Everland

I trudged unfulfilled down the road. Fiona and I had been going together ever since her first day working with me, not exactly with me, just at the same company. We flirted at work, and I was looking forward to the continuation of this as our relationship stepped up a few notches from just good friends.

Unfortunately, every time it looked as if I would be allowed to the next level, she would get out the book of excuse and deny me. Tonight, it was page thirty-four that sealed my fate.

Head bowed and staring at my feet, I slowly made my way back home when I heard it. "Hist."

I looked around, trying to identify the source. "Hist, over here." There was a rabbit, a very large white rabbit, standing next to a hedge pulling the branches aside. "Over here."

I walked over to where he stood. I assumed the it was a he, but I could be wrong.

"Who, or what are you?" I asked.

"Look." He pointed to a hole in the ground behind the hedge. It wasn't much as rabbit holes go, just big enough for me to look down. It seemed to go on forever, no light at the end. As my eyes got used to the darkness, I could see that the sides were smooth and round, not like a normal rabbit hole at all.

I didn't hear who or what had snuck up behind me, but the next I knew was that I was plummeting at an ever increasing speed down the hole. It got steeper until I was going straight down. Just when I thought that I would never stop, it began to level out and then rise up. I could see daylight ahead of me, nothing else, just daylight, until I emerged, high above a lake. Wow! I immediately began a series of forward somersaults with pike until I was heading for the water. Straightening at the last second, I entered the water with barely a ripple. Down I went for some distance before turning to head for the surface.

A shape loomed above me, a long streamlined shape. As I neared it, its mouth opened wide revealing a formidable row of sharp teeth. This is it, I thought to myself, death by great white shark, not the way I wanted to die. As I neared it. It looked at me. "G'day mate, how're you going?"

"Fine thank you." I stammered, still unsure of what was happening.

"Don't worry about me, mate, you're much too skinny for lunch, no flesh and all those bones. There's this fat sheila a couple of hundred metres away that looks much tastier, maybe too much fat, who knows. See ya." And off he went.

I surfaced to be confronted by a crowd of cheering people and, in front of them a row of people seated at a long desk. They each held up a card with the number 10.

"A perfect ten from all judges, he is our new champion!" Announced the announcer in that voice that announces some magnificent feat of athletic prowess.

I swam to the shore and climbed the ladder onto the bank, hauling myself out. The crowd moved aside as the most beautiful young woman that I have ever seen appeared, holding a large gold medal in her hand. "Congratulations on a most magnificent dive." She placed the medal around my neck and kissed me. "Won't you come with me to the royal box to watch the rest of the games." She didn't wait for my response. I had no choice but to follow. "I am Princess Cecilia."

"I am pleased to meet you, your majesty."

"Please, don't be so formal, you may call me Ceci, or Darling if you like."

"But, but," I stammered, "I do not know you."

"But you will, you will". She pushed open a door and led me into a sumptuous room furnished with much opulence. At the front, looking down over the events, was a man wearing a jewel encrusted crown and a woman wearing a diamond tiara. "Father, Mother, I would like you to meet.. "

She turned to me, "What shall I call you?"

"Timothy, Timothy Smith."

"That won't do at all. I would like you to meet Lawrence Harmon."

"Pleased to meet you, my boy." The king said. "My word that was a spectacular dive."

"Thank you, sir." I didn't know whether to bow to him or not, so I stood there looking uncomfortable.

"Take a seat my boy." He pointed to the chair beside him. Cecilia quickly sat in the indicated seat leaving me to sit beside he.

"Isn't this wonderful." She said, linking her arm with mine.

"Where am I?" I asked.

"You are in Everland."

"I've heard of Neverland but never Everland."

"No, not Nevereverland, just plain Everland."

"I don't know what is happening, there I was looking down this rabbit hole, the biggest that I've ever seen, and I felt someone, or something push me. I plummeted headfirst down the hole until I shot out over this lake and, ever the exhibitionist, I decided to make the most of the situation by turning an ungraceful entry into the water into a series of forward somersaults with pike before straightening up into a dive to enter the water with as small a splash as I could."

"It was indeed a small splash, much better than that of those who have come before."

"How many have come before?" I asked.

