March 27, 2004 – 17:15
"SISTER!" said Sebastian as he made his way to Coralis, once he got to the reception room, and hugged her. "You know, I felt important when HM Finnas attended my wedding. However, not only is he attending yours too, but so are HF Ellya and HE Yalor with his wife, and I don't think it's out of flyball appreciation. There must be something we're missing here. You don't even work for the CMMA. Not officially at least."
"That's what I tried to tell Kief and Petaan when on our way to the church. M brain isn't functioning today, I know that, but I don't get it either. You aren't mad at me for it, right?"
"No, not at all. If anything, I understand it better than you are. This goes way beyond flyball, and I think it's time, indeed, for us to retire."
"I can't see myself quitting the sport, but priorities have shifted," said Coralis, looking at the people entering the reception room. "I need to figure out what I'll going to do when the season ends, but I think I'll be fine. I've got options."
"Did you hear from Andrew?"
"No, he hasn't spoken to me since my name got cleared. Maybe he's mad at me because he's still on the list, I don't know."
While Frank was busy talking to his friends and family, the three CMMA elders present joined Coralis, followed by her flyball teammates.
"It was a beautiful ceremony. May I introduce you to my beloved wife, Perdita?" said High Elf Yalor.
Coralis noticed that his wife seemed human as she shook her hand.
"I've heard so much about you. Honestly, I am ashamed to see my people hunting you down the way they do. When Yalor told me that you accepted a human mate, despite what our kind are doing to you," said Perdita, looking around her to make sure no unknowing ears were listening, "I told him I had to come to the wedding… forgive me, I had to be here."
"Forgive you for what? I have been betrayed by my own people. Even if it wouldn't be so, I understood a long time ago that… your people aren't all bad… and that mine are worse. I fell in love with one of you, and that's what it is. I own up to it," said Coralis, glancing at High Elf Yalor. "If anything, in a time where I don't know who I can trust, I'm glad you came with your wife. You aren't here to tell me how much of a mistake I am making or why I should hate humankind. I need more people like you around me."
Perdita threw herself around her, in a tight hug, sobbing.
"Never let people dictate to you who you should hate or trust. For one, I am glad I did not listen to my mother. I married Perdita Low 76 years ago, and it still is the best decision I took in my entire life."
Coralis looked at Perdita. She looked like she was in her early 60s. There were so many questions she wanted to ask but couldn't. Even if most of their guests knew about the supernatural world or were part of it… there were still too many people who didn't know. Frank's friends, coworkers and the hotel staff didn't know.
"I will heed your advice, that's for sure," said Coralis, turning your attention to High Fay Ellya. "Thank you for coming."
"You and I will need to talk, someday. I am still convinced that," said High Fay Ellya, pausing to think about her choice of words, "you are one of my people. Eventually, I will be able to prove it to you, I'm sure, but in the meantime, know that your importance reaches far beyond the sports field."
"At the moment, I don't know what to believe. As far as I know, I'm… a very spiritual person," said Coralis.
"That, you certainly are. If you ever complete the road with your husband, please let me know."
Coralis nodded at her.
"Honestly," said Coralis, looking at the three CMMA elders, "it's a good thing that my brain is numb right now. Otherwise, I would be freaking out at the amount of people from our community who now know about my beloved's name. I worked so hard to ensure that no one would ever know about my civil name, especially now that I've got someone to protect... I can only hope that none of the people here today will blab about my known names… and about my husband's."
"None will," said High Mage Finnas, scanning the people present in the reception room. "We will be keeping tabs on who's here today. If information gets leaked, we will know on whom to narrow down investigations."
"Sis, come on. You know better. When Gus is at the potty, it's when he gets his brightest ideas," said Henry when the elders walked away. "That's where he happens to be right now. We will make sure that no one ever knows who was here today. The secret wedding that everyone knows happened."
"I know I can always count on you, guys."
"You have gathered quite the crowd, my girl. Even the Korean royalties are here," said Barla.
"Well damn, is it Oleandro over there with his beloved?" said Erik.
"Of course, the Spanish captain would be here," said Sebastian, looking in the direction Erik was looking. "Did you know his wife… is like Stephanie and Frank? He may not be on anyone's radar, but we have the same enemies. He wanted to be here to show his respect and support."
In the meantime, seeing that Coralis was busy talking with the Fullemons, and that her family and his friends were talking to each other, Stephanie grilled Frank with a question burning in her mind.
"Did she open up more about her past this week?"
"No, and I don't care. I mean, I do care, but with what she said at the altar, or even last week when I asked her, she'll talk when she's ready. I won't doubt her feelings toward me anymore, I should never have doubted them in the first place."
Stephanie looked at Coralis. She saw Emma and Alpha Collins walking up to her, followed by the alpha's family.
"I can't argue on that, that's for sure," said Stephanie, turning her focus back to Frank. "I hope that nothing ever happens to you and not because you're my brother. We both know she meant it literally when she said she'd burn down the world for you. That was a promise."
"It's like you said… her people are very protective of their spouses… and it feels good to be hers. I remember what Hendrick said a few days after we got engaged, you know he was right."
Stephanie listened to her brother while keeping her attention on Coralis. Her husband was next to her.
"Brother, I don't know what we've done to the gods and goddesses, but we did right. Somehow, I think we'll be fine."
Frank looked at his sister.
"Steph, as much as I agree with your statement right now, remember where we are," said Frank, looking at Mark and Carlos talking to their mother. "Not everyone knows."