Chapter 32

Yay Saturday! Another week gone by! I was thinking that I’m getting better at staying focused when training with 1-1 as lately I’ve noticed when the girls enter the gym and can say hello without taking tennis balls to the noggin. Unfortunately, that focus ended this morning when they came in and started bending over doing stretches and I saw they were ... SANS PANTIES! Yes, I’ll say I was stunned! At least I was until the 3^rd tennis ball bounced off me!

I looked sheepishly over at 1-1 who couldn’t stop herself from laughing. Then I heard the rest of the Security girls along with my girls laughing. Yes, they had all “planned” this moment to show me I wasn’t quite immune to their charms yet.

We spent the next several days looking at and doing our best to ensure nothing was being overlooked. L&L, my new nickname for Louise and Lois, were let go on Monday when they went into XYZ. They were told they could take “vacation time” in lieu of 2 weeks notice if they wanted to. They wanted to and used the time to move out here.

I put them up in my apartment for the time being and they immediately looked at some office space in the Orphanage buildings and set up shop there.

Marsha messaged me that Governors from 2 states were balking at our taking that much of their wildlife and other animals in one shot. They felt we should take half now and the rest over 5 years. We let it be known that they had been “over-reporting” the numbers of wildlife to the Federal Government so they would get more money to support them. In the end, we took what was agreed upon though it did set the completion of the Trade Agreement back several days.

Yves calls at noon on Friday, telling me that the rings were done and I could come get them anytime. I ask him if now was too soon and had 1-1 transport me there to pick them up. Yves asked me how the heck I got there so quickly as he calls Michel and is told he’ll arrive in a few minutes. I tell Yves we came via Furst Transport and we both had a good laugh at the name after I explained to Yves what Furst Transport was.

Yves brought out the ladies’ rings in a square, velvet-lined display box, with the 4 engagement rings in a row along the upper part of the box, and with a wedding band directly below each engagement ring. And oh wow! They looked fantastic! I looked over each ring and wedding band and was very impressed!

My wedding band was in a small, velvet-lined box of its own.

I thanked Yves, Joseline, and Michel profusely, hugging them and telling them that I loved them and knew the girls would too! Yves took pictures of the rings in the display box and then placed both the engagement rings and the wedding bands in matching, individual, boxes for me. He said he would send me a copy of the photos he took of the rings in the display box if I wanted one. I told him I did.

After paying what remained to be paid and thanking each of them again 1-1 zapped us back to the J&J and it looked like I wasn’t missed. I immediately had the rings and bands scanned, encrypted, and added to my personal folder in the replicator database just in case the info was ever needed. I did receive a beautiful photo of all the rings in the display box from Yves a little while later that went into the folder as well.

Later that evening the 4 of us were sitting around chatting and I did my best to off-handedly say that I wondered how many multiple marriages there would be on Arkadia and when the 1^st one would take place.

Dalilah asked what I meant and I explained how being married to more than 1 person wasn’t allowed on Earth but it was allowed on Arkadia. I said that there were many “groups” of people going to Arkadia together, and that many singles were taking more than 1 other person even though they were called concubines, and that I wondered how many of these groups would actually decide to marry.

Dalilah then said that if they were already together why would they get married?

I told her that for some people it was a way of making a stronger commitment to the other. Or in our case, for example, it would be making a stronger commitment to each other, not just one other person.

“But we already feel that from you DD. And we know that you feel it from us,” 2-3 said.

“Yes I do feel it from all of you and I am glad you feel it from me too,” I said putting the 4 boxes containing the rings on the table, 1 in from of each of them.

“In my case, it is also a way for me to show everyone on Earth and the Galaxies at large my love and commitment to each of you. When I look to the future I don’t see a future where each of you isn’t in it with me.”

I pulled back the lid of each box showing the beautiful ring inside, “I want each of you to be with me always and am asking each of you if you will marry me and be my wife ... and each other’s wife too.”

All 4 gasp on seeing the rings, their hands going to their mouths. “Oh DD, they are absolutely gorgeous!” all 4 exclaim.

“But my love I am already yours. You claimed me after my father attacked you. You don’t have to marry me,” Dalilah states.

“I may have “claimed” you as you say I have and don’t need to marry you, but I WANT to marry you,” I say as I take the ring out of the box and place it on her finger. In turn, I take a ring out of its box and place it on each girl’s finger as I tell each of them that I WANT to marry them.”

Looking at them I see 4 faces with tears in their eyes staring at the rings. Dalilah looks from her ring to me and starts nodding her head while letting out a little squeak that sounded like “yes”.

“Excuse me but we couldn’t hear that,” a voice says. “And it might be a good thing if everyone answers!”

Each of the girls screams yes! yes! yes! while launching themselves at me, pushing me onto the floor in a puppy pile and covering me with kisses.

