Saga The Event of the Season (NEW REPLIES, 8/15/05)

The event of the Season

(Twenty months after the events of Soul of Love and Bravery)




The Great Hall of Statues, Palace of Theed, one day pre-wedding


The planning for this wedding has reached the level of insanity.

Colonel Panaka was beside himself.

He vaguely remembered laughing in the Security Service Palace Barracks Officer?s Mess at the stories of three weeks of theological negotiations concerning the actual marriage ceremony. Then he?d begun to discuss security arrangements with the liaison from the Office of the Lord Protector, and it no longer seemed as funny.

He?d thought that it would be easy. They would simply keep everyone with weapons out of the hall. Within two minutes of conversation with the overly pleasant and politely condescending Lieutenant Arfalstras of the Second Battalion of the Kalinadian Lifeguard Regiment, Panaka knew that the Kalinadians had very different ideas. They saw it more as an issue of having more firepower than a potential attacker. In short, they expected dozens of troops and most of the nobles and notables in attendance to be armed.

Panaka?s headache had begun then, and it had continued to this moment, when he found himself in the Great Hall of Statues locked in quarrel with a Rodian named Dardo. Dardo was the Captain of the Rodian Guard that existed to protect the life of the head of the Kalinadian Church. Captain Dardo was concerned about the procession of the Clergy and the location of the Security Service troops. Specifically, he insisted that the Naboo would be standing too close to the Ecclesiastical Monarch whom he was tasked to protect. Dardo wanted them farther off or armed with nothing beyond stun batons. Panaka disagreed. Complicating the situation was the fact that Dardo appeared to speak only Rodian and Kalinadian, neither of which was spoken by Panaka. So another Kalinadian Officer, Captain Arkodda, stood between them interpreting.

The red-haired Kalinadian Officer stood nodding along as normally lilted Kalinadian whistled and fluted from Dardo?s snout. As Dardo finished, Captain Arkodda turned to Colonel Panaka and said, ?Captain Dardo is willing to accept a ten to twelve meter buffer zone around the procession, if you are agreeable. However, he does wish me to communicate to you the fact that his troops will be quite willing to use their force pikes and sidearms, if the Naboo get too close.?

Panaka frowned slightly. Then, he stared into the dark eyes of the tan uniformed Rodian Soldier and said, ?Agreed.?

Panaka watched as the Rodian?s cloak swirled after him as he left.

It?ll be a miracle if I don?t have a stroke over this?



------------------------------------------------


The Master?s Suite Balcony, Prince of Theed?s residence (Temporary Kalinadian Embassy) overlooking the Palace Gardens, 2231 hours, 11 hours 31 minutes pre-wedding

Lianna Arzhan, Protectrix of the Commonwealth of Kalinda, looked out over the Palace Gardens that lay between her and the Palace of Theed. By the light of Naboo?s moons, she could just see the marquees that had been set up over the reception area near the Palace.

Everything is beautifully arranged. There should be no problems, all the rehearsals have gone well. Even the hunt and bonfires of the Prewedding went off without a hitch. Though, I did think that Madame Lankrerrie looked seemed a bit surprised by the whole thing. I have to tell Korva that the Indoni spit roasting an entire Kosa was a bit overly dramatic. All in all, it?s been a well handled, well executed few days. Even the war seems to have quieted, at least for the Commonwealth and the Mid-rim. Everything is as close to perfect as I could reasonably hope. So, why do I feel so?so off?

Lianna sighed. The doors behind her swung inward. Her husband steeped out on to the Balcony. Without looking over her shoulder, she asked, ?Come to check on me??

?Not deliberately, but I?d be lying if I said that I didn?t know that you were tro

 

Yeah.. a wedding.. and what a fabulous beginning.. loved it and loved how he dropped the stone on Padme ..Excellent job of the invitation.. so fun to be invited to a wedding pre and post. .. esp without all the formal stuff of the ceremony..

weave your magic and make the hhh. go away.

 

You're weaving your magic quite well! How could I not click? Loved it.

 

A lovely welcome return to the Ivo-verse. The illustration on the invitation was particularly well done as well! Looking forward to more!

 

The "invitation" to this thread for prior readers of "Soul of Love and Bravery" was just stunning! Beautifully done. It would be nice to see it here.

