((Author's Note: I'm separating the scenes into chapters to make this easier to read. It's about 20 pages in word.
The idea for this came because of the short cutscene that you get when you use the 'Rings of Mara' from the imperial edition. I combined Viking wedding ceremonies with other pagan ceremonies to produce this ceremony.))
She stood before the statue of Akatosh, the Dragon God of Time, the stone gleaming in the cold, morning light. Around her, the sound of the city buzzed. The members of the Ebonheart Pact scurried with their various tasks, preparing to ward off the attacks of the Daggerfall Covenant. It was as if they didn't understand that a bigger threat than the wars loomed.
How many citizens of Skyrim and other places did the Cult of Molag Bal take? It was something that weighed on the young woman's mind. Not every woman had a brave man that would deny his love one's death. The knowledge of what Vaene did for her ate at her. He had looked into death's face and declared Not Today for her.
Since that ship had plucked them both out of the sea a week before, she hadn't spoken to him. She was overcome with joy at the knowledge that he loved her so much that he would defy a Daedric Prince for her.
That happiness mixed with another emotion. Grief weighed on her. Perhaps, if their escape had not been so hasty, she would have been able to free Sven, the man that she was betrothed to.
A strong hand gripped her shoulder, and she didn't need to turn around to see who it was. She had memorized the feel of his hand against her shoulder when they were younger. He was her rock, the safe port in the storm that ravaged around her.
"Thank you," she uttered, the meager words meaning more than she could explain. Cyras didn't turn towards him. She crossed her arms across her chest and stared up at the statue.
"For what?"
She didn't know how to form the response. How could she show her appreciation to the man that risked death to bring her back to the mortal plane? There were no words for such a thing, and the ones that did come to here didn't have the moving sentiment that bore its way into her soul.
"For coming for me. If you hadn't-" She sank into his embrace, allowing the exhaustion of the event come over her.
"I couldn't do anything else," Vaene commented. "I had to come after you, even if there was no way back. An eternity in Coldharbour with you is better than life here without you. No sense in fretting on "ifs", though. This is what happened, and it's for the better. It is too bad about Sven, though."
"Sven. . ." Cyras trailed off, her voice heavy with regret.
"Perhaps, we can return for him someday." He shrugged. His tunic rippled against her back.
She felt bad about Sven. He wouldn't understand that although she didn't love Sven the way that she loved him that Sven had become her best friend, the one that she could go to after Vaene joined the army.
"I want to marry you, Cyras," he spoke up. "You should have been mine before. I won't let you get away again."
"I want to be yours as well," she whispered. She turned towards him. Her gaze locked on his grey eyes. Many couldn't tell the mood of the man before her. From her short travels with him, he was often evasive. He would tell little of what he actually meant. Still, she always knew.
He placed her hand within his. She was amazed at how his hand dwarfed her own.
She smiled, the smirk gliding across her face. He had always had a way to drive the gloom from her heart. She didn't have the nerve to tell him that she didn't think that they would rescue anyone from ColdHarbour, let alone Sven.
"Then, it is set."
"We will have to purchase rings," she said. "I want to do this right."
"Of course," Vaene responded. He dug into his breast pocket for a moment, producing two small, plain, golden rings. He put them in Cyras' hands for her to inspect. "They aren't very extravagant, but its the best I could afford on a soldier's wages."
"They're beautiful," Cyras breathed, stunned. "When did you buy these?"
"A year past," he said. "I saved for them. I don't know what I was thinking. I was going to come home and steal you away from Sven. I could never get up the nerve to do it, though. It took all I had to just buy the rings. I couldn't do it dishonorably, anyway. It was a dream."
She was amazed that they had survived the journey from Coldharbour. It was as if Mara had created a destiny for both of them, a lifetime of love and affection awaited them.
"And now it is real." She beamed, finally happy after so long.
"Yes, it is." He smiled back.
At that moment, it didn't matter to her that Sven was trapped in Coldharbour. It didn't matter to her that the world might be ending. It didn't matter that the war raged in Cyrodiil. Her fantasies as a girl were about to come true. A lifetime separated from her true love was erased.
"Let's do it now," she gushed, the words running together. Excitement spread across her face, the years with Sven dissipating in a matter of moments.
"Now?" Although there was a question in his voice, the joy was easily heard. She didn't think that life could be any better.
"Yes, now. I think we waited long enough." She squeezed his hand, feeling the rough callously flesh rub against her fingers. "I know that there is a statue of Mara in the square. I do not know of a better place, do you?"
"Any place is good enough," Vaene agreed. "If you are there, then Oblivion is a fitting place to marry. And you're right about the time, as well. I refuse to wait any longer than I already have."
"Then what are we waiting for?" Cyras laughed.