Youth's Dew

Chapter 26

Joven

Two months already? I'm still a newlywed. I think I got this marriage stuff figured out and life is just coasting along. Even Susan says my goofy smile is driving her crazy!

The only fly in the ointment is the City Council. We did meet that Monday and take a trip to city hall. We were first denied access by some girl named "Hattie", but after a phone call to her boss, we were let inside. The tablets are hung on both sides of a temperature-controlled room. After the Ancient Tunnel collapsed decades ago, our ancestors moved the tablets so no more of our history could be lost. We did, actually, lose a few more of the Ancient tablets while moving them, so the set is not quite complete.

We reviewed together, the tablets that set forth the laws over Summer Solstice Wedding Ceremony and Rejuvenation. Half of the council believes that Pann and I are legally married and everything is fine. The other half of the city council rejects our marriage and demands we separate. For almost two months we have been meeting and debating the merits of each side.

One of the last tablets rescued from the half collapsed ancient tunnel, states "both he/she shall be of sound mind, sexually competent, free of any outside influence to marry and give consent freely. But voiding any of these laws, his/her marriage is hereby annulled."

Having to have to go under oath, and be recorded by Susan, I had to relive my wedding day. Complete with all the sordid details, which was definitely not on my bucket list of fun things to do.

The confusion comes in, because I did bring her down under duress or under the influence of narcotics. However, the doctor gave his testimony that Pann was of sound mind during the evening ceremony and did willingly take me as her husband.

No decision could be reached, so we referred to the Mist, and given the unbridled display on my wedding day, the council is quietly letting things go for now.

Today; however, Charles came to my office and asked me to follow him back to City Hall. Once again, we were denied entrance, and once again, had to call Hattie's boss for entry. Who is she anyway? It's like she's the guard to the Crown Jewels, protecting the tablets.

"I didn't want too many people to know, but there is one more tablet we failed to research," great! Here we go again, I need pens to shove in my head, a male cockatoo.

At the end of the hall, in the darkest corner, with a cloth covering it, is the last tablet recovered.

"This tablet is not allowed to be uncovered and they have monitors, that are easily adjusted, to assure it's not disturbed. But I remember a story told to me when I was a kid," he pauses "funny, the cloth is not the way I left it." And he pulls the cloth back, and we read through the faded words, some are ineligible.

"I don't understand how this affects me?" I say, and waiting for some insight to strike my brain.

"The tablet reads that anyone entering the Forbidden Cave on Winter Solstice, having in their possession a precious pure metal of the Ancients brought from across the ocean, has the power to reverse the Mist and waters," and he looks at me, as if this all makes perfect sense.

"Okay, so, everyone knows to avoid the Forbidden Cave, so why are you worried?" My headache is increasing.

"Joven think, your wife wears the ring, made from the precious metal of the Ancients, brought from across the ocean. You father gave it to you, on your wedding day. You know you are a direct descendent of one of the three Founding Ancients, even though you keep it a secret. You have the gift of Vision, like your ancestors before you. Joven, your wife holds the power in her hands to turn the waters and Mist into our worst nightmare."