If I could be honest, here at the altar
I refuse to grow old unless it’s with you
I refuse to grow old unless it’s with you
As they arrived to their destination, dawn was beginning to break, illuminating the world in an ethereal glow. It was fitting that they had come to seek Oriens’ blessing at the start of a new day, as daylight was beginning to crest upon the horizon. With a new day came a new beginning, and Somnus was ready.
It was a beautiful sight. Watching the sun rise had always brought him insurmountable joy ever since he had been a child, but since finding his way into Novus, that joy had turned into something far deeper, a reverent form of appreciation. It was easy to grow lost and captivated in the presence of such a brilliant display of nature, and here upon Veneror, the view was undoubtedly the most beautiful across the land.
Verdant eyes glanced across their walking path, turning towards the east. For a moment Somnus closed his eyes, letting the sun wash upon him, bathed in the light of his knowing patron. He lifted his jaw and let himself breathe, smelling the scent on the wind and the scent of his beloved lady at his side. His eyes blinked open and turned away to watch not the beauty of the dawn, but the beauty presented just in front of him. Eulalie.
Oh, but how she glowed. The yellow of her hair shone bright in the light, catching the rays like a halo. An angel, she seemed, so unearthly and magnificent, so beautiful and kind. Where some may be lured to watch the beauty of the sunrise, Somnus’ captivation was here, upon the woman who had agreed to become his beloved life-mate. There was no beauty in the world that could compare. She stood a beacon, a regal statuette of ivory and gold, of daylight and daisies personified. He was not worthy, but as she turned her pretty head and regarded him with a look of such love, such reverence, Somnus knew that he was
You are enough. He was enough.
The question asked from Eulalie caused his pulse to quicken.
’Ready?’
Eulalie pulled back, the warmth from her loving touch lingering despite the space between them. Somnus regarded his bride-to-be with warmth and fondness shining within verdant depths, allowing the emotion to show upon his handsome face unabashedly. When he answered, he reached over to trace a row of kisses along Eulalie’s pale neck, just upon that adorable spot of ebony. “Always.”
Together, they stepped into the cathedral seemingly carved into the face of the mountain. As one, they moved, leaving the sunrise behind to head towards their future. There was no sound other than the sounds of their hooves and their breaths. Silence stretched around them, daunting as it was exciting, but it was warm. Welcoming. It was as if the ideology of Novus knew that they would be coming and had already prepared them a stage. They arrived at the empty dias of Oriens, and Somnus dipped his obsidian crown in a low, regal bow to his mighty deity. Totem or not, this was the place of a holy relic, and the sheer energy that danced upon the air was a residual, visceral thing.
Turning his head, he watched and listened as Eulalie spoke her vows to Oriens, letting her desires known to the both of them. Oh, but Somnus knew he would never grow tired of listening to the sound of her voice. It was the song he wanted to memorize, now until the end of his days. Unbidden, tears began to pool at the corners of his eyes but the dunalino remained stubbornly silent. As Eulalie removed the necklaces from about her neck and set them down in offering to Oriens to bless their union, he smiled. Her heartfelt, passionate words complete, she stepped closer to Somnus and he relished in her warmth, in the feel of her.
Breathing in deep, Somnus began his own vow.
“Wisest of Majesties,” he began, taking another bow before procuring a number of small items from a satchel he had borrowed from a member of the court. From it, he pulled out a small kettle and his finest teacup, then went about pouring a cup and setting it out for Oriens just in front of the small offering pile. They had once shared tea and conversation, both mortal and God, and it felt only right to offer it to the patron of Delumine. He also procured a signet band made of a fine ebony stone, engraved with the sigil of the royal house of Vhallen. For a single moment, Somnus stared down at the band before pressing a kiss to it, and laid it to rest amidst the glittering necklaces of Eulalie’s.
Past and future. Time. It was time. Setting the bag aside, Somnus straightened up and cleared his throat to continue on, the rising tides of his emotions held at bay by the warmth and press of Eulalie against his side.
“I stand here today before your eternal wisdom, not as a sovereign of your chosen court, but as a humble man. I stand here and ask that you, great Oriens, bless this union between Eulalie and myself. There is no future as bright as the one I see with her. She, the mother of my children, has already fulfilled my heart and soul.” Unable to help it, Somnus turned his head and pressed a kiss to the freckled cheek of Eulalie, the raw emotion burning within his verdant eyes. ”I have been lost for many years, and it has always been Eulalie that has found me. She, in her strength and love, has always brought me home. I offer to you the last memento of a life I no longer live, to bless us with a new life of union, matrimony, and promise.”
Somnus glanced down and nodded his head towards the ebony bangle. His eyes slowly slid shut. ”I have given Eulalie all that I am. Her joy will be my joy. Her ambitions will be my ambitions. Her desires will be mine. Through her, I am whole. I, as well, humbly ask that you bless our union.”
Letting his eyes open, the Dawn King turned his head and offered his bride-to-be another smile. He could not hide the emotion upon his face and honestly, he did not want to. At this moment, Somnus had no qualms with allowing his soul to be laid bare before his greatest love. Let them see. Let all of Novus see, for he had nothing to hide.
@Eulalie @Random Events
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