Chapter 52

On the beach, T'Soni estate, Thrassica – very late evening, two days before Janaris

Shepard looked around the semi-circle of people gathered in the flickering light of the fire. Standing close to her mother was Jamie and Garrus on the other side of Liara Liselle and Tash and facing them all was the tall, elegant and imposing figure of High Priestess El'Estrene.

Liara faced Shepard and said quietly, "the day after tomorrow will be for public eyes and will mean no less to me but tonight is how we both wanted it to be, this is for us my love," Shepard felt her breath catch in her chest and butterflies found their wings in her stomach as she was bathed in the beauty and love of the woman who was her soul mate.

"We know there are others who are important to you Commander and they will have their chance to stand with you on Janaris but we felt this ought to be the closest circle of blood," the priestess spoke to Shepard who reached her hand out to squeeze Garrus's shoulder.

"Yes and some blood connections are made during a lifetime," Shepard said to her friend, "This wouldn't have been the same without you Vakarian."

He replied softly his flanged tones only slightly wavering, "always got your back Shepard."

The small group all turned to face the Priestess. Liara was still holding her hand and Shepard took a steadying breath.

The High Priestess raised her hands and softly sang the opening prayers joined by Liselle and Liara. As with all Asari singing it held an 'other worldly' quality and always resonated in the deepest part of Shepard's soul.

Shepard stole a glance at her mother who was holding baby John and was rewarded with a beaming smile from her mother and the sight of her small son completely focussed on the Priestess stillness and calm on his tiny features.

As the opening prayers died away Priestess El'Estrene began the formal ceremony. Shepard and Liara had discussed at length what kind of bonding ceremony they wanted and had decided on a mix of the old and more modern conventions.

"Who stands witness to the commitment to this bonding for Auca'poma Shepard," the Priestess looked at the proud figure of Hannah Shepard standing at her daughters shoulder.

"I do with my blessings," Hannah said in a strong voice, "and I will bear witness to their bond."

"Who stands witness to the commitment to this bonding for Sandeep'Abhiti T'Soni," the Priestess looked to Liselle who was standing next to her sister but it was only at that moment they all realised that Matriarch T'Joan who was to be Liara's witness had not arrived.

A moment's silence and then from the edge of darkness just beyond the pool of light came a familiar voice but speaking in a very unfamiliar tone.

"I do with my blessings," Aria T'Loak moved into the light and stood next to her daughter, "and I will bear witness to their bond."

Liara felt a rush of love for her father who had come at her request and probably against the Pirate Queen's better judgement.

"Thank you," Liara said quietly.

Aria shook her head slowly cupping the young Asari's face in her hands and kissed Liara on the forehead and said, "you have nothing to thank me for Liara, she would be so proud of you." And not trusting her voice any further Aria turned to face the Priestess.

Matriarch T'Joan had also slipped into the circle taking Tash's place next to Liselle. Tash moved to Shepard's side of the line now that Liara had her three witnesses.

The questions that Tash had about Aria turning up at the bonding ceremony could wait and she put them from her mind as the ceremony moved forward.

The Priestess indicated that Shepard and Liara should face each other and as they did Shepard reached out with her left hand and Liara with her right. Each holding the others hand as if they were about to engage in an arm wrestling contest.

The Priestess placed a beautifully carved, wide, silver bracelet which easily encased both their wrists and a few a hands span up their forearms.

The tattoo bracelet would biotically tattoo the couples agreed design around their wrists. This oldest form of bonding mark was one they both wanted rather than the more modern equivalents of removable bracelets.

As the tattooing bracelet did its work the couple spoke their bonding vows.

"You are my burning sun, my light in the darkness, my faith, my hope," Liara said a faint smile playing around her lips, her blue eyes as deep as Shepard had ever seen them.

"All that I have been, all that I am and all I will ever be is yours and yours and yours my love, for every eternity," Shepard said sensing rather than hearing the faint chorus of prayer singing now strengthened by the addition of Aria and Seninnth's voices.

Liara spoke again as she felt the Asari prayers tingling through her body, "our souls beat with a pulsar's power, our minds joined across time and space, every eternity."

"You are my beginning, my end, darkness is not you," Shepard said.

Still maintaining her soft chanting Priestess El'Estrene moved forward and removed the tattoo bracelet as both Shepard and Liara spoke together.

"I am yours; you are the purest part of me. Love is the path I walk with you, will always walk with you, two souls bound in love." As they finished speaking so the singing stopped and the silence was only broken by the soft sounds of the bonfire.

