Chapter 3: The Wedding

Athena listened to her new master as he explained magic to her, and she felt his love as he reached into her mind and she felt something in her body heal.

'Thank you master, I do not know what you have done. But I feel different.'

'I have healed you, taken away your anger for now. Eventually I will give it back to you because you will need it in the trials that will come to you one day.'

Athena listens to the voice that bestows love and safety on her.

'But why choose me? What makes me so special? I am just a peasant girl.'

'Athena, you were chosen by destiny, plus you have a strong mind. You also were never just a peasant girl. For now, I leave you with this gift. From now on you will see the weave and interplay of magic more clearly. You will be able to look at the waylines of magic and know how they work. However, you still must learn the magic. In your room, you will find three things; two are from your mother Serilia, the third comes from me. The first item is your mother's spell book, and her ring of magic missiles. In her spellbook are her notes on recharging it. The third item you will not be able to use until you become more attuned to magic. It is a staff of the mystical power.'

Athena is shocked that she never knew about her mother.

'My mother was a Mage? I thought she was a fighter like my father.'

'Your mother lost her ability to cast spells, so she used the magical items she had hoarded, hoping one day to remove the curse that was thrown on her, but it was to no avail. Therefore, your mother and father decided to settled down and raise a family, for seventeen years they knew peace. Your family's enemies eventually found where you lived and hired the bandits that attacked your home. They were supposed to wipe your family out, but I tricked them on you, and they decided to carry your younger sister and brother off into slavery. Both will be eventually rescued and set free, but for now, you must put them out of your mind. Now I must go, be safe my daughter, make me proud of you. Your mother is the reason I say you are not just a peasant girl, you are the daughter of one of my beloved Mages.'

Athena felt the presence leave her as she stood there. Smiling at the priest she said, "Thank you for letting me enter." Athena bowed her head and walked towards the doors to enter the temple.

"You're more than welcome daughter, now enter and bathe in his glory."

The priest looked at her in surprise as he felt their God touch the young woman again and as he watched, he saw her light brown hair change to a flaming red, and if he could see her eyes, he knew they would have changed to a brilliant green. Adjusting his eyes, he could see the blue green aura of the waylines reforming around the young girl and he smiled as he realized a new disciple being created.

Athena walked into the chamber and followed Asirel to her seat. As they sit down, Athena looked out at the beautiful temple encased in mother of pearl and silver inlay. Marble pillars hold the roof up, each inscribed with magical spells that Athena could now see. From the stained glass roof, many creatures play over the walls and floor as the sunlight beamed down into the room.

From the back of the room, a priest walked into the room and up to the podium and looked around the chamber. Reaching down he picked up a small hammer and tapped the nine-inch tall pyramid on the podium. The sound echoed throughout the room and faded. The priest spoke, "Would everyone please take their seats, we are going to start in a few minutes."

At his warning, people start hurrying to their seats. Within five minutes, every seat in the vast temple was full.

King Sheldren stood in the balcony looking out at his nobles and then turns to his valet.

"Tarm, is everything ready?"

"Yes, my Lord. The guards are alert in case there is any trouble from the nobles. Your sister is ready to cast the bonding spell on you and your future queen." Tarm said as he brushed some lint from his Lord's shoulder.

"Good, I know the Valkins are nobles and kin, but I wish I didn't have to have them here. The whole family is trouble, well except for Seria."

"I know my lord, I still think they had a hand in killing your father, but I cannot prove it. None of my contacts in their household have been able to learn anything."

"Keep trying Tarm, I know the information we seek is out there. We just need to find it."

"I will my Lord, and my Lord. Relax."

"I am trying to relax, but I am getting married today to a woman I have only just met." Sheldren said as he adjusted his robe over his elfin chainmail and then continued, "I know, and the truth spells didn't work, I am only King because the Council backed my claim. But even then, it's been one fight after another with them."

"Well my lord, you could always strip them of their title and banish them." Tarm suggested.

"It hasn't come to that yet, but even then they have too much power backing them. We just need more cause and don't worry they will give it one day and then I will lower the axe on them." Looking at himself in the mirror, he took his father's dagger and slipped it up the sleeve of his robe.

"How do I look?"

"You look magnificent your Majesty. Princess Cassandra will be very proud of you. Especially with you being clean shaven, she really doesn't like your beard."

Sheldren rubs his smooth face. "It felt weird. It took two years to grow that beard and she got me to shave it in a day." With a grin he said, "Must be love."

Tarm walked around his king, inspecting him. Reaching up he brushed another piece of lint off the back of the royal robe.

"Well my lord, I know she loves you very much, and if you always confide in each other and never go to bed angry at each other, you two will have a long life of happiness. However, most of all, remember to trust each other and talk with each other. Do not keep secrets from one another and as a final bit of advice my lord; do not listen to any rumors that are ever said. They can cause even a wonderful love, like the love you two share, to spoil like a bad apple in an apple barrel."