It's a real pleasure to be allowed another glimpse into Ivo and Dorme's universe - especially this one, which almost nostalgiaclly shows "the last time things were normal." I was under the impression that this is a vignette. Will there be more? I hope so!

 

As always, a good idea from my Beta....




Just click the image and then enlarge as necessary:



[image=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v650/Gunrayslawyer/invitation75.jpg]

 

Very nice to see Ivo and Dormé's wedding. I like the glimpses from various people and perspectives. You give a good sense of the public spectacle and the logistical chaos that goes along with its preparation.

Entering the Prince?s Palace, Ivo felt something familiar and warm in the back of his mind. A feeling that he had missed while in the field. He smiled to himself.

Dormé? s awake...I hope that everything on her end goes off without a hitch this morning.

It is both touching to see their strong connection and a sobering reminder of the ongoing war that, I presume, will separate them again for a time shortly after the wedding.

Nicely done. I look forward to your next story

 

What a perfect ending, wonderfully foreshadowing.

 

Lovely ending. I really liked all the preparation, especially for the wedding of those two. I even liked that you didn't get all maudlin and actually do the wedding itself. Made it seem more intimate and ominous, somehow.

Plus the foreshadowing was really just right.

Loved it.

 

How could I resist a formal invitation?

I loved the logistical planning and arguments that accompanied the wedding. Thanks for that great treat

 

Clever idea with the invitation and a very nicely-written postscript/prologue if you will. Of course Ivo figured it all out and Padmé's request was chilling. Some fans have the impression she somehow knew her life would be short .

--MissPadme

 

Wow! The post even came with a formal invitation!

I love these characters that you have created -- I can imagine myself there watching these events unfold!

Hope there is more soon!

 

Up...replies soon.

 

Beautiful invite ? thank you for sending it over.


Ah, the wedding of Ivo and Dormé ? what?s not to love?

Poor Lianna ? thinking of her mortality. She?ll be a great grandmother though.

Why must royal weddings always be such a pain in the arse? Too bad they couldn?t have eloped and had a reception later. I like where Ivo can feel that Dormé has awakened. They have a bond that many couples dream of.

Looks like the groom and the bride called Padmé to the carpet on Anakin. Guess you?ll have to write another wedding for those two.

?Worry not, Milady. I will.?

?Thank you, Ivo. Thank you so much.?

As she walked away, Ivo wondered exactly how much he had promised, and if he?d ever have to live up to it.


Ivo did stand by Anakin?even after?


I enjoyed this. Keep up the good work!!

 

At last replies....


First, let me thank all of you for coming.

Before specific replies, I would like to acknowledge the handiwork of my wife, 'twas she who drew, painted, and then scanned the portrait of the Protector's arms for the invitation, and then put it all together in in MS Publisher. Of course, she also made me work out many of the details of Kalinadian Heraldry.

Now, specifics:

qinguak--- Thank you so much, and you got the first reply.

VaderLvr64--- Thanks, I am glad that you liked it.

DarthBreezy--- Thanks, and see above on the illustration.

geo3--- Thank you so much for your continuing faith in the 'Ivoverse' and me. To answer your question, yes this is a vignette. It's over, but as I am sure you (and evryone else) have realized that all of the 'Ivoverse' stories are interconnected to a very large degree. I think that this may require the most prior knowledge of events in SL&B and TAF (certainly more than the Red Bedroom). After all on some levels, who cares about the wedding, if one hasn't seen the romance, and who cares about odd promises unless one has seen where they lead?

Sophronia--- Thank you for liking it, I was worried.

The war...hmm...More on that shortly, but it may not separate them as soon as you think.

NamelessAline--- Thanks, and good to see you again. Even if Korva is taken.

dianethx--- Thank you so much. I was more than vaguely worried that my failure to do any part of the ceremony would be criticised without mercy. However, looking back to my own wedding (my wife and I celebrated our 8th anniversary on the date that this was published), I am impressed by how fast the whole thing went. I was trying for the same feeling here.

Also, I agree that by showing the details oft overlooked in wedding stories, it is both more intimate and foreboding. Of course, the promise at the end helps with the foreboding part.

PadawanKitara--- Thank you so much, and I am gald that the invitation enticed.

