The Fire and The Storm - The Nexus of Kellaran #2
Chapter 151

Part 22

"What, you were afraid of a five-month-old child?!" Gran asked.

"Four months old when she did it to me, if I remember correctly." Bezedil said as he walked around and picked Fire up, and hugged her. "But you have to understand, they were already as bright as ten-year- olds and incredibly powerful psionicists, and when a baby with incredible psionic power and a lot of talent for it wants to scare the crap out of you, she can, believe me!"

"And you were one of the least scared of all the people she did it to!" Six laughed. "It was four years before Prince Reen could even look her in the face and smile!"

"So I was precocious as a baby." Fire laughed, and shrugged as she hugged Bezedil. "I'm adorable now, and that's all that matters."

"Oh, you were adorable then too." Sana assured her with a suitably adoring smile. "Scary, but very adorable."

"You're still very adorable, and very scary." Val teased.

Nemia joined Talia and Alilia in Mark's lap just long enough to hug the three of them, and declared to Val; "Considering that your parents are still both scary and adorable, I consider it only natural that you cubs be the same!"

"This one is the adorable champion in our marriage." Alilia teased as she pulled Talia over for a quick kiss, then spoke to her from ten centimeters away, holding her gaze with a smoky intensity. "I wasn't that surprised that Mark could love me, even though he already had you. He's a man after all, and men are like that.

"But you. That you can love me so beautifully after what I did to you is amazing. And more amazing is that you were willing to share him with me, to share him completely and whole-heartedly, without reservation. I doubt I could have done the same if I'd had him first. You are the most loving and giving person I've ever met, and I owe you everything. You're my hero."

She slowly drew Talia close for a far more involved kiss than the last one.

Talia chuckled quietly as they drew apart. "It was easy to share him with you." she declared. "I knew with certainty that he wouldn't love me one bit less, or give me one moment less of his love, if you shared your love with us. And he hasn't. On the contrary, he feels that I've made a mighty sacrifice by allowing him to have you as well as me, and he loves having you as well as me, so he loves me even more because of it."

She chuckled again, low in her throat. "As if it could ever be a sacrifice having you around. You're far too magnificent and beautiful and desirable for that. And you gave us Val, wonderful gift that she is." "Love is a wonderful thing." Mark quietly rumbled. "I love you both so much, and there's no doubt that I'm also feeling a lot of the magic love of the binding of Laylas chapel. "This was a really good idea."

"It really was." Alilia murmured as the three of them shared a close hug.

"So," Somonik asked as he turned to Dalia and Bezedil. "Will you be ready to become Prince and Princess Regent of The People of Life some six weeks hence?"

"Considering that it'll be some sixteen years of subjective time, I think we will!" Bezedil assured him. “And to be honest, I won't mind returning to the comparatively simple and predictable life we have there for a while before we become regent."

"Yes, just a simple rural life." Dalia grinned as she tickled him in his ribs. "Feed the chickens, raise some kids, and battle simulated demons three days out of five. Just relaxing in paradise."

"And now we'll have to find time to study as well!" Bezedil laughed. "But still, you love it as much as I, and it'll be hard to leave when the time-bubble ends again."

"That's true." she smiled, and kissed him. "But I'm looking forward to life in Heartwood as well, and I know you'll be glad to be back."

"That's true." he smiled back, and kissed her again.

"I believe the time has almost come to bring this occasion to a close." Somonik observed. "We are awash in romantic sentiment, and the newlyweds will soon want their privacy."

"The newlyweds, and others." Gran said with a rumbling chuckle as she sensuously coiled around him.

"Well then." Mark said as he stood with his wives in his arms and set them on the table, then took their glasses, gave them theirs, and raised his high.

"We'd very much like to thank you for coming. It's been wonderful in every respect, and it's always great to see all of you, and to spend time with you. We'll see you soon, and we hope you'll have a wonderful evening. Or morning, or whatever it is where you'll be going."

There began a long process of farewells and hugs that lasted almost half an hour.

"I would not trade this precious time with my son and my herd for anything." Silaran stated when he and Equemev took their turn for farewells. "But it is unfortunate that the needs of unicorn colts, and their incompatibility with dragons, have distanced us from you somewhat."

"We would much prefer that this time of separation be as brief as possible." Equemev continued. "So when you return to the Hiliani time-bubble tomorrow, we will be entering the time-bubble on the plains of Xervia, and joining a great many of our people there. Falgaroth assured us it would not be a problem."

"When you emerge from the Hiliani time-bubble in five weeks of real time, we will emerge from the Xervian time-bubble with our grown son, who will be more than ready to begin to associate with the other races, including dragons." Silaran finished.

"Thank you, that's good thinking." Mark told him as he hugged the big white unicorn around his neck, and Silaran nuzzled his back.

"We also look forward to the end of this distance between us." Talia assured them as she hugged Equemev. "We've missed you." she added as she stepped back.

"Congratulations, dear Princess." Equemev told Alilia as the two caressed.

"We've missed you greatly as well." Kragorram told Silaran as the two gently bumped noses.

When the unicorns were gone, Povon and Kragorram said their farewells.

"We'll see you tomorrow at Hiliani." Povon said as they prepared to go, and asked Karzog; "Are you coming with us to the Lair in Serminak?"

"Not tonight Mother." he said as he resumed his elven Simulacrum, then smiled as he hugged Fire with one arm. "We'll be at Mark's house on Hiliani."

"All right. We'll see you there in about eight hours." Kragorram told him with a smile, then he and Povon were gone.

That left just Mark, his wives and children, and Karz in elven guise.

"I assume you're going somewhere romantic for an evening of honeymooning?" Val teased as she hugged her mother goodbye.

"We are, though we haven't decided where yet." Alilia laughed as she returned the hug.

Talia glanced around and confirmed that only the head table remained, and most of the items on it had already been discretely cleared by volunteers of The People of Life. She knew the table and it's remaining contents would be gone shortly after the last of the wedding party had left.

"You four take care." she said as she hugged Six. "I know you won't need anyone to watch over you. Just please, don't do anything that would require our attention."

"We understand. It wouldn't do to be interrupted on your wedding night." Fire laughed as she rose up and hugged Mark around his neck.

"All right." Mark grinned after the last of the hugs had been exchanged. He linked hands with Talia and Alilia, said; "We love you, be good, and we'll see you in the morning.", and Translocated the three of them. The four youngsters, left alone in Laylas chapel, just smiled at each other for a moment.

Then Fire gently took Karz' hand and smiled at Six and Val. "Come on." she softly said as she led them to the top of the dais. They sat cross-legged in a tight circle in the exact center of Laylas chapel with their knees touching and their hands linked. They leaned forward till the sides of their foreheads were touching, Linked their minds, and sat for hours, silently communing and basking in the magic love.☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐

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