Date: Mon, 17 Dec 2007 17:31:24 -0500 From: Ring Master <academygm@hotmail.com> Subject: Bells July 13, 2007 2:23 pm After showing Cupid what there was to know about the new childbirth process, I popped out of the hospital. Cupid had remarked that I was looking rather antsy and distracted, and made me leave right away when I told him why. I made a brief stop, and teleported home. Inside, I called out: "Honey, I`m home. Where are you?" "In the study, Stef," Cade called back, nearby. He had adopted Mom's old study so he could write a series of mysteries. I loved his work, but I was definitely biased in his favor. He hadn't gotten anything published yet, but I knew it would be coming soon. I even offered to promote his first book to a publisher, but Cade wanted his work to be read for it's merit, not for who the author was. I bounded into the study to see Cade with his elbows on the table, arms up, and his head resting on his hands. He was grinning at me. "Do you even know how happy it makes me when you call me honey?" he asked. He was so beautiful it made my heart hurt. "I've loved you for so long, and never dared to put myself in that role. I dreamed of it, but always with the reality that it could never happen sitting there in the front of my head." I rushed over to him and wheeled his chair backward so I could kneel down and look up at him. "Now it's true," I said. "And I couldn't be happier about you getting your way." I lunged upward and kissed my love as deeply as I could. It took a few minutes before I could bear to pull myself away, but I finally did, and went back to kneeling. "Guess what I found out today." "Well," Cade said, "by the look on your face, I'd say whatever it is, it's going to make me deliriously happy." "I'm not the god of what I thought I was the god of," I told him. "Once more in English," Cade told me, "please." "Aphrodite may have given birth to me," I clarified, "but I'm not her successor. I'm Hera's successor." "God of lasting love, marriage, and childbirth?" Cade asked. He paused and looked at me. "Ok, the childbirth thing makes a whole lot of sense now." He held my face in his hands. "Does this mean you're going to let cupid bring couples together, and you'll deal with them when they're past the volatile horny stage?" "Yep," I said with a huge grin. He knew how much it bothered me to make people fall in love and then watch things fall apart when the immediate lust ended. I was a romantic at heart. Cade bent forward to kiss me again, and I was in sheer bliss. Several minutes later, he pulled back, smiling. "I love you, Stef," he said softly. "I love you, too, Cade," I replied. A tear started running down his cheek as he smiled. "See what you're making me do?" he said with a chuckle. He looked and his face turned wicked. "While you're down there...," he hinted. "Naughty," I said, still completely unable to stop smiling. "But I had something else planned." I reached into my pocket and pulled out a small box. Lifting the lid I held it up to him, showing him the ring inside. "Cade Marriott, will you marry me?" He dropped to his knees with me and nearly knocked me down from kissing me so hard. I kissed back with everything I had. When I finally pulled back, I said, "I take that as a no?" He laughed. "Yes, yes, yes. With every part of my soul, yes. I want to marry you, Stefanos Kereanoi. I want to be with you forever. I've wanted that longer than you have." He reached out and placed the ring on his finger. It was a simple band, with a line of small diamonds along the center instead of a large one like most engagement rings. I knew Cade liked sparkly things, but not gaudy ones. By the look on his face as he gazed on the ring, I had done well. He stood up and held a hand down to me, lifting me to my feet. Our kiss right then was enduring, a kiss of love and contentment, a kiss that told us we belonged to each other. I meant every second of it. I was his. "Don't you two ever come up for air?" asked a familiar pre-teen voice behind me. I broke the kiss with a giggle. "Come over here, Hek," I said, turning to him. "Got something to show you." He walked in and plunked himself into Cade's chair, looking at the screen. "What'cha got for me?" he asked. Cade put his hand between the screen and Hektor. "What?" he asked. "Why are you waving your hand in front of the screen?" "Don't you see the ring?" I asked him. "Sure," Hektor said. "But I don't really pay attention to what you guys wear, unless it's embarrassing. I didn't know it was a new ring. It's pretty." He looked up at us. "That was it?" he asked. "I thought you had something cool to show me." "Hektor," Cade said softly, "Stef asked me to marry him." Hektor's eyes widened. Then he grinned. "About time you two made it official. Is it legal yet?" "Should be pretty soon," Cade replied. "The old marriage laws and bans were based on the old world. Most people agree that the rules have to change now that men are procreating with men." "OK, gross stuff now," Hektor interrupted. "Don't need to think about guys having sex, especially you two." "You haven't switched yet?" Cade asked. "My wife would get pissed if I did," Hektor said. "I'm a part of this world of the gods and it still weirds me out that a ten year old has a wife, and that he's the only one left on the planet that does," I said. "And that your marriage is several thousand