Valentine stood in the hallway, uncharacteristically nervous. He wondered what his father would say about this, probably something about how warriors do not recognize nervousness, as it is hardly heroic to succumb to such weakness. Shaking his head, Valentine pushed the thought of his father out of his mind and straightened the cuffs of his suit. This was a beginning, he didn't want to think about the past right now.
Squaring his shoulders, Valentine walked forward and pushed open the doors to see Jocelyn smiling at him, her golden dress and red hair illuminated by the sunlight coming through the skylight. There was a feeling in his chest, a sort of giddiness, that Valentine let bloom throughout the ceremony. He almost felt it on his face as the pair exchanged runes. Jocelyn's ethereal face held a smile, her slim fingers deftly tracing the rune on Valentine that would mark him as her husband. He looked into her green eyes and marveled inwardly at how lucky he felt, how everything had fallen into place in this part of his life since Jocelyn first kissed him.
When the ceremony was finished, Valentine reached for Jocelyn's hand and they walked to greet everyone. They talked to Jocelyn's parents, Granville and Adele, who smiled and congratulated them. Valentine thought he saw some concern on their faces during the ceremony, after all, but they seemed wholly pleased now. They loved Jocelyn enough that, even if they were against the union, they would have shown up to the ceremony. He wondered, briefly, if his own mother would have voiced any concern at him marrying at 19. He had seen no reason to wait-he loved Jocelyn, that wouldn't change-why not get married? Seraphina had been supportive of Valentine, her only child, and he doubted that, even if she had disapproved, she would have mentioned it.
Seeing Lucian, Valentine tried to catch his eye, but the other boy was exiting the hall already. Valentine wondered if Lucian was unwell, he'd looked a bit pale lately, but even if he was ill, Valentine knew nothing would have stopped Lucian from coming to the wedding. Parabatai were bound, and Valentine knew that nothing would stop him from going to Lucian's wedding, should he get married. His thoughts continued to spiral around Lucian, wondering what it was that felt like a block in their relationship, and if it was something Valentine ought to pursue, or if it would go away on its own.
Jocelyn stopped to talk to Amatis, who held a camera, and Valentine pulled himself out of his reverie to see Stephen smiling at him, and Valentine felt himself smile back-he could hardly help it, he felt like he finally had a family again. The Circle was his extended family, of course, but Valentine needed someone right next to him, someone that wasn't his parabatai, someone that could choose to leave him but wouldn't.