This is a short story that I wrote based on a wedding I attended once. The wedding so strongly reminded me of something out of a modern-day fairy tale that I began writing it in my head even before the wedding was finished.

Green Orchids

The ceremony took place beside the elegantly curving river. A faint breeze brushed softly through the tall grasses and the leaves of the trees clattered softly. A little ways away there was a fallen white tree with a path leading to it that told of many children walking to and from the old log to climb on it. Birds sang softly and a few children were playing in the sand.

At the ceremony I saw mostly elves and druids. There were a few wizards, a fairy, and some nymphs. There was even a drow and his two half-drow children. My family and I were the only full humans present. Of course, the druids and the few wizards there were human, but they had powers that my family simply does not possess. Most of the guests were barefoot, as were my family and I. The birds swooped down to give their congratulations as well.

The bride was a ravishing blond elf dressed in a rather plain white wedding dress. Beneath her simple dress she wore white pants, as the slit in the dress came up to her mid thigh. She looked stunning with most of her hair down, but the bits next to her face were braided and brought over the top of her head to form a headband of sorts. Woven into her braids were a few green orchids, which only made her look more lovely. She walked with the help of her two crutches, since her legs were weak. She did manage to get around very well, though.

The groom was a tall, formidable-looking wizard dressed in a suit similar to his bride’s simple white dress, as it was made seemingly of the same cloth and style. He looked very nice with his goatee neatly trimmed and brushed out nicely. His face was covered with a strange tattoo that was a crescent along his forehead with dots that radiated down his face and cheeks. Upon his hands were the symbols of his zodiac, with all the planets and their positions at his birth. Up his leg grew a living tattoo of a tree, with the roots growing under the arch of his right foot This tattoo on his leg was mostly hidden by his pants, but one could see its trunk and roots on his bare feet. He also had a tattoo of the sun on the very top of his bald head.

The couple walked up to the front together, barefoot in the sand. The group of people had been divided down the middle, and there was a beautifully designed path drawn into the sand there. As they walked forward the couple smiled radiantly, obviously deeply in love. They seated themselves on a large stump that was covered with a cloth and adorned with three pillows and various sacred objects, none of which I knew the meaning of.

The ceremony had to be postponed for a long while after Jeff and Misha reached their stump because the father of the groom had to drive some of the guests to the ceremony from many miles away. While he was gone, I admired the scenery. The river was stunningly beautiful and clear, and a few of the youngsters were running through the water with their clothes off. None of the guests seemed to mind, and I certainly didn’t. They were far too young and innocent for it to be a problem. The trees whispered softly in the breeze, and the grass danced. Some children, a little younger than I, climbed on the fallen tree. The birds dipped over the heads of the guests, and some smaller birds were even daring enough to splash in the water with the three little boys.

When Jeff’s father finally returned the ceremony began. The first to do anything was a dark-haired elf, presumably the bride’s sister. She sang a lovely song to them about circles. The words told that circles have no ends, and that there are many circles in our lives.

Next a fairy played her guitar and sang about the earth and its beauty. The little fairy had a beautiful voice, but she sang so softly that I didn’t quite catch all of the words. I did catch the general meaning of the song, though, and I’m sure that Jeff and Misha, who were sitting much nearer to the fairy than I was, heard it. They were certainly smiling.

When she was done, the priestess said a very special blessing over the couple, who then exchanged their promises. The promises were quite unique, and I, a mere human, had never seen the like of this lovely ceremony. They promised to be mirrors for each other, that they might reflect each other’s love. Misha told the young wizard of how beautiful a person he was, and that she wished to be more like him, that he might see his goodness reflected off of her. Jeff replied that he would be her mirror, that she could see her generosity.

Once their strange promises were exchanged, they gave each other a garland of green orchids, and gave their parents green orchids as well. I later saw the flowers up close, and they were quite beautiful, even after being slightly smashed by the many congratulatory hugs.

The priestess proclaimed the wizard and his beautiful bride husband and wife, and they kissed. Many of the guests came over to congratulate the newlyweds, though I got the distinct impression that Misha wished to leave. Standing is difficult for her, even with her helping crutches. Eventually they worked out of the throng and went on to the reception hall. My family didn’t come to the reception until much later, as it was officially to start at five o’clock.

When we did get there, I was unsurprised to find a lot of new folks that I had not seen at the wedding. Most seemed to be friends of the wizard, and many appeared to even be normal humans. I no longer felt so alone, though many of these newcomers rather ignored me. During dinner, several druids and elves sang or played instruments, and a few of those new humans joined in as well. It was a delightful evening, what with the singing and the playing. Pictures were taken of Jeff and Misha, but we did not stay for all of those. All the way home I reflected on the wedding and how absolutely wonderful it was.