In general, a marriage ritual in the cult of Oromë was surprisingly simple; three days after a nice feast with friends and family, ride away as if there was going to be a hunt with only two persons, be alone for three nights and return back on the fourth day as a married couple. No one doubted what was going to happen under those three nights.
Although Dior had dressed in his riding suit when he and Celegorm would leave that morning, he had packed something finer to wear at the beginning at the first night, which was most likely to possibly be the wedding night.
"We will send out soldiers to guard the area where you two will be, just for security. Doriath will likely not give to up get its royal heir back and have Nimloth wed to him as his bride," Maedhros whispered in a low voice to Celegorm under the guise to straighten out his second brother's cloak. The silver hunter nodded in understanding, he was a good fighter but it would be hard to win a battle against several warriors. Dio was good with weapons as well, yes, yet there was a risk that they would be forced to try and protect each other from harm.
"I will be careful. And I have promised myself that Dior shall not need to suffer anymore for something his parents did in the past, he have already the free choice of a spouse taken away from him at birth thanks to them."
~X~X~X~X~X~X
Taking the lead, Celegorm guided the small group across the river Gelion by using a large raft strong enough to carry several horses or wagons, to enter the woods of Ossiriand on the other side.
"We have not build a bridge across the river due because of the strong floods that can happen in early spring and the risk of orcs using it to come closer to Amon Ereb."
"And my grandfather insist on that the Girdle will keep protecting Doriath…"
Again Dior felt ashamed over his Elven maternal family, he had only been in Amon Ereb for little over a month while he and Celegorm had undergone a small period of abstinence to better open themselves for the spiritual part of their marriage, yet he could tell that the Noldor was far more open about life than the Sindar in Doriath. Yes, the Fëanorian brothers and their followers risked their lives against Morgoth, but they made a point of that it was something meaningful even in a hopeless situation. As long as there still was resistance against the Dark Lord, there could still be hope.
"That is his problem, not yours. Try and cheer up a bit, this is one of the most important events in your life after all."
Thankfully Celegorm had remembered to take along cider and not wine, which pleased Dior when he tasted the drink inside the water skin. The last thing he wanted was to ruin the mood on the wedding night by becoming sick from the alcohol.
After a few more hours of riding, Celegorm chose a spot where the rivers Gelion and Thalos joined for making up camp. With elms as the most common tree in those woods, that alone was a major difference to Doriath which consisted of Neldoreth, a northern beech forest, Nivrim, an oak forest, and Region, a forest of holly trees. And the willow trees of Tol Galen, which was somewhere in the south.
"Missing your childhood home?"
"Just wondering whatever my family have realized that I actually am here and about to fulfill my role in the peace treaty."
They should have realized that now, with almost five weeks since Eöl and his family had managed to smuggle Dior and Nimloth out of Doriath. If not, then the thief of the Silmaril should make them wake up from any daydream of not having Dior married to Celegorm.
"That is a question for later."
Making Dior look up so their eyes met, Celegorm gave him a gentle kiss on the lips. It seemed chaste enough, but there was a hint of desire as well in how he pressed the half-Elven closer to himself. In fact, Dior blushed slightly at feeling something else, namely something half-hard against his thigh which left little imagination to what it must be.
"After sunset," Celegorm promised in a whisper as the kiss was broken, stroking Dior's cheek before going to check on the horses.
~X~X~X~X~X~X
Despite that he was nervous, a small part of Dior actually looked forwards to what was going to happen. After washing himself in the river and drying his body with a towel, he picked up the clothes he had planned to wear.
Celegorm had gotten the fire going and was only dressed in a simple kilt, when he spotted Dior came back. He was rather pleased to see that the half-Elven even had attempted to dress up nicely despite that they likely would end up removing the clothes all together. Dior wore a rather simple court robe with long sleeves, white as the basic colour but with a very light turquoise green and soft blue on the outer fabrics to bring out the chestnut-brown colour of his hair and grey eyes. It was finished off with a white and gold fabric belt around the waist. Dior even had set up his hair in a high ponytail with a golden hairpin.
"I...wanted to look good for you, without bringing up any memories of my mother…" Dior admitted, not really sure on how to explain it,a deeper blush on the cheeks which made his false freckles be more visible in the light of the fire. He knew that Luthien was famed for her love of blue dresses, especially in varying blue shades. While he preferred green in order to better blend in among the trees and landscape of a forest, as a child he had often been likened to a forest spirit just because of that.
"You are a fair being in your own way. You have a different beauty than her, a far more masculine one. And courage to do your duty while still rebelling in a careful manner. She and your father may have returned from death, but you are a symbol of natural life and a promise of what is meaningful to keep fighting for."
