Forbidden Hero: A Star Wars Tragedy

Chapter 13

~ evil maintains power by suppressing the truth ~

"Holy Rey's of Toban!" Exclaimed Zeehay as I gave her a house tour. "I knew you were wealthy," She said 'wealthy' under her breath like some secret. "But I had no idea you were this kind of wealthy." Spinning around the library, she looked like a child in a sweatshop. "Actual books, Spinka! This is amazing!"

"Yeah, it is." I smiled as I saw the pure joy on Zeehay's face. "Feel free to read whatever while you're here."

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the figure of my mother, looking older than I realised. "Mother?"

"Are you not going to introduce me to your friend?" She asked, stepping out of the shadows.

Zeehay smiled as I looked at her. "Zeehay, this is my mother, Duchess Trisa. Mother, this is my friend Zeehay Versio; she's an artist."

Straightening her garments, Zeehay looked nervous. "It's an honour to meet you."

"Hmm." My mother replied in a seemingly disapproving note. Then, without a word, she turned and left, leaving the two of us quietly standing in the library.

"It's not just me who found that odd. Is it?" Zeehay remarked as she turned to me.

Letting out a sigh, I turned to my friend. "She's --- she's just got a lot on her mind." Pausing, I looked at my watch. "Hirsi, we'll be late. Where are you?" I asked through my comm.

"Coming!" This time the voice wasn't through the comm. Sliding around the corner, she reached out and grabbed my arm. "Sorry, I'm late." She said with a smile.

The bridal shower is situated in the observatory, where the late afternoon shines in, filling the room with golden light. The room is also filled with distinguished women, members of the senatorial cabinet, military personnel, and my extended family. And there, sitting in the white bridal seat, is the beautiful bride to me. As tradition dictated, she would have immersed herself in the temple lake and made herself pure for the marriage ceremony. First, however, both mother's, as in the mother of the bride and the mother of the groom, would recite blessings over the bride to be, one in giving and the other in receiving.

What was my role in all of this? Translator. AS ridiculous as it sounds, there was a rather large group of non-Miziri speakers, as was the way with most noble family weddings/ events.

"Was your wedding anything like this?" Zeehay asked as she turned to me.

"No, I didn't have a religious wedding."

~~~

One would be forgiven for mistaking this overly complicated ritual with the very simplistic marriage laws on Mizra.

"All you have to do is say the word, and I'll leave the order." So Ifonia had said one evening as we lay in bed together. The dim lamplight flickered as the solar charge ran low.

"That would be remarkably selfish of me," I replied, looking into her eyes.

"I want to be with you. Think about it. After the war, I'll leave, and we can be together." She had said. "Or we could get married, a wartime wedding."

I had thought about it for months before that conversation. I dreamt about taking her as my wife, two equals. Making a family. "If that is what you want."

"Of course it is."

"But the order is your family."

"There must come a time when I choose who my family is."