It was late autumn now in Arthian. The great maples had turned beautiful shades of yellow, orange and red. The air was getting cool and the days shorter.

Like all wars, there was a famine afterwards, even more so since the minotaur army had stampeded across southern Arthian. Queen Gweneleque had felt responsible for the famine and had made an agreement with Jacog, Sear, Helen and Willium that her Empire would provide food for their kingdoms in exchange for the precious metals common in the western kingdoms.

Victoria's and Wynic's announcement had shocked a few, but after awhile people started to get used to the thought. The happily-ever-after phrase was common that winter.

A knock came at the door to Wynic's study the morning after the announcement. "Enter," said the assassin.

The door opened and Waytorn slid silently inside. "Wynic, I need to discuss something with you," he said. "Privately."

"Go ahead, Victoria always sleeps in. Pothax left with Dillard last night to go wenching and Redhawk isn't going anywhere!" replied Wynic, turning away from the window to face Waytorn.

"How's the chest? I heard you broke a few ribs when you fell?"

"Fine. Derick bandaged them up."

"That's good! I fell in love with a woman like Victoria once," began Waytorn, "but my thirst for wealth was too great at the time and I was forced to leave her. I've always regretted it."

"And?" prompted the assassin.

"I envy you Wynic," said Waytorn. "I've heard that your past wasn't pleasant and maybe you wish that you hadn't lived that past, but I'd give everything I have now, to be you, even through all those unpleasantries, just to be with Larel. What I'm trying to say, Wynic, is you're the only one I know that is truly content with everything you have. I on the other hand will probably always be lonely since few people can see past my scars and obscure status."

"Thank you, Waytorn," said Wynic, unsure of what to reply. "If I were you, I'd try harder though."

"Thank you, Wynic."

"You can't have a commoner marriage and a royal wedding together," protested Jacog, stamping his foot for emphasis.

"Why not?" replied Helen coolly. "Wynic is a general, meets the King regularly and is known to my people as the Paladin Assassin. In addition, Victoria's a hero in my book. Besides there's stories already flying around about a romantic adventure about all of us. Such a wedding as I suggested would be a perfect ending. Probably get a couple good ballads written about it!"

"But-" protested Jacog.

"But Jackie," whined Elexenia. "Victoria and Helen said I could be a brides maid. Can I? Can I? Pretty please with lots of sugar on top?"

"Well, I don't know. Well, okay, but remember what happened at our wedding?" said Jacog uneasily.

"It wasn't my fault the place burned down!" cried Elexenia.

"We can have it outside?" suggested Wynic.

"How will you pay for all this?" asked Willium. His eyes were bloodshot. He'd been into the wine again. "Royal weddings usually have a month's worth of festivities, which means another month's worth of preparations."

"I've already taken care of all that. The festivities will start in five days when my wedding party arrives and sets up," explained Helen, smoothing out the folds in her gown.

"Bring it in, Nebonex," shouted Gith suddenly. Everyone looked up from their seats around the dining table as Nebonex walked in carrying a huge rectangle package, followed by Gisoni and Pollex, carrying an even larger package. "This is for you Victoria," he said, handing the package to the brigadier.

"Thank you Nebonex, uh, Gith," said Victoria, clumsily setting the package down on the table.

"Open it," urged Darylinn, jumping from Elexenia's lap and running over to stand beside Victoria.

Taking out her dagger, Victoria carefully cut the brown parchment and brushed it aside. "Oh my," she whispered.

"Wow," cried Darylinn.

"What is it?" asked Gisoni, setting down his end of the huge package. Pollex breathed a sigh of relief and promptly dropped his end onto the table.

Victoria lifted the painting up so all could see. Every line, every hair, every shade of colour was exactly the same as Victoria herself. It couldn't have been more close to perfect if Victoria had been holding up a mirror. Wynic swore that if Victoria stood beside it and didn't move, he wouldn't be able to tell, which was real and which was painted.

"That's your best one yet, Gith," remarked Willium approvingly.

"The apprentice has outdone his tutor," said Gith modestly.

"Huh?" said Willium confused.

"I didn't paint it," explained Gith.

"Well, then, who did?" asked Jacog.

"Nebonex did!" replied Gith.

"What?" exclaimed Gweneleque, turning to face her son. The Prince blushed, a strange sight.

"You see-" began Nebonex-"when Gith took me down to the... Oh dear, you haven't been down to the catacombs yet, have you?"

