He was so enamored of what he was seeing in the mirror, he nearly missed it when it was Valerius’ turn to walk up the aisle. The flashes became utterly blinding again so that Caden saw Valerius’ forward movement in stuttering images. Yet every one of them was burned into his mind.
His sister, smiling and graceful, advanced up the aisle next. She scattered red and white rose petals before her out of a basket. Caden saw that Wally, Rose and Landry were all sitting on “his” side of the aisle and were beaming at her. Wally was recording it all on his phone. He stood up and called Tilly’s name to get her to “smile for the camera”. Caden chuckled and shook his head. As if the entire world wasn’t recording every second of this day!
It was his parents’ turn to walk down the aisle together. They gazed back at him for long moments with smiles on their faces and tears in their eyes. Then, hands clasped, they walked up the aisle together as the cameras rolled and flashed. With every step they took, Caden grew more anxious.
Would he manage to walk up the aisle without tripping over his own two feet? Would he be able to walk at all? He could totally see himself freezing!
If I do, Valerius will come get me and carry me down the aisle. He’s there for me. Always and forever.
He met Valerius’ eyes where he stood at the end of the aisle beside Illarion. Justice St. John stood on the dais as he was going to marry them. He gave Caden a brief nod when it was his time to walk.
I love you, Caden. Come to me, Valerius sent.
Caden kept his eyes on Valerius as he put one foot in front of the other and somehow managed not to trip or freeze or fall flat on his face. He made it to the end of the aisle and Valerius stepped out so that they were facing one another. They naturally reached for one another and took each other’s hands.
Justice St. John gave them a broad smile. “Everyone, we are gathered here today, to join the Black Dragon King Valerius and the White Dragon King Caden together in holy matrimony. I have officiated at many weddings, but none that has given me such pleasure.”
Caden saw only Valerius’ face. His own hurt from smiling so broadly.
“Marriage is a sacred compact under the laws of humans and Spirits. It is not to be entered into lightly. And in this case, it brings two great leaders of the world together to rule as one,” Justice St. John said.
“Both of you have already faced great challenges together and led us all out of darkness and into the light,” Justice St. John continued. “I have no doubt that each of you will guide yourselves and each other with great wisdom in the future. And your union shall be a shining example to all of service, duty, loyalty and love. My understanding is that you have your own vows, yes?”
Caden’s mouth went dry. He should have brought a set of cards with the vows written on them! He should have written the vows on his inner arms or something! How crazy was he to think he could remember something now when he was gazing into Valerius’ beloved face? But he was tearing up so he wouldn’t have been able to see the cards anyways!
“King Valerius, would you like to go first?” Justice St. John asked when no one said anything.
“Yes, thank you,” Valerius said softly.
Was I supposed to go first? I can’t remember! Caden babbled.
But then Valerius’ mind touched his and calmness fell. Everything is going exactly as it should.
“Caden, I once spurned love. I thought that true love was what happened in a badly written story. It did not exist,” Valerius said.
There were chuckles all around. Even Caden laughed.
“Or if it did, I was not worthy of it,” Valerius continued, which elicited soft “awwws”. “But then we met. In battle, no less, which is fitting as everything that has ever mattered in my life has been connected to a fight.”
More laughter. Caden felt tears running down his face.
“You represent change to Raziel and I. We didn’t know if we wanted it, but then… we realized that we couldn’t live without it, without you and Iolaire,” Valerius told him.
Caden let out a watery gasp and nodded.
You two. You and Raziel both.
“Raziel and I pledge with all we are, with all we could ever be, to love you and care for you all the days of our eternal lives,” Valerius told him.
A glance at the mirror would have shown that Iolaire and Raziel were gazing at each other with the same exact expression as their human counterparts.
“King Caden, you have vows as well that you wish to say?” Justice St. John urged.
“Ah,” Caden got out, which had everyone laughing as he attempted to clear his throat and wipe away tears at the same time. “I love you, Valerius.”
Valerius smiled and tears streamed.
“Iolaire and I have loved you and Raziel almost from the very start,” Caden said. “I was so scared of my life changing. Iolaire would have let me hide and pretend that nothing was different. But you… You made me want to be the ninth Dragon Shifter. You helped me believe that I could be.”
