Then he took her hand and helped her into the basket. They both sipped their Mimosas as the balloon rose. Within minutes, they were over Venice seeing the Grand Canal and the Rialto Bridge. She looked down on the ancient city with its green waterways filled with gondolas, and the magnificent domes of St. Mark’s Basilica with the extraordinary piazza that looked out to the sea.
“Fantastic!” Valeria enthused.
Alex nuzzled her neck. “Napoleon dubbed the piazza ‘Europe’s finest dining room’ because of the spectacular views.” She pulled his arms around her tighter.
It was so very romantic and beautiful; she turned and kissed his cheek as they landed in a field east of Venice.
“What about the car and our luggage?” she asked, drinking him in from beneath her lashes.
Just then, a boat pulled up. Alex led her to the motorboat and gave the driver instructions. She loved hearing him speak in Italian. It was just so…sexy! She felt herself blush. Valeria was certain that the only sound more extraordinary than Alex speaking Italian was his beautiful laugh. He winked at her and she drew a deep breath as the boat jetted toward Venice.
“You know what you do to me, don’t you!” she gushed privately to him, and kissed his ear. His smile widened as he looked on.
“I’ll keep that in mind!”
They pulled in near St. Mark’s, crossing the bridge to walk through the pigeon-filled square and stopping in one of the shops to get a cappuccino along the way. They toured St. Mark’s and then walked back to the Grand Canal. An elegant gondola awaited them. “Buon giorno, Il Signore e la Signora Morgana!”
Stepping into the gondola, Valeria’s eyes lit up at the gondolier’s assumption.
“Like that, do you?” Alex said as he sat down next to her.
She leaned her head against his shoulder. “More than you know!”
The gondolier began singing Puccini, as they moved effortlessly through the canals of burnt pastel buildings. Valeria felt the anxiety that had affected her earlier drifting away.
“I’ve always wanted to ride in a gondola...it’s so Venice, and so very romantic,” she said.
“Mussolini tried to ban them.”
“Why?”
“He thought they were archaic.” A bit of sunlight flitted over them, as the gondolier continued his romantic serenade. Gesturing toward the gondolier, Alex continued, “Most people believe that the gondolier punts, or pushes off from the floor of the waterway. But see what he’s doing?”
Valeria watched and noticed that he was gently turning the oar back and forth. Alex continued, “That method of turning the oar actually exerts less energy than that of walking.”
They pulled up to a restaurant and Alex thanked the gondolier in Italian, glancing at Valeria to see if it had the desired effect…it did. He took her hand and they walked a few blocks before turning into a quaint restaurant. Again, the staff was waiting for them.
They ate a marvelous lunch and then strolled along the ancient brick streets passing an ornate building that looked like a fortress with numerous sculptures of lions. Squeezing her hand, he told her that it was known as the Arsenal, the first mass production, moving assembly line in history! In the 1400s, while it took most shipbuilders months to build a ship, the Arsenal could produce them in hours. She smiled dreamily. She could listen to him forever!
“You know,” Alex said with a wink, “there is one little detail of the wedding that Camille and I agreed would best be decided by the bride.” Coming around a corner, Valeria saw an extravagant bridal shop with the most exquisite wedding gowns she had ever seen. He steered her into the store.
“Alex, my guess is that these are all special order.”
He cocked his head to the side and lifted an eyebrow. “They may be for others…but not for you!”
An older, very attractive woman, probably the owner of the shop, greeted them by name in Italian; while a man, obviously her assistant, rushed to get Valeria a glass of champagne. The man and woman talked while critically analyzing Valeria’s figure and coloring. They made her turn around and then both smiled, approvingly. The woman gave several orders to her assistant, which he hastily executed, while the shop owner led Alex and Valeria to a comfortable lounge that had two dressing rooms large enough to be bedrooms.
They sat in a comfortable loveseat while the assistant brought back various gowns for them to look at. Alex didn’t say a word while he observed Valeria’s responses. The woman held out several of the lacy gowns that were beautiful. Valeria didn’t want to offend her, so she just nodded in response.
