Rifiuto: Non Miriena
A/N: Written: 2015, Found: 2018- Licia
A thousand candles lit up the area where the ceremony was to take place.
Mika glanced nervously towards those gathered to witness their marriage take place; his parents and siblings were seated not far from Raven's friends from school. His father nodded silently to him, and he took a deep breath, releasing it slowly. The High Priestess laid a hand on his back, nodding, and he turned, following her gaze. At first, a mere glimmer of white in the distance, but it soon became more and more apparent what it was as it got closer. He felt the breath leave his body, and for the briefest of moments, felt his heart stall in his chest as he laid eyes on Raven.
Her hands were empty, for she carried no bouquet- for unlike other Marberly brides, Raven wasn't the type who wanted to carry a bunch of dying flowers down the aisle. She came down the aisle on her father's arm; by the time she reached him, Mika's heart had barely started beating again, and he swallowed thickly in an attempt to breathe. The king kissed her softly on the cheek, whispered something in her ear and then moved to take a seat beside Mika's parents.
Joining him on the dais, she turned to face him, a small smile breaking out on her features. The High Priestess watched the couple for a moment, noticing how they seemed to only focus on each other, before she turned to the guests. In a gentle voice, she began, breaking Mika and Raven from their moment. "Marriage is sacred in the Seven Kingdoms. It ensures not only the continuation of the line, but health and welfare of the country." She glanced at the couple again. "But marriage itself goes beyond that. It's the sacred joining of two souls, deciding to partake in the journey of life as one. And Ravenna has been lucky enough to have the Goddess approve her choice of a mate- the marriage of a Marberly witch and a maertiol is perhaps the most sacred of all marriages in Marberly, for it ensures that the magic of her line will continue, and that Mikalos accepts the part of Ravenna that others often fear."
The couple shared a smile, before Raven stepped closer, taking Mika's hands. The priestess then turned, picking something up off the small table she stood beside before turning back. "It's tradition in Marberly for the bride and groom to drink a mixture of honey and soured milk before the vows; this signifies that they will accept all parts of marriage- the good and the bad, the pain and the joy, and that they will be there to support each other through it all." She held the small goblet out, and after a moment, Raven glanced at Mika, who took it, taking a swallow. The young prince made a face, and Raven laughed, before accepting it and doing the same. A moment passed, and she seemed to contemplate actually swallowing it, before she finally did and handed it back to the priestess. Soft laughter cut through the guests at their reactions.
Licking her lips, Raven reached out and took Mika's hands again, turning back to the priestess. The older woman grinned at the pair, before nodding to them. The pair shared a glance, before Mika spoke, gathering his thoughts. Unlike most weddings, a bride and groom were not required to have their vows written beforehand. Vows were meant to be spoken from the heart, in the moment before the handfastening and the rings were exchanged. He took a deep breath, gaze never leaving Raven's.
"You... you are the most amazing thing to ever happen to me. My first real memory of you is being led up to greet your parents during a state visit... your mother was holding you in her arms, and you were about six months old. At the time, I wasn't impressed; I was only five at the time. Can you blame me? As we got older, you became this... insurmountable pain in my neck." Raven laughed, and he squeezed her hand.
"I just saw you as the annoying daughter of my parents' closest allies. You didn't start to have any true significance in my life until I got much older. And then you gave me the pendant before I left, and... I felt like I was leaving my heart behind. Being away from you only made me realize more and more that I was falling in love with you. And then you showed up at Ever After High, and it felt like my world was whole again. You are my true love, the one I wish to spend every day with, until I draw my last breath. You hold my heart, my very soul. I will be your partner, your equal; I belong to you until my last day on this planet, and even after, I will never leave you. I gladly entwine my soul, my heart, my very life, with yours, from now until the end of time."
He slid the simple gold band on her finger, and she smiled softly, before she reached up, gently caressing his cheek. "I never understood the significance you had in my life- I just knew that you were always in my life; the son of the royals of my neighboring country. You were the older brother I could chase after and poke fun at, and then... when you left, suddenly you weren't. And I had to accept the fact that for all these years, I'd fallen in love with you. I wished you'd been at my coronation, that I could have seen you again, tell you how I really felt. And then you challenged me to a sparring match in Hero Training my first day and... suddenly everything was... was right again. Balance had come back into my world, and I realized that I have always loved you, and I could finally tell you. You are the love of my life, and from now until the day I die, no other heart will claim mine. You own my heart, just as I own yours. We are equals in this marriage; the happiness and joy and pain and sorrow we share will be mutual between us. My heart and my very soul are forever entwined with yours, and they will never be separated; for I am yours until the day I die."
She then slid the gold ring onto his finger, as the priestess turned back to the small table, picking up a set four cords- emerald green, amethyst purple, midnight blue and silver- the colors of the two kingdoms. She glanced at each in turn, before turning to the guests. "Handfasting is the ancient tradition of binding two people together in a marriage; the colors of the cords symbolize what shall be brought to the marriage- the colors used tonight symbolize the joining of two countries through this marriage." She glanced at Mika and Raven. "Will you honor and respect one another, and seek to never break that honor?"
The pair shared a glance as they crossed hands so that their wrists crossed. Both nodded, agreeing softly. The woman then draped the first cord over their hands. "And with that promise, the first binding is made." She turned back to them, picking up the second cord. "Will you share each other's pain and seek to ease it?" They nodded, admitting softly that they would. She draped the second cord around their wrists. "And the binding is made." She picked up the third cord- a beautiful cord of amethyst purple. "Will you share the burdens of each other so that your spirits may grow in this union?" As they whispered softly that they would, she draped the cord over their wrists. She picked up the last cord- one of beautiful midnight blue. "Will you share each other's laughter, and look for the brightness in life and the positive and beauty in each other?"
They both nodded, agreeing that they would, and she draped it over their hands as she'd done with the other cords. She then tied the cords, binding them together. "And the binding is made." She glanced at the couple, seeing the eagerness in their eyes, and laughed softly. "By the grace of the Goddess, she has approved this union between Mikalos of Palmarneae and Ravenna of Marberly. She has smiled upon your union, and will hopefully bless it with many, many happy years, filled with laughter and joy and children." The pair shared a glance, before the priestess laughed, nodding. "You may kiss the bride."
Without wasting another moment, Raven threw herself at Mika; their fastened hands made it difficult to wrap her arms around his neck, so she settled for tucking their hands between them as her lips found his. The kiss was deep, passionate, the way first kisses as husband and wife tend to be. Eventually, the pair reluctantly pulled apart, and Raven giggled, as Mika rested his forehead to hers. In a soft whisper, he breathed, "We're married."
She nodded, giggling softly before capturing his mouth in another kiss.