A rabbit’s head popped out of its burrow, as it inspect surroundings. The fur of the white bunny hid it well in the thick layer snow covering the ground.

Taking a few cautious hops out into the open, the rabbit stopped once more to ascertain that the Close was clear. One of its ears swiveled to one side and the rabbit’s nose twitched nervously.

The small mammal suddenly leapt a foot in the air, seeming to turn mid jump, and dived back into its barrow.

Hundreds of blurs rushed past through the trees and along the ground. It was hard to make out what they were as no sound was made, no trees or snow disturbed.

A few moments later a large cat carrying a small bearded man, moved silently through the forest. Well, it would have been quiet if the dwarf on the cat’s back wasn’t groaning and complaining incessantly.

“Dain, how have you still not gotten used to riding Phantom, even after three days?”

Still in his elven form, Danny landed a few feet in front of the cat and moved to follow along side.

“There’s no blasted saddle! I swear to, Ahhh!”

Danny rushed over and caught the short man before he slipped off.

The dwarf seemed to find insult in Danny’s assistance grumbling, “Are you sure this is faster?”

Danny smiled patiently, “Yes, much much faster than the first four hours when you refused my offer to ride Phantom.”

The dwarf huffed and looked insulted again, but kept quiet.

An elven soldier appeared and somehow bowed while keeping pace, “Ascendant, we are almost there.”

Danny replied, “Yes, I know.”

The soldier pointed above and to one side, “The commander would like to speak with you, privately, before we get there.”

Gesturing towards the dwarf, Danny ordered, “Don’t let him fall off.”

Danny couldn’t see the eleven warriors face, but Danny thought they was going to argue about their newly assigned duty.

Danny cocked his head to the side, “Should I keep the commander waiting while you look for someone else to do this simple task?”

The eleven warrior froze, “No, Ascendant. It will be done.”

Danny looked backwards, “Dain, I will see you in a bit. We are almost there, so don’t fall off.”

The dwarf just nodded from where he had his head buried in in Phantom’s fur.

Leaping into the air, the branches of the nearby trees moved to make up for any of Danny’s physical shortcomings. Danny moved higher in the canopy and quickly moved to where Commander Barrow waited at the edge of the clearing that looked over the elven capital.

Not turning to greet him, Barrow said, “Danny, let’s talk.”

Danny shrugged and the branch the eleven commander was standing on widened and two chairs were created from woven branches.

The commander sat down, “Thank you.”

Danny took the other chair, “Does this have to do with most of the capital being congregated in front of the new palace?”

Barrow turned to look at him, “You can really sense that far?”

Danny just nodded.

The commander just shrugged and shook his head incredulously, “I’m sure you have a good guess as to what my wife and daughter have prepared in advance for your arrival. They don’t want a chance for you to get away again.”

“Then why did you stop us?”

Barrow looked away, “I wanted to give you a warning.”

Danny eyed the man suspiciously.

“Don’t use my people like that again. Yes, we would have tried to stop you before. Now that we know we can’t, just let us know your plans so we can work together.”

Danny shrugged, “Sure thing... dad.”

Barrows frowned, “I was also hoping my warning about what was going on down there would scare you off.”

The older elf paused the added, “I lost almost dozen elves in those elements damned goblin infested fortress. Thing should be a smooth spot on the rocky hillside by now. We were lucky they had sent most of their shamans with that force that you said left earlier. Danny, planning ahead could have saved their lives. I wouldn’t have risked them like I did if I knew you were safe.”

Danny didn’t look at the man. “Thank you for sending a detachment to help stop that goblin force. When I saw that flag I knew who was responsible and I will make sure to repay your people for those elves’ lives. They will not have died in vain, though it looks like I was too late to stop the one responsible for this. I will hunt him down and finish this once and for all. I promise you that.”

Commander Barrow sighed, “With our help of course.”

Danny nodded, “Of course.”

Barrows stood and started walking away, “Alright, let’s get this over with.”

Danny nodded and silently followed.

The entire elven capital had gathered in the clearing before the newly growing palace. There were no chairs as elves sat under and in the trees that had been recently grown to fill the spring like garden. Flowers of every color grew throughout the space and the snow had been somehow removed to allow every to stay dry.

