Rounding a particularly large tent, Gardinal froze. A colossal bonfire dominated the scene before him, raging with a heat so intense it made Gardinal sweat from nearly fifty paces away. The flickering structure of burning wood itself was nearly fifteen paces wide and across. But as Gardinal managed to tear his gaze from the flame itself, he realized the effect it had on the people here.

An expansive packed earth clearing surrounded the fire, no building was built any closer than forty paces away. Yet one would hardly be able to tell that the earth was packed, save for the undulating masses of dancing Korek basking in the warm light of the fire. They all danced with a rhythm that echoed out across the night. Easily more than a hundred men and women laughing and singing along to the sounds of beating drums and roaring horns.

“Do they do this for every wedding?” Vallerian asked. “This much wood seems a tad expensive for their… limited means.”

“This is the wedding of the Ga’Se’s eldest son.” Kriss explained and Vallerian raised a brow that seemed to say, ‘go on’. “He’s kind of like a crown prince to them, though not quite.” Kriss continued.

Looking at the people shouting and cheering, the crowds dancing in joy, it reminded Gardinal of another wedding. One this city had celebrated long ago. The wedding of the now king, and Terminia’s lost princess. Obviously he had not attended it – few counts even had been permitted to attend – but the whole kingdom had taken part in their own way back then. All across the kingdom the people high and low celebrated with drinks and revelry. And when the royal couple rode down the Kingsroad in celebration, the whole city had come to rain flowers and admiration down upon them.

King Artyran IV’s second wedding had held no such joy, or so he had heard. Gardinal had been away at war when it had happened. A good many of the kingdom’s men had been away during that time. Too few had come back. Staring at that large bonfire, he remembered another fire like that. Remembered screaming children, burned alive. Remembered men laughing as they put those houses to the torch.

“Is something wrong?” Vallerian whispered, leaning over to Gardinal. Tearing his gaze from the fire Gardinal blinked at the count whose eyes darted over the crowd with a hand on his concealed sword’s pommel. He wore what seemed to be honest concern.

“No, nothing. Just a stray thought.” Gardinal shrugged off the man’s worry, then turned to Kriss who also looked with furrowed brows. “Come on now, it’s time we go see the happy couple now isn’t it?” Gardinal pushed past the pair and began to round the circle of revelers.

Reaching the other side of the great bonfire, Gardinal spotted the bride and groom. Sitting on the edge of the dancing, they made an absurd sight. They sat on roughly carved wooden throne, so massive it managed to dwarf Rekiak, and Thelyra sitting next to him wide eyed seemed smaller than a Jöln. Despite the ridiculous chair, the pair seemed happy as guests would walk over and place gifts at their feet, a considerable pile beginning to grow off to the side already. Gardinal felt a pang of panic.

“Was I supposed to bring something?” A nervousness touched his voice that he couldn’t control. It was un-Khazimi to forget a gift, they were after the children of Sent, god of generosity. Looking to his companions, Vallerian simply shrugged in his casual manner.

“A gift? I could always drop them some coin. Would that be gauche?” Vallerian seemed honestly unsure.

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“Yes.” Kriss answered shaking his head, and Charlotte atop the lord’s shoulder seemed to shake her head in shame as well. “Though you two have nothing to worry about.” He laughed, patting a large canvas sack at his side. “I already bought them a gift from all of us, courtesy of Lord Vallerian here’s coffers of course.” Kriss grinned widely, and both Gardinal and Vallerian couldn’t help but laugh with him. That Kriss was a good lad. Perhaps he had judged him too harshly at first. Though Gardinal was still far from fond of the way the boy tended to eye Her Radiance.

Just as they were nearing the couple, the largest man Gardinal had ever seen stumbled out of the crowd and began to shout in Korek’ta. The crowd quickly began to quiet for the man. Gardinal had met the Ga’Se before, the man had found him when Her Radiance and Rekiak had been in danger. Still, at easily more than twice Gardinal’s height and almost as wide, the Ga’Se struck an intimidating figure.

The man continued to shout out as he strutted around, and as he spoke small moments of laughter would spread out over the assembled mass. Gardinal looked to Vallerian who just shrugged.

“Don’t look at me.” He whispered. “My old Fershya tutor wasn’t exactly itching to teach me Korek’ta.” Charlotte cawed a laugh at that.

“He made a joke about his son liking women who look like little boys. Then commented that despite her being a prissy Fershya, he has grown to love his daughter in law these past weeks.” Kriss whispered back to them and Gardinal and Vallerian both shot the boy an incredulous look.

“You speak Korek’ta?” Gardinal asked.

“I paid attention while Celeste was learning.” He shrugged. “Though I’m not very good, not like her, but I can gather the gist of it usually now.”

Gardinal shook his head in amazement. The boy had been learning to write while Celeste had studied Korek’ta. Now he could do both? If it wasn’t for Arabella to confirm his suspicions of Southshore stock, Her Radiance and Kriss would have left him wondering how the slums hadn’t grown to rule them all. Looking past the boy, Gardinal saw the Ga’Se sit back down on a pile of furs as the wizened old Ga’Na stood up to take his place. Her voice didn’t carry as well as the Ga’Se’s but the people were even quieter.

“Brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, er…” Kriss translated but seemed to stumble over a word. “I didn’t get that last one. I think it was ‘others’, but that’s… wrong I think.” Kriss shrugged and continued translating. “This union of two souls…” He continued, but Gardinal tuned it out as he gazed at the couple sitting together.

Rekiak and Thelyra sat holding hands in that large throne, stealing the occasional glance as they tried pretending to pay attention to the Ga’Na. So much love was shared in those brief looks, and Gardinal felt himself clenching his fist.

Could he ever have something like that? The way he held her hand so gently, so lovingly. His fist trembled at the thought. How would it feel to have a man would hold his like that?

But no, that was not how he was forged. Two men could enjoy one another’s company, but they were not a partnership, not a union of souls. Not like that. The Grand Duke, had never, would never, look at him like that. Thelyra looked into Rekiak’s eyes with such open admiration, such unbridled affection. He had only ever seen hunger behind his Fereni lover’s eyes. How would that feel? To feel wanted for more than just a thrill?

There had been one man, long ago now, who had looked at him like that. But that was a very long time ago now, and far from here. Even then though, his old lover’s gentle voice still sang in his ears. The gentle sounds of his whispers late at night in their tent. The look of his emerald eyes sparkling in the candlelight, his golden hair draped over a slender torso.

No. Gardinal shook his head from the revelry and brought himself back to now. That was a long time ago, in a time were they thought they could die at any moment. Here, in the capital, there was no room for that kind of relationship. Not for people like him. Not when Her Radiance needed him. The old lie came quickly, but his stomach dropped just as quick. She didn’t need him anymore. No one did.

“…and now I would like to invite the one we have named Mora Ga’Na.” Kriss whispered, then stopped, gasping along with the rest of the crowd. Looking up in confusion, Gardinal’s eyes grew wide.