The duelist 9, p.15
The Duelist 9, page 15
“Come on, help me get this stuff on. I wanna look nice for my new wife.”
“Maybe you should wear a mask then,” the falcon-man suggested, and I rolled my eyes.
“Mercedes help Anwaar that she wants to marry a bad comedian like you,” I lamented. “Maybe if she devotes herself enough, Mercedes will grant you a proper sense of humor.”
“Maybe if Amaya devotes herself enough, Mercedes will grant you a better face.”
I snorted as Horus helped me into the Actually Way More Complicated Than It First Looked outfit, with all its buttons and Tiny Details Of Great Significance. Wearing a certain badge on the left side of the chest meant something totally different than wearing it on the right. Because of my Duelist rank, I had to bear in mind the precise placement of my stone, and the military-esque sash that went over my shoulder and under an epaulet. The colors of everything were apparently the official colors of the House of Mec and the House of Brightwood, since they were the houses to be joined in this ceremony.
“Wait, since when do I have house colors?” I asked Horus as he explained this all to me.
“Shay came up with it,” he answered. “You originally married her because you knew she’d be able to manage the finer points of running an estate, right?”
I had, though it sounded a little callous now, when I considered how completely Zoie and I had fallen in love with her.
“So, she gave me colors?”
“She did. She also has a few designs with your house seal, if you’re interested in one of those, too.” Horus flashed me a wink. “My personal vote is for the tree with three stars above it.”
“Brightwood,” I realized with a nod. “That sounds nice. Will I be expected to get banners and pennants embroidered? Tattoo it on all my vassals? Get a massive version made of solid gold and hang it above the entrance to the Manta?”
Horus laughed. “You can if you want, but it would be a little tacky. Only the oldest, stuffiest houses really care about that sort of thing these days. You might be expected to hang a banner during big events, like a banquet or a marriage, but most people just have signet rings or pendants. Maybe an embroidered tunic.”
“And your house?” I asked him. “Do you have colors and a seal? If not, Zoie can make you one. She did an awesome job on ours.”
A shadow crossed over the falcon-man’s features, but only for a moment, then he was smiling at me again.
“I rather think my house is due a… redesign, don’t you think?” he said. “Something that highlights we’ve moved on since my father. And maybe something about Shay being the Incarnate.”
I could picture it, a crest like a phoenix, a house literally rising from the ashes of one man’s cruelty and paranoia, which had threatened to crush it. Hopefully, Horus wouldn’t come to a final decision on that until after Sha-Kane had managed to speak to him, because I was sure both of them-- and Shay-- would relish the opportunity to found a new house together, reunited as a family.
But I couldn’t say any of that to him right this second. Not without breaking my word to the osprey-man.
I decided to change the subject.
“When did you and Anwaar even get married?” I asked Horus. “Like you said, we haven’t exactly had a lot of free time recently.”
“We haven’t,” Horus agreed. “It was just after Ani almost got kidnapped on Terr, actually. Remember the Illusionist gang?”
“Unfortunately,” I muttered, and I couldn’t quite keep the scowl off my face at the memory. “So, you guys decided a sort of… ‘life is short’ thing?”
“Something like that,” Horus said with a nod. “Between that, and then my whole… situation, with the Wolf-people. We knew waiting around for it to be a ‘good time’ might not end up being possible, so we asked Gavlain to officiate, since he was able to provide a blessing to the union as the head of Ani’s family.”
“Wait,” I said. “Does that mean I need to get Gavlain here? So he can provide his blessing for Amaya and me?”
“No, you should be fine, everyone knows he likes you,” the falcon-man assured me. “And since you’re the head of your own family, like I am of mine, you don’t need anyone to sanction it from your side.”
“Well, I need Amaya to agree to it,” I said with a grin. I wasn’t one of those power-hungry assholes who married women just for status, who didn’t care about what the women thought of it.
“I think she’s on board,” Horus drawled and grinned back. He then stepped away from me and looked me up and down. “Okay, that all looks about right, according to the notes Jenner gave me. I think you’re good to go, Chief.”
