By the end of September, Nick and Mary had been seeing each other for many weeks. They had become the very best of friends. Such a strong relationship must always begin and end with friendship.
Nicholas brought Mary up to the North Pole another time when the Northern Lights were in full display, it was then he asked her to marry him. She had said she needed to consider the proposal and asked him to ask her again next week.
Nicholas was disappointed, but knew Mary was wrestling with many issues. He agreed to her request but said, “As long as the answer is 'yes', I guess I can wait a week more.”
Mary knew she had a deep love for Nicholas, but was worried about giving her life up in Southern California. She had made a strong impression on the owners at Mattel and thought she could work out a management position with them. And if not them, she was willing to move to another firm and begin her conquest there.
Mary also thought that while the North Pole was beautiful, it was so different from the rest of the world. It was a fantastic place, but she wondered how long the fantasy could last if there was nothing for her to accomplish?
And then there was Nick's age. Would or could she really live for centuries? What if she kept growing older and the rest of them did not? What would she do with herself if she did live that long? Annie seemed quite strong and was running the Pole just fine. Would Mary have any say in the goings on?
She decided the only person who could answer her questions might be Annie, herself. Mary asked Nick if she could talk with his mother, which he agreed to immediately and took her to Annie.
Annie told Mary she thought that there might be some concerns when Nick asked her to marry him. “I know for myself, if I hadn't already been married to Kris, I might have hesitated going off to what would have seemed to be the end of the world to most people,” Annie confided.
They talked for more than two hours about Annie's life at the Pole, and what she wanted to do in the future. “I am ready to start turning things over to someone a little more energetic,” Annie said. “Just as Kris is anxious to step away from the role of Santa Claus, I too, am anxious to relinquish the CEO role.”
Annie also talked about how nothing could be closer to heaven on earth than being involved with the North Pole. She explained about the elves and their infinite patience, about bringing joy to every child that asks, and she told Mary about what it was like to be married to the gift-giver and what Nick was like as a son.
When Nicholas asked Mary again one week to the minute he asked before, she accepted immediately, and they set a date for right after her graduation in January of the New Year.
Mary asked for, and received, two ceremonies. The first was up in the North Pole and the second was in Southern California so her friends, a few classmates, the Handlers, Mr. Matson and her coworkers could also attend. While the owners of Mattel knew Nick's secret, they were not as yet cleared by the Council to attend the ceremony in the North Pole. However, they had already made the list for being one of the first tallfolk to be invited later.
Annie was getting closer to arranging that possibility for tallfolk, and was putting finishing touches on the new Reindeer Inn being built. They had added a new train station and were building a train for future passengers. They were also in the process of changing out many of the local shops to allow people to get gifts from the North Pole. Although they wouldn't be able to use money as an exchange for goods, Nicholas had come up with a better idea.
In the meantime, scanners were being placed in every major town and city. It was a massive undertaking, utilizing elves all over the world. Luckily, the scanners were wireless and the installation process only involved setting them up like maintenance boxes on telephone poles and light posts facing the traffic patterns.
At the end of the first year, almost 65% of the population of the Christian world would travel past at least one or more scanners. And all the hospitals and birthing units were linked to the database at the North Pole, with reports of births coming in every second. The North Pole was on the edge of knowing what was taking place throughout the world, and now, as accorded to his legend, Santa really was watching.
Mostly it would be Kris making notes and looking for particularly high number scores. Once identified, then Kris would make further investigations to see if they needed something in particular that could help others or themselves.
After learning enough about that family, and providing the rest of the family had a high number as well, then this family would be invited to the North Pole for a week and would meet with Nicholas or possibly Kris, if Nick wasn't available.
But most importantly, anyone brought to the North Pole would be requested to spread the word of God's love and taking care of their fellow man, and spreading love instead of forcing conflicts. This was something every being at the North Pole wanted.
Just as Aeon had predicted, Nicholas performed flawlessly on his first Christmas Eve trip. There was a major celebration to congratulate him a few days after his return, just before he performed his La Befana duties in Latin America. He was hugged several times by his parents who could not have been more proud of their son.
The elf that was chosen to accompany him was none other than Frederick Salsbury. As he had always wanted to accompany Kris on one of his trips, he was overjoyed at being the first elf to fly with Nicholas on his solo maiden voyage.
Upon their return, Frederick told everyone that would listen, which of course was every resident, about the exploits of the first Christmas Eve trip with the new Santa Claus.
When the time of the wedding came about, Annie was as nervous as anyone had ever seen her. She was continuously running from one end of the dome to the other. So much so, that her dog sled had been revived, as the Council was concerned she would worry herself into illness.
She ran to her greenhouse and worked with Celine Petalpusher on the floral sprays, which there would be a huge amount, then over to where they were working on the chapel where the ceremony would be held. She was desperately trying to finish the new inn so that Nicholas and Mary could be the first to try it out. At times there were as many as 50 elves working on it, in order to complete the woodwork and finishing touches.