The Priestess raised her hands over their heads, palms down, and in a voice that carried up into the night sky she spoke in a language that the universal translator couldn't recognise and neither was it ancient Asari. Even Aria couldn't recognise it but the words and sounds held such power everyone in the circle felt them physically.

As she spoke the last word the Priestess clapped her hands together over the bowed heads in front of her, the sound cracking into the silence, as she parted her hands a field of rippling blue energy grew.

The field cascaded down over Shepard and Liara bathing them completely. The final Asari prayers began and everyone joined in. Priestess El'Estrene, Seninnth, Aria and Liselle used the ancient form of their language and as usual sang the prayer.

Garrus spoke the prayer from memory in his native tongue and the humans spoke in Earth Standard, Shepard and Tash from memory whilst Hannah and Jamie referred to the text on their Omni tools.

And yet to each ear it was as if they heard only one tongue and not through their universal translators.

"Lead us from unreal to Real,

Lead us from darkness to the Light,

Lead us from the fear of death,

To knowledge of Immortality.

You are my mother and my father

You are my family and my friend

You are my knowledge and my wealth

You are my all, all is one"

As the prayer moved to its second section wisps of the shimmering energy that still held Shepard and Liara sprang out on either side snaking around the wrists of Aria, Liselle and Garrus. Each end of the thin rope of biotic energy ending their journey around each wrist of the High Priestess who seemed not the slightest bit surprised.

On the last phrase of the prayer she once again clapped her hands together and the biotic field and its wispy tendrils shimmered away to darkness.

Liara looked across at the Priestess and felt a jolt of something, recognition, connection that had not been there before the ceremony and then as quickly it melted away.

The Priestess appeared to stagger forward and both Shepard and Aria moved to support her.

"That was a powerful ceremony Priestess… what was that prayer?" Aria asked her voice calm and conversational but her eyes searching and focussed on the Priestess.

The Priestess looked at Aria with a puzzled expression, "the usual bonding… I… I think I need to…"

"We can talk about the ceremony later Aria let's get Lady Nara up to the house," Matriarch T'Joan spoke as she moved and took Aria's place supporting the Priestess.

The Priestess looked around at the concerned faces and a warm smile spread across her face and said in her more usual tones, "Now then all is well… I am just a little exhausted… let us not forget our newly bonded pair," and with that the previous tension dissipated.

Liara and Shepard smiled at each other and a growing murmur of congratulations bubbled around them. Liara once again felt a familiar need thrill through her body, a heat beginning to burn in her core as she reached out and pulled Shepard into a deep burning need filled kiss.

Shepard felt as if she'd been physically jolted by the power of Liara's need and for a moment they both lost themselves in the growing sensations of desire and connection.

Pulling apart and smiling their thanks at the onslaught of well-wishing only one pair of eyes had noticed the fire between them and Aria leaned in to speak quietly to Shepard.

"Her mother was exactly the same, make the most of it," Aria gave a quiet throaty laugh at Shepard's embarrassed and non plussed expression, "it's the mating hormones, affects everyone differently." Aria's eyes had a distant look for a moment as she continued, "the first luna cycle after she became pregnant with Liara she was… well it seems you have an idea what she was like."

Liara was pulling her coat around the now sleeping baby whom she had taken from Hannah as she turned and said, "And what was my mother like Aria?" Liara said a smile playing around her lips. She received only a blank stare from Aria and a nervous shuffling of feet from Shepard. "You will come up to the house won't you," Liara said in a quieter tone a slight pleading edge in her voice and her eyes.

On many different levels Aria wanted to go up to the house so long barred to her and not only to spend a little more time with her daughter but also to ask El'Estrene about the end of the ceremony. But it was dangerous and she was about to decline when Matriarch T'Joan said loudly to everyone but glancing at Aria.

"I'm afraid we will have to fend for ourselves back at the house I gave all the staff the night off and told them not to come into the main house so that we could keep the ceremony completely secret."

"Yes little wing I'll come up to the house with you," Aria said so quietly only Liara and Shepard heard her. Her lapse into tenderness seemed to shake Aria who immediately moved away and moved to help Matriarch T'Joan walk the still shaky Priestess off the beach and up through the trees.

As they too began to make their way back up to the house Liara slipped her right hand into Shepard's left and they both felt the slight burn of residual biotic energy from their bonding tattoos. It was a strange yet comforting sensation this physical representation of their connection and commitment to each other.

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They headed for the smaller cosier sitting room once back at the house and for the first time Shepard saw that the fire had been lit.

Settled into one of the arm chairs Priestess El'Estrene was looking much better but Shepard had a strong sense of unease coming from the normally very calm Matriarch.

