Chapter Eight
Skylar Cathal
“Hold still, Skylar!” Rhea said, cursing under her breath as she wrestled my hair into submission.
I groaned. “I’m not happy about this.”
“Oh, really?” she huffed. “Could’ve fooled me.”
“Skylar, come on,” Neera said in a gentle tone, her eyes softening as she stood beside Rhea. “You get to wear a fancy dress, have your hair done, and say a few words to bind yourself to your mate. Is this really that horrible?”
I rolled my eyes. “Yes.”
Not only was I going to be the center of attention, which still made me uneasy, but I had to endure the torment of dressing up.
Neera shook her head. “I think it’s kind of sweet.”
“You would.”
“Is the High Fae lady here yet with Sky’s dress?” Rhea asked. “I’m almost done with her mop of hair, and dare I say, she now looks presentable.”
I narrowed my eyes at my best friend. “After all the pins and curls, it better be.”
Rhea leaned forward, flashing me a bright smile. “Suck it up, buttercup.”
“I’m here! I’m here!” Idris declared as she glided through the wide double doors of mine and Daxton’s room, with a white gown cradled in her arms.
“Oh, yay!” Neera bounced on her heels, clapping with excitement.
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, letting the cool breeze through the open patio doors calm me. I wasn’t sure why I felt so nervous. But it felt like a ball was tightening into a knot in my stomach, making even my appetite disappear.
Footsteps echoed softly across the marble floor. “Skylar,” Idris said. Her voice was gentle as she placed her hand over mine. “That twisted feeling in the pit of your stomach is normal. I was a wreck the morning I married Adohan.”
My eyes flew open to meet hers. “Really?”
She nodded.
My shoulders sagged in relief. “Oh, thank the gods. I thought I was, well—”
“Oh, trust me, you’re weird,” Rhea teased with a genuine smile. “But that’s what makes you, you.”
“Thanks,” I said, drawing out the syllable.
Neera couldn’t help but giggle.
“Alright now,” Idris said with a small smile, “let’s not keep Daxton waiting.”
The gown I wore was the epitome of understated elegance, clean and timeless.
A high-waisted silhouette elongated my frame, flowing into a floor-length skirt of airy, lightweight fabric that moved like a whisper with every step.
Delicate lace overlaid the sweetheart bodice and extended into graceful off-the-shoulder sleeves, which blended into a sheer back.
No heavy beading or dramatic train—just simple beauty.
“You’re stunning, Sky,” Neera said.
“And you can’t forget these.” Idris handed me the final touch—a bouquet of moondance flowers, wrapped in a purple satin ribbon.
A sniffle broke the silence. Rhea stood holding Neera, both their eyes shimmering with unshed tears.
“Not you, too,” I huffed.
“Shut up.” Rhea laughed, wiping her cheek. “It’s all Neera’s fault.”
“Are you ready?”
I spun toward the doorway, recognizing the deep, steady voice, Magnus. My uncle stepped into the room, looking almost as stunned as I felt. He was dressed in sleek black pants and a crisp, tailored shirt, likely wearing the finest silks that Silver Meadows had to offer.
He stilled as his eyes landed on me. “You…”
“It’s a lot. I—”
Magnus raised a hand, his expression softening.
He tilted his head slightly, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
“I know Julia is watching this. And I know she’s proud of you, Skylar.
” Then, with quiet grace, he extended his arm and opened the door.
“And if I’m not mistaken, it’s part of these High Fae customs that I give you away.
I’m honored and proud of the female you’ve become, Sky. ”
A gentle breeze whispered through the treetops, rustling like applause in the canopy above. Wildflowers bloomed freely along the edges of the clearing, their scent mingling with that of the blooming lilac bushes and the calming sound of the nearby flowing river.
An aisle of white linen stretched between two rows of wooden benches. The fabric fluttered lightly in the wind, anchored by smooth stones and scattered petals. At the end of the aisle stood an archway entwined with willow tree branches and soft lilac blooms, woven together like magic.
“You ready?” Magnus whispered.
My hands trembled as I held my bouquet of moondance flowers. I was nervous. Gods above, dare I even say I was terrified? My mind spun with everything that this day meant and all we still had to do.
