Davie the Mage (Generations of Eredwynn Book 2) (5 page)

              “You keep an eye on me and make sure that I don’t become like that. I can see how it could happen and wouldn’t want to be like that. Even if we have one maid at our house that would be plenty, but Star had some convincing arguments about consorts. I’m still not sure that I’d be willing to share my husband. That just isn’t the way things are done where I came from.”

              “It will be your decision, my love. Now we better eat and dress. If James had his staff bring breakfast, he must be rushing us to get to Wizard’s.”

              We ate quickly and I dressed. Ivy and Kemma, two of James’ consorts, came over and helped Amber with her clothes and hair. She grinned the entire time they were assisting her.

              When we were ready and Amber had located her ‘purse’ that looked more like a bag to me, we ported to the road leading to Wizard’s Castle. Amber had been to the courtyard before, so she wasn’t surprised by the size of the place. As we went through the gate, the guard bowed slightly and welcomed me home. We walked to the keep and went into the reception room. The herald started to announce me but I called him over and whispered to him. He grinned from ear to ear and stepped into the audience chamber.  We waited a bit and he signaled us. As we walked in he announced, “His Highness Prince Davie and his betrothed, the Lady Amber.” Amber looked at me and I smiled.

              We walked to the dais and Father stood to meet us with a huge smile. I bowed and Amber curtsied. Sending her out with Lia had paid off as far as her curtsy. Father came off the dais and hugged us both. Aunt Isabel was right behind him. “Well, Son, it seems as though you learned from James. At least you didn’t get married before you came home. I guess with you being sixteen, in my world you wouldn’t have been able to without a parent’s permission, anyway.”

              “I did have some trouble figuring out how money worked there. Amber, did you bring that money that we have from your world?”

              Amber opened her purse and pulled the wad of parchment from inside. She handed it to me and I handed it to Father. He said, “That’s quite a bit of money and most people wouldn’t be carrying that much around. I’m sure that when you met Amber, she had no problems with using money. The people in our old world are taught at a very young age how to spend money. Not as many are taught how to make money, though. Young lady, put this back into your purse in case you decide that you want to go back to get something that can’t be found here.”

              Amber said, “Yes, sir, but there’s nothing there that I want. This is a beautiful place and Davie is here. What more do I need?”

              “You really love my son, don’t you, Miss? I can see it in your eyes and I can tell he loves you, too. When you decide to wed, let me know and I’ll do the service myself.”

              From an observation balcony there was an “Ahem”. We all looked up and saw my mother watching the proceedings with interest. She floated down to the throne room and smiled frighteningly. “I don’t think there will be a wedding until after my son introduces his mother to this lovely young lady. I won’t hold it against you, Davie. Your father is the softie in the family and I would have come to him first in your position. Hello, Amber, I’m Alba and from what I’ve heard, I’m to be your mother-in-law.”

              Amber curtsied and I said, “Hello, Mother. Actually, you were our next stop. I know that you’ll love Amber as much as I do.”

              My mother nodded and gently took Amber by the arm and led her from the throne room. I nodded encouragement and was relieved when Aunt Isa went out with them. Father said, “You knew it was bound to happen. Your mother is reasonable most of the time and she will be kind. She might try to take her and keep her to play dress-up, but she’s been trying that with all the girls in the family. Son, I’d like for you to be wed as soon as possible and it’s for purely selfish reasons. I want you to take your place at Perlsea Castle. The regent there is an annoying fool and I want him gone quickly. I’m going to talk to your mother and see if we can get this done tomorrow. I know that she will want months of planning and a huge guest list, but I know you’d prefer something simple. Your wishes should be the ones taken into account.”

              “Father, do me a favor and don’t mention Perlsea to Amber. I have her convinced that we’re going to have a small house on the outskirts of town. I’d love to surprise her with a castle. We could call it a wedding present.”

