The Battle of the Trees - Sword, Ring, and Crown Book Two

Chapter Forty-One

My banmuinen helped me get into my gray robes and cleaned me up before entering the chapel where I would marry Venetto. When we entered the chapel, I was floored by what I saw.

The priestesses had decorated it with hundreds of precious flowers from their greenhouses. Delicate white flowers made up arches that led to where the stone waited for Venetto and me to Become. Lining every pew were blue and pink flowers that looked like lotuses and reminded me of the blooms on the trees in my mother's official painting in the hall at home. 

Packing each seat were the banmuinen, consorts, and concubines obtained from the trials and the male Fae from the comfort house. To my surprise, Marisol was also attending, and she smiled at me tentatively as I passed by, and I gave her a nod in welcome. We'd left our differences at Regina's casket and would bury them with her. 

Venetto looked like a Scottish warrior in full regalia. His Jacobite shirt was white, and he'd left the lacings undone to reveal a hint of his muscular chest. He wore a black, blue, and dark green kilt with a golden sporran and chain.  However, instead of the shoes and hose, he wore tall black boots with flashes that matched the kilt.

I stood beside him, and we both turned to face the crowd. In front, I saw my family and Leah and another woman that I assumed was Willow. The woman was tall with dozens of tiny braids and skin the color of butter toffee. 

It was pretty intimidating to be in a room with six out of the eighteen trees. Including Iodha and, unfortunately, Joseph, I knew eight of them. 

It still felt unreal that I was one of them. 

I bowed to the crowd, then cleared my throat nervously, "Thanks for coming out. There are more people here than I imagined there would be without the promise of cake afterward."

"What? No cake!" Someone from the back teased, and it won them some laughter from me, which released some of my hurt into tears. 

"We've lost so much in the past couple of days. Lars lost many good people, and I lost my cousin. It's my hope, if I win, to use these past few days to bring us all closer. I hope to bridge the wide gap between the Fae and their gods," I swept my hand towards the Trees that were attending, "and between each other," I swept my other hand between the men and the women attending.

The people murmured between themselves, and I worried that maybe I'd said too much, but then one by one, men and women rose and held a hand to their heart. 

"We'll stand with you," A man from the house of comfort said.

"I will follow," A woman, one of Marisol's banmuinen, said. "You've shown me, a vanquished foe, nothing but kindness and allowed me to live at your palace. You helped to save our city from our attackers."

More and more people echoed similar sentiments, and when I turned to say my vows with Venetto, everyone in the room was standing. I leaned in and kissed the symbol on Venetto's forehead, then he crushed me to him and kissed me long enough to get some raucous howls from our guests.

He was not the blushing bride sort.

We turned to Valenia, who handed me the cup to pour upon the stone. The five husbands I had there stood around the stone, and it felt too empty without the rest of them.

I looked at my banmuinen and my other new friends, Brin, Noc, Xavian, Rielte, Tylas, and now Dimini, and beckoned them on stage. As they stood with me, the men looked perplexed, and I explained why I brought them up.

"You five and Dimini are just as important to me after all we've been through as these ladies are, and my husbands are. You've stood beside me through all of this.  All of you are brave and giving, and I'm floored by the love that has grown between us. You're my family, and these bonds between us prove that. We don't need to have a ceremony to prove what we've all Become. Since the first day events dragged me to this world, we've been Becoming. I belong to you, and you belong to me. I would like you all to stand with me as I do the annointing. Marked or unmarked, we're all one."

I turned once more to pour my cup onto the stone. As I poured the oil, the tree appeared again, larger and more brilliant than before, this time with lotus blooms. The sweetest tone sounded from the rock and turned into a series of notes that created a melody so haunting and lovely that when it faded, there was not a dry eye in the place.

Duir was the first to break the silence. "You've blossomed." Her voice was hushed, barely a whisper. 

I checked my stomach. "What! Not again!"

She scoffed then pointed towards my head. "No, not that. Touch your head, you little dolt."

I reached for my head and found long branches were traveling up, covered in leaves. There were blooms, and I pulled one-off, and it was one of the lotus blossoms.

"Saol ár Gcroí," Nion gasped.  He and all the trees present, including Ciaran, had fallen to their knees. In response, the rest of the chapel did as well.

I looked to the Trees, waiting for them to explain. Duir finally did. "Your tree is called the Life of our Heart. It was a tree that died after we fell as it only could live within the light of the Creator. When she died, we all did, in our way..."

As she spoke, she approached me. Luke started to block her way, but I stopped him. She didn't look vengeful or devious right now. She looked heartbroken. 

She grabbed me up into her arms and started to sob. "Why didn't I see when I had you all to myself? Oh, Saol! I've missed you so much! That the Straif had a hand in making you live again is almost enough for me to forgive him."

I was patting her stiffly. "There, there."

She finally released me. In her eyes was a strange light, both possessive and passionate. I took several steps back. Duir's behavior was cause for alarm on many levels. She was a woman of obsessive goals, and I was tired of being a target for them. Still,  I let her know what my father had done and that they might be right about him having a hand in the rebellion, and I still wasn't entirely sure. I also told her about Iodha. 

Nian and Huathe had come forward with Duir, and Nian put a hand on my shoulder. "We'll stand with you together against the storm."

I nodded as I put an arm around Luke and Venetto. "Let's hope that this time instead of hate and oppression, we find the balance."

"With you, Matt, there's no doubt," Adrian said.

The vampires were standing off to one side, and I addressed them. "I don't want to believe what you're saying about Luis, but if you're here to help, I'll accept it."

"We shall help... but of course, there are things we'd like as well." He gave me an enigmatic smile, and I wondered just how many handsome men would flock around me until this was over.

"It depends what you want. I might not be able to fill your request."

"Then, I have a challenge," Simon said with a flourish.

I smirked. "You're welcome to stay at the palace as my guests, though. No snacking on anyone, though."

He looked to his companions, who smiled with him. In my short experience with vampires, I had learned not to trust them. I'd have to keep my eye on them and keep them far from my heart.

"We have willing friends to accommodate our hunger. No need to worry."

I would worry anyway.

"Right now isn't the time for all this crazy talk!" Leah shouted. "Let's party! Our girl got hitched -- again!"

There was a long silence; then, everyone started to laugh. We laughed and laughed until we cried. 

The party lasted through the morning, and I found myself laying against Venetto as he had spirited me away to a warm temple steeple to have me for himself for a while.  As I lay there in his arms, I thought of Regina and the upcoming funeral. 

"Venetto... I feel like I'm going to lose so much before things end."

He kissed my forehead, and we stared out at the many stars in the sky, more stars than I ever saw in San Francisco.

My Elsie had been lost to me, and my mother and cousin killed. No matter what, I would see these Trials to the end. 

"We're going to have to get to Earth and see if that Vampire plague is true. I can feel it."

"Aye," Venetto said with a weary sigh.

I wished upon the stars and hoped that one of them would hear my prayers.

End of Book Two.