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Of course, the gathering itself would remain relatively small and private, attended only by Tazhr’s closest Syndicate brothers and my handful of trusted friends. Intimate or not, the reality of binding myself to Tazhr forever before witnesses suddenly felt daunting. What if I stumbled over my vows? What if he realized mid-ceremony that free-spirited Emma wasn’t the mate he needed after all? Cold feet seemed inadequate to describe the icy dread congealing in my stomach.
“Emma.” Tessi’s voice broke through my spiraling thoughts. Her expression radiated empathy and understanding from across the room. “It’s okay to be a little nervous. But don’t forget—Tazhr loves you more than anything. He lives for you. I know that kind of passion never fades.” Her hand drifted unconsciously to her swirl of marks.
Bolstered by her steadfast faith, I inhaled deeply until the bands of anxiety loosened from my chest. She was right. The depth of Tazhr’s devotion was proven beyond doubt by now. A mere ceremony could not change that, no matter my irrational fears about insignificant details. All that truly mattered was our joy in the journey ahead together.
Squaring my shoulders, I turned from the mirror. “Come on. We shouldn’t keep the others waiting.”
Tessi beamed approvingly. “There’s my girl! Let’s go get you your Vinduthi for life.” Laughing, she hooked her arm through mine and led me out the door toward my destiny.
TAZHR
Before I met Emma, I thought I was clueless when it came to patience. Then, I realized I was absolutely oblivious when it came to love. Cue the human proposal, which taught me even more about how uneducated I was about human culture and matters of the heart. All that, I was sure I knew nothing about. I thought I had experienced true bewilderment until we had the human wedding.
So many parts of it didn’t make sense. I didn’t say anything, of course, because I wanted Emma to have her perfect day, but I did have a lot of questions.
Why have so many flowers if they’re all going to wilt soon? Why does she need a sheer cloth covering her face until she walks to the end of the aisle? Is there a meaning to the flower I have pinned to my chest?
While standing at the altar and waiting for her to come down the aisle, I looked down at the strange thing. It was almost wrapped in something. Was there symbolism? Was I supposed to take it off at some point to signify we had been married?
I caught Alkard’s eyes in the crowd and pointed to it. He snickered and shook his head as he mouthed, ‘Leave it alone.’So it’s here for decorative purposes?
Before my questions continued, the music began playing. I did have to give the humans a nod for their musical tastes when it came to those events. They were quite talented at choosing tunes that would make one’s eyes water.
Everyone stood up. I wondered if they just wanted to get a better view of her in the dress. Wasn’t I supposed to be the one with the view?
Emma walked around the corner, and I heard members of the audience gasp. I saw her head moving through some of the crowd but not the full view. My muscles tightened, and my throat got dry.
Do they make human men wear these things to constrict them? Why would they do that if they would just get nervous? It all seems counterproductive.
When she appeared in my full range of view, none of my griping matters mattered anymore. I had never been so blown away by another being. With a grin, I finally understood why humans did these weddings. Maybe I didn’t quite grasp the meanings of the flowers, veils, and outfits, but I did understand why they were so special.
Because as the love of my life walked down the aisle toward me, I realized the wedding was a display of her grace. It was all curated to highlight the purity and amazement she brought into her life. The small items of decorum were there to emphasize her beauty. It was all worth it.
She grinned at me as Alkard walked with her to the front. I took her hand and gave him a nod before helping her up onto the altar. She turned her head toward the priest but kept her eyes on me.
“Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today,” the priest began. Who knew the human man running the ring shop was also an officiant? It only seemed appropriate to have him be the one to bind us together the human way.
“Tazhr?”
“Hmm?” I looked at the priest, broken from my trance.
“Your vows?”
“Oh, yes.” I reached into my pocket and glanced at the crowd. The whole family came out for our special day. The last thing I wanted was for them to see me bare my heart to Emma, but she deserved it. I cleared my throat and looked at her, trying to keep my hands from obviously shaking while holding the paper.
“Emma,” I sighed. “You have brought connection to my life. Something I always wanted but didn’t know how to achieve. It is because of you that my life is full today.” I glanced at her and saw her wide smile. Again, she made the embarrassing and vulnerable moment worth it. “I vow to care for you, love you, protect you and honor you every day for the rest of our lives together.”
I knew it was short, but she also knew how big that was for me to read those vows in front of everyone.
“Emma?”
“Tazhr.” She reached out and held my hands.Damn. She doesn’t have a paper. She memorized it.“I actually didn’t write anything for today.”Thank the seven galaxies, I feel better now.“But I wanted to speak from the heart.”Damn.“You are the most insane being I have ever met.”
The family in the crowd laughed. I couldn’t help but chuckle. She wasn’t wrong.
“I’ve learned to live this life to the fullest with you by my side.” She grinned. “I vow to love you, care for you, support your wild decisions, and follow you to the ends of this galaxy for the rest of our lives.”
Damn. That was good.I had to stop myself from tearing up.
