Page 49 of The Ivory King

The under-cleric stopped short of a long table where Duskmoon sat, still in his funeral vestments, for he had just placed Raloven into the cold damp tombs below the citadel.

“Only those who are to be wed are to venture forth,” the young elf said, his sight on his pale white slippers.

I looked at Merrilyn, V’alor, and Raewyn. We closed the distance, leaving Fylson and Tezen with the under-cleric. They were offered chairs and water but declined.

“Sit,” Duskmoon croaked, his voice craggy from hours of leading prayers and delivering pointed lectures. He closed an old leather book with a slam, his gnarled fingers pressing down on the cover of the tome as his watery blue eyes raked over the four of us. “Sit down.” We pulled chairs from other tables and lowered ourselves into them. “Now, I will hear from you why you think Ihdos should bless a union of four elves. No, forgive me, three elves and a human. Explain your thoughts to me, for I cannot make sense of this blasphemous request.”

I glanced at V’alor, who was incredibly ill at ease, as was Merrilyn if her tight jaw was any indication.

“Exalted one, we come to you with this request for we all love each other.” One wild white eyebrow rose. “My words are true.”

“Your words are drivel.”

“No, my words are the truth. I love V’alor.”

“Then you should wed your guard captain.”

“I would gladly do, and wish to, but I also wish to wed Raewyn and Merrilyn.”

His nose crinkled. A fat candle on his right spit and flashed. The sound of the ocean lapping on the other side of the library wall was rhythmic as well as disconcerting. Why the old elves built their shrine to Ihdos so close to the water was a mystery.The seepage was a constant problem to be fixed by masons from the Witherhorns at a great yearly cost to the kingdom.

“Young Stillcloud, I vaguely recall the rush of youth and its effects on the brain as well as the body. Ihdos, in his wisdom, knows that young men and women are at times overcome with urges that make them think they are besotted with one or more people. Those urges are not a sound basis for a wedding between nobility. Why would you seek to take these other lesser elves as a part of your lineage?”

“Because I love them.”

He sighed wearily, then rubbed at his old eyes with equally old fingertips. “I dislike this wild precedence, Stillcloud. If I grant you permission to marry four people, who is to say that the next noble elf will not come to me begging me to wed them to six people? Or eight? Or ten? Or to an oxen?”

I had to fight with myself not to lose my temper. An oxen. How foolish. Surely a smart elf would marry a goat. It was comments such as those that made my patience snap like kindling wood. “Exalted One,” Raewyn said, slipping in with perfect timing. “Our people are loving souls. Each elf holds the capacity within themselves to love a myriad of souls. We love our parents, we love our teachers, we love our friends, we love our god, we love other elves we have yet to meet as Ihdos teaches.”

V’alor shifted beside me, his helm now in his hand, his dark eyes locked on the man who could end this plan with a pass of a quill. Ya’mar squinted at each of us as he bobbed his head to her words.

“We ask only to love each other in our own ways so that when Ihdos blesses us with a child, they will be raised surrounded by love. Surely a union of four souls who care so deeply will ensure the next generation will be shown what true love and respect is as opposed to forcing people to wed thosethey dislike. Is not the child of loving adults given a stronger base than a child whose parents are unhappy and adulterous?” V’alor said, surprising me thoroughly. His sight met mine for a second. I took his hand as I reached for Merrilyn’s hand. Love was a strong word, true, and while I could use it freely for Raewyn whom I love as a dear friend and sibling as well as for V’alor whom I love as my soulmate, I knew that in time I would find deep affection for Merrilyn. Perhaps as another sister. Being an only child, the prospect of having two sisters was a happy thought.

“And you would think of any child as belonging to the four of you?” Duskmoon queried.

“Yes,” we answered in unison. The exalted cloisterer tapped his long nails on the tome in front of him as he thought.

“It will be well loved, well protected, and well raised,” Merrilyn tacked on before falling silent again.

His fingers continued rapping as he mulled. My palm was sweaty as I clung to V’alor and Merrilyn’s equally damp hands. Raewyn simply stood quietly, head lowered, as if she were still an acolyte of the sister of the steppes.

“I find myself in a difficult situation,” the exalted cloisterer eventually stated, his gaze moving from me to the others and then back to me. “I have spoken to Umeris just this morning, and he assures me that your troth to each other is solid and true. He also informed me that you are a young man with lofty goals and a deep drive to reform the old ways. As I am old, I find I bristle at that, yet I also know that Ihdos breathes his will into each of us, and if our lands are to grow, then it is his wish to see that change occur. And since I can find no writings by the heralds of Ihdos pertaining to the number of persons joining each other in marriage, I cannot deny your request.” We all exhaled in relief. He held up a bent finger. “Know that the church will be watching your union closely, for it may well bringforth others with the same odd desires. We will be scrutinizing you four closely as you move through your lives, and your behavior in this multi-party marriage shall tint any other requests accordingly.”

We all lowered our chins to our chests. “Thank you for your kindness and tolerance of our request. We shall all act accordingly under the eye of Ihdos is ever upon us,” I said as I lifted my gaze from my boots. “I know that change is often frightening for those who are set in the old ways, but a society stagnates and dies when it refuses to move forward.”

“Hmm, you sound just as Umeris described. Go now. I have marriage papers to draft. Return to this room at dusk and you four shall be wed.”

Ah, so old Umeris had pushed the importance of my being wed to Lady Frostleaf to the exalted cloisterer. Perhaps the grumpy sod was right. Perhaps I did need to learn how to play the games and kiss the boots of those who would, someday, return favors granted. I doubted that would happen anytime soon, if ever, for my parents would surely have never done so. And as was often pointed out, I was their son.

“Thank you again. Glory to the wisdom of Ihdos,” we all murmured as we bowed and turned on our heels.

We strode out of the shrine with haste, eager to celebrate in the courtyard with shared hugs. Merrilyn stiffened when I embraced her. V’alor did not. He gathered me close and kissed me with a passion that had several elves who had lingered by the sea to whistle and taunt us.

I caressed his cheek before turning to Raewyn, who was enveloped in the arms of her lady love.

“So, I see that there is joyous news to share?” We turned to find Bonnalure smiling up at us, a thick blanket on her lap. There was no sign of her mother or brothers. “Word travels quickly. You have my congratulations on your upcoming vows.The lands all the way to the Galesdi Gulf will soon be yours, Aelir. As may the crown if your grandsire can sway a stubborn old crone. That crone being my mother.”

I stared down at her in shock. “Lady Mossbell is surely not—”

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