Epilogue
Daemon
Daemon stood at the foot of the altar, wringing his hands together as he paced in a small line. He’d been awaiting this day for what seemed like a lifetime, his soul restless as he waited for the sun to kiss the horizon.
“Breathe, D,” Aiden whispered as he made his way back to his starting point.
Nodding his head, Daemon ceased his pacing and took in the scene around him.
The sanctuary of the Goddess Rhayne looked beautiful.
Its towering columns were wrapped in intricately woven vines with sprigs of lavender and delicate white flowers twined within.
Ivory candles flickered in tall glass vases that were nestled into rich green foliage that lined the aisle's edge, and white petals were scattered down its length.
It was beautiful, but it all faded into the background as the musicians began to play.
An excited energy ignited the air as people began to stand from their seats, and he had to take a large breath to steady his anxious heart.
One by one, members of Emerald’s court, led by Priestess Riona, made their way down the aisle. But the world around him ceased to exist the moment Auraelia stepped into view.
She was absolutely breathtaking.
And as if her presence had demanded it, the sun dipped into the horizon. Its peachy glow washed over the space and illuminated her in an ethereal light, making her look like the shining star he’d always known she was.
A gentle breeze blew through the sanctuary as she took her first step toward him; a cascade of wisteria blossoms fell from the air just like the last time they’d been there together.
The memory of the fire in her eyes, as they met his during her coronation, brought a smile to his lips.
It broadened as those same eyes locked onto his from the opposite side of the aisle, love and adoration burning brightly in their stormy depths.
Time seemed to slow to a crawl as she made her way down the aisle, but tears welled in his eyes when she was finally before him as he took in every detail.
“My star, you look—” he whispered, his words falling short and evading his mind as his eyes roved down her frame. There wasn’t a single word that could accurately describe what he wanted to say, each one seeming less consequential than the last.
Her hair was pulled back in intricate twists with strings of pearls woven within them to pay homage to his court, leaving her face exposed save for a few delicately curled strands.
The silvery-blue fabric hugged her torso and cascaded down from her shoulders and waist to pool at her feet, every inch bedecked in intricately beaded stars and constellations.
She had become a living embodiment of the night sky.
The light within the darkness.
The light in his darkness.
Words still failed him as he took her hand, nestling it into the crook of his arm as he guided her up the steps to where Priestess Riona waited.
“We’re gathered here today, in front of witnesses, loved ones, and the Goddess of Love herself, to celebrate the bond blessed upon this couple…”
The opening words of the ceremony faded into the background as he let himself get lost in Auraelia’s eyes.
He still couldn’t believe that they’d made it. After everything that the world had thrown at them and all of the obstacles they had to overcome within their own hearts, they’d actually made it.
“King Daemon, if you would, please.”
His eyes widened as the priestess’ voice cut through his thoughts, and Auraelia let out a small chuckle as she extended her left hand.
Anticipation filled his chest as her palm met his.
It grew as the priestess draped the long piece of rope from his own ship over their clasped hands and began to loop it into and over itself.
“Your Majesty, would you like to go first?” Priestess Riona asked, a small smile tugging on her lips as she turned toward Auraelia.
With a slight bob of her head and a slow exhale, she turned her eyes back to his, tears lining their rims.
“Daemon Alexander, love of my life and soul of my soul. I thought that I knew what love was before I met you. I thought I knew how I wanted my life to unfold. But I knew I had been wrong from the moment our eyes met.
“You swept into my life, turning it upside down in all of the best ways. You’ve shown me time and time again what it’s like to be loved.
To be wanted and needed. You’ve lent me your strength when I needed it most and stood by my side when I was determined to stand alone.
You’ve been there for me in whatever capacity I allowed, regardless of the hurt I know I caused you. ”
A sob wracked her chest, and Daemon tightened his fingers around her hand as tears began to flow down her cheeks.
