“I love you,” I whispered.

“Yes, and every day, I thank the gods,” he whispered in return.

My heart melted.

And in mere seconds we stopped in front of the pink-strewn altar, Cassius and I, our girls with us, as the guests filed in.

They found their seats.

The priest in his black robes with his satin sash in colors of blue and silver dangling from about his neck came out.

And our wedding began.

Combined Cathedral of the Gods, Sky Bay

AIREN

It happened after the priest declared Elena, Queen of the Nadirii, to be Princess Regent of Airen and wife to Cassius, and proclaimed him, Prince Regent of Airen, her husband.

It happened after Aelia clapped, King Mars let out a roaring boom, coming up from his seat, his big hands striking each other making a thundering noise, King Aramus coming up with him much the same, King True, their queens, Princess Serena, Cassius’s men, her remaining lieutenant, and the visiting royalty from across the Green Sea.

And amongst the pews, the Zees whooped, and at the back, the Nadirii warriors lent their battle cry.

It was when Elena arched into Cassius, Cassius cupped her jaw in one hand and rounded her waist with the other.

It was when she rested both of her hands on his wide chest.

It was when he dropped his head and hers tipped well back.

His long legs all but disappeared in her bounteous skirts.

His upper body curved around hers, and her torso all but vanished behind the wall of his broad back.

And unlike any Airenzian royal wedding ceremony for centuries, for such an event was never sealed with a kiss, their lips met in front of the eyes of men and women and under the eyes of the gods.

That was when it happened.

When the air inside the Combined Cathedral of the Gods shot with color.

Red. Orange. Yellow. Green. Blue. Indigo. And violet.

These colors deluged every inch with such brilliance, the dust mites floating in the air became glitter.

They shafted out the windows and up through the roof.

Snaking the city, the countryside, and reaching to the heavens.

It would become lore, that rainbow that shone from two lovers.

It would be talked about all the way to The Mystics and the Northlands and Southlands.

The power of the prophecy was fulfilled.

The fate of Triton was in their hands.

Jellan

Road to Sky Bay

AIREN

Jellan was far away, but he saw it.

He stopped Chance and stared at the rainbow streaking straight up into the sky on the horizon.

“Haste,” he whispered.

Then he dug his heels into his mount.

“Fly, Chance! Fly!” he encouraged.

And they galloped toward Sky Bay.

Marian

Road to Seemingly Nowhere

AIREN