"I have three older sisters, so one for each."

"So, this is the way that you trap young men, is it?"

"We didn't trap you so much as entice you to join us. The rabbit hole that you looked down no longer exists now that you have joined us, joined me."

"So, there's no way that I can leave, is that it?"

"Do you want to leave?"

"As things stand, no."

"Well then, you have no worries. In Everland there are no worries."

"Something odd happened as I swam to the surface, I met this ferocious shark who I expected would eat me, but he explained that I was safe because there was a fat lady further away."

"Oh, that would have been Noah, take no notice of him, he's harmless and the fat lady is safe."

"Are there any other talking animals?"

"Oh, they all talk. Some are quite interesting while others, like Simon the Sloth, waiting for him to complete a sentence is the most boring time you can ever spend."

She led me from the marquee to a waiting open carriage. "Where to mistress?" Wellington, the lead horse asked.

"How many times must I tell you that, when my parents aren't around you may call me Ceci. Take us home."

"Your home or Sir's?"

"My home and Lawrence's are the same destination. He and I are to marry."

"My congratulations to both of you. Wake up!" He said to Farncombe, the other horse, "We have work to do."

It seemed strange to me, never having ridden in a carriage of any sort to find myself in one without a driver. I know that there is talk of driver-less cars, but driver-less carriages is different.

"Isn't this wonderful?" Ceci asked, her head on my shoulder and her arm linked to mine. "Do you know what we are going to do as soon as we reach our home?"

Now, me being a normal red blooded young man, I know what I hoped would happen, the culmination of all of my sexual dreams. "No, what are we going to do?"

"I am going to introduce you to my staff, and my animal friends, as their new master. They are to obey you implicitly as they do me."

"Oh, that will be nice." She caught the disappointment in my voice.

"There will be plenty of time for that once we are wed. You will not have long to wait for that, and you will not be disappointed."

"I can't wait." I tried hard not to sound disappointed.

She kissed me. "This is the first of many to keep you interested until our wedding day."

"And when will that be?"

"Father is even now organising for the banns to be posted, we then have to wait for one week for our great day, you can wait that long, surely."

"It will be a struggle, but yes." I kissed her to let her know that I was happy.

One week. What, in the real world would I miss? My job? No, it was not my chosen career. My parents? I would miss them more that they would miss me, they were so busy with their business of making a lot of money, that they had little time for me. Then there was Fiona. Fiona and I were engaged to be married, although the wedding date seemed to be forever changing. There was always some reason that she would move it back. What else was there? My mates in the football team? They were fun on game day and at training, but they all had their own lives that didn't involve me, so no, while I would miss game day, I had nothing to miss the rest of the time.

"A penny for them."

"What, oh sorry."

"You were thinking about your old life and whether you would miss it, weren't you?"

"Yes, I was. I don't think that I will. Maybe a little, but not enough."

"I am so pleased. I will make sure that you will not even miss the little bit. You and I are going to be happy, happier than any other person in the world."

"Speaking of the world, where exactly are we?"

"We are in Everland, the place where your dreams come true."

"So, you are just a dream, is that it? Someday I will wake up and find you gone."

"No, this is your dream, and I will change it from a dream to reality."

"Do you promise?"

"Pinky promise." She linked her little finger with mine to seal her promise.

Ceci woke me early the next morning. No, we were not in the same bed, or even room. My door opened and she ran across the room and jumped on my bed. If I had not been awake already, she would have scared me, but I was awake thinking about what was happening to me and what was about to happen. I must admit that there was a stirring in my loins at the thought.

"Come on sleepy head, out of bed, we have much to do today, but not yet." She lay on me and kissed me. She obviously felt me rising to the occasion. "Hold that thought."

"I don't know whether I can."

"That's it, no hot water for your shower."

"What is more important than that?"

"I have to be at the dressmakers in one hour and you have to be at the tailors for a fitting of your ceremonial uniform. A decision will have to be made as to the medals you shall wear and the colour of your sash. Father will help you with that decision. But first breakfast. Enter." Benson, her butler, opened the door and ushered in a maid pushing a trolley laden with a sumptuous feast

"Good morning m'lady, sir, your carriage will be ready for you in one hour." With that he reversed out of the room.