Alfie Newsworthy, the North Pole's historian, was asked to be the official photographer for the wedding and to put a wedding album together afterward. Annie would lead him around the Pole to this place and that, telling him the shots she wanted taken. Sometimes she would chase him over to the chapel to ask about positioning and where to set up, only to then drag him over to the place where the reception was being held for more directions on what pictures she needed taken. He would later say it was the most arduous event he would ever cover.
All the banquets before were held in the town square outside. It was the only place that could hold everyone. But Annie had decided that since the wedding would be held soon after the Christmas rush, that they could afford to use one of the manufacturing buildings. Especially since the manufacturing buildings more closely resembled private residences, with their woodwork and attention to detail. If elves were going to build anything at all, it had to be aesthetically pleasing, as well as functional, regardless of its use.
Annie was trying to plan the reception in the midst of creating the much needed Christmas presents. Carrow would grumble as Annie was running around with tape measures and pushing items around to look at angles and lighting.
Many residents suggested that she just use the town center as before, since they could control both the weather and temperature of the interior of the dome. They could guarantee that nothing could upset the plans, weather-wise at least. Denny was among them as he said he would need to bring a massive amount of items to prepare food in the manufacturing building verses just taking it to the town square.
But Annie wanted something that hadn't been done before. She knew she would only have one shot at doing a wedding for her son. Since Mary's parents were not around to assist Mary, or help with the plans, Annie would make certain that Mary would have a fairy tale wedding that she would never forget.
She was also helping Mary with the wedding ceremony and reception in Southern California, but there they were working with a top-notch hotel, and Annie was leaving most of the planning to them and the wedding couple, for planning out food and utilizing the hotels best contacts for flowers, music, and the like.
Music was one thing she left in the capable hands of Carol Joynote. Carol had arranged to have the whole North Pole filled with beautiful music, that was piped into the building for the reception. She would take care of the selections and planned to bring in both a choir and an elven band to fill in after the dinner and for dancing.
Mary wanted and got a fairy tale dress to match her wedding ceremonies. Ulzana Stitchnsew made the most beautiful dress ever seen. It had a luminescence between the satin and the lace of the dress that projected a soft light. No one outside the North Pole knew how it existed, not even Mary, but she was never more proud of a garment in her whole life. She looked radiant even without the glow of the dress, but it enhanced her beauty that much more.
Even Nicholas' breath caught the first time she walked down the aisle. The first ceremony took place at the North Pole, as it was one hundred times the size of the California wedding. Every elf across the globe was invited to witness the new Santa Claus take his wife. As Mary walked toward her fiancé on that day everyone not only stood, but applauded the beautiful bride. Reverend Goinpeace officiated and talked about the love between them lasting 100's of years on earth and then eternally in heaven. Annie cried with joy, but even Kris welled up and let a couple drops escape.
The ceremony lasted 25 minutes, the reception three days. Parties continued day and night and even broke into other parts of the North Pole. Denny had created three separate shifts with many elves volunteering to help make food and clean up. When they finished their time, they rejoined the party.
After about three hours of well-wishers and food and drink at the reception, Nicholas and Mary retreated to the Inn and were not seen until the third day. They again spent many hours thanking the guests and moving around to various tables and circles. Mary was kissed so often that she was surprised she had a cheek left by the end of the day.
It was finally time to leave the North Pole for Southern California, with a stop or two along the way to some more scenic places of the world.
The newly-married couple finally arrived two days before the wedding and tried to relax so they would be fresh for the next go around. They spent the first day entirely in their room. The next day, Nicholas relaxed, while Mary went to have her hair redone and do a little shopping.
Mary's last day at Mattel was the week before the first wedding ceremony. It was Elliott Handler who gave her away at the second ceremony, while Kris had given her at the first. During the second reception she and Nick spent a good deal of time with Ruth and Elliott. Mary knew it would the last time she would see the Handlers for quite sometime.
They spent the ceremonial night in the hotel, and then began a three week trek to places too numerous to mention. Anywhere Mary wanted to visit, Nick took her. By the end of the third week, they were both anxious to return to the Pole and home. They spent the last nights of their honeymoon on Fiji and flew off for home.
When they arrived at their home they called for their parents, but the home was empty. They went up to Nicholas' old room and found everything had been removed and an envelope on the bed addressed to them both.
Nicholas opened the letter and read aloud to Mary:
Dearest Son and Daughter-In-Law:
We have gone on a second honeymoon, especially since we never truly had one when we were married, and you both inspired us to take one ourselves.
While we are gone a new slightly smaller house is being built for us in the newly developed visiting center. The elves have moved everything out of the house that is personal to us and moved your room to the master bedroom.
We will be gone long enough for the house to be finished. This house will also serve as your “Visiting Center Home” once you are visiting people who are invited to come to us.
