"Would you stop that! Working here." Deuce growled as he slapped away Lisa's hand.

Imagine my surprise when Deuce the don't-you-fuck-up-or-I'll-fuck-you-up Oba insisted on helping me get ready for the wedding. But he had, and I wasn't dumb enough to ask for his motive.

Lisa had let out a little shriek at being pushed away. "You just told me to adjust-" she began before the aging the chimp cut her off.

"I changed my mind." He said as he made sure my hair framed my face neatly.

"Lisa, stop messing with Deuce." Cornelia chided as she made sure my dress was fitting properly.

"What? Me-?!" she began to protest.

"Yes, you." She said. "Now let the ape be and help me make sure this fits correctly."

"Guys, please, you've all done so much." I said, glancing down at myself. I have no idea how they did it, but someone did manage to find a white doe. They were unbelievably rare and to find one just in time like this was the absolute epitome of uncanny coincidence. Most of the pelt was clean and unstained when it was brought in. I had started helping the apes learn how to make and shoot bows and arrows. It was an arrow that had struck down the doe, and it was quickly skinned and turned into a dress.

It was beautiful. The deer had never lost her youth spots, even though she had been full grown when brought in, and the beautiful pale tan spots wrapped around my waist like a belt. None of the doe went to waist. Her bones were quickly bleached and cleaned and turned into beads and the pieces that now went into the necklace and matching bracelet on my neck and wrist. The beads had been woven into the neat little braids in my hair.

I hadn't wanted to be too dolled up. I wanted to do this looking the way I am, not all glamoured up. So we had decided to leave my hair down. Some of it fell over my shoulders, the rest cascaded down my back, shiny and smooth thanks to an hour and a half of intent grooming.

Blue Eyes had gone out hunting on his own a week and a half ago, and ran into a band of three lone wolves running together. He had downed all three, and the sweetheart had donated their furs to me. Two of them were added to the inside of my homemade jackets, giving the insulation they had been lacking. I had loved the idea he had proposed for them when he gave them to me. But alas, one of the wolves had been white furred, and as soon as Cornelia seen it, she knew what it's destiny was. It was sewn into the waist area of the dress, making my hips flare out even more than they already did.

On my feet were a new pair of moccasin boots wrapped delicately with the scraps left by the females who had sewn my dress. Even earrings were painstakingly carved once Deja found the piercings in my ears. Two pairs of earrings had been made, one pair was short but dangled from my ear and the other pair were two identical silhouettes of doves in flight (a request made not by Blue Eyes but by Ash). I couldn't choose between the two, so Deja had helped me to safely pierce my lobes a second time. Bodily piercings weren't relatively new to apes, so it was a nice touch. I now wore both pairs of jewelry in my ears.

The bracelet was carved to resemble a wreath of vines wrapping themselves daintily around my wrist. The necklace started near my collar bones and were made of cylindrical bone pendants that got longer as they went down, dipping into an elegant triangular shape down my chest.

The last touch to all of this was the ceremonial blue and white paint that was tattooed onto my skin. The back of my hand had thick strokes of light blue paint, outlined and/or detailed with thinner strokes of white. The paint drew intricate patterns up my arms, over my shoulders and down to draw a pretty pattern around my necklace. The paint also went down my midriff and legs, of course, that was covered by the dress, but I liked it anyway. The paint also streaked down my back and flowed out right above my butt. Even the back of my neck was painted.

There weren't any mirrors in the village, so I had no way of knowing what was painted on my face. Butterflies were swirling in my stomach with a vengeance as I stood before Cornelia, Deuce and Lisa. I hoped I looked okay, the desire to look presentable at one's wedding was an artificial instinct carved into humans. Both male and female, no matter how much one denied it, deep down a part of them wanted to look good for their betrothed. The only clue as to what I looked like was in the faces of these three apes.

Lisa and Cornelia seemed like their faces would break, and they seemed to think so too, because both held their cheeks with wide, face-splitting smiles. Deuce looked on with a smug, self-prideful expression. I took in a deep breath and let it out.

