Even though this was the caliph's youngest daughter and therefore least important, the caliph spared no expense but for the quick notice. The palace was turned inside out to be decorated.
Julian supposed he didn't blame the caliph for rushing their wedding. He was beginning to get nervous jitters. Sometime that morning he had realized he didn't even know his bride-to-be's name yet, much less what she looked like. He would have asked Jasmine, but she was kept away from him all day, presumably to take care of her mistress. He wondered what she thought, cloistered in her nun's existence, soon to marry a foreigner. He might have reconsidered had it not been for the small note a page had pressed into his hand as the boy ran by.
It was two words, in a very familiar handwriting (his wife's handwriting, in twenty-four hours!) and it said simply "Thank you."
The day had dawned bright and clear. They gave him milk to drink and sweetmeats to eat and generally treated him like a king. He was washed by two older biddies who refused to hear anything he said and gently nudged him into the bath until he agreed. Then he was dressed carefully, by a valet.
First came a pure white cotton undershirt and shorts. Then came the silk pants, pajama-like, in white with gold embroidery. Over that was a long tunic which was open on the sides. This was also in white silk, and the arms and cuffs were heavily embroidered. The neck was open in a sort of U-shaped pattern and the border was also trimmed in gold.
Next came a silk sleeveless vest. The color was a rich plum, but the whole back of it was covered with a dragon stitched in the same gold thread. On the front he was pleased and surprised to notice on the right side his family's crest. On the left was the symbol of the family he would be joining.
Then came fine pointed slippers which were put onto his feet, also heavily embroidered. He was bade to sit, and a silk cloth was brought. The valet proceeded to wrap a turban around his head, with care and dexterity. The turban was the same plum color as his vest. In it was placed a single peacock feather, standing up straight.
He stood and looked at himself in the mirror. But for the green eyes and fair skin, he looked like a native.
They brought him back to the throne room and sat him amongst some other thrones, a little lower than the caliph. Other men began to arrive, swarthy and dark-haired. They nodded to him curtly, and he realized these were the other son-in-laws.
People began to arrive, and still no sign of his bride. Each person brought a gift and placed it at his feet, bowing. Expensive rings, jewelry for his bride, and silks were the majority of the gifts. One man brought twelve slave boys, however, and another brought sixteen camels.
The morning wore on, and it became ritual for Julian to stand, accept the gift and the sentiments, and seat himself again. At noon a bell tolled and everyone took their seats.
In the center of the room was a raised dais, about ten feet by ten feet. In the center was a small metal container. Its top was open and wider than the bottom, so the sides slanted outward. One on side was seated a priest, who began to chant and put things into the fire.
The other son-in-laws stood, and Julian took his cue from them and stood as well. A dignified butler type came up and gestured Julian forward, until he was standing in front of his throne, with his back to it. The far doors were opened.
In stepped a huge procession. First came jugglers, then dancing girls, servants, maids, all elegantly dressed.
Then in came four pavilion bearers carrying a plum colored silk-lined doli (pavilion) between them. They turned it sideways, so the open side was toward him, and stepped side.
A hand appeared at the edge of the curtain, and gently pulled it aside. The hand had henna on both sides, and gold hand jewelry on the back. A leg was extended and a small slippered foot was placed on the ground.
Out stepped a small figure, clad head to toe in jade green silk. There were embroidered flowers all over her brocade. Her head was covered by a red silk veil, and her lower face by another.
She stood a little over five feet tall. She walked toward him, and a few feet away she stopped, and knelt on the floor, her head bowed. Her herald stepped up next to her.
"Her Royal Highness, the Princess of this fair land, daughter of his most royal Caliph Fajlad, begs you to take her as wife!"
This was all protocol, and Julian had been instructed in it. He stepped forward and proclaimed in a loud voice, "I, Julian Alexander, son of Tiberius Alexander, do accept!" So saying, he bent to take her arm. She offered it to him, and as she rose he saw that she snuck a look at him from behind her lashes.
He could see nothing of her but her eyes but her eyes made him forget where he was for a moment. They were of the deepest emerald green, heavily framed by black lashes. They seem to be filled with their own luminescence. Heavily lined with kohl, they were the most beautiful eyes he had ever seen.
Their eyes met for the first time, and Julian felt a spark run through his body. He didn't have time to wonder if she felt it too, for the valet was already turning him toward the ceremony. They both continued to the platform and knelt there.
The wedding ceremony was two hours long and consisted of getting up, sitting down, walking nine times together around the fire (for each of the nine lifetimes they were to be together), putting various things in the fire as offerings, and repeating vows as instructed. She was very quiet but occasionally he would see a flash of green eyes. They remained in his mind even when she didn't look up, it seemed to him.
After the wedding, they were seated on matching thrones. For about two hours they received people's blessings.
Julian was having a hard time getting around the fact that they were married. It came home quickly enough when after two hours several maidservants came over, giggling, and took his new bride away. He knew they were taking her to the bedchamber. He also knew that the custom here was for the bride to keep her groom waiting as long as she desired on the wedding night. Perhaps it was the only bit of power she got. He wondered how long his new wife would make him wait. It would have to be at least half an hour, for modesty's sake.
The call did not actually come until an hour later. The same maidservants came back, giggling, and walked him down the hall and out of the throne room. Behind him he could hear the dancing and the drinking and the reveling beginning.
They took him to a decorated door and opened it and thrust him inside, still giggling.
The bower was dominated by a very large bed. This was covered with flowers, as was the custom, and hanging vines of flowers surrounded it. The entire room was decorated beautifully.
