“Aye, Soren Stormblood,” Ran said, taking his hand. “I will wed you and take you as husband.”
“Praise be!” Corann shouted. His voice carried and drew the attention of those working nearby.
“Praise God!” Ander added.
“When should we celebrate this wedding, Corann?” Ran asked.
“Well, we usually perform weddings under the new moon. ’Tis so full of promise, you see. However, considering . . .” He glanced at Soren and then gave that odd expression to Ran. “Well, considering, that you are . . . you are . . .”
Once again the man could not say the words intended. Soren now understood the peculiar looks— somehow Corann knew about the baby Ran carried. The news about which neither of them wanted to share yet.
“Impatient, Corann? We are impatient to marry,” he said with a laugh. Ran understood. “When do you suggest an impatient man and woman marry?”
“We think on the morrow since we leave the day after that. It will give our people something to feel joyful about.”
Corann rose and limped away, talking to Ander as though an old friend, calling back instructions as he went.
“If we had done this two years past, there would be banns to be called and a bishop presiding,” Ran said, moving over to sit on his lap.
“Now we have a pagan priest and a fallen Catholic one presiding with no banns being called,” Soren said. “In some moments, I cannot fathom what has happened to us in these last weeks. I thought I had lost you two years ago. I thought I would lose you several times since this all began.”
“And now, you know you will never lose me,” Ran said. Leaning down closer, she kissed him.
“Promise me I will never lose you,” he insisted. “Promise me.” He slid his hand into her hair and held her mouth on his, kissing her several times before he released her.
“That is what will happen at our wedding, husband-to-be of mine. Promises made. Promises blessed. I think I should speak to Brienne and Aislinn about this,” she laughed and kissed him quickly once more. She stood to leave him, but turned back to him in the last moment.
Her eyes glowed and the turquoise aura she carried grew brighter. She spoke with the voice of the sea and it sent shivers through his entire being.
“Sea and sky, never to be parted, never not touching. You have always been and shall always be part of me, Soren Stormblood.”
He met her gaze and spoke in a voice as deep as the rumbling thunder in a storm.
“Sea and sky, never to be parted, never not touching or being touched. You will always be part of me as I am part of you, Ran Waterblood.”
The words came from his soul in response to hers and Soren discovered the next evening that they made the perfect wedding vows.
Twenty-Five
Aislinn thoughtit was appropriate for them to exchange their vows in the same sacred place where they had defeated evil. But rather than inside the ring, they chose to speak their words at the entrance to it, on the shore of the lake.
Corann and Ander led them to that place and faced them and the community who stood at their backs. Although she was filled with grief at the loss of Marcus, she did feel joy for these two souls who would pledge their hearts and bodies and love to each other.
She watched as Soren and Ran faced each other and joined their hands in between. The priest of the one god began, saying words in Latin and offering prayers she’d never heard. After he finished, he motioned to Corann. Ander was not familiar with their customs, for they believed the man and woman should offer themselves and the priest simply watched. So Corann did just that, less than how Marcus liked to bless marriages, but each high priest would have their own ways.
“Soren Thorson, we are sea and sky, never to be parted, never not touching. You have always been and shall always be part of me and I take you as my husband,” Ran said first. From Soren’s expression, he’d heard these words before. She nodded at him and then at the priests.
“Ran Sveinsdottir, you are sea to my sky, never to be parted, never not touching or being touched. You will always be part of me as I am part of you, even as you carry a part of me within you now,” Soren said, revealing their secret to one and all. “And I take you as my wife before this community.”
Aislinn watched as a blush filled Ran’s cheeks and then they kissed. Cheers and good wishes were shouted out before Corann raised his hand over them.
“It is right. It is blessed. It has been foretold. The waterblood and stormblood are blessed by the gods. Their union is a holy one. Praise be!” Corann shouted out.
Tears streamed down her cheeks now, listening to the words and knowing that Ran and Soren were two halves of one whole heart and soul. She wiped them away with the back of her hand as she went to offer them her good wishes. And then changed her mind.
Remaining in the shadows, Aislinn let the others celebrate without her sadness interfering. Staring off at the stone ring she did not hear the woman’s approach.
“Tears of happiness for the Waterblood and Stormblood, priestess?” the woman asked. She did not know this woman and yet did not feel fear. A hazy red shadow outlined her, but that was likely caused by the light of the many fires along the water’s edge.
