“Yes,” we answered in unison.
He looked past us to the single occupied bench on the chapel floor. “Welcomed guests. You have come before us today to witness the Unification Ceremony. Is that correct?”
“Yes,” they answered in chorus.
“Very good,” the priest said, bowing his head. “The two of you have chosen the Binding Rites. Is that correct?”
“Yes,” we answered again.
“Then let us begin.” He stashed his leather book somewhere in his voluminous sleeves and raised both hands. “Lux, your right hand. Marlia, your left.” We stepped forward and raised the appointed hands, locking our fingers together tightly. My hand trembled in Lia’s grip, but she beamed at me radiantly as we came together, calming the tremors. The old priest took our hands in both of his and raised them to chest level. “Ancient Primevals,” he began, his airy voice now full of passion and vigor, “we have assembled today to perform the Unification Ceremony. Please, hear the prayers of these two souls and bless their union.” He released our hands and stepped back to the altar, returning a moment later with a small wooden box. “You may begin.”
Lia and I locked eyes, and we began to speak in unison the words Marten had taught me. “Primevals above, we come before you as two souls and ask that we may be joined as one. As you once joined to create all life, we pray that you bless us with that same unification.”
The priest opened the wooden box and withdrew a thin red ribbon as we spoke. “Bless us in Fire: That the flames of our souls are never quenched, and our united passion burns for all our life.” He wound the silk around our joined hands with quick movements, far more deftly than I would have believed possible for a man so old.
“Bless us in Ice: That we may persevere through the harsh colds of winter, and lend each other strength when times are hard. Bless us in Earth: That we may always have a place to call home, and shelter one another against the evils of the world. Bless us in Water: That we may never go without sustenance, and emerge from any storm stronger than before.” With each vow, the priest wrapped another silken ribbon around our hands, binding them more tightly together. I could feel the boundaries of my consciousness merging with Lia’s as we continued to speak, and our words grew more in sync with every line.
“Bless us in Wind: That our lives will always be filled with sounds of laughter and words of love. Bless us in Darkness: That we may never lose faith in one another, and always find our way to morning. Bless us in Light: That our days together are numerous and long beneath a merciful sun.” We paused and looked to the priest as he finished tying the golden ribbon around our hands, waiting for his benediction.
“Ancient Primevals, you have heard the prayers of these two souls!” he cried, raising his upturned hands above his head. “Bestow upon them your blessing, and let their souls become one for all their lives!”
“Ancient Primevals, bless us in Life: That the rest of our days may be spent together in one mind, one body, and one soul, until the day we return your blessings in death.” Our words echoed through the silent chapel as we stood together, bound hand to hand in marriage.
The priest removed the final, pure white ribbon from his box and laid it over our hands. “Marlia. Lux. You entered as two, but leave as one. From this day forth, you are bound as husband and wife. May the Primevals bless your lives.” He bowed his head and stepped away, the ceremony complete.
A loud cheer drew our attention to our bench of onlookers, who had all taken their feet in a standing ovation. Marten, Hana, and Elise all applauded, teary-eyed and smiling, while Marin continued to cheer noisily. I turned back to Lia and stared at her longingly, my entire body electrified with adrenaline and love. She giggled as she stared back at me, then lunged forward and kissed me. I wrapped my unbound arm around her and pulled her close, returning her passionate kiss to a louder round of cheers from the crowd.
I rested my forehead against hers as we broke apart, and a tear spilled down onto my cheek. “I love you,” I whispered, too choked up to manage anything louder.
“I love you, too,” she replied through fresh tears. “Forever.”
“Forever,” I nodded.
---
The rest of the day passed in a blur. We were whisked away to the restaurant where Bella worked and found our usual dining room had been converted to a banquet hall with live music, a long table covered in silver-cloched trays, and beautiful banners styled in the Unity church colors and patterns. Elise led us to a table at the head of the room where we were to sit, still bound hand-in-hand, as servers brought us the choicest portions of the night's meal. I was happy to see unfamiliar faces on our dining room attendants, leaving Bella free to enjoy the evening at Elise’s side.
The seven of us stuffed ourselves on an exquisite multi-course meal that lasted until long after the sun had set. We ate braised bihorn with spiced blue tubers, curried game bird over saffron rice, creamy shellfish soup, and a delightfully unique dish of crispy, hollow mushrooms, which our server happily explained were a delicacy only found in the northern emberwood forests of Lybesa. Wine flowed freely throughout the night, and our conversation grew louder and more joyful with each passing dish. After we finished our dessert of sponge cake with a raspberry reduction and vanilla mousse, Marten and Hana disappeared from the room, returning a moment later with a neatly wrapped gift box.
Working together to overcome our
