Mae smiled as she walked down the aisle toward her husband-to-be. Tears of joy stained her cheeks as her eyes met his. The peacock beside her, whom everyone had assumed to be her father, smiled at the albino peacock standing at the altar. The peahen had been waiting for this day for quite a while... Out of all of the men she had been with, all the men she'd used her feminine wiles to lure in, all of the times she had been so close to another man, never had she been with one like this. Tall, sweet, manly, and charming in his own way. He had shown her over a year ago what true love was. He showed her what it felt like to love a man for his personality...

His name was Lord Shen.

Well, former lord... Shortly after Mae had left the palace, the tower he reigned over had fallen to a weapon of his own creation. Shen used to care nothing about anyone or anything except his plan to take over China – how horrible that turned out to be – using his cannons and army of wolves. Arrogance and cold blood had coursed through his veins with help of the heartless heartbeat that pounded in his immaculate chest. But just the same, she had been pricked by Cupid's arrow, and her heart melted at one glance (sure it took some time...). His cruel, frozen heart had been thawed by every blush that graced his snowy white face every time she smiled at him. And now, she was staring at him, face to face with her future.

"Mae," he whispered, looking over her entire body... "You're so beautiful..."

The sermon that followed consisted of the couple's vows, which they had both written themselves. Lan, standing in the background in her bridesmaid dress, was practically driven to tears by the peafowls' deep, devoted vows. The way they were read was so beauteous that some of the men in the congregation began to tear up, especially at Shen's.

"Mae," he began... "My sweet little Maeflower... Never before have I gazed upon such beauty, such grace... It's as if the Gods made you for me... Only for me. When we were apart for that long while, I prayed every day for you to remain safe. And now here I stand, vowing to keep you safe. Mae, I will take anything – an arrow, a spear, what have you – to the chest as long as I know that you are safe... I vow to love you as truly and best as I can... I will never leave your side, Doll... Not again."

The peahen smiled and began hers. "Shen... I love you with all of my heart. When I first laid eyes on you, I didn't think much. But then something magical happened, and my spark had set me ablaze with love. I promise to always make you happy, through thick and thin... I promise to love you like... well... make a comparison if you wish... But you get the idea... And I know that this speech is not as elegant and beautiful as yours... But it carries as much love as the wings of eagles carry wind."

Smiling, the preacher turned to Shen. "Shen, do you take Mae as your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold in sickness and in health, until death do you part?"

The peacock smiled. "I do."

"And Mae, do you take Shen as your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold in sickness and in health until death do you part?"

"I do."

"Well then," he closed his holy scripture, "by the power vested in me, I hereby pronounce you peacock and wife. Shen, you may kiss your bride."

The peafowl took each others' hands in their own and smiled lovingly. Mae closed her eyes and leaned forward, feeling as his beak touched her neck and nuzzled her. She nuzzled the feathers below his jawline and blushed. Finally...