29. Bound
29
Bound
T ensely waiting for the marriage ceremony to begin, Eira twisted her hands together to prevent herself from smoothing them over the front of her solid white kimono. Not wanting handprints to mar the beauty of the garment she had been gifted only made it more difficult to resist.
“Why are you so nervous?” Her grandmother took her hands, stopping the twisting movements. “If you don’t want to marry Ryu, I will have your grandfather steal a boat, and we will return home.”
Eira thought her grandmother looked excited—more excited about her possibly running away from the marriage than her going through with the ceremony. But she had to burst her bubble that she would have to see Tatsu again and try her best to get along. Hopefully.
“I want to marry Ryu, Grandmother.”
Shoulders slumped in disappointment, Grandmother said, “Perhaps it will be better if your grandfather and I leave after the ceremo—”
“No.” Eira stopped those blasphemous thoughts. She was about to have everything the girl before her accident, and the girl she had become after, ever wanted, and she wasn’t about to lose it. “I want you and Grandfather to stay … Ryu and Tatsu will grow on you.” Again, hopefully.
“Ryu, sure. Tatsu, not so much.” Her grandmother sniffed, as if holding back tears. “I believe in the old ways as well, but he is prehistoric.”
Eira didn’t think she was necessarily wrong, but she needed to keep the peace and could only hope she sounded surer than she felt.
“We will all learn to live harmoniously together.”
Taking a deep breath, trying to believe her own words, she couldn’t help but wonder if Tatsu was trying to convince Ryu not to marry her like her grandmother was her. Did their marriage stand a chance with so many against their match?
From where they were waiting, she was able to look out at the sacred Sakura tree. Nearly a thousand beautiful streamers of gold, red, and pink adorned the tree, making it look simply magical as they filled the tree to make it full once more. The ones hung on lower branches spiraled down to the ground with only a small opening for them to wed under. Everything was ready, except Tatsu and Ryu had yet to make their appearance so the ceremony could begin.
Releasing her hands, her grandmother removed something from her kimono to place into her hands. “This was my mother’s.”
Eira stared down at the delicately intricate fan. Flipping it open, she had to blink back tears. It was the same heirloom she had seen her mother holding in a picture of her parents’ wedding. “I can’t believe—”
“It is to bring happiness to your marriage, and you’re going to need all the luck you can get.” Her grandmother, as always, brushed off the sentimental moment.
Eira would have been hurt if she had not seen the suspicious glimmer of tears in the wise eyes.
“Thank you.”
With the reminder of luck, she remembered Yuri’s perfume that she had forgotten to wear. “Give me a few minutes. I forgot someth—”
All of a sudden, her grandmother huffed out a sigh of relief, stopping her. “You don’t have time.”
Eira looked to where she was staring, to see Tatsu had taken his place under the tree, as he would be the one to perform the ceremony, making her completely forget about the gift all over again.
“I guess Tatsu couldn’t talk him out of marrying you,” Grandmother noted as Ryu finally took his place as well.
“I suppose not,” she said with her own relieved smile that she hid behind her fan.
Taking the cue, her grandmother went to the curtained-off wall. “Ready?”
Keeping her fan up to cover the lower half of her face, Eira took one last deep breath before she nodded and hoped she sounded as brave as she felt when she said, “Ready.”
With slumped shoulders, withered hands pulled the curtain open to hear gasps from the small amount of seated guests.
Frightened, Eira took her first few steps alone as she clung to her fan for dear life, grateful that it could conceal her nerves. Once she reached the curtained entrance, her grandmother joined her in taking the final steps of ending her old life and starting anew.
She kept her head lowered, too nervous to meet Ryu’s gaze once she reached the end of the aisle and took her place. She slowly lifted her eyes over her fan as she told herself if she didn’t see love for her in Ryu’s eyes, she wouldn’t complete the wedding ceremony.
When his gaze met hers unflinchingly, her doubts of Ryu not wanting to marry her fled under his loving gaze. So, she stayed put as the beautiful ceremony began and they bound themselves to each other before all their loved ones.
It was a short, sweet, and warm ceremony, and before she knew it, Ryu was reminding her to lower her fan.
Once she put it away, Eira was unable to keep her heart from doing a happy dance at the way Ryu took her into his arms to seal their marriage with a kiss.