And then, I looked up. There he stood, waiting for me at the end of the aisle.
Daxton.
The wind toyed with his flowing midnight hair streaked with silver, but he remained calm. His dress shirt and pants were tailored to him perfectly, elegant and simple, with silver embroidery threaded into the black base. He turned, and his eyes, now a bright silver, found mine.
He looked at me like I was the only thing that mattered. Like the world could be crumbling, and he’d still be there to catch me.
The tension in my chest eased in an instant. My shoulders relaxed. The fluttering in my stomach transformed into a warm embrace, and I felt like I was floating.
In that single instant, everything clicked.
“I’m ready,” I whispered.
I didn’t remember walking down the aisle. It felt like I was gliding over the soft grass and under the open sky. Friends and family filled the rows around me, but I wasn’t looking at them.
I only saw him.
Magnus kissed the back of my hand before he took his place sitting beside Neera.
Then, a priest dressed in white robes stood before us, speaking to the crowd, but Daxton and I barely heard him.
Daxton’s gaze held mine, and everything else faded.
It was only when Castor stepped to his side and handed him two rings that he looked away.
“Skylar,” Daxton said, his voice thick with emotion, “with the sun as our mother and the moon as our father above, I vow to you, threefold.”
He took a breath, eyes steady on mine, holding my hand.
“First, I vow to honor your soul… wild, fierce, and as vast as the stars themselves. Second, I vow to guard your name, your heart, and your magic as if they were my own. In times of peace and in times of war, I will stand beside you. And finally, my spitfire, I vow to bind my fate to yours. For as long as time ticks forward and the stars continue to shine, I will choose you. In this life and the next, I will always find you.”
I could feel his vows not only in my heart, but in my very bones. His words carried the weight of the ancient magic of his lands. They wrapped around my soul like a sacred thread—binding us together.
“Daxton,” I began, my voice cracking a little, “with the sun as our mother and the moon as our father above, I vow to you, threefold.”
The beginning was always the same, passed down through generations. But the three vows that followed were unique to each pair who chose one another.
“First, I vow to honor the soul beneath the crown. The prince who was promised, who gives everything for his people and those he loves. I will be your harbor in every storm, a place where you are always seen, always safe, and never judged. Second, I vow to protect the bond between us. Your heart, your dreams, and your fears… I will carry them with you as a part of me. I will walk beside you, in triumph and loss. And finally, my Silver Shadow, I vow to weave my fate into yours. For as long as the stars burn in the sky and the crossing stands strong, I will choose you. In this life and the next, we will always find each other.”
Daxton handed me a ring with a thicker band of black stone, woven with silver and red threads, while he kept a slimmer silver ring set with rubies and diamonds. I slipped the wider band onto Daxton’s finger, then paused as he reached for my left hand.
I tilted my head, curious why he had a ring for me.
“Don’t worry,” he whispered, sliding it onto my ring finger, “I’ve added a little of my magic to these.”
I blinked, tilting my head a little. “Alright, you’re going to need to explain this a little more for me.”
“Release your magic,” he said.
I smiled, humoring his request, and suddenly, my ring vanished, rejoining Daxton’s on his left hand.
I gasped. “What? How?”
“When you shift, your ring joins mine,” he said, the ring disappearing from his hand and reappearing on mine once I recalled my magic. “And when you return to your human form, it comes back to you.”
I couldn’t believe he did this. My heart swelled at the sentiment, reaffirming my profound love for this male.
I leaned in to kiss him as cheers and applause rose from our friends and family.
“With this binding marriage, I also crown our king and queen.” The priest’s voice rang clear. “Do you both vow to lead with wisdom, to protect with strength, and to serve with a humble heart? To pledge your loyalty to your people, honor the past, and guide us toward a future bright and true?”
“We do,” Daxton and I said in unison, our brows pressed together as we breathed each other in.
“It is my pleasure to introduce High King Daxton Aegaeon and High Queen Skylar Cathal.”
We kissed again, the roar of applause swelling louder than before as Castor placed a silver crown on Daxton’s head while Shaw crowned me with a matching one.
We were mated.
We were married.
We were crowned.
And together, we were ready to take on the world.