              “I’ll keep it under my hat and make sure your Aunt Isa does, too,” my father assured me.  We sat on the chairs in the throne room. There were no thrones because Father thought they were ostentatious and he wanted to be a king of the people, not the nobles. We talked about my trip and the people I’d seen. I told him that I could understand why he hadn’t wanted to go back all those years ago. Eredwynn might be behind in the sciences, but we were way ahead when it came to people and cooperation. Father had a nostalgic look when I talked about cars and self-opening doors, but he didn’t seem to miss them. Finally, we heard happy female voices returning.

              My mother came in with her arm around Amber and they were both smiling happily. My mother said, “We’ve all been talking and we think that you should get married tomorrow. It won’t be a big wedding but Amber doesn’t really want one.”

              Father grinned at me and I said, “She doesn’t have much in the way of clothes. Will the tailor be able to get her something suitable to be married in by tomorrow?”

              Aunt Isa chimed in, “You sent her with Lia to get clothes. Your sister ordered a wedding dress and made it top priority, so it will be ready by tonight. I assume you’ll be staying at James’ tonight so I’ll have Lia bring it over. Star and the consorts will have a wonderful time helping her get ready. After the wedding, you can port the two of you to that little house that Amber was telling us about and begin your lives together.”

              Mother grinned. “And you can start working on grandbabies for me to spoil and dress up!”

              Amber and I both blushed and were given permission to escape back to Kethos. We said goodbye and I ported us directly to our room in James’ castle. We held each other and kissed. Tears of relief and happiness were running down her cheeks. “Your mother is a wonderful and funny person. I can see how she could be scary, but she loves you and wants to make sure you’re taken care of. I got a long lecture on the benefits of consorts from both your mother and the queen.  I still don’t think I’m ready to have my husband in bed with another woman but I was told we could have unconsummated consorts. They would help me out with things, but wouldn’t sleep with you. That might be an idea that I could work with, depending on if we have a spare bedroom or not.”

              “Whatever makes you happy, my love. We’ll be married tomorrow and move into our own place. Then you will have the run of the place. Maybe we could get a Halfling gardener, since they work miracles when it comes to farming and flowers.”

              She hugged me and said that she wanted to go tell Star and the others about the wedding and ask if they would help her. I went downstairs and told James about the plans and that things had gone better with my mom than expected. He said he would suspend the castle’s business until after the wedding so he could attend. We heard the giggling of all the girls coming down from the apartment and greeted them. I kissed Amber and James kissed all of his ladies. Amber had dressed in the clothing style of the wizards with the tight pants and tunic with a cape to match. I was told that the color was sea green, but I thought it was light blue. I knew better than to argue colors with women, though, so I asked if they were going out. They told me they were just going for a walk and I was invited if I wanted to go. I whispered to James that I couldn’t refuse the offer and could watch the sexy scenery, too. James winked and told us to have fun. We left him to go back to work and strolled out of the keep and through the courtyard.

              We went to the town that had been a dirt-poor village when James had taken over the province. The girls were just strolling and chatting. They weren’t interested in anything that we passed or any of the shops. As we passed by the docks a man yelled at our group, “Hey, you in the blue! Why don’t you come down here and let me show you what a sailor can do for ya!”

              Amber was instantly back in her other realm mode and not at all the demure Lady that the man had expected to embarrass. “Why don’t you get off your lazy ass and come up here if you have something to show me! I have a man, as I’m sure you do too! If you don’t want your friends to see you get stomped by a girl, you better turn your rowboat around and get lost!”

              The man was stunned and didn’t have anything further to say. He went back to work tossing fish from his boat. Amber turned around and all the other girls with her were staring as if she’d grown another head! Then they all grinned and hugged her, saying that was most impressive display of a woman holding her own against a man they’d ever seen. I knew that Amber had taken a huge boost up the acceptance ladder with her very un-ladylike display.