"Tea Lady Nara," Shepard asked and was rewarded with a gentle smile.

"Seninnth is getting me one but thank you for asking Shepard."

Liara was settling the still sleeping baby onto an arm chair surrounding his little body by cushions to contain him should he begin to toss and turn as she turned to speak, "I insist that you stay in one of our guest rooms Lady Nara."

"That is kind of you I believe I will," El'Estrene replied with another gentle smile.

Liara stood up and made an Asari blessing, "you honour our home with your presence High Priestess," it was the required formal response but Liara added a broad smile and leaned down to kiss the Priestess on the cheek, "thank you so much for bonding us Lady Nara."

"It was my pleasure Liara," El'Estrene said and turned to take her tea from Matriarch T'Joan.

Shepard heard fragments of conversations from around the room, only half listening, trying to put words to the things she was sensing in the room.

Aria was talking to her mother and although engaged in the conversation Shepard had the distinct impression that the Asari's focus was still on the High Priestess.

Garrus, Liara, Liselle and Tash were discussing which night club was the best in the Asari capital, Larissa, and planning a night out to decide for themselves.

But again Shepard had the sense of something not being said, perhaps not even recognised as bubbling under the surface of their thoughts. She began to feel besieged, overwhelmed with feelings that she knew weren't her own.

With a jolt she knew that Jamie, who was standing with her, was at that moment thinking, no it was more like feeling, something about Kasumi.

"Whoa you really care about her don't you?" Shepard said without thinking.

Jamie looked shy and a little embarrassed but replied with a smile, "yes I think I love her… that's weird coz I was just thinking about Kas and…" he started to look puzzled and Shepard covered quickly.

"Hey doesn't take a giant leap of intuition to know that Jamie," she smiled at her younger cousin who was so different from Tash, "does she feel the same way?"

His face lit up with a huge grin and he sighed, "I think she does… it's sort of… well… wonderful."

Shepard smiled and gave him a one arm hug saying, "it sure is," as her eyes drifted to her, now, bondmate.

Shepard's eyes drifted once more to her mother and Aria who were still deep in conversation but as she watched they seemed to come to a full stop, nodded to each other and then Hannah spoke to the room.

"Well come on people we have another very busy day tomorrow," she smiled at Shepard, "and I finally get to visit my daughters other great love, the Normandy."

Jamie gathered the baby up from the chair and both Shepard and Liara said goodnight to him and the baby; Liara kissing the tiny forehead and Shepard stroking the soft downy cheek.

Aria spoke briefly with Liselle and Tash and seemed to usher them from the room, Hannah and Garrus saying brief goodnights as they followed them out of the room.

As the High Priestess began to get up from her chair Aria said, "No Priestess you're going to tell me what happened at the end of ceremony."

"Arai T'Loak that is no way to speak…" Seninnth T'Joan spoke with power and authority but Aria took no notice and cut across her.

"I need to know what happened, Nara, and as we're here now it saves me the trip I intended to make to ask you exactly the same thing in the morning." Aria's tone was neutral, not hostile, but the power and force of her personality encased them in steel.

Shepard felt Liara slip her hand into her own and they both watched as a silent struggle of will seemed to be playing out between Aria and the Priestess.

Seeming to come to a decision Lady Nara settled back into the chair, Shepard and Liara sat down on the sofa that was closest to them.

Whilst Seninnth continued to sit on the edge of her seat Aria remained standing, her tall muscled yet lithe frame, dominating the room as did her personality.

"Who did you sense Aria," to Shepard it seemed both a question that made no sense and the most logical thing she had heard since their return from the beach.

Aria was completely taken aback and scowled at the Priestess who had now completely recovered her calm and returned to her usual self-possessed self.

"What has that got to do with anything," Aria said coldly her eyes narrowing as they bore into the Priestess.

Shepard felt the room pressing in on her and a whispering started in her mind, she fought to bring her focus back to what was happening in the room.

"I believe it has everything to do with what happened, don't you?"

"This is not the time for your inscrutable nonsense Nara just answer my fucking question what the fuck happened… it wasn't you was it… that language… and why one a few of us why not bind everyone that was there?" Aria was enraged now, she wasn't used to having to ask twice and she wanted answers.

They all saw the rippling biotic field light up the outline of Aria's body and Liara made to say something but Shepard squeezed her hand and almost imperceptibly gave a quick shake of her head.

"Aria you have the answers, as you rightly judged, I have no memory of what happened after Shepard and Liara completed their personal vows." This admission was greeted by gasps from Liara and Seninnth.