"He had no problem with you being in my bedroom."

"No, why should he?"

"Has this sort of thing happened before?" What was I thinking? Well, thinking it was okay but saying it was not.

"No, this has never happened before." She kissed me. "But it will happen again." She looked at me and burst into laughter. "After we are married this will happen every morning, although I will instruct Benson to delay it for at least an hour because we will be busy with other things." She spread butter and marmalade onto a slice of toast and held it to my lips. When I had reached the last morsel, she held her fingers for me to lick. I returned the favour, and we came close to forgetting our plans.

"And who is this?" A cat had jumped onto the bed and was glaring at me.

"Thomasina, this is Lawrence, he and I are to wed."

"Did you ask permission for this foolishness? I don't recall you asking and me granting permission for this new development. I will not stand for it." She jumped from the bed.

"Thomasina, come back here this instant!" Ceci said sharply.

"Speak to the paw, the face is ignoring you and this situation will not change until you understand who is in charge here."

"Oh dear, I guess that this reception will remain frosty until she calms down."

"How long will this take? I'll not come between you and her. I have a cat back home and she is just as demanding."

"She'll be like this until she starts to get hungry. I won't feed her until she gets desperate."

Just then we heard a herd of something galloping down the passage way. This smallish black dog came slithering around the corner, sending an irate Thomasina flying. It bounded onto the bed and came to a screeching halt on Ceci' lap. "What can I do, what do you want me to do, can I do anything for you, can I, can I, can I?"

"And who is this handsome dog?" I patted his slobbering face.

"This is Ralph. He's a Schnoodle and very friendly, aren't you boy?"

"Yes mistress, I'm very friendly, I'll do anything for you, just ask."

Thomasina was glaring at us around the door jamb, she was not amused, but then cats are seldom, to my knowledge, amused.

An uneasy truce descended on the bed as Thomasina joined us, hissing at Ralph who licked her face and only just avoided her claws. Ralph scoffed the breakfast remains while Thomasina demanded gourmet cat food.

"Come with me, I'll show you where her food is." I walked beside Ceci, a glaring Thomasina inserting herself between us, she didn't need to say it, but to her I was intruding on her territory.

Ceci dished out a generous serving of gourmet deliciousness and handed me the bowl. "You give it to her."

I took the bowl and placed it in the indicated place, but Thomasina was having nothing of it. "Suit yourself." I picked up the bowl.

"Where do you think you're going with that?" Demanded an irate feline.

"You didn't want it, so I thought that we'd save it for when you are hungrier."

"Did say that I didn't want it, smart arse?"

"Thomasina, behave yourself. Now you tell Lawrence that you're sorry for your behaviour and accept the food that he is giving you."

"All right, if you insist. Lawrence I'm sorry for my attitude, now put the freaking food down."

"Certainly madam." I placed it in front of her. She thought about it for a while before letting out an exasperated sigh and started eating.

"It will probably take time but I'm sure that, sooner or later she'll accept you."

"I hope so. I gather that she usually sleeps on your bed."

"Will it be a problem if she sleeps on our bed?"

"Not at all. I'm used to a cat on my bed."

"Did you hear that Thomasina, he likes cats."

"I'll reserve my judgement."

I looked at myself in the full length mirror at the establishment of the royal court tailor and decided that, in the right like, I was a handsome devil.

"Does sir approve?" The tailor asked.

"How could I not, it is perfect. I hope that Cecelia will think the same."

"She will young sir, she will."

If I thought the ceremonial suit was spectacular, you should have seen the array of medals that were pinned to the coat, but even they paled to insignificance compared to the medallion pinned the crimson sash. If I'm permitted to say so myself, I looked the part of a regal young gentleman. If this didn't impress my bride to be, I don't know what will.

Cecelia was happiness personified at dinner. "My dress is amazing, it is cut to highlight this." She stood and passed her hands down her body.

I had a thought, if this perfection was highlighted, I was in danger of consummating our union right there, in the cathedral, in front of her parents and the invited aristocracy.

"Tradition decrees that it is bad luck for you to see the dress before the great day."

