Disclaimer: I don't own the Book of Life or any of the characters
Gravepainters Month: Vows
"You look stunning, my lady!"
"She's right. You're an absolute vision!"
La Muerte smiled at the complements her handmaidens gave her. "Thank you, girls." She looked at herself back in the mirror and unconsciously smoothed out any wrinkles in her dress.
The dress itself was very beautiful. The many dress makers that had worked on it had really outdid themselves. It was a very pale yellow in color with slightly darker yellow swirls, similar to the ones that decorate her face and body, that descended all the way down to the hem. It had a long train much like her usual outfit with a ring of candles resting on it along with marigolds and tiny skulls. Even more marigolds circled around her waist and traveled all the down to the bottom.
The two large marigold flowers in her hair were still there, but this time they connecting the long, gauzy veil that went down all the way to the tips of her raven colored locks. Her hair was just done in it's simple low ponytail as she admits that the licorice stands are so long and thick that even some of her best hair dressers have a hassle with it sometimes and the simpler the hairstyle the better. Besides she sure her husband to be won't mind at all.
'Husband.' La Muerte closes her eyes and savors that word. 'It's hard to believe this day is finally here.'
She and Xibalba had waited for this day for so long and to think it was finally that time...it seemed almost unreal.
'But it is real.' She mentally chides herself a little. 'This is the moment we've both been waiting for.'
A knock on the door caused the goddess to open her eyes and snap her out of her thoughts. "Enter!" she called out.
The door opened and in came a tall, youthful-looking and beautiful woman, clad in richly colored clothes with feathers and flowers adorning all over her outfit. This was Xochiquetzal or Xochi as most called her for short, the goddess of love.
"Oh, La Muerte!" She said the moment she stepped into the room. "You look so beautiful! You're really going to knock Xibalba dead out there." Here Xochi paused and thought about what she said for a second before she giggled. "If you'll pardon my pun."
La Muerte laughed as well. "It's quite alright, Xochi. I'm hoping he'll be impressed."
"Oh, I'm sure he will be. I just came up here to see if your ready. We should be ready to start in just a few minutes."
The sugar skull goddess felt heart skip a beat and her eyes slipped shut once more. 'It's time..."
"La Muerte?"
She reopened her eyes to see Xochi and her handmaidens staring at her with slightly concerned expressions on their faces. "Yes?"
"Are you okay?" Xochi asked. "Your hands are trembling."
La Muerte looked down and saw her hands were indeed shaking. "I'm fine. It's just I'm a little nervous."
Relief passed over the other goddess' face before she broke out into a smile. "Oh, sweetheart that normal. Every woman gets pre wedding jitters on their big day!"
"She right, my lady." one of the skeleton girls said.
"But don't worry. Everything going to turn out just fine!" Xochi assured.
La Muerte nodded. "I know."
Trumpets could suddenly be heard from where they playing downstairs and all four of the women knew what that meant.
"Well, it's time for us to head down." Xochi said. "Are you ready?"
The queen of the Remembered moved to grab her bouquet of yellow and red flowers from one of the handmaidens before she took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She looked at her fellow deity with a determined glow in her golden orbs and said in a sure tone, "I'm ready."
Xibalba had never felt so nervous in his entire life. Dressed in his usual armor and cloak (La Muerte had said that he didn't really need to dress up and she was fine with whatever he decided to wear.) he was trying his hardest not to fidget especially since there were so many people, both the remembered souls and gods alike, probably watching him. But he still couldn't seem to stop his long fingers from flittering up and down his snake staff like frantic spiders.
"Xibalba, dude, you need to chill out."
Xibalba whipped his head around to glare at the god next to him. "I can't 'chill out', Candle Maker! How can you expect me to be calm at a time like this?!"
The Candle Maker shrugged while the Book of Life floated near his head. "I just don't get what you're gettin' all worked up about."
"Incase you haven't notice but I'm getting married today and there's so much that could go wrong! What if..." The tar deity turned away slightly, hunching over a little and his voice got very quiet. "What if...she changed her mind. What if she doesn't show up?"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, slow your roll there, man! Now you're just talkin' crazy!" Candle Maker placed a large hand on Xibalba's shoulder, much to the dark god's annoyance, but he didn't pull away. "Look you love La Muerte right?"
"Of course I do!"
"And you know she loves you too, right?"
"...Yes, I know."
An easygoing grin appeared on the wax god's face. "Then there nothing to be worried about. Trust me, she'll be here."
Although Xibalba had never been overly fond of the Candle Maker, he had to admit to himself that he did feel a little bit better to hear those words.
Trumpets where sounded off and the Candle Maker removed his hand off Xibalba's shoulder so he and the Book could take their place behind the pedestal while Xibalba placed his staff off to the side and found himself standing up a lot straighter. A hush fell over the crowd and everyone turned their head to stare at the double doors behind them.
One musician began to play the "Wedding March" and the doors opened.
Xibalba's red skulls eyes rotated forward while his wings flared out and he felt his heart stop dead in his chest.
La Muerte...she looked like an angel.
The beautiful goddess before him was slowly making her way down the red carpeted aisle way while the two little skeleton girls in front of her where showering the floor with flower petals. La Muerte kept looking at him the entire time with a smile on her face and a glow of happiness shining in her eyes.
Xibalba felt a nudge at his arm and it was then he remembered to pick up his jaw from the floor and tuck his wings back behind him. When she finally reached him, she handed her bouquet to someone off to the side and he reached out to take a hold of her hands.
They stay facing each other as the Candle Maker started to announce, "My dearest friends! We are gathered here today to celebrate this momentous occasion of King Xibalba and Queen La Muerte to be bound in holy matrimony..."
The Candle Maker continued to talk, but Xibalba barely registered what he was saying as he was too focused on the woman in front of him. This all seemed like some vivid dream. Was this really happening right now?
La Muerte seemed to know what he was thinking and she gave his hands a small squeeze while her eyes seem to say, "This isn't a dream. I'm real and this is really happening."
He smiled and she smiled back just as the Candle Maker said, "You may now exchange vows."
Their vows to each other were simple. To promise to love each through the good times and the bad ones. To cherish one another and to help overcome any obstacles they may face. To respect, to encourage and to stay with another for eternity.
Once they were finished, Candler Maker turned to Xibalba. "Do you, Xibalba take La Muerte to be your wife?"
The king didn't hesitate to answer. "I do."
The book keeper turned to La Muerte. "Do you, La Muerte take Xibalba to be your husband?"
The queen didn't hesitate either. "I do."
Candle Maker smiled widely and spread out his arms. "Then by the power vested in me, by the Book of Life, I hereby pronounce you husband and wife! Go on and kiss your girl, Xibalba!"
Xibalba barely stopped himself from rolling his eyes, but nevertheless leaned down just as La Muerte came forward were their lips meet in a soft, but passionate kiss.
Cheers and whistles broke out loudly around them and they pulled away to see that everyone was standing up from their seats, clapping and some were throwing their sombreros into the air.
The two newly wedded gods turned to crowd, linking arms with one another as they started to walk back down the aisle, knowing that today was the day that marked were they would start a new chapter of their lives together.
Author's Notes: A day late, but that's okay. I'm pretty proud of this one. Hope you guys like it!