"No, but-"

"The catacombs is where they keep the long dead Kings of Arthian. We took father down there and placed him on Willium's platform. It was so beautiful and peaceful down there that I wanted to stay. Later Gith suggested that I come down there and he could tutor me, and as you can see, I'm really quite good at it," explained the Prince. "We can go down there and visit father as soon as we show everyone the other painting, if you like?"

"I'd love to," replied Gweneleque.

"Gisoni," said Gith, "take the wrapping off the other painting."

Gisoni cut the parchment off with a dagger and tossed it away. "Hey! It Angel tears!"

"What?" said Elexenia, jumping up. "Where?"

"That's what the Kinians call it," explained Gisoni, pushing the huge eight foot painting up so everyone could see. The painting depicted the horizon of familiar towers and walls of the northern part of Athex and the wondrous beauty of the northern lights in the background.

"Party lights," squealed Darylinn.

"You've seen them before?" asked Willium, turning to his daughter.

"Oh, yes. They were so bright, I couldn't sleep, besides someone was making lotsa noise up on the roof," said Darylinn.

"We also saw them the night Wynic killed Kobalix," said Victoria.

"I take it you two painted this up in the cupola, right?" guessed Jacog.

"Actually, just charcoal sketches, smaller versions and colour samples. We finished this down in the catacombs," answered Gith.

"Who's it for?" asked Gwen.

"Helen and Redhawk of course! Redhawk will need a reminder of home occasionally," said Nebonex.

"Nebonex, you and Gith can take your mother down to the catacombs. We'll continue without you," said Willium, rubbing his bloodshot eyes.

"Actually, before you go," called Wynic, "I'd like to know if Nebonex would be my best man. Also, Redhawk asked me if to ask Gisoni if he'd be his best man."

Gisoni looked up. "Me?"

Nebonex would not be caught off guard. "I'd be more than pleased, Wynic," he replied.

"And would you be a bride's maid Empress?" asked Queen Helen hopefully.

"I too would be more than pleased," she replied.

"King Sear's been called back to Kinian," explained Pothax the next morning in Wynic's study.

"Why?" asked Victoria, who'd grown fond of the stern, warrior-king.

"They're having problems with the Ice Folk. They claim the Kinians have been poaching the Ice Lands. Sear's always tried to be on good terms with the ice folk, and wants to keep it that way," Pothax said, describing the situation briefly.

There was a knock at the door. Devid and Derick entered. "Good morning gentlemen, Lady," said Devid. "Derick has a surprise for you all. So could you all join us in Redhawk's chamber?"

"Isn't he sleeping?" asked Pothax.

"Queen Helen came by to visit again," shrugged Derick.

"Pothax, and Dillard returned last night with last of the things I needed to build it. I knew my lord was so anxious to get out of bed, so I finished it with Devid's help last night," explained Derick. "You may not know this, Wynic, but Devid is quite a carpenter. It's a shame his skills are going to waste washing, cleaning, dusting and what not." Devid blushed and looked at the floor uncomfortably.

"Taa daa!" shout Derick, stepping away so everyone could see the huge object with a sheet covering it. He whipped the sheet off and tossed it away. The object was a chair with two light weight wagon wheels placed on an axle beneath the seat of a legless chair. The chair itself looked quite comfortable with purple velvet and a built in foot rest. There were two small swivelable wheels underneath the foot rest.

"It looks like a wagon builder went blind and mistook the chair for wagon parts," surmised Redhawk doubtfully.

"May I demonstrate my lord?" asked Derick, sliding into the chair.

"Go ahead," he replied, still skeptical. "What is it?"

"I haven't decided on a good name milord. Wheelchair is the best I can come up with."

"It's adequate," said Redhawk, sitting up so he could see better.

"You see, you put your feet up and put your hands on the wheels and-" The squire pushed on the wheels and slid across the room in the chair. The wheel and axle shrieked from lack of oil. "Um, Devid, go fetch some oil. I think you forgot about that!"

"I thought you were supposed to oil the axle!" protested Devid quietly, and walked away mumbling.

"Anyway, milord, you'll be able to go places, as long as it's flat or the streets are paved, that is. You won't need to walk. It will also help you gain back the strength in your arm," explained Derick, standing back up.

"Help me into it," said Redhawk, struggling to get up. Pothax and Wynic rushed over, linked their arms with Redhawk's and helped him over and into the strange chair.

Devid returned and hastily oiled the wheels and axle.

"Go slowly at first, milord," said Derick. "It's hard to stop if you build up too much momentum.

"Ah, okay," said Redhawk, unsure. "This is safe, isn't it?"

