I had to hand it to Mom…the profanity was at a bare minimum. Maybe because Anrel was trotting around the room, picking up all she could grab so she could present it to her mimi to gush over. Which Mom did, whether the item was a hairbrush, a shoe, or a discarded bra. My heart could have burst to watch those two beaming at each other.
Though I wasn’t enthralled with the extravagance, I had to hand it to Cifa when it came to the gown he’d chosen for me. I don’t claim to possess great beauty, but when it was all said and done, I looked like a model on a photo shoot. Or at least, that’s how I felt I looked. Not overdone, not unrecognizable, still Shalia, but the best physical version of Shalia I could have dreamed of being.
My hair was arranged unfussily, but it sparkled with a lace headpiece that draped over my crown. It sparkled with diamonds, believe it or not. Diamonds of all sizes, glittering when I turned my head.
My snow-white dress was no less incredible, sleekly clinging to my torso and flowing behind me in a long train. The bodice was covered in a floral design, outlined by more diamonds. The train had yet another astounding design at its hem, with a sparser scattering of diamonds on the skirt.
Yeah, it was a lot. Way too much. I wore a ridiculous fortune on my body, and I’d been embarrassed over it before I saw myself wearing it. I was still a tad ashamed that Cifa had gone so far, but a lot of that was washed away on the thrill of looking the part of a fairytale princess. I’ll admit it…my inner little girl swooned with delight to look how I did.
I was speechless in front of the full-length mirror, while everyone but Mom and Anrel oohed and aahed. Anrel was busy handing Candy’s earrings to her mimi, who for once wasn’t riveted on her granddaughter. Mom looked at me, her eyes shining with tears.
“You look beautiful,” she said in a quiet voice.
A second later, everyone was rushing me with hankies, ensuring I didn’t ruin my makeup with emotion.
At last, we were ready. The moms left the bridal party to be seated on the vast deck where the ceremony was to take place. That was the wedding coordinator’s cue to swoop into the room. Imdiko Rusonid works for Cifiler, often running events such as clannings. It was awesome to have someone who knew what the hell they were doing.
“All right, Mataras, let’s get you all in place,” he said, beaming at us as if it was the biggest day of his life. The man knows how to do enthusiasm, though I’ve no doubt Cifa drove him crazy in the weeks leading up to that moment. “Hina, then Katrina, and Candy with Anrel…and the lady of the hour last. Don’t forget to pick up your bouquets on the way out!”
Rusonid followed behind me, helping me collect the spray of white and purple flowers and keeping my train from dragging and catching on stuff. What a fuss, but we made it in one piece to the stairwell that took us from below to the main deck along the bow. Classical Earther music drifted through the hatch.
“They sound good,” Candy said over her shoulder to me. “I’m no musician, so maybe they’re not.”
I laughed. “The fact Cifa was able to find people who could play our instruments or were willing to try works for me. It does sound as if they know what they’re doing.”
As soon as we were lined up at the foot of the stairs, Rusonid spoke on his com. “We are assembled and standing by,” he reported to whomever was on the other end of the frequency.
“All guests are seated. I will signal the band at the end of this piece.”
A few seconds later, the song ended. Another struck up, and my stomach knotted as Canon in D began to play. Silly. I was already clanned, after all. Yet this was big, like I was getting hitched for real instead of pretend. It gave me a hint of why Cifa had been in such a lather for the ceremony. The ritual of announcing to the world that a man and woman…or three men and a woman…were joining for life does mark a turning point. I had the notion it would make my bond more important somehow…though I loved my clan with all my heart.
Funny how something as functional as an age-old rite, performed after the fact of clanning, can become bigger than simply reciting a few words.
“The men of the clan are assembled before the priest.”
“Right on schedule,” Rusonid said to me. He spoke into the com. “Sending in the bridesmaids.”
We weren’t mounting those stairs with the other pair’s insanely high heels and my train. At his nod, Hina stepped on a hover platform that lifted her to the deck instead. She stepped off gracefully. As soon as the platform returned, Katrina followed her. Then went Candy with Anrel at her side, holding her hand. As soon as they reached the top, Anrel toddled to the deck, with Candy guiding her.
I grinned at the collective, “Aww,” that rose above the music. My little girl was adorable in a knee-length pink version of my dress, complete with pink diamonds and a tiara. Yeah, another eyeroll for the extravagance, but she was cute beyond belief. Cifa was probably bawling his eyes out.
Nobody would look at me with my cutie pie stealing the show. That was fine by me.
“All right, Matara Shalia,” Rusonid said. “Into position, please.”
I hiked up my skirt and climbed onto the hover platform. Rusonid fussed with my skirt and train, so that it would be picture-perfect when I lifted into view. He positioned my hands holding the bouquet for optimum bridal beauty, and I had an urge to smack him. It was too much. I should have stopped Cifa from this nonsense when he got that hectic gleam in his eyes.
The music ended. The Bridal Chorus started, and I lifted into the sky. Ta-da.
That was my thought until I looked down the aisle at those waiting for me before the Temple of Life priest. All at once, my discomfort and the vague humiliation over the lavish ceremony vanished.
