[Halls of Bellinos] The Eternal Band

[Eliza Soule]

Eliza had once done a series of paintings of Faith's children, but as she recalled, the children in question would have been younger, even still, than this small, pretty little girl at Faith's side. And yet, not even inwardly did she think to question how that might be. Instead, she'd dipped down a little in order to make up the height difference, and smiled. "Hello Rose. I'm pleased to meet you as well." And then she grinned a little when the child pointed out Eliza's own companion for the evening. One not exactly invited, but Eberhardt hadn't exactly viewed that as good reason not to attend.

"I do, don't I?" she said, referring to said monkey inside her purse. "Rose, meet Eberhardt. Eberhardt, meet Rose." The tiny primate offered up a toothy grin that could easily have been interpreted in a number of different ways, but waved enthusiastically and chattered. "Eberhardt would like me to tell you that she thinks your dress is lovely." But of course the bride shone like a rare jewel in her wedding gown, as every bride should, and Eliza smiled when Anaza accepted her offer to paint a couple of miniatures to accompany the portrait. "That would be perfect," she said when Anaza suggested that she and Vri provide the lockets that she'd place the portraits in.

It would certainly add a more personal touch if the couple were to pick out those lockets themselves. Perhaps they'd be more meaningful from a sentimental perspective. So, the bride was nervous? Ymiden's daughter couldn't help but smile a little in response. "If you are nervous, my lady, then I expect you have a great deal in common with countless happy brides to be before you, and countless who'll come after." Not that Eliza knew personally. But she'd attended any number of weddings by now, after nearly two and a half centuries.

In which case, Eliza wasn't sure how much any assurances from her would actually help ease Anaza's mind. "I have to confess that as bride's nerves go, however, having never married myself I can only assume it's more the norm than the exception. However," she added, "Personally, after having lived for so long now myself, and having faced more complications over time than I could possibly keep track of, I've come to believe that anything really worth having, more than makes up for the foibles along the way."

Nevertheless, Faith was right, the time for the ceremony was probably drawing nearer. So Eliza helped with any last details, large or small, that she could; and then, if it was what she was meant to do at this point in the evening and nobody told her different or directed her elsewhere, she'd slip out and quietly take a seat amongst the others. Or? Well, she'd been more than pleased to accept the offer to sing for the couple at some point this evening, though she hadn't been told just yet when, or at what point that might be. So much like Faith did, she would first go wherever she was needed to be.

[Hart]

12th Ymiden, 721

An older woman greeted Tristan and Ayla, and Hart looked at the woman thoughtfully. From what Tristan said, the woman was Ebony Venora; she was Noah Venora's mother. That meant that the woman was Tristan's grandmother on his father's side.

She was Hart's grandmother as well, and he looked at her momentarily as if looking for some kind of family resemblance.

But other than looking at her thoughtfully, Hart didn't involve himself. He wouldn't greet the woman unless she spoke to him; he wouldn't mention that he was Noah Venora's son. Hart didn't know most of the Venoras; he didn't know his father. He was simply glad that Tristan and Ayla had the opportunity to reunite with Tristan's grandmother.

Tristan had lost a lot, Hart knew. He'd lost his duchy in Oakleigh; he'd lost his home in both Venora and Oakleigh; he'd lost all he'd known, growing up; he'd lost touch with the Venoras, like Ebony; he'd lost his brother Theodore, who'd died.

When Tristan was done speaking to his grandmother, he asked if Hart would visit him in Melrath. "It's interesting," Hart said to him. "I didn't spend all that much time in Melrath. I, myself, was only in Melrath for something like six days. The other time spent in Melrath was..." He was quiet a moment. "Was Eihr," he said, and smiled.

When Vri said that they would be able to speak on Hart's death later, Hart bowed his head briefly to the immortal. When he did, he noticed a watermelon in the water. He looked at the watermelon thoughtfully, not all that different from when

he'd looked at Ebony Venora

.

It was interesting, he thought, that the watermelon was there. Hart looked at Vri momentarily, and would smile briefly at the immortal if he seemed to know what the watermelon was.

The watermelon was linked, in Hart's memory, to his death in Melrath; and to his life. He'd come back to life on the banks of the Vynmur river in Melrath. When he'd come back to life, a man had thrown a watermelon at him; Eihr had stabbed a spirit of the river, angering the man.

It was illegal for Eihr to have stabbed the spirit.