"Unless you plan on going down the stairs, which I'd prefer you didn't," replied Derick.

Redhawk pushed the wheels forward and he slid across the room. "Hey, this is neat! Where'd you get this idea?"

"Mathex mentioned that the solution would be to put wheels under you. I fooled around with the idea until I found this one," explained Derick. "To steer, push one forward and hold the other in place so it doesn't move but the other does."

"Oh," said Redhawk, turning right and then left. "This is really neat!"

"He keeps complaining about the unpaved streets, and he's already attacked several people for not getting out of his way," laughed Rades. "Gisoni went off with him. He's going to keep him out of trouble until the wedding."

"I think you're regretting this Derick, aren't you?" asked Willium with a laugh.

"Not really. You really should pave your sheets and repair them. A half cobbled city seems kind of cluttered and disorderly," replied Derick.

"Wynic, you and Rades better go with Gisoni. Helen will be really upset if he's late for the wedding," asked Willium sternly.

It had been decided to have the wedding in the park where Victoria and Wynic had been attacked. The beautiful colours of the trees, and the late blooming flowers and neatly trimmed bushes made it all look like a garden of the Angels. The Archbishop was a short, stern man with a broad smile, strange bright eyes, and looked particularly plump in his pristine white robes. Willium had tried unsuccessfully to get the priest to join him for a drink of wine, but the priest refused, though he did look tempted as Willium kept reminding Nebonex and therefore kept trying.

Lady Bardelias was busy flirting, as usual, with the younger knights present as well as the many young courtiers. Young Derick however, presented a problem. The squire had walked by without so much as a glance. This presented a challenge, and Lady Bardelias used every excuse she could to attract his attention.

The knights had all taken out their new ceremonial armour, polished it up, and were now clanking around in the heavy platinum or silver things. Dillard, however, had conveniently misplaced the heavy armour and sat quite comfortably in a scarlet silk tunic from Evicoth and baggy black pants, the newest fashion. He'd seen Rades wearing a pair of baggy black pants and found they looked quite dashing, and they were more comfortable than traditional hose.

Pothax and Waytorn chatted idly accompanied by twenty of Waytorn's bodyguards. Most of them were from the Picnic as they were calling the mission to Kobalix's citadel. A pun aimed at Wynic and what he said just before they left. Another fifty of his men patrolled the streets around the park, probably guarding the proceedings better than the five hundred soldiers guarding the park and Wynic's estate. besides they were making a profit pick pocketing everyone too occupied with the festivities.

Jacog was pacing.

"Will you please stop doing that?" asked Mathex, who had been talking to Derick, but couldn't concentrate because of Jacog.

"Something's going to go wrong. I know it," muttered Jacog.

"Well, if you're so paranoid about it, go pace somewhere else," snapped Mathex. Jacog went off to make sure the cooks hadn't started a fire. The wonderful aroma of bacon and potatoes was irresistible.

"Thank god Willium's plan worked," said Victoria, adjusting the back of her wedding gown with the help of a maid. "It's bad luck if they see us before the wedding, and Wynic is an assassin, so I'm pretty sure he could get into his own house, even if we bolted all the doors and windows."

"Come over here and take a look at this," said Gweneleque, motioning them all to join her at the balcony.

"What is it?" squealed Elexenia, running over and hopping so she could see over everyone's shoulders. Down below in the park gates there was a commotion about a burly, middle aged man with a shaved head. "He's a Stornium sailor," concluded Helen.

"How can you tell?" asked Victoria, turning to face the Queen.

"The gold ring in his left cheek. That's a tradition among sailors in Stornium."

"What's a sailor doing in Athex?"

"He probably has a legitimate reason. Other than that, your guess is as good as mine."

"He says that he's a friend of Wynic's," explained the Colonel to Victoria. "He also says he helped recover the Swathick Axe."

"Ask him about the journey, and if he mentions anything about a commodore Carlo or waterspouts, let him by," Victoria ordered. The Colonel saluted and marched away.

"You look very authoritative, even without the uniform," remarked Gwen thoughtfully.

"Empress," said Marigathos, entering carrying Prince Robarthars. "Your daughter wants to know if she can ride Princess Darylinn's pony."

"I'll watch them if you'd like, Empress?" suggested Sardias, quiet until now.

"Okay, go ahead, but make sure she doesn't start fooling around. She tends to get hyper," replied Gwen, taking Robarthars from the nanny.

"There's the signal from Blackaxe," said Elex, jumping up and down happily.

