Wedding Day (Mika, Aymelek, Belshida, Rhiannon, Ashid, Adir)
Sept 8, 2013 21:11:24 GMT -4
Post by Empress Aymelek on Sept 8, 2013 21:11:24 GMT -4
AYMELEK: She could hear the sounds of those in the great hall. It was a jubilant sound. Yellow flower petals were raining down in an almost constant stream. Mika went ahead of her, and was waiting. She was shaking so profoundly even her leg muscles were quivering and jerking. She felt the touch of her lady on one side, her eunuch on the other. She went over the instructions in her head. Walk down the aisle alone. Keep your eyes on where Mika is. Go stand by him, take his hand. You both will kneel, be crowned Emperor and Empress and immediately the wedding ceremony would begin. It seemed simple. All she had to do was walk down the aisle, kneel and answer questions with the affirmative. In an hour she would be Empress to Susa and wife of its Emperor. She tried to swallow but there was no saliva. None. Her mouth was bone dry. She felt her muscle give a deep shuddering shake then someone's hand on her back pushed her gently and her steps began. Through the layers of yellow flower petals that filled the hall with fragrance, the beaded dress making a slight chinking sound, she fixed her eyes on the tall figure of Mika far ahead and that was where she was supposed to go. She felt lost, trapped, unable to think, but at last a moment of clarity came when she remembered why it was she was doing all of this. For Susa. For the old Adir. For the people.
MIKA: Mika knew that he probably should have looked happier, more jubilant, on his wedding day. He did do his best to put on a content look, or something that wasn't dour or surly. He wasn't angry... but this definitely wasn't the direction he'd seen his life going in. He hadn't chosen his bride, and though Aymelek seemed like a nice girl, he barely knew her. She barely knew him. Mika had no doubt that she was terrified out of her mind, but he'd already promised her that he would never hurt her. He was dressed in a fine tunic and trousers, embroidered along the hems. His hair was tied back, he was clean from head to toe. He knew his family was proud, he knew his mother was excited for him. But his life was about to drastically change, and he could see no alternative for himself or for Aymelek. Not at the moment, anyway. So he reached to take her hand whens he reached the top of the steps and he tried to give her a small, though quick smile. He knelt when they were supposed to and took a deep breath as they were crowned. Well... there was no turning back down. He gave the girl's hand a gentle squeeze. She wasn't in this alone, at least.
BELSHIDA: Belshida stood as her son entered the great hall, remained standing when her future daughter in law entered. These were not only her children, they were her lieges. They were the crowned heads of all of Susa and as such, she swore fealty to them. In the end, however, she was watching her baby boy commit his life to a nation and a woman. It made her cry and nothing Ashid could do would stop the tears. As the invocations were read and the vows were spoke, Belshida continually wiped her eyes, prayed her prayers and her mind filled with images of Mika as a young boy growing into a man. How she longed to have him small again, if only for an hour, to hold him, to reassure him and to prepare him a little more for this day.
RHIANNON: Rhiannon was standing by Dameer watching it all with abject fascination. She wasn't crying. What wa to cry about?? Mika was stepping into a life full of power and wealth, and he got a beautiful wife to boot. There was not much to cry over in her mind.
ASHID: Ashid remained stoic. He loved his son very much and while there was a trace of worry that this was not Mika's choice, it was Mika's duty and he was very proud of his son for stepping up to it with such strength and dignity.
ADIR: Adir was reclined near the dais where the ceremonies were taking place. He was at his life's end. It would be a day, two at most. He would retire from here, once he kissed his daughter and hugged his new son, to his rooms where he would remain until his death. The letter for Mika was ready to be sent at his passing. All was in place and as his eyes roamed over the crowd and he saw the entourage of Dimmamark present among the other provinces and lands of Susa, he knew the right thing was happening.
AYMELEK: Aymelek was barely aware of any of it. She saw her father, saw Belshida who smiled and blew a kiss her way, she saw Mika's brief smile, felt his hand. It was the first touch by a male other than her father or eunuch in her entire life, so of course it was poignant in her mind, but the ceremonies were a blur. Words spoke, affirmations given, prayers, invocations, recitations, until finally they stood. Emperor and Empress, husband and wife, man and woman, on and on. Then the celebration began. Aymelek was planted in a seat at a raised table in the banquet hall by her husband, and there she sat, still stunned.