As the woman was about to hang the gowns in the dressing room, Alex said, “Scusa, per favore,” requesting that the shop owner give them a minute before placing the dresses in the dressing room.
“You don’t like them,” he challenged Valeria.
“They’re beautiful!”
“But?” He raised his eyebrows. The male assistant attempted to tell Valera something, that she was certain was an encouragement to try on the dresses. Alex kindly held up a finger, to silence him, and waited for Valeria to speak.
“I don’t know. They’re really beautiful. I’m just not sure that I see myself in something like these gowns. We probably should have just gone to the Justice of the Peace because this big fancy wedding is just…I don’t think it’s me.”
Alex pursed his lips and narrowed his eyes for a moment, and then raised an eyebrow in thought. “Let me try something. I want this to be fun for you!” She nodded, feeling like a pigeon in an exotic bird shop.
For the next several minutes, Alex explained to the shop owner and her assistant exactly what he was looking for. They nodded and listened, anxious to please him. Valeria thought she heard the names of several designers, but she didn’t know enough Italian—or enough about designers—to determine what they were saying. She did love hearing Alex’s voice though!
Valeria leaned toward Alex’s ear as he finished speaking. “I think you’re going to have to teach me Italian.” Alex beamed and kissed her forehead.
Then the assistant noticed the blush moving over Valeria’s face and down her neck. He and the storeowner both laughed and the woman made a comment to Alex that made him turn his head in mild embarrassment as he brushed his fingers through his hair.
“Do I want to know what they said?” Valeria grimaced.
He shook his head as he rolled his eyes. “Oh, it was just a reference to our honeymoon.”
There was that word again! Valeria’s face brightened to purple, as Alex gazed at her with pure adoration and offered a soft, enchanting laugh. She guessed that she was hypersensitive to all of his charms because the wedding night was getting so close. And frankly, he just did something to her that she couldn’t explain; it was definitely beyond the physical.
Finally, the storeowner and her assistant returned with several gowns. Without showing them to Valeria, the woman invited her into the dressing room. Valeria looked to Alex for approval and he nodded.
In the dressing room, Valeria was both embarrassed and glad for the woman’s assistance; she had brought her a beautiful handmade corset, which Valeria would have never been able to hook by herself. Then she tried on several dresses. They were gorgeous, much better than the previous gowns. But Valeria felt that she, as a bride-to-be, just didn’t “work” in something this formal. With each dress, Alex offered a nod and said, “Very nice,” while he evaluated the look in her eye and occasionally provided further instructions to the shop owner.
Then the assistant brought Valeria a simple, but elegant, silk-crepe gown with a cowl neck and a low back. She would have never seen herself in something this sexy or exquisite. But as she looked in the mirror, she felt a thrill run through her. It looked and felt as if it was made just for her.
Offering Valeria a sharp appraisal, the shop owner's eyes lit up and she called to her assistant. The assistant returned with a hair comb, pearls, and a pair of high-heeled shoes. Pulling a few strands of Valeria’s hair to the top of h
er head, the woman hooked the hair comb and the pearls and then gave her a nod of approval.
Valeria slid on the satin shoes as the assistant opened the dressing room door to present her to Alex and she nervously stepped into the lounge.
“What do you think?” she asked.
His response said it all. Alex was speechless, and then his eyes lit with emotion. She knew at that moment, that this was most definitely the dress!
While Valeria changed back into her jeans, Alex purchased the gown and accessories. The feel of the jeans was disappointing after the luxury of the silk. She was thrilled at the thought that in just a few days, she would be dancing in Alex’s arms, in that dress.
The shop would do the minor alterations and deliver it in two days, which was the morning of the wedding. Valeria decided that they couldn’t be too far away if they were hand delivering the dress, and the beautiful undergarments. But then again, this was Alex and he would go to any lengths to make certain that her wedding day was perfect!
“Better thoughts of Venice now?” he asked, satisfied that the memories of their previous visit to Venice had been eclipsed. All she could do was smile as she leaned into him affectionately.