MissPadme--- Thanks, and I don't think it's really Padme having a premonition of doom as much as it is that she understands the possibilities of Anakin's reactions to her death better than most. She's privy to the aftermath of Shmi's death, and she fears a similar slip to madness. Brave thing to do in someways, but also rather frightening, if you think about it.

Errine23--- Thank you, and the more will come in the next story.

Arriss--- Thank you so much for two things:

1) a long reply, I really like long replies!

2) Spotting Lianna's little musing on her self image. I was wondering what people thought of that. Lianna may have a bump or two in the road prior to grandmotherhood...


Ok, any stragglers, I'll reply to later.


Now, a special treat, a brief teasing preview....

"A terrible tragedy this is," the venerable Jedi Master whispered.

"More than that, Master Yoda, it is a potential disaster for the Republic!" Palpatine snapped hiding his glee deeply behind his shields.

"Chancellor, perhaps if we..." Master Windu began thoughtfully.

"Master Windu, we face the possibility that the Commonwealth will withdraw from the war and deprieve us of nearly 7 million men, thousands of warships and control of much of the Mid-Rim. All that I have been told is that a message to the Republic will be delivered in the well of the Senate by Ambassador Marksa in two hours time. Everything rides on the will of a certainly grieving and likely very angry 24 year-old man. All because of the inability of the Jedi to avoid committing a war crime...."


More to come, soon in Succession

 

Thank You so much for the invitation- your wife did a marvolous job!

I was curious after I read TAF if Anakin and Pademe were open to Ivo about their marriage, this made sense and was more in line with their personalities.

Or should I call you LAdy Skywalker?
LOL loved it!

Ivo is certainly very perceptive and witty, I really love him as a character. I must say though he really makes Anakin look immature and foolish by comparasion. Both are fiery and passionate, quick to action, so I can definitely understand the friendship. Ivo uses his head though, Anakin doesn't. The stories (SOL& B, TAF)just makes the difference glaring.

Ok I am going to jump the gun, Sucession will deal with the death of Ivo's father(obvious). The preview suggests the Jedi are involved- in TAF Ivo knows Palpatine caused the death of Azrhan (sp?) will he get that info in Sucession? If Ivo is 24 yrs old, hence 3 yrs since ATOC timeline, are you going to tie this in with some AU of ROTS. I am quite interested in how Ivo viewed Anakin's turn, you briefly touched on it -although I realize that it strays from cannon ROTS especially since TAF was wriiten before we had the details.

Just plan on writing a full history of the life and times of Ivo for your fans here. great post, looking forward to more!

 

Ivo is certainly very perceptive and witty, I really love him as a character. I must say though he really makes Anakin look immature and foolish by comparasion. Both are fiery and passionate, quick to action, so I can definitely understand the friendship. Ivo uses his head though, Anakin doesn't. The stories (SOL& B, TAF)just makes the difference glaring

First, ObsessedwithSW, Welcome aboard!

Now, what you note above is quite deliberate. It is a symptom of my explorations of cultural differences. Remeber, early in SL&B, Ivo notes to his father, Ge-Harza, that Anakin would fit in well as a junior officer in the Kalinadian Military. He has all the traits, and as he matured in Kalinadian Culture as a 'God-Touched,' he'd obtain attachments, sucha as a wife and family. These would serve to ground him in what Earch Ardedes tells Yoda is the 'prosaic.' In short, Anakin is immature and foolish. He's an immensely powerful, emotionally oerwrought late-teenager/young adult with nothing to keep that from overwhelming him. Philosophies of self sacrifice and power through the force can only lead to ruin in someone such as him. The Kalinadians have the same problems, but they also have a near worship of certain common, almost mundane (compared to the Gods/Force)aspects of human life: love, family, home, personal status. It's all about balancing in the real world...

 

Hi!

I'm on vacations back home, so I haven't much time on my hands. I'll be succinct.

1) Thanks for the invitation. I absolutely loved the formality of it, and the arms of House Arzhan are superb. Please convey the message to your wife.

2) The wedding was, in a word, ideal. No fuss over the ceremony itself, rather a series of insightful glances into the protagonists' minds. And that's what I like best about your writing style. A careful yet well balanced selection of meaningful events in your characters' evolution.

3) I cannot wait for your Succession story. It sounds like a fun read.

MTFBWY,

Lauré

 

I reread TAF and answered some of my own questions. I read TAF the first time at midnight and missed alot. Oops!

 

UP!