Tales of the New World Chapter 1: Arrangement

                Jack couldn’t stop shaking. He knew what was about to happen; he’d known for month’s but still nerves were setting in. He felt a hand brush his shoulder and soon his face was brought down to his mother’s shoulder.

                “Calm down, sweetie.” She said. “You only have to meet her.” She let him go with a warm kiss on his cheek. She continued to prep and straighten his outfit. It was a blue silk robe with gold trimming that matched his eyes.  She tightened the sash around his waist and patted out the wrinkles. Still he shook in anticipation under her caring hands.  She worried for him, but knew this was for the best. Soon his future would be secure.

                “What if she doesn’t like me?” He asked. “She could crush me or EAT me!”  Jack looked down at his mother. She had long blond hair and kind eyes. Evelyn was a widow of over forty but still looked twenty-five. She was short, and cute, and everything a woman was supposed to be.  Why couldn’t he marry a woman like her instead of some monster?

                “She’s not going to eat you.” His mother comforted.

                “But she could!” Jack declared. “Or any form of other countless things.” He could feel his heart beating in his chest and his muscles tense at the thought.

                “She won’t.” His mother continued. “This is important for her too.”

                “But.” He tried to defend.

                “No buts.” She cut him off still keeping her calm tone. “Now go. You’ve kept her waiting long enough and remember to knock first.” She turned her son toward the door giving him a light pat on the butt. He turned to look at her on last time, his eyes strained in a silent plea. “GO MISTER!” she said raising her voice ever so slightly. Jack sighed in defeat exiting the room. As the door closed Evelyn took a deep breath and let out a long sigh. She knew he wouldn’t like it but she knew it was for the best.

                The floor in the hallway was cold to the touch. Jack shivered as the evening air blew into his robe. He didn’t understand why it was all he could wear.

“It’s tradition.” His mother had told him countless times.

“Whose tradition?” he thought. Certainly not theirs, his family was mostly Italian on his father’s side mixed with Swedish from his mother, and even that didn’t matter since they had lived in America for the last two generations.  He squealed slightly as another gust blew through the hall cooling his undercarriage. Why did they have to suddenly conform to this new family’s lifestyle?

He lingered in the hallway. It was truly massive the ceiling hundreds of feet from the floor. Each wall was adorned with huge candelabras that light the area with candlelight. He passed a table that was easily the size of a one story house. It was clear everything was made to the scale of the host family. He wondered if he would have to live here if he went through with the arrangement. He didn’t look forward to living in a house where he was the size of a mouse.

He continued down the empty hallway until he came to a large door the handles of with were stories above him.  He pushed the door in a vain attempt to open it. He knew it wouldn’t give.  He sighed to himself and knocked like he was told. Suddenly he heard a creek and a small door opened up about ten feet away from him. Two maids dressed in similar attire to his own emerged and beckoned him to enter.

Jack was taken off guard. He hadn’t expected to see other normal sized people besides his mother. He followed the pair with measured apprehension. The door led to the other room outside deck overlooking the backyard garden. It was dark except for two similar candelabras on each wall. He looked out and could see the stars shining in the sky and something else; a massive figure silhouetted against the moonlight.

Jack gulped. “Is that her?” he questioned.

“Yes.” Spoke one of the maids.

“Mistress Liana has been expecting you.” Said the other as she motioned towards a blue pillow.

“Sit please.” The other maid spoke. Jack complied going down to his knees. He looked up in terror at the giant shadow lurking at least a hundred feet above him.

“Now presenting master Jackson Wyatt Tolli” both maids spoke in unison. Suddenly the shadow moved and something vaguely similar to a hand came toward him.

“This is it!” Jack thought. A giant pale hand came into the light and rested palm up in front of him. Jack looked on cautiously. The maids bowed in reverence at the hand. Jack looked down at one of them. She returned his gaze with a head motion beckoning him to climb on. He took his first nervous step was suddenly snatched, being wrapped in the warm fingers before being pulled into the darkness.

The sudden motion was frightening and Jack instinctively screamed in surprise. Then panic set in as his world went completely dark as the massive digits entombed him. He pounded at them hoping his tiny fists would at least register. Suddenly the fingers opened and he was washed in a bright light. He shielded his eyes and stepped backward into one of the fingers.

“Please don’t eat me!” he begged. Suddenly his world shook as the hand vibrated. He heard a loud booming sound strangely familiar to a giggle but like everything else on a much larger scale.

“Why would I do that?” Came a voice from above. It was loud and powerful, yet soft and warm not unlike his mothers. Jack opened his eyes letting them adjust to the new light. Soon his vision cleared and he was confronted with the giant face of Liana Bretmiss last daughter of the Bretmiss royal family and quite possibly his new wife.

Liana couldn’t keep from smiling. The Tolli fortune and influence was going to cement her lineage for generations. She looked at him shaking nervously in her palm. He was everything she could have hoped for; rich and from a powerful family. It also helped that he was cute and young with his short dark hair and exotic yellow eyes.  She had long ago resigned herself to marrying some fat man decades older than her to keep the security she deserved, but with him she was sure she would have a progeny of adorable offspring. She hadn’t expected marriage to a “normal” to fall into her life plan but she had decided to give her mother a chance. She had to admit she couldn’t have done much better herself. He had the best of both worlds. The money and influence of an “elevated” family yet as a normal he was weak and easy to control. She wouldn’t have to use sex or blackmail to get what she wanted from him. He wouldn’t dare disobey her. He was perfect. She knew in an instant. She was in love.