years older than you or your wife. And that Angie is your wife. And..." Cade placed his fingers to my lips. "You're going to make your head explode," he warned. "You have to just stop thinking about them as brother and sister. They were married before they were born. The sibling part was just a facade." I nodded and then softened my gaze, sucking his fingers into my mouth. "Gross, I'm out," Hektor said, darting from the room. Cade went to close the door and locked it behind him. We didn't leave the room for several hours. *** 6:04 pm Dinner Table - Silver Bells "Dad, Grandpa, Mike, Reverend Krake, Hermes," I said, addressing everyone at the table. We almost never saw Victor any more, and Mike was seven months pregnant with his child. Police work was consuming his life. "We have an announcement to make." Cade stood up calmly next to me and held his hand out. "I asked Cade to marry me, and he said yes," I told them. I took Cade's hand as we waited for a reaction. "We knew," Dad and Grandpa said in unison, in the same double voice and the same inflections. "But congratulations. You two are great together." I had forgotten, once again, that Hektor was one with them, so they knew as soon as he did. Mike, on the other hand, was nearly bouncing in his chair from excitement. He bolted over to me and squeezed me so hard I couldn't breathe. "This is wonderful!" he said. He then loosened his grip and pulled Cade in. "And maybe Victor will take this as a signal to propose," he whispered. Reverend Krake stood up and walked over to me. "You know I can't sanction this," he told us. "And I don't approve...officially." A tear was rolling down his cheek. "But it's you two," he said finally. "This feels so right to me, like keeping you apart would be the real sin. You're so perfect together. It will be a long time of slow changes before I can officially give you my blessing as a man of God, but you have my personal one, as just a man." "And that one means the most to us," Cade said warmly. I turned to the rather attractive skinny blond boy at the table, who looked about eighteen. "Tomorrow afternoon, 3:00 by this time zone's clocks," I told him. "So soon?" Hermes asked. "All of my family are gods," I told him. "They could make it now if it was necessary. Cade's immediate family is in town, and I can teleport in anyone from far away." "But the arrangements," Hermes protested. "Will be ready," I remarked. "If I'm really the god of marriage, I should be able to set up a stunning wedding in a few hours." "You're the what?" Reverend Krake asked. "God of marriage, childbirth, and lasting relationships," I told him. "Found out this morning that Eros is the lust and romance god. I'm the family one. My powers make a lot more sense to me now, too." "So Eros is Aphrodite's replacement, and you're Hera's," Hermes noted. "I'll include that in the memo." He stood and walked over to us. "Very well. Everyone on this list you gave me will be notified within the hour. Congratulations to both of you, and I'll see you at the wedding." With that, the boy vanished. "Damn, he's efficient," Mike remarked. "He's been our secretary for millennia," Dad pointed out. "It's ingrained into his soul." "Well everyone," I said, pushing my chair in. "I apologize for skipping out on the rest of dinner, but I have a wedding to conjure up." I smiled and gave Cade a quick kiss, then popped out of the room myself. *** 7:17 pm The Garden - Golden Bells It turns out that making a wedding space is remarkably easy with the power of a god at your beck and call. I created an amphitheater in the garden where the reflecting pool was. I could just put the pool back when we were done. The center levels of the flower maze were replaced with seating. The natural slope of the garden maze was perfect for the occasion. A long red carpet stretched from the remaining rings of the garden maze to the stage of the amphitheater. The top section of the garden circling the whole proceeding was the rose garden. The chairs were white and pushily cushioned, the armrests had drink holders and tissue dispensers, along with a packet of sparkling powder that people could throw when we came backup the aisle married. The dust would evaporate when it hit the ground or us. Under the white chairs was a lush carpet of pristine grass, and I made the ground a little spongy to make it even more comfortable to walk on. The red carpet climbed three steps of the marble dais on the amphitheater, and ended in a thick red pillow so we could kneel before Zeus, who agreed to officiate. The courts may not have been ready to let men marry each other yet, but if we were wed under the laws of Olympus, then the courts could just accept our marriage when they ratified the marriage acts. Zeus has suggested that we just marry in one of the few states that was more progressive, like Vermont or Hawaii. As nice as those places were, I really wanted to include areas that were personal to Cade and me, the rose garden was probably the most special of those. It was where he kissed me for the first time; where he first admitted his feelings to me. Since then, I had gone back and marked the spot with an arch of red and pink roses, twisting around each other. I walked back from my reverie under the rose arch, to continue work on the amphitheater. I gilded the edges of a pair of columns at the two far front corners