The announcement for Arsha’s wedding to her lovers soon broadcasted across the Realms. There would be three wedding ceremonies, one in each Realm. The first one would be at Wysper City and would be a traditional Zephyr Poly Ceremony. Because of the multiple ceremonies, Arsha and her lovers decided on wearing multiple copies of their wedding clothes. The media was outside the Grand Zephyr Temple where the wedding would be conducted. While they would all take the Royana name, Lardeth was considered to be the one to initiate the wedding. Once everyone was inside, Malnar, Arsha, Falnii, Foresna, and Gorfanth stood in the center of a room as the audience watched from balconies. Lardeth then took the stage and glided around his lovers, causing clouds to form in the room. The clouds then surrounded his lovers and held them in a gentle embrace. Lardeth then rose into the air as the clouds holding his lovers carried them upwards and around the room. Lardeth then glided to the center of the room as his lovers orbited him. Soon, they drifted towards him. First came Arsha, then Falnii, then Gorfanth, then Malnar, and finally Foresna. They all clasped hands. “Malnar Emboramii, will you allow me to bind my soul to yours?” Lardeth asked in the traditional manner.
“Only if you allow me to bind mine to yours,” replied Malnar.
“Always,” answered Lardeth. A cloud then extended from his wrist and wrapped around hers. He then turned to Falnii. “Falnii Loftanaf, will you allow me to bind my soul yours?”
“Only if you allow me to bind mine to yours,” replied Falnii.
“Always.” The cloud on his wrist extended to Falnii’s and wrapped itself around it. Lardeth then turned to Foresna. “Foresna Falshenda, will you allow me to bind my soul to yours?”
“Only if you allow me to bind mine to yours,” said Foresna.
“Always.” The cloud on his wrist then extended and took Foresna’s wrist into its gentle embrace. He turned to Gorfanth. “Gorfanth Steelhorn, will you allow me to bind my soul to yours?”
“Only if you allow me to bind mine to yours,” answered Gorfanth.
“Always.” The wrist cloud then extended and curled itself around Gorfanth’s wrist. At last, he turned to Arsha. “Arsha Royana, will you allow me to bind my soul to yours?”
“Only if you allow me to bind mine to yours,” replied Arsha.
“Always.” The cloud took Arsha’s wrist, then it gently brought their hands to Lardeth’s and enveloped them all.
“With their souls bound,” called a Priestess, “I hereby proclaim them all married and thus the Rulers of the Over-realm!” The crowd cheered as the combined cloud floated down and dissipated.
The reception was held at the Felomphas’ castle. Though, by Lardeth’s taking up her family name, it was now under Arsha’s care. Still, Arsha insisted on calling it the Felomphas’ as it was theirs to begin with and it would be where Over-realm affairs were settled. As with the wedding ceremony, Lardeth was the center of attention as he danced with his spouses. Soon it was time for the wedding photos. The brides and grooms were having their photos with Lardeth and Falnii’s families. They started with Lardeth’s first. When it came time for Falnii’s, they started with her parents. Her five moms and one dad were a relatively small family for a Zephyr. The camera clicked once. “All right,” called the camerawoman. “A few more pictures, then we go to Queen Falnii’s sisters.” The camerawoman set the camera again and got another photo. When she set up for the next one, Falnii’s father got a gleam in his eye. Falnii saw that.
“Daddy,” she warned. By that point, her spouses looked and saw the grin on his face.
“Uh oh,” gulped Malnar. By that point, all of Falnii’s moms were looking at their husband too.
“Flenaf, don’t you dare!” scolded Falnii’s plump mom. “Not in our daughter’s wedding photos!” Too late. With an unrepentant shout of laughter, Flenaf Loftanaf dismissed the clouds making up his top and revealed a vibrant green hoodie commemorating Falnii’s one guest tour with the Three Maidens. The shutter of the camera clicked and the rest of the party burst out laughing.
“Daddy!” wailed Falnii in embarrassment as she covered her face.
“You were a guest with the Maidens?!” yelped Gorfanth. “No wonder they were so familiar with you!”
“I’m jealous, Falnii!” chuckled Arsha. Falnii simply whimpered.
When it came time for the grandparents, Arsha was surprised to see what Endram’s parents were wearing. “Er, Lardeth,” she muttered, “I have to admit, your dad’s parents aren’t what I expected.”
“I told you they travel a lot,” replied Lardeth.
“Yeah, but given your dad’s nature, I was expecting floral shirts and bingo nights. I didn’t think they’d show up to the wedding in full armor!”
“Oh, that?” asked Endram’s mom. “Got called in for a practice session, even though we had the weekend off. Didn’t have time to change before we came here.”
“Grandad,” Lardeth asked Endram’s father, “what happened to your cheek? Did you cut yourself?”
“No, I slipped getting out of the carriage. Now it’s just a little bloody. Still, rather that kind of cut than the ones I went through.”
“So you fought in the War?” asked Arsha.
“Arsha,” said Lardeth, “Grandad and Grandma are ones who led the counterattack on the Plains when Dr. Borg was trying to strip mine them.”
“That was you?!” yelped Arsha. “You commanded that army?!”
“We couldn’t let the Centaurs lose their home,” explained Grandad. “Their cavalry skills were too valuable to allow them to scatter.”
“It wasn’t that big a deal, to be honest,” muttered Grandma.
“Not that big a deal?! Your actions saved our side in the long run!” replied Arsha. “Without you, we would have lost the Over-realm! That counterattack not only saved the Centaurs but raised Elven morale across the Realms!”
“It…it did?” asked Grandma.
“Wait, you two seriously didn’t know?!” asked Lardeth. “Grandma, Grandad, Elves have been singing songs about you since that counterattack!” Grandma and Grandad were stunned.
“I mean, it wasn’t…was it?” Grandad asked Grandma.
“Apparently,” replied Grandma. She then shook her head. “Never mind, this ain’t about us, it’s about you six right now!”
“That’s right,” said Arsha, “we have a ceremony in the Under-realm to go through.”
“We’ll see you kids in the Under-realm!” called Grandma. She and Grandad headed off.
“Let’s go!” urged Lardeth. He and Arsha rejoined their spouses and entered the wedding ship. It then took off for the Over-to-Under Realmgate.