"No, we're not. I shouldn't have brought it up. Only happy memories are allowed. Do you remember the songs Mother used to sing when she dressed us? They were so silly. She said they were nursery rhymes she had seen in a book, one made of paper, not the kind on our computers."
Savanah calmed as Tika brushed her hair and she sang with Irene. "Mary had a little lamb, little lamb."
The door buzzed and from the other side, a young man's voice shouted, "Hey, aren't you ready yet? We got the flowers, but they're going to wilt if you don't hurry up. Besides that, the pirates will be too drunk to watch the ceremony. Tann found a case of real whiskey in the cargo, and they have started drinking."
"Well, then, no more messing around. We've got a pirate wedding to attend," Savanah straightened her spine and lost the faraway expression. She was back in charge of her emotions and her brain.
Irene let the incident of her lapse in sanity pass without another word. Savanah was now in the present and if she mentioned what had occurred, that could easily send her back to her captivity.
With dresses fluffed, hair straightened, and makeup mended, the trio opened the door. The two young alien males stared agog. They hadn't quite expected the women to be so stunningly lovely. The bride was ethereal. Savanah shone like the sun. But their little friend Tika shocked them the most. Gone was the waif who could be any gender. In her place was a very beautiful pixie who was most definitely female.
"Wipe off the ridiculous grins and give Irene her flowers," Tika demanded. Her familiar bossy tone brought them to their senses.
"These were all we could find within walking distance. Aisaak wouldn't let us go closer to the city or we could have raided some gardens," Drake said as he handed over the pitiful excuse for a bouquet.
The 'flowers' were weeds. The yellow and blue blooms would probably make her sneeze, but the sentiment was perfect. "They are just what I wanted," Irene declared. "Fancy flowers from a well-tended garden wouldn't fit in at a pirate wedding, especially one presided over by a cranky pirate captain."
Irene pulled out two of the yellow blooms and stuck them in Savanah's hair, just above her ear. She smiled into her sister's eyes and said, "I'm so glad we found you. I don't think I could have gotten married without you."
"It would have broken my heart to miss it," Savanah replied. "Aisaak's a good man. He's been very kind to me, but he tells me the truth too. Someday, I would like to find a man who will love me the way he does you. I don't expect it to happen. There would be a lot to overcome. Not many men would be able to forget that I'm used goods."
"What happened to you doesn't count. If a man can't see past that, then he's not worth your love. You'll find the right one, usually where you least expect it."
Savanah set aside her doubts and stood beside Irene as the vows were spoken. Her heart rejoiced as her beloved sister said, "Aisaak, you came as a surprise to me. I felt sorry for the sad man that you were and wanted to make you smile. Instead, you defended me, a stranger, from an evil man. You continued to be my champion each time trouble arose. I know now that you will always be there when I need you the most. May I be worthy of your love."
Savanah listened to Aisaak's reply with interest. She understood how he felt and why it was him that had been able to calm her.
"My dear, Irene," he began. "You are worthy of more than my love. You are my entire life, the savior of my soul. You made me see that my past was just a sample of how strong love could be and how it had brought me to the place and time where I found you, my forever love. You helped me let go of what couldn't be changed and grasp a future I thought out of reach. Together, we have overcome the odds and will continue to do so."
The pirate captain added, "The two of you have seen and done more together than couples who have spent a lifetime learning about one another. You've brought a motley group of misfits into agreement and given us all a chance to change Delti Utopia 6. You've also allowed us to see that no matter what we've done, we are good inside. Humans have been listed as bad seeds for a long time. Pirates are thieves, yet you saw that there was more to us and allowed us to be a part of this occasion. You've given us happiness at a sad moment, and we thank you. Let's hear it for a perfect union!"
The pirates cheered and offered toasts to the couple. Savanah was able to slip away to a quieter spot and observe the festivities. She was having a difficult time combining her joy for Irene with her own confused emotions. She was physically sound and here in the present moment, yet she could still hear the dancing music and feel the handsome man teaching her to glide over the floor. She was supposed to be a magical, enchanted version of a companion for very wealthy men who were lonely. She was meant to give them what their wives and girlfriends could not. The man told her if she did it all correctly, then she would enjoy it too. He'd made her believe until he left each day. Once he was out of sight, the reality came crashing in, or did it? If she could still hear and feel him, then maybe she wasn't really free.