The days leading up to the nuptials were spent going over the protocols to be observed. If I had any ideas about leading a life of indolence, I was sadly mistaken. It was hard work, this royalty gig, and the only upside was that I would spend the rest of my life with this beautiful person that I was holding in my arms.

"I can't wait for, is it only two days, until you and I are alone in our marriage bed, you holding me, kissing me and importantly, loving me. I can't wait to feel your manhood in me." She whispered.

"You do not need to wait to feel my manhood, it is ready for you." I whispered in return.

"But we must not, not until our first night together."

"Who will know?"

"The world will know, Thomasina will tell mother and she will feel obliged to tell the world of our betrayal of the traditions that we are guided by."

"Thomasina doesn't have to see us, not if she isn't in the room."

"If we exclude her from this room, she will know what we are doing."

"What about our wedding night, will she be in the room with us then?"

"No, she is aware that this will be our time, and that she cannot be here."

The day before THE day was spent touring the countryside, being driven in a gleaming in the sunshine, gold and mahogany open carriage, through the cheering crowd filled streets of the towns and villages. It was a momentous occasion, the fourth royal princess was to be married the next day to this handsome young man, who had been chosen for her. Clouds were forbidden and sunshine was ordered. Nothing was to spoil this day.

I perfected the royal wave and everyone we spoke to said that I was the perfect young man and would be a most suitable husband for this beloved young princess. Any doubts that I might have had were dispelled by the enthusiasm shown by the people.

I heard my bedroom door open, and Ceci slipped into my bed. "Wake up sleepyhead, this is our big day. This will be our last breakfast together and the last time that we can kiss and cuddle as single persons." Her lips met mine. "I can't wait for this night."

"Then why... I know, protocol and tradition."

"Thank you, my darling, almost husband, I knew that you would understand."

Any further conversation was interrupted by the arrival of Benson with our breakfast and Thomasina and Ralph to join us.

Ceci left me at nine-thirty. "Why must you go?" I asked, my saddest face asked her.

"I must, it will take almost forever for me to be dressed." She kissed me, "I promise that, when the dress is removed all, you will see will be me." She kissed me again and withdrew from my room before I succumbed to my obvious temptation.

I spent the next few hours pondering my luck in finding myself in this situation. Here I was in Everland when, by rights I should still be in Hardlyeverland with the teasing Fiona. 'Huh!' I thought to myself, 'look what you could have had, all you needed to do was to allow me to make love to you when I desired it, not when you felt like it, which wasn't often enough for me. Now I have this beautiful young bride who will love me fully and often.'

An equerry arrived with the uniform that I would wear, that of an officer in the Kings Own regiment, scarlet jacket over navy trousers with a gold stripe down the leg. Gleaming black boots and a golden scabbard holding a ceremonial sword.

My future brothers in law arrived to escort me to the cathedral. Adrian, the eldest, was to be my best man and Phillip and Brendan the groomsmen.

We arrived at the cathedral ten minutes before Ceci was due to arrive and took our positions in front of the altar and the heavily robed archbishop. He smiled at me, probably thinking that this would be the last time he would have to do this.

There was a stirring at the front door and the organist launched into Mendelssohn's wedding march as the king, with a radiant Ceci on his arm, began the slow walk to me waiting at the altar. There was a gasp from the crowd of invited guests as a smiling Ceci made her way to me, surely no bride looked more beautiful.

King Frederick passed his daughter to me with a smile before taking his place next to Queen Priscilla.

I know that the archbishop wanted his every word to be heard and understood, but did he have to talk so slowly? Ceci's hand in mine was the only link that I needed, but we had to quietly endure this ceremony before we were allowed to be together, alone. It was difficult for me to hide my obvious anticipation, but I managed.

We moved to the vestry to sign the register. It felt strange for me to sign as Lawrence Harmon instead of Timothy Smith, but this was this life, the other was my past life.

Many speeches later and much toasting of the bride and groom later, we were led from the reception to our waiting carriage that would take us back to the palace and our marital bed. Tomorrow we would set off on our honeymoon to, I don't know where.

I was in what was Ceci's, soon to be our bedroom, as she began the task of removing her wedding gown. I had to unfasten dozens of hook and eye fasteners down the back before we could ease it from her shoulders, and she could step out of it.