“You are my heart, and I will spend the rest of my life showing you how much you mean to me. I vow to stand by your side and weather the storm of life with you. To be the light in your darkness and the shoulder to share your burdens. To love you wholly and unconditionally in this life and every life thereafter. Forever, and always, I am eternally yours.”
Daemon could feel the tears rolling down his face as she finished. He always thought that marriage would be a burden inflicted upon him by his obligations to his kingdom. But as he watched Auraelia slide the twisted silver and onyx band onto his finger, nothing had ever felt more perfect.
More right.
His heart skipped when she lightly brushed the tattoo he’d gotten the night before that sat just below his first knuckle, her eyes wide as they met his.
It wasn’t much, just a simple sprig of lavender that wrapped around his finger. But its meaning was so much more. He’d been wrapped around her finger since they met, and now he’d carry her with him, always.
Her smile was watery, but as the priestess turned expectantly toward him, he cleared his throat and began.
“Auraelia Rose, my love and my life. I have seen thousands of stars in this realm, but none could ever compare to the bright light you’ve brought into my world.
You’ve been ingrained into every fiber of my being from the moment you walked into my life.
I’ve been enraptured with the fire in your eyes, your heart's softness, and your mind's stubbornness. You are strong and determined, and I am the luckiest man in all of Ixora to have the privilege of calling you mine. I never knew I could love someone as wholly as I do you.”
Auraelia’s hand trembled in his, her breaths coming in small hiccups as she tried to breathe through her tears.
With his free hand, he ran his thumb along her cheek.
“Fate may have laid this path before us, but we chose this. We chose to fight through the trials this world put in our way. And I will continue to choose you in every aspect of our lives, from this one to the next. You own my heart, Auraelia. My soul and magic call to you and yours and are yours to do with as you please. My beautiful star, I am yours and yours alone. Forever, and always.”
As he finished, he slid her ring—a silver twin to his own—onto her finger until it nestled against the other.
Running his finger across the bands, he watched as the last fragments of sunlight glittered in the oval, brilliant-blue sapphire in its center and burned within the emerald shards flanking either side.
A hush fell over the gathered crowd as Riona said, “If you would both, please place your free hands over the top of the knot and repeat after me.”
As his hand met Auraelia’s, he could feel her magic flutter to life, grazing along his own as she let it seep out around her. A shield of air bloomed around the space, thunder booming overhead as the rain began to fall over their joined hands, and they said their vows in unison.
When they finished, he raised a questioning brow.
“A wet knot is harder to untie,” she whispered with a shrug, a sly smile pulling on the corners of her lips.
In a hushed tone, the priestess said, “Your Majesties, if you would now, please remove your hands from the top and grab the ends of the rope.” Their eyes never strayed from each other as they did as she asked. “Now, slowly pull the ends as you slide your other hands out from the center.”
As the knot between them began to tighten, Daemon’s shadows wrapped around the rope in his hand, and Auraelia’s lightning followed suit, weaving together until their magic formed a knot of its own.
Auraelia’s eyes flicked to the cord between them, a broad smile spreading across her lips.
“May what was joined here today never be undone, and may the Goddesses of Arcelia bless you with love and light for all of your days,” Priestess Riona said loudly to everyone gathered.
Applause echoed through the sanctuary as the priestess addressed him in a tone low enough for only their ears. “King Daemon?” Reluctantly, he pulled his gaze from the love beaming in Auraelia’s eyes and turned toward the priestess. “Would you like to kiss your wife?”
Wife.
Auraelia is my wife.
His heart soared as he turned back to the love of his life, tears brimming in her eyes as they flicked from his down to his mouth. Daemon closed the distance between them, wrapped his arm around her waist, and pulled her to him. “I love you, Auraelia.”
Her hand cradled his cheek as he lowered his mouth toward hers. “I love you, too. Now, kiss me.”
The cheers and applause disappeared as his lips met hers. The world faded away until they were the only ones who existed.