But illegal or not, Tristan was in Melrath, and he'd like Hart to visit. "Like I said," Hart said, and smiled at his brother, "I didn't spend all that much time in Melrath. It would be lovely to visit you, Tristan."

He was quiet, then; but then Ayla spoke to him, and Hart laughed briefly. "I'm not an immortal. But, my mother is an immortal," he said, knowing that Ayla was mortalborn as well.

When Vri spoke of his wife, Anaza, Ayla held the immortal's hand.

Tristan spoke beautifully about reunions; the reunion of Tristan with his grandmother, and Vri's reunion with his wife. Hart was quiet, listening, and then he said, "I think most of us dream of having the people we love with us. Tristan said that that's his dream; but it's my dream as well."

He was quiet a moment.

"You said that Anaza is like a dream to you," Hart said quietly. "I would guess that you've spent a lot of time dreaming of her, and of this moment. But you're in the moment, now," he said. "From this moment, and from now on, the dream is real." He smiled at Vri.

Noticing that Faith was looking for them, Hart nodded to her, so that Vri and Tristan would notice her as well. Faith smiled at him, and Hart smiled back. "I think it's about time," he said.

He looked the immortal over, looking to see that Vri was dressed perfectly for his wedding, and he was. "You look perfect," Hart told him.

"You look good but you would look good as a caterpillar, too," Wren said, and Hart laughed from his stomach. "I guess it's Wren's dream for you to be a caterpillar," Hart said, smiling, but Wren said, "No."

"It's my dream to be marked of Xiur," the young boy said.

When it was time for the wedding, Hart and Wren would go to their seats. Hart would ask Tristan and Ayla if she would like to sit with them. It was possible Ayla would go with her father, or with her great-grandmother, but if not, Hart didn't want her to be left sitting by herself.

[Balthazar Black]

12 Ymiden 721

Balthazar found himself a little more interested in Jiam than the food that they were having but that didn't stop him from trying bits of things that Elisabeth had requested. He stuck mostly to what he'd asked for because there was an odd comfort in the familiar- not that it was the food that was familiar. There was feeling in him that slowly began to rise as he chewed and it was that feeling which was familiar to him. Still, his focus was pulled to Jiam and anyone else he could see. This was quite the event and every person who'd been invited said something about the Immortal celebrating his union. It was something Balthazar had grown more curious about in recent trials but he reigned his curiosity in. He was here to celebrate, not investigate and if he kept thinking about it Elisabeth was sure to comment on his thousand yard stare.

It turned out not to be a problem because after places a quick kiss on his cheek, Elisabeth left Balthazar by the appetizers they had to go and get more. He watched her go and thought she'd be back quickly but when he saw her begin talking to Jiam he realized it wouldn't be quick after all. Elisabeth was many wonderful things including the fact she was never short winded. It gave Balthazar a little more time to sit, think, and look around while he ate the bacon wrapped dates with pomegranate jam. It gave that familiar feeling the time it needed to rise again. He had to search his memories because there were many in such a short life but he knew he felt this way before. It was when he was younger, untouched by magic and everything else that made up whatever he was now.

He did not have many good memories from his childhood. Most of those that were good were generally overshadowed by the deaths the followed but as he thought back on them now he didn't feel the same weight he usually did. The particular feeling that came to him now, was that which he felt during the trial he met the man who would become his master, his teacher, and the closest thing to father he ever had. It was mixture of nerves and excitement that made him feel like his knees might buckle. He had felt it a few times since being initiated and none since being resurrected until now, in Bellinos. He remembered coming into Xanax's home with the flyer he'd taken off the notice board in Yaralon. He remembered the thousands of thoughts running through his head making him nervous. It was the first time they met, but also the first time that Balthazar considered magic. Knowing what he knew now, he didn't really consider it then. He heard people tell stories about what it was like and he wanted to be able to do what he heard in the stories. He wanted to be more than a farmer's tool.

The food brought back the feeling when Balthazar had smashed Xanax's puzzle box with a hammer. There was terror at first when the box broke- all the confidence that welled inside the would-be apprentice that lead him to take the hammer to it shattered with the box. After all, Xanax was a defier and the young boy thought that he might have angered him, but Xanax laughed. Terror faded so quickly into relief and when Balthazar heard that he would be trained... he felt something he could not describe. It was not love because while he struggled to describe that, Elisabeth helped him define it. Even now he did not know the word for it but it was that feeling which drove all his pursuits forward. It was the reason he took the jobs he did and to many others it meant much less than it meant to Balthazar.