“So, is this where we’re staying?” she asked, hoping he would now give in and tell her their destination. He shook his head in mild amusement, while his eyes sparkled with playful mischief.
They boarded the gondola and headed back toward St. Mark’s. It was simply so romantic and perfect that Valeria was disappointed that they were leaving. For Alex, he had carefully planned the visit to Venice so that they avoided all of its many marinas and the hospital. She hadn’t been terribly aware, due to the high fever from the plague, but for him, that memory—although she had lived—still caused him tremendous distress. And he wanted this memory of their wedding trip to be perfect!
They arrived at St. Mark’s and transferred to a motor boat. Valeria heard Alex say “aeroporto.” They were headed to an airport.
Of course, she realized! Of course—they were going to Greece! Where else would Apollo’s oracles set up council meetings? The speed boat pulled up to a small general aviation airport. A golf cart was waiting for them. She noted that Alex’s Porsche was now parked near a hanger where men were loading supplies, including what appeared to be several cases of champagne, onto a small twin-engine plane.
“Are you flying us to…our destination?” Valeria asked. She had heard him talk about his love of flying.
“Not today, beautiful! I wanted to relax and have a mimosa with you this morning. But perhaps on our honeymoon!”
At this point she was certain that Alex was teasing her, seeing the effect created when he mentioned their honeymoon. The corners of his mouth turned up in that beautiful smile that she loved, telling her that Alex noticed the effect again. She suspected that he hadn’t mentioned the honeymoon before in an effort to keep things cool until the wedding night. But it had come up several times today—and it was driving her crazy!
They boarded the flight and an attractive woman in a uniform asked them in English if they would like a drink. Valeria was stunned when Alex ordered a Scotch on the rocks. He must be feeling more relaxed!
During the flight, she thought about Mani. What would keep him from standing next to his best friend in a wedding that was 3,000 years in the making? She was certain that Mani would have cancelled any engagements from Johns Hopkins. Alex hadn’t even used that as an excuse. She wondered if there was something about the council that kept Mani away, something sinister that he knew. Then she smiled—her imagination was really getting the best of her! She knew Alex would never take her there if he believed there was any danger.
Besides, her experience proved this group of oracles to be highly ethical. Despite Daphne’s fits of jealousy and bad manners, Valeria knew that she would never lie, cheat, or steal! Eventually—and it might be a long eventually—they would probably become friends. After all, they both cared a great deal about Alex’s welfare and happiness.
Still, there was something gnawing at her consciousness; something that made her feel a bit nervous about the council meeting. It was probably because she knew how important it was for Alex to get the council’s permission, and also because she would be meeting the rest of the immortals for the first time. She suddenly wondered about Aegemon. There had been neither reports of his death, nor any reports of the pneumonic plague.
“If Aegemon is still alive, is there a possibility that he could be at the council meeting?”
Shaking his head vehemently, Alex said, “Don’t worry about that, beautiful!” He patted her knee, as he took another sip of his scotch. “Once you try to take out most of the oracles,” he shrugged and continued, “funny thing is that none of them want you in their council.”
The flight landed on an island that sat on the western boundary of Greece. They went through customs and walked to a waiting limo, as their bags and supplies, which Valeria assumed were for the wedding, were loaded into the trunk. Alex was giving directions about what should be loaded where, when Valeria noticed a man several limos down with movie star good looks who was staring at her. She felt herself blush from his intense scrutiny. The man had short dark hair, and a perfectly tanned olive complexion. He was dressed immaculately in dress slacks, a suit jacket, and a silk sweater. The man smiled and pulled his sunglasses from his face, and then he winked seductively at Valeria. She glared for a moment, stunned, and then shook her head in irritation. Alex noticed and immediately placed his hand on her back, guiding her toward the open door to the limo.
Before climbing in she turned to Alex and whispered, “That man…he’s staring at me.”
Alex narrowed his eyes ever so slightly. He brushed his hand over his chin as he turned to look at the man; then he hesitantly offered the stranger a non-committal wave. The stranger’s smile broadened, but it didn’t seem to reach his eyes.
