The Forgotten

25

Due to the nice weather, the banquet was outside. It was taking place outside of Mira's parent's home in their large garden. Several tables were sit up with table clothes, crystal, fine china and highly polished tableware. The candles were inside decorated hurricane globes to, not just keep the wind from blowing out the candles, but to enhance their glow and brightness. Each table seated twenty people and Mira counted 20 tables. Plus the table where her parents, Tine and herself will be seated. So that tradition and protocol can be satisfied, Tine and his representative, Raptor would set at one end, then her parents in the middle, with Tine seated on the outside, then Raptor next to her father. Then her mother seated next to him, with Mira herself on the outside. Tradition states that this seating arrangement is this way because the lovers had to be separated in a "cooling down" period. They were to have not physical contact from the previous mid-day until the time of their wedding, when they would face each other in front of the priest, when he recites their vows for them to repeat to each other.

The reason for this was simple. An unsuitable match would often show after more than 24 hours with no contact between the couple. Often times, cooler heads would prevail and realizations would be made. Thus the "cooling down" period. While Mira and Tine understood it, neither liked it. But by this time the next day, they would be united. Never to be separated again. Mira came to attention when she heard her father begin to speak.
"Tine Ri, you have been chosen by my daughter according to village law and tradition. You come before us now, her parents, to declare your intentions and the discuss the bride price. What say you?"

Tine walked around to the front of the table to kneel and bow his head before Isaac and Amethyst. "Lord, I pledge my undying love, all of my wealth and my resources to provide for her. I will use the strength of my body, my mind and the might of my army to protect her and our heirs. I pledge our crops to help feed this village, her people in times of need. Anything else that should arise that I or my resources are needed for, I would gladly supply." Tine did not rise. Instead, he continued to kneel on the ground in front of her parents while they "considered" his throth of loyalty to not just his chosen, but her family and indeed, the entire village.
"Arise, Tine and take you place at my table as a welcome son and sit next to me and sign the wedding contract to bind you and my daughter to each other." Having been invited, Tine took his place at the seat on Lord Isaac's right and Raptor moved to the spot where Tine previously sat. Once the contract was signed and held up in the air, a great cheer swelled through the gathered assembly as joy at the mating was expressed.

Little did anyone else realize, but the visiting Lord Richard has landed his eyes on the Eastern princess and was intent on speaking with her father after the wedding and the reading of the bloodlines. She would accept and chose him hopefully. He had never reacted like this to another female before. He knew how things worked. He just hoped that her father the Emperor, would allow it. The female might choose here, but where the princess was from, the family chose.

Back at the wedding couples table, Lord Isaac called the guests to order to make an announcement. Standing, he signaled for two men to be brought before him. The y were bruised and had scratches, both old and new. Their clothes were dirty and torn in places and smelled like something terrible. When Mira recognized them, she gasped loudly. They were no other than Lord Anton and his son, Ashton. The men both sttod in front of the group and glared defiantly, as if daring them to judge them. Then, Lord Isaac stood and said in a loud voice, 
"Who bring these men to be judged and on what charges?"

Off to one side, where Dame Elizabeth and her family were seated, her son, Lord Richard, stood. 
I do, your lordship."

Isaac recognized him and said, "For the record, please state you name and relation,, good sir." 

"My name is Lord Richard Goodheart and I am Dame Elizabeth's only son. My mother is Lady Amethyst's last surviving aunt on her grandfather's side, and while we are not truly related by blood, we are family. I bring these men here for judgement because the very acts that they were plotting to commit were not just against this village, but against the new couple, themselves."

Isaac frowned and leaned over to Amethyst. "My dear, should we allow Tine and Mira to hear this. I have spoke with Richard and Robard in private and it is so very callous and horrifying. I can hardly believe that I once considered this man my friend.
"Yes, my dear, they need to understand exactly how close history came to being repeated or at the very least, a new era of terror being unleashed by madmen."

Isaac nodded at his wife's wisdom, and stood to speak again. "Since I was not present to hear the vile and evil things spoken by these men, I will not say what they have done. But, there is a man here who was present when these two plotted their evil." Gesturing to Robard, he watched the young man stand up and come to stand in front of the crowd.

Standing and facing the crowd, the man began to speak. "My name is Robard Goodheart and I am Lord Richard's cousin, his closest confidant and an occasional spy, when the situation called for. It seems in this situation, it was called for. A local innkeeper has sent word that there were a couple of men at his establishment that were up to no good and throwing around the name of some wealthy villagers from several towns over. Names that were very prominent in our area, due to their generosity and giving nature. I came upon them and asked about seeking employment as a soldier. I was told that I would be paid handsomely to keep my mouth shut and never utter o word of what I heard. As I traveled with them for the space of a week, they planned to kidnap the daughter of Lord Issac and Lady Amethyst and the young one stated that he would repeatedly rape and impregnate the Lady Mira and take the children from her to keep her biddable and to spoil her so that Lord Tine Ri would not want her and reject her. All of this was because of a supposed slight. Because she did not chose him on her choosing day. I was sent to speak to the "lordling" about providing men and lodging for them. When I arrived, just in case there were spies, Richard and I used a code that we had used since we were boys and made plans to travel to a cabin in the mountains that night to discuss the foul plans of these two. When we returned home, they had availed themselves of the manor house, threatened Dame Elizabeth, torments and frightened the servants and raped my, then, future wife. Richard had men at his beck and call that had come inside with us and it was easy enough to take them into custody and put them in irons. I will say, it was a pleasure knowing that they were stupid enough to try to fight the guards. That concludes the whole ugly sordid mess." Turning to Mira, whose face was shock white, with her mouth gaping and tears running down her cheeks, Robard bowed to her. "I am sorry, Milady that you were present to hear that."

Looking down the table at Tine, Robard wondered if the men would actually survive the night. It had taken the older large man a considerable effort to hold him in his seat. Nodding his head to Lord Issac and Lady Amethyst, he went to rejoin his group, where his sweet wife hugged him and whispered a "thank you" in his ear.

Lord Issac stood again and gestured for Tine and Mira to join him but no one else. Looking down at the two men in disgust, he frowned and began to speak. "Anton and Ashton, you stand accused of plans of kidnapping, extortion, rape, interfering with a pair of chosen mates, child explotation, illegal entry into a private residence, and making a general nuisance of yourself. Since there is eye witness accounts and personal written testimony, you will be judged without a trial and by the very man you sought to rob of his mate and chosen. Lord Tine Ri, what would you have done with these two?" 

Tine felt a moment of satisfaction as the youngest one snarled at him, but the old man, Tine could smell his fear. It was so strong that it would make the humans sick to their stomachs if they could smell it. He decided instantly, "Take them to mine and MIra's keep and put them in the cells. There they will wait upon my judgement. Know this, it will not be swift. Nor will it be easy." Tine stepped around from behind the table and walked up to the two and whispered in both of their ears, "You will both lose your assets this night. For the punishment of planning to rape my Mira. I will personally separate your flesh from your body." Tine smiled in sadistic pleasure as the old man pissed himself. "History will not get a chance to repeat itself." Turning, he walked to Mira's end of the table and reached down and pulled her into his arms and kissed her deep and passionately before releasing her and returning to his seat.