The Achievement Junkie

The empty seats around the platform started to gradually fill with the most important guild members and Jack's loved ones at the front.

Eventually, some nonmembers of the guild trickled in as well. They were the important or influential figures from Gilga. Some were businessmen, others were councilmen or the assistants of councilmen. To earn a seat at this surprise wedding was practically impossible without already having a certain level of influence.

But there was something strange about the seating.

Guild members were still offered better seating than the councilmen or the wealthiest businessmen. Though they offered to pay for better seats, no one was willing to exchange seats and the ushers deny all sorts of bribes.

"What's the meaning of this?" one of the councilmen shouted into his contact crystal. "Tralon, I demand an answer!"

"Halmon, settle down. The seating wasn't arranged by me or the guild. If you have any problems, take it up with the gods who arranged it, not me," replied Tralon, thereby ending the conversation and putting his contact crystal away.

"But this is your guild!" Councilman Halmon refused to give up so easily, despite not hearing back from Tralon.

Tralon sighed, mumbling to himself, "Not for long…"

With Tralon not willing to help them, a group of three councilmen decided to take matters into their own hands.

Those three got up from their given seats and neared the front of the seating area. Once at the front row, they neared Maynard, Rydel, and Zariff, the people they felt were most undeserving of their seats by their common apparel.

Halmon stated, "Here, allow us to purchase those three seats from you. We'll give you one thousand gold each."

"That's all?" chuckled Zariff. "This is the greatest wedding Trodar has ever seen and you're only offering one thousand gold for our front row seats? What a joke!"

Keeping his cool, Halmon replied, "Then what would you deem a fitting price. Be quick about it."

"I won't even consider moving for anything under fifty thousand gold," stated Zariff. "Why should I give up the seat of a lifetime for anything less than that?"

"That… It's only a seat to walk the couple share their wedding vows. Surely it can't cost that much," reasoned Halmon.

"Then get lost!" Zariff answered.

Maynard added, "Ya don't even know the bride or groom. All ya want is to look important in front of the gods. But if you're not willing to prove how bad ya want it, then go back to your seats before ya lose those too."

"I'm sure we can find a middle ground that's--"

"Enough playing around." Another man had entered and immediately gone to the front with the other councilmen, not even glancing at the seat the ushers showed him. "I'll pay the fifty thousand for each of your seats, including his."

Trax turned his head and sighed, looking back to the man trying to purchase his seat. "Mine's not for sale."

"Nor mine," stated Rydel, not even sparing the man a look.

That man glared at the men denying his offer, not frowning nor smiling. He scanned the rest of the row and noticed a couple of unexpected faces sitting beside Tralon near the center aisle.

Walking toward his acquaintances, that man kept his calm demeanor while the other three councilmen followed him along. Once he neared those seating by the center aisle, he nodded to them. "Kims, Vixus, how much did you too have to pay for such great seats."

"Not a single gold coin," replied Kims, keeping his eyes forward as to not look at the man.

"I doubt that," chuckled the man. "Since when were you on such great terms with Tralon and the guild? Didn't you two try and--"

"If that's all you're going to talk about, I would hurry back to your seats before they're given away to someone else," Tralon interjected. "These two are honorary members of the guild, so of course they'll sit at the very front of the guild seats. Understand?"

That man gave Tralon a strange look, then he shared that look with the other two as well. "I see… Then how might I also gain one of these seats? Might I join the guild for a day?"

"Impossible."

The councilmen were startled by the new voice that interrupted the conversation. They and that man turned to the platform to see Jack looking down on them with an unhappy glare.

"This is my wedding day. If you're going to act like vultures, then I'll send you out so you can scalp seats like them," stated Jack.

Not taking Jack's statement to heart, that man bowed his head. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Jack. I'm Thyron Tindrell, the council spokesman. As the leading political figure, I've come to witness your wonderous wedding ceremony."

"If that's all you're here for, then your given seats are enough," stated Jack, not giving an inch. "If you cause any more trouble or try to take any of the reserved seats on the front row, then you'll be dismissed before the bride arrives."

