by Dale Furse
Keela shut the door and waved her hands down her body. A gold Egyptian style dress replaced Keela’s jumpsuit.
Nell walked around her friend. ‘I like it,’ she said.
‘Thank you.’ Keela wasted no time in fitting Nell into her gown. ‘There,’ she said when she was finished. ‘Look in the mirror.’
Nell went to the wall and gazed into a long mirror. Her mouth fell open and she didn’t even try to shut it again. Thin straps fell from her shoulders to the small triangles of thin material covering her breasts. Somehow, three strings stayed on her skin as they travelled down the sides of one breast, over her cleavage and up the side of the other to join with the other triangle. Multiple stringy straps went from outside the triangles around her back and more ran from the bottom of the triangles to a long fitted skirt that hugged her hips. Nell’s gown, if she could call it that, defined every bit of her figure.
She turned around and looked over one shoulder then the other. The string straps held everything in place, but didn’t mark her skin. She switched her weight from one leg to the other. Her buttocks moved sensuously under the close fitting material. She faced the mirror again. Even her thighs were more pronounced with the movement. Taking a deep breath, she watched the triangles rise. She was beautiful, sexy and alluring all at once.
With her mouth still open, she turned and looked at Keela. ‘It’s fantastic, Keela, but ah, there’s not a lot to it, is there?’
‘It, my dear Nell, is the traditional Wexkian wedding garment.’
‘Really?’ Nell turned back to the mirror.
‘Come on. Let us show your family the bride.’
Nell glanced at her reflection one more time and walked out. As soon as she stepped into the living room, everyone turned to look at her. A few seconds of silence had Nell holding her breath, but the room was soon full of oohing and aahing.
‘Nell, you’re beautiful,’ Mekie exclaimed.
‘Ravishing,’ Lesel said, tears welling in her eyes. ‘You look so much like your mother.’
‘Not that Asisa would wear a dress like that,’ Dar-Seldra said.
Lesel laughed. ‘No. No, Asisa wouldn’t.’
‘Is it too much?’ Nell asked.
‘No it’s not too much,’ Tish said. ‘It’s perfect.’
‘Perfect,’ Annet said.
‘A true Wexkian bride,’ Keela said.
‘Yes,’ Orenda said. ‘A true Wexkian bride.’
‘I want a dress like that,’ Parrella said, pulling at her pink frock. Everyone laughed.
Nell squatted down in front of the little Grarl. ‘Why? Your dress is beautiful and so are you.’
***
Sam couldn’t stop fidgeting with the tie his father had made him wear. It was uncomfortable and he was sure it would choke him before the day was over. He wished he could wear the traditional Wintar turnout like Tanat. His was a black short-sleeved Viking shirt over loose fitting brown trousers and no shoes. Deesc’s clothes looked just as comfortable, although he didn’t appear so. His shirt was white with loose sleeves. It looked like one that the musketeers might wear. It was belted at the waist and his trousers were fitted and black. He didn’t have shoes on either. Sam looked down at his shiny black casuals. They weren’t really that uncomfortable but he had wanted to go bare feet too, but his father wouldn’t listen. ‘Your mother wants you dressed like a Human,’ he had said.
Sam peered around the wedding arena. Whoever set up the place knew what they were doing. Stadium chairs rose up around the canyon; some big enough for the giant Bants and some high enough for the Grarls to sit and see clearly. Hundreds of Krolls floated above the arena. He, Tanat, Haast and Deesc stood on a raised platform in front of the ston Captain and waited, watching for someone to approach the red carpet stretching from the platform to the middle of the arena.
Seated in the front row were his father, Kale, Nadar, King Ephry and the United Council members.
Orenda appeared with a little Grarl girl at the far end of the red carpet.
The guests grew animated and although they began chatting quietly to one another, a buzz of noise echoed around the canyon.
The Grarl enchantress took her seat next to King Ephry at the front of the stadium and winked at Tanat. The flower girl sprinkled blue flower petals on the carpet and Mekie appeared with Tish and Annet. Once Tish and his mother moved to join Orenda, Sam gasped. He liked what he saw, but wasn’t sure he liked anyone else seeing so much of Mekie. In his mind, he knew it was traditional wear, but in his heart, he just wanted to throw his jacket over her shoulders. Mekie started walking slowly down the carpet and Dar-Seldra appeared with Fellder and Lesel.
The flower girl sprinkled more petals down. The second Lesel and Fellder moved away, Sam couldn’t help but gasp again. Dar-Seldra nearly outshone her own daughter. She was the sexiest mother ever. Sam nudged Tanat. ‘Wo,’ he whispered. ‘We’re the luckiest blokes around, huh?’
Tanat smiled, but didn’t take his eyes off Dar-Seldra, who was slowly walking behind Mekie.
Keela arrived next, her white skin stood out against her dark, green gown. The crowd oohed and aahed as she made her way behind Dar-Seldra.
The flower girl pointed up then started following the bridesmaids, sprinkling more petals as she skipped from side to side of the carpet. Everyone tilted their heads back and gazed at the sky above the canyon.
A fireball erupted high in the sky. Some guests screamed, some let out exclamations of wonder. Sam looked at Mekie who shrugged. Sam gazed at the wedding party. No one seemed to know what the fire was. A wide smile spread over Keela’s face. Sam threw his head back.
