The Life of Seeon - 3. Chapter 3 - A Wedding Prepared For

Chapter 3 – A Wedding Prepared For

The next week was spent working furiously in crafting his dress. Batea came often to his room now and helped him finish it. It felt odd to be unable to wear pants but he knew that this was the final marks of a Ma’ Nee. After finally finishing the dress, Batea had sat down behind him and brushed his long hair, while she explained what little she had heard of the family he was marrying into.

“Your brother is worried about them. He doesn’t know if they understand the gift he is offering them with you. They are odd people.”

“If you say so, Batea, but I know nothing of them.” He was desperate to learn anything of this new world he was being sent into. It would be one thing to be married to one of the many lords of his kingdom, but he was being sent to a place where the customs and people were vastly different from what he knew. “Do you know anything about how they live there?”

“They say the women there wear pants and carry weapons,” Batea said in disgust. “I wonder if they are trained to cook and take care of a man such as we are.”

Seeon was silent. He couldn’t tell her anything new so he waited for her to continue.

“They say the women there are almost made over into men,” she whispered, scandalized at the very idea. “The rumors state that women work and fight. Can you imagine? They do many of the same things men do. They are said to hunt, rule, and even choose who they wish to marry. We have done our best to find out if they have any Ma’ Nee, but no stories of them have returned to us.”

Seeon listened intently as Batea brushed his hair and fixed the combs to keep his hair in the design she had chosen for him. He tried not to cry as he heard make her final comment when she finished and stood.

“I know I would never wish to be remade like the rumors tell of their women.” Batea shivered as she continued to speak. “I would not want to be like a man.” She let her fingers run down over her curves as she headed for the door.

Seeon had been made over twice now in his young life. First as one who was being trained to serve their Gods. There he would have had his choice of which of the four gods he planned to make his final pledge to. The most sought after was Medde the God of the Bounty, then came Secur who was the God of Wealth and Health, those who enjoyed battle pledged to Desea, who was the powerful God of War. Finally, there was Lamen, the God of Gifts who was perhaps the strongest of the Gods but also the hardest sect of the priesthood to be accepted into. Instead he was made over into a Ma’ Nee and his pledge was switched to one of devotion to his husband to be, for the sake of his country. The only personal happiness he would know would come from pleasing his husband.

When the time came Seeon packed up his clothing carefully into the cases provided. They gave him many but for what he owned he only needed two. Into one he packed all the dresses and shoes he owned. In the other, he placed his favorite books. A short while later a case arrived with a young nurse from his brother.

“His Royal Highness, King Semon, sends to you, his little sister, the jewelry of your esteemed mother and other pieces to make your wedding special.” The nurse paused and seemed to be making sure she got this message correct. “He said to inform you that while it is not the normal dowry of a royal personage such as yourself, remember, you are the main gift this country is giving.”

Seeon bowed his head and tried not to cry. He knew that his mother’s jewels should have been given to the bride of either of his brother’s wives. Instead because his mother was a second wife the jewels had been considered less desirable by Henot’s wife and were not offered to Batea. Knowing he was being given the only things his mother had upon entering into her marriage he felt humbled. His brother was trying to honor him.

“Tell his Royal Highness that I am pleased and honored by his gift.”

Without looking he knew there would be the bridal crown, necklaces, and the crystal Majana bud. Batea had explained all royal brides wore a bud when they got married and they were usually passed from mother to daughter. The bud literally was slipped into the sexual opening and held tightly in place by the wedding dress. When the dress was removed the Majana would glow white if the one wearing it was virginal, red if they were not. It keyed to the body it was inserted into over a period of four hours. Considering most weddings were seven hours long, the bride would be unable to remove it or go to the bathroom till their wedding dress was removed. Seeon wondered if a Ma’ Nee would have to similarly wear the Majana bud, but his musings were ended with no one to question.

A priest arrived early one afternoon and inspected Seeon completely. Seeon was forced to strip for his examination. Medically he was inspected to make sure he was still virginal, in good health, and was properly prepared as a Ma’ Nee would need to be. He was unable to look the priest in the eye as the man passed the various instruments over his body, pinched, prodded, and squeezed parts of his anatomy, treating him as no more than a piece of meat.

“They have properly dehaired you. I see no blemishes to your skin. However, your hair is shorter than it should be.” The priest sounded vaguely bored as he placed one set of instruments into his case and brought forth new ones. “We will be done shortly now.”

Seeon blushed as the priest continued to check him out including sliding the machines over his ass and around his sex like he was no more than an interesting specimen to be looked at. He was about to speak in protest when he seen the priest’s chain that marked as being a member of the order of Leman, meaning this was someone to be feared and respected. This priest not only had the power of the Gods behind him, he had been blessed with some form of power as well. The priest stepped back after he ran his last instrument over him and paused. The priest stopped and ran the test again.

“Did they not check for this?”

Seeon started at the priest unsure what he referred to.

“Did they not test you?”

The priest looked offended as he stared at Seeon. His face grew red and the hand that held the instrument shook with fury. He stared in disbelief at Seeon as if seeing him for the first time.

“For what, Sir?” Seeon meekly asked. He stared at his feet and gently rocked from foot to foot, trying to hold his hands in front of his body. The room was cold and he shivered from that and fear.

“It is too late now,” said the priest disgustedly. “As a Ma’ Nee they should have tested for this. They get a far greater gift than they know. At least they have taken precautions with you.”

Seeon didn’t know what to make of this comment but the priest put his equipment away. Seeon caught the priest muttering to himself but couldn’t make out what he was saying. Shivering he decided he better remind the priest that he was still standing there.

