Immortal (22 page)

“Gabriel, it’s beautiful!”

“Say so to your parents. They are the ones who wanted to surprise you. That’s why they asked me to take you away from the island. Naturally, they felt horrible for what you had to go through. Everyone is here, Staysia! Everyone. My mother and father are even here. I can’t wait to see them!”

“Then don’t wait! Let’s go!”

“Yes ma’am!” Gabriel smiled and helped her off of the Sea creature and onto the sand.

“Oh Gabriel, I couldn’t have asked for anything more.” Their new friends followed them as they went inside the home of the Sea Child.

The door was opened and beautiful island music played. She met her parents at the door. With tears in their eyes, they each hugged Staysia tightly.

“Mother, father, it is just beautiful. You couldn’t have made it any more perfect!”

“It was the least we could possibly do after all you have been through,” her father said.

“Father, please, I understand that what happened happened for a reason. There was no other way.”

“I hope you do.”

“I do!” She hugged both of her parents again.

“Join the party!” her father said. Staysia walked inside to see the place was lit up beautifully. The Sea Child sat on his throne watching over everyone.

Jasper and Emerald were on the dance floor dancing with one another. Tristen and Cassandra were dancing. The male beast took the female’s hand and they watched the others until they had their own dance moves and seemed to highly enjoy dancing. Staysia and Gabriel joined them on the dance floor.

He looked into her eyes. “You’re beautiful!” He looked over her shoulders and spotted his parents watching them dance. “Staysia, it’s my mother and father. Come and meet them?”

“Of course!”

Gabriel’s father was handsome just like Gabriel. He had dark wavy hair, he had dark, thick brows and he had a cleft in his chin as well. His mother had long, dark, straight hair. She had a beautiful smile and dimples on each of her cheeks. She took her son by his arm and gave him a hug. His father did not wait for her to finish, he grabbed his son and hugged him.

“Hey!” his mother said with her hands on her hips. Before he could reply to his wife, she smiled and held her hand out to Staysia. “I’m Layenaya!”

“Hello, I’m Staysia!” They paid one another a curtsy and moved their eyes to Gabriel and his father.

“His name is Draygon. If you can separate the two of them, I guess you can meet him!” They laughed together. When Gabriel and his father finally pulled apart, Draygon turned his attention to Staysia.

“Draygon!” he said as he offered her a hand.

She shook his hand and said, “It is wonderful to meet you. I am Staysia.”

“Great party, Staysia!” Draygon said.

“Oh, thank you,” Staysia replied.

Just then Jasper walked up to them, he was carrying an armful of folded clothing. “Jasper!” Staysia said. She picked him up and gave him a kiss. She put him back down.

Jasper smoothed the clothing with his hand. “Your attire, madam,” he said.

“My attire?” she asked.

Jasper handed her the clothing. She carefully unfolded a beautiful gold colored gown with rubies embedded in it. She held it out in front of her and her jaw dropped. “This is
mine
?”

“Yes! The Sea Child would like for you to wear it for the remainder of the party.”

“It’s much too beautiful!” Staysia gasped.

“You
do
know who you are, don’t you?” Jasper asked her.

“Well, y-yes.”

“Then wear it!” Jasper smiled.

“O-Okay.”
Staysia said finally.

Suddenly, Emerald showed up behind Jasper and grabbed his hand and pulled him back onto the dance floor. “Talk to you later!” he called.

Staysia laughed and waved. She looked at her dress again and smiled.

“Go put it on!” Gabriel said.

“Yes,
do
go put it on! You will look absolutely beautiful,” Layenaya added.

Staysia shrugged. “If you insist,” she said. She made her way to a
small room and changed into her beautiful gown. When she returned, Gabriel watched her walk towards him. Only to him, she was not walking at all, she was floating. Her hair was now neatly combed and in a bun on the back of her head.

“You look too beautiful for words,” he said.

Staysia smiled. She looked at the Sea Child. He nodded and waved her to him.

“I will be right back,” Staysia said. She walked towards the Sea Child with her head down until she was half-way there. She managed to raise her head and look at him. She looked around the room at the eyes that were on her
, and the smiles from those she knew and some she did not know. When she got to the throne of the Sea Child, he stood and began to speak.

“May I please have your attention?” The music stopped and everyone held their eyes on him to allow him to speak. “This is Staysia. She is the daughter of Warrick and Dara. She will reign with her parents until the end of time!” The crowd clapped their hands and cheered. “Gabriel! Come before my throne, please.”

“Me?” Gabriel’s eyes widened, but he didn’t move.

“Gabriel, the Great Beast Tamer of Gnome Hills. Please come before my throne
and stand next to your wife to be.” The Sea Child smiled easily and awaited Gabriel.

“Go,” Layenaya whispered to her son.

With that, Gabriel made his way to the throne. The people watched him and whispered to one another. When he stood before the throne he took Staysia’s hand. Together, Staysia and Gabriel bowed before the people. The crowd clapped their hands together again.

“Gabriel, would you like to reign with Staysia once you are married to her? Would you like to reign with her forever?”

Gabriel hesitated. The Sea Child’s brows furrowed. “You do not wish to reign for me? With your wife? With the Star gods?”

“Yes, absolutely, yes.” He squeezed Staysia’a hand. “Yes.”

“Bid our guests and fellow gods a bow of farewell and tomorrow you shall wed the majestic Staysia.”

