** Fairy Tales Are What It's All About **


"One of these was to create a second, separate fighting wing. T'jellan
concurred. In fact, he even went as far as to make some recommendations for
the leaders of Beta Wing."

Kanler's eyes held a veiled excitement, "And... whom did T'jellan suggest?"
He dare not hope it was him, but why else would she call him in to have this
talk with him if it wasn't. Still he tried hard not to get his hopes up...
for hope was indeed high in his mind. This was just something he never
believed could happen. Not with all the other great Dragonriders the Warren had.

Merissa smiled, "You and J'red, as Leader and Second." She grinned as she
leaned back, watching his reaction.

Kanler's eyes scanned hers, as if looking for the hidden joke,  "I... I
guess ... yes...Thanks!" Even with the fore though he was stunned. Barely
knew what to say. It was all to much... Yet... He wanted to pinch himself
but didn't think that would go over to well.

Merissa's smile broadened, "So, Kanler, what will be your first act as Beta
Wingleader?  Hmm... maybe we should have a party?" Merissa winked.

"And invite my whole family... of course," Kanler's eyes sparkled, "No
wonder Chrysthal chose you for her rider!"

"See making decisions isn't that hard." Merissa grinned. "Now comes the hard
part."

Kanler nodded, his smile leaving his handsome face as something came to him.
"Yes... the hard part... Telling Katla she's going to have to train herself
a new partner. Looks like me and J'red filling in the numbers is going to
become a permitted partnership from now on."

"Well I'm sure your mate won't have any complaints," Merissa assured him.
"In fact I think she'll be full of pride for you."

He wasn't really listening to her, his mind was still numb by the honor she
had just bestowed on him. Beta Wingleader... Never in his wildest dreams had
he ever dared to hope.

"Kanler... Kanler... Earth to Kanler!!" the Warrenlady called, each time her
voice rose a bit until he finally looked up at her.

"I'm not dreaming am I?" he asked. "I mean I'm not going to wake up from a
wonderful dream and find out that's all it was... a dream?"

Merissa's face curved into a evil grin as she got up from her seat and came
around to his side of the desk. Once there she reached out and pinched his
shoulder before he knew what she was about.

"Ouch!"

"Well if you felt that you're not dreaming," she chuckled. "Now go tell
J'red the good news before someone else beats you to it."

"Yes ma'am," he grinned, still rubbing the tender spot on his left shoulder.
Got up and headed for the door, then stopped and turned back to face her
before he opened it. "Thank you Merissa for having the faith to think I
could handle it. That means a lot to me."

She looked up at him, all humor gone from her eyes now. "You've proven you
deserve it Kanler. T'jellan thinks so too."

"You won't regret it I promise," he swore and then left her office. "I
promise you, you won't regret it." He repeated to himself once he was outside. 

He wanted to jump up in the air and cheer. He wanted to mount Siriss and fly
around the Warren screaming out to anyone who could hear him that He Kanler
was not a Wingleader!

But he did neither. A Wingleader had his position to remember. Instead he
allowed himself a wide grin of pride and then bespoke his dragon.

<<Siriss... will you contact Firefly and have him tell his rider to meet me
by the bench near the waterfall... and to come alone. We don't need one of
his many women hanging off his arm. That can wait until the party later.>>

The Party! Oh my god, he thought... the Wedding... 

<<Siriss??>>

<Preparations are under way my friend. Do not fear,> the dragon chuckled.
<There is no need to act so much the sire... Others will make sure your
sibling has her dream come true today.. and Fire's rider is on his way. I
told him to tell his rider that you had a secret but important mission to
brief them about.>

<<Oh you devil you. You're mean  but I love it,>> Kanler chuckled as he made
is way to the meeting spot. <<Where'd you learn to lie that well>>

<Why from you my rider,> came the dragon's smug reply. <I just listen and
learn from you.>

<<Smart ass.>>
<See... that's another thing we have in common.>

Kanler had just made it to the meeting place, the bench near the waterfall
seconds before J'red did. The extra time gave him the seconds he needed to
wipe the grin from his face and assume a more... *concerned* look that
wouldn't have fooled his mate Katla for a moment, but J'red being called out
of someone's bed (Kanler assumed by the musty look of the other man) didn't
know him as well as Katla did.