"Thank you Tarm, as usual you give excellent advice. Now let's get this over with, I am famished after fasting for twenty-four hours."

Tarm laughed and opened the door. "After you, your Royal Majesty."

Sheldren walked out the door, his crown firmly on his head as he headed into the church to stand in front of the priest.

'Well here comes the boy king. Soon as I figure a way, he will be dead and his new queen will grace my bed, ' Thought Lord Valkin. His thoughts continued to drift and his eyes slowly scanned about only to settle on a young girl standing next to a man wearing red robes. His eyebrows arched in surprise as he saw his daughter for the first time in three years. The first thing he noticed she was wearing red robes of a master spell caster, and her hair was now bright red. 'Well the traitor shows herself.' Looking to his left, he quietly summoned one of his men at arms.

"Yes my Lord?" Replied the armsman as he neared his Lord

"Kal, to my left third tier sixth person, do you see her?"

Kal looked to where he was told and saw the young woman.

"Yes my lord."

"Please keep a sharp eye on her. I want to know where she goes after the wedding."

"It will be as you command my Lord."

Sending the guard back to the wall, Valkin looked up at the high priest as he begun to speak.

"Your holiness, how are you today." Sheldren asked his old teacher.

Kellian set the small Holy Water dispenser down and looked at his friend and student of many years.

"I am well your Majesty. Are you ready to become a husband, and I hope and pray eventually a father?"

With a small grin at one of his oldest friends and mentors, he said, "Yes I am. I was a little nervous but Tarm has helped me over it." Sheldren's belly grumbles and he continued, "I wish this was over. I am so hungry, I could eat a dragon."

Kel laughed and covered his mouth with his hand and turned it into a cough.

"Well you will be able to eat soon."

Cassandra looked at her father and kissed him. "I love you father."

"You are so beautiful. You look like your mother." Mirkove said as he wiped a tear from his cheek and then continued, "I just wish she could have been here to see you get married."

"I do too father, and when you get home, place a rose on her resting place for me ... and I want you to marry Lady Hallie. She is a good woman, and you will need her for Viv and Silian since I will not be there to help take care of them."

"I ... I will think about it."

"Do more then think father, the girls need a mother."

"Okay Cassie, I will do as you command."

"Good." Turning to the woman playing the organ she spoke to her. "You may begin."

The organ music changed and Sheldren turned and looked down the aisle to see his beautiful bride walking towards him with her father at her side. She is so small and so beautiful, almost elfin like in stature. She is wearing a silver gown that flows behind her. Her two younger sisters carried her fifteen-foot long train as she glided down the aisle toward her future husband.

Athena was watching the princesses walk down the aisle when she felt something in her head. Closing her eyes, she felt the love flow into her and when she opened them again, she found herself sitting at a table with a small silver book.

'Read and learn.'

Athena looked at the book and read the title, 'The Casting of Magic and its Practical Uses.' Looking around the room she said, "Where am I? I wanted to see the wedding."

'I brought part of you to my tower; your physical body is still at the wedding. You will remember the entire ceremony, so you will not miss anything.'

"I don't understand?" Athena said aloud.

'For now just believe what I say, you will learn more as we go. Now read.'

Athena started reading the book, learning how magic could be used for good or evil, to fight or defend, to maim or heal. She learned how magic could be used to help crops grow or stop bad weather from forming. However, most of all she learned that it is not the magic that is evil, but how it is used. Biting her lip she looked around and said, "I don't understand something. If you're the God of magic, how come you allow evil Mages?"

'Because I am neither good nor evil, I am the God of magic and of the night. The night regenerates the wayline from the moons soft light. Evil is just another form of good, it just depends on the person's perspective. You see murder and rape as wrong, so it is evil; to an evil person it is good. It's all how one saw life.'

"Ok I understand I think. So what do I do now?"

The book disappeared and a new book appeared. "Now you must study each book. You learn from them and they will appear in your bookcase. Now reach out and touch the book, it will shock you but only for a second. However, do not let go of it."

Athena looked at the book and saw her name inscribed on the cover in silver embossed letters. Reaching out she touched it and felt a small jolt of electricity tingle her hand. The shock only lasted for a second and then it was gone.

'The book has accepted you, you can now open it.'

Opening the book, she saw strange glyphs that seem to move as she looked at them. They quickly form some writing and she reads it aloud, "This spell book belongs to Athena Hollis, disciple of Nightmaster."

Turning the page, she saw some more glyphs and looked at them. She tried to grasp them with her mind, but they seem to slip away.

'Relax child, sit back and look at the book with half closed eyes and they will come to you.'

Taking a deep breath and closing her eyes for a second, she leaned back in the chair and allows her eyes to open a small amount and she watches the glyphs start to form words. 'Cantrips Spells, page one Clean and Mend. These Cantrips will clean any small surface that the caster wishes. The Mend can be used to mend small broken items like eating utensils or a torn outfit.'

With surprise she stammered, "I can read it, now what do I do?"