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I'll be leaving for FedCon (my very first Convention *g* and I know I'm going to hate the con itself, although I will get to meet Marina Sirtis :D) on Thursday and won't be back until Monday and since tomorrow is a national Holiday over here (The Netherlands) I won't post any chapters then either….which means the last two chapts will be posted next Tuesday. In the mean time…please review! :-)

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Chapt. 35

"Dea?" Are you ready?"

Troi swallowed and checked her appearance in the mirror one last time and smoothed the last fold out her skirt. She wore a translucent white wedding dress; a compromise between her culture and Will's. During the ceremony everyone would wear clothes; during the bonding ceremony that would follow however, everyone would discard their clothes, the people who didn't want to were free to leave. "Yes." She answered quietly.

Together the two women descended down the stairs, a time Beverly spend in awe "I'm still not used to this house" she admitted slightly flushed "it's so beautiful." Deanna hardly heard her, the thumping of her heart blocking out nearly all other sounds.

At the exit into the garden at then end of the hallway Lwaxana Troi was waiting impatiently and as soon as her daughter was within reach she grabbed her wrist and laid her forehead against Deanna's. The elder Troi whispered an ancient Betazoid chant, then straightened and took off the crown like jewel she was wearing and placed in on Deanna's head. Then she took of the solid golden-colored necklace and handed it to Beverly, who accepted the pointed jewel and fastened in around Deanna's slender neck. Within two weeks Deanna would have her own versions of the two Fifth House heirlooms, but per tradition she wore her mother's on her wedding day.

Now that Deanna was ready, dressed up as the Daughter of the Fifth House, Beverly was surprised to see Lwaxana pick up an onyx chalice –she hadn't thought the chalice to be for real—.  Lwaxana began to make her way down the aisle, holding the chalice in front of her stomach with two hands. When she had reached the plateau on which the ceremony would take place, Beverly turned to Deanna and squeezed her shoulder slightly. "See you in a couple of minutes" she promised and followed Lwaxana.

Because Deanna was a Daughter, the ceremony was slightly different from normal Betazoid weddings. Instead of summoning the bride to the aisle Beverly had to question Will's love for Deanna. Only if he answered her questions satisfactory would Lwaxana give him the Chalice of Rixx, in which the Rings of Betazed were lying.

Deanna would then be summoned and deem Riker worthy enough, if she did so he would give her the Rings (and because he was human, a traditional wedding ring as well) and then, so seal the marriage Deanna would put her hands against Will's on the Chalice and they would rest their foreheads against each other before sharing their first kiss as a married couple.

Personally, Beverly felt that the ceremony was more romantic –albeit a little sexist, but then Betazed was a matriarchal society—than the traditional Earth one.

"William Thomas Riker" she called, and waited for the bearded captain to appear "what is your purpose here today?"

He lifted his chin slightly and clasped his hands behind his back, locking sky-blue eyes with her own. He knew, just as well as she did, that the honesty of his answers were being monitored by both Chandra Xerx and Reittan Grax. "My purpose is to marry Deanna Troi, daughter of Lwaxana and Ian Andrew Troi, Daughter of the Fifth House of Betazed, Holder of the Sacred Chalice or Rixx, Heir to the Rings of Betazed and the woman I want to spent the rest of my life with."

"Did you not promise her to marry her before?" They had known this would be asked, for tradition required it, yet she didn't want to ask it. Riker on the other hand seemed all too eager to answer.

"I did, but although I broke my promise to her, I never stopped loving her."