Chapter 45: Chapter 45

As the violin began to play, a drummer hit his drum in a longer set. The newlyweds stepped onto the floor; Skye curtsied to her husband as Tidas half-bowed to his wife. They raised one hand each and joined them in the air, beginning with a kind of Foxtrot. As they danced, it evolved into a Waltz mixed with a Volta. They spun and dipped, causing the guests to cheer.

Other couples would normally join in halfway, but the newlyweds were too mesmerizing to intrude upon. As the song came to an end, Tidas lifted her into the air and spun around with her. Skye was supposed to keep one foot on the ground, as was tradition. But she found herself not caring as Tidas stared up at her, happily smiling. He was slowly lowering his beautiful wife towards his face. As the music ended, the prince kissed his bride sweetly.

The guests applauded and cheered for the stunning couple. Skye still felt a little self-conscious, but one more drink would set her right. She took her seat at the main table while Tidas chatted with a few of the guests Skye didn’t recognize. She was going to flag down a servant, but her father snuck up behind her. When she went to speak his name and ask what he was up to, Lucas placed a finger on his lips, signaling Skye to listen.

Leaning towards his daughter as he bent down to speak, Lucas asked; “Would me not-so-wee daughter have a drink with me?”

Skye grinned broadly at her father as she replied in a hushed tone, “Sure, Da..”

Lord Moonstone loved hearing his daughter call him ‘Da’. It made him smile ear to ear every time she said it. He beamed at her before popping the cork to a bottle of dark, smoky whiskey. He pulled out two tumbler cups from nowhere, and placed them on the table to pour.

Maevis and Nicolas had heard their conversation, and coughed to get the two’s attention. Lucas smiled and put a few drops in each of their thimbles. Maevis flapped her wings happily, and Nicolas inhaled the aroma like it was a soothing tea. The four raised their glasses then slammed their drams.

.....

Tidas came up and gave Lucas a pleading expression before he said; “Whiskey would be much better than wine.. If you don’t mind, Moonie.”

Skye snapped her head up to glance between her husband and father. Placing her finger on Tidas’ chest, she demanded to know what the meaning behind the nickname was. Asking loud enough for those at the table to hear. Petrie, Ralph, and the two fairies all turned their attention to the prince and the lord.

Lucas’ face dropped, revealing his annoyance. He huffed as he looked at his son in law with disappointment, saying: “And here I was gonna share me whiskey with ye..”

Tidas’ jaw dropped as his hands went up into the air in exasperation. He had used the nickname out of habit, forgetting he still hadn’t actually explained it to Skye yet. He was about to apologize, but smiled like a devil instead and replied; “Well, you heard my wife..”

“What did you call him?” Nicolas asked with a slur to his speech.

“Moonie... It’s a funny story. He and my father both love telling it,” Tidas held up his cup and shook it slightly at Lucas.

Skye’s father sighed in defeat. He knew it was going to be told one way or another. He figured he might as well let the prince tell his daughter. He snatched the cup from Tidas and filled it. When he saw their hopeful looks, Lucas begrudgingly offered the whiskey to the others present. Lucas had pouted like a child when the last drop of his reserved whiskey dripped into Petrie’s cup. Once everyone had theirs in hand, Tidas told the tale.

“When Lucas was a young man, he’d saved my father’s life and befriended him. Kings are not known for having many true friends, but Lucas proved himself one..”n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

“How?” Skye questioned impatiently.

Tidas laughed at his wife eagerness before saying; “By unfriending him.. Moonie had a disagreement with my father over a game. My father was losing, which he rarely does, and accused Lucas of cheating.”

“What did he do?” Petrie asked, curious.

“He told my father that he hadn’t realized that the King of Alcon was a sore loser.. And that he knew babies that cried less,” Tidas replied while sipping on his dram with a smirk.

Skye, Petrie, Ralph, and the two fairies all gawked at the lord. They couldn’t believe he’d said something like that to the king, and lived. Lucas smiled grandly, as if it were something to be proud of. Still confused about the nickname, Skye asked as much.

Tidas smirked as he continued: “It’s safe to say that my father was not thrilled about what he’d said, and had him assigned to latrine duties for four months along the capital’s walls.. But that’s still not the best part.”

“About two months into his punishment, Lord Moonstone here, got outrageously drunk. The king was on his way out of the capital, and, well...” Tidas hesitated, looking at the subject of their discussion.

Lucas fidgeted nervously when Skye looked at him. He was highly embarrassed for his daughter to learn of his youthful shenanigans. He didn’t want to disappoint her now that they’d begun to rebuild their relationship. He looked at Tidas with a pleading expression, praying the lad wouldn’t word it as terribly as he usually did.

“He dropped trow and mooned the king as he passed through the gate,” Lidia stated, surprising everyone with her appearance and honest answer.