Finally showing a hint of a frown as Thyron sighed, he replied, "Jack, I'm sure that--"

"Stop trying to act high and mighty because of your position. I created that position, remember?"

Stopping his reply, Thyron bowed his head again to Jack. "Then we'll return to our seats. I'm sorry for creating such a disturbance."

"But what--"

"No more, Halmon. Let's return to the seats they graciously offered us. Not ever is allowed entry, after all," stated Thyron, calmly walking back toward the seat the usher had shown him earlier.

Jack was stunned to see how calm and calculating the current spokesman was. He glanced at Kims, who finally showed his frown the moment Thyron left. The tension between those two as councilmen was obvious to everyone, not only those that knew Kims's secret.

As Jack returned to his place on the platform, it didn't take long for the awaited moment to arrive.

The artificial lighting at the room was dimmed, leaving the spotlight shining on the platform. Then, Ilgor stepped out from behind the platform. He carried a cushioned stool in one arm and a lute in the other. Gently, he sat on the stool and allowed his fingers to run along the lute's strings.

Soft music started to caress everyone's ears. Feelings of warmth were evoked by the chord's Ilgor played, removing any lingering tension felt within the great room.

With everyone feeling light-hearted and guided by the ambiance of the room, a single ray of light suddenly shown down from the ceiling to reveal the entrance of the bride.

Her grey skin was accented brilliantly by her cobalt blue dress, enrapturing the attention of everyone. It was slim, yet showed that the small elven girl was as much of a beauty as the two human women walking behind her.

At Daliea's side, she was being escorted by her new father, her palpo. The two smiled at each other as they walked up the center aisle, claiming the spotlight for everyone to see.

They didn't rush themselves. Taking their time, Daliea, her escort, and her two maids of honor walked up the aisle and up onto the platform.

There, Daliea saw Jack in a new suit, or at least the altered cloak turned into a new suit. It was foreign to anything she had seen before, but it was much more fitting and high class than any suit a tailor could've made for him. It was pure black, but he had a bow tie matching Daliea's dress and a smile on his face.

Behind Jack stood Sterfen, who was also smiling proudly.

Daliea took her place across from Jack, looking up to the hero with nervous yet happy eyes. Behind her, Eedaj mimicked Sterfen to proudly look over his new dhendi as he made her vows.

Both Maura and Eliza were smiling ear to ear, glad to know that the woman they cared for like a sister would never be forgotten or left out from the party. That feeling was especially impactful for Eliza, who remembered the letter she received from Keela.

Standing at the center of the platform and to the couple's side, Daruun shared a smile with Jack and Daliea before he started the ceremony.

"Jack Dyrshire, as my chosen champion and my adopted grandson through Sterfen, do you take Daliea Bavlyion to be your wife for all your life, to cherish and to care for, no matter the circumstances and no matter how much fame or power you gain in the future?"

Jack took a deep breath and nodded, replying with a smile, "I do."

Turning to Daliea, Daruun asked, "Daliea Bavlyion, as my adopted granddaughter through Eedaj, do you take Jack Dyrshire to be your husband and partner for all your life, to cherish and to care for, no matter the circumstances and no matter how much fame or power you gain in the future?"

"I do," replied Daliea with watery eyes.

"Then, we'll allow you to share rings," added Daruun.

Another spotlight shone down on the aisle, letting the whole crowd see a young girl skipping down the aisle with a giant smile for everyone to see. In her hands was a velvet cushion holding two magnificent rings.

Little Lina happily walked up the aisle and delivered the rings to the couple before she joined Eliza and Maura at the side.

"As a commitment to each other and to act as a witness of said commitment, you may share your rings," Daruun warmly added.

Not a single word was shared between the couple. They exchanged smiles as they placed a ring on the other's finger. Then, they locked their fingers and looked into each other's eyes. Not shying away this time, Jack leaned down to kiss his bride, who kissed him back.

As that moment slowly passed for the couple, everyone else watched them eventually break their kiss.

"Now," Daruun softly broke the silence. "Let us begin the feast!"