Chapter 2
In the grand ballroom of the hotel the close family of the bride and groom were dressed casually, rehearsing for the wedding, trying to make sure the siting went as well as possible and there were few surprises. Oen Bravia, who was paying for the wedding and trying to save face, did not like surprises.
�Are the seats lined up properly?� Oen yelled at the lead usher.
�No s�,� the lead hotel worker replied.
�What are you saying?� Oen screamed.
�He doesn�t know,� Daniel said.
�You speak his language?� Oen said, calming down a little.
�Yes, I can speak that dialect of Purian,� Daniel said.
�Muy bien,� Delia replied. �Porque no me dijo?�
�I did not tell you because I was trying to avoid bragging about myself, and you never spoke in that dialect at school,� Daniel said.
�How many seats are supposed to be prepared?� Daniel asked Oen.
�Four hundred,� Oen replied.
�Cuatro cientos sillas est�n aqui?� Daniel asked the lead worker.
�S�,� the lead worker said.
�It looks good, then,� Oen said.
�Entonces,� Daniel said. �Aperece que trajabaron bien. Muchas gracias.�
�De nada,� the lead worker replied. The other workers waved at Daniel as they left the room.
�Why do you speak the language of migrant workers?� Oen asked. �A person with any pretensions to nobility cannot speak the language of slaves.�
�Don�t you recognize me?� Daniel said. �I am the commoner from Cork who won the limerick competition last winter.�
�Oh, you�re the commoner friend of Henry,� Oen said, taken aback. �You are a quite an intelligent fellow. I do not understand why you have to speak to such-�
�I will speak to whomever I want to,� Daniel said. �I know where I came from, and I have no reason to feel arrogant and haughty towards any other human being. Are we not all created in God�s image?�
�Let us prepare for the wedding,� Karen Albright-Bravia said. �Stop baiting this young man, dear.� She said that word with a sharp accent to signify her displeasure.
�I am sorry,� Oen said. �I just have a huge headache this morning.�
�A hangover, probably,� Henry whispered to Cherie glumly.
�Well, all of the officers of the ceremony are here,� Natonito said.
�Who will be giving the bride away?� Oen asked.
�I will,� Natonito said. Patting Cherie on the shoulder, he said, �I am her guardian, and though I did not watch her as much as I should have, she is a good kid and a sweet girl.�
�Thanks,� Cherie said, blushing. Baby Oen giggled.
�And Delia, you are the head bridesmaid?� Oen asked.
�That is correct,� Delia said.
�And the pugnacious peasant will be the best man?� Oen asked.
�My name is Daniel Miller,� Daniel replied with eyes as narrow as arrow slits.
�I take that as a yes, then,� Oen said.
�Do you want me to show where everything will be?� Karen asked.
�Sure,� Natonito and Bathsheba said in unison, with a worried look at each other. Baby Natonito cooed in agreement.
�Here is the altar where your cleric from the school will be,� Karen said.
�I see, you convinced Wilfred and Beth to come here,� Natonito said.
�It wasn�t very hard. He is a very nice fellow, very serious and scholarly,� Karen said.
�I remember him when he was a messenger in the rebellion,� Oen said.
�What a brave and steely fellow.�
�Yes,� Natonito said. �I thought about that not too long ago myself.� He gave a conspiratorial wink to the kids.
�Here is the gift reception line,� Karen said.
�You really expect that many people to give gifts?� Cherie said, innocently.
�Of course,� Oen said. �You two are the heirs of ducal houses. There will be a lot of people who will give gifts just to try to ingratiate themselves with you. After all, when one is a high aristocrat, many will be in obeisance to you.�
�But I do not want people to flatter me,� Cherie said, troubled. �I want people to love me for who I am.�
�My dear,� Henry said. �Once people know you, they will love you for who you are. Until then they will respect you because of your position.�
�But what about those who smile to my face and then cut me from behind?� Cherie said.
�Dear girl,� Karen said. �Do not be troubled. Just be yourself, sweet and loving, and only a fool would hate you.�
�Thank you,� Cherie said, smiling again. �You will be a most kind mother-in-law.�
�And I expect you will be a fantastic daughter-in-law,� Karen said. �Just come to me if you ever need advice on how to handle the males of the Bravia family.� She gave a wearied look that only Cherie could see, and Cherie responded with a knowing glance.
�Well, looks like everything is alright here,� Oen said. �I guess the bride and groom will remember their lines.�
�They should,� Natonito said ironically. �All they have to do is say �I do� a few times and then kiss.� The kids giggled, even the babies.
�Alright, I think I need a drink,� Oen said, half-joking.
�But it is only the third hour,� Karen said. �How can you drink?�
�I have much to worry about,� Oen replied.
�How about your liver?� Karen retorted.
�I need to talk to my son first, though,� Oen said.
�Who am I to stop that?� Karen asked rhetorically.
Oen took Henry to a far corner and had a fatherly chat with him. �Why weren�t you more careful so as to avoid getting your girlfriend pregnant,� he began.
�I wasn�t thinking when we did it. I was just in love with her and wanted to possess her,� Henry said.
�Look, when you marry you are probably going to have many mistresses-most dukes do. Your uncle is the exception, sowing his wild oats while young and then settling down to monogamy. Then again, your uncle was always looking for the one,� Oen said. �Anyway, you are going to have to be more careful in the future. You cannot afford too many pregnancies. �Si non caste, tamen caute.� If you can�t be chaste, be careful�
�I will try to remember that,� Henry said. �Besides, I do not plan on cheating on Cherie. She is a romantic girl, and the most angelic girl I have ever met. Why would I trash that for some �five-cent, ten-cent, dollar� girl, some two-bit whore?�
�A man has needs,� Oen said.
�Marriage was designed so that men and women could have sex in a faithful and honorable union. �Drink water from your own cistern, and running water from your own well.� Cherie is the only girl I have ever had sex with, and I intend on keeping it that way,� Henry said.
�Alright, I guess this conversation is over,� Oen said.
�I guess so,� Henry said.
�I wonder what is going on,� Cherie said. �The conversation over there looks rather animated.�
�There�s my last duchess on the wall,� Daniel quoted wryly.
�What�s that?� Delia asked.
�It looks like Duke Bravia is waxing on some subject that Henry does not want to talk about,� Daniel said.
�Very astute judgement,� Natonito said. �I think Oen is giving him sex advice.�
�How can you tell?� Cherie asked.
�From the blush on Henry�s face,� Bathsheba answered.
�That�s right,� Natonito said.
�I�m sorry, brother,� Karen said. �I thought you were a cad when I was growing up, but my husband is worse than you ever were.�
�I am sorry that is the case,� Natonito said sadly.
After Henry and Oen returned the group went out to the indoor pool to relax without getting turned into Bravian fried chicken, seeking to relax for a few hours before lunch and the wedding, which was in the early afternoon.
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