Chapter 24

They are immediately taken to Avril's room, the anointed one's room, and once the servants light several more oil lamps Avril sees the giant comfortable looking bed, and she runs for it and jumps on it. "Roy, come, let's get some more sleep before morning comes and I have to start all the necessary preparations for tomorrow night, for The Time."

Avril pulls out the extra fluffy pillows and punches them to her liking, and then she lies on her left side and pats the bed behind her for Roy to come over and lay beside her.

The servants and the High Priestess look on shocked, but as Roy is going to Avril he tells them, "Get out." They look to argue, but the High Priestess just sighs and waves everybody else out.

"Princess, I really must protest, propriety and all. We have to start fitting you for your gown and that means you will be naked."

"Oh, that's okay, he has seen me naked many times." The servants and High Priestess turn and glare at Roy.

"You're not helping."

"I don't care, this is my day. If I want my knight and best friend at my side, then so be it." Just then there is a knock at the door.

Roy walks over and opens it a crack to see who has come calling. A huge smile lights up his face. "Oh, Avril, you have a guest."

"Who is it?" Roy opens up the door the rest of the way. Roy hugs her first. "Well, who is it?" Roy moves out of the way to show Avril that sweet little Maiden Mary has come, and she is wearing a purple tartan skirt outfit like Avril likes to wear.

They scream in a high pitch noise that makes Roy's ears ring, but he continues to smiles mightily as they run to each other, yelling and screaming and hugging each other.

Roy tries to slip out the door while Avril is distracted. "Where do you think you are escaping to?"

"Ah, I just want to check on a few things. See if there is any word from the king."

"Oh, okay, but please come right back. I really am going to need my two best friends at my side."

"As you command, Princess."

"Thank you, and its Avril, remember?" Avril is happy to have Mary back with her, but Roy has moist eyes when he closes the door behind him.

"Oh, Princess, you retrieved the scepter and made it here in time!"

"Roy and I did it. I could never have done it without him. How did you get here?"

Mary smiles, "I got to fly on another dragon that the King of Montgomery sent for me, so the Princess could have her friend and maiden at her side."

"The King did that for me?" Avril says, smiling.

"Yep!"

"Marvelous."

Roy goes and checks on the progress of the battles and several other things, but he gets bored quickly so he starts to wander around the temple. It doesn't take him long to get the feeling that these people have way too high of an opinion of themselves, just like the wizards do, so the only place he will feel comfortable at is right next to Avril.

When Roy returns to the room, Avril and Mary have to push the servants out of the way because they are not going to let Roy back in. As the servants, the High Priestess, Avril and Mary are standing in the middle of the floor fitting the ceremonial dress, Roy lays down on the bed, and as he watches Avril with supreme pride and joy he falls asleep.

For a brief moment he hears arguing as Mary and Avril chase the servants and the High Priestess out of the room after the fitting is complete.

"Mary, I'm going to get a couple more hours of rest." and then without any more fanfare she rifles through Roy's bag and pulls out one of his short sleeve shirts and puts that on, and then crawls into bed with Roy and curls up next to him.

Mary tries to stay awake so she can guard their privacy, but even she falls asleep in the same huge bed.

"Lady Avril. Princess Avril, it is time!" The priestess tries to shake Avril awake, but Roy is holding her so tight and close that the priestess gives up and starts shaking Roy.

"Yes."

"It is time."

"Av." Roy says, stretching mightily.

"I heard."

"Well, come on, get your cute little tush up and let's get this over with."

"I'm scared."

As they are sitting on the edge of the bed with their legs hanging over, Roy puts his arm around Avril's shoulders and kisses her hair. "Fear not, Avril Serene, your knight will only ever be a call away."

Avril looks up at him with her beautiful soft and warm blue eyes and nods her head with a forced smile. Her destiny is about to come true, but her time will soon be her pre-betrothed and destined husband's. Avril is about to trade her knight Roy Bane for a husband, knight and king Clifford MacDoom.

"We must get you to the bath so we can anoint you in the sacred oils and fragrances before you get into the ceremonial gown."

"Ah, a bath sounds great!"

"Sir knight, the men's bath is to the right of here down the hall on the right."

"Humph." Avril giggles.

Roy turns around to her in all seriousness and takes her into his arms. Roy has his arms clasped at the small of her back. Avril has her hands clasped around his neck and she is standing on her tiptoes.