Of course Jenner would have compiled notes on the exact placement of every piece of clothing. I had to smile fondly as I thought of it, though. I didn’t know what I would have done if Rylan and I hadn’t been able to save the koala-man from his mind curse.
“Awesome,” I said and glanced at my reflection in the mirror. I did look pretty damn cool. Very official, very put-together. I then turned to Horus. “I’m proud of you, man.”
“What, for dressing you properly?” Horus scoffed.
“No,” I said with another roll of my eyes. “For… taking that leap. With Anwaar. You two deserve that kind of happiness. I’m glad you’re making the most of it. Even if she is still beholden to the Order. For now.”
“For now,” the falcon-man agreed. “You know, I’m actually quite curious to see what Shay has planned. She mentioned she wanted to include some marriage traditions from your own culture, too.”
“She did,” I sighed, and then something hit me. “Actually, with that in mind, do you want to be my best man?”
“Your… what?” Horus asked with a perplexed expression.
“Best man,” I repeated. “It’s like… my right-hand man. You stand at the end of the aisle with me and, uh… well, typically you hold the ring I’m meant to give to my wife. The maid of honor does the same for the bride. They’re like… the main backup, if anything goes wrong.”
“So, it’s an important part, then?” Horus asked.
“Yeah, pretty important,” I said. “The best man is usually, like, the groom’s brother, or his best friend.”
“Aw, I’m your best friend?” Horus teased, and I huffed again.
“Or I could ask Jenner,” I said flatly.
“Oh, come on! Don’t do that!” he cried out through his laughter. “I’ll be your best man! I’ll be the best ‘best man’ you’ve ever seen!”
“That’s just what I wanted to hear,” I said as I grinned at him and looped an arm around his shoulders.
Plus, I reckoned it made a nice tidy circle, given that Shay had been the one who was so adamant about having Earth traditions in this ceremony and would surely have appointed herself as maid of honor to Amaya, with Zoie, Nova, and Anwaar as the rest of the bridal party.
I just wished I’d been able to have a proper bachelor party. Though, then again, rummaging around a pirate’s hoard of gold with my best friend was pretty damn fun, and we were all set to have a completely insane party tonight. That would more than make up for it.
Once Horus was finally satisfied with our ensembles, we headed downstairs to the main hall to find that, even though I couldn’t have been upstairs for more than forty minutes maximum, the entire hall had been utterly transformed.
Gauzy white fabric draped from the windows, which cast everything in a soft light. Colorful flowers were woven into a huge archway at the end of the hall, where a small platform had been erected, and Jenner waited patiently at the end with a huge book on a pedestal in front of him. Rylan, Bodin, Vel-Rala, and everyone other than my wives were clustered on both sides of a long white carpet that led down the hallway from the entrance to where Jenner waited, and each of them were holding more brightly colored flowers.
It was basic, by Earth standards. Frugal, really, because there weren’t even chairs, and while everyone was dressed nicely, it was clear they’d been working with whatever was close to hand.
But it was my family and friends, my Crew, and just the fact of that was almost enough to bring actual tears to my eyes.
This was really happening. An actual wedding. I loved Amaya and Shay and Zoie, but this felt… this felt more real. All at once I understood why people on Earth always liked to make such a fuss about weddings. It really was a shift, it really did make a difference.
I really was married, and I really was getting married again.
For a moment, I wanted to turn and run. Not away, just to whichever room Amaya was getting ready in, with Shay, Zoie, and Nova. I wanted to pull them all into my arms and kiss them. I loved them all so much it hurt to think of it, like there was a tightness in my chest, just a build-up from how much I cared for them, and I had to get it out somehow before I exploded.
I reached out and gripped Horus’ arm, and he turned to me with a concerned look.
“You mean a lot to me, you know that?” I said to him. “You’re like a brother to me.”
It was a testament to how emotional everyone was that Horus didn’t smirk or make a silly little joke. He just grinned at me and nodded.
“And you to me, Chief,” he said. “Now, come on, let’s get you married.”
