The wedding brings a deadly guest

"What is the rush, my friend?" Subhi asks you as you finish explaining to him that the wedding is to take place in but a few hours' time. "It seems you are trying to see how quickly it is possible for a King to go from having just met a woman, to marrying her! You have known her for but two days!"

"What can I say, Subhi? It would seem that Arethousa was right after all, I am a man struck by Cupid's dart, and I find that I simply cannot wait. And once again, I cannot thank you enough for the use of the cavern pool last night."

During the mid-day intermission in the final day's tournament events, the noble guests are assembled in the Tournament Garden, a precisely-cultivated area which overlooks the wide valley below the city. Over by the Rose Arch, men and women frantically work to assemble the necessary seating and amenities for the upcoming wedding ceremony. Lady Katyana insisted that it must take place at this spot, which you assume is a part of her plan.

"Ach, it was the least I could do. It was always my intention to offer you a half-dozen of my dancing girls on the night before your wedding, but I feared what your betrothed might do to you if she found out!" The Sultan laughs uproariously, just barely restraining himself from slapping you on the back. He wipes his eyes, then all at once the laughter seems to leave him. "But, in all seriousness," he says much more quietly, "I am most concerned for you, friend Xavier. If you wish to be married, that is your business, but..."

"I will say it for you, Subhi. You are concerned that I have made an unwise choice in the daughter of Velimir Reznik."

"It is certainly not the choice I would have expected you to make. My friend, are you certain that she may be trusted?"

"Certain? No. But I have reasons to be confident, Subhi. I do not wish to say more."

The Sultan laughs out loud again, almost painfully loudly, and you realize that he does so as a ruse - to hide that the two of you are discussing something other than frivolous jests. "You are too honest, Xavier," he says, lowering his voice once more. "It makes you terrible at hiding secrets."

"Which is why I can say no more. Please, Subhi... I promise that in time, you will understand this madness which seems to have taken hold of me. For now, understand only that I do what I must."

Subhi looks at you through narrowed eyes. "Yes, you do... but there is more than that, Xavier. I have seen the way you look at her. You cannot tell me that you do this only out of duty. Perhaps you are not in love with her, but she has taken hold of your heart. Do not deny that."

"Subhi, I beg of you to believe, for now, that this is indeed the only reason I seek her hand in marriage: because I am a man in love."

Subhi nods. "So be it, friend. I trust you, even if I do not understand how you can trust the Warlord's daughter. And I am honored to be the man who stands by your side as you take your vows. Which reminds me... have you a ring for your Queen?"

Oops, you think to yourself. "Er, it seems I neglected that detail..." You look down at your own hands, but the huge chunk of silver on the middle finger of your right hand would almost be suitable as a bracelet for Katyana; the only other you have is the Iron Ring, which while strangely appropriate would actually be too small for her, as it is made to be worn only on its chain. There are some gems among Elyssia's tiny collection of crown jewels, but no ring suitable for such an occasion, and none could be made in time!

Subhi shakes his head, sighing. "What would you do without me, Xavier?" he asks, and reaching into the pouch at his side he pulls out an exquisitely-wrought platinum band with a single diamond set in its crown. "Consider this your wedding gift," he says, holding it up to the light. "Now, I have been generous enough; for your wedding night, you are on your own!"

You cannot help but look at the ring in astonishment; it is the finest and most intricate piece of jewelry you have ever seen! The platinum seems to have been spun rather than cast, with details almost too fine for the eye to see, and the diamond is larger even than the one worn by the Sultan himself. "Subhi... this is..."

"This is nothing compared to the gift with which you will present me when you finally see fit to visit my kingdom," Subhi says.

"My friend, you did not bring this to give it to me or to my Queen," you point out. "You had no idea I would be getting married upon this occasion - I had no idea until yesterday! There is someone else for whom you intended this gift!"

"I will not deny it," the Sultan says. "But just as you have your secrets, so too must you allow me mine. Do not concern yourself with such matters, Xavier; you are about to be married, there is enough to weigh on your mind!"

Indeed... if only that were all you had to concern you.

"Sire... it is nearly time."

You have never felt that you are a vain man, but you find you cannot look away from the polished steel mirror in which your reflection stares nervously back at you. Only once before in your life have you felt such trepidation, and it seems only stranger that what you see in the mirror now is almost exactly what you saw then; the same raiment, the same cape and breastplate. Then, it was your coronation for which you were being prepared. Now, the face looking back at you is that of a man in the prime of his life and not one who still had an inch or two more to grow, a beard which is short-cropped by choice instead of it being all you had been able to produce at the time, and this time the crown already rests upon your head. But the look in your eyes is exactly the same; the differences mean nothing.

"Duncan," you say quietly to the old man.

"Yes, Xavier?"

Thank you for calling me only my name, you do not say. "We have come too far to turn back now. We are committed to seeing this through. I know that you were not in favor of this plan; you made that clear, as is your duty. But in this last moment, I beg you to permit me a sliver of doubt. Was there ever another path, Duncan? Was this always our only hope?"