Beyond the feeling, Balthazar remembered what he'd learned that trial and how it had not served him well since. There were few places in the world where being the hammer and breaking the puzzle lead to a better outcome than solving it. He learned, he aged, things changed. What was true today might be false tomorrow and all one could do was their best to keep up. He sighed slightly. His thoughts hadn't weighed him down, instead it felt like a weight had been lifted off him. He wasn't sure what it was entirely but he felt better by the time Elisabeth returned with her abundance of foods.

She told him about learning how to cook and Balthazar thought of the jokes he'd made with Yeva about learning how to bake but he didn't say anything about it. If he ever did that, it would be a surprise for everyone and he wouldn't ruin it by vocalizing it. Elisabeth offered Balthazar some of the other foods she'd brought over but he didn't try many or much of anything. Little bites to appease Elisabeth but nothing more than that. When she suddenly said she'd chosen someone to love and proceeded to play a difficult pronoun game with little context, Balthazar's brow furrowed and he did predictably look over at her. She was smiling but it only made her seem a little more strange until she gave context.

She told him about how she'd told Vri that she loved Balthazar and she told him the exact words she'd said. She told him about the moment she knew she loved him- the balcony in Viden. She told him many things that he already knew but she told him again anyways. He knew she liked his smile. He noticed how her face lit up every time he did it. He found, many times, the only reason he smiled was to try and see hers. The only reason he laughed, most of the time, was so she could hear it.

"Thank you, Elisabeth. You shouldn't worry about it- if you're telling me because you're worried I don't know. I think you've forgotten what I told you a while ago." Balthazar said in a quiet voice after she'd finished telling him the things she felt she didn't tell him. He didn't restate what he'd said then because he didn't think he needed to for Elisabeth to remember. He leaned over and kissed her for a moment and when he pulled away he had a dumb grin on his face. He covered his mouth for a moment, his discipline slipping completely before he composed himself and said, quietly, what he'd thought. "Everything tastes like pomegranate." He shook his head, trying to dismiss what he'd said and move on quickly. He turned his hand underneath hers palm and gently squeezed it. "I love you too and I appreciate what you do." Every word after 'I love you' came out slower and with seemingly more difficulty but that was because the situation was uncomfortable to him. He meant it and the difficulty he had saying it wasn't because he didn't mean it, it was because h was not comfortable with publicly displaying his feelings. Whether Elisabeth thought it was or not, Balthazar considered a table at a party a public setting. Balthazar squeezed Elisabeth's hand again and then waved to call Jiam over. Either a desperate move to change the topic or the seed of curiosity growing.

In the few moments it would take for Jiam to reach them, Balthazar said to Elisabeth, "I saw you made a friend." and then he turned his attention to the hopefully arriving Jiam, "I was curious, if you don't mind me asking, how did you meet Vri?" His story was a strange one and this was the first time he'd been around so many others with a similar disposition.

[Pig Boy]

Jiam didn't venture an opinion on the appetizers that Elisabeth chose. Whether she asked his opinion or not, it wasn't his place to comment on them. The choices of the guests were entirely their own, and entirely personal, as they should be. Yet he smiled all the same, and said, "They were well chosen, then, if they brought you back to a happy memory."

As he listened to her story, about drizzly rain outside, he furrowed his brow. Jiam happened to have lived for Viden for a few years in life. He shook his head, "Aren't you from Viden yourself? I can hear it in your voice. I lived there for a time, and haven't remembered a single rainy day in all those years. It must have been a very balmy Saun, for there to be even a drizzle."

Nevertheless, he didn't wish to stomp on her memory. Balmy Sauns weren't entirely unheard of in Viden, although they only came once every other decade. That said, what she said, or rather implied, about lacking a kinship toward her adoptive parents troubled him. He wondered, "Did you not love your adopted parents, or they you? You speak so distantly of them who raised you, and yet uphold strangers you knew for but a few days. I'm not judging you at all, don't get me wrong, but why is it you keep those who provided for you every day in favor of those who came like a tempest into your life, filling it with excitement and new things?"

Jiam shrugged and popped a few appetizers into his mouth. After a few moments passed, and he finished the food, he turned to Elisabeth. His face wasn't unkind, but it had a measure of worry on it. "Are there no happy memories of your adoptive parents? None at all?" Jiam sighed, but then some people took the everyday things for granted. It could hardly be helped, that was the nature of many mortals for better or worse.