I barely heard the impressed intakes of breath as I rose into view. I didn’t notice the people on either side of the aisle, except for Mom in her hoverchair at the front. Her tear-streaked face stood out, filled with love.
There was Hina, glowing with health, both physical and emotional. Carrying the child that I’d help make possible. Katrina, her unabashed and slightly naughty grin, the woman who had helped me embrace love and sex with no shame. Candy, my sister and best friend, the woman I could count on for whatever came our way.
In the depths of my heart, I held those who hadn’t been able to attend but were always with me in some way: my dads Nayun, Bitev, and Rak. And of course, the men who’d given me the best they had in every way, Betra and Oses.
The twinge of sadness over their physical absences was chased away by the sight of my Anrel, staring with confused delight at all the people until she saw me sparkling in white. She clapped, squealing with delight. My heart damned near exploded.
Finally, the three men who watched with emotion as I began to walk towards them, along with the life and the love they’d offered. The three most handsome males in the universe, even Cifa, who was flushed and crying around his beaming smile.
My hearts. My loves. My forever. I floated down the aisle to them, as if I’d never stepped off that hover lift. I swear, my feet didn’t touch the ground.
The rest of the ceremony was a kind of hazy dream. I can recall it in bits and pieces rather than a whole. The sky was a perfect blue, I remember that. Candy handed Anrel over to me, and the pressure of her tiny fingers was precious against my palm. Cifa took her other hand while Seot stood behind us and Larten at my side. The priest, an ethereal Imdiko in gold, purple, and white robes, spoke words. At different points, we repeated them to each other, promising to care, to protect, to guide, to support. And most importantly, to love.
I remember best the men I adore. Seot—so magnificent with his perfectly chiseled features, his gaze on me direct but warm, as if he’d couldn’t look anywhere else. I don’t think he did during the entire ceremony.
Cifa—his sweet, boyish face which should have been at odds with his muscular body but somehow wasn’t. Smiling through tears, radiating happiness that I hardly believed I could inspire. He did glance away from time to time, but when he did, i
t was to beam down at Anrel.
Larten—so proud and noble a Nobek, his expression promising me I was the center of his world. He stood so close during the whole ceremony that we remained in contact.
The family and friends who meant everything to us were gathered nearby, but for those minutes during the exchanging of vows, it was only six people—our little family, the center of my universe. My loves, my child, my soon-to-be child—we were all that existed for me.
Then the thunderous shout “Vofrek!” woke me from my dreamlike state. The answer to the priest’s call to the gathered to acknowledge the Matara of Clan Seot. Always.
The dream continues, even if I’m restored to reality. Hopefully, until the end of my days.
The party that followed was something else. Leshella flowed. The massive ballroom inside the ship’s main cabin became a dance club where the women shook their assets to the delight of the men. People ate and laughed and shared our joy. I toured the ship with my clan, greeting guests and accepting congratulations.
It was an amazing affair, for the most part. Things got a tad awkward when I discovered Megan had brought Clan Aslada as her escorts. However, they were pleasant and gave no indication to my clan that we had ever been more than good friends. Clan Aslada kept it classy, gathering around Mom to share a laugh at her wisecracks and continued insistence on calling them Al, Mikey, and Jay. I’ll be petty and admit that when I saw the gown Megan wore, almost as sumptuous as mine and no doubt provided by Clan Aslada, I was glad Cifa had gone out of his way to make me outrageously elegant.
Hey, a woman shouldn’t be upstaged at her own clanning ceremony.
Sweeter yet, Imdiko Snoy was there too. I’d invited him since he’d been so devoted to Anrel when we’d stayed with Clan Aslada. He was crazy-delighted to hold her again, and she was as excited to see his elderly face.
I gave in to necessity and sentiment. “We should hire him,” I whispered to Seot. “With my work at the cruise line and foundation, plus a baby on the way…it makes sense. If I can keep him from hogging her all the time.”
He chuckled. “I bow to your wishes in the matter, my Matara. I had thought we could use the extra help with another child coming.”
Anrel was thrilled to resume her acquaintance with Prince Wayne as well. He’s an exuberant boy, but he was careful with Anrel, taking her hand as she toddled about, making certain she didn’t fall. Yep, I had the royals at my clanning ceremony. I counted Emperor Egilka as a major ally, so I invited him and his clan, not believing they’d actually show up.
It was great to see Clan Rajhir. I’d not met their Dramok before. He’s on the Royal Council, and well-versed in what my foundation is trying to accomplish. He came with Amelia, who’d donated eggs to the foundation, as well as Flencik, who sits on the board. And there was Nobek Breft, who acted somewhat embarrassed in my presence. I guess he felt bad that Nang had gotten to me after all. I didn’t blame him though. Nang was a level of unpredictability that nobody could have foreseen.
The sea of faces included most of the women I’d befriended on the Pussy ‘Porter. A quarter of them had clanned already. We caught up and remembered our trip. We looked at each other as if to say, did all that really happen? It wasn’t so long ago, but it was a different life in some respects. One thing is definite…we weren’t the same women who boarded that transport to leave behind our shattered planet.