We will be anxious to return to you both, but know we will be enjoying ourselves immensely.
Love,
Mom & Dad
“I guess we have the place to ourselves, literally,” Nick said.
“Oh Nick, I never expected Mom and Dad to move out,” Mary lamented. “I thought we would just be together in this castle of a house.”
“If I know my mother, she had wished all her life, prior to moving to the North Pole, for a home of her own. I think this is their wedding present to us. She had said something about having to wait until we were back from our honeymoon to receive it. They didn't whisper a hint at the California ceremony to either of us about the house or the 'honeymoon', so I'll bet that must be their plan,” Nicholas considered aloud.
“That is more than generous of them,” Mary said and began to cry. “Our own home, I can't believe it.”
“As I told you once, perhaps the man you married would have his own home,” chuckled Nicholas.
“Yeah,” Mary said wiping her tears, “but you had to marry me to get it!” And then she began laughing even as her tears fell at the thought.
“Just one more reason, my dearest love...” he said as he kissed the remaining tears away from her cheek.
He picked up their bags and moved off to their new bedroom.
Nicholas and Mary were asked if they could fill in for their parents at the Elven Council meetings while they were away.
Mary found the meetings exhilarating and learned all she could about the North Pole's political system. The Council barely missed the elder Kringles, as Mary was such a quick study, and Nicholas had already attended a few meetings after becoming Santa Claus.
In their very first meeting, Carrow and Ulzana did as they said they would, and officially resigned from the Council. This left the Council with only six voting members until Kris and Annie returned, so the remaining Council voted temporary voting powers to the newly married couple.
Many issues were brought before the body including a few questions about new lines of manufacture and some issues of machinery needing to be used for other purposes for the New Year. Mary offered her advice and suggestions, which were approved without hesitation by the rest of the Council.
Some of the decisions concerned the new Visiting Center that Nicholas handled based on discussions he and his mother had worked on prior to the New Year. Again the Council went along unanimously with the suggestions and ideas Nicholas put forth.
When his folks returned to the North Pole, it was nearly April. They were greeted with open arms and good wishes from everyone. Annie and Mary embraced as if they had lost each other for years. Then Nick and Mary expressed how much they were missed, and thanked them for their lovely home.
Annie waved it off and said, “That monumental edifice was too large for us. And besides now we can be closer to the action instead of at the other end of the woodlands.”
Nicholas said, “Well it was very generous of you, but I must say, your new home is equally beautiful, and I am sure you will love it also.”
“We have little doubt as it is elven made just like our last,” chuckled Kris.
The four Kringles walked toward the village from the stable area. They talked about the many places they had visited and the wonders they had seen. It was amazing the number of places the two couples had visited between them. Annie said she enjoyed visiting the many places, but told Kris toward the end that she thought her traveling days were over.
Mary made the comment that she thought she would never tire of looking at the environs of the North Pole. Annie agreed saying that she never had in almost two centuries of living there.
They walked the elder Kringles to their new home and visited for a little while. Annie said she was ready to lie down and rest a while. So the younger couple made plans with them to have dinner the next evening and said goodbye.
After a few days, when things were more normal, the Council reconvened with the elder Kringles. Nick and Mary did not attend, knowing that there might be some sensitive discussions now that his parents were 'back in the saddle' with the rest of the Council.
After a couple hours, there was a knock on their door. Mary opened it to find Britney Clearwater on the other side. Britney said that their presence had been requested at the Council meeting. Mary hurriedly put on her coat and called Nick from his workshop.
They walked over and while she was pleasant, Britney would not explain other than to say their parents were fine. As they walked in the chamber they were met with smiles and greetings. As they sat down in the conference area Kris began the discussion.
“First let me thank you both for the admirable job you did in Annie's and my absence. I have received nothing but the most favorable reports about both your help and interaction,” he said with obvious pride. “Which is why we have asked you to come. Annie and I had discussed this while we were gone and we have further talked to the Council about this. We wish for you and Mary to take over for Annie and myself in the Council.”
Frederick interjected, “We have already voted on their proposal and you were unanimously approved.”
Nicholas stood up and said, “Then as one of our first official requests, I would make a motion that my parents fill the vacancies left by Carrow and Ulzana.”
Kris and Annie laughed, and Annie said, “I told you that would be the first thing out of his mouth.”
Kris said, “Son, while we appreciate your request, we have already told the Council that we would like to retire and do fewer things around the village. We would just like to enjoy our remaining years doing as we please, and the Council has graciously said that we need never leave.”
“Besides,” said Annie, “this would still leave two spots open to nominate elves that might be more suited to your future plans.”
With that Annie and Kris stood up and Frederick said to Mary and Nicholas, “If you would please join us up here in the dais and take the place of your parents, we would be most grateful.”
And so Nicholas and Mary hugged Kris and Annie and took their seats among the Council “officially” for the first time.