Callum's scarf had always puzzled Rayla.
Not so much the scarf, but more how he never took it off, only ever doing so when he washed it. Then, as soon as it dried (this more often than not enhanced by Callum casting aspiro), it was back around his neck. He hadn't yet noticed her watching him whenever he put it back on but, if he had, he would have seen an extremely puzzled look on her face.
That, and his sketchbook, were pretty much the only things he'd yet to tell her about since they'd become a couple, and it was starting to itch in the back of her mind.
Rayla didn't miss that, whenever he was feeling stressed or anxious, worried or scared, he would tug the scarf up over the bridge of his nose and breathe into it. She didn't miss the glance he gave it when she explained how Moonshadow elves were married by binding their wrists and hands together with fabric when they were discussing their wedding.
Everything was planned out, except from what they would use to bind their hands. The wedding was in a week's time and they were currently staying in Rayla's hometown, in Tinker and Runaan's house, who'd just arrived to escort the duo back for the wedding.
Rayla and Tinker were stood silently side-by-side in the kitchen, preparing some food for dinner on a rectangular island table in the middle of the room, when booming laughter made them both jump slightly in place. After overcoming her shock, Rayla let out a content sigh. It made her heart soar that Runaan and Callum were getting along. She knew it reallywasn't easy for Runaan to get over his predisposition toward humans, but the fact that Callum had been the one to free Runaan from Viren's coin had helped his case.
But Rayla could tell that it was just Callumbeing Callum that had won Runaan over. How he genuinely cared for her and treated her like, well, a princess (much to her dismay at times), how he profuselydetested Dark Magic and was a leading campaigner to have it fully banned from the human kingdoms.
And Rayla could tell how genuine Runaan's growing affection for the Archmage was. Runaan enjoyed playing a tough act, especially to wind Callum up, but Rayla knew Runaan, and she could tell by the smile that would settle on his face whenever he saw Callum and Rayla together that he approved of and accepted Callum.
She had no idea that an adoring smile had formed on her own face until Tinker playfully nudged her shoulder. "Got yourself a good'un there," he teased in a sing-song voice, causing Rayla to blush like a teenage girl.
She smiled sheepishly to herself, returning her attention to the vegetables she was chopping. "You don't need to tell me that," she replied, affection dripping from her tone. "Never thought I'd see the day Runaan laughed with a human," she joked, shooting a sideways glance at Tinker, who smirked, eyes full of mirth.
"You and me both, Ray," he replied, before a look crossed his face and his voice dropped to a whisper. "Have you and Callum decided on a binding yet?"
Rayla frowned. "Not yet," she whispered back. "I was going to bring it up tonight, actually."
Tinker shared her frown. "Does he know that it's supposed to be made from something meaningful? Because you're leaving it late!"
Rayla nodded slowly, her eyes unfocused as she considered his reaction to her bringing that topic up the first time around. "I have an idea," Rayla replied quietly. "Call it more of a hunch, to be honest." Tinker shot her a quizzical look, to which Rayla responded with a wink, indicating that he'd see later. "Just bring this up again at dinner," she said with a smirk.
Tinker ensured he did. The four of them were sat around the island table, with Runaan and Tinker facing each other and Callum and Rayla opposite each other.
There was a comfortable silence around the table when Tinker spoke up. "So, Callum, how's the wedding planning going?"
Callum was slightly startled by the sudden break of the silence and needed a moment to swallow the food he had just started to chew. "All good, I think we've got everything covered now," he answered hesitantly.
Tinker nodded, a pleased smile on his face. "So you've decided on your bindings?" he followed up, subtly shooting Rayla a look and a wink.
Callum's face blanched slightly, and he looked at Rayla apologetically. "I completely forgot, I'm sosorry!" he apologised, clearly disappointed in himself as he reached hand over the table to place it on Rayla's.
Rayla offered him a comforting smile. "It's okay, dummy," she assured him. "It's part of my culture, so I've been coming up with ideas. It's supposed to be something meaningful to either one of us or our relationship," she explained, and she didn't miss how his eyes, which had been locked on hers, subconsciously flicked down to his scarf once more.
"What did you have in mind?" Runaan asked. Having been focused on his meal, he'd missed the conspiratorial glances between Rayla and Tinker, so found himself genuinely curious.
Rayla glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, before fixing her gaze firmly on Callum's, giving him a soft, genuine smile. "How about your scarf?"
Callum's entire body locked up momentarily and a shocked expression formed on his face. He slowly withdrew his hand from Rayla's and leaned back in his chair. Rayla's smile dropped from her face at his expression and was replaced by concern, something that was reflected on Tinker's and Runaan's faces too.
Callum's hand, the one that had been holding Rayla's, reached up to his scarf, and he gently rubbed the fabric between his finger and thumb as his gaze fell onto his dinner.
Rayla, Tinker, and Runaan shared concerned glances, before Rayla's attention fell back on Callum's forlorn face. "Cal?" she said gently, mimicking his earlier action and reaching out to place her hand on his free one, as his right was still slowly turning over the fabric of his scarf.
Callum's eyes flicked up to meet Rayla's and she was slightly shocked to see tears threatening to fall from them. He offered her a shaky smile and took a deep breath before turning his hand to allow hers to slip into his. He gently ran his thumb over the back of her hand, his eyes drifting there.
"I'd love that," he eventually said, his voice quiet and filled with emotion. A brighter smile grew onto his face as his eyes went back up to Rayla's, and he swiftly took his hand from his scarf to clear his eyes of tears.
"If you don't mind me asking, Callum," Runaan started, his voice compassionate. "Why does that scarf mean so much to you? I've seen you wearing that in the middle of a Xadian summer!" he joked to try and lighten the mood somewhat.
Callum smiled at him, appreciative of both his compassion and his attempt to lighten the mood that Callum had brought on.
"It was the last gift my mom made for me," Callum admitted quietly, his eyes fixed back onto Rayla's, as if he was speaking only to her, like it was a truth only she deserved to hear. "She'd made it for me just before she… I didn't get it until after she was..." His voice trailed off as his emotions threatened to overflow.
Rayla smiled sadly at him as she felt tears prickle at her own eyes. "It's okay, Callum, you don't have to explain any further." She reassuringly squeezed his hand.
Callum swallowed, but kept his eyes firmly on hers. "She'd have absolutely adored you."
Rayla felt her heart soar. Callum's voice was so genuine, like he truly believed that fact with his entire being.
"Scarf it is," Rayla confirmed, emotion flowing through her voice too. She gave Callum a swift nod.
Runaan and Tinker shared a smile across the table, pleased that the couple had worked things out in such a swift, honest manner. They were already a formidable couple; it was going to be even more powerful when they were married.
And so it was, a week later, Callum's scarf no longer wrapped around his neck, but around their wrists and hands as they spoke their vows in front of friends, family, and loved ones, binding them to love and cherish each other for the rest of their lives together, in Sarai's memory and name.
Less than a year later, the scarf was off Callum's neck once again, this time carefully wrapped around Queen Sarai's namesake, Callum and Rayla's newborn daughter.