Embers and Ashes

Chapter 29

   “Ask away.”

    “Who did you want to give the serves? You’re mother said that it is tradition for royal marriages to take place in the temple here in Hedone, but I know you aren’t very religious. Did you want Zatherian to give the speech, or may I ask a priestess from the Dawn Court?”

   He lays there in silences thinking on it. 

   “What do think?”, he asks.

   “I think that considering I’m getting my way in pretty much everything planned so far that you should have at least one wedding choice that belongs to you”, I answer.

   “I’ll think on it then”, he nods and grabs another cookie. 

    “Melona”, he calls softly after a few moments of silence.

   “Mm?”, I answer trying to go back to my book.

   “Do you want to marry me?”, he asks. “If you weren’t obligated too, would you still want me?”

   “Maybe not with only seeing your outter layer”, I smile and place the book down again. This was more important. “But now I see you, flaws and strengths, and yes I want to marry you Eris Vanserra.”

   “Why?”, he questions.

   “Well,” I crawl over close enough to see the shimmering of firelight dancing off all the shades of chestnut and rustic in his eyes. Letting my hands brush out the oils he uses to slick back his unruly curls. “It’s true what they say, you are the most arrogant and prideful male I have ever met. Worse then Illyrians fanning out their wings, but that doesn’t get in the way of you treating me well. Yes you push me around sometimes, but only ever in ways that you think I need work on, and even after long grumbling, you still take my words to heart and try to improve if you can.

   We work so well together. You quiet all my worries and handle my adventurousness much better then most have.  You just. . . even if you’re scared to have someone to loose you still try and get to know me. You didn’t push me away that day I came to tell you I wouldn’t be kept in the shadows. You see me, and I see you.”

   “I feel like I will never stop being surprised by you”, his lips turn soft as his body relaxes. “How can you be both so wild and tame at the same time? How can you see so far into myself, where even I dare not look, and still have the tenderness to see good in me. I’m not a good male Melona, I don’t think I ever will be, but I want to be.”

   “I’ll except anyone you plane to be, but I will still give my opinion on it”, I laugh and he breaks into his own light chuckle.

   “I wouldn’t have it any other way”, he smiles and once again relaxes into my touch. “. . . I want to marry you Melona. Not because I have to, but because I want to.”

    “I want to marry you too Eris”, I hum as I sit up on knees and sweetly give his forehead a kiss.

   “Where would you like to go for our Honeymoon?”, he asks quietly while looking up at the fire light dancing over the polished wood ceilings.

   “Home”, I answer simply as I scooch over to sit beside him. Turning to face him and lay my head on his chest.

   “I’m sure your family would enjoy the visit”, he answers while watching my hand that had started to trace, but abruptly stops at his answer.

   “I wasn’t talking about the Dawn Court Eris”, I try to correct. Even as my heart broke a little that he didn’t understand what I was asking. “I want to go to our home. I want to go home to Embry.”