Chapter 4
The Wedding of Russafëa and Ereinion Gilgalad of the house of Finwë was the event of the season so to speak. The female relatives had won out on the sheer attendance but that was the only place they had won, they had only won there because the Valar announced their intention to show up. Somehow it didn't seem right to throw a small family only wedding with the Valar. Ingwë was presiding since both Fea and Ereinion roundly refused to even think of asking the king of the Valar (never mind that her father was technically aligned with Manwë) to preside.
As with Riona's wedding, they incorporated many of the traditions from Riona and Daffyd's homeland to the traditional Noldorin ceremony favoured in Valinor.
Fea wore a white gown made of multiple layers of silk gossamer that clung to her figure and flowed off her hips in floaty waves. Resting on her hips was a satin belt that was tied round a silver clasp and was embroidered with silver stars similar to the ones on Ereinion's armour crest. Contrary to the somewhat conservative views of the various interfering matrons, the dress was nearly off the shoulders with a wide oval neckline than dipped quite low flashing Fea's shoulders and a certain amount of chest as well as back. In the time honoured tradition, the sleeves were wide bell shapes that dropped to the floor. There were wide bands of pastel blue fabric embroidered with silver thread and with real sapphire beading round the neckline, hem and cuffs.
Fea was on the arm of her father while being attended by her mother, Tuima and Arallë, all four of whom were in clothing of the same pale blue as the bands of embroidery. The three maia each wore simple scoop necked silk gowns with bands of white silk embroidered with silver stars round the neckline, hem and cuffs and a matching white belt. Eönwë however, wore pastel blue robes, once again with bands of white, silver star embroidered silk, round the hem and neckline over pure white tunic and hose.
Ereinion and his party however, were clad primarily in the dark blue of his house. With the exception of the bride groom, the members of his party (Finafin, Fingolfin and Fingon) wore dark blue robes of fine silk dupion over hose and tunic of a slightly lighter shade of blue embroidered in silver with pearl beading.
Ereinion however wore a robe of pure silver with embroidery in dark blue with sapphires and pearl over a navy blue tunic and pearl grey hose, both embroidered in silver and bejewelled.
They were holding the ceremony in what was essentially a very large field that had a small tor in the middle allowing most of the population of Valinor it seemed to watch the ceremony of the millennium.
Ingwë was, Fëa noticed, in his white and gold clothing, standing at the precise centre of the tor with Ereinion and his party already there on one side of the elf and watching her proceed across and up to him as most of the major elfin bards in Valinor played Mendelssohn's Wedding March. Absently she wondered how much time and effort her mother had put into first arranging it round the complete lack of church organ and brass section in elfin music and then teaching the elfin bards the piece. She could imagine many a strop from the 'master bards', many of whom had a very high opinion of themselves. As she reached the tor and began the climb upwards (made easier by the recently put in steps) the music moved from the otherworldly wedding march to the traditional elfin hymn that invoked Eru's blessing upon the union. As she reached the top, took her place and turned to face her beloved, the hymn swelled to an ethereal crescendo and then cut off leaving the echoes of the theme in every attendee's ears.
Into the echoes of the wedding hymn Ingwë declaimed the opening lines of the ceremony, asking of Fingon and Eönwë who was brought before him and the reason why they had been brought before him. First the maia lord, then Fingon announced their children with the fullest form of introduction possible then stated that they had been presented to fulfil the terms of their betrothal agreement. As the saintly looking king and their parents went through several boring questions ('who invented this bit of the ceremony anyway, it was more characteristic of human nobility to obsess over the details of betrothal agreements and suchlike', thought Fëa as she allowed her mind to wander).
She was brought back to the ceremony when her father took her hand and placed it in Ereinion's and Ingwë bound their hands together loosely with a white silk ribbon.
"Do you both, who have been brought before me as a betrothed couple, swear to bind within the eyes of Eru and the Lords and Lady Valar as a married couple, equal and complimentary in all things to love and support each other in all things?" Both responded in the affirmative (like they would do anything else) while Fëa absently thought that she'd rather Eru and the Valar were not watching at the actual binding since that was rather private.
"Thus I present you before the Eru, the Valar, the maia and elves, husband and wife, the Lord Ereinion Gilgalad of the House of Finwë and the Lady Fea of the House of Eönwë!"
Moments later the air filled with a sense of awesome presence that Fëa had only felt once before, and that time in anger. This time Eru's presence was far from angry, it seemed more in the direction of delighted in fact.
Those standing on the tor sunk to the ground in deep bows of reverence and soon the rest of those in attendance followed suit.
"I seen my gift to your mother and to Daffyd upon the day of your parents binding was well given and has come into fruition. I bless this union with my favour, both for the continuation of a line much beloved to me and for the production of truly great people as my previous blessing did provide my world with." Eru's presence swelled then disappeared.
As they rose Ereinion looked at his bride and grinned.
"Why do I get this impression he wants us to have children?" He muttered. Fëa grinned back.
"Absolutely no idea, really."
XXX
Fëa pulled Elrond into a dance as couples spun around them.
"Elrond! So glad you could come to the party at least." She laughed. The dark haired elf laughed looking younger than he had in years.
"It is official, Irmö is by far my favourite of the Valar – you have no idea how sad I was to miss your wedding." She grinned up at the elf who had been her guardian for so long.
"I have to admit, this has to be one of the best wedding gifts we've been given – if I was inclined to align myself with one of the Vala, it would be Irmö." Elrond grinned and spun her through several more steps before passing her off to Cirdan.
They spent several hours dancing with the great and the good of both Valinor and Arda before Fëa and Ereinion were able to escape.
The dark haired elf was grinning insanely as he shut the door to the bower his father had built them for when they wanted to escape their families to somewhere private. He pulled her into a deep kiss.
"We have waited too long for this my love." Fëa smiled at him adoringly and kissed him again. Ereinion's smile turned slightly wicked. "What say you to going and trying to fulfil Eru's command?"
They spent the next several minutes kissing before Fëa responded.
"I say that is an excellent idea my love."
XXX
Elrond, Finarfin and a few others of those who had been on either end of the dream visions sat at one edge of the clearing watching the couples dance, most specifically, Ingwë and Losmeril who were at the centre of the dance floor looking like they were utterly unaware of anyone around them.
Arallë grinned at them from her place curled up against her brother.
"They look sweet together. I wonder when they got so close though, they haven't spent all that much time round each other." Fingolfin laughed softly.
"No idea, but I think I've worked out who she was referring to when she said her soul mate is in Valinor." Arallë hummed agreement.
Fingon then came and plonked himself down beside them, wearing a wicked grin.
"What's got you so amused?" The elf grinned and nodded in the direction of the dancers.
"Oh, I wanted to see what they would do." He received baffled looks for the cryptic comment just as the music changed to the lover's dance, the same music Oropher had announced his relationship to Arallë to several centuries earlier. Several sets of eyes widened as neither Losmeril nor Ingwë missed a beat but carried on dancing. After several minutes of gaping, Daffyd regained his wits.
"Since Oropher is presently indisposed then I guess I better go have a talk with our esteemed high king then?" He asked dryly.
They sat there observed the couple for a few minutes before someone spoke again.
"On related notes Elrond," The Peredhil frowned at Finarfin as the older elf addressed him, somewhat confused. "I hear that you are interested in my granddaughter..."