We both walked down the aisle, and I took my place next to Jenner while Horus took his place next to me. Jenner shot me a kind, almost fatherly smile and then raised a hand, and the doors at the end of the hall opened to reveal the bridal party.
Nova was the first to emerge, in a deep red dress that perfectly matched the scarlet petals she spread across the white aisle as she walked. Shay must have informed her of the purpose of a flower girl and, in lieu of an actual girl, they’d chosen Nova. I liked how she was involved, because it made clear the siren-woman had gotten over her nervousness around Amaya, and that she really did want Amaya to be part of our family.
Behind her came, of course, Shay. As maid of honor, she lit the way for Amaya just as she lit the way for Aventoll as the Incarnate. Her dress was also deep red, which contrasted the white bouquet of flowers she held in her hands. Where she’d gotten all these flowers from, I had no idea, but they were-- like her-- beautiful.
Behind her came Zoie and Anwaar, also in red, also with white bouquets, with their arms linked and their grins radiant. And last of all, with a bouquet of red flowers and a long dress of shimmering white, came Amaya.
For a second, I swore my heart actually stopped beating.
I barely even registered she was moving because I was so rapt. One moment, she was standing at the entrance, and the next, she was taking her place beside me in front of Jenner.
“You look… wonderful,” I said softly, and I knew I was gazing at her with the most sappy, moon-eyed expression ever, but I didn’t even care.
“You look pretty handsome yourself,” the oryx-woman replied with a slightly nervous giggle. “How did Shay do?”
“Oh, she did fantastically,” I promised, and I made a mental note to make sure I properly thanked her for all her efforts. Preferably with Amaya’s help.
“Ladies, gentleman,” Jenner then said, and everyone’s attention turned to him. “We are gathered here to celebrate the union of Alex Brightwood and Amaya Mec. Before we begin, does anyone object to their union, or have reason why these two should not be joined?”
Wow, Shay really had managed to get a lot of the details right. That ‘objection’ clause was mainly seen as a joke these days. A kind of holdover that was kept because it was funny, rather than because people actually acted on it. Still, I had to commend my phoenix-wife’s meticulous attention to detail.
But a moment later, when the doors to the hall burst open, I realized I may have spoken-- or thought-- too soon.
Captain Nemis stood in the doorway looking furious. His hands were both braced on the doors from slamming them open, but he pulled one away to point directly at us.
“I object!”
Chapter 12
I, and everyone else assembled in the hall, stared at Captain Nemis as he glared at us all. His teeth were gritted, his shoulders heaved with panting breaths, and he looked more than a little bit mad.
“You… object to this union?” Jenner asked in a very careful tone, and he glanced between Nemis, Amaya, and myself. “On what grounds?”
Nemis blinked back at the koala-man, and his anger turned to puzzlement.
“Union? What union? I object to him!”
He pointed again, this time more clearly, and I wasn’t at all surprised to see he was pointing squarely at Bodin, who looked like he was trying to sink behind the bouquet of brightly-colored flowers he was holding and become invisible. Next to him, Vel-Rala was awkwardly patting his shoulder.
“I object to him standing in this house!” Nemis went on. “I object to him benefiting from what he put our family through! I object that he should be given any respect or mercy for his selfishness!”
As Sha-Kane, Horus, and I had been rowing back from the newly re-christened Midnight, I remembered I’d suggested we should bring Nemis off the Soaring Light, since it would have been unfair to leave him imprisoned, alone, aboard his own ship. But now, as I saw how the captain was practically foaming at the mouth with rage, I suspected we maybe should have just left him on the Soaring Light to cool off.
And, sure enough, when I glanced at Councilman Sha-Kane, because he was obviously the person who’d arranged Nemis’ relocation, the osprey-man looked more than a little dismayed. And faintly embarrassed. Even the flowers clutched in his hands appeared to droop a bit.
Regardless, whoever Sha-Kane had enlisted to transport Nemis off the Manta had done a pretty shoddy job of it if he’d managed to get free and run around through the house.
At least he’d come across Bodin in a room full of witnesses.
