Chapter 36
Elariya
“A Bond of Destiny”
Istood opposite Wolfe in the castle garden beneath the open sky.
Roses and lilies bloomed around us, and the afternoon sun burned with the promise of new life.
The Hall of Sovereigns loomed behind us. A memory now. One that no longer mattered.
There was no Prince Maelor. No Thayden. No Mattieu. No ostentatious guests who wished us ill.
Surrounding us were my family and the people Wolfe had brought from the magical realm. The Bloodsworn stood together with Arielle and Sirril, while the warriors formed a quiet perimeter. Dragons perched along the castle parapets, vast and still. The Judges waited near the reflecting pool.
All were witnesses to the first union in the mortal realm between a Fae prince and a half human, half mage.
Out here, we were free from pretense, and those who truly wished us well could smile without restraint.
Magic, too, was permitted for the day under diplomatic allowance.
Our union would be sealed by handfast, following Fae custom. And Kaem would perform the ceremony.
He stood before us, looking like a proud father.
I might not remember meeting him at the festival, and our interaction on the ship had been brief, but I could see how happy he was for Wolfe.
I understood now that this—our marriage—had been part of Wolfe’s plan all along. Everyone here had come to bear witness.
I was so nervous I could barely think.
But I was here.
Fate had chosen a different path for me. One I’d gladly accepted.
There were parts that still felt like I was walking around with my eyes closed.
But I was here.
We’d had one hour from the time the meeting ended to prepare for the ceremony.
I’d taken the time to do some soul searching.
I thought about how I’d gotten to this point and how I nearly didn’t make it. It was days ago that I’d escaped and got caught in the demon’s lair.
Wolfe had made the ultimate sacrifice. And that was just one thing.
Wolfe had done more for me than anyone else had in a long time, and when he made decisions, he didn’t just think about me or himself. He thought of my family too.
I’d been wrong. He wasn’t the devil I thought him to be—at least not with me.
All along he’d been my salvation, but I’d refused to see.
I didn’t need to remember the life we had together to know he must have truly loved me to go through all this trouble. And I was important to him.
We hadn’t been in each other’s lives for that long, and we’d gone through enough to claim a lifetime. Now it was time for me to stop being confused. Stop being the problem.
It was time to try.
That’s where I’d reached in my soul searching, when my heart opened and the hollow thing that had plagued me since the new reset disappeared completely.
What I felt now was possibility. And it lured me to him like bait.
Possibility opened the door to embracing whatever I felt for him. I’d start with that and take it from there.
There was nothing standing in our way now.
And in a few moments, I’d become his wife.
Me.
Wolfe towered over me, his shoulders broad enough to eclipse the world behind him. He’d removed his gauntlet and some armor but he still looked very much like the general heading into war. But beneath it all he was mine.
Kaem stepped closer, his smile widening. “Let us begin.”
Wolfe nodded his approval.
“Oh wait,” Arielle cut in, pushing forward. “One more thing.”
She stopped in front of us, a wide grin of mischief on her face. Then with the wave of her hand magic rippled through the air like summer heat waves over stone.
The heavy silk of my wedding gown—that cursed thing meant for Thayden—shifted beneath Arielle’s graceful gesture.
The fabric lightened, flowing like living silver.
A breath later, the sleeves dissolved into delicate straps and the bodice reshaped itself into something ethereal, something that no longer felt like a political costume.
The rest of the dress billowed and danced in the gentle breeze, transforming me into a vision of white silk and feathers.
A swan taking flight, rather than a dove caged for another’s pleasure.
I gasped, looking down at myself, my breath catching in my throat as I took in the beauty of my new dress. “Thank you.”
Without thinking, she threw her arms around me and pulled me into a fierce embrace.
“You are so welcome,” she whispered against my ear, her voice thick with emotion.
When she pulled back, her eyes shone with tears, and I realized this small act of kindness had meant as much to her as it did to me.
She stepped away and gave Wolfe a radiant smile. “You can get married now.”