Elder Breeze stood, in formal looking robes, near the side closest the new palace with Princess Willow standing beside him. Princess Willow wore a long flowing gown made from the multicolored leaves of the sacred trees. Her dark hair was twisted in a complicated braid that made it look more like the vines of a tree. Flowers from the sacred tree were woven into her hair.

Near the front, the Basalts and Danny’s Trio sat to one side. Wizard Basalt had lifted some stone for them to lean against. They all wore formal attire that had been gifted for them to wear for the event.

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On the opposite side, the queen sat on a raised bed of vines that supported her. The queen’s gown was more subdued than the princess’. Prince Hawks sat to her right on the soft grass, in his usual formal looking uniform.

As the newly arrived elven warriors filtered into the crowd, Prince Consort Barrow walked over from the side and sat down to the queens left. After a few moments the crowed quieted down and silence descended.

Phantom walked through the clearing to the delight and awe of the elves gathered there. The cat stopped near the front and deposited a dwarf next to the Basalts.

“Ahhhh, where did you take me you mangy caaa....”

Brushing himself off, Dain looked around at the gathered crowd, who were all staring at him. The dwarf ducked his head low as he could and remained silent.

The queen leaned over to her husband, with a look of concern, “Where is he? He is coming...”

There was a slight shaking to the earth and many called out in gasps of surprise. The sacred tree, that was to be the new palace, began to grow slowly then quickly picked up pace. Before everyone’s eyes the tree rose higher and higher.

Behind the growing sacred tree, Danny was in his sacred tree form. Long vines and roots extended out from him and into the nearby sacred trees that made up the buildings around them. Danny himself had merged with the roots of the new palace. Mana coursed through his body like a raging river.

Drawing mana from all the trees he directed it towards the new palace. Next to him, Elder Frost held drawings of the planned layout and answered any questions Danny asked. He had managed to spirit her away without anyone noticing by contacting her telepathically. Danny now wondered how many of the druids used this method without him noticing.

The palace rose to the height planned in the drawings, and then kept growing.

“Danny, that is it, we do not know if the tree can support any higher.”

Danny smiled, “Don’t worry, I can sense what it can handle. Though, I might have to increase the foundation a bit.”

Most of those gathered on the other side of the tree were now on their feet looking up in either alarm or awe. As the sacred tree grew higher, the base began to push outward towards the gathering. Elder Breeze seemed to come to his senses and dragged the princes away. Soon half of those gathered had to move back or be forced so by the ever expanding tree.

Finally after thirty minutes the tree stopped growing. Twice the size planned by the elders, the sacred tree now stretched high into the sky past where anyone on the ground could see. A large hole opened in the base of the tree and a massive elaborate staircase grew down from the hole. One could look inside and see a large entryway with hallways and staircases leading in different directions.

Danny, in his natural form, and Elder Frost appeared in the entryway and descended the stairs.

The gathered crowd pressed forward to try and get a better look inside.

Turning to the crowd, Elder Breeze called for order and had everyone gather at the bottom of the grand staircase. Elder Frost moved into the crowd while Danny stopped next to Elder Breeze, opposite Willow.

Willow seemed unable to stop smiling at Danny, and he easily returned the sentiment. Willow started to move towards him but Elder Breeze held up a hand and the princess reluctantly returned to her spot.

Raising his hands in the air, silence descended on those gathered, and Elder Breeze began, “Here beneath the greatest of our sacred trees, I call upon Gaia to share her blessings in the union of these two souls. Princess Willow of the elven people and Ascendant Danny Creek of Diadem. We all now bear witness to not only the union of these two individuals but the union of our two races.”

Elder Breeze paused and before he began again, something floated past his face. A petal from the flower of a sacred tree landed on the ground in front of him. All those gathered looked up to see the sky filled with descending petals of the sacred tree.

Everyone could only stare up in wonder at something never seen before. Elven children started running around, laughing, as they tried to catch as many petals as they could. Elder Breeze looked over at Danny, who just smiled and shrugged. Danny looked back at Willow who just looked at him with smoldering eyes.

Clearing his throat, Elder Breeze gave up trying to control the merriment of the crowd and took out a long flat piece of wood made from a sacred tree. It was only three centimeters in width and the elder had Danny and Willow press their arms together so that their left wrists touched.

