Those expected to attend had gathered as dusk settled vibrant colors across stringy clouds and the first stars of night came into view on the darkened portions of the sky. Ewan wore the dark green doublet with its leafy symbols embroidered delicately in gold along the cuffs of his sleeves and the edges of the white under tunic. A simple wide belt of black held twin daggers and the sheath tips tapped lightly against his black trew covered legs. He walked from the steps of the main manor building to approach where Sylvia stood near the center of the crowd.
Storm, too, came at that time from the guest building. She wore a robe, silky in texture that was light grey in color. The sleeves fanned just faintly at the wrist, and the material barely skimmed the ground. The design was simple, but it was the back that held four different symbols. The first two held symbols in simple but bold black lines, representing the symbols of her father and her mother. Beneath this pair of symbols were two more; one in same manner, reflecting Storm's symbol of the Air, and the other had a background of a rich green and golden leaves, representing Ewan and his homeland. Her hair was left down, a single gardenia tucked just above her left ear.
Slender pathways in the small gathering appeared to let the couple meet together before Sylvia. Avery stepped up to Storm?s side with the encouragement of Storm?s father, Cornelious. As the eyes of the attendees all drew to the center, Sylvia called out warmly above the crowd, ?No mortal power can claim to join two people together. Only those two individuals can do so, and they can only do so willingly.? Sylvia held out her hands, and Ewan unbuckled his belt and gave over his weapons to her. In the same fashion, Storm reached into a pocket of the her gown and produced a pair of stones, one white and the other black, with a thin leather thread keeping them together. Her eyes took a faint dim, before it appeared to transfer to the stones. Eyes clear, she held out the stones by holding the thread, and offered it to her father's waiting hand.
Ewan smiled reassuringly to Storm and took a deep breath. He could see she did the same, and they both spoke with confident truth, hope, and understanding of what they swore. ?I ask you to be no other than yourself: loving what I know of you, trusting what I do not yet know with respect for your integrity, and faith in your love for me through all our years and in all that life may bring us. I do not promise the absence of hardship, but I do promise the assurance of my strength to support you through hardship. I do not promise the absence of sorrow, but I do promise the assurance of my love to see us through the sorrow.?
Gaerwyn and Avery each stepped forward and offered up the tokens of their pledges. Two chains with amulets worked masterfully by Johnny. The amulets adorned with symbols and decorations along the edge of the coin sized discs and in the center, runic symbols twined together, one the symbol for a bird, and the other a symbol for a fish. Storm drew up one with leaves around the edge and Ewan took up the one with ornate clouds around the edge. She placed the chain over Ewan?s head to settle it around his neck, the amulet rested just beneath his collarbone, and he followed likewise to place the amulet chain over Storm?s and rest around her neck. ?These visible symbols of our pledges show we are both individuals and one, and they remind us and others of that duality.?
Ewan reclaimed his belt of daggers and placed it about his waist. Cornelious offered an opened hand, and Storm reached to pick up the stones, once they were in her hand, their faint glowing ended as she put them back in the small pocket. As a final symbol, the couple share a kiss and the ceremony joyfully concludes with many of the attendees expressing their support, or the desire for beginning feasting, with huzzahs and cheers. Ewan and Storm, having one more matter to attend, walk with Cornelious to the house to fulfill the obligations of the Elemental traditions, but they would join the revelers not long after.
Storm, too, came at that time from the guest building. She wore a robe, silky in texture that was light grey in color. The sleeves fanned just faintly at the wrist, and the material barely skimmed the ground. The design was simple, but it was the back that held four different symbols. The first two held symbols in simple but bold black lines, representing the symbols of her father and her mother. Beneath this pair of symbols were two more; one in same manner, reflecting Storm's symbol of the Air, and the other had a background of a rich green and golden leaves, representing Ewan and his homeland. Her hair was left down, a single gardenia tucked just above her left ear.
Slender pathways in the small gathering appeared to let the couple meet together before Sylvia. Avery stepped up to Storm?s side with the encouragement of Storm?s father, Cornelious. As the eyes of the attendees all drew to the center, Sylvia called out warmly above the crowd, ?No mortal power can claim to join two people together. Only those two individuals can do so, and they can only do so willingly.? Sylvia held out her hands, and Ewan unbuckled his belt and gave over his weapons to her. In the same fashion, Storm reached into a pocket of the her gown and produced a pair of stones, one white and the other black, with a thin leather thread keeping them together. Her eyes took a faint dim, before it appeared to transfer to the stones. Eyes clear, she held out the stones by holding the thread, and offered it to her father's waiting hand.
Ewan smiled reassuringly to Storm and took a deep breath. He could see she did the same, and they both spoke with confident truth, hope, and understanding of what they swore. ?I ask you to be no other than yourself: loving what I know of you, trusting what I do not yet know with respect for your integrity, and faith in your love for me through all our years and in all that life may bring us. I do not promise the absence of hardship, but I do promise the assurance of my strength to support you through hardship. I do not promise the absence of sorrow, but I do promise the assurance of my love to see us through the sorrow.?
Gaerwyn and Avery each stepped forward and offered up the tokens of their pledges. Two chains with amulets worked masterfully by Johnny. The amulets adorned with symbols and decorations along the edge of the coin sized discs and in the center, runic symbols twined together, one the symbol for a bird, and the other a symbol for a fish. Storm drew up one with leaves around the edge and Ewan took up the one with ornate clouds around the edge. She placed the chain over Ewan?s head to settle it around his neck, the amulet rested just beneath his collarbone, and he followed likewise to place the amulet chain over Storm?s and rest around her neck. ?These visible symbols of our pledges show we are both individuals and one, and they remind us and others of that duality.?
Ewan reclaimed his belt of daggers and placed it about his waist. Cornelious offered an opened hand, and Storm reached to pick up the stones, once they were in her hand, their faint glowing ended as she put them back in the small pocket. As a final symbol, the couple share a kiss and the ceremony joyfully concludes with many of the attendees expressing their support, or the desire for beginning feasting, with huzzahs and cheers. Ewan and Storm, having one more matter to attend, walk with Cornelious to the house to fulfill the obligations of the Elemental traditions, but they would join the revelers not long after.