Shepard once again found herself fighting to remain in the room the whispers and pain in her head now beginning to block out everything else.

The Priestess continued, "I'm sorry Aria but all your posturing and threats will not get me to an understanding of what happened any quicker… I will need time to reach back into the gap and find…" the Priestess stopped speaking and jumped up from the chair as noticed Shepard fall onto her knees on the floor her head cradled in her hands.

Liara and Lady Nara reached Shepard's side as she seemed to begin shaking and moaning in pain.

"What is it," Liara said fear etched on her face and in her voice looking into the Priestess's face.

"I think it's connected to what happened on the beach," she replied and then spoke gently to Shepard, "Commander focus on my voice, listen to my voice…"

Shepard knew she was in the room with Liara and the others, on Thessia… but it was as if she'd fallen into her nightmare even though she was awake.

The voices in the room calling her back began to fade and she fell deeper and deeper into the nightmare of witnessing numberless Reaper invasions and their destruction of countless unknown civilisations and the same time feeling the fear and the pain and the grief.

The screams of the frightened and dying drowned out everything else yet for the first time she wasn't alone. Shepard tried to look to her side where she sensed another presence but couldn't move her head. And still all around her the scenes of decimation and death continued on its loop first started by the visions from the Prothean beacon.

And then she heard it, faint at first growing more strongly, from whoever stood by her side, she heard the words…

Shepard made a gasping strained attempt to shout out and at first it was only another moan but then it formed into the words… "Wake up… wake up Shepard…"

Liara looked beside herself with worry, "yes darling wake up, wake up Shepard."

Lady Nara looked up at Aria who looked frozen, her face a mask but her eyes showed the Priestess that she also sensed another presence as she had on the beach.

Shepard locked in her nightmare the voice saying the words sounded odd, multiple, a chorus of voices… "wake up Shepard, you have to wake up… you all have to wake up…"

Back in the room Shepard suddenly stopped shaking and looked around at the faces of concern and confusion around her, "we all have to wake up."

And then she collapsed into darkness, unconsciousness, no nightmare just soothing nothingness, peace.

In the room Liara cried out and Aria went to her side also kneeling beside Shepard's now prone body.

"She is alright Liara, she has passed out and will probably sleep for hours," Lady Nara spoke softly but her confidence immediately gave Liara the reassurance she wanted.

"What did you see," Aria asked, "you joined with her I saw you, just before she passed out," Aria said no accusation or anger in her voice just the question.

"I saw only what she could see," Lady Nara allowed her sadness to show momentarily in her eyes, "so many cycles of destruction seem to be etched on her soul. And… something… someone else was trying to reach her. I believe those words were a message… perhaps to all of us."

Aria shook her head slowly, "let's get her to bed and you need to rest Liara. Shepard will be fine she's tougher than she looks," with an attempt at softness that didn't come naturally to Aria she stood and helped her daughter to her feet.

High Priestess El'Estrene knew that Aria would want the answer to her questions, as would Liara and Shepard, but not tonight. And the Priestess would need time and help to try to work out what was happening.

But one thing was certain, Shepard seemed to be both focus and conduit, and Nara would need to delve deeply into the Commander's mind if she was to make sense of it.

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T'Soni house, Thessia - early morning, one day before Janaris

Shepard took a deep breath and an instant later recognised the jagged headache that seemed to indicate someone was actively trying to take off the top of her skull with a blunt instrument.

A soft familiar voice guided her back to full consciousness.

"Good morning my love, we were all worried about you," Liara moved towards the bed kneeled down to bring their faces close together.

"Mmm, either someone spiked my drink or I have a miniature Krogan in my brain trying to burrow his way out," Shepard said attempting levity and trying to focus on Liara's face.

"Here, some pain killers, Doctor Chakwas said you might have some pain this morning," Liara reached for the tablets and a glass of water as Shepard gently moved into a less prone position.

"Thanks," and as Shepard threw back the pills and the water the pain it caused was plain on her face, "not how I'd planned the first night of our married life," Shepard smiled and was rewarded by first a slightly confused look and then a wan smile.

"Ah human mating jokes, now I know you are feeling better," Liara moved and sat on the bed and smiled down at her pale looking bondmate.

"So what's the prognosis, am I just barking mad or in the first stages of being indoctrinated," Shepard had said it lightly but her fear even as she was having the experience was that she was fighting the Reapers for control of her mind.

Liara frowned "you must not joke about such things Shepard… but you must not worry about indoctrination I would know, and I see no such signs," for good measure the young Asari leaned in a kissed Shepard lightly on the lips.

