Trip the Light Fantastic, Epilogue
Epilogue
In time, the two men, trusting that each other was their destined mate, would make the decision to become life partners. That part of our tale was passed down through the ages in this way.
In the spring of the next year, Reid the Healer asked Prince Luke to accompany him on a short horse ride to the Snyder Pond. Luke found his request rather unusual, you see, because Reid was not extraordinarily comfortable on the back of a steed.
Prince Luke had first taken Reid there only days into their courtship and although the prickly doctor had grumbled a bit about the germs and the wildlife, Prince Luke knew quite well that Reid had loved the pond right away as much as he did.
“What is this place?” Reid had said, during that initial visit.
“Why, don’t you see, my love? It’s the most beautiful place in the world,” replied Luke.
“Aye, but I know a few places that are more beautiful,” Reid had said, as he’d leaned over and kissed the tender hollow of his lover’s neck. “This one,” he'd said, and then he fluttered his tongue to the back of Luke’s ear, “and this one.” He continued as he moved to Luke’s mouth, “and this place, which is the most beautiful of all,” and they captured the love betwixt them in the soft, warm, slick sanctuary enclosed by their lips.
And so on that spring day, in what had become their special place, Reid had jumped off the horse, fished a box from his pocket, placed a handkerchief on the ground, and kneeled down. More than surprised, Prince Luke began to speak when Reid hushed him. "No! No talking Luke! I have to concentrate! Can't you see that I'm trying to be cloyingly romantic?"
Then he took Prince Luke's hand in his, trembling slightly as he said these words:
“You are the one and only love of my life, Luke. Truer than the sun. Truer than the moon. Truer than the stars. I want to be with you forever, loving, sharing, and growing, side by side. Will you marry me?”
Luke, overcome with emotion, could not speak, but only nodded his head as he wept tears of joy and fell to his knees to press kisses on the face of the man who had changed his life. His Reid.
When the arrangements had been made, invitations were sent out by messenger to approximately fifty residents of Oakdale, as well as a few beyond the town’s limits, requesting the honor of their presence at the wedding celebration of Prince Luke Snyder and his betrothed Dr. Reid Oliver.
And so it came to pass that on a cool, crisp day in the month of October in the year 2016, the two men stood together on the soft, rippling banks of Snyder Pond, surrounded by their friends and family. The flowers were simply magnificent. Luke had chosen five different varieties - gerber daisies, roses, sunflowers, zinnias, and calla lilies, all in shades of yellow. The commitment and their pledge were a wonder to all who knew them because as different as they were, they were at the same time perfect for one another.
After the officiant had declared them Dr. and Mr. Snyder-Oliver and the men had thanked all their guests, Prince Luke gently took Reid’s hand and led him over to a shaft of moonlight that shone through the leaves of the great oak tree at the water’s edge. As a small group of musicians played, they danced together in that ethereal light fantastic, never parting and oblivious to anyone except each other, while their joined shadow graced the soft earth and the glassy pond surface. For all who loved them, it was as beautiful a vision as one might ever see.
It’s been said that it is rare for a fairy tale to have two heroes and no villain, but the story of Prince Luke and his Reid was an unconventional one from the start. These two men had met by chance and ne’er even exchanged formalities, but had felt a connection that they believed they would never be able to realize. Yet fate joyously played its hand in their journey to one another, ensuring that they would, indeed, live happily ever after.
In time, the two men, trusting that each other was their destined mate, would make the decision to become life partners. That part of our tale was passed down through the ages in this way.
In the spring of the next year, Reid the Healer asked Prince Luke to accompany him on a short horse ride to the Snyder Pond. Luke found his request rather unusual, you see, because Reid was not extraordinarily comfortable on the back of a steed.
Prince Luke had first taken Reid there only days into their courtship and although the prickly doctor had grumbled a bit about the germs and the wildlife, Prince Luke knew quite well that Reid had loved the pond right away as much as he did.
“What is this place?” Reid had said, during that initial visit.
“Why, don’t you see, my love? It’s the most beautiful place in the world,” replied Luke.
“Aye, but I know a few places that are more beautiful,” Reid had said, as he’d leaned over and kissed the tender hollow of his lover’s neck. “This one,” he'd said, and then he fluttered his tongue to the back of Luke’s ear, “and this one.” He continued as he moved to Luke’s mouth, “and this place, which is the most beautiful of all,” and they captured the love betwixt them in the soft, warm, slick sanctuary enclosed by their lips.
And so on that spring day, in what had become their special place, Reid had jumped off the horse, fished a box from his pocket, placed a handkerchief on the ground, and kneeled down. More than surprised, Prince Luke began to speak when Reid hushed him. "No! No talking Luke! I have to concentrate! Can't you see that I'm trying to be cloyingly romantic?"
Then he took Prince Luke's hand in his, trembling slightly as he said these words:
“You are the one and only love of my life, Luke. Truer than the sun. Truer than the moon. Truer than the stars. I want to be with you forever, loving, sharing, and growing, side by side. Will you marry me?”
Luke, overcome with emotion, could not speak, but only nodded his head as he wept tears of joy and fell to his knees to press kisses on the face of the man who had changed his life. His Reid.
When the arrangements had been made, invitations were sent out by messenger to approximately fifty residents of Oakdale, as well as a few beyond the town’s limits, requesting the honor of their presence at the wedding celebration of Prince Luke Snyder and his betrothed Dr. Reid Oliver.
And so it came to pass that on a cool, crisp day in the month of October in the year 2016, the two men stood together on the soft, rippling banks of Snyder Pond, surrounded by their friends and family. The flowers were simply magnificent. Luke had chosen five different varieties - gerber daisies, roses, sunflowers, zinnias, and calla lilies, all in shades of yellow. The commitment and their pledge were a wonder to all who knew them because as different as they were, they were at the same time perfect for one another.
After the officiant had declared them Dr. and Mr. Snyder-Oliver and the men had thanked all their guests, Prince Luke gently took Reid’s hand and led him over to a shaft of moonlight that shone through the leaves of the great oak tree at the water’s edge. As a small group of musicians played, they danced together in that ethereal light fantastic, never parting and oblivious to anyone except each other, while their joined shadow graced the soft earth and the glassy pond surface. For all who loved them, it was as beautiful a vision as one might ever see.
It’s been said that it is rare for a fairy tale to have two heroes and no villain, but the story of Prince Luke and his Reid was an unconventional one from the start. These two men had met by chance and ne’er even exchanged formalities, but had felt a connection that they believed they would never be able to realize. Yet fate joyously played its hand in their journey to one another, ensuring that they would, indeed, live happily ever after.