Nell descended from the flames. Her black wings streaked in every shade of purple. As she dropped, the whole stadium went so quiet, Sam thought he could hear Deesc’s heartbeat. He stood transfixed. Nell alighted on the carpet. Pren and Melt floated forward. She kissed each of them before they moved aside to let Kandar stand next to her. She wrapped her arm around Kandar’s and beamed up at him.
Pren and Melt hovered behind the bride. The moment Nell began to walk over the blue petals toward the platform, the throng of Krolls began their music. They didn’t sing the traditional Here Comes the Bride music, but Sam got goose bumps as their voices filled the canyon in what he could only describe as an aria.
Sam had never seen Nell so happy. She smiled at him and Tanat then locked her eyes with Deesc’s. Sam couldn’t believe Deesc didn’t look at the rest of Nell. He, for one, couldn’t believe how gorgeous she was. And that dress. Mekie and Dar-Seldra’s dresses didn’t seem so revealing next to Nell’s outfit. What there was of Nell’s outfit anyway.
***
The ston ship’s Captain did a great job of performing the wedding vows even though he had to remind Nell to say her part more than once. Nell tried to concentrate on what he was saying, but she couldn’t help drowning in Deesc’s eyes. She wanted the Captain to hurry so she could get close to her beloved.
At the last, the Captain said, ‘You may now kiss the bride.’
Deesc smiled and took Nell into his arms. He brought his mouth down on her hungry lips. She pushed her body into his, wanting to get closer, to crawl inside his skin.
Sam laughed and broke them apart. ‘There’ll be enough time for that later, you two.’
Nell giggled and gazed up at her husband. Deesc laughed and, keeping his arm around Nell’s waist, they both smiled out at their family and friends.
The Krolls rose in song and everyone stood clapping and cheering. Balloons floated up towards the sky from all around the canyon. Grarls rose among the balloons and chanted spells and enchantments. All the middle guests moved to the sides while the Grarls transformed the whole canyon into the most magnificent reception Nell could imagine. A giant dance floor took up most of the centre and two of the best bands, one from Gramlax and the other from Linque joined into one big band on a high stage. Tables with every cuisine from every planet in the known universe lined the walls of the canyon.
The band began playing. Nell gave the ston Captain a peck on his burgundy cheek, and said, ‘Thank you.’ She clasped Deesc’s hand and stepped down onto the dance floor.
They danced, kissed, ate, hugged, drank, kissed and laughed the rest of the day away.
***
‘It’s time to go,’ Deesc said, running his fingers down Nell’s backbone.
‘Where?’
‘Our suite. It’s a surprise gift from Nadar.’
Nell searched out Nadar with her eyes. He was just finishing a slow dance with Fellder. She ran and hugged him. ‘Thank you, uncle Nadar.’
Fellder laughed. Nadar grinned for the first time since Nell had known him, and said, ‘You are very welcome, my niece.’
***
Haast and Keela took Nell and Deesc to a spot in the rainforest of Mount Grief at the end of Cape Hollow on Earth. It was so black Nell could only make out the faintest outline of a tree. One or both of them had somehow blocked her view because a few seconds later the world shone. She blinked and her eyes adjusted. The sun was high.
‘This way,’ Keela gurgled, pulling Nell through the trees.
They emerged into a fully mature garden. At the end was a house. It was exactly like the house Nell had helped Deesc finish on Eldorapal.
Nell gasped. ‘It’s beautiful.’
Deesc pulled her close into his side. ‘It is.’
Mekie, Sam, Dar-Seldra, Tanat, Annet, Carl and Lesel appeared on the wide veranda.
Sam shouted, ‘Hurry up, you two. You’ve a lot of presents to open in here.’
THE END
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A Note from the Author
I come from a family of twelve. One mum, one dad, six girls and four boys. I was born in Cairns, Far North Queensland, and I’m the third youngest. I spent most of my childhood years in Brisbane, Queensland and yes, we were ragamuffins. You’d think that with nine siblings, a kid would never be lonely, well, that’s not true. I was often lonely and I spent a lot of my time daydreaming about living a very different life. A life with aliens and/or witches.
I wanted to meet My Favourite Martian and I would have loved to travel the universe and through time in the TARDIS with Doctor Who. I still do. I also wanted to be like Samantha in Bewitched or Wendy the Good Little Witch, oh, I could go on and on, but…nah, I won’t. I’m sure you get the idea.
Did you know that I live in North Queensland, Australia now? I do. We have a nearly finished house my husband and I are building ourselves. We have our own energy and water companies, Helios Power Ind. (homebuilt solar), and Hebe Water Co. (water tank).
We also have our very own, sometimes demented, three-legged, part Dingo, dog, Zeus. He tried to catch a train, but the train caught him instead. In his defence, it was a cattle train and he might have been hungry at the time.
You’d be right in thinking we are into the DIY thing in our family. I even have my own publishing company, DCFBooks, and I’m proud to say that I am now an Independent writer/publisher. And yes, I write Science Fiction/Fantasy more like fantastical Sci Fi and it’s in those worlds and chatting with those beings where I spend most of my time now.
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