Part Four-Final
Sarek looked over at his wife and look in her eyes rent his heart in two. He had questioned giving her the hope that Fal Tor Pan might even be a remote possibility, knowing how she would hold on to whatever slim odds it might have, just as she always had. Their lives had been filled with miraculous feats of coming against seemingly insurmountable odds and beating them. Why would she feel any different this time? He had considered keeping the idea from her, but knew that instinctively, she would ferret it out, knowing he was holding back something. It was better that he had "come clean" with her, as she would say, then to have her find out another way.
The attendant placed the heavy gold front piece on him, securing it in place, then set to arrange the folds of the cloak behind him. Secretly, he would have wished for her to be preparing herself for ceremony as well, not just watching him. But she was afraid, afraid that if this did fail, that she would lose control. She would not have the wife of Xcha'ala'at Sarek break down in front of all Seleya. No matter how he had reassured her that it meant nothing to him, she would not, could not bring herself to chance it. He understood and accepted. She had long ago learned to keep her more emotional moments to private ones between the two of them. He could not ask otherwise of her now. So, she stood there, framed in the doorway, watching as he was dressed and readied. She opened her mouth as if to speak, then stopped and held back, until he motioned the attendants to leave them.
Securing the door behind her, she slowly walked to him and let her hands slide over the highly polished cabochons that now adorned his chest.
" I always think how grand and noble my beautiful husband looks in this."
The smile on her face belied the tears that were welling in her eyes. He caught her hands and looked deeply into the gaze she offered up to him, filled in both hope and fear. With his right arm he pulled her as close as the frontpiece would allow, and with his left tilted her chin upwards, bending to place a single kiss, first on her forehead then ever so gently and tenderly on her lips, holding for a few too brief beats before pulling away.
She let her hand trace the folds of his tunic, and gently slipped her hand between them before pulling away and slowly walking backwards to the door, never taking her eyes from his for a single moment. He felt the wash of her emotions as she let them reach out to him. Then she turned and in one brief moment was gone, leaving him alone.
He straightened his shoulders under the weight of his burdens. It was not just the ceremonial clothing and jewels, but the inner burdens that now lay heavy upon him. He allowed himself one deep breath. It would be a long night and day before he would greet these walls and his wife again. Whether in joy or sorrow, he would not know but could only hope. And as he left the room his hand reached to the small object that his wife had tucked away in the pleat of his tunic. His fingers could still feel a hairline crack where the break had been, but the Goddess was whole again once more. Perhaps T'eish'taveh would look favorably on her own that night…