"May I please leave the hall to fetch the feast from the kitchen?" said Dyfrig plaintively.

"Someone's left a magical barrier lying around..."

Bai had been nodding off when he heard Dyfrig.

"Why can't you leave- oh hell." Bai ran over to the barrier cutting off the hall from the kitchen. "Damn it! I must have spread the wards to thin on the east wall and chanted too much on the corners. So the barrier is inside the wall. Lovely, just great. Wonderful beginners mistake. I may as well let the innkeeper set the wards." Bai struck his forehead with the heel of his hand.

Swearing, he paced along the barrier to see if there were any gaps that could be made into a narrow path to the kitchen. He discovered a small gap on the stairs.

"You have enough room for someone pass up thin loaves of bread... Yeah, a real royal banquet, bread and water from the vases- oh bugger." The barrier neatly divided a flower arrangement in half. Hopefully no fool tried moving it before he took the wards down, otherwise they'd slice a finger off when the glass broke, as it was the ward was holding it in place. A bee that had been sampling the flowers had his foot stuck in the barrier. It buzzed in confusion.

"Well I hope there isn't a scullery maid down there stuck in the barrier." Bai mused, staring at the floor as if trying to see into the kitchen. He had sealed the top of the barrier, and sealed the bottom somewhere underground below the cellar.

"This is what comes of setting up a barrier with no sleep and having an innkeeper distracting me." Bai grumbled. The thought of pushing this wall of the barrier a few feet further east was daunting.

"They are wed now... why not drop the dratted thing?"

Dyfrig was normally easy-going. The one thing that really annoyed him was any interference with his food.

In reply to Wulfsen Thornblade (msg # 6):

"I know. Maybe they will take pity on us and let us leave late afternoon," she said. She somehow managed to hug her parents as Wulfsen held on to her.

In reply to Dyfrig (msg # 9):

"Great way to invite demons to a party." Bai fumed. It was the vows Bai had been worried about, demons loved to corrupt vows like that. But he didn't want demons at the feast either.

In reply to Sileas Spenser (msg # 10):

"Pity would be letting us be alone now." Wulfsen said.

"Dyfrig went to a lot of work to put this together. At the least we should enjoy the food. I don't know for certain if anyone called for entertainers."

"I hope not." Wulfsen said. He had waited a long time to be married to Sileas. He wanted to be alone with her. It seemed like there was always someone with them.

As Lek watched Sileas and Wulfsen, he felt envy and depression weighing him down. He would never have what they have. His shoulders slumped.

In reply to Wulfsen Thornblade (msg # 14):

"I do and I don't. I would love to dance with you, but on the other hand, I would probably embarrass you horribly. I never really learned how," Sileas admitted with half a shrug.

In reply to Lek Gerthrim (msg # 15):

Millie was as miserable as her brother. She hung back toward the rear of the hall. She was happy for her cousin, but wondered for not the first time why she would never have a love of her own. She sank down on a chair and stared at her lap.

In reply to Sileas Thornblade (msg # 16):

"I would just be happy to have you in my arms." Wulfsen said.

In reply to Millicent Gerthrim (msg # 17):

Lek spotted his sister and made his way over to her. He sunk into a chair next to her.

"I wish Pinja could be here." He said.

In reply to Wulfsen Thornblade (msg # 18):

"That I can arrange," Sileas smiled.

In reply to Lek Gerthrim (msg # 19):

"I know," Mille said softly, still not lifting her head. A teardrop hit her skirt. "I'm happy for Sileas, but I wish I was anywhere but here."

In reply to Millicent Gerthrim (msg # 21):

"Me too." Lek said unhappily. "How is Pinja doing today?"

In reply to Sileas Thornblade (msg # 20):

Wulfsen grinned back at her.

In reply to Lek Gerthrim (msg # 22):

"She wasn't awake yet when I left to attend to Sileas. Probably not well though. She knows there is a wedding, and has nothing but bad memories of her own."

In reply to Wulfsen Thornblade (msg # 23):

"Shall we head toward the feast?"

In reply to Millicent Gerthrim (msg # 24):

"I wish I could help her somehow." Lek said. "All I do is scare her more."

In reply to Sileas Thornblade (msg # 25):

"What feast?" Wulfsen asked. The tables were bare, not so much as a crumb of food.

In reply to Lek Gerthrim (msg # 26):

"I know. I don't know that anyone can help her. At least, not without her wanting help."

In reply to Wulfsen Thornblade (msg # 27):

"That's odd. I've been smelling cooking all morning, making my stomach rumble. Maybe Dyfrig was waiting for after the ceremony ended to bring it out?"

In reply to Millicent Gerthrim (msg # 28):

Lek wiped away another tear. "I should have protected her."

In reply to Sileas Thornblade (msg # 29):

"Maybe someone should go to the kitchen." Wulfsen said. "I'd be happy with stale bread and water but the guests probably expect more."