“Captain,” Amaya began in a gentle, soothing tone. “Can’t we all sit down and discuss this calmly? Bodin is your family.”
“That traitor lost the opportunity to have a calm discussion when he ran away!” Nemis snarled as he reached behind himself and pulled out what looked like a metal rod from the back of his pants, and I realized then that whoever Sha-Kane had sent to take Nemis off the Soaring Light was probably tied up in the ship’s hold. Nemis must have managed to loosen one of the bars on his cell enough to remove it, and when Sha-Kane’s helpers arrived to take Nemis to shore, the captain must have sprung some kind of surprise attack on them. No doubt there was a small rowboat abandoned on the shore of Lake Lakuna right now.
Nemis waved the cell bar around like it was a sword, before brandishing it toward Bodin.
“You lost the chance to plead your case in a civilized court when you abandoned our family!” Nemis continued in an enraged howl, but for the first time, I saw a glimmer of genuine pain in his expression as he spoke, a hint that what Bodin had done to Nemis, and to their entire family, had really hurt.
“I don’t know what you want me to do, cousin,” Bodin said from behind his flowers. “I did what I believed was best for everyone, and I cannot change the past. Even if I could, I don’t regret my actions. Even if they lead to me dying by your hand today.”
“Hey, whoa, no one’s dying,” I said firmly and raised my hands. I was pretty sure someone being killed in the middle of the ceremony was seen as a Bad Omen in Aventollian wedding traditions.
As well as being just a total mood killer.
“You are no master of mine, Asher Brightwood!” Nemis told me. “I am Nemis of House Hana, and by the ancient laws and traditions of Aventoll, by the doctrines founded in the light of Mercedes, I challenge that son-of-a-bitch to a Duel to the death!”
Nemis wasn’t an Asher, so I wasn’t entirely sure if he could actually challenge Bodin-- or anyone-- to an actual Duel, but since he and Bodin were both No-Ranks and therefore on equal ground, I didn’t expect anyone to jump in and stop the captain.
Nemis pointed his prison bar directly at Bodin, but Bodin did not move.
“Fight me, coward!” Nemis cried out. “Step forward and meet your fate!”
“I will not fight you, cousin!” Bodin stood up a little straighter now and passed his flowers to Vel-Rala. “I left to protect our family. I will not put your blood on my hands when I went to such lengths to preserve it.”
“Preservation? Is that what you call abandoning your royal duties? Purging yourself from our family histories? Making your mother believe you’d been kidnapped, or murdered, or even that you’d never existed at all and she had gone mad?”
Bodin actually flinched at the last barb, and I had to agree, it sounded especially harsh. But if Bodin had gone to the trouble of removing every mention of himself from the family records, it made sense how some people might question what they thought they remembered.
“I never intended to hurt anyone, Nemis!” Bodin insisted, and he stepped forward just a little, with his hands spread in a pleading posture. “I know leaving was… extreme. But I swear to you, I only had our family’s best interests at heart!”
“Your words mean nothing to me,” Nemis snarled. “Don’t swear on things you do not hold dear! Yours are the words of a liar and a coward. Fight me! Take back your honor in the only way left to you, or have the common decency to die in disgrace for what you’ve done!”
“Enough!” a voice cried out, and I turned to see Shay marching down the carpet, back up the aisle, toward Nemis. “Enough of this, right now! This was supposed to be a happy occasion for Alex and Amaya, and you’re ruining it with your childish, self-important grudges!”
“He lied to me!” Nemis scowled at my phoenix-wife. “To all of us! Have you any idea what it’s like, to believe something for years about your family, only to discover it was all a lie?”
Thank Mercedes neither Shay nor Horus were looking at me at that moment, because I couldn’t hide how I winced. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Amaya glance at me with concern, and Zoie stared at me knowingly.
“It doesn’t matter that he lied,” Horus said as he walked forward to defend his sister. “What matters is he’s here, alive. You can never get time back, when you lose someone. Be thankful Mercedes saw fit to return your lost cousin to you. Few people are presented with such a gift.”