Alex climbed into the limo next to her. “Let’s go,” he said to the driver. There was something in his voice. He sounded weary—or worried. She turned toward him and he looked away. She thought he looked pale.
She wondered if it just had to do with the obvious flirtation coming from the man. Since she had ended her engagement to David, there hadn’t been anyone else paying any of that kind of attention to her…well, except for Alex!
The man was still staring at them, though the tinted windows prevented his view into the interior of the limo.
“Do you know him?” she asked.
Staring out toward the man, Alex muttered softly, “Yes.” They pulled out from the small airport as Valeria waited for more information, but it was obvious that Alex didn’t want to discuss him.
The limo took them to a marina docking port where they quickly boarded a private sea taxi. As the luggage was loaded onto another boat, Alex seemed to be watching, as if to see if the stranger had followed. Within minutes, another limo pulled into the lot. Alex quickly put his arm around Valeria, issued an order to the men loading their supplies, and then, while reaching into his pocket, gave instructions to the driver of the boat. Alex tossed a hundred euros at him and the boat pulled out immediately.
The man in the limo leapt toward the dock and called out in a light Italian accent, “Alex!” and then offered an arrogant smile that told Valeria that the man saw this as some kind of game…and he hadn’t lost yet. As the boat pulled into the harbor and headed to the south, away from the island, she noticed that Alex’s expression was flat.
“Who is that?”
“Oh…uh, that’s Paolo,” Alex replied, with attempted casualness.
“Paolo?”
Nodding subtly, Alex’s expression remained pensive. She was certain that there was something she needed to know about Paolo but she didn’t want to ruin the mood of the evening. She decided to drop it until later. One thing was certain, Paolo was going to the same place they were, and that meant that he was also an immortal.
The water taxi took them from Corfu to the emerald isle o
f Paxos. While Valeria was uncomfortable being that far away from land, she found her mind completely distracted by thoughts of Alex and their wedding…and the man, Paolo.
After an hour, the taxi wove its way around a few uninhabited islands, past an ancient white monastery, and then to the azure shores of the pretty little coastal town of Gaios. Valeria leaned against Alex and took in the beauty.
He kissed her temple. “I’m sorry it’s not warmer. The climate is perfect most of the year. But it can be a bit cool in the winter.” She cuddled into him. “We’ll use heaters for the garden wedding if we need them.” The temperature actually felt wonderful. And Valeria was about to marry the man of her dreams!
The town was reminiscent of Venice with burnt pastel buildings covered in bougainvillea and surrounded by deeply green foliage. It was breathtaking! She glanced at Alex expectantly. “So, this is it?” His expression lightened up and he smiled.
“I wanted to show you Gaios. It’s quite scenic. But you look like you should probably rest. I don’t want you worn out.” She saw his eyes become playful again. “Remember, we have a wedding…and a honeymoon in a few days!” She blushed again and rolled her eyes at him. He laughed and gave her a light squeeze.
“I am tired. So, where are we going next?” Valeria suspected that the plans had changed after Alex had seen Paolo. The truth was that she was exhausted. This was her first real outing since she had been ill. And although she felt great, her energy wasn’t back to a hundred percent, but she was certain that she had enough energy to spend a few weeks in bed with her husband!
They waited while several bags of produce and other groceries were loaded onto their boat. As the men finished securing the packages for safe transit, Alex turned to her and brushed his hand over her face affectionately. “Would you like to see where we’re staying?” he teased.
“Yes!” She happily wrapped her arms him.
The boat pulled away from Gaios and Valeria found herself watching to see if they were being followed. As they left the harbor, the water got a bit rougher, and her hand instinctively tightened in Alex’s as the boat steered around the island, past rocky cliffs and the occasional azure beach, finally pulling up to a dock with several jet skis, kayaks, and a speed boat. From the dock, Valeria could see an enormous manicured lawn where some kind of minor construction was being done. Analyzing the work, Valeria’s heart lurched! They were building a wedding arbor! Tears moved into her eyes. Behind the arbor construction was an enormous L-shaped mansion, with a large square tower above the center of the “L”. It looked like something out of “Homes of the Rich and Famous.”
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