"There are always other paths, Xavier," Duncan says. "Any choice other than the ones you made would have led somewhere other than here. And yes, I objected before... but I now believe in Lady Katyana. Perhaps her plan will fail, but in my heart and mind I do not think it will be because she had intentions other than what she said. My own teacher told me when I was younger than you were when you first put on that crown: A wise man must not be adverse to changing his mind."

"And if we fail?"

"Then Elyssia will fall," Duncan says. "But there is falling, and there is burning. At the least, we know what is coming. If the very worst should come to pass, then there remains one final option to us."

"We can kneel," you finish for him.

"Yes. And then we will die; you, and me, and many others, those who I have come to think of as family. But the people of Elyssia, their families and their homes and fields and shops... they will be spared. I am content to know that we have already saved them, no matter what takes place today. You have fulfilled the very highest duty of a King, Xavier. I could not take more pride than I do in knowing that." Duncan approaches closer, beckons you to lean down low. "A runner from the covered bridge has signaled the watchtower," he whispers, almost too quietly to be heard. "He is coming."

"With this ring," you repeat, sliding it onto her finger, "I thee wed. From this moment forward, you shall be my Queen... Lovely One."

Katyana almost laughs as you name her by her favorite endearment. She is indeed lovely this day, in a shimmering white dress which had to be very hastily fit for her, and its hem still drags across the ground. Around her neck is the one priceless crown jewel in Elyssia's collection, a brilliant blue sapphire which matches the one on the hilt of your sword. There was no time for any further adornment.

She glances down at the ring, and blinks with the same astonishment as when you first saw it. You hear Subhi chuckle softly behind you, clearly pleased with the reaction that his gift is creating. Then she looks back up at you, and at once seems to forget the ring ever existed.

"And so," says Arethousa, resplendent in the robes of a High Priestess of Aphrodite's Temple, "here in the sight of All, and with the Blessings of the Powers That Be; King Xavier, First of that Name, Ruler of Elyssia and Defender of its People, is joined in marriage to the Lady Katyana, henceforth Queen of Elyssia. May Love follow you all the days of your lives... and you may kiss."

"HOLD!!" comes a shout from the trees, and a great black warhorse bursts through onto the grounds, followed by others with armored riders who wield blackened pikes and heavy two-bladed axes. The man astride the mighty stallion at the lead is one who you have not seen in years, but he is unmistakable even in the helm which covers his face. The Warlord has arrived.

As one, every man present reaches for their swords, the sound of drawn steel ringing out over the clamor of raised voices and shouts of alarm. Katyana's hand grips yours so tightly that the knuckles turn as white as her dress... you glance into her eyes and see the same fear as must be in your own, but she holds it at bay and stands ready. The Kingsguard surrounds you, all except Magnus who sits astride his horse, ready to charge and take on the Warlord himself at your command.

"Guardsmen! People of Elyssia! Guests of the King!" you shout as loudly as you can, your throat straining to keep from cracking. "Stand at the ready! Do NOT advance, by order of the King!!"

More and more horses emerge from the wood, at least forty in all, with the Warlord at the vanguard. He slows in his approach as he realizes that none charge to meet him, and those behind him do the same.

"Duncan," you say, just barely loud enough to be heard. "Etienne, Trina, Subhi, Bwana. With me!"

"And I am with you," Katyana says, taking your arm as you make to descend from the platform. The look in her eyes precludes any argument.

Together, the seven of you walk deliberately from the garden to face Velimir as he advances up the field. More than half of the wedding guests file in behind you, and Sir Magnus brings his horse around so that he looms behind your right shoulder. Your own sword remains in its scabbard; as far as you can see, it is the only sheathed weapon upon the field. Surrounding you all at a greater distance is the great throng of people who make up Elyssia's citizenry and nearly all the visitors to the festival, thousands of people who will bear witness to what happens next.

Velimir reins up his steed some ten yards from where you stand, and slowly dismounts. With both hands, he lifts the helm from his head. The face beneath is as cold and hard as the coldest and hardest winter ice, his hair and beard black and streaked with flint, and his eyes are as fire-charred steel. They look quickly back and forth between you and Katyana, as if they do not even see all who stand around you.

"Lord Velimir of Reznik," Duncan says, stepping forward.

You must stop yourself from lunging after him - such a move might shatter the moment into chaos! You can't imagine what he is doing, this is part of no plan you discussed!

"You are unwelcome in this place," Duncan says, speaking as calmly as he might do to a slightly misbehaving child. "Take your men and leave here now, and you will be permitted to -"

Velimir moves with a speed astonishing for such a brawny man in full plate mail. With two strides, he stands in front of Duncan, and with a great swing he brutally backhands the old man across the face, sending Duncan sprawling to the ground where he lies motionless. A sudden rush of rage nearly makes you lose your head, but with the greatest effort of will you have ever summoned, you put up your hand. "HOLD!!" you shout, and those around you who had taken a step forward arrest their motion.

Velimir turns his eyes to you, and in a quiet voice, he says, "I trust I have your complete attention."