Bride of the Sky, Part Two

Mela slept for a long time, and in the sleeping she dreamed of wild things and leaping creatures. She dreamed of a dancing flame who taunted and circled her. The dream seemed as real as waking life. When the flame landed again before her, she asked, "Are you my husband?"

The flame laughed and she awoke.

She lifted her head from her arms and found that she was laying on the floor before a majestic palace. Great golden doors open before a grand walkway lined with columns. Opulence and richness were in abundance. Mela stood and walked inside.

Women played and sang where ever she walked. Some were painting in a garden. Some tended a nursery full of playful, winged kittens. One sat by the fountain, knitting jets of colored water into a magical gown. The women saw Mela and welcomed her. They offered exotic foods and clothes. They promised to teach any of their mysterious crafts and the ways of their magic. They showed her to an elegant and comfortable bedroom.

"Welcome my girl, as you are now our sister, a bride to the Spirit of the Sky like all of us," they said.

"You are all wedded to the Spirit as well?" Mela asked.

"Indeed, he is loving and generous,"

"And what is expected of me? What are my duties?"

At this the other women looked uneasy and wrung their hands against their dresses.

Mela grew concerned and asked again, "With all these wonderous gifts, what does the Spirit ask in return?"

"In time, you will see. Just listen and do as we do and no harm will befall you,"

Mela felt a shiver of fear, "Harm? What cause of harm is here?"

They only smiled and returned to their fond diversions. The day passed pleasantly. Mela wandered from room to room in the palace, meeting all of the other women in turn and delighting in their work. She sampled fruits grown around the world and delicacies from ancient and mysterious kingdoms. By the end of the day she had been to every room save for one.

A pair of double doors stood closed at the end of the main hall. They were small and rather plain in design. Compared to the decorations of the rest of the palace, the doors were very easy to walk right by. Mela explored very carefully and herself amost missed them. She touched the handle and moved to open, but one of the wives struck her hand against the door, pressing it closed.

"We do not disturb this room, dear," she explained.

"Oh, am I not allowed?" Mela asked.

"This room is not for us. We leave this room alone," the wife explained carefully.

Mela sighed and turned away, returning again to play with the kittens. The other women doted and fussed upon her. They exhausted the afternoon in such a manner, with idle play and fanciful chatter. Night settled quickly on the palace. The wives gave light to lanterns of colored glass along the hall. They prepared the evening feast and laughed along to silly poetry. They enjoyed roast duck and vegetables seasoned with a strange, fiery pepper.

One wife, standing by the window cried out, "Sisters, he comes!"

Up from the table leapt the women, scattering the food and plates in their hurry. Mela sat alone, watching in confusion as the other wives ran about. They smeared lumps of wax to their face with clots of makeup. They pushed pillows under their skirts to form unflattering bulges. They hunched and drooled and spat upon themselves. Soon, the whole lot of beautiful wives had transformed themselves into awkward, ugly hags.

"Oh, I almost forgot about you!" one woman said as she grabbed Mela by the wrist.

"I dont understand, what's going on?"

"Just be silent and wear this," The wife tucked Mela into a huge cloak of sack-cloth. With a wig and a bit of mud on her face, she was just as ugly as the others. They all lined up by the grand entrance as the wind blew the mighty doors open. An unearthly light from the sky signaled a bolt of lightning that struck the flagstones of the front walk. A tall and majestic figure of a man strode from the scorch of sky-fire. He wore elegant, red-runed robes and had skin like the sky on a clear blue day, his eyes white as clouds. He smiled and strode into his palace.

"Is that..." the question hung on Mela's lips.

"Yes, dear, that's our husband,"