Adventures of Jessa

75

Dhiren sits by Jessa's side quietly just waiting for her to wake up. He is so thankful that she had been wearing that tunic when the arrow hit her. That's the third time he's almost lost her, so very close to losing her just when he was going to have her by his side. It makes him sick thinking about the near loss.

"Hey, what happened?" Jessa says with a half smile. There is a tinge of pain in her chest as she moves.

Dhiren is quick to help her sit up. "Just after you put this tunic on, you were hit in the heart with an arrow." Dhiren knows better than not tell her the full truth.

"I thought you dealt with the anti human hate here?" Jessa says thoughtfully. She was facing towards the heart of Silva at the time she was shot.

"So did I. Kallen is looking into it. Jessa," Dhiren has to ask but he's afraid of what she'll say now. "Do you still wish to get married now?"

Jessa smiles at him, "I waited three years for all the conditions to be met, Dhiren, I'm not letting a little thing like almost getting killed stop me now. Unless you've decided you no longer wish it?" Jessa stops and frowns at this thought.

Dhiren is quick to reassure her that isn't what he meant. "No, it's just since the arrow was fired from Silva, I thought you might not wish to have the marriage just yet."

Jessa smiles at him to reassure him, "The conditions have been met. Now we can't let others get in the way of what needs to happen. I'm still alive which means you must have called  upon a deity to help save me."

"Yeah, I called upon Zira."

Jessa raises her eyebrow, mid day, the weakest of Zira's powers. "She was still able to save me? I am impressed. Let's not waste her efforts. Has she informed Sorid of our plans for tonight?"

Dhiren is now smiling, "Oh, yeah. She told both your parents. I'm sure Sorid will be here in the next hour or so to help you prepare for the ceremony. She had Kallen start looking for the one that shot you. I'm sure that she told my parents and Sorsha as well. She also told Alaric. That he's not here putting up a fuss, well I am amazed at her abilities to mollify angry, grumpy, ancient dragons.

"She also said that Jethro will be here. He'll be bringing a special guest with him." Dhiren says and does his best to keep from smiling.

Jessa looks at him curiously. "Who?" They had intentionally kept the guest list small so that they will be able to fit there in the meadow.

"Nathan. You won't be able to touch him, but you will be able to see him and speak to him." With Dhiren's words Jessa's eyes start to tear up.

"Really?" 

Dhiren smiles and nods, "Really. I guess Jethro wanted to give us an extra special wedding gift."

Jessa can't hold back her tears and Dhiren holds her as she once again cries. She has never gotten over the loss of her adopted brother. The money he left her she has put to good use and there is a nice nest egg for his son and daughter that Sorsha had. They will be at the wedding as well.

"They will get to see their father," Jessa says in realization.

Dhiren smiles affectionately at her. "That's what you wanted more than anything isn't it?" Jessa nods mutely.

"There is only one thing I would want more. I would like to have met my parents and know that they are proud of me. Impossible I know, but I've always wondered if they would be proud of me."

"Jessa, you are incredible, there is no way they wouldn't be proud of the woman you are. You are the most kind and compassionate female or person rather, I've ever met. You are the best fighter hands down. You even avenged your father's death and if you think about it, your mother's as well since it was blue dragon kin that killed her. In the last three years there have been hardly any dragon kin. You've dealt with them all."

"Here, Dhiren. Yet there are the other dragon kins out there to deal with still. If war is on the horizon, then it is those that will make up a large part of the enemy. I would need to leave to fight them."

"You are leaving aren't you?" Dhiren says hiding the panic her words cause.

"Well, yes, but I was hoping you would come with me?" Jessa says looking up at him.

"Jessa, I-what about my duties as prince?" Dhiren has no desire for her to leave him behind.

"I don't know, we'll have to figure that out. But the duty to my people is calling to me. I won't be able to put it off much longer." Jessa takes in a deep breath. "Oh," she looks up at Dhiren in horror. "Will this make a difference to you marrying me tonight?"

"Never," Dhiren vows pulling her to him once more. "I've waited three years for you to come to me, I'm not going to put a stop to it now you're here."

Shortly after that Sorid comes to the clearing. Smiling she faces her daughter and soon to be son. "Come, Jessa, it's time for you to get ready for the double ceremony tonight. I have no doubt that Zira has something special planned. Not least of which is that she'll be presiding over the ceremony herself. She was rather clear on that. She wants me in the audience controlling the children." Dhiren and Jessa snicker at her pouting words. 

Like Sorsha, Sorid had one child of each gender and they are both handfuls. The girl will no doubt follow her mother and become a cleric/priestess and the boy is promising to be an excellent fighter. He loves to spar against Jessa every time she stops by.

Neither child enjoys following rules though, and they both like to run around wild.

"I'm sure that they will behave. Does Zira officiate often?"

Dhiren shakes his head since she was looking at him, thinking that she officiates for the royals.

"This is the first time since her children came into being that she did the rites of marriage for one of her children. It isn't every day that the crown princess of the gold dragons is willing to marry one of her children. She wants to make sure that her children know that she approves of the marriage. I'm sorry Jessa, but she will be having the majority of the elves watching from the woods. Only those you wish will be here in the clearing, but she wants all of her children to know that she approves. She worked too hard to get you here and willing to unite with Dhiren to not have them witness her success."

Jessa makes a face at that wording, "You make it sound like I was being more than a little difficult."

Sorid laughs at her before responding. "Not so much you, although you weren't always thrilled with the idea of being with Dhiren. More like working Dhiren to the point that he was someone you would accept. She is very aware that her children are arrogant. She is very pleased that you have mellowed some of the worst ones down. Before you came to us Kallen was insufferable when it came to humans. But from the time you were placed in his arms he started changing. That, my dear, is all because of your mellowing influence."

With that Sorid hauls Jessa away from an amused prince to start preparing her for the wedding in a few hours.

Just as they lose sight of Dhiren, Jessa hears his laughter and she sends one last dark look his way before she manages to keep her feet and catch up to Sorid.