Chapter 4

Every household buzzed with activities preparing for the upcoming Nuptials, there were dresses to be sewn, armor to be polished, meat to be caught and prepared, as well as special traditional dishes to be cooked.  For some households there were other traditions and rituals to be performed in preparation for the big day.

For the Wolves it was the Marking Ceremony, the Groom would be marked with his pack's symbol across his shoulders and down his back making it clear to all what pack he belonged to and that he was now a Helran (husband).  The Bride of the groom would also receive a marking as well, across her lower back, signifying her status as Shellan (wife).  

The Angels would spend one month is solitude. During this month they were not allowed to touch anything that had to do with the upcoming ceremony, nor were they allowed to speak to anyone or do any sort of labor, they were to commune with Moldar.  At the end of the month they would return to take part in the preparations.

Preparing for the ceremony was left to the Bride's households traditionally, while the grooms were expected to prepare a house to bring their bride too.  Since every household had a bride and groom some things had to change.  It was decided that the grooms would band together to help each other build their new homes. No ceremony could be performed until each groom had provided an acceptable home to bring their new wives too. With teamwork they soon have four new cabins built, each groom hoping that his bride loved their home most.

The day dawned bright and clear on for Daray's Wedding.  She rose out of bed, excited and a bit nervous.  True to Saber form, no fuss had been made for the wedding, it would be simple exchanging of vows followed by a feast for all who attended.  The true marriage would occur after the ceremony, while the guests enjoyed the meal downstairs, her husband would claim her as his own.

She quickly slipped into the gown she would be wed in, her mother had chosen a fine pelt of white Ermine to sew the gown, and her father had proudly presented her with the skin to form her corset from, it appeared to be reptilian, but she shuddered at the thought of the size the snake would have been to make a skin that fit around her entirely.  She knew it was their finest,a gown her family and people would be proud of, but a part of her wished for normal clothes like she had seen the other girls wearing, the finely embroidered gowns made of soft velvety materials. "Why must it always be skins here, why can't we just wear normal clothes made out of cloth instead!"  She shook her head, time was wasting and there were a million things to finish before the ceremony, grumbling would get none of them done.

She would spend the day helping prepare the chambers for the nights activities, the next morning her father would ascend the stairs and collect the coverings from her bed,  it would be declared that she came to her husband pure and untouched and the marriage would then be accepted as final.  She worried though, she was marrying a fae, what if he was too small to leave the evidence that was required to solidify the vows?  She decided she would make sure the evidence was there, no matter what she had to do.

Kern watched his bride walking towards him, he had waited anxiously for the day, for the last three months they had worked without pause, building homes and preparing to take their brides to them.  Now it was finally here.  It was a strange ceremony, stark and barren of beauty in many ways. He thought how different his sister's day would be from this, they had prepared for her wedding since the day she was born, planting flowers strategically and setting the stage for a ceremony that would be a feast to all the senses.  He didn't care though, all that mattered was Daray, soon they would join together and start their own life.

They were allowed a short time to eat a meal, while many guests joked to the couple about needing their strength for the night to come, neither the groom nor the bride could hardly choke down a bite, they were both so nervous.

 Finally the hour had come, Daray was sent upstairs first to give her a bit of time to prepare for her new husband, meanwhile the ribbing continued downstairs for Kern. 

Kern slowly climbed the stairs, the sounds from the party below fading with each step, as he rose up out of the floor his eyes met his new bride's.

 She stood there waiting for him, he marveled at her finely chiseled body, his eyes glanced up to full breasts the nipples already erect from the air brushing over them.  Kern slowly walked over to her, suddenly feeling extremely inadequate and unsure of how to proceed. 

"I don't know what they expect down there?  Will they stay the entire time?" Daray smiled, and took his hand. "Mother and Father won't run them out if that is what you are asking, before the end, Mother said the parties lasted until morning when everyone would wait to see the coverings and for the bride and groom to reappear. I don't know now, those aren't Saber's down there, so they don't do things the same." 

As they both climbed into the bed Daray looked over, "Kern, don't be gentle, if there isn't blood they will think I was used before, besides we Saber's love pain, giving and receiving."  Kern shuddered a bit at the thought, it wasn't in his nature to cause pain, and he definitely didn't get turned on by giving or receiving it.  He was beginning to wonder if this was really a good match or not.

"They are married, the evidence is here!"  Most of the guests had retired several hours before, but Kern's parents had remained.  They watched the newlywed couple walk down the stairs, both blushing.

 Annwn walked up to her new daughter and hugged her, "You are now a part of our family as if you were born into it, I do not call you daughter-in-law, I call you daughter. Welcome Daughter." The ritual was repeated by both Osera, as well as Estrella.   With the blessings bestowed the first of the couples made their way off to their new home.