"How do I look?" I asked timidly, wondering at how steady my hands were. I expected them to shake as much as my core was trembling.

"Beautiful!" Cornelia gushed.

I looked down and tried to hide the smile that stretched my face.

"He's gonna love it." Lisa signed as she approached me, giving me a wink.

"You think so?" I asked shyly.

"We know so." Deuce signed.

Deuce had been surprisingly nice to me. I had been shocked when he wanted to help me get ready, but I wasn't about to say no to him. This just told me that he wasn't completely crabby all the time, and I was grateful for his help. Cornelia turned and grabbed something from the table. She walked up to me and placed a simple wreath of blue and white flowers in my hair. The sweet smell that emanated from the delicate bulbs made me smile.

"It's almost time." Cornelia said when she glanced out the window.

"Breathe, Rain." Lisa said, when she seen the look on my face.

"I don't think I remember how." I replied.

"Easy, everything's okay. Are you having second thoughts?" Lisa asked.

"No, of course not!" I gasped. "I'm just...really nervous. What if I mess up? What if I get dizzy again? What if I don't remember what to do?"

"Rain, relax. This is normal. It's just wedding jitters." Cornelia said. "Once you two see each other, everything will be fine. I promise."

I drew in a deep breath. "Okay, okay. You're right, everything is okay. I don't know why I'm so nervous. I'm really excited, too." I said, trying not to bounce on the balls of my feet.

Suddenly I heard a calling hoot at the doorway, and turned to see Ash crouching with a supplicating palm lifted upward. Cornelia, who was closest, waved him in. When he seen me, he stopped, a wide grin slowly stretching his face as he scanned me up and down

"Angel, you're gonna put the poor guy on his knees." He signed. "You look amazing."

"You can thank them for that." I signed back, smiling happily. I gestured to the three chimpanzees in the room with me. Deuce grunted in a 'you had better give me credit' sort of way.

Ash turned to them. "It's nearly time. I was sent to make sure everything is in order."

"She's ready." Deuce grunted.

"Alright, everyone out, we have to get there before Rain. Ash, will you escort her?" Cornelia said.

"Yes, Aunt Cornelia." The light furred chimp signed, for once not cracking a joke.

With that, Deuce dragged Lisa out, but Cornelia stayed a moment longer. She approached me with a watery smile and held my cheeks in her hands, careful of the paint. "You are so beautiful, my daughter."

"Oh, God I think I'm gonna cry..." I muttered right before I attacked her with a hug. Deuce let out a chastising hoot at the possibility of messing up the paint decorating my body, but I ignored him. Cornelia returned the hug tightly, chuckling amusement at my reaction to her words. I bit back tears, feeling fantastically happy that Cornelia thought of me as such. She pulled away, and I stepped back, inclining my head to her on instinct.

The gentle queen gave another soft laugh at that, and wished me luck before ushering the others out. I was left with Ash, and he smiled at me when eye contact was established.

"Excited?" He asked.

I nodded. "Nervous as hell, but yeah, I'm really excited."

"You'll be fine. It's Blue Eyes I'm worried about. He's nervous too, he can't wait." Ash said with a smirk. "Don't tell him I told you that."

"He is? Really?" I replied, hearing my voice heighten slightly.

"Awe, look at you. Your face lit up." Ash laughed.

I tried to hide my smile and looked away. "No it didn't."

"Yeah it did."

"Nu-uh"

"Yuh-huh"

"Mm-mm."

"Mmhmm."

"Are we seriously doing this?" I broke off, laughing.

"We're so mature." He said sarcastically. The ape moved to the window and looked out.

"Okay, we need to leave now." He signed.

I took another deep breath and nodded. Ash led me down the stairs of Home Tree and to the village ground. We passed through the Gates, and the few Gorilla Guards that remained here to protect the village smiled and nodded. One even commented on how nice I looked. I smiled and thanked him and returned the acknowledgements and greetings I received. Ash led me through the forest, higher up the mountain. We reached a copse of thin, tall redwoods, and it was then I heard the drums. They beat a steady, joyful rhythm.

