Finally, she looked at Matthew. Her eyes were drawn to his, and it was as if > no one else existed. Her smile changed to the one only he had seen before that moment.
At that moment, it felt as if Matt's heart would stop. She was, if possible, even more beautiful than he had pictured her. She would have been more so had her ear tips been exposed (there's just something about those ears....) but that, likely, was purposeful. Leaving something to the imagination. He could feel his smile widen considerably from its almost permanent lopsided lilt into a full-blown "life doesn't get any more perfect than this" sort of smile. He had to force his feet to stay planted in their spots, since he wanted to rush toward her and take her into his arms.
That breach of decorum simply would not do, however. Especially with the stern looking Rihanha at her side.
The man recognized and remembered that look from his own youth. The day his lady finally came to him. And he felt the tightening of Carrhae's hand on his arm as if the depth of her feelings had weakened her for a moment.
His own countenance relaxed a bit. Whatever else might be said of this human, he must be of good character to have won his granddaughter's heart.
She wondered to herself how time could seem to move at warp speed and stop at the same time. He had seemed so far away, then in an instant, they stood side-by-side.
The last notes of the man's song drifted away on the breeze, and the sun sank to the horizon. All was silence as if in waiting.
Father O'Malley took that as his cue. He had officiated at more weddings and joinings and bondings than he cared to remember (including two of Matt's to mortal women, both centuries ago). But this one had quickly become one of his favorites. "Dearly beloved," he began in the oh-so-cliched way, "we are gathered here today to witness the joyful union of these two souls in the blessed sacrament and institution of marriage." He turned toward Carrhae's grandfather. <[It is your wish and purpose to present this woman for bonding?]> he asked in the mother tongue.
Without hesitation, he proclaimed, <[By the Elements, I declare my desire to present she who is my daughter to be bonded with this man.]>
He turned to Carrhae and gave her a final kiss upon her cheek and whispered something in her ear. He then looked at Matt and bowed, then he stepped back and stood as if guarding them both.
To Carrhae he asked, <[And this union is agreeable to you?]>
<[It is,]> she stated.
<[I trust we can dispense with the pre-bonding negotiations over dowery and trusts, and I equally, feverently, hope there are no challenges or duels that first must be settled?]> Rihannsu weddings were affairs that sometimes could last weeks, as negotiations and conflicts waged on, at times decreasing the number of living wedding party participants considerably.
Only the sound of the surf answered.
Several seconds passed. <[This bonding will be unchallenged,]> she finally said.
(response)
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ | Randye Jones |) aka Adm. Carrhae t'Llhweiir and Adm. Candance Bedru /| Spacedock Role-Playing Game ( | ) [EMAIL PROTECTED] | Boldly goin' where no musician has gone before!
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