Their kiss, much like their ceremony, left her pleased and content. Joy erupted from their few guests, and even Eira could see the pure happiness on Ryu’s father’s face as he introduced the new couple. It heartened her to know that Tatsu clearly hadn’t been trying to persuade his son against the marriage and, in fact, wholeheartedly meant it when he had blessed them.
When she was finally able to see their guests’ faces, she met the same joy, until her eyes skimmed over Kage’s.
Struck at the hatred, which was gone just as soon as it had appeared, she wondered if she had imagined it as they walked away together.
“Come, Eira. You need to get changed for the reception,” her grandmother said, reminding her that they were on a strict schedule.
Ryu gave his bride a quick kiss on the cheek, clearly thinking it was still wedding nerves. “See you soon, darling.”
Pulling herself out of Ryu’s arms, she avoided his gaze, still stunned at the hatred she had witnessed on Kage’s face.
Eira followed her grandmother to the room she had just left and changed into the more elaborate gold kimono that had belonged to her grandmother. Ryu had flown back over to retrieve it from the back of her grandmother’s dusty closet. Tiny flowers and cranes had been embroidered with gold threads. As she stared in the mirror, she was almost afraid to wear the priceless garment.
“Turn around.” Her grandmother mopped her cheeks with the sleeve of her kimono, staring at her proudly. “How I wish your mother and father could see you.”
Swallowing her own tears at the reminder of her parents, she turned back to the mirror to take it all in. “Me, too.”
“You look too pretty to cry.” Her grandmother stopped her from ruining her looks by distracting her with something else. “Here, don’t forget this.”
Turning away from the mirror, she saw a silver dagger in her grandmother’s hand and allowed her to hide it in special pocket, which had been sewn into her kimono. The dagger was a symbol of protection for her family.
She didn’t feel comfortable having the dagger on her, but her grandmother was determined she carry out the old traditional customs that she herself had followed.
She couldn’t help but laugh. “And you say Tatsu is prehistoric.”
“Oh, hush,” Grandmother shushed, refusing to admit she was anything like Ryu’s father.
Stifling her laughter, Eira placed the fan in the belt of her kimono when Ryu knocked before entering to take her to the dinner portion of their wedding.
She blushed at the admiring way he looked at her once her grandmother had left them to have a moment alone. He was wearing the same gold kimono, which had a white lining. On the front, his family’s crest of a dragon had been embroidered with the same gold thread. He looked so handsome that she had to flip her fan open to fan herself.
“My wife looks absolutely beautiful,” Ryu breathed as he held out his arm so she could wind hers around him.
“You look good yourself, husband,” she complimented back with a twinkle at using their new titles.
“Our guests are waiting,” He had to tell not only her but himself so they could get to the dinner. “We can admire each other tonight.”
Happy she could use the fan to cover her red cheeks, she held on to his arm tightly as he escorted her.
She felt as if her heartwas as heavy as her kimono as they walked toward the reception room. On the tables were origami cranes, each folded differently and of various colors. Dozens of low tables with pillows surrounding them were placed around the room. Unlike for the ceremony, the whole island had been invited.
When she spotted Kage as they took their places for dinner, she found no hint of malice, making her wonder if the falling sun had played a trick of light on his face. That must be it.
As she let any worry about Ryu’s friend and sensei leave her, guests already began approaching to congratulate the couple. One in particular brought a smile to each of their faces as they watched the old lady shuffle closer to them.
“I was honored to be one of the few to see you wed.” Itako bowed. “But I have to tell you, Eira, that you looked absolutely regal. Kana would have been proud to see you wearing her dress.”
“Thank you, Itako.” Eira bowed, not knowing how the supposed blind seeress could see her wearing it, but nonetheless, she was glad for her to have witnessed it. The lady had come to mean a lot to Ryu’s and her love story.
“Yes, we can’t thank you enough for coming,” Ryu agreed with his own respectful bow.
“Well, I couldn’t miss not only a fated mate wedding but a soulmate one, nonetheless.”
A stunned Eira was clearly so confused that even the blind seeress could pick it up.
“What?”
“I better take my seat.” Itako smiled, sensing Ryu’s frustration at her bomb-dropping words. “There are other guests waiting to give you their best wishes of health and happiness. You two have quite a long night ahead of you.” And with a wink, she left.
“Ryu …” Eira had missed the innuendo, still stuck on Itako’s previous words. “What does she mean by soulmate?”
“Pay that old witch no mind.” Ryu shrugged, clearly regretting her special invite. “She’s crazy.”