When Balthazar asked how Jiam met Vri, he smiled at the marked of the Immortal, "I met Vri after he lived for a time in Viden. After the War of Death and Souls. We met... oddly enough in the Devil's Advocate in Viden. He received very poor encouragement from a student there, and in his grief set him on a terrible path. I helped pull him back from the brink and remember that death needs not be rushed. It will find us all in time. It was a rough time for our Lord then. And of course, soon after Death found me." Jiam said sadly.



"I would like that, Tristan." Vri said to his marked. He would surely visit Melrath, if Tristan wanted it. He owed him greatly for this service, afterall, of officiating his wedding.

Vri noticed Hart giving a look to the watermelon in the water, and then glanced knowingly at Hart himself. His eyes didn't betray any thoughts or even a mood, but Hart got the impression that it meant something to him as well.

When Ayla reached out to hold his hand, Vri patted it, and then laughed along as Hart made his joke of Wren's dream of seeing Vri as a caterpillar, and then went quiet when he said his dream was actually to be marked by Xiur.

At this point, Vri spoke to Ayla and Wren directly, "Would you two like to be ring bearers? Anaza will need one for her ring, while I will need one for mine. I'd be honored to have both of you, although I won't be angry if you say no."

So saying, things moved on from there, and soon enough Vri was heading off to the Altar where they'd be married, with Tristan hopefully not far behind as the person who would be leading the service.



"Thank you Faith, that I should indeed be deathly afraid is very reassuring." Anaza winked at Faith, although she knew that wasn't what the Exalted meant, she felt the need to make a little light out of her own nerves.

When Faith went to see if everything was ready in the Chamber where they'd be wed, Anaza knelt down to greet Rose. She smiled, producing a basket of flowers that was sitting nearby. She gave them to the child. "Here these are yours. Say, would you like to do something for us? Would you enjoy being our flower girl? All you have to do is carry those flowers, scattering some, and keeping the rest once you reach the altar."

Whether Rose accepted or not, Anaza would stand once more, and smile at Faith when she said Vri looked nervous too. "At least I won't be alone!" She said, shaking the nerves off. Vri had been through a lot to get to this point, Anaza knew, and she at least had the silence and solace of rest while he'd been tormented. She wanted to be his light, for now, his balance.

Anaza delighted at the sight of Eberhardt, as Eliza brought him out of her purse. "Thank you Eberhardt! You look quite dapper yourself."

"Thank you Eliza, for your insight. Then I'll hope for maximum foibles, so that the good times will never be at a final end!" Anaza smiled at her, and then pointed toward the corridor that would lead her out in front of the rest of them. "Will you provide some lead singing? There will be a chorus, but they'll be much in the background... Thank you Eliza, again. And thank you Eberhardt."

She let Faith make the last few fusses of her dress, and then said to her, "You'll give me away, won't you Faith? After all, it was your doing that made all this possible?"

Theme

So saying, the stage was set. Balthazar and Elisabeth would be led in from where they were in the dining hall, to take a seat in front of the procession. There were some other marked of Bellinos there also, but they kept mostly to themselves as they sat in the seats. They all had a connection to Vri, however, and so had every right to be there.

Then, the wedding would unfold as it did, Vri standing nervously at the altar beside Tristan, waiting for Anaza to arrive. As they did, the chorus sang a soft song in accompaniment with Eliza's voice, should she still wish to provide it to the procession. In any event, they would all be present at the presentation of the Bridge, as she appeared at the threshold, dressed in the gown that Faith had designed.

So it went.

Post Order

I think it is appropos to set a post order for just this round. It should go as follows. As such I will be giving an extended deadline, of three weeks for everyone to post in their turn. Thank you.

1. Rose being the Flower Girl (if she decides to), Faith, leading Anaza to the Altar (if she goes along with that suggestion).
2. Eliza singing her song/providing music, and watching the procession.
3. Tristan receiving the divine couplem and hart and tristan deciding if the children will be ring bearers.
4. Once they have posted in order, the rest may post in any order they deem fit.

[Faith Augustin]

When Anaza said that she was right to be deathly afraid, Faith looked at her in some surprise. Then, she grinned. "Well, I didn't think that one through, did I?" Patting Anaza's arm, Faith was pleased that Vri's soon-to-be wife took her words with good humour.