I hear lots of “way to go Sire” and look around to see everyone from the Security teams standing around looking at us. 1-1 has a smile on her face and gives me a thumbs up while saying, “Ok girls get off him and show us the rings!”

They pile off me as quickly as they piled on and then they are standing there, as it appears women the Galaxies over know how to, with their left arms out in front of them, fingers slightly spread and pointed downwards, showing off their engagement rings.

I hear someone say, “Where and when is the wedding Sire!” and I respond, “we can’t get married on Earth but we can on Arkadia so that’s the WHERE, and as far as the WHEN, well we have yet to discuss that. We will let everyone know when the date is decided on as everyone is invited.”

Some of the Security girls come and kiss me on the cheek in congratulations, and some from Team 1 say that they did a real good job on the rings in Montreal.

Sam hears that and asks, “Are these what you went to Montreal for DD? You didn’t talk to old friends about coming to Arkadia?”

“Yes, I went to Montreal to get these rings made. The owner of the jewelry store and his wife are friends of mine, and yes what I told you about asking them to come to Arkadia is true. And yes I am going to ask them again in the future.”

“Love, we have some people to call and tell, and the web Furst want to put the proposal video on the site. Is that ok with you?”

“Yes Sam, that’s fine with me. Make your calls and we’ll talk more after.”

I can hear the girls calling and talking to Sara and Gran, then Marsha and Karen, and then even L&L. I grab a DD coffee and make my own calls to Dean and Mark letting them know. I also speak with Mark about his coming to Arkadia and he still insists on staying on Earth.

The girls are done with their calls and we cuddle up and talk about when we should have the wedding. I tell them I’d prefer to have the ceremony as soon as time allows as who knows when we might have time in the future. They agree to that idea and I turn to Dalilah, “what about you, love? You are the only one with family and friends far away. We can get married after we meet up with your Mom, step-mom, and step-sister if that is what you want.”

“My loves, the Queen has never treated me like a daughter and has hardly ever acknowledged my existence either, so having her at my wedding is not important to me. I’d like to have my step-mom and step-sister there but I too would like for us to marry as soon as possible, and I know they will understand if we did so.”

We talked about having a simple ceremony versus an elaborate affair and we each wanted a simple ceremony where we exchanged a few words to each other and then the official said we were married.

“Ok then, if everyone agrees we’ll marry as soon as we can.” All 4 are smiling and nod their heads. “We know it has to take place on Arkadia so who do we invite? I’m thinking we ask Ryker as our friend and as 2^nd of the Furst if he will officiate. Sire to Ryker, Sire to Ryker, come in Ryker.”

“Yes Sire, Ryker here. I must say that is a strange way to contact me. And congratulations to all of you! All the Furst heard your proposal! But excuse me ... you called Sire, how can I help you?”

We thanked Ryker for his comments and I asked him if as our friend as well as 2^nd of the Furst, if he would Officiate at our wedding ceremony and after we say our words to each other, declare us to be married.

“Yes Sire, I would be honored to Officiate at your wedding! I believe this will be the greatest honor in all my very long life!”

“Excellent Ryker we thank you. We haven’t decided on a date yet but we imagine it will be sooner rather than later. I will let you know as soon as we decide.”

“Now then who do we invite? Dean has agreed to be my witness so you 4 will need to ask someone. Of course, all the Furst that want to attend are invited, as are Marsha and Karen, Sara, Gran, and Mark. Can you think of anyone else?”

The girls agreed they wanted to ask Sara to be their witness and that they couldn’t think of anyone else they’d invite. The others at the Orphanage aren’t around very often and they’d only met them a couple times, and they’ve only met L&L once. Of course, they said they’d have to take Sara shopping for a dress!

Ok that all seemed to be settled so now we just had to come up with a date!

I guess getting engaged does something to a girl as each of them was especially amorous tonight, not only to me but with each other also. Sleep did not come for any of us for some time!

I’m out of bed again after only a few hours of sleep. I almost always get up at the same time now no matter how little I’ve slept. I get a coffee, a couple strawberry filled croissants and sit down as 1-1 pops in to tell me no training this morning. Hallelujah, my prayers have been answered! I decide to go for the gusto and order a HUGE breakfast! I need to replenish after last night!

The Commander has nothing to report other than congratulations from all the crew in my PG. I thank him and ask him to pass my thanks to the crew. I tell him to ensure that we and BCs 1 & 2 are ready to go to Arkadia at a moment’s notice. He assures everyone we will be ready.

I contact Ryker and he tells me that the Space Station is now finished, is fully manned by Furst, and is ready for use. I thank him for that news and say that for now, it will be for our use only until our new citizens are settled in, and it’s not like we’re expecting or inviting company right now. I ask him to send me a few photos of its exterior and interior so that the web Furst can publish them on the Arkadia website.