| The Wedding (Garnham) We open in the Farshore chapel. Most of the townfolk are gathered in their best clothing which varies from really nice to their regular clothing cleaned up a bit. At the front of the chapel stand the Silver Beetles, decked out in their finest outfits, arrayed in a line on the right hand side of the chapel. They are, in order, Garnham, Dexter, Maggie and Elyosha. Dexter carries an elaborately carved mahogany box.
In the front center stands Vesserin Catherly dressed in formal robes.
Maggie (speaking softly, as do the others in this exchange): I still say we should have done "naked wedding."
Garnham: No.
Elyosha: In Drusikstan no one has naked wedding. Is too cold, groom parts fall off. Bad for honeymoon.
Maggie: Why not?
Garnham: The only person I want to see naked will be walking down that aisle in about five minutes. When the naked part happens it's going to be between us.
Dexter snorts and smiles at his brother.
Elyosha: Not good for bride parts either.
Maggie: You should open your self up to more experiences Garnham.
Garnham: There are a lot of fine people out there today that I wouldn't want to experience even if I weren't getting married.
Elyosha: In Drusikstan no one gets naked on honeymoon either. Always wear hat.
Garnham: This feels weird.
Dexter: Getting married?
Garnham: No. Standing up here in front of all these people. I've spent most of my life trying to stay hidden. This is weird.
Dexter: Don't sweat it. In a few minutes no one's going to be looking at you.
At this point Rowyn Keilani, who had been playing background music on the violin, plays the musical cue that signals the coming of the bridal party. The Beetles stand to attention. Rowyn begins playing Tcham im Lithicarnia a traditional bridal march.
The members of the bridal party proceed to march down the aisle.
First up is Hevrik Adwattle.
Next is Gina "Redfoot" Fiddlebiter a relatively tall halfling woman in her thirties dressed in a fashionable yet comfortable outfit.
Next is Sabine Taskerhill. She carries a box identical to the one held by Dexter.
Finally Lavinia Vanderboren walks down the aisle. Walking beside her, in lieu of her deceased mother, is Telda Syren a half-elven woman who was very close to Lavinia's mother Larrissa.
Telda walks Lavinia up to her place in the front of the chapel, hugs her warmly and stands beside Vesserin.
Rowyn stops playing.
Vesserin steps forward.
Vesserin: We are gathered here today, on this happy occasion, to join and witness the joining of Lavinia Vanderboren and Kai Garnham in the estate of matrimony. To these two young people, this marriage signifies the birth of a new spirit, a spirit which is a part of each of us, yet not of any one of us alone. This "birth of spirit" reminds us of spring, the season when all life is reborn and looms again. It is appropriate, therefore, that this wedding of
Lavinia and Kai be in the spring, Kai, Lavinia, I bid you look into each others eyes. Lavinia, Will you cause him pain?
Lavinia: I may.
Vesserin: Is that your intent?
Lavinia: No.
Vesserin: Kai, will you cause her pain.
Garnham: I may.
Vesserin: Is that your intent?
Garnham: No.
Vesserin: (to both) Will you share each other's pain and seek to ease it?
Both: We shall.
Vesserin: And so the binding is made.
Vesserin steps back letting Telda move to the spot that he has vacated. Dexter offers the box to Telda. She opens the lid and extracts a silver chain from inside. Garnham raises his right hand revealing a golden bracelet. Telda attaches the chain to the bracelet. Lavinia raises her left hand to reveal an identical bracelet. Telda attaches the other end of the chain to Lavinia's bracelet.
Vesserin: Lavinia, Will you share his laughter?
Lavinia: Yes.
Vesserin: Kai, Will you share her laughter?
Garnham: Yes.
Vesserin: (to both) Will both of you look for the brightness in life and the positive in each other?
Both: We shall.
Vesserin: And so the binding is made.
Sabine offers her box to Telda who opens it, removes a silver chain and uses it to link Lavinia to Garnham.
Vesserin: Lavinia, Will you burden him?
Lavinia: I may.
Vesserin: Is that your intent?
Lavinia: No.
Vesserin: Kai, Will you burden her?
Garnham: I may.
Vesserin: Is that your intent?
Garnham: No.
Vesserin: (to both) Will you share the burdens of each so that your spirits may grow in this union?
Both: We shall.
Vesserin: And so the binding is made.
Telda takes another chain from Dexter's box and binds Garnham to Lavinia.
Vesserin: Lavinia, will you share his dreams?
Lavinia: Yes.
Vesserin: Kai, will you share her dreams?
Garnham: Yes.
Vesserin: (to both) Will you dream together to create new realities and hopes?
Both: We shall.
Vesserin: And so the binding is made.
Telda takes a chain from Sabine's box and binds Lavinia to Garnham.
Vesserin: Kai, will you cause her anger?
Garnham: I may.
Vesserin: Is that your intent?
Garnham: No.
Vesserin: Lavinia, will you cause him anger?
Lavinia: I may.
Vesserin: Is that your intent?
Lavinia: No.
Vesserin: (to both) Will you take the heat of anger and use it to temper the strength of this union?
Both: We will.
Vesserin: And so the binding is made.
Telda takes a chain from Dexter's box and binds Garnham to Lavinia.
Vesserin: Lavinia, Will you honor him?
Lavinia: I will.
Vesserin: Kai, Will you honor her?
Garnham: I will.
Vesserin: (to both) Will you seek to never give cause to break that honor?
Both: We shall never do so.
Vesserin: And so the binding is made.
Telda takes the final chain from Sabine's box and binds Lavinia to Garnham. She steps back allowing Vesserin to return to his original place. He places his hands on the six chains linking Lavinia and Garnham.
Vesserin: The links of this binding are not formed by these chains but instead by your vows. Either of you may drop them, for as always, you hold in your own hands the making or breaking of this union. (Vesserin removes his hand from the chains. Garnham and Lavinia join bracleted hands.) I now pronounce you husband and wife.
The couple embrace and kiss. There are some hoots from the assembled townsfolk and some of the members of the wedding party. Rowyn starts a spirited song on the violin. The couple walk up the aisle hand in hand under a rain of the hats thrown into the air by the congregation. |