"Hurry Love, before the guests arrive, let me see how you look!"  Celia walked down the stairs to her mother, "Ravishing, Jareth is one lucky boy to be getting such a bride as you are!"  The day had finally arrived, she would be married, she was no happier with the arrangement,then the night it was announced. If anything the months that followed the devastating news of her match had only increased her discontentment and fear.

As she walked out the doors to their home, tears filled her eyes, this would be her last day here, tomorrow she would wake up married to a beast, and that would be where she would stay the rest of her days. She looked over at her parents, both of them smiling, waiting to escort their daughter into this life of misery they so willingly agreed to.

The ceremony was simple and beautiful, steeped in lots of rituals, the couple were glad when the final kiss was given and it was over.  They feasted, danced, and drank well into the wee hours of the morning, finally it was time for the bride and groom to leave to their new home.

 Gabriel hugged her daughter gently, "Don't look so sad little one, we are just a short walk away, give your new husband a chance to be loved by you, don't close your heart because of what he is. Your father would not have picked a bad match for his only daughter."

" I can't do it, I can't be married today Papa, Mama was suppose to be here to help."  Her mother had only been gone less then a month, how could her father even think about sending her away now.  It wasn't that she didn't want to be married to Rafe, she did, they had spent much time together in the weeks after the matches were decided and each time he stole her breath away, but now wasn't the time, she was still grieving for her mother, her mother who was suppose to be here.

"Hush little one, dry your eyes, your mother would be horrified to see you acting like this on your wedding day!  She would tell you the same as I am going to tell you.  You must be married today, it is the day we promised to your husband to give you to him.  Do not make us liars by changing that day."  Her father gently hugged her, he too felt the pain of their loss.

They still weren't  certain how she had died, she hadn't been ill, she had in fact been as healthy as a horse, they had all been out for the day and Ayame had stayed behind to work on finishing her daughter's dress, when they returned, they found her curled in a ball on the floor, dead.  The shock of finding her like that had hit them all, and in the next weeks they had walked through the motions of living.  The weddings had given them all something to focus on and they had thrown themselves into with all that they had.  Now the day was here, and truth be told, none of them felt right having the ceremony without her there, but time waits not for the living and cares not for the dead.

Rafe knew the heartache his bride-to-be had suffered, he had held her as they lowered her mother into the ground,  He watched her now standing next to him, her vows to him coming out broken and unsteady, and he could see the pain in her eyes,  the pain he wished he could erase.

There was food served afterwards, but out of respect none of the guests stayed long, each sensing the families need for a private moment before the newlyweds departed.

Marlena's father embraced her before they set off for their new home, "Your mother loved you as do I Marlena, go with Moldar now and make a happy home for yourself and your Hellran."

"Estrella, quit fidgeting so I can finish this hem!" Estrella put her arms back down, trying to stiffle another yawn coming on.  "Goodness child did you get any sleep last night?  You can't be yawning like that on your wedding day, your new groom will think he is marrying a lazy or very bored wife!"  She stretched, glad her mother was done fixing the hem and she was free to move about again. Watching as her mother walked over to the counters, "I tried to sleep, but a dream woke me up."

Her mother turned around from the counter where she had begun preparing yet another dessert for the wedding, "What kind of dream would keep you up all night?"  She looked down at the floor not certain she wanted to share it with her mother, "It was a dark dream mother, I woke up trembling with fright, and try as I could no sleep would return afterwards to me."

She continued on, knowing her mother would give her no rest until she had revealed all the details of the dream, " I was in my bed and a voice, a voice so evil and cold it made me shake just hearing it, kept whispering in my ear, you and your children, and your children's children are mine.  It was Moldak, Mother I am certain of it, but what I don't understand is what it could mean.  He said he had been left unattended too long, and the days of darkness would soon return.  Mother we can't let it happen again!"

Her mother tried to hide the fear in her own eyes as she listened to her daughter's story, "It was only a dream child, nothing to worry about in the light of the sun, Moldar will not allow those days to return, your father, and brother, and the other brothers and Fathers will not allow it to be so. Now go, you might have a bit of time for a nap before the guests begin arriving, and I will get more accomplished without you under my feet!"

Estrella laid down trying not to think about the dream, instead she focused on images of her husband to be, she remembered meeting him at the camp, the picnics they enjoyed together.  They had talked for hours during those short weeks, and in her heart she had prayed every night that he would be the mate chosen for her.

She remembered the first kiss they had stolen, before mates were determined and how frighted she had been that he wouldn't be the one for her, and then how frightened she was that he was the one chosen.  She was certain she already loved him, but still he was so big and she wasn't, and her wedding night loomed suddenly large and very real.

After she was certain her daughter was safely in bed, Annwn called her husband into the hut and relayed Estrella's dream to him.  He sat at the table for a long time thinking. "Perhaps it is time to call together the warriors, it seems that darkness has indeed returned to our island, but you are correct wife, we will not let it overtake us!"

To Be continued.............