It was a great party. It showed no signs of winding down when my clan and I slipped off. I left Anrel in Katrina’s very capable hands.
The stateroom Cifa led us to was as ornate as my gown. “Whoo, you’ve spared no expense on this ship,” I said, twirling about to view our quarters. A stunning mural of an undersea landscape stretched across the ceiling, the creatures depicted so realistically that I couldn’t believe they didn’t swim. Window vids along the walls showed the real thing, as if we were in a submarine below the waves.
I stepped out of my shoes, sighing to sink my feet into the plush carpeting that gave softly beneath my aching feet. The sleeping mat was massive, with billowing gold coverings that looked as soft as a dream. Not that there was sleep in my immediate future. Thank goodness…I was looking forward to the private celebration now that the public one was done.
The whirlpool at the opposite side of the room was going to get some use. I was determined on that score. I loved the idea of relaxing in its warm, churning expanse. The bar was winning its attention, as Seot went there and poured the leshella waiting for us. Though there had been plenty to go around at the reception, we’d held off. We’d had Anrel and our guests to attend to. We’d sipped carefully at the single glass we’d each had following the toast to our clan, made by Seot’s Dramok father.
There were a couple of doors besides the one we’d come in through. My thought was bathroom and closet. I was interested in neither. That whirlpool called to me.
I moved in that direction, unpinning the diamond headdress from my hair as I went. Cifa trailed behind me, lugging the already discarded heels and holding his hand out for pins and hairpiece.
“Sweetie, you don’t have to clean up behind me,” I insisted, though I had pretty much decided stuff could indeed fall wherever I chose to drop it. I was not in the mood to be fussy after being photogenic all day and half the night.
“I don’t mind. I see we’re headed to the whirlpool.”
“That’s exactly right.”
“Sounds great.” Larten was pulling his nice black-and-red outfit off and letting it fall to the floor, the way I would if Cifa hadn’t been meticulously keeping me honest. Then again, Larten wasn’t dripping in diamonds and delicate embroidery, either.
“What should we do with all this?” I asked my Imdiko as I stopped by a bench close to the whirlpool. “Unless I can stay in shape to wear this at a renewal of our vows ceremony at some future date, it’s kind of stuck in a closet forever.”
“I was reading that some Earther women have a tradition of wearing their mothers’ gowns to their own ceremonies,” he said. “Maybe Anrel or another daughter would want to have it.”
I gave him a kiss for being the sentimental wonder he was. “You are brilliant.”
I let him help me remove my magical fairytale princess gown. I was a lot less careful with my underthings, eager to sink into the warm water that smelled so good. Larten, the lucky slug, was already in the pool, relaxing and smiling at me as I shed my clothing.
“Don’t jump on me right away,” I warned him when I was finally naked and stepping down into the deliciously heated water. “I insist on at least half an hour to relax before we go crazy. What a day!”
“You enjoyed it, didn’t you?” With me sinking into the swirling water with a sigh, Cifa had his chance to disrobe. He gave me a worried glance. “I wanted it to be something that you would never forget, that you’d be able to look back on with the best possible memories.”
“It was magical.” I gazed up at him, loving him for being my darling Imdiko, wanting me happy. “No woman could have had a better clanning day. Not even the empress.”
A bright smile spread over his face. He wriggled all over, a happy puppy. Such a cutie.
Seot brought us glasses of leshella on a tray before pulling his nice outfit off too. “I must thank you as well, my Imdiko. Considering Shalia’s former beaus were in attendance, I am glad we showed off.”
Ha! It wasn’t only me who didn’t want to be upstaged.
I had to reassure him anyway. “I’d have been happy telling you I will love, honor, and respect you for the rest of our lives, even in front of Clan Denkar’s scrap piles with a pack of thamom in attendance. Diamonds are nice, but it truly is the thought that counts.”
The guys chuckled over the idea of having a clanning ceremony in the backyard of Larten’s parents’ home. No doubt, Anrel would have spent the whole affair chasing pilchok.
We toasted each other and sipped our leshella with great satisfaction. We toasted with the next round too. And the next. After that, I was
ready to celebrate my union with my clan in truth.
“Who wants to play wet ‘n wild with me?” I said, sliding my foot up Seot’s thigh, while my hands trailed similar paths on the men on either side of me.
“If you want to play tame, we could,” Cifa smirked. “However, this is the most expensive stateroom on the ship for a reason.”
“Oh? Are you going to tell me, or am I supposed to guess?”
Larten slid close. “We should show her. But first—”
He kissed me hard, my Nobek as fierce as ever as he took my mouth with demand. I opened to him, letting myself be plundered. His tongue invaded and swept coherent thought aside. He gripped my breast, his grasp not gentle but exciting.
Larten kissed me until my lips were swollen and hot. He left me gasping while he licked a path down my chin, nipped down my throat, and moved down the hill of the breast he clutched. His head reared, and I caught a glimpse of his fangs before his face flashed down. He bit into my soft flesh.
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