MIKA: There were two officiants there - one representing Dimmamark and the other representing Susa. Traditions were mixed to show that this was to be a union on as many levels as possible. When they rose again, it was finished, they were rulers, joined, and they would have to sort out how to make this work on every level. He was grateful to at least sit for a while as the celebrations started - being a monarch, or at least becoming one, was apparently exhausting. He looked over at Aymelek, who looked like she was just in a fog, once people sort of... left them alone to enjoy the meal presented to them. Other people mingled and spoke and socialized. He knew that they would be expected to do the same a little bit later, but for now... it was just the two of them. Sort of. He looked over at her. "Still with us?" he asked lightly, trying a smile. What? He had to find some humor in the situation.
AYMELEK: She turned to look at Mika. Her mouth opened to speak, then she realized she was acting as if she'd been shot through with a poison tipped arrow, and her eyes dropped to Mika's smile. She tried to give him one in return, and while it failed miserably, the attempt was for the right reasons. "I apologize. It is not as if you are a horrible choice in a husband or even an Emperor...it is...well. You understand." She did smile then, not deep, but completely warm, her features thawing from their shock. "I shall try to be more present." She nodded. Then she swallowed, looking over the room. "I have never seen such a celebration while in the midst. I have watched from up there..." she pointed to a small corner balcony. Finally she drew her eyes back from the crowd. "Are you dealing well with all of this Mika?" it was spoke lower, with more concern .
MIKA: "I do understand. But we might as well try to make the best of it." He shrugged a bit helplessly. They'd been drawn into this byother people, and they did it for the good of their peoples. "I don't understand why they sequestered you so long... what good can you be to your people if you barely know them?" Being educated on culture and what not was different from actually experiencing it. "I think I'm alright... it's overwhelming," he admitted. "But it's where we are." He shrugged. He could handle a lot of things, and there were worse fates... maybe. No, there definitely were. He reminded himself not to be so cynical, not so closed off to all of this. "It's... different," he said with a lop-sided smile. There was movement under the table; soon Ghost was laying across Mika's feet... and, consequently, across Aymelek's as well.
AYMELEK: She only realized the wolf was on her feet when he moved. She looked down, lifting the glittering gold cloth and saw Ghost there. It made her smile. Who knew a wolf in the palace would make Aymelek smile eventually? She dropped the cloth and tried to answer. "It is because I am a woman. The culture of my mother was different. Very protective of women, they are placed on a pedestal and admired more than allowed to function. My father kept it up because he loved my mother so very much. The people accepted it and it added to the mystique of the Princess Lekkie. Hopefully now that I am married and can be seen and among the people, the mystique will be replaced by something more funcitonal." She smiled at Mika. "I'm looking forward to that part." As for the rest, she said quietly, "If there is anything I can do to make it better, Mika, you've only to tell me. I am as unfamiliar to this situation as you, but I will try."
MIKA: "In the north, at least among the Kvasir, Andvari, and Nicor peoples, a chieftan or a king's woman works to maintain the good will of the people. They love her, and through her are closer to the king." He shrugged. He knew it wa sa bit different among the Beaivi. He looked at her again. "And I hope you'll tell me if there's anything I can do to help you, I trust you won't be afraid to come to me. Or... at least to my family." And then they could come to him if she was too timid to say anything. Then again, Aymelek seemed to swing between timid and outspoken when it came to him. Perhaps it would just depend on the situation.
AYMELEK: "What is it you would wish for me to be as your woman? An advocate for the people? The people's connection to you? In Susa my mother held no real responsibilities, but I was trained to hold them all. To rule alone, to know the cultures and to understand military tactics, offensive and defensive strategies, to plan a war of outright battle or seige warfare, but the ultimate job for which I was trained was to keep peace, though not at all costs, the costs could be quite high, also to keep the coffers full and the people propserous." She vacillated with Mika. He was the unknown in her equations of life. She could deal with anything and everything around her, but dealing with a man to whom she was married, was not something she had thought through or was trained upon. "I will come to you, even if I think your reaction will be less than pleasant." She looked back over those gathered. "We already know we are going to have those moments." She smiled. "Shall we mingle, Mika?"