Lucas’ features lit up as his wife handed him a fresh bottle of his favorite whiskey. He looked at her lovingly before saying his thanks, and placing a kiss upon her cheek. Tidas pouted similarly to how Lucas just had. He looked to Skye’s mother as he huffed before speaking.

“Aww! You stole the punch line! And here I was, trying to figure out a funny way to say it,” Tidas replied, feigning despondence.

Skye looked at Lucas with shock at first. The fact that her stringent father did something so stupid and comical sent her into a fit of hysterical laughter. She held her sides as tears gathered in the corners of her eyes. Tidas and Lidia were laughing as well, but not the four others. They stared at Lucas with awe before Nicolas asked, “The king must be quite fond of you not to have had your head removed on the spot!”

Lucas smiled broadly before he said, “Aye, Ima lucky man Magnus likes jokes. Otherwise we wouldn’t be celebrating today..”

“What.. Haha! Could’ve possessed you... Hahaha! To moon the bloody King?!” Skye had said while trying to rein herself in.

Lucas opened his mouth to speak, but closed it beforehand. There really wasn’t any excuse other than poor ones. He was drunk, angry, and sick of cleaning shit and piss all day. And those weren’t feelings that one’s actions should ever be based off of. All the lord could do was shrug at his daughter in his defense.

“Oh, come now! Don’t act like yer perfect, Skye. Ima sure ye were a wee hell spawn as a child,” Petrie chimed in, feeling sorry for Skye’s father.

Before the bride could defend herself, Nicolas spoke up: “Aye! She was a feisty wee scamp growing up. I got more stories of her terrorizing Tidas and running wild through the woods than I do years under my belt, haha!”

Nicolas had become quite tipsy, and veered the conversation away from Lucas, much to his relief. He laughed often and kept a smile on his face most of the time. He told many stories of Skye and Tidas’s recklessness as children. Petrie was surprised to learn that their childhoods were similar, in a small way. These two at least, weren’t coddled as much as most southerners that he’d met. But then again; conversations of substance with people one was robbing, were sparse.

It wasn’t a lifestyle Petrie had chosen, but there wasn’t much in this world he wouldn’t do for his mother and wee sister. They were all the family he had, and the clan didn’t exactly treat them well. He was the bastard of some southern nobleman who’d raped his mother. It didn’t bother him much when his stepfather would beat him after a few drinks. But when he turned on his mother and sister for trying to intervene; he’d killed him without a regret.

Murdoc had cleared him of any wrong-doing; knowing it was self defense. He was a strong, honorable man with no tolerance for mistreatments of family, or of the truly weak. Petrie looked up to him his whole life; hoping to be like him. But the clan would shun his family, forcing them to fend for themselves once Petrie turned nine. They’d be kinder at times, but as soon as Murdoc went raiding, the taunting and ridicule would start again.

Now; Petrie was in a southern castle, at a fancy wedding, in fancy dress clothes. As he looked around the room, he noticed a lot of the people invited were commoners. Wealthy ones mostly, but commoners none the less. He was surprised to see that the prince would surround himself with people most royals saw as beneath them.

Even though he hadn’t known Skye and Tidas for very long; they hadn’t treated him any differently than anyone else. He had even tried to kill them, but now thought of them as... friends. He was feeling quite tipsy due to the smoky whiskey Lucas had shared earlier. Petrie walked behind the happy couple, and draped an arm around each of their shoulders. He squeezed them in an attempted hug, but also did it for balance.

Tidas helped steady the oddly affectionate nomad as his bride laughed. He’d been quite snarky with Skye when they’d first met, but she now knew it was just a gruff exterior. She was already thankful that she’d spared him. Getting to know him more made Skye reevaluate her self-control when it came to her powers.

Seeing the scowl forming on his wife’s forehead; Tidas shrugged off Petrie and tilted Skye’s face up to look at his. He smirked before saying; “Out of your head, love. Your place is here, with me,” then leaned in for a quick kiss.

“Ack! I think Ima in need of another drink!” Petrie yelled as he pointed towards Lucas, who sat talking with Ralph now; clutching his fresh whiskey bottle protectively.

The party went on until long after the sun set. It was time for the newlyweds to head out for their weekend getaway. Torches lined a path leading from the door of the castle to a horse draw carriage. Skye was a little tipsier than she would’ve liked, but Peggy saw to it. The old servant made sure to put a snack together for the couple during their ride.

It was odd to Skye that Peggy wouldn’t be with them. When she’d asked why, Tidas would only say that he would act in Peggy’s stead on their getaway. She wasn’t sure he understood everything Peggy did for her, but he would learn soon enough. Skye smiled to herself at the thought of Tidas doing her hair for her.

The couple said their goodbyes quickly, not wanting to drag it out. They would be back in a few days, and then the real work would begin. Skye hugged her parents, fighting the tears in her eyes she’d felt silly for having. Tidas helped her into the carriage, then got in and closed the door. When the carriage pulled away, Skye waved out the window until the guests, friends, and family were out of sight.