They both bowed before the people. The people cheered. Both of their parents faces filled with joy, their eyes filled with tears. Emerald got a tissue for Jasper to wipe his eyes when he began to cry, filled with joy.

Tristen lifted Cassandra into his arms and kissed her on the forehead. After that, he held his arms up and said, “My friend Gabriel The
Greatest
Beast Tamer!”

“The
Greatest
Beast Tamer!” the people cheered.

The Sea Child stood and turned to leave. Just before he did, he turned and stood facing Gabriel and Staysia. “One more thing, Gabriel, your family will have eternity to spend with you as well.”

“Really?” Gabriel smiled and thanked the Sea Child. He scooped Staysia up in his arms and twirled her in a circle. He looked back at his parents who were in one another’s arms, and kissed Staysia on her cheek.

The Wedding

When morning arrived, Staysia felt relieved to find herself in a real bed. The softest bed she had ever slept in before. She stepped onto the plush, red carpet and wiggled her toes to indulge in the softness. She smiled to herself. She twirled herself to a large, ivory dresser and took a deep breath
in. Today, she would become Gabriel’s wife.

She looked in the mirror and brushed her hair. She slowly sat her brush down and cracked her door. It was still and quiet. Everyone was still asleep. She slowly closed the door behind her and went down the long, winding
staircase. There was a sliding glass door in the sitting room.

She went to the door and took a look outside. It was a beautiful day. The sun was peeking over the new horizon, welcoming a new day. What a new day it was. It was the first day of Staysia’s new life.

There was a large fountain on the front lawn. Birds chirped and hopped on the cement around the water. She watched as a certain bird with a twig in its mouth hopped over to another bird and allowed that bird to take the twig from its mouth. The bird then glided to the ground and picked up another twig, this one, it kept in its own mouth as it joined the others.

She cast her eyes on a large field that was at the bottom of the hill that her parent’s house was on. It wasn’t just any field. It was the field in which her new life would be born. It was the field in which she and Gabriel would build their own house, share their lives and raise their children.

She opened the sliding glass door and stepped onto the cool grass that was topped with the morning’s dew. She quietly closed the door behind her and walked outside. She stuck her finger in the water from the fountain and made a circle around it. She inhaled the morning’s air and walked to the edge of the hill. She sat down and watched the sun rise.

She moved her eyes to a clus
ter of trees. They grew in the area that she and Gabriel would build their home. Staysia wanted to be beneath them, so she got up and walked down the hill. It was quiet except for the sounds of birds rustling in the leaves and chirping.

There were many trees so she went to the center of them and sat down. She thought of how she was going to rule over the people and the changes she would make. She wanted nothing more than happiness for everyone. Not just humans, but everyone. She thought of Gabriel and how beautiful their wedding would be. Normally it would have taken months to plan a wedding. Being the daughter of the Star gods changed that. Everything would be perfect and it would only take half of the morning to make it that way.

She heard something moving in the bushes. It was not the sound of the tiny birds. It was something much larger. She came to her feet and peered around one tree and then another. There he was. Gabriel sat up against a tree deep in thought, but wiggling around. It must have been his nerves.

“Gabriel?” she said.

He turned his head and when he saw her, he came to his feet. “Staysia!”

“Oh no!” She covered her face. “This is not good. You really shouldn’t see me before the wedding.”

“But I already have.”

Staysia peeked between her fingers and finally removed her hands from her face. “You have, haven’t you? At least I haven’t put on my wedding gown yet.”

“There’s nothing we can do about it now.” Gabriel smiled. “Come sit with me.”

“Okay, we shouldn’t let anyone else know about this then.”

“If you say so, come here,” he said as he sat back down.

Staysia looked behind her to make sure no one was there and sat down beside Gabriel.

“It’s so beautiful here. It is the perfect spot to build our home.”

“Oh yes,
Gabriel, it is the most beautiful spot to build our home.”

“Can you see us in the future? H
mm? Can you see us living here forever?”

“Forever. That is a long time. It is more than I can wrap my head around.
Is it what you wanted?” Staysia asked him.

“Of course. I mean, it is more than I ever expected or imagined, but I could never want anything more than forever with you.”

“Yeah, it’s strange how life can change from one day to the next. Yesterday I th
ought my parents were dead. Now I will never have to worry about losing them or dying myself. You know, there are a lot of people who would never want immortality. I never really thought of it until now. I feel like maybe it is what I have always wanted. I just never had any reason to imagine it.”

“That’s because you are the daughter of the Star gods. You were always meant to live forever.”

“Gabriel, you were always meant to be my husband, so you were meant for immortality as well.”

Gabriel smiled and stood up. “Let’s get married then!”

“Yes, let’s do.” Staysia joined him on her feet. “You go first so that no one knows we’ve seen each other yet.”

“Ha!” Gabriel leaned in for a kiss.

“Oh, no ya don’t! Not until you are asked to kiss your bride!”

“I have to wait all that time for a kiss?”

“Go, Gabriel! I will see you at the wedding!”

Gabriel took one
last look at her before she shooed him with her hand and he made his way out of the trees. She took another look around. She turned in a circle and turned in another circle looking up at the sky, at least what could be seen of it through the tree canopies. She made her way to the edge of the trees, and stared up at her parent’s beautiful home before making her way up the hill.

When she got inside, her mother was preparing a pot of coffee. Her father sat at the
table eating a bagel. She stared at them for a moment before getting a bagel for herself. She spread peach flavored cream cheese on it and sat down beside her father.

“Good morning!” her father greeted her with a smile.