"What the hell is the time Lee, I've got to…"

"You have plenty of time it is still early. Even with what Doctor Chakwas diagnosed as pressure concussion, you still do not sleep late," Liara smiled broadly and took Shepard's hand looking at the tattoos they now shared, "Oh Shepard I can not believe we are finally bondmates."

Shepard pulled Liara into her arms and whispered into the warm soft neck of her lover, "I know and… I am surprisingly headache free," she grazed her teeth across blue skin and was rewarded with a moan of pleasure, "so how about we…"

"Oh… but… are you feeling…" Liara's body responded to her bondmates arousal and all thoughts of protest disappeared as Shepard stripped the clothes from both their willing body.

Breath quickened, the heat of desire and lust rising equally between them. Hands searched out familiar places of pleasure and within moments Shepard had buried her fingers deep inside Liara's waiting hot, wet, core.

Lost in their desire and need, their love and connection driving out all negative thoughts, they found true bliss in each other's arms and in each other's souls.

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A little over an hour later Shepard was leaving the house to wait for her mother to join her for their visit to the Normandy.

Liara had already left to preside over yet another formal function at the main house Matriarch T'Joan and her personal commando guard at her side.

Walking half way down the steps into the bright sunshine Shepard pulled her cap down low almost touching the top edge of her sun protection glasses.

Behind her she heard familiar voices and she turned to wait for them to come through the front door.

"Look I'll take whatever bet you want to make, the Alliance Taipan fighters are unbeatable," the smile clear on Tash's face and in her voice.

"You are going to regret that Mikhailovich you've clearly never flown a Karait," Liselle said as they emerged into the sunshine.

Shepard was leaning against the waist high wall that edged the steps, her arms crossed over her chest, a smile on her face, "remind me again what productive activity you two will be indulging yourselves in today?"

"Hey cuz, good night," Tash said with a smirk and a telegraphed wink.

Liselle gave Tash a pretend punch to the shoulder, "hey I have no desire to know how their night went thanks… well I've managed to pull a few strings and get us access to a couple of my home Republic's fighter's."

"Yeah so we're hopping a shuttle to Serrice. I'm gonna do a fly by on Aria's estate in Amphipolis," Tash said making a face at Liselle.

Shepard shook her head slowly and said with a smile, "well, have fun children and try not to break your toys."

She watched them walk off across the lawns to where the estate shuttles were parked. They seemed so close that Shepard found it difficult to believe that there wasn't something serious between them.

A moment later her thoughts were interrupted as her mother joined her and they both continued down the steps.

"I heard about what happened, are you ok?" Hannah said with concern clear in her voice.

"Yeah, I'll get it sorted, just those damned beacons," Shepard didn't want to talk about it at the moment, "anyway never mind me what were you and Aria in a huddle about last night… you know it would be very weird if anything happened between you two?" Shepard said with a smile.

"Well she is very attractive and sexy and…" Hannah Shepard laughed loudly at the shocked expression on her daughters face, "so be careful what you joke about young woman."

"Ok, point taken. But it didn't look like chit chat," her mother knew that Aria was Liara's other parent. Shepard and Liara had been adamant they would have to tell Hannah Shepard.

"We talked about the ceremony and she seemed impressed that I had noticed Priestess El'Estrene had seemed to go into some form of trance at the end. That's why I helped to get everyone to bed so she could raise the issue with the Priestess there and then. So are we any the wiser."

"Not yet but we'll get to the bottom of it."

"Well I have to say I'm looking forward to seeing your ship but I'm particularly interested in speaking to Miranda Lawson," her mother said with an unreadable expression on her face, "why hasn't she visited the house?"

Shepard's heart sank she had completely missed that her mother might also have 'issues' with Miranda, having been so preoccupied with Liara's fury at the women.

"Ah well… Liara is not her biggest fan… the stealing DNA thing goes down really badly with the Asari in general and Liara in particular," Shepard said not managing to keep the sigh out of her voice.

"I can see how that will cause problems," Hannah said with glint in her eye and the hint of a smile both of which Shepard missed.

A/N

I only changed a word or two of the Buddhist prayer/mantra's used in this chapter and no offence was intended. They were, obviously, much better than anything I could have come up with myself. And they do capture my sense of the Asari belief system that is important to the wider storyline.

Shepard and Liara's vows were all my own work. But I did search for inspiration amongst plenty of poetry so if you recognise anything let me know.

The chapter is a little shorter than usual but I needed to end it where I did as we will move fairly quickly now to the big day… Janaris… bombs… plots… kidnapping… murder and mayhem.