"I can't breathe." I said, feeling my heart trying to escape my chest, attempting desperately to break the barrier that was my ribs and flutter away. Blood roared in my ears to the breakneck beat of my pulse, the addition of the drums made me wonder if I could go deaf from this.

Ash took my arm and wound it through his, resting his hand on my wrist to offer more comfort. "It'll be fine." He said as we continued up the path. "He loves you. That's what this is, about. Not politics. To him, this is about you, and him. You'll be fine, Angel."

I looked at him, lips parted in surprise. Blue Eyes felt the same? I smiled at my best friend, grateful to have him here and in my life. I felt another rush of happiness that he was alive, I don't know what I would do without the wonderful idiot. They're both idiots, I thought. But they're my idiots.

"What if I trip and fall?" I whimpered, doubts about myself starting to filter through slightly.

"You won't. I'll catch you, I promise." He squeezed my wrist reassuringly.

Feeling slightly better about the walk women either await impatiently or dread, I lifted my head and took another deep breath. "Thanks, Ash."

"Anytime, Angel."

When we got to the top of the path, the redwood copse gave in to a stone clearing. A wall of rock stretched up for thirty feet, and we stood on a plateau that dropped down twenty five feet. The cliff wall was decorated with pictograms, depicting what was taking place today. Torches lined the area, even though we had a few hours left before the sun dipped below the horizon for the day. A bonfire was lit a few feet away from the wall, burning brightly and passionately in the small breeze that swept through the mountain.

Apes flooded the area. Most, if not everyone in the village was present. Apes of all kinds were lined up in the form of an isle of sorts, drumming out the rhythm that beat like a heart through the stone under our feet and echoed off the rock into the world. At the end of the isle, in front of the blazing fire, was Blue Eyes and Caesar. The king was in the spot where a priest would normally be in a human wedding. Hoots rang out into the humming air, calling our arrival to attention. I breathed in deeply and prayed Ash wouldn't need to keep his promise about catching me if I fell. I looked up and got caught up in two pools of the brightest sky. He was wide eyed, and his lips were parted slightly in a little pout. It reminded me of the first day I had met him, both of us fascinated with the idea of one another.

Blue paint was streaked down his arms and chest, as well a thin streak of blue and white starting at one cheekbone, across his nose and to the other cheekbone. A wreath similar to my own was on his head, made of leafy vines and spotted with a few small wild flowers that naturally grew on the vines selected. The bonfire was casting a familiar glow to his features, one that left his irises to pop nicely. All I could think was, Damn, he looks good. Why don't we use the blue paint more often?

Ash gave my wrist another comforting squeeze, offering me some much appreciated strength just before dropping me off in front of the bonfire. Ash moved to Blue Eyes' side of the fire, joining a few other peers, most of which I knew. My father and brother and Ellie were at my side, besides Maurice and Luca and a few other council members. In the crowd, I had spotted about six human representatives, the four I had met before and two more men.

The drumming went on for a few seconds longer before they ceased with a resonating boom, and the whole world seemed to freeze. This moment now was nothing like I had anticipated. I had thought for sure I'd be fighting not to fidget and I thought I would have been attacked by an onslaught of nervous, rioting butterflies. But there were none of those symptoms present. My heart rate had calmed considerably, and the well of worries that had been filling up my head so speedily now ran dry.

Blue Eyes held my fingers with his as I gazed up into his clear crystalline orbs. Icy cool mountain air flowed through my lungs and I felt refreshed and renewed. An almost lethargic contentedness came over me, and I almost forgot to listen to Caesar when he spoke.

"Today, we join these two colonies, by joining these two heirs, in marriage. Most know, these two grew very close, very quickly. From friends, to best friends, and now, to mates. This union, is not only, to commence, the beginning of our treaty, of peace, with the human colony, it is to bring together, two younglings, who love each other." The king's voice rang out true and clear, and the mountain stone around us gave wonderful acoustics.