Their lips met in a kiss, Dior hesitated slightly to take command over how it would go, yet for some reason, he did not want to be all passive simply because Celegorm was the older partner. The Fëanorian was his teacher, the one who had shown him about the world outside Doriath. Celegorm did not push for Dior to keep going, instead he remained still as the youngster tested to kiss him further down on the throat and strong chest. Taking hold of one of Dior's hands so he could raise it to his face, Celegorm kissed the palm and then the pulse at the wrist.
"Can I undress you?"
"Y...yes…"
With a tenderness few would have expected from him, Celegorm removed the two layers of the court robe from Dior. Even so, as they kissed again Dior felt a hand slide into the front of his trousers, massaging his most intimate body part without a too painful hold.
"Ah!"
The feeling of air against his bare skin made Dior gasp in surprise as Celegorm knelt down to use his teeth to open the trousers so they slided down his legs, then taking hold of his hips with both hands.
"Celegorm!" Dior almost shouted in quickly-growing unease, showing that he indeed had never done anything like this before. But Celegorm took Dior's half-hardened manhood in his mouth, feeling the hands on his hair but keeping focus on what he was doing. In all fairness, he did not blame Dior for being nervous or even knowing that he was welcome to try thrusting into his mouth, marriage between two males was unheard off in Doriath and it was rather doubtful that Dior even had learned about that sexual acts between males was not that different from a male and female couple, it simply had to be adjusted.
Once he thought that Dior was hard enough to be the one to claim him since Dior would not be ready or enough relaxed to be claimed in body yet, Celegorm pulled the Sinda prince down on his knees and then down on his back above the cloaks and furs serving as their bed.
"I took the freedom of preparing myself with some oil while you was away to wash and dress, since I wanted you to claim me first."
Dior only realized exactly what Celegorm meant, when the Fëanorian straddled his hips and lowered himself downwards. He even tried to not start crying in shock over the tightness around his manhood, his cries changing into soundless pleas as Celegorm started to move his hips up and down since Dior was too uncertain in what to do, their hands held together midway between their bodies.
"How sweet you are, saving yourself for the wedding night just for me?" Celegorm asked, enjoying the look of the flushed face below him. Dior could only nod faintly, unable to form actual words. Beginner as he was in the arts of pleasure, there was no great surprise for Celegorm that Dior did not last very long before he came hard.
"I...that…?" Dior gasped, his pupils still wide from the earlier pleasure not many moments ago.
"Not yet, for it to count as a fully consummated marriage, we both need to claim each others in body," Celegorm explained as he did slid off Dior and down on the furs. Pushing Dior over to his side so they faced the same direction, he began to massage the area he aimed for.
"And I am not going to claim you on all four like a animal, I am not that kind of brute with my own spouse on the wedding night."
Dior gasped at feeling the oil-covered finger press against his opening, then tied his fists around the furs as it did slid inside him. It was so unfamiliar, something that almost had been taboo for him while growing up because the Sindar of Doriath was very strict about sexual behavior.
But Celegorm picked up a vial with some pain-numbing salve with his free hand, knowing that it would prove useful when he claimed Dior in body soon enough. After that the salve had been spread around his opening and been given some time to work, and the finger was being moved in and out in slow movements with more oil added to ensure that it did not dry up, Dior soon began to not feel uncomfortable anymore as he grew used to it, it helped that the Noldo tenderly massaged his manhood to give him something else to focus on.
After some minutes Celegorm added a second finger, slightly keeping them apart to give Dior a guess of the size that would come later. Suddenly Dior let out a small shriek when Celegorm bent the fingers and hit something when pushing upwards, feeling as if lightning bolts of pure pleasure went through his body.
"Found it, your prostate. Perfect for great pleasure in bedding now when I know where it is," Celegorm whispered in a seductive voice, licking one of Dior's pointed ear tips. With Celegorm using his fingers to press at the spot again, Dior felt as if he was seeing stars of pleasure.
"...Celegorm….please….!"
"Soon, I promise. Just a little more oil, I would rather not have you feel any more pain than necessary."
Dior whimpered in protest, it felt like he was going mad with need, sweat making his hair stick to his skin and he gasped loudly for breath from how intensive it felt in his body. Removing his fingers, Celegorm gently pushed Dior's top leg a little forward while placing himself behind Dior. It was not the first time Celegorm bedded a untouched male, but he knew the importance of not going too fast or thrust too hard when entering. And Dior deserved all tenderness he could give, for being brave enough to do this despite that he had not chosen Celegorm as a spouse originally by his free will.
Yet even with all the preparations, Dior could not hide a gasp of pain when he felt Celegorm entering him. Trembling in his whole body, even whimpering as he tried to hold back the tears threatening to be released from his eyes.
"You are doing well, Dior, so very well..." Celegorm whispered in his ear, using a thumb to wipe away one escaping tear. With almost extreme carefulness for someone who was no stranger to the arts of pleasure in bed, Celegorm slowly slid more and more inside until that he had sheltered himself fully inside Dior, not moving at first so the half-Elven could get used to it without pain. Using his arms to push Dior closer so they had body contact skin to skin, back against chest, he whispered again:
"I will not hurt you, I promise. You will never have to suffer for what your parents did."