While Faith went to check on everything being ready, Anaza spoke to Rose. The usually serious young girl looked at Anaza with childlike delight on her face and she listened very carefully to what she would have to do. Then, she considered the proposition from Anaza and, finally, Rose nodded. "I would like that, very much," she said. Her soft voice was serious and she asked the question which troubled her. "What happens if I run out of petals?" Once she had been suitably reassured, first by Anaza and then by her mother, Faith helped her daughter with her dress and her basket.

"You look lovely, darling girl," she said softly. Then, she gave the final fusses to Anaza's dress and as she did, Anaza did something which did not often happen. She surprised Faith. Silver eyes regarded her as Anaza offered a great honour and she smiled in pleasure. "It would be my honour, my privilege and my delight," she said firmly.

Glancing to the door, she nodded. It was enormously appropriate to her that Tristan should be the one who was officiating this ceremony. She hadn't seen Tristan in far too long and she was inordinately fond of him; he had set her free, after all. But, that was not the focus of right now and so Faith turned her attention to what she had to do. She gave Eliza an encouraging smile and spoke to her briefly. "You'll be wonderful, I've no doubt. If you can, I'd love a portrait of Rose in this role. We can discuss it, later?" She hoped so, because her daughter looked beautiful and this was a moment in Rose's life which warranted being celebrated.

Therefore, the first person to emerge was the small girl, Rose. She seemed to be about six or seven arcs old, with deep brown hair and amber eyes. She stepped slowly and carefully scattered the petals as she did, her face a study in concentration. Behind her, Faith offered her arm to Anaza with a smile. "Shall we, mi'lady?" Faith asked.

To the sound of the choir and the beautiful singing I'm assuming Eliza does , Faith stepped side by side with Anaza as they made their way to the Altar. There, Vri stood and Faith smiled to see that he only had eyes for his love. Slowly, with the careful step - pause - step which was appropriate to the situation, they made their way together. Faith kept her eyes on her daughter, making sure that Rose was alright, but she also smiled to Tristan as he stood there, ready to officiate.

All in all, she thought, she was enormously glad that she had first offered to bring Anaza back for the funeral of their children and that she had then suggested that Vri make her his Champion, so that they would share a lifespan. Vri was nervous, Faith could see it, but equally he looked more like himself than he had in a long time.

Happiness for the couple welled up inside her and Faith gently took the steps which brought them to the altar and once there, she moved as directed.

[Eliza Soule]

Maximum foibles?. Oh, no. Oh dear, Eliza thought. That wasn't at all what she'd meant. Though she was sure that Anaza had said it only in good humor, a distraction from feeling her own nerves; Eliza nonetheless resolved to never offer advice of a romantic nature, ever again.

After all, the mortalborn's experience when it came to the more emotionally meaningful matters of the heart were almost completely observational, rather than practical. She could paint a romantic scene between lifelong bound lovers so masterfully that it could make heart ache and yearn, for those who were inclined to such things. But her own experiences, though sufficiently numbered, would better have been described as short lived, but fun while they lasted.

It was the lasting entanglements that Eliza avoided, and she preferred it that way. Nonetheless, Eberhardt, still peeking out the top of Eliza's purse, preened under Anaza's high praise, and chattered back appreciatively. The small monkey would be even more difficult to live with, after this evening. As for herself, Eliza was treated to a small case of nerves herself when the bride informed her that she'd been singing a particular tune, and would be accompanied by a chorus. That in itself wasn't concerning at all, and it did in fact relieve the sense of responsibility she'd felt when she'd thought it would be her to do the choosing. A very large one, to ensure that what she chose suited them perfectly.

So with one concerned set aside, another quickly fell into place and she smiled and nodded, more than happy to do as described, while offering up a silent prayer to her Immortal father. "Please let it be one I'm familiar with. And while we're at it, if you could lend a hand in keeping any prospective foibles tonight to a minimum?" But when Faith raised the prospect of her creating a portrait for Rose, Eliza smiled again, first at the woman, then at the child. "It would be my pleasure and an honor. We can speak on it anytime that's convenient, either this evening, or later on. I can usually be found at my cottage in Caervalle Town." Faith knew where it was, of course. They'd met very nearby there once before.

Then it was time, and so Eliza stepped out quietly and took her place in front of the chorus. There were very few faces present that she recognized, to be honest. But when she spied Wren, and Hart, she smiled, genuinely happy to see them both. Most especially now, to see them back together again. She'd worried since Wren had left her, and she'd hoped he'd found his way home by now. A quick, whispered commiseration with one of the chorus alleviated her one remaining concern. She was in fact familiar with the music the couple had chosen, and felt very much up to the task.