"I acknowledge, this bond. Let it be known. This marks, the beginning, of harmonious years, between apes. And humans." Caesar then dropped his hands from where he had been holding them up, and nodded at us with a smile.

I gave a squeeze to Blue Eyes' hands right before we stepped toward each other. His head ducked down and we laid our foreheads against one another. My new husband surprised me when one hand shot up and cupped my cheek, pulling my jaw gently forward and crashing his lips onto mine. My brows rose in surprise, but my eyes soon fell closed and one hand reached up to rest on his bicep and the other on his scarred and painted pectoral. Blue Eyes' other hand went to lightly hold my hip. Tingles shot through me, causing me to let out a little noise of approval. The kiss didn't last very long, but it was one of the best of my life. It had surprised me because normally there wasn't a kiss at the end of the ceremony, but I wasn't complaining in the slightest.

We pulled apart to the amused chuckles of the colony. When our moment of intimacy was over, Caesar raised his arms again. "Behold, our newest couple!"

Cheers and hoots and barks of jubilant joy rang out over the mountain, and Blue Eyes pulled me to him as the apes happily advanced. They laid their hands on us in welcome and acceptance, passing by and around the bonfire where some Gorilla Guards would escort small bands at a time home safely. I laughed happily when I felt a tug at my dress and looked down to see young Pericles, standing straight up. He only reached just above my knees, but I reached down and let him hold my hand for a moment before he turned and reached up toward a large gorilla.

"See, Father? I told you she was pretty!" He signed.

The gorilla chuckled. "Yes, you did." He answered his child. "Congratulations, you two." He added, reaching out and giving a squeeze to each of our shoulders.

We thanked him graciously, and it was only when they passed through the crowd had I realized the chimp had called the gorilla Father. Now that I thought about it, that could have been the reason for Peri's slightly odd coloration. He was half chimp, and half gorilla. I didn't get long to dwell on my new discovery, because I suddenly realized something else. Most knew about Brent's strong feelings for Deja, and they were a bonobo and a chimpanzee. No one seemed to mind.

That's when I realized something about the people I lived with. They were apes. Not humans. There were many similarities between our two species, including the way they thought about things. But they came from different view points. Both Blue Eyes and I had greatly underestimated our brethren. They didn't give a damn about what anyone looked like. There was love, and there was friendship and there was companionship. The likely reason for the colony's initial hesitation and agitation when the humans came to work on the dam was because of past experiences. It had been easier on them when Dax and I arrived because we came in a small number and I think our ages helped as well. My oldest brother and I also had complied with their demands and there were no real hiccups or undermining of ape authority.

Apes didn't really know discrimination like humans did either. Like I had said before, no one gave a damn. My thoughts had caused a smile to be sent in hopes of breaking my face, and it felt like it might succeed. I was tucked into Blue Eyes' side as we both accepted welcomes and blessings and congratulations from many apes. To say we were pleasantly surprised was an understatement. It took about an hour and fifteen minutes for the entire colony to move through. Ape weddings didn't normally take so long, but this was a special and important occasion, so the whole colony had attended.

Soon the only ones left was the council, the humans, Ash, Caesar and a few remaining Gorilla Guards. Ellie immediately pulled me into a hug.

"You look so gorgeous!" My aunt gushed.

"Thanks." I laughed before getting scooped up by Alexander. He twirled around with me in his arms just to try to make me dizzy. He and Dax used to that when I was smaller. They would gather me up into their arms and they would spin me around until I was laughing and falling and wondering if I would lose my last meal.

"And I never even got to threaten him." Alex said as he hugged me. I laughed at his words and hugged him back, giving his cheek a kiss. When Alex loosened his grip on me, I turned to see Father talking with Blue Eyes. I watched both their expressions, trying to figure out the nature of their conversation, but I got nothing but blankness from both. But then my father smiled and reached out toward the blue eyed prince. He clapped him on the shoulder and gave it a squeeze.

"Welcome to the family." I heard him say.