A troupe of acrobats performed next. Their strength and abilities were astounding, their feats far beyond anything human athletes might hope to achieve.
Many times my heart stopped, and my hands came up to cover my mouth.
After that, an Elven couple performed a powerful yet graceful dance, and then a quartet of musicians played what must have been a popular song among the Court based on the applause that followed.
Though I enjoyed each performance, my eyes kept drifting to the clock high on the wall across from me. Every minute that passed was one closer to the time we’d be married. It couldn’t be long now.
As the musicians lifted their instruments and left the center of the ballroom, I turned to Stellon.
“Is that it? Are the performances finished?” I asked.
“My eager bride.” He flashed an indulgent smile and leaned over to give me a kiss that was, thankfully, brief.
I still wasn’t warming up to the physical contact thing, in spite of my love for Stellon. How long was it going to take?
My new groom wouldn’t be too pleased to find his “eager bride” cringing at his touch tonight. What if I couldn’t get over this weirdickreaction by then?
Unaware of my internal turmoil, he gave me a covert grin. “There’s just one more entertainment to come. I think you’re going to like it.”
“What is it?” I asked.
Just then the ballroom doors opened, and a group of ten men walked in, forming two lines and carrying a long, wide stone cylinder between them on their shoulders. It was the size of a massive tree trunk and was carved with symbols unfamiliar to me.
Apparently the others knew what it meant because gasps filled the room.
Reaching the center of the ballroom floor, the porters moved simultaneously to set the cylinder on one of its flat ends. It settled into place with a loud thud.
Standing upright like that, the pillar was much taller than the tallest of the men, and I doubted if any of them would be able to reach all the way around it.
At first I assumed it was an elaborate prop for another dance or perhaps a short play.
And then I saw the manacles attached to the post at various heights.
What was going on?
Another man walked through the open doors. He was wide and hulking and wore a black mask over most of his face.
In his hand was a whip.
My hand crept over my stomach which was filled with a sinking sense of dread.
A flash of memory took me back to that horrible day in the arena where a similarly dressed and masked man stood ready and waiting to end my life at the end of a noose.
Were we about to witness an execution? On my wedding day?
Was that some sort of macabre Fae tradition I hadn’t heard about?
My face broke out in a cold sweat, and my stomach started trembling. My hands, too, were shaky when I reached to tug at Stellon’s sleeve.
“What is going on?”
He didn’t look at me but kept his eyes trained on the empty ballroom doorway in anticipation of what was coming next.
“Justice,” was all he said.
Two burly guards came through the door. Between them they held the arms of a tall man in iron shackles.
There was a hood over his head, but I knew instantly who the prisoner was.