So when the moment came, even though up until this moment Eliza had only, mostly, sung freely to the ancient and mindfully living trees towering over her cottage in Caervalle Town, or to the colorful ducks in the moat outside her front door, any nerves she'd entertained previously disappeared, and she sang, her voice sweet and clear as Faith escorted Anaza down the aisle.

[Tristan Venora]

Not even in his wildest dreams had the Tristan ever imagined that he, a mortal man, would be officiating an Immortal’s wedding one trial. For a moment, the young duke’s heart beat faster – even the most disciplined of men would feel a little nervous on such an occasion, and he was not exactly like that – and then, when Vri asked Ayla and Wren if they would like to be ring bearers, he turned to his daughter, smiling softly as he waited for her answer.

Ayla for her part looked at the Immortal for a few moments before she replied in a polite and gentle tone of voice, “I would very much like to be a ring bearer, Uncle Vri.”

Having said that, she attempted to curtsy.

Tristan’s smile widened when he heard his daughter’s words, and he made sure to prepare her for her role in the time that remained. His grandmother who was standing near him looked happy as well, although she did so in a more restrained way. There had been a lot of hardships in recent arcs, and House Venora had been confronted with a considerable number of challenges and scandals. This here made her hopeful though.

For a moment, as everybody waited for the wedding to unfold, her gaze found Hart who looked so much like Tristan that it would have been impossible to tell the two apart, if it weren’t for the different markings that they bore. She inclined her head politely – she was aware of the existence of her son Noah’s illegitimate child, of course - but she decided not to say anything to him for the time being as it was just then that Vri finally moved towards the altar.

This was Anaza’s and Vri’s wedding trial, and she would not disrupt it by discussing private matters with Noah's son – those would have to wait.

