Snow coated the ground of the Inner Realm, per usual. In a cozy house, situated close to the fighting arena, there was a certain lavender Manathar dressed in all white. Her sister behind her as she looked in the mirror. Gwelurin began to cry as she looked at herself.
"Why are you crying?" her sister, Norin, whispered.
"I don't know…" Gwelurin would start, wiping the tears away, "I've never married someone before. I didn't even think marriage was an option for me. But now, look at me? All dressed in white."
"Need another shot of vodka?"
"Definitely."
"I don't know…" Gwelurin would start, wiping the tears away, "I've never married someone before. I didn't even think marriage was an option for me. But now, look at me? All dressed in white."
"Need another shot of vodka?"
"Definitely."
---
Far from the house, there were three rows of seats, with an aisle in between them. In the front row to the right sat Arwen, Astaroth, and Aq'uello. They talked amongst themselves, happy for the soon to be married couple. Arwen was especially happy for the pair. She couldn't stop grinning, practically jumping in her chair awaiting the wedding to start.
"Arwen." Astraroth said to his wife, a concerned expression across his features.
"Yes?" she replied, giving her signature smile.
"You're going to break the chair."
"Yes?" she replied, giving her signature smile.
"You're going to break the chair."
Across from the Manathar trio there was Kara, Kai, Molly, Sylvi, and Maria. They were already intoxicated, but not wasted, having found the alcohol so quick it could be considered supernatural. Unlike the group to their right, they didn't talk amongst themselves. They talked to everyone around them. Molly was already crying, despite telling herself multiple times before coming that she wouldn't cry.
"C'mon Molly, be a big girl." Maria commented, referencing to her recent weight gain. This made Molly cry even more.
Kai and Sylvi tried to comfort her after that, with little effect due to their state of mind. Kara was thoroughly confusing Keltie, also a row behind them, who had a little bit too much to smoke before she came.
"Gwel taught my son the word bitch when he was only three days old," Kara started before being interrupted by Keltie,
"Wait wait…" she paused for what seem to be centuries, "How old is your son?"
"About three weeks I'd say. He's all grown up now, so I guess it's okay for him to say bitch."
"I need to stop smoking…" a promise Keltie would never commit to.
"Wait wait…" she paused for what seem to be centuries, "How old is your son?"
"About three weeks I'd say. He's all grown up now, so I guess it's okay for him to say bitch."
"I need to stop smoking…" a promise Keltie would never commit to.
Charlie Perrin was talking to Andrathath, and not knowing he was the groom, flirted with him. Her advances were interrupted by Valarosta, who whispered into Andrathath's ear. He nodded his head, before moving up to the front. Vala followed closely behind, getting ready to marry yet another Manathar couple. Charlie, despite just realizing she was flirting with the groom, played it off cool. She did a little hair flip, and said something along the lines of,
"Of course I knew that was the groom... I was just uh… being friendly.."
After that, she quickly sat back down next to a confused Merilya. Arwen skipped over to them, a huge smile on her face. She stood behind them, her face in between the two as she leaned on their chairs.
"Wait…" Meril started, "Isn't Gwel like… poly-ga-mous?"
"She is, yes." Arwen commented.
"So is she like, stopping being.. polygamous and like… settling down with Andrew?"
"No. In Kathar culture it was common for you to have multiple wives and husbands. While Gwel isn't Kathar anymore, I believe those ideals stuck with her."
"Weird." Charlie and Meril said at the same time.
"She is, yes." Arwen commented.
"So is she like, stopping being.. polygamous and like… settling down with Andrew?"
"No. In Kathar culture it was common for you to have multiple wives and husbands. While Gwel isn't Kathar anymore, I believe those ideals stuck with her."
"Weird." Charlie and Meril said at the same time.
Vaeri was the first to notice Gwelurin coming in the distance. She wasn't even sitting in one of the seats. Rather, she was standing behind the last row and taking sips of her drink occasionally. Sophie would be next to her, sharing her same discomfort of weddings.
"So like...why did we even show up?" Sophie asked Vaeri, sipping her drink.
"Because I wouldn't hear the end of it from Gwel."
"Because I wouldn't hear the end of it from Gwel."
---
Everyone stood up as soon as Gwelurin and Norin came into view. Their arms were linked and held their heads up high proudly. As they walked down the aisle, time seemed to slow for Gwelurin. While she never turned her head, she glanced at the others through her peripheral vision. A strange feeling of euphoria filled her. Even though there weren't many, she still felt honored to have this many people show up to see her married.
When they joined Andrathath and Valarosta in the front, Norin quickly dipped to the sidelines to sit next to the Manathar crew in the front row, much to their surprise. Valarosta gave a nod, and then everyone began to sit down again. Andrathath then slowly pulled back the veil that covered Gwel's face. He gave a big toothy smile, and Gwelurin held back a laugh as she saw tears forming in his eyes.
"Looks like Molly isn't the only one crying.." Gwelurin whispered.
"Shut up." Andrathath jokingly whispered back.
"Shut up." Andrathath jokingly whispered back.
Once everyone settled down and the only thing that could be heard was the birds, Valarosta began reciting the ideals of the Xenophane. She told them how they were now becoming the captains of their own fates. How they will now strive to better each other and themselves and find power in their love for one another. She then instructed the couple to hold out their wrists, pulling out a black ribbon, per instructions from the bride. Gwelurin held out her right and Andrathath his left. Valarosta would then begin to tie knot after knot, and with each knot, said a vow of dedication to one another and to the progress of their family and people.
It wasn't long until there was an intricate braid that tightly bound their wrists together. With one final "I do", Valarosta declared the couple married. As soon as that was said, Gwelurin tugged Andrathath towards her and sealed the deal with a kiss.
Almost everyone stood up, or tried to for those who had been drinking, and started to clap for the newlyweds. Arwen screamed some old sailor's song she got from Andrathath about love, with Astaroth joining her in the song once he caught along to the lyrics. To the right of them Kara, Kai, Sylvi tried to comfort a crying and drunk Molly, who kept on repeating on how she "loved them so much" and was "so happy for them."
Andrathath and Gwelurin were still in the front, talking to each other in a low tone.
"So this really happened, huh?" Gwel would say, looking to their bound wrists.
"It did. I'm surprised you didn't pass out midway through."
"And why is that?"
"You tasted like vodka when you kissed me."
"It did. I'm surprised you didn't pass out midway through."
"And why is that?"
"You tasted like vodka when you kissed me."
The couple laughed, the sounds of everyone else drowning out. They looked into each other's eyes and were silent for a moment. Everything and nothing has changed at the same time, and they didn't even know it.
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