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“So you keep saying, but I do not believe you.” She looks at me with a smile. “Anyway, what do you think?”
“A ceremony is unnecessary, I have already claimed you,” I start but looking at Ariella and seeing the hope on her face, I sigh. “Would it make you happy?”
“Very much so.”
“Then we shall have one of these…ceremonies.”
Ariella gets up from her chair and walks over to give me a kiss on the cheek in thanks, and I can only hope that this party isn’t too much of a bother.
It ends up being planned for that evening, with Ariella, Mirose, and the dark elf doing all of the planning. Ariella tells me she’ll see me again at the ceremony and disappears into Mirose’s room to get ready for the evening while Dirnyn leads me to the area in which the ceremony will take place.
It reminds me of Ariella.
There are flowers everywhere, some of them even mimicking her sweet smell close enough that I almost get confused and wonder if she rubbed these flowers along her body. She will be very happy with this place, and even though I do not understand these human ceremonies, at the very least I can be happy for Ariella.
I wait at the altar when Dirnyn directs me to it, and he says Ariella will be out shortly with Mirose. Dirnyn sticks to the edges of the area afterward watching the party like a worg eyeing up prey. I do not miss his presence.
Ariella comes out in a fabric that suits her. Her hair is away from her face which allows me to see every little bit that makes her beautiful, and she smiles at me with pure jubilee. In her hair, she holds the same flowers that I mistook for her earlier, and she smells divine with no stress or fear daring to cling to her.
The ceremony is short with Mirose sticking by Ariella and the two of us professing our commitment to one another and in the end, I’m glad it happened. Watching Ariella and Mirose dance with Ariella’s smile not fading once throughout the entire ceremony makes it worth the effort despite the fact we are only repeating what we already knew.
Ariella holds a hand out to me, and Mirose laughs and steps away to pick at the food Dirnyn’s servants set on the table.
“Are you happy?” I ask her, forgoing her hand and swooping her up by her waist.
“Very,” she says, laying her head on my shoulder. “Very happy.”
I hum and walk around while holding her, looking at the various adornments in the room.
“I’ve come to a conclusion,” I murmur, careful not to jostle Ariella. “That a lot of these creature comforts are unnecessary for survival but necessary for happiness.”
Ariella hums a noise that sounds like agreement.
“You are one of these comforts to me, the most important one, and I would like you to be happy.”
“I would like you to be happy, too.”
“I want to build us a house with all of the things you want, Ariella,” I tell her, pressing her close to me. “Anything you need.”
Ariella leans back to look into my eyes, excitement plain on her features.
“You mean it?”
“I do not joke about your wellbeing.”
“I would love that, Zyranth,” she says, giving me one small kiss before pulling back. “I’d love that very much.”
31
ARIELLA
Ilook out at the crisp, blowing leaves in the forest.
Sometimes, I still dream that Everan is chasing me. I think my life is back to normal, tending to our crops, and Everan appears in the wind, threatening to whisk away everything again.
Or sometimes, Zyranth is fetching water from the river, and as he leans over, the current, possessed by Lord Everan, devours him.
From behind me, a strong, muscular arm embraces me, and I feel myself leap three feet into the air before realizing that it is Zyranth and everything is actually okay.