"I'm here! I'm here!" J'red muttered as he ran up to Kanler. "What's going
on? Where's the trouble."

Kanler faced a grimmest and let his head bow downward for a moment as if he
had some news he was reluctant to share.

"Calm down and have a seat... We got trouble alright, but it'll come later
on..." he said cryptically, then gave out a big sigh and looked up at his
friend. 

"What is it?" J'red's eye brows furrowed inwards until they met in the
middle making his face look as if he had just one brow that went from one
side of his face to the other.

"You know... well tonight... we set it up for my sister and her young man to
get hitched... without her knowing about it right?"

J'red nodded, for he'd been asked to ferry in a few of the guest.

"Well that means during dinner sometime I'm going to have to get up there
and deliver a speech of some kind..."

J'red's brows relaxed as a knowing smile crept over his lips. He took the
seat next to his partner and patted his arm. "There, there Kanler.....
getting up there in front of all those people to give your sister away won't
be that bad. It'll be over before you know it, and I'll be right there
sitting at our table rooting you on."

"I'm afraid you won't," Kanler told him, turning his head to the side and
giving his friend a lopsided smirk. Damn but it was getting harder to keep
the smile off his face. 

"Won't what?" J'red questioned.

"Won't be sitting at our table rooting me on."

"And why not?" J'red asked slowly, finally figuring out something was going on.

"Because you'll be up there on the dais with me."

"And *why* will I be on the dais with you?" the younger man asked, giving
his friend a suspicious look. "She's your sister."

"Ah... but you see my friend and *partner* ..." he emphasized the word.
"Where else would a trusted Wingsecond be but beside his Wingleader when
said Wingleader is giving his acceptance speech?"

J'red just stared, to stunned to speak. His mouth hung open as a multitude
of emotions flashed across his face. Kanler just sat there grinning like a
fool while waiting for his friend to ask the next question.

"Wingsecond... Wingleader!!!! Are you crazy!" J'red got up and began pacing
in front of the bench, muttering to himself. "He has to be crazy... it's all
getting to much for him... to much stress that's what it is....."

Then finally he stopped and turned to look at Kanler... "You're not kidding
are you. I mean this isn't some kind of a joke? Cause if it is... I'll...
I'll..."

"It's no joke," Kanler assured him. "Merissa just told me so herself when I
spoke to her in her office. You are now looking at the new Wingleader for
the newly established Beta Wing of Whiteriver Warren... which needs a good
Wingsecond and I can't think of anyone... next to my own dearly beloved
mate... who I would rather have as a Wingsecond to fly beside me then you.
What do you say?"

	[ Tag you know who... Does J'red have anything to say?]

	[later... party time.....]

Kanler had told Katla while they were getting ready for the party that
night. He knew that she knew something was up with him, and knew he'd never
be able to keep it from her. They had an open relationship with no lies or
half truths between them and he knew this fell into the category of things
best told so they didn't come back as revenge later.

"Well I knew something was being discussed about it because I over heard
T'jellan and Derry speaking about it but I can't think of anyone better to
lead it then you my love," she told him wrapping her arms around him tightly
then giving him a very loving kiss of approval. 

"Well with you beside me making sure I don't make any mistakes... Maybe this
thing will work out," he told her and then release her. "We need to be going
so we can pick up mother and Lenasha. Can't have her late to her own wedding
..."

"Even if she doesn't know she's getting married?" Katla giggled, gave him
one final kiss then took his arm as the two of them left their apartment.