              I followed the very attractive group all the way around town. They wandered the streets, drawing looks from everywhere, but they were never approached by anyone. Six wizards with the Expert patch on their shoulders could go almost anywhere and be left alone. I was happy that my soon-to-be wife’s first friends were Experts and not Novices, who would be closer to her own age. I decided that I’d ask my father if there were wizards or trainees who could come to Perlsea as added security for Amber and as friends. I knew that Mother would come there and train them if I asked her to.

              As the sun drifted to the west Lynna, the oldest of the consorts at twenty-nine, suggested they head back. Lia suddenly popped in beside the group and said that she was going to rush us a bit. There was an urgent situation in our room. She ported us straight to the guest suite and said that she’d brought over Amber’s wedding dress and she had to make sure it fit. The tailor was on standby, just in case. I was shooed out of the room as per the old tradition and went to James’ apartment to be kept company.

              James and I chatted about the joys and troubles of being the lord of a castle. I was promised all the assistance that a big brother could offer. He’d had a good regent who led him gently into the job, but the rumor mill said that the regent at Perlsea was an overbearing jerk who might just walk out the minute I arrived. I hoped not because, even though I’d grown up in a castle, I hadn’t paid as much attention as I should have to running one. James also suggested that since my castle was a seaside castle and had no fishing industry, I could look into that. It would help with development and cash flow and had done just that for Kethos.

              Finally the girls trooped in and I was given permission to return to my room. I said goodnight and made my way across the hall. Amber was already in bed so I undressed and crawled in beside her. She smiled at me and her eyes told me what she wanted. I put out the lights and made love to the woman I was to marry in the morning.

Chapter Four

            
 
B
right and early the next morning, my sweet big sister shook me awake. She told me to dress in my best clothes and get out. She would bring Amber to Wizard’s herself. I threw on my clothes and knocked on James’ apartment. Ivy let me in with a big grin.

              Ivy said that she was supposed to keep me company while I waited for James. She let me know that she’d been talking to Amber about some Halfling girls who were interested in being consorts. She’d tried to get James to take them but they were only fifteen and sixteen. Since James was twenty-two, and nothing like our father in that respect, he didn’t want consorts that young. She told me that she thought that Amber had some strange ideas when it came to having consorts. She didn’t actually look down on girls who wanted to be, but she didn’t want any for herself or for me. I was informed that she’d started to open up to the idea slightly after spending the day with all of James’ girls and seeing how well they all got along.

              I have always loved talking to Ivy. It wasn’t really like talking to a person, as in having a conversation. It was more like struggling to keep up with a one sided conversation going twice as fast as a normal human could think. All Halflings aren’t like that. I think it’s just another thing that makes Ivy special. After a couple hours James showed up and said that he was to escort me to Wizard’s Castle.

              He ported us to the roof of the keep and said that we’d go down when summoned. The event was being held in the great hall even though there wouldn’t be a huge crowd. With my mother inviting people, there were sure to be plenty. James kept sticking his head through the roof access door and I floated myself into a sitting position, trying to maintain my calm. Divorce was unheard of in Eredwynn and so marriage was a huge step. If a nobleman with consorts cheated on his wife, he would be shunned but they would still be married. Neither one could remarry, so the shunned man would usually be forgiven, eventually. I loved Amber with all my heart, body and spirit and knew that I wanted to be with her forever.

              James finally got his signal and we floated down to the back entrance of the great hall so we could come up behind the dais that was set up in there. James escorted me to the front of the stage where my father, mother and Aunt Isabel were standing. Soft, slow and solemn music started and my aunts, followed by James’ girls, started down the aisle. After they split off into the front rows of chairs, my gorgeous wife-to-be, in a beautiful gown, escorted by my sister Lia, came toward me. She was so lovely and I was so happy that my vision blurred with tears. I blinked them away rapidly so I could see and remember every moment. She came to me and we joined hands. I was lost in her eyes but managed to say the lines my father asked me to repeat. I was told to kiss the bride, which I very happily did. My family, all my brothers and sisters, my aunts and parents and all the guests applauded loudly.