Chapter 49
King's Lake
The day of the wedding had arrived and King's Lake was bustling with activity.
Take surveyed the lake front theatre where Bear and Peaches' wedding would take place. The stage was finished. The new wood on the stage looked lovely, hung with flowers and garlands. On the right side of the stage, a large room for props had been built. On the left side, a small caretakers apartment adjoined the stage.
To the right of the theatre, a line of temporary stalls serving food and drink had been set up. Take had enlisted the help of shopkeepers at the castle's marketplace to provide treats for the guests. He asked them all to keep a tally of how much they served, claiming he would pay them what they were owed after the wedding. Most were reluctant at first, thinking the acting troupe would not have the money to pay them, but Take had shown each a few gold coins and they had agreed to his terms.
The turnout of wedding guests looked to be huge. Carriages and wagons from the castle were arriving in a long, unending line. The Taz men, a few of them newly reunited with their families off the ship, were dressed in their best clothes, proud of their work on the stage and eager to show off their fine craftsmanship.
The hillside leading up from the stage was already dotted with blankets as guests staked out their spots to view the ceremony. Take had asked the Caliph if he would preside over the taking of vows and he had agreed enthusiastically. Take had also invited Electra and Avor, who were anxious to attend. Avor had extended the invitation to his parents. Electra had even convinced Dagon to extend his visit. Dagon had been anxious to return the favor the acting troupe had done him at his engagement party to Electra so he was there as well.
Take knew he had enough money to pay all the vendors. He was not worried on that account, thanks to Phinneas Blackwell. Still, he was a little overwhelmed by the sheer mass of humanity that was gathering to see one simple wedding between two humble actors.
Take decided he had best check on the prospective bride and groom. He found Bear, Tom, Smiles and Shandor in the prop room. Bear looked frantic. Smiles was doing a poor job of calming him down.
"But lots a people be a good thing, Bear. They's come from hither an yon ta see ya," Smiles insisted.
Bear was dressed in a gold colored tunic over a red shirt—Fernland colors. Take smiled at the small man.
"I think your tunic must be too tight, Bear."
Bear stared at Take with wild eyes. He pulled his tunic out and looked at it.
"Why'd ya think that?"
"Because you're having trouble breathing." Take laughed, hoping to ease the tension.
Bear scowled. "Did ya even look out there at all them hoards a people?"
"Lots of people. So what? Everybody loves a wedding."
"Not my wedding they don't." Bear stuck his fists on his hips. "What do they think's gonna happen here anyway? They don't even know me an' Peaches."
"Sure they do. You're one of their favorite people—the one who does magic tricks and bakes sweet rolls for them in the marketplace They are happy for you. And..., they get free food and drinks and a chance to dress up and visit with their friends on the hillside while they watch the ceremony."
Bear began to breathe a little easier. "I spose when ya put it that way—I guess I'd a come too."
"Of course you would. You're too smart to pass up a bargain like this." Take rolled the stem of a daisy between his fingertips.
"I don't know how ya plan ta pay fer eats fer all this crowd," Bear said, then smiled mischievously. "But that's yer problem, right?" A bit of panic came back into Bear's eyes as he waited for Take's response.
"No problems, Mate. I've got it covered." Take started back toward the door, then turned to face Bear. "Anything you need?"
Bear seemed much recovered. Take hoped he would not look out at the hillside again. Or the traffic-jammed road to the castle.
"I spose I'm good ta go." Bear smiled, then a wave of worry swept his face again. "How's Peaches?"
Take took another step towards the door. "I'm on my way now to see her. But no looking yourself. It's bad luck. In fact, you should stay right here until the Caliph calls for you." Take opened the door narrowly and slipped through to the stage.
Peaches and her bridesmaids were getting ready in the small apartment on the other side of the stage. Take knocked at the door and waited.
Take recognized Angie's voice calling out, "Who be ye?"
"It's Take, come to see if you need a thing or more."
Angie opened the door a few inches to make sure Take was alone, then swung it open to allow him entrance.
Angie pointed to Peaches. "Ain't she a beauty of a bride?"
And she was. Peaches smiled at him through a sheer veil. Her dress was light blue silk, made by Angie and Trixie. She looked like she had stepped out of a fairy tale. If Bear was having trouble breathing now, Take wondered what would happen when he saw Peaches.
"Peaches, you are a vision, truly. Your Bear is a lucky man."
Take noticed Trixie and Angelica weaving garlands of white flowers as they sat together on the floor. Take was surprised to see Angelica here and wondered if she knew her father was just across the stage.
"Hello Angelica. Did you know Shandor is back from Henge?" he asked.
Angelica lifted her eyes from her work and nodded. "I came down with him from the castle. He's staying with me, at least until Muller returns."
Her voice cracked a little when she said her husband's name. Take was glad to hear that she and her father were reconciled. He swept away a brief thought of his own newly found father. There would be time later to dwell on that.
"You are all ready then?" Take asked Peaches.
Peaches beamed back at Take. "Thanks ta you, this'll be a day I won't never forget."
Take waved away the compliment. "You will hear Shandor play a tune while the guests settle in. Then the Caliph will bring Bear out and then Shandor will play your song and you and your maids will walk out on stage."
"Got it," Angie said.
Take walked back out to the stage and found the Caliph had arrived.
What a glorious day for a glorious occasion," the Caliph began. "Have you found your new stage to your liking?"
Take thought he would take a stab at outdoing the Caliph in his flowery compliments. "It has exceeded my wildest dreams."
"Could we of Taz have done any less for those who have taken us to their bosom in our time of need? Showered us with wonderful fresh baked treats and written a play in our honor that will surely go down in history as the best play and magic show of all time?"
Take decided he would never outdo the Caliph when it came to compliments.
"We will try to honor your good work with good performances," Take replied.
The Caliph's eyes twinkled with delight. "You are a master at encapsulating the supreme compliment in its most concise form."
Take could not keep himself from laughing out loud at the Caliph's verbal calisthenics.
"Well said, Caliph." Take looked out at the crowd that now filled the hillside. Still people flooded in, but most had to stand on the sidelines since the hillside was filled to capacity. He decided it would be best to begin now, before quarrels for space broke out. The ceremony would be short and all could then spread out for the party afterwards.
"I believe we should begin," Take said. "I'll tell Shandor to start the first tune.
The Caliph bowed.
Take opened the door to the prop room and beckoned for Shandor to came out.
Shandor walked out in his new tunic and with a flourish, drew his new bow over the strings of his fiddle.
Everyone on the hillside looked to the stage and began to quiet down. Shandor played a tune full of love and promise. Within a few notes the crowd was under his spell.
At the end of the tune, the Caliph walked to the center of the stage
with Bear, Tom and Smiles following behind. Take went to stand with them.
Shandor began a tune that Peaches had requested, a simple, joyous love song. The door opened and Angie and Trixie walked out with baskets of rose petals that they scattered across the stage. Peaches walked out and the crowd was appropriately awed by her beauty. She took Bear's hand, which was probably a good thing, as Bear seemed a little weak in the knees as he watched his bride walk towards him.
The Caliph cleared his throat and began the ceremony in a rich, deep voice that carried to the hillside and beyond.
"We come together this day to celebrate the uniting of two persons..."
As the last wagon of wedding guests arrived at the lake, the brief ceremony ended. Bear and Peaches were man and wife and the party had begun.
Princess Electra Book 3 Gypsy Music Page 49