She sat down – she sat with her back straight and in a very dignified manner, with her hands folded in her lap - and turned her head towards the altar, waiting for the ceremony to begin. Not even in her wildest dreams had she imagined that she would be a guest at an Immortal’s wedding one trial!

~~~

As the person who would be leading the service, Tristan followed Vri to the altar, slowly and with the kind of gravitas that was appropriate to the occasion and positioned himself next to the Immortal as they waited for his bride to arrive. Vri was nervous, he noticed, and he offered the Immortal a reassuring smile as a consequence in order to hopefully put him a little at ease before he turned his head towards the entrance, just as the chorus began to sing, accompanied by Eliza’s sweet and clear voice.

When Rose scattered the petals and Anaza stepped across the threshold, Tristan held his breath for a moment. The sight of the bride in her wedding gown – she looked truly beautiful – and the groom who only had eyes for her filled his heart with warmth - and happiness. He was happy for the couple, because they had been reunited and would hopefully spend the rest of eternity together now. For a moment, he also looked at Faith who escorted the bride down the aisle – he had not seen her in a long time and was wondering how she was – but like his grandmother, he focused on Anaza and Vri.

This was their big trial!

He had done a lot of things over the course of the twenty-six arcs that he had been alive. He had been an artist, a writer, a playwright, a duke, an alchemist and a gardener, among other things. He had attended a number of weddings – including the one of Elyna Burhan and Malcom Krome that had taken place on a beach - but he had never officiated one before, and he had had very little time to come up with a sermon.

He had known what he wanted to talk about almost right away though. Love, the kind of extraordinary love that likely only happened once in a lifetime and that shone like a beacon and filled you with hope, a love that had seemed lost forever and that had been found again.

He let his gaze drift across the gathered wedding guests, most of whom were either Blessed of Vri or had some other kind of connection to him – for a few moments before he spoke his introductory words in a firm and clear tone of voice. “Beloved and honored guests, friends and family, we are gathered here to-trial to celebrate the wedding of Lady Anaza and Lord Vri. You have here come to share in the commitment that they make to one another, to offer your love and support to their union and allow them to start their married life together surrounded by the people that matter to them”, he spoke before he turned to the couple again.

“One of the most remarkable moments in life is when you meet your soulmate, the person that makes you feel complete and that makes everything seem better and brighter just by being by your side, the person with whom you share a bond that is so special that you can’t imagine spending another trial of your life without them by your side, a bond that makes you stronger and fills you with previously unimaginable happiness”, he continued, looking at Anaza and Vri. “There are countless definitions of what love is or can be, likely as many as there are drops in the ocean. People have been trying to find an accurate description of love, a description that encompasses every aspect of it, since the beginning of time. Maybe love simply is though”, he spoke and paused for a moment.

“When you love someone, when you truly love someone, you instinctively know, as it touches your heart and soul, deeply and completely. The person that you love become like a shining beacon and a source of warmth and make life come to life, truly come to life. For most of us, such a love only happens once in a lifetime, and its loss has the potential of breaking us, and yet, there is always hope, hope that it will return – or be returned to us one trial”, he spoke, and his gaze found Faith’s for a moment.

“Lady Anaza and Lord Vri share such a deep kind of love. This trial is a celebration of their love for each other, and a reminder of what it has already overcome and accomplished and will continue to accomplish. If you have prepared vows, you may say them now”, he continued and looked at the Immortal of Love and his Champion and bride. Weddings varied from country to country, and from culture to culture, but vows usually were a part of it, and he was looking forward to hearing theirs.

[Hart]

12th Ymiden, 721

Vri asked the kids to be ring bearers, and Ayla said she would like that and curtsied, but Wren went quiet. He didn't know what a ring bearer was, Hart thought, but he knew that it was part of the wedding, and there were a lot of people in the wedding that Wren didn't know. Hart knew Wren didn't do well with big groups; he was a quiet boy, and introverted. He did better in small groups of people, like this one.

But one of the things that Hart admired most about Wren was his determination. He was quiet; but then he looked up at Vri and said, "I'd like to be a ring bearer too." He didn't smile but he was obviously determined. Ayla had curtsied, and Wren thought a moment about her curtsy before he bowed briefly to Vri.

He looked to Hart then, looking determined but nervous, and Hart nodded to him. Wren nodded to himself in response; self-assurance, because Hart had assured him.

Their small group walked to the back, where the procession would walk in. The wedding began with a choir, and the choral music was beautiful and sad; there was a feeling of time in the music that Hart thought was difficult to define. If he had to define it, the music was like time proceeding on; and there was something beautiful about it, about the promise of the future.

There, singing with the choir, was Eliza Soule. Hart smiled brightly at her when she smiled at him and Wren, and Wren said quietly, "Eliza!" He smiled at Eliza, a bright smile that was rare for Wren. Neither Eliza nor the kids -Ayla and the flower girl, who Hart noticed with surprise looked to be Faith's daughter Rose- looked nervous, and Wren looked less nervous as well.

Vri and Tristan walked to the altar, and, when it was time, the kids -Ayla and Wren- walked slowly to the altar as well, with the procession. When the other kids had walked down, Rose walked down, and Hart smiled at the look of concentration on her young face. Her concentration reminded him of Wren.

When all of the kids had walked to the altar, it was time for the bride. Anaza was stunningly beautiful in a dress that Hart was sure Faith had made for her -Faith was the best dressmaker, to Hart's knowledge, in the world- and Faith went with her, walking her down to the altar. Both Vri and Anaza looked nervous, Hart thought with a smile, but good nervous. Neither looked like they had

cold feet

.