Laying the long piece of wood across them, the Elder Continued, “By the blessing of the goddess I hereby join these two together as one.”

With this the elder cast a spell and the long stretch of wood wrapped itself around their two wrists. An intricate pattern appeared inlaid into the wood and then the wood brightened visibly before dividing in two.

As the crowd cheered, Danny lifted up his arm to look at the new accessory. The pattern on the band stopped at a flat portion where it had been connected with Willow’s.

Danny wondered if this was one of the most literally metaphorical ways to shackle two people together in marriage.

*Danny, incoming!*

Danny looked up in time to catch Willow as she leaped into his arms and kissed him.

The crowd roared in approval and music started playing.

That all seems to be drowned out to him, as Danny kissed his new wife.

*Cranny, I got married!*

*And to a princess! One down, many many more to go.*

Danny could hear Cranny’s evil laugh echoing in his head.

Willow pulled away from him and led him over to their waiting families. The queen and prince welcomed him to their family, while Barrow just slapped him on the back... hard.

The Basalts all congratulated the two and then moved on to give them some space for the next well-wishers.

Danny’s Trio all looked happy for them but a little subdued.

Ivy piped up, “Congratulations Willow!”

Willow smiled at the three girls, “Don’t look so down, it will be your turn soon.”

Ivy smile was strained, “Not for another couple of years.”

Danny shrugged, “I don’t see why we have to wait?”

Ivy shook her head, “We cannot get married until everyone is sixteen and Jade is only fourteen.”

Jade looked visibly crushed and tears quickly filled her eyes.

Danny was contemplative, “I thought the rules were written to prevent marrying boys off too young. I thought the rule was only that the male had to be sixteen? I’m technically around eighteen now.”

Ivy thought about this for a moment before rushing over to the Basalts.

Brooke was trying to console Jade the best should could when Ivy returned with a smile on her face, “We can get married when we return to Diadem!”

Jade rubbed her eyes and looked up, “Really?”

Ivy nodded excitedly, “Yes, the age rule does only apply to boys as wives are rarely, if ever, are younger than the husband.”

Willow beamed, “That’s excellent news!”

Everyone exchanged hugs before Danny and Willow were led off toward the waiting line of eleven well-wishers.

After hearing congratulations from what must have been every living elf, tables and chairs appeared with a feast waiting to be eaten. The rest of the evening was filled with dancing, songs, and merriment. People filed in and out of the new palace, marveling at its size and complexity.

The queen ended the evening by thanking Danny for helping their people grow the new palace and leading her people in the destruction of the goblin threat. Then wishing him and Willow a happy marriage, she sent the two into the newly grown palace, to the sound of the cheering crowd.

Servants led them to one of the larger bedrooms near the ground floor. Guards were already posted at set intervals.

Danny had learned in the elvish archives how the lights and heating bulbs were created. He was able to recreate these as he grew the palace, it was almost as if all he had to do was suggest what he wanted and the tree responded accordingly. Unfortunately he couldn’t recreate the same affect in his own nature form… yet.

What Danny hadn’t grown was a large four posted bed and other furnishings for this room. The elves must have snuck these in during the wedding.

The bedroom door closed and he and Willow were alone in the room. The princess looked around, taking it all in, before turning to Danny.

“Husband... I was wondering how long I was going to wait before getting to say that.”

Danny smiled at the beautiful young elven woman, “My apologies, my wife, I had unfinished business that required my sudden attention. You have my complete attention now”

Willow looked contemplative and turned away from him, “I do don’t I... the question is, how can I keep it that way.”

Before Danny could reply, the princess reached behind her back and the gown she was wearing slid to the floor. She was not wearing anything underneath. A few more tugs and the flowers spilled down onto the floor as her long dark hair cascaded down to pool around her posterior.

Looking over her shoulder, princess Willow smiled at Danny’s expression, “I’m suddenly very tired, but I really need a shower first. Would you mind giving me a hand?”

Danny eyes were glued to her royal backside and he looked up dumbly, “I... uh sure.”

Willow sauntered into the room’s adjoined bathroom as Danny could only watch.

*Danny, get in there now and stop acting like this is the first princess you have seen naked!*

*But this is the first princess I hav...!*

*Just shut up already and go!*

Danny jolted out of his stupor and rushed through the bathroom door.