PART 28
“Surprise!” thousands of happy voices yelled as the group arrived on the patio at Hilia.
“Well its not really a surprise of course, but thanks!” Mark laughed.
“Hey, nice ring Mark!” Holanam teased.
The scene was amazing. There was a huge banner along the roof of the cottage that read; ‘Congratulations Prince Mark!’ A huge feast was laid out on twelve big tables that took up most of the patio. It seemed that all the citizens of Hilia and everyone else Mark knew were picnicking on the shallow volcanic slopes around the cottage and its grounds. All of the males of The Volunteers and about half of The Forty-four were scattered about the lawns, and the female Volunteers and the rest of their children were arriving rapidly.
“Lunch is served!” Sheramiv announced with a grin as she indicated the feast with a wave. “Though I’m surprised that you still get hungry, my Prince!”
“I do though!” Mark laughed as he took a huge platter and began wandering among the tables as he loaded up with the dishes that caught his fancy at the moment. “We’ve decided that we’ll keep as many of our mortal attributes as is practical, and having decided it, it’s so, without having to think about it anymore. And in this case I’m sure glad we did, for when it comes to food, hunger truly is the finest sauce!”
for a moment and turned to survey his domain
asked
with a deep blush. “I mean we weren’t… You know… Not this time anyway. But Mark still makes time for us whenever we want to be with him, and we all wanted to be with him as we watched the Revealing of the tournament today. Us girls of The Volunteers anyway. The guys don’t seem to care
because he’s with me and he’s reacting to me, and he makes an effort to be exactly the Mark that I want him to be. I know there’s only one of him, but I still feel like my Mark loves me most
with Talia and Alilia on his hands, and I knew millions of girls all over the world wished they could be one of them at that moment, and I had to laugh because I have it even better than Talia and Alilia. They’re still used to him being only one person,
from a gigantic fruit display, “Mother and Alilia love each other almost as much
crazy about him, and I mean that literally. You were nuts to let Alilia Compel you about it for no reason. I don’t know how much of what you feel for him is due to the Compulsion and your vows,
him. But you have no idea what it’s like to be someone who has no greatness that suddenly gets exposed to true greatness. When I first met him he couldn’t
greatness. You’re not quite up to his level yet, but still, you have no idea what it’s like to meet someone
that right now there’s thousands of boys, and more than a few men and women and girls, who are completely devoted to you. They know that there’s almost no chance that they’ll ever even get to meet you, but they can’t help how they feel about you. And any regular people who’ve never heard of you who are suddenly and intimately exposed to your greatness, as I was when I first met Mark, will have no defenses prepared against the overwhelming emotions that you’ll produce
saw him I tried to make him look stupid at his own wedding. And then he turned to me and his eyes met mine and he took my hand, and he made me feel so wonderful that I was lost in him. And I wouldn’t have it any other way. My
a laugh.