Tristan spoke, and Hart -looking thoughtfully at Ebony Venora- took a seat not that distant from her. She nodded to him, and she seemed to know who he was, and Hart thought that interesting. He'd not known whether the Venoras -other than Tristan- knew about him. Quietly he nodded back to the woman who was -and was not- his grandmother. Then Hart looked to the wedding as Tristan spoke about love and asked Vri and Anaza if they had vows.

Weddings were beautiful -Hart loved them- and he sat quietly and thoughtfully, glad to be witness to Vri and Anaza's wedding. He was glad that the two of them had this moment, and so many other happy moments in their future.

Their future.

It was a beautiful promise; a beautiful vow.

[Elisabeth Black]

Oh...Wedding!

12 Ymiden 721

Elisabeth’s face fell when Jiam made comments regarding Vin and Rilith. She wasn’t entirely sure why bringing up the memory of the trial that was associated with the corresponding appetizer she was eating wasn’t correct, but it felt as though he was indicating so. She had meant the story as an icebreaker, but apparently that hadn’t worked. Giving him a tight smile, she inclined her head. “Apologies. Please excuse me.”

Making her way back over to Balthazar, her smile was a little less radiant than when she had left. After she spoke of her love for him, he had replied by telling her that he hadn’t forgotten. Elisabeth normally would have allowed the comment to go, understanding that she simply was more demonstrative than the Yari was.

However, something about the comment caught her more reflective side. She knew why she so often reminded him of how she felt, but perhaps he didn’t. Love, at least not the love she felt for Balthazar, hadn’t been part of the plan for her. Well, a lot of things hadn’t been part of the plan, but certainly not the love she felt for him. He had been a very unexpected, but completely beautiful piece of her puzzle, never really understanding love like that until she experienced it herself with Balthazar.

There were trials where, it seemed, Elisabeth simply told him how she felt because a piece of her was still dumbfounded at the mere existence of their love and saying it out loud made it...she didn't know the word she was looking for.

She believed in him, and them, with everything she was.

Still, Elisabeth said nothing, munching on appetizers until the moment Balthazar leaned over and kissed her. It was unexpected but made her smile as he didn’t usually do such things.

What happened after, however, made her face light up. Balthazar was a man of discipline, and he rarely allowed anything to detour him from keeping it at the forefront. Of course, when they were alone, she saw shades of the walls come down, but even with her, it was ever-present.

The sheer, utter and evident lack of discipline on his face as he pulled away from their kiss found Elisabeth searching for a cause, which he soon supplied after pulling himself together again. Laughing softly, she simply squeezed his arm. “Indeed, everything does.”

Balthazar told her how he felt, and she knew it was difficult, so she didn’t press the matter, smiling and squeezing his hand back. She loved him so very much but had issues finding ways of showing him the depths of that love in ways that would mean something to him. He used words with her, something that wasn’t easy or came naturally to him, speaking how he felt, because he knew it would mean something to the young woman. How could she do the same for him?

She was afforded a few moments to think as Balthazar engaged Jiam in conversation. Elisabeth remained silent until it was announced that it was time for the wedding to begin. Rising, she would follow Balthazar and the others to where the wedding was to take place. As it began, the young mage saw a familiar face – Faith! It took her back a few seasons, to her beginnings in Rharne, and she hoped she would have the chance to catch up before leaving.

Sitting where she was directed, Elisabeth watched as the ceremony commenced. Truthfully, it was her first wedding, and that of an Immortal, so all things considered, a trial to be remembered.

The young mage knew what weddings were, obviously, but she was struck at the intensity of the words being spoken by the man officiating the ceremony. Love was something she often thought about. It was a domain that she identified strongly with, not only in terms of what she felt for Balthazar, but others.

She listened, setting her mind adrift. It wasn’t often she was in a place, or moment, that was completely and utterly consumed with a feeling she had never dreamed of having herself, so Elisabeth wanted to enjoy it.

[Balthazar Black]

12 Ymiden 721

Balthazar found Jiam's answer to his question was surprising for a few reasons, the first of which was hearing that Vri had been more violent once and the second being Jiam's remark on death finding him shortly after. There was more of a story there and Balthazar knew he wanted to hear it, but a wedding was no place for stories about times Vri probably wanted to leave in the past. With his inquiry answered, Balthazar offered Jiam a small nod and turned his attention to the unfolding wedding. He and Elisabeth were lead from the dining area to their seats and he sat quietly while waiting for the event to continue. His dark eyes found Vri and Tristan at the altar before a voice broke the air in song.

The flower girl emerged, moving carefully as she could down the aisle followed not far behind by the bride and Faith. Balthazar never understood the step, pause, step rhythm because he'd have thought the couple wanted to reach each other as soon as possible to begin their life together- but someone must have decided it was a good decision a long, long time ago and thus birthed a tradition. Balthazar's focus was torn for a moment by the vice of the singer who's tones accompanied each step the duo took down the aisle. He looked to see who it was and, when he did not recognize the woman, he commit her face to his memory and looked back at the wedding processions. He liked her voice but he wasn't sure where she ranked in his personal preferences. He knew quite a few bards.

Tristan addressed the crowd and Balthazar listened passively while looking at Vri and his bride. Her dress was something to be marveled at but Balthazar couldn't help but find himself looking over Vri's outfit. After all, Balthazar would never wear a dress unless the job demanded it but he could very well end up wearing more suits. You never knew when you'd need another one. It was Tristan's comments on love that pulled Balthazar from his thoughts about the outfits around the room. He spoke of love in a way that it felt only the experienced could understand and he spoke of a love that was far healthier than Balthazar's first. A love more like the one he had now.

Balthazar sat silently through the procession, watching with a small curve at the edges of his mouth as Tristan shifted to the vows.