Where the foreigners' traditions regarding the wedding ceremony had been rigid and stern, their traditions around the celebration afterwards were a lot more informal and enjoyable. They had brought dancers to entertain between the many meal courses, and a storyteller came after the lights had been lit and told a tale of magical beasts and fairies, and by including the names of the bride and groom and a few randomly chosen guests he weaved a story that made everyone laugh out loud.
Gaara was very pleased to see his bride smile as she had acted nervous throughout the night hardly answering his attempts to talk. They sat at their own table on a podium for everyone to see them. While he was used to this kind of attention he figured it was likely that she wasn't. He leaned close and whispered to her when they all applauded the storyteller who had finished his tale.
"I'm glad to you are laughing. He was very entertaining." She nodded to his question, only quickly glancing in his direction before turning her face toward the crowd again. She had hidden her mouth behind her hand when she had laughed but her eyes had given her away.
"Hai, Kazekage-sama." She said and it made Gaara frown.
"I thought we just agreed to use each other's first names. Please call me Gaara."
"Hai, Gaara-sama." She answered, this time at least she turned to look at him when she answered. Gaara sighed inwardly. She didn't show any sign of being afraid of him or anything just… rather uninterested, and she kept scouting through the guests as if the check up on something. He didn't know why it irritated him so, but when he had tried earlier to make her tell him about the guests she knew, she had only done so in the most obedient and polite way possible.
He had had more luck later when he asked about her life at the island and how some of her cultured differed from what she met here. That had made her light up and for once that evening she had shed her nervousness and talked unhindered until the dancers returned to perform, and then when the music played she had quieted down again.
Gaara looked over the crowd as people slowly had begun to ready themselves to bid goodnight to the newlyweds. The whole celebration would last five days but on this night it would end early for Gaara and his bride. The guests were placed according to status and rank and as such Gaara's siblings and extended family, now including in family-in-law sat up in front of his own table. Miki's uncle was the Land of the Birds' ambassador and her father had an important position on their home island.
The blend of people in the room was interesting to look at. The blond and browned haired Sunagakure people were mixed with the blue palette of the Birds' people; their hair colour ranging from light teal to a blue so dark it was almost black. They all had darker skin than their hosts and talked with a melodic accent which he had also noticed in Miki. He asked her about it.
"Well, we learn the common language as our second language." She replied becoming eager once again as she could teach him about her origins. "We do not learn the common language before we are twenty seasons of age."
"Twenty seasons?" Gaara looked confused at her.
"Yes it is like…" she calculated in her head. "Ten years of age."
"Why do you count in seasons?" he asked curiously.
"It is the most easy. We have the rain season and the dry season and then it begins again." She gave him a bright smile and he returned it.
At that moment a gong sounded announcing the department of the couple. Gaara followed the protocol, taught by her uncle the ambassador, standing up and assisted his bride, no wife, in getting up, she wore many layers, and then he turned to bow at the guests. Everyone got up and bowed in return and all that was left now was leaving.
They went around the table and he offered his arm to Miki who took it and he felt how her hand trembled. Gaara had a good guess to why. Her culture was very focused on the couple becoming an entity as one, and that also included the traditions around the wedding night. Gaara however, as much as he would follow the traditions of the Birds, he wouldn't force Miki to follow this tradition.
He had decided that long ago and as he led her to her changing room he confirmed it with himself. To please her family he would "sleep" with her, but he had made sure there was an extra futon placed in his changing room for him to sleep on and then they could just tell people they had followed the tradition. Both of their changing rooms were adjacent to the bedroom where he would let her sleep. He didn't intend to change until he had explained everything to her.
He would gladly have told her earlier but since they didn't meet before the temple and then never were alone he unfortunately hadn't had the chance. He regretted this as he realised that her nervousness might have been for nothing since he wouldn't force her to anything.
He walked up to the window as he waited for her to enter the bedroom. The full moon shone its eerie light through the glass but it was a long time ago that Gaara had feared the sight. The bijuu sealed within him when he was born had long been gone, hopefully enjoying the freedom achieved after the war.
Contemplating on the time Gaara wondered how long it would take for Miki to be ready. He had heard stories from his brother that women usually took longer to prepare themselves, but his sister was not that type so he had nothing really to compare to.
All of Gaara's knowledge of the female sex was either from observation in the everyday life, advice from his sister or stories from his brother, who had yet to settle down himself. Gaara himself had consciously avoided meaningless encounters, woman who only wanted the Kazekage for one night, but the meaningful meeting never came.
He couldn't tell if he had done something wrong, but instead learned to live with it. Thinking about all of this Gaara fell into deep thoughts standing in the moonlight and waiting for his new wife so he could explain himself.
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So I'm curious if I caught enough Gaara-ness in his character. I always find it challenging because I chance the parametres around the person but I don't want them be occ, you know? Did I do okay? (Yes, I'm seeking confirmation). We will get to know Miki as the story continues, hopefully you will like her as much as I do.
ANYWAYS! (^_^) Next chap should be up before Christmas (^-^) But in case something happens: Merry Christmas, happy holidays and/or have a nice December!