“May I dress now?”

“Yes, you may get dressed. Over Priest Deda will be arriving for you and your travel companion shortly. I will have to tell him of my findings. I know there was some suspicion, but this is nearly unforgiveable.”

Seeon blushed and rushed to dress. He slipped the long green travel dress on and placed the heavily beaded jacket over it. He knew that Hereon Empire was much further north and his thin clothing might not be enough. He watched as the priest strolled out still muttering to himself. Unsure what to do he sat down and began to work on a napkin, embroidering it with the symbol of the Crear.

Batea arrived a moment later. She wore the deep blue and purple of the house. Every piece of her outfit was heavily embroidered with the Crear, but Batea moved with an impossible grace. Even her delicate crown had the Crear woven into its edges as wings expanded from one side to the other. Her long black hair was delicately woven through the multiple rings into the symbol of the Royal House of Toleran.

“Come little sister, it is time to go.”

Seeon carefully lifted his cases and began to move toward the door when Batea stopped him.

“No Seeon. Someone will take the rest. Just carry your jewels.”

“Yes, Batea,” Seeon said meekly following behind her carrying the small box of jewelry.

Batea began to lead Seeon toward the hangar but paused suddenly.

“You did bathe today, didn’t you Seeon?”

“Yes, Batea, I bathed.”

“You used the oils you were given. It is important that you follow this regime daily.”

“Yes, Batea. I used the oils but I always feel so strange afterwards.”

“It just means the oils are doing their job, Seeon. Come, we will be late.”

The trip to the Horeun Empire was not as Seeon expected. The caravan went out beyond anything he had ever seen before. Twenty swift flyers skimmed the surface of the sands as they traveled across the great desert of Erona. It was his first trip in the flyers, and the sparkling ships had intimated him as he had entered the one that would carry him. This was something his father had originally captured from the enemy but the Tolerans had changed the look and function of them once they began to make them. The days of animal or wheeled travel were now over. The flyers still moved together like the old fashioned caravan, but where once it might have taken weeks to get to the borderlands, now it was only a few hours.

There were small flyers that held one or two people in them. They were known for their speed and the deadly lasers that were attached to them. However, the flyer he was in was huge. It had large rooms that held comfortable furniture, a galley, and a huge bridge. He was kept isolated and saw no one till they arrived at an agreed upon location. Then just Batea, the Over Priest Deda, and Seeon were moved onto a large space within the Horeun encampment while the remaining caravan returned home.

Before the group moved forward, Over Priest Deda approached Seeon. He took from a large bag he wore on his shoulder, a hooded robe.

“You will put this on now. Lower the hood till the cut outs for the eyes line up. You are not to speak a word from now until we are alone again.”

Every word Deda spoke to him was like a command. The words echoed in his head. Almost in a dream he moved to comply with the directions that had been given to him.

“I state to you again, the Ma’ Nee should have been tested before any decisions were made. To learn all of this on the way to his wedding is unforgivable,” Deda said in disgust as he turned to Batea. “He is extremely rare and should have been trained. Instead of ending his priesthood training we should have been told of his change in stature and just begun the new training with him.”

“That is no longer an option Over Priest, is it?” Batea stood and glared at Deda. She might be a woman but she was also the King’s First Wife. “My husband has commanded that the Ma’ Nee be married. That is what you are here to oversee,” she said as she pointed out his duty to him. “All we can do is right now is to continue to administer the medication, give it to his husband, and pray they accept him.”

“Do you mean to tell me that you knew?”

“We suspected after his sisters were blessed. He has been given it for months now. Each day he cleans away his troubles.”

Over Priest Deda glared at Seeon.

The words were there, but what they meant totally escaped Seeon. Instead he looked at the world through the narrow slits available to him while his head felt like it was full of stuffing.

The Tolerans were finally ushered into a small room where two men stood awaiting them. The taller one wore a dark green outfit and carried a firearm. He approached and bowed.

“It is my honor to greet such esteemed members of the Toleran Empire. I am Chief Moran. I will simply scan you and your belongings and then send you forward to royal palace.”

“If you must,” said Deda commandingly. He tried to sound bored but his eyes watched every moment made by Chief Moran.

A small round silver ball shot from Chief Moran’s hand and circled each of the three Toleran’s. It then flew and circled the small collection of bags. The ball turned clear and then landed back in the Chief’s hand.

“Nothing out of place here. Just had to do my job,” Moran said with a small smile. He motioned them on to platform in the corner of the room.

Batea felt they were being held here and would not be going to the castle. She knew if they did not release her there would be a major war as her husband would throw every available force to get her back, especially considering she was with child again. She turned angrily toward Moran and began to yell.

“How long must we …”

The room seemed to slant and a moment later the three of them were standing somewhere completely. However that didn’t register as Batea finished her rant.

“.. wait till we are sent to the palace!”

A tall regal woman in a black leather outfit strode forward.

“My dear, you already are here. I take it you are Her Royal Highness Batea?”

Batea had been caught off guard. She did not want to ruin the image of her husband so she rapidly straightened herself out and nodded.

“Who are you to talk to us, Madam?”

“Over Priest Deda, I assume.”

Deda frowned and seemed to waver for a moment. Then he seemed to focus intently on her. The more he did the more he frowned.

The woman smiled widely.

“If you are finished,” she began looking at Deda. “I am Queen Nixa Waza.”

Deda’s eyes opened wide.

Seeon stood in shocked silence. So far this woman had addressed Batea and dismissed Deda. He had never heard of anyone dismissing the Over Priest.

“And you must be Seeon.”