They would have their Ascension soon, and Janiver would be around some time to give them their serum.
Things went differently with Veralia and Ranji. She had begun to feel like the boy's adopted mother and felt it best for him to grow to his full size before he became immortal.
“Maybe in a few years we both can join you," was precisely what she said.
"Keep him in Bard school. He could turn out to be a valuable asset,” was my sincere response. It was always good to have a Bard around. But that kid was a lot more ready for what we needed than Veralia realized. He had proven that twice.
Margrin came to me that afternoon while May and Janiver were doing some sort of wedding thing.
“Shouldn't you be doing some sort of ‘wedding thing’ as well? You've only got a few hours."
“All of my things are ready, Your Majesty. All I need to do is put on my clothes. That's not why I'm here though.”
"That sounds rather ominous. What is it, Friend?”
"When we were in Kruklig, Janiver told me that she could find out everything there was to know about my family with some spell or another.”
"Why, that's splendid, Margrin! You'll finally get some answers.”
"I've been hesitant, Bascombe. When you've lived 500 years or so as one person, why do anything to change that? I'm Margrin Ephysieryón. Always have been.”
" So you're not going to do it?”
"Already did it.”
"Oh. And?”
"It's a lot. My parents were Slodin and Ephenery Welreyón."
“What does that mean? You say it like you're disappointed."
“They were accused of being a part of a plan to usurp King Hembrik, May's father. They were accused and exiled. That's why they were heading for Nez Clar? when the Hobgoblins got them. Janiver said they were wrongly accused. Hembrick had become quite paranoid in the latter years of his reign. My parents weren't the only ones to become victims of his fears.”
"I see your concern over their fate. I don't know how I would handle it. But it's in the past, Margrin."
“Is it? How do you think May will feel when she finds out?"
“She knows he had his problems. The mental breakdown and all, she lived through it with him."
"I'm just worried she'll think my parents were part of the problem — part of what drove him mad.”
“You need to give May more credit than that, Margrin. I think these concerns of yours will prove to be unfounded. In fact, I'm certain of it. She just isn't the kind of person to cast about for people to blame for someone else's faults.”
"Maybe…" he paused for a moment. Obviously still taking it all in.
“I suppose you've guessed my name isn't really Margrin.”
"Oh, dear. What is it?”
"Dracilus Welryón. I think I dodged one there.”
"Oh, I don't know. It could grow on you. But you've been Margrin for so long. No sense in changing."
“There's another issue though, Bascombe. My parents were nobles, Earl and Lady Welryón. They had shares in the amber trade and land that went with their titles. Janiver said my father was the Earl of the Breakwater. It's undeveloped land a little up river. Several thousand acres and amber there is plentiful. I want it back. It was wrongly taken."
“I see. I wonder who has that land now. It could be whoever it was that convinced King Hembrik that there was a plot against him. A dastardly thought, but you can't put anything past the greedy.”
“Well you know what my talents are. If I find truth to that suspicion, there'll be no duels or courts. I have just the thing for them. The Snow Elves distill a venom from the ice toad — very slow acting, extremely painful, no antivenin available. It would be my pleasure to introduce them to it.”
"You're a very scary person when you want to be, Margrin.”
"I sometimes scare myself.”
"Come. Let's get our minds off of these morbid thoughts. This is supposed to be a happy day. The ceremony is less than an hour away. We both need to get ready.”
The ballroom had been cleared of the battle maps that were there when May and I had our wedding. And this time it would be conducted by Mother Felistia.
You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.
Felistia normally wouldn't do a wedding, leaving it up to Father Vastila, but she seemed buoyed knowing godhood was in her future.
Margrin and Janiver looked amazing. She in a gown and veil of white gossamer, he in black brocade jacket and hose with maroon chausses.
There was no dais or altar, just the ballroom floor and a wealth of red roses strewn about.
Mother Felistia asked the couple to approach her to start the ceremony.
But as she was about to speak, a portal appeared on the wall behind her and out stepped Carca!
Margrin, Janiver, and Felistia all dashed out of the way as the White Queen sauntered into the room.
“No need for excitement, you overly dramatic children. I'm not here for harm. I just thought Death should be present at this celebration of life. A little reminder."
“Why are you really here, Carca. Not for the wedding I'm certain." I said, trying to sound brave.
“I also wanted you to know that I'm onto your little plans. You can't hide from Death. Material Plane, Ethereal Plane, it doesn't matter. Even your little ‘sanctum’ you're so proud of.”
"You know nothing of us!” I proclaimed boldly, but the words fell flat. We knew she was telling the truth.
"I need a proper seat to view the ceremony,” she said and summoned her throne, the thing taking up too much space in the center of the room.
"Go on! Felistia, you were saying?"
Looking to May and me for guidance, we both gave her the nod to continue. We wouldn't let anything disrupt this occasion. Not even Death herself.
