Domitan of Masbolle knew he was late. He ran into the temple, straightening
his tunic as he ran. He stopped short inside the door, as he surveyed the
assembled guest. He looked up and immediately spotted Lerant of Eldorne
standing at the alter, looking pale and extremely nervous. Lerant spotted
Dom standing in the doorway, and beckoned crossly. Dom took a deep breath,
held his head high, and walked towards the alter, trying not to hear the
muttering of the guests about him, the errant Best Man. As soon as he had
taken his place next to Lerant, the man hissed, "It's 10:00! Can't you be
on time for anything? I was sweating buckets, and I nearly sent someone to
go find you!" "I'm really, really sorry," Dom whispered sheepishly. "Did I
hold things up?". Lerant sighed, and when he spoke again, he sounded
nervous instead of angry. "No, she's still getting ready. What if she's
stalling because she's changed her mind?" Before Dom could answer, the
musicians began to play, and the bride and her escort appeared in the
doorway. As Lerant beamed in relief, Dom smirked. Lerant was always
agitated about something.
"Lerant of Eldorne," began the priestess. "You are here to become husband to this woman, Keladry of Mindelan, by the grace of The Goddess." "I am," answered Lerant, and Dom allowed his thoughts to drift away from the ceremony. He scanned the audience for faces he knew. There was Raoul of Goldenlake, Kel's former knightmaster and Dom's Commander. He grinned and winked at Dom. Beside him sat Buri, his wife, the former commander of the Queen's Riders. Dom was shocked to see her dab her eyes with a handkerchief. Buri was as tough as old leather. In the second row, along with Keladry's extended family, sat Nealen of Queenscove, Dom's cousin and Kel's best friend. Next to him sat his beautiful -and exotic, Dom thought to himself- wife, Yukimi. She was smiling serenely, watching the ceremony with a look of contentment. Dom sighed, feeling slightly lonely. Bachelor life was full of freedom, but he was getting a little tired of being single, and watching all his friends and relatives marry. He was 25. Maybe it was time.
And then he saw her. There was a young woman sitting next to Buri. She was a good foot taller than the commander, even sitting down, but then most people were taller than Buri. She had long, thick, honey-gold colored hair; not blond, but not red either. She wore it loose, cascading down her back and shoulders and ending at her waist. She had creamy, pale skin, an oval shaped face, sparkling blue eyes, and a rosebud mouth. She wore a russet colored gown with wide, bell shaped sleeves and over this, she wore a thin sleeveless gold surcoat. She was very pretty, Dom noticed at once, but there was something else about her. Something that was keeping him from looking away from her. He stared at the girl for quite some time, as she watched the ceremony with a slight smile on her lovely lips. But he was forced to look away as he heard, "Dom? The ring?" He turned his head and saw Keladry, Lerant, the Priestess, and Keladry's Matron of Honor, Princess Shinkokami, all looking at him. He blushed, and mumbled, "I'm sorry, I wasn't paying attention," as he handed over the ring to Lerant. Someone in the audience giggled. Dom stared at the floor. He would never live this down.
"I now pronounce you husband and wife. Lerant, you may kiss your wife," The priestess pronounced, smiling. Lerant kissed her softly for a long moment, then took her on his arm and they walked out of the temple. Dom offered his arm to Shinkokami, who took it graciously. "Domitan of Masbolle," she whispered as they followed the bride and groom. "Are you always this clumsy, or is today special?" "I'm preoccupied this morning, Princess. Otherwise I wouldn't be this bumbling," he answered, all the while scanning the crowd for the lovely girl.
He escorted Shinkokami outside, and left her by Prince Roald with an absentminded bow. As he scanned and mingled with the guest, Lerant moved to the front of the crowd to make an announcement. "We're having a party this evening for all you who were here this morning." And then Dom saw her. She was standing near the front of the crowd, and wasn't hard to spot. She was a couple of inches short of six feet, and broad shouldered and wide hipped. She didn't have a beautiful figure, he noticed. Too muscular and wide boned. But she had a presence, something he couldn't understand that was drawing him to her. He started to move towards her, but Lerant finished talking, the crowd closed in, and he lost sight of her all at once. He stood and scanned the crowd until most of the guests were gone, but he couldn't find her. He sighed, and began to walk up through the crowded temple district and back towards the castle.
"Lerant of Eldorne," began the priestess. "You are here to become husband to this woman, Keladry of Mindelan, by the grace of The Goddess." "I am," answered Lerant, and Dom allowed his thoughts to drift away from the ceremony. He scanned the audience for faces he knew. There was Raoul of Goldenlake, Kel's former knightmaster and Dom's Commander. He grinned and winked at Dom. Beside him sat Buri, his wife, the former commander of the Queen's Riders. Dom was shocked to see her dab her eyes with a handkerchief. Buri was as tough as old leather. In the second row, along with Keladry's extended family, sat Nealen of Queenscove, Dom's cousin and Kel's best friend. Next to him sat his beautiful -and exotic, Dom thought to himself- wife, Yukimi. She was smiling serenely, watching the ceremony with a look of contentment. Dom sighed, feeling slightly lonely. Bachelor life was full of freedom, but he was getting a little tired of being single, and watching all his friends and relatives marry. He was 25. Maybe it was time.
And then he saw her. There was a young woman sitting next to Buri. She was a good foot taller than the commander, even sitting down, but then most people were taller than Buri. She had long, thick, honey-gold colored hair; not blond, but not red either. She wore it loose, cascading down her back and shoulders and ending at her waist. She had creamy, pale skin, an oval shaped face, sparkling blue eyes, and a rosebud mouth. She wore a russet colored gown with wide, bell shaped sleeves and over this, she wore a thin sleeveless gold surcoat. She was very pretty, Dom noticed at once, but there was something else about her. Something that was keeping him from looking away from her. He stared at the girl for quite some time, as she watched the ceremony with a slight smile on her lovely lips. But he was forced to look away as he heard, "Dom? The ring?" He turned his head and saw Keladry, Lerant, the Priestess, and Keladry's Matron of Honor, Princess Shinkokami, all looking at him. He blushed, and mumbled, "I'm sorry, I wasn't paying attention," as he handed over the ring to Lerant. Someone in the audience giggled. Dom stared at the floor. He would never live this down.
"I now pronounce you husband and wife. Lerant, you may kiss your wife," The priestess pronounced, smiling. Lerant kissed her softly for a long moment, then took her on his arm and they walked out of the temple. Dom offered his arm to Shinkokami, who took it graciously. "Domitan of Masbolle," she whispered as they followed the bride and groom. "Are you always this clumsy, or is today special?" "I'm preoccupied this morning, Princess. Otherwise I wouldn't be this bumbling," he answered, all the while scanning the crowd for the lovely girl.
He escorted Shinkokami outside, and left her by Prince Roald with an absentminded bow. As he scanned and mingled with the guest, Lerant moved to the front of the crowd to make an announcement. "We're having a party this evening for all you who were here this morning." And then Dom saw her. She was standing near the front of the crowd, and wasn't hard to spot. She was a couple of inches short of six feet, and broad shouldered and wide hipped. She didn't have a beautiful figure, he noticed. Too muscular and wide boned. But she had a presence, something he couldn't understand that was drawing him to her. He started to move towards her, but Lerant finished talking, the crowd closed in, and he lost sight of her all at once. He stood and scanned the crowd until most of the guests were gone, but he couldn't find her. He sighed, and began to walk up through the crowded temple district and back towards the castle.