The hall was packed when they got there. The word about the wedding had gone
out and it made him feel good to know so many people had shown up to
celebrate it with his family. 

Not only were all the riders present, but also, as expected, Kanler's and
J'red's families. Katla's family, the Vaddon's had arrived as well, having
been set an invitation a-dragon back. The other Lords had left that morning
for their own estates. But Kanler was a bit surprised to find Prince Reolden
had also remained behind, then figured would Merissa have informed him of
the "surprise" festivities, and he had stayed as an emissary for the King to
seal the former Calarais lands to Lord Ryant and his bride as soon as their
vows were exchanged.

He knew his sister didn't really want to be here. Lenasha was still very
saddened by the death of their father as was he himself, but he had used a
bit of trickery to make sure she and her husband to be did come. He took her
aside and told her about his appointment to the Wingleadership of the newly
established Beta Wing and told her that he really wanted his family to be
there when it was announced.

"Now you can't tell anyone else," he told her to drawl her in. "I want it to
be a surprise until everyone can find out at the same time, but it would
mean the world to me if you were there Lena..."

She had agreed to come.

Things were already started when they had arrived, just in time too for he
saw Merissa looking around and then smile when their eyes met. She gave them
just enough time to get something to drink and then he saw her walking up to
the raised dais and ask for everyone's attention.

When she had that she began to speak. She spoke seriously, talking about the
dangers that they'd all faced together, and how they could only make the
warren stronger. The Dragonriders and Warrenfolk had learned some hard
lessons, but the mistakes would never be repeated.  One of the mistakes,
Merissa mentioned, was always having all the dragons flying patrols,
standing watch and being on alert to fight wraiths. This left very little
down-time, and they had over-taxed their Wing.

"It has been suggested that Whiteriver needs to change its Wing structure.
After much discussion, I have decided to create a Beta Wing, under the
leadership of Kanler as Wingleader....."  She waited for the applause to
lessen before continuing,  "and J'red as Wingsecond." Merissa smiled as the
two young men were congratulated.

"SPEECH!! SPEECH!!" Came the cries from the crowd and Kanler looked over at
his new Wingsecond and both men had the same thought. Hit the door running!
But others had other plans and they were pulled out of their chairs and
escorted to the dais. 

After accepting the applause, they read off the roster for their new Wing. 

Among the Beta Wing riders, R'han, J'rret, Jael, Tarv'renon, Ben'sar,
Elissa, Effinky, and Horatio were named.

Then after all the cat calls had quieted down... which might have had
something to do with them noticing Kanler had stayed on the dais even after
J'red had gone back to his chair... the crown looked up at him expectantly
waited until he began to speak.

"Sometimes in life things happen with no rhyme or reason and you are left to
wonder why. Things can be going great one minute and then the next....." he
paused for a second to pull himself together. Speaking of his father still
had the power to choke him up. "You all know that recently my ...father ...
Lord Kanen was lost to us all. Not just to my immediate family, but also to
my family here in the Warren. For my father was a huge supporter of this
Warren and the Dragonriders who work and live here."

There were murmurs of approval and sadness from the crowd.

"One of the most tragic things to come out of his loss was that my sister
... Lenasha... who's wedding was to take place today... thought it best to
put the wedding off for a while thinking she had to right to be happy when
our fathers death was so fresh in our minds..... But I do not believe our
father would have wanted that for her. He loved her so much that he would
have wanted the wedding to go on as planned and for her to be happy as the
wife of the man she has always loved."

He stole a look at his sister and saw that both she and her husband to be
looked totally shell shocked and unable to believe what he was doing. His
mother on the other hand looked both pleased and proud, so Kanler knew he
had done the right thing by setting this day up.

"Lady Vashla... is it your wish... and what you believe would have been the
wish of your husband... for the wedding of your daughter to go on as
planned?" he said loud enough for his mother to hear him.