“Thank you, my Lady.” Wolfe gave her a curt bow then reached out to tap her head the way I imagined an older brother would.
Arielle smiled and returned to her place next to Bastian.
“Ready again, my boy,” Kaem quipped. He flashed Wolfe a wink and straightened, then the old Fae male resumed his previous composure.
“We are gathered here today, standing before the Gods above and beyond to witness the binding of two souls.” He smiled wider.
“By cord and by choice, these hands are bound. What was separate now walks as one.”
Wolfe took my left hand into his. The warmth of his touch rippled through me, making me feel more grounded.
Kaem wound the silver ceremonial cloth around our joined palms. My pulse thundered beneath the binding, but it wasn’t fear. This was anticipation. Anticipation of something good.
Kaem focused on Wolfe. “Repeat after me: I take your hand by my will and before these witnesses. I bind my strength to yours. No crown, no realm, no law shall part you from my protection. Where you stand, I stand. Where you go I will follow. From here on and into the afterlife.”
The vows were beautiful. Each word was like music to uplift the soul. And they sounded even more sacred when Wolfe said them to me.
Kaem turned to me next. “Repeat after me, my Lady: I bind my hand to yours of my own choosing. I will stand beside you, always. I will not turn from you in shadow or in war. I bind myself to you this day. Where you stand, I stand. Where you go I will follow. From here on and into the afterlife.”
I nodded and repeated the vows, but as I spoke something sparked inside me. A recognition of sorts. Not memory. Not exactly. The feeling wasn’t my mind. It dwelled in my heart.
Gods, my heart. Something still stirred there.
Kaem turned to Wolfe again. “Il lanun adair. Arundair, mellor, ilumeniene. Na mienene.” Then, in the common tongue, he said, “I take thee as my mate. From this day forward you will carry my name. From here and into the afterlife. I am yours and you are mine.”
Wolfe spoke the words without hesitation, his eyes locked on mine. His voice seemed to linger on the words: from here and into the afterlife.
When I was little, Grandmother told me that when the Fae marry, it was forever. Not until death. Forever. I never imagined that fate would choose me to become the mate of a Fae prince.
Kaem turned to me again. “Il lanun adair. Arundair, mellor, ilumeniene. Na mienene. I take thee as my mate. From this day forward I will carry your name. From here and into the afterlife. I am yours and you are mine.”
I spoke the words.
Sirril came forth as soon as I finished, presenting a satin cushion bearing two Fae-forged rings. The metal shimmered like sunlight caught in water, etched with runes so fine they seemed to shift when I tried to focus on them.
“Please exchange your rings,” Kaem instructed with a gentle nod.
Wolfe took mine and slid it onto my finger. I did the same to him.
“By the laws between relms,” Kaem declared, “this union stands for all eternity.”
“La níyneria, a mun dair," Wolfe said to Kaem.
"La níyneria,” Kaem replied then addressed us both. “By the Gods, I now declare you mated.”
Everyone cheered, happiness rippling all around.
It was done. We got married.
The thought made my head spin, but when Wolfe stared back at me it was as if my very soul knew his, even when my mind did not.
“You may seal the bond with a kiss.” Kaem spread his arms wide.
Wolfe leaned in, his dark hair gleaming like a raven’s wing in the sun. Those eyes, the color of winter storms over deep water, held mine with an intensity that made my pulse stutter. There was something almost brutal in his beauty.
He closed the distance between us and I did not hesitate.
Our lips touched gently at first—almost reverent. Then he deepened the kiss, anchoring me in this moment. I leaned into him, feeling like I’d stepped through a doorway I’d been circling since we left Morg?ven.
His hand tightened beneath the binding, pulling us closer and he pressed his thumb into my palm. The touch felt like a promise spoken without words.
When he finally drew back, he didn’t let me go.
He pressed his forehead to mine, caressing my cheek with his free hand.
“Ziyka,” he whispered over my skin. “You are mine, always. And I will never let you go.”
He gave my hand a gentle squeeze.
And I laced my fingers through his.