".
"Liz asked me to go to bed with him! ... Without commitment, you know?" Selene exclaimed in exasperation.
"Ah .. This ... change quite a lot of things ..." Liz was surprised. She knew that the elf was a little strange and not very sensitive, but get to ask to have Selene as his lover was another matter entirely. "I'm sorry, Selene ... but you ... how do you feel?"
"I don't live well, as you can see. But sooner or later I'll feel better ..."
"Do not you think that maybe now he wants to have a serious relationship with you?"
"Him? Imagine! And then I do not trust him.".
Liz continued: "And if he say that he loves you?"
Selene closed the speech in a solemn way, but ironically: "I don't go in his arms even if he asked me to marry him!"
At that precise moment came just the prince, who advanced a race to the girls.
He stood before them, and greeted them with a slight bow, "Good evening Elizabeth. Selene ..."
Liz understood at that time to be too much, even if neither the prince nor the Selene mention was made to move away, and said, "I can get right away Red, I'll see you later, guys." And she ran away.
Soon after followed a silence to say the least embarrassing. Selene was the first to speak: "If you'll excuse me, sire ... At this time my uncle is looking for me ..." and she turned to leave. She felt a hand gently grasp. She turned like to reiterate her desire to leave, but the prince sealed her lips in a kiss. At first she tried to resist him, pushing him. But, seeing that the prince did not give up, she surrendered to him, abandoning herself to those same emotions that had already experienced three months earlier. When the idyll ended, the prince smiled at her, just like the first time he had kissed her. He found that expression in the same tenderness of those moments so much regrets.
"You must not tempt me so ... I will not give you what you ask of me ...".
The prince took her hand and raised it to his lips, kissing them, without disengaging the embrace: "Marry me."
" You only want ... What did you say?"
"Marry me, Selene!"
"W. .. what? ... What do you mean ...?" She asked in a timid whisper.
"I was scared. Scared of myself and what I still feel. I love you!"
Selene did not answer, her eyes clouded with tears. She tried to suffocate them with little success. She buried her face in the chest of the prince. He stroked her head, then touched her chin, making sure that get up on her face. His eyes, usually so dark and threatening, they transmitted an unrivaled security.
"I love you too, your highness."
"Please, call me Nuada." said the prince, who, without wasting any more time, he kissed her again, showing her with facts what he felt.
In the midst of the party, Thomas Manning wanted to speak: "I want to propose a toast to our future married couple! Please, guys come here!"
Red was touched: "Thank you, Tom, but I would like to extend my toast to another beautiful couple, who will marry on the same day ... we will make one big ceremony ... congratulations to Abe and Nuala!"
It was followed by thunderous applause, with many people who gave their best wishes to the newlyweds.
"There we are!" Nuada intervened, making its way through the crowd, while holding the hand of Selene.
"Whaaat?" Red said, happy but surprised.
"That's right, gentlemen! Selene has just agreed to marry me!"
"So much for consistency ..." Liz thought aloud, remembering what she had said earlier. Selene, hearing her, laughed: "It 's true, Liz. Right on!"
"I predict that Father Joseph will have a lot of work that day!" joked Red, welcomed by lots of laughter.
Thomas began to speak: "Well! So let's drink to our three couples, with best wishes for a happy marriage, serene and ... enough!"
All toasted, pleasantly surprised by the turn the evening had taken. In the following days there was much talk of the party in which they went from one marriage in three in only to two hours.