Roy tenderly kisses Avril on the lips and then says, "I am so proud of you. You have taught me the true meaning of strength. You have proven to me that this world indeed does deserve saving. That beauty, far beyond what I ever dreamed exists, flourishes brilliantly. I will see you down in the Ceremonial Hall." Roy smiles at her, and then he gently moves his hand to her tush and pats it. "Okay?"

"Okay." Avril says, with tears in her eyes. After they kiss one more time, Roy collects his bag and starts heading out the door, but Avril stops him by saying, "I'll get your shirt back to you later."

"Keep it as a memento of our time together." Avril nods her head with tears in her eyes and a smile on her face.

When Roy leaves and shuts the door behind him, he takes in a deep breath and momentarily leans back into the door. Then with one mighty sigh he goes to find the bathhouse.

All things from this point are reverent rituals. Avril is led down to the baths with a procession of priestesses. Normally The One would be wearing a flowing white nightgown, but Avril refuses to take off Roy's black short sleeve shirt.

As they are walking down the hall to the baths, the priestesses start chanting. Avril and Mary make eye contact and give each other crooked smiles. As they walk into the ceremonial bathing ritual, the priestesses surround the pool with Avril standing at the beginning of the stairs that lead down into the giant bath.

"Disrobe, Mistress."

Avril, getting caught up in the ceremony of her destiny coming to fruition, reverently takes Roy's shirt off. As Avril is standing there in all her glory, she turns to Mary and whispers, "Here, hold this. Don't let them get their hands on it or it's likely to disappear."

"Of course, Mistress."

"Actually, it's Avril, remember?" Mary looks at her princess and friend and smiles, noting the growth.

Avril slowly walks down into the warm pool. As she is walking into the pool the priestesses start chanting again, and they begin to drop flower petals, perfumes and other magical herbs and spices into the bath.

Avril smiles, because she thought of something that would crack Roy up, and she just can't help but to say it, "Are you anointing me or getting ready to cook me?"

"Mistress, please." Avril can hear Mary's stifled laughter over the aged High Priestess's protestations.

Avril continues her slow descent down into the pool. With each step the water goes up her calves, thighs, hips, waist, and finally she reaches the center of the pool. There are candles floating on lily pads throughout the pool.

Avril continues with the ceremony by saying, "With this cleansing I am proven worthy of my destiny." And then she bends down onto her knees, which brings the water up to her neck. She turns to the east and puts her hands in a prayer steeple and dunks herself into the water. Then she does the same thing turning north, west and finally south.

The head priestess speaks above the chanting as she says, "The world is again purified and washed of our sins."

Avril again takes her time walking out of the bath. When she gets to the top the priestesses walk over and drape a huge towel around her, as if they are already putting the Cape of the Queen on her.

Once they get back to the room they immediately start dressing her in the form fitting flowing white gown made from the finest fairy silk.

After Roy takes his quick bath he searches out any information on the battles. The last information is the Montgomery Forces within Lavigne have been tied up in battle with the Wanderers. They are being much more stubborn than hoped.

Roy goes outside and finds Briar. "How are your wings?"

"Well, milord."

"How about flying me out to the Montgomery Forces north of here, so I can see what is taking so damn long. Avril will want her king with her."

"Yes, the time is upon us."

When they reach the battle lines they are scattered, and most of them are hidden in dust clouds from the desert. Besides the cavalries trying to outmaneuver each other, a strange wind has begun to blow. A sandstorm the size of which Roy has never encountered is making it impossible for him to find his desired goal.

They fly around for hours trying to get an accurate read on things, but eventually tornado type funnel clouds begin, and it makes it unsafe for the still recovering Briar to stay in the air.

"Damn it, I would have liked to have had this straightened out before the ceremony, but we will have to get back because Avril will be wondering where her king and I are, and one of us should be there."

"Where the hell is Roy?"

"The last anybody saw of him he flew off on Briar heading north towards the battles."

"Damn him, I need him. He promised to be here and..." Just then there is a loud knocking on the door.

Mary goes over to it and opens it and sighs in joy. "Where have you been?"

"Is that Roy? Where have you been?" then when he walks towards her she flies into his arms.

He holds her tight for a moment, and then backs away so he can get a good look at her. The pristine white silk gown is form fitting and bounces off her bare feet. "You look truly divine, Princess."

"I don't care how I look! Where have you been?"

"I flew out to see about the ... the King."

Avril wrinkles her nose as if she couldn't care less. "Did you find him?"

"Actually, no, there is an unnatural sandstorm going on, and we could find nothing or no one."

"I don't care! The sun is starting to set and I have to begin The Walk in a couple of minutes, and you promised me you would be here."

"Babygirl?"