and then circled them with wreathes. In the center, behind the dais, I sprouted an olive tree, tall and wide enough to shelter the entire dais. The olive tree would watch us and protect us. It was the symbol of Athena, the symbol of Kelly, my best friend, slain by O'onerut. Cade would understand immediately. No wedding of ours would be real without Kelly there, even if it was only in spirit. From the branches hung small strands of twinkling chimes. The Garden was ready. *** July 14, 2007 3:04 pm The Amphitheater - Brazen Bells I stood next to the Dais, the seats all filled to capacity with family members and friends. Zeus was next to me, the first one on stage. My father had walked me down the aisle, and was now sitting in his seat of honor at the front. Grandpa was next to him. Across the aisle, the seat for Cade's father was still empty. Cade and his father would be the last to walk out, on his insistence. He wanted to be the "bride" in the ceremony. To me, he would be my bride, my groom, my love, my everything. My best man was Mike, of course, and Victor was Cade's, so they could be together in the wedding party. I almost jumped for joy when Victor said he could make it. Several of his fellow officers were in the audience as well. Reverend Krake was in the audience instead of being the next in line, as I had wanted him to be. He'd said it was too soon for him to be in gay wedding parties, but he could still be a spectator. James refused to come with him. A few other friends of mine were on my side as groomsmen, including Paul, whom I'd been helping rescue orphans, on Christmas, when Cade finally came back into my life from being taken by the Vaneel. I'd still been working with him on the orphan problem, but only in a human capacity, as dictated by rules of Zeus. Cade also had a couple of friends he had made in college, though mostly through Mike's intervention. Cade tended to seclude himself out of habit, only interacting with the family, so his list of friends that weren't more mine or Mike's was empty. He didn't seem to need more than we provided. He told me once that he preferred quality over quantity when it came to friends. His side of the audience was about half his family, and half shared friends. On my side sat gods, demigods, heroes, and even an intelligent monster or two. Hektor, our ring bearer, had stopped at the back row where Hades sat, so he could pet Cerberus. Finally, it was time. The wedding march began playing... And was interrupted by a gunshot. At first, I was stunned, not sure if what I had heard was real, but everyone started reacting at once. The mortals hit the ground quickly, and the gods stood. Hades and Cerberus rushed out into the roses, Cerberus braying. I heard the roar of a engines, and six motorcycles came bursting through the hedges, the drivers had helmets on and shotguns on their backs. One of them held up a bullhorn. "The wedding of faggots is an abomination in the eyes of god!" the man yelled. "Our group has stopped this one, and we will stop as many as it takes in the same way until you freaks stop trying! Anyone who survives can tell the world that the Knights of Virtue will not stand for abominations!" With that, they pulled back the trench coats they were wearing to show the mass of wires and electronics each one had strapped to them. They were all rigged to explode. Suicide bombers. "Die faggot lovers!" the one with the bullhorn called out, and the others repeated him in unison and each held up a remote control. The explosions were loud, but only hurt our eardrums. Zeus held each one of them in a protective barrier, so that they and their motorcycles were the only things destroyed. Unfortunately, every trace of them was incinerated when the explosions died down. "Is everyone ok?" Zeus called out. "Is anyone hurt?" He was answered by the most sorrowful melancholy braying I'd ever heard, in the harmony only a three headed hound could provide. "Cade," I breathed. *** 3:06 pm Rose Arch - Iron Bells I ran down the aisle and out the back, into the rose garden. I turned to see Cade's father kneeling on the ground, holding my love in his arms. Blood trickled from Cade's mouth, but his black tuxedo hid the wound. His eyes were open and staring lifelessly into space. Cerberus was being held and stroked by Hades a few feet away, still braying. My world was over. There's no time for us, There's no place for us, What is this thing that builds our dreams, Yet slips away from us. Who wants to live forever, Who wants to live forever, .....? There's no chance for us, Its all decided for us, This world has only one sweet moment Set aside for us. Who wants to live forever, Who wants to live forever, .....? Now touch my tears with your lips, Touch my world with your fingertips, And we can have forever, And we can love forever, Forever is our today. Who wants to live forever, Who wants to live forever, .....? Who waits forever anyway? *** Author's Notes: "Who Wants to Live Forever" (1985) was written by Brian May of Queen. The format of the story was inspired by "The Bells" by Edgar Allan Poe. There is a new chapter of Thought and Memory up at the blog. The blog: http://geocities.com/waterbearer99/blog.html My email, for those who wish to talk only to me: academygm@hotmail.com The next story "Orpheus Remixed" will conclude this short story trilogy. This isn't over.