MIKA: "Both," he said. Advocate and their connection to him. He looked at the crowd, then at Aymelek. "They should love you, and through you, love me." Of course he wasn't saying that Aymelek had to love him, that wouldn't be reasonable. But he hoped that she would act as a sort of good will ambassador for their regime. "Your duty is to the people - all of them, now." He would expect her to know the social climate, the needs of the people so that they could help those in need, as far as they could. He hoped that she would help him hold the peace, but politically and socially. He offered her a small smile. "And between the two of us, though perhaps more through you, keep the good will of the powerful families that are at our backs." That was important. He rose when she suggested mingling, and even though he would rather disappear... he would go and be social with his new wife, to show those gathered that they were a united front.
AYMELEK: Kvasir, Andvari, and Nicor. She knew the names, knew his mother was Andvari, so they would be naturally inclined to adore their Emperor. She listened to his words, and while her mind was not yet shrewd, it would be. Aymelek would be a force with which to be reckoned. A power in her own right, and the people's connection to a beloved Emperor. They would indeed love her and through her love him. It wasn't manipulation, it was providing security and safety for a people who desperately needed that, along with unity with their new northern kin. All his words were taken as her edict and her reign would be built on the foundations of Mika's words. Perhaps he did not realize the young, sometimes timid, female at his side would become great because of the words he spoke to her tonight just yet. Someday, he would. She rose and together they drifted through the people. Aymelek went to Belshida first, and those representing Andvari took note. She paid her respect to her mother-in-law, then all of her husband's family. Only then did she got to her father and give him a kiss. He patted her hand and smiled. She was then presented with a gift from Emtala, a delicate golden circlet that looked like vines interwined with emeralds glittering along the golden leaves. She laughed and inclined her head. "Very beautiful. I will think of Emtala each time I wear it." Those of Dimmamark were greeted and presented the Empress with 'the heart of ice' A diamond pendant shaped as a heart and looking so clear it was like the purest ice. She was truly touched. Her fingertips touched the pendant. "I am very honored, and to acknowledge the new unity, I will wear the pendant every day for the next year to remember this moment." The evening continued on for some time, her father took his leave after greeting Mika, soon it was time for the newlyweds to depart the banquet among a chorus of cheers, jeers and cups being banged on tables.
MIKA: Mika made the rounds with her, greeting those he knew well with boistrous hugs and almost violent head-butts in the case of some of the Andvari and Kvasiri representatives. He met those from other delegations with more restraint, but with great respect. And when it came time to leave the banquet? He breathed a sigh of relief. As soon as they were out of sight he took the circlet off his head - thank the gods it wasn't some huge crown or anything uncomfortable. It was reasonable. He walked with Aymelek. He knew that people were expecting them to consummate the marriage, but... well. They barely knew each other, and he wasn't of a mind to force a girl he barely knew into an intimate situation.
AYMELEK: Aymelek watched him remove his circlet. His crown was indeed a heavy, ornate ostenatious piece of art, but it was merely placed on his head at the crowning and not meant to be worn for long periods of time without serious spasms of the neck. She wondered, and it would not be the last time, if Mika was well suited for this position. But it was too late for any recourse. They walked down the hall together, up the stairs to the floor of the palace that was dedicated to them and their entire staff. They still had separate chambers however. When they entered the foyer of their apartments, the rose petals were thick on the floor. Their fragrance lovely, the color brilliant. Aymelek looked at them as they walked through them. Perhaps in another place or time she would have married for love, and the rose petals and all the celebration would have meant something more. Alas, it was not so. She knew Mika would not force himself upon her, he promised never to hurt her. She smiled and inclined her head. "Rest well, Mika. Tomorrow is a new day, filled with duties. "
MIKA: He at least walked her to her chambers, and he squeezed her hand, then let go. He gave her a nod. "Rest well," he echoed. He could handle duties - they generally made sense to him. He waited until she disappeared into her chambers, then headed down the hall toward his own. He'd been moved into even larger rooms, which he didn't need but had to accept. Ghost slipped out of the shadows to follow him. He sent all the servants away and closed the door, then headed toward his bedroom. It was quiet, and somewhat lonely, but he was used to that. The rooms were finer than any he'd ever had, but... in the end it was just a place to sleep, as fine or as simple as it might be. So he took off his ceremonial garb and changed into something soft and comfortable, and slipped into the bed that was just as soft, just as comfortable. He heard Ghost settle down nearby and he rolled onto his back. He was exhausted, and he hadn't really felt it until that moment. "What have we gotten ourselves into, Ghost?" he murmured. He heard the wolf's tail thump on the floor and he smiled a bit. Well... at least he wasn't completely alone.
☾ ☆
TAHYA SUSA!
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