Percival snapped back into the present. The great hall was humming quietly with the hushed voices of the guests, which included most of the castle: The servants, the maids and man-servants, the council members, the men-at-arms and the knights, plus some important people from the town. The hall was decorated with white flowers and a group of musicians stood ready to accompany the scene with lovely sounds from their instruments.
Suddenly everyone's eyes fixed on the tall doors in the other end of the hall. They were opening and the figures of the bride and the King were revealed. The King was clad in a red velvet tunic and a matching cape and he wore a golden circlet on his blonde head. Drea was dressed in an astoundingly elegant green silk gown, and as they walked closer, Percival saw that her hair was done up in a beautiful mass of waves that weaved in and out of each other, and that it was decorated with little white flowers and a beautiful pin studded with green gemstones. Her pale skin was radiating and she smiled nervously at all the people they passed. A wave of admiration of the bride and surprise at her accompanier washed through the hall. Percival realised that music was playing. He had not noticed when the musicians had begun.
Finally they all stood before Geoffrey of Monmouth, the castle's scribe and master of ceremonies, who was going to perform the wedding ritual. The music stopped. The whispering had died away completely. Not a sound could be heard in the hall.
"Who gives away this woman to be married?" Geoffrey began.
"I, King Arthur of Camelot, give away my warden, Drea Pendragon, daughter of Hamish of Clunsdale, to be married to Sir Percival, Knight of Camelot," Arthur said in his clear, confident voice.
"Who can testify that Sir Percival is free to be married and has no former attachments?" the master of ceremonies continued.
"I, Sir Gwaine, Knight of Camelot, stand to testify that Sir Percival is free to be married," Gwaine answered. "Well, except, there was one time when … " Drea, Percival, Arthur and Geoffrey all stared at him in shock. His lips curled slightly. "I am joking," he said.
After giving Sir Gwaine some exasperated glares, they returned their attention to Geoffrey. Percival thought he heard the tiniest of giggles escape Drea and he noticed that Arthur also seemed to have hard time keeping a straight face. In fact it was quite funny. He fought hard not to smile himself. Geoffrey did not seem amused, though.
"By the ancient ritual of hand-fasting, we will now let Drea, daughter of Hamish, and Sir Percival of Camelot be joined together with an eternal bond."
He paused to produce a beautifully embroidered band, which he tied around Drea's and Percival's joined hands. Arthur and Gwaine then took their places in the front row next to Queen Guinevere.
"Sir Percival, please say out your vow for all to hear and bear witness," Geoffrey said.
Percival breathed in deeply and looked into Drea's loving eyes. He hoped he could remember all of it. It was not that he did not mean all those beautiful words, it was just a lot to remember by heart. "Drea, daughter of Hamish, from this moment I take you as my wife. I promise to always care for you and protect you from any harm, danger or enemy. I promise to trust and confide in you and seek your counsel in all things. I shall respect and honour you and not seek to change you in any way. I shall always seek your happiness and you shall forever be the object of all my affections. In this way, as your husband, I shall serve you until the day I die."
He must have remembered it all correctly, because Geoffrey did not seem displeased.
"Drea, daughter of Hamish, please say out your vow for all to hear and bear witness."
Drea looked just as nervous as he had been. "Sir Percival of Camelot," her voice sounded, a little thin and shaky at first, but soon bolder and fuller, "from this moment I take you as my husband. I promise always to be true and supporting to you in all of your endeavours. I promise to trust and confide in you and seek your counsel in all things. I shall respect and honour you and not seek to change you in any way. I shall always seek your happiness and you shall forever be the object of all my affections. In this way, as your wife, I shall serve you until the day I die."
Geoffrey took their joined hands in his and lifted them up in the air. "Now that you publicly have professed your love and promised to be true to each other until death, I declare you to be husband and wife. If you honour your promises, both in times of joy and times of trial, you shall be blessed with peace and all forms of happiness. Go now and begin your life together." He lowered their hands and they turned to face the congregation. The music started again and Percival led Drea by the hand still fasted to his by the embroidered band, down the aisle. He had felt proud on many occasions in his life, but the pride he felt now was of a whole new kind. He was not proud of himself or anything he had done. He was proud of Drea. That she, the most wonderful woman in the world, belonged to him. It was a blessing he had not earned. She was a gift and a treasure that had been entrusted to him and he would forever endeavour to be worthy of it.
After the ceremony, they waited in the castle yard where the guests milled by to congratulate them, while the great hall was being transformed for the wedding banquet. It became a very festive evening which went by faster than Percival had thought possible. But that was alright. It meant that life with Drea was near at hand.
At midnight it was time for the bride and groom to leave the celebrations. As Percival had ordered, a stable hand was waiting in the castle yard with his horse, ready saddled and packed. He lifted his shining bride into the saddle, the exact same way he had done once before, four years ago. He could see in Drea's eyes that she remembered and she looked happy. He mounted up behind her, took the reins in his right hand while supporting her with his left and urged the horse into a steady trot. They left the castle yard in the moonlight under a shower of flower petals tossed by the female guests. Drea's massive silk skirts waving in the air was the last thing that could be seen before they disappeared into the night.
