First Night of Forever
When I got to the corridor outside of the ceremony room, Luke was there. "Look at my girl. What a beautiful you are Clary!" He smiles, hugging me. Mom comes to stand on my other side. I must admit it's a bit sad because I won't see them very often, at least from my perspective. But time flows differently in The Faerie, so maybe to them, it won't seem so long at least.
"Are you ready for this? Mom asks me. I smile the biggest smile of my life.
"I was born ready for this." And then I had a thought "Do you suppose that, the former Seelie Queen could see that my future was in The Faerie and that was why she hated me?" I ask them.
"Well, there is a Faerie legend that might have something to do with it, but I don't want to overwhelm you on your wedding day." My mother says.
"Well tell me, please!" I ask. She sighs and then recites a poem that makes my heart stop.
"Red and selfish rules the throne,
Until surpassed by Gold alone.
And Gold will rule until another,
Red one chooses Gold's own brother.
And soon the first Gold comes to miss,
The land t'was home to her first kiss.
And then the Golden brother rules,
Beside the Red one he did choose.
That's when The Faerie will do fine,
As long as Crowns are worn by thine."
Oh. My. Angel! "Mom, are you saying that one day, Mark will be King?" I ask, starting to panic.
"Yes, and I'm also saying that the future of the land under the hill looks a lot brighter so long as the crown remains in your family line. Of course, that's only if the prophesy is true." She smiles. "And it could be many years from now anyway. So worry not about it right now, child. Your groom is waiting!" She laughs to ease the tension.
I quickly pull out the vial of Jasmine oil and rub some on my temples. "Okay, let's do this." I smile with all the joy that marrying Mark brings me. It light up my whole face as I head in to my wedding ceremony all set to become Mrs. Mark Blackthorn.
Mark: From thine own lips to mine own ears I hear the other half of my soul say,
Clary: I love, I choose you, I'll always be thine, You'll always be mine.
Mark: Angel, let it be so.
Clary: From thine own lips to mine own ears I hear him, the beat of my heart, say,
M: I love, I choose you, I'll always be with thee, You'll always be with me.
C: Angel, let it be so.
M: From dreamscapes to waking days our love became our reality. From first sight to last breath, I'll love you with everything I have and everything I am.
C: You came to me and brought love and beauty into my life, you lit up the dark places and made a nest for yourself in among the cobwebs of my dreams, from this moment to our last moment I will be yours and only yours, I will be yours forever.
Helen: Because these two are both Shadowhunters as well as Fey, this ceremony will have runes as well as the Faerie traditions. Please come forward to the stele stand to mark each other.
M: These runes are symbols of our love. By their application, I commit myself to you in all ways and for all time, my sweet Bride, to be by your side, to tend to your needs and to shower you with love and affection.
C: These runes are also symbolic of our partnership. Just as two Parabatai are required to work together throughout life, so too are a husband and wife. I commit to you, my beloved Groom, giving you my love, my friendship, and my solidarity through all life has to offer us.
Helen: Now, for those of your guests here who have never attended a wedding in The Faerie before, you may think that this is the part where we say, 'You may now kiss the bride' and then it's over. Well, as some of you know, that would be wrong. A true Faerie wedding lasts for seven days. So instead, as we prepare for the initial banquet in honor of this couple, I would like you all to join with me in a reciting Royal Blessing for the Prince and Princess.
All: The spring of your love is the happiest time,
When awakening buds will be open to thine.
Yet soon comes the summer with patter of feet,
May each footstep be strong, for each little heartbeat.
And as summer turns fall and those little feet grow,
May the joy that you feel be the best that you know.
You may think that winter would bring us the end,
But here in The Faerie… it all starts again!
This was it. By mundane customs we were basically married now. Of course, in reality I know that we're in for six more days of revelry and celebration. Not to mention that on one of those days we will each have to perform a quest for the other, which is concerning because I don't yet know my way around under hill. Oh well, I'm sure I'll figure it out,
"Well, Mrs. Blackthorn, are you happy?" He asks, brushing his hand along my cheek, lovingly.
"Ever so much Mark," I sigh in blissful contentment. "Are you?" I ask, chewing my lip a bit nervously.
"On this our first night of forever, how could I be anything but?" He laughs, kissing me for the first time as his wife.
In my twenty six years on this planet, I have never before felt the way Mark makes me feel. And something tells me, I'll be feeling this way for the rest of my long life.