The rest of the service went without interruption. The couple kissed and sped off to their chambers.
Carca simply disappeared, throne and all, without saying another word. I guess she had said enough. Knowing that we weren't in secret was a hard blow.
May whispered to me, as if that would help, “Tomorrow we'll see if Janiver can't come up with something to give us some privacy. Whatever she's doing isn't scrying. We're gods now and can't be scryed."
“Do you think it's one of us? I would hate that to be the case."
“I won't rule it out yet. Who would you think the culprit could be if one of us?"
It didn't take me long to arrive at a name, “Milost. He has reason for a grudge and he and Carca have previously had a romantic relationship."
“Yes. Agreed, Love. We'll need to keep an eye on him."
"I think, aside from an unwelcome guest, the ceremony tonight was very nice. They both looked fantastic, didn't they?”
"Darling, this is the kind of thing you say when you're putting off saying what needs to be said.”
"You're right. Let's get back to the rooms first.”
As we took off our more formal attire and got into our night clothes, I broached the subject,
“I was speaking with Margrin earlier. Janiver helped him find out who his parents were and what his name is, all of it."
“Well, that's fantastic isn't it, Love?"
“You see, it's a complicated thing. His father and mother were the Earl and Lady Welryón of the Breakwater.”
May’s face twisted up and she looked at the floor. "Yes, I know the name.”
"So, you know the circumstances behind their exile?”
"I do. I wish I didn't.”
"Of all the things Janiver discovered, one thing that stood out is that they were innocent of the charges. Someone was in your father's ear to make him bring charges against them.”
"That's possible. The court in those times wasn't what it is now, and some took advantage of my father's condition for personal gain.”
"Do you happen to know who took over the Breakwater land after the Welryón exile?”
"Well, of course, Darling, it was Count Pel…. It was Count Pelisir. He was a young captain back then, but a favorite of my father. Tendil, this doesn't mean anything. It can't mean what you're thinking.”
"Oh, I'm thinking more than that, Love. I'm thinking Milost isn't our primary suspect any longer.”
“You go too far, Tendil! I've known Pelisir my entire life. He's an honorable man and an excellent leader."
“He's also a spurned lover who has never taken another, May. Don't you find that in the least bit odd?”
"Well, yes, but I honestly just assumed he liked men and kept it hidden.”
"He liked you, and without you there would be no other.”
She turned for the bed, sitting on the edge with her face in her hands, crying.
I sat next to her, holding her tightly.
“We'll get it figured out, My Love. We must be cautious what we say around him if it's going back directly to Carca. God this is so humbling, Tendil. He's someone I've trusted with everything, forever. When he was just an officer cadet, he used to watch me as part of my guard detachment."
“What's his story, May? Why did your father take to him so?"
“He never talks about it does he?"
“He's a quiet one, May."
“His parents died the same way Margrin's did. They were part of a caravan headed West to Nez Clar?, and were waylaid by Hobgoblins.
His father was a simple tailor, his mother was a teacher at the Bard College, but she taught basic history, she wasn't a Bard herself.
Pelisir was already a cadet and attached to a light cavalry unit. His company was part of a larger group sent out to address the Hobgoblin threat.
There are songs written about this. When they tracked the creatures down, there was a large fight. Pelisir’s company was forming up to make a charge at the enemy flank when Pelisir caught sight of the Hobgoblin general in the rear of their formations on his horse and alone.
Pelisir waited for nothing. He broke ranks, went around the other enemy flank, and while the general was watching the cavalry charge on the opposite flank, Pelisir drew his saber and lopped the general's head off. Just like that. The Hobgoblins broke and ran and he basically won the battle singlehandedly.
He dismounted, scooped up the general's head, put it into a sack, and rode off ahead of the rest of his company.
You understand, this is how brash he was in his younger days. Tendil, he strode right into the throne room, walked right up to my father in his throne, took the head out, and placed it at my father's feet.
His commander wanted him court martialed. My father made him a Lieutenant and awarded him the King's Medal for Bravery — our highest military honor.
He always received special treatment after that. He was made a knight, became a Paladin, made a bigger name for himself at the Siege of the Black Banner. That's how he became a count after coming from humble beginnings. My father loved him.”
"That's quite a story. Admirable. I guess between the deaths of his parents and his inability to make you his wife turned him dark. He certainly hides it well.”
"Wait, Tendil. He's not convicted yet. We need to dig deeper somehow. I think I know who can help us, Darling.”
"Who do you suggest?”
"Greer. He's been here through all of it. Nothing goes on in this palace without his knowledge. He'll at least be able to shed a little more light on it.”
"Well, he won't be hard to find. As soon as we start to make love, he mysteriously shows up with a question or a reminder of an appointment you have in three hours.”
"Oh, he's not that bad, Darling. But maybe you can have a talk with him about it alone sometime. We need our special time.”
If I could effectively describe the look she gave me when she said that, I would be pilloried for lewdness.