"That just means that everything is ready," said Helen. "We have to wait for Redhawk and Wynic."

"It's been half a hour since I sent Blackaxe and Dillard out to look for them," complained Willium. "The servants are threatening to leave and go home."

In the center of the park there was a wide glade where the nobles, courtiers and knights were gathered. At the eastern part of the glade was a marble fountain with waterdragons or Arums floating on the surface. It was in front of this that the Archbishop had sat down in a chair and was snoring. Nebonex leaned against the fountain, occasionally yawning.

"If they don't hurry up, we'll have their wedding without them," muttered Jacog. "I told you something would go wrong," he said smugly to Mathex.

"Your daughter and Darylinn got hungry, and ate some bearberries," said Sardias to Gwen as she entered Victoria's room. "Marigathos and Devid took them down to the kitchen to find them something better to eat."

Gweneleque looked worried. "They weren't poisoness were they?" she asked.

"Bearberries and wintergreen's? Oh no, I eat them all the time, but they taste better if you wash them and make pie," said Victoria. "To say the least, I'm hungry too. What say we sneak down to the kitchen and borrow something to eat?"

"Wynic, what happened?" asked Gith, rushing over to help. The assassin was bleeding from a cut across the chest and he had a black eye.

"We ran into some of Kobalix's former men," Wynic replied, leaning against Gith wearily. "Thirty of them."

"The cutthroats trapped them in a cellar. Rades barricaded the door while Wynic and Gisoni held them back," explained Dillard. "Redhawk snored through the whole thing!"

"They're damn lucky Dillard and I showed up," grunted Blackaxe, half carrying, half dragging Rades.

"Sire," said Gith, pointing at Wynic's face. "You've got a black eye again."

"I know. Go get me and Rades some shirts," Wynic groaned, ripping off what was left of his shirt and tossing it aside. Gith helped Wynic into a chair and hurriedly went off in search of some shirts.

"Master," cried Devid, entering the hall with Marigathos.

"Dev," said Wynic, "go fetch Derick will you?"

"At once master."

Bardelias had finally cornered the squire by the looks of Derick's caught look. Devid smiled. "Excuse me Lady Bardelias," said Devid, "but Lord Redhawk needs his squire at the moment."

Bardelias looked as if she could kill Devid, but allowed the squire to get away. "Thanks Dev. I owe you one," said Derick as soon as the Lady couldn't hear. "What is it?"

"They've been in a fight, Rades has a huge bump on his head," Devid explained, leading the way.

"I told you to stay out of trouble," scolded Derick, examining the bump on Rades head.

"It's not my fault. Wynic stepped on the leader's foot," Redhawk said defensively.

"Here's some clean shirts," said Gith, returning.

"Thanks," mumbled Wynic, taking a shirt. He checked the bandage for his broken ribs and then pulled on the shirt.

"You three better get out there," said Derick, "or Willium's going to have a fit. I'll take care of Rades."

"I sent you to watch Redhawk, and you get in a fight!" Willium accused Wynic.

"Shut up, Willium! Nebonex wake up the bishop," Wynic said, taking his place. "Oh and aren't you supposed to chaperone Victoria, Willium?"

"Oops! I almost forgot," mumbled the King, and hurried away.

Redhawk rolled up beside Wynic, and stood up stiffly. "I'm going to ask. How much blood did I lose? This has seemed an awfully long time for me to get my strength back enough to walk."

"Too much."

"Finally," said the Archbishop, standing up and stretching. "Today the Lord taught me patience."

"Sorry," apologized Redhawk.

"You should be. That was a good dream I was having," said the priest, brushing off his robes.

"Can we get on with this?" Wynic asked.

"Impatient aren't we?"

"No, we're a hour late, and the food is getting cold."

"Tisk, tisk. Well, lad, what are you waiting for? Signal the chaperone to proceed," the priest said, looking at Nebonex sternly.

"Oh, right," mumbled Nebonex. "Hey, Willium we can start now!" he boomed loudly.

"Can't you be a bit more subtle?' asked Wynic, taking his fingers back out of his ears.

"Sorry. I did the signal twice. I think Willium's going blind."

"Thank the Lord his hearing isn't going," muttered Redhawk. "Then again, anybody could have heard you. Has General Chek been giving you lessons?"