Dior whimpered again, trying to remain still when Celegorm tried to thrust a few times. Thankfully, he had not been brought over the edge before even as he had guided Dior in how to claim him in body, so the Noldo used some of his own skills to speed it up so Dior did not have to be uncomfortable for too long.
"Celegorm…"
Dior was not crying from any pain, but rather the realization that the marriage indeed was consummated. That he now was bound to Celegorm as a spouse with Doriath unable to claim him back as a royal heir without having the Fëanorian along. It was not regret Dior felt, only relief that the long wait finally was over.
"Are you in pain? Were I too rough?"
A shake on the head, and then Dior turned around to hug Celegorm closely, still weeping silently against him. The older Elf did understand that some of the tears was caused emotionally, it had been very difficult for Dior the past few years since it had been impossible keep claiming that he was too young and having a too immature body for marrying.
"We will return in three days to Amon Ereb."
~X~X~X~X~X~X
Of course, things was not always peaceful during the remaining days before they returned to Amon Ereb. Not between Celegorm and Dior, but rather because a large group of orcs was reported by the forest birds to be not too far away from their camp.
"C...can I help in some way? I mean, I have some of the Maia powers my mother had to give up in order to become mortal…" Dior asked, fearing that he would not be allowed to help out because of his age and for not being that well-trained in battle as he would have wanted.
"Of course you are gonna help us with those pests. As my spouse, one of your duties are the protection of Amon Ereb and its people if none of us seven brothers are there."
The look of honest joy in his eyes, told Celegorm that Dior really valued to be useful. As the son of Luthien, he was claimed to be Thingol's heir but it did not seem like he had not been given anything meaningful work in Doriath, either because of his age or his mortality. Another thing for the Fëanorian brothers to fix, which should have been done by his maternal relatives years ago.
Dior took his role as defender seriously, and passed that test perfectly by using his powers against the orcs.
"Now that's what I call to be useful. You even managed to wipe out their whole camp, not bad for a beginner," Celegorm said in pride, his arms crossed while checking over the sooty remains of what had been a orc camp only a few minutes ago.
It turned out Dior's special ability with his Maia powers was not Songs of Power, though he had proven himself able of that as well, but rather that he could change things in the earth below his feet. Anything from boosting fertility to causing drought. Of course, he had needed to borrow some burning twigs to start the fire which had consumed the orc camp, but on the larger scale it had been some fine work.
"You deserves a sweet reward for this fine work, my forest prince."
Dior blushed heavy at realizing what Celegorm had in mind.
"Nothing like that in front of others, thank you! And not in a smoke-smelling place like this!" he protested, elbowing the Noldo as hard as he could in the stomach to stop him before the hands started to move down to his trousers, to the laughter of the guards.
~X~X~X~X~X~X
When the middle of autumn arrived, Dior felt that he had to tell Celegorm something important, since he otherwise feared that could cause trouble in their marriage in the longer run.
"You and Nimloth thinks that your friendship have turned into some kind of romance over the last two years, but neither one dared to admit it because of the peace treaty?" Celegorm asked when both his spouse and his kinswoman showed up together.
"I had no wish to be unfaithful to you even if our marriage basically was arranged from the beginning, or wanted to be a reason to more conflict between the Noldor and Doriath."
"And as seen earlier this summer, Luthien would not have been above forcing us into marriage just to spite you," Nimloth commented, to which Dior shivered at the memory.
Celegorm merely facepalmed, as if he just had heard something stupid.
"Just what are Melian teaching Thingol and Doriath about Valinor, really? In the cult of Oromë, marriages with three partners are not unheard of. as long as they are not mentioning outside his Woods. And you would not have to be married to us both, Nimloth, Dior may be my spouse but I would allow him to take a lover if that made him happy. Besides, it would solve the question of Dior having children, which I know is a very dear wish for the royals of Doriath."
"But..any child between me and Nimloth will not have the blood of your father…"
"There is that little thing called unofficial adoption, you know. Yes, not sharing blood, but sometimes the ties of family are between other people than those who birthed a person. Even if a child between you would be mortal like Dior, it is still family….oi!"
Dior had thrown himself against Celegorm, hugging him hard around the neck while Nimloth honesty cried from joy.
"Thank you...thank you!" Dior whispered in gratitude, now crying as well. Celegorm managed to free himself before his younger spouse happened to almost choke him by mistake.
"What are you two still standing here for? Go out on the market together and find a nice fabric to make a wedding dress for Nimloth from, we should be able to have a private ceremony around the autumnal equinox if we hurries to fix something for her to wear."
And no, the silver-haired hunter was not surprised at all, over that he was dragged along from his chamber by the happy lovers.