I just barely held my composure.
“King Raza,” Catan cleared his throat.
“Be patient, Catan, I'm getting there,” Raza grinned at Catan's flushed face before turning back to me. “This ring declares my love for you and the protection that my regard entails. May all who see this know that you are mine.”
“Um, that's not quite the vow,” Catan shriveled under Raza's glare. “Yes, it was fine, thank you, Your Majesty. Princess Seren, you may make your vows now.”
“I'm repeating that stuff back to you,” I whispered before I started.
Raza chuckled, and the gathering leaned forward to try and hear what was making us laugh. My thoughts raced through the brief pause I'd been given to collect them. What could I say to Raza that would encapsulate all I felt for him? All I was willing to give him. Then everything went still inside me, and I just knew.
“Forever is a long time,” I began, and Raza lifted a brow. “But it's a mere heartbeat if I spend it with you. I swear that I will love you the entirety of that heartbeat, that pulse of life we'll share. I will open my arms to you when all others turn away in fear. I will offer you calm and solace when you feel savage. I will accept all of you, take you into my heart, and make you feel at home there. I will never reject you, or hurt you knowingly. I will fight for you, and hopefully not with you... though that one I can't promise.”
The gathering laughed at that. Raza just nodded in acceptance. He swallowed hard, going still as I continued.
“But I will promise to have your back, dragon,” I vowed. “I will stand up for you, and I will lay down beside you, with equal amounts of passion. You are my wild heart, and I cannot live free without being bound to you.”
“Dear Danu,” Raza whispered and pulled me against him.
He kissed me to the applause of the crowd.
“Well, we seem to have skipped ahead,” Catan said indulgently. “Shall we backtrack to the ring, Your Highness?”
“Ring?” I blinked.
“Princess,” Gradh whispered and handed me a black, titanium band.
“Thank you,” I whispered back in relief.
Everyone pretended not to notice. Because that's what you did when royalty screwed up.
I slid the band on Raza's finger, and repeated his words, as I promised, “This ring declares my love for you and the protection that my regard entails. May all who see this know that you are mine.”
Catan sighed, but Raza beamed at me.
“So be it,” Raza agreed.
“May all behold the newly bonded couple before you,” Catan declared. “King Raza Tnyn and Princess Seren Firethorn.”
The gathering cheered. When the applause finally died down, Catan eased to the side.
“King Raza, would you like to crown your bride?” Catan asked.
“I would indeed,” Raza said.
Raza removed my twilight crown, and Gradh came forward to take it. Then he picked up the sleek, onyx, unseelie crown from the table. It matched his crown perfectly but was a bit more dainty. The onyx band wasn't as thick, and the crescent, silver moon at its center was a tad bit smaller. It fit my head perfectly.
“I, King Raza Tnyn II, crown you, Seren Firethorn, as Queen of Unseelie,” he declared. So simple, and yet, so powerful.
Magic shivered over my skin and the crowd went quiet. I looked up to see Danu standing before us. She didn't speak, simply laid her hands on our heads, as if in blessing. Danu smiled to Raza, nodding as if they'd accomplished something great together, then she gentled her smile upon me. That was it. Danu faded away. But her message was clear, and the room was impressed. They surged to their feet and shouted in joy.
I pulled my husband to me and kissed him again. For as long as I wanted to. And when Councilman Catan cleared his throat discreetly, Raza wrapped his wings around us and kept on kissing me. It's good to have wings.
Chapter Fifty-Three
The feast was spectacular. The entertainment was provided by several of our guests as wedding gifts. And, by the way, what a wonderful idea for a gift to royalty. It wasn't like we needed a Cuisinart. We had fire dancers who flew, pixie acrobats, elven musicians, and pukas who stood in piles on top of each other's shoulders. The food was mostly fey, but the cake was made in the human style; three-tiered and covered in sugar roses. Oh, and crowned with a dragon embracing a star. It was beautiful, and I smashed a piece of it in Raza's face.
The look on his cake-covered face was priceless. Of course, he had no idea about the human tradition of cake smashing, but after I told him (as he was shaking frosting off his face like a wet dog shakes off water), he gleefully took part. And I laughed while I blew cake out of my nose. It may sound strange, but that was one of the happiest moments of the night for me. Raza was generally a serious man. So making him laugh was my favorite pastime. Well, second favorite. Seeing him so blissfully happy, made me blissfully happy.