Lady Vashla stood and faced him, then looked around at the others gathered
there. "It is the wish of both of us that our daughter and her intent, Lord
Ryant, be wed as planned."

"Then I see no reason why we need to put off the happy occasion," he was
grinning now as he turned to his brother-in-law to be. "Lord Ryant... is it
still your wish to wed my sister. To take her for your wife and life
partner. To love her and protect her from whatever may come. To be the
father of her children."

"It is my wish, as it has always been," Ryant spoke firmly to the crowd and
then turned to take his beloved's hand in his. "I do so wish to take this
woman as my wife and life partner. To have a hold for as long as we both
shall have."

Kanler nodded in acceptance of the vowel, then turned to his sister. "And do
you Lady Lenasha... wish to take Lord Ryant as your husband..."

"Yes I do!" she said without letting Kanler finish his speak, which made him
and everyone else laugh. 

"I guess then since no one objects..... Is the mediator here?" he looked
around until the man sitting beside the Prince stood up and was
acknowledged, then made his way up to the dais. "Then let us get this
wedding under way! LORD BRYANT! Front and center! Kanler yelled and stood
there grinning until his brother-in -law to be got up once again and made
his way up to the dais where Kanler stood followed proudly by Kanler's two
brothers who would stand in as his witnesses.

Then he looked back and saw Eleanora and Lia standing one on either side of
his sister and with them there Lena had no choice but to stand and allow
them to lead her to the dais.

When they arrived, the mediator stepped forward and raised his hand for the
crowd to be quiet, then turned to Kanler. "I take it you are the one who
will give her hand in wedlock to this man?" he asked Kanler, who glance back
at his other, who nodded her approval, then turned back to the mediator.

"Her mother and I. We do so give Lady Lenasha's hand to Lord Bryant in
wedlock." Then he stood back and Lenasha was guided forward to stand next to
her betrothed. 

"Then by the authority granted to me by the laws of the Landbound nations...
" the mediator began..... and no one saw the young blond headed woman
leaving the hall, nor was she missed as the vowel's were exchanged.....

And so *that* was how the story of the Wedding of Lord Bryant and his lovely
Lady, the Lady Lenasha became man and wife. But that wasn't where the story
ended, for as soon as the vowels were exchanged and the mediator pronounced
them true and totally wed in bliss... Prince Reolden stood and made his way
to the dais where he turned, looked at the Warrenlady for her permission
(though he didn't really need it) and after getting it turned back to the
crowd and the lovely new wedded couple with all the pomp and ceremony he
could get away with,  presented them with the wedding present of a lifetime.

Lord Bryant, much to his credit took the crisp piece of paper from the
Prince and stared at it for a whole minute before turning to his young bride
with wide opened eyes filled with total shock.

"This can't be happening..." he muttered, but there it was. The proof was in
his hand. The prince laughed, then turned to the people gathered there and
introduced the new Lord and Lady of Calarais to a stunned crowd. "Though
I'll assume that you will wish to come up with a name for the place on your
own... which is within your rights as the new owners." He informed them and
saw Lenasha turn to her new husband who nodded his head in approval.

"Dragon's Hope," she said softly, and then louder so all would hear. "We'll
call it Dragon's Hope for they *are* our hope for a safe world and a safe
place to live."

Now I'll bet you think that was the end of the story ... 

Right? 

Well you would be wrong for the story didn't end there. Oh no. It was only
the beginning. We can't guess on the end, for to do so we would have to know
about the events that took place in the middle of the tale, before we could
learn how it ends. And as those events have yet to take place... the ending
is whatever the players make of it. 

The fun is in getting there.....

Exit... Stage right.....

****Submitted by: ****

Kanler & Siriss (Beta Wingleader)
Lady Lenasha (New Lady of Dragon's Hope Township)
Lord Bryant  (New Lord of Dragon's Hope township)
Lady Vashla  (Proud mother of the bride)
Whiteriver Warren/ Dragon's Hope township

Aka
Barbara