Willium and Victoria rounded the corner and Wynic's heart stopped momentarily, his hand going to his black eye. To his eye she looked like an angel who had been rejected from heaven because she was too beautiful to be let in. She was dressed in a pristine white satin gown. She had to almost march to keep from tripping on the many folds on the front of the gown. The veil was so thin that it was hardly visibly in the twilight. The sleeves were cut down to her elbows and trimmed with silver lace. The back of the gown was fringed with lace with the neck just above her shoulders. her cape was a fabulous arrangement of lacework, pearls and tiny diamonds. Her belt was of beaten silver shaped at the front like a four sided diamond. In the center of the diamond was a huge flat ruby, which reflected the festive autumn colours.

Pothax noted with some surprise that hidden in Victoria's belt was a dagger. He shrugged it off as a habit as he reached down and fingered the dagger in his belt. There was perhaps twenty daggers hidden on the cutthroat and probably a few he'd forgotten about.

Next came Helen, led by Blackaxe, who was wearing his formal gold armour. The heavy armour seemed to be taking their toll, and he was sweating profusely. The overall effect however made him look like a sun was escorting the Queen of Stornium.

Helen's gown was exactly identical as Victoria's except that in plane of silver was platinum and in place of the ruby in Victoria's belt was a emerald. In addition she wore a veiled crown made of burnished platinum with a huge tiger's eye emerald in it. The royal sash was made of tiny emeralds, intricately attached with platinum bands. What caught Waytorn's eye however was General Chek walking behind Blackaxe, carrying a dark, purple velvet cushion with a crown slightly identical to Helen's on it. It had slipped his mind that Redhawk was going to be crowned Prince Consort. But he betted Redhawk had also forgotten.

The Archbishop smiled shrewdly and whispered. "I'm going to talk for quite some time since this is a special occasion. You don't have to listen, just try not to fidget or anything like that. I'll be talking quite loudly, so you can whisper amongst yourselves if you'd like. Talk about the weather or something."

"Try to do it quickly. This is really killing my legs," muttered Redhawk.

The bishop smiled and launched into a well practiced speech and was noticably speeding p for Redhawk's sake. Then he started into asking each person in turn if they'd love, cherish, etc.

By now Redhawk was doing his best to keep from swaying back and forth. Helen lent him a hand and helped steady him.

"Lord Dumbkopf Redhawk-" started the priest.

Rades, Wynic, Blackaxe, Helen and anyone else who knew old Stornium started to laugh. "No wonder he never tells anybody his name: Dumbkopf is old Stornium for a really, really, stupid person!" Rades whispered to Dillard.

The Archbishop started again. "Lord Redhawk," he said finally. "You have a very peculiar arrangement before you. As a Kinian Knight you are sworn to protect the royalty and your homeland. Your residence here in Athex shows you are also devoted to Arthian. Now when you marry, you'll also be devoted to Queen Helen, and also to Stornium. Do you understand all this?"

"I do," replied Redhawk.

"General Chek, will you present the crown?" asked the priest. Chek strode forward and knelt before him. "As a Stornium, do accept this arrangement?" asked the Archbishop, taking the crown from Chek.

"I do."

"I now proclaim you, Lord Redhawk, in the name of the Holy Lord, the Prince Consort of the Kingdom of Stornium. Ah, you two can kiss the brides now," said the bishop as placed the crown on Redhawk's head. The Kinian Knight swayed under the weight of the crown but Gisoni's hand shot out and steadied him.

Wynic turned to face Victoria, and gently lifted the veil. Discarding modesty, the archeress grabbed Wynic by the neck and pulled him forward to kiss him. "I love you," she whispered for the first time. "We're stealing the show," Wynic replied. "Let's let Redhawk and Helen give their performance so Redhawk can sit down."

"Deal, but promise me we get to continue this later," agreed Victoria.

"Promise."

"Savin, you old rascal. What in the Lord's name are you doing here?" cried Wynic, grabbing the pirate by the shoulder and shaking him.

"I'm on vacation, perhaps permanently," replied the pirate. "I thought I'd think over what to do with all that treasure. I'm getting too old for this business."

"You should talk to King Willium," said Wynic thoughtfully. "You two seem to have the same frame of mind!"

"Me and a King?"

"Sure, Willium's always saying he's getting too old for this. Besides he's just as fond as drinking as you are!"

"Maybe more," said Victoria, walking up and exchanging a kiss with Wynic.

"Where ist he, and where's the nearest pub?"

"He's the chubby fellow talking to the person who looks like a sun," Victoria pointed at Blackaxe. Savin ran off to talk to the King.

"Wynic?" said Victoria, kissing him again.

"Ya?"

"Derick thinks I'm pregnant."

Wynic fainted.