Royal Wedding: round 4, episode 3

Soon after Tirunedeth’s return to Erlenstar Manor, Lady Eriel of Ymris received a royal summons. Her heart fluttering, she rode, escorted by her brothers, to pay her respects to the Prince. If she was harboring hopes of romance, however, they were soon dashed.

The Prince received her graceful obeisance with distant courtesy. Stiffly he explained that although they barely knew one another, they must formalize their betrothal as soon as possible, before the autumn campaign began.

Although he offered her his mother’s ring in perfect style, it was clear to Eriel that his heart was far away.

Much later, Eriel was to say that it was hard to tell, during those next whirlwind days, whether the wedding or the war took precedence. The halls were filled with men in armor, speaking in lowered voices and conferring urgently with messengers and men-at-arms. Lord Astrin was frequently seen in disguise, a cap pulled low over his ears in a vain effort to conceal them.

Eriel grew accustomed to vehement discussions which broke up suddenly as she approached. She couldn’t help overhearing some of the arguments, and knew that there was one faction which was advocating that they move back to the South and make a stand, reclaiming their father’s lands for their own.

Prince Tirunedeth, however, did not support this view. His studies made it clear to him that the Sea Folk would oppose them with great and malevolent power.

“My father gave his life so that the last children of the Earth Masters could escape to Erlenstar Mountain. I will not make a mockery of his sacrifice by returning South to die. Until we can master our own magic, we will defend our homes and try to assist our friends in the South—but we will leave our wives and children here in safety!”

At last the hour of the wedding had arrived. Prince Tirunedeth asked the Abbot, Reverend Father Aloil, to officiate at the ceremony.

Aloil agreed, and, after deep prayer and contemplation, made the decision to tell the Prince some of what he’d learned from Baron Awn prior to the Baron’s death. Although shocked at what he heard, Tirunedeth knew that desperate times called for desperate measures—and that he himself might have to stoop to behavior that he would have deplored in better times.

Lady Eriel prepared for her wedding, wondering what the future would bring, and whether she could even learn to like the distant stranger she was marrying.

The ceremony went smoothly, and everyone agreed that the young couple, although perhaps not ecstatic, looked wonderful together.

The Prince and his new Princess kissed for the first time at the completion of the ceremony. They had never been alone together. When they retired to their room later that night, Eriel wasn’t the only one wondering if things should have been different.

In deference to his young bride’s modesty, the Prince did his marital duty completely under cover.

And when it was done, he lay beside his sleeping Princess, reflecting that he had never felt so alone in his life.

While the new bride was sleeping upstairs, Duchess Raederle found herself in a very different position in the hall below. The evening was almost over and the guests retiring sleepily to their chambers, when suddenly Lord Spirel appeared in the doorway. Although he was too late to observe the ceremony, it didn’t seem as if either he or the Duchess much cared.

There was one other unexpected guest at the wedding—but perhaps no one noticed the Prince’s housekeeper surreptitiously handing a cloth sack to the mysterious visitor. What was going on?

With the wedding over, the time for talk had ended. The noblemen gathered their forces and rode south almost at once, leaving only enough men to help bring in the harvest and to defend their homes if their plans should fail.

And Princess Eriel, wandering rather sadly through the halls of her new home, wondered if she would have news for the Prince when—and if—he returned to Erlenstar Mountain.

Next episode: http://kerrysims.blogspot.com/2007/07/army-camp-round-5-episode-1.html