Huihana was utterly delighted with her brother having gotten his sling off. And with her wedding coming up so soon, she was in high spirits.
Moana was eager to aid her, keeping ideas for her possible future wedding in the back of her mind. From the tailoring of Huihana's dress to the ideas for the grand feast, and the flowers used for decoration. The young chief's mind was reeling, and every instance she saw Huihana and Engle together in their planning, she could see herself and Keoni.
She had offered her resources to help coordinate everything, to which Huihana gladly accepted, but Keoni's sister reminded her that there was no need to pull all the stops, after all, she wasn't chief.
"I know I know..." Moana relented.
The big day was fast approaching, having been scheduled to occur during the full moon, and so an offering would be made to the Goddess of the Moon, Hina. And Huihana was being pampered by her soon-to-be in-laws. Enele's sister Apikaila even added a few touches of iridescent shell pieces to the dress; the young woman was absolutely delighted to have a sister-in-law.
At last, the big day finally arrived. The moon was expected to be brilliant and full that night, which was a sign of good fortune.
Moana quickly made her way to Enele's family's residence where Huihana was getting ready. Kalei was combing through her hair, which was loose from its usual bun, and her bangs were pulled back and out of her face. And for the past week leading up to the big day, her skin and hair were meticulously treated and cared for with kukui oil. Her skin was smooth and soft, as was her hair, which fell down her back in loose waves. A flower crown made of white gardenias and orchids was placed atop her head, a few strands of her hair woven in to secure it.
Her dress was made of cream-colored tapa, decorated with hand-painted floral patterns, with kukui nut beads and shell embellishments decorating the skirt and bodice. Around her wrists and ankles were adorned with flower bracelets that tinkled with the sound of beads.
She was a sight to behold, and Moana knew how lucky of a man Enele was.
The ceremony began without a hitch, with one of Motunui's holy men blowing the pū shell to announce the beginning of the ceremony, which was followed by the guests and the families singing the "Oli Aloha", welcoming Huihana and Enele to the platform.
As the formalities commenced, Tui and Moana stood just off to the side next to the holy man and Enele's side to provide their witness and blessing. Keoni and Apikaila stood opposite Huihana; Keoni was dressed in fine adornments of a lavalava and a lei of his own as his part of the ceremony, as he was Huihana's only family left. It was truly just a formality, though, Keoni just wanted to support his sister.
As the holy man spoke and continued, Moana made eye contact with Keoni, observing him closely. He caught her look, giving her a genuine smile, though it was clear to her it was a bittersweet one. But she understood, giving him a smile of her own and the subtlest of nods.
This exchange did not go unnoticed by Tui or Sina, as both had seen the connection their daughter shared with the young man, and Tui was already beginning to envision the future the pair would have. He made a mental note to begin the process of preparing Keoni for the duties that awaited him, given that Moana had been keeping her parents up to date on Keoni's progress. Perhaps this was exactly what was needed, sure, Keoni was skilled, but Tui could see his potential, especially in how Keoni had inadvertently been leading the fishermen, aiding them in improvements and coordination.
Following the vows, the couple was given their blessing with Koa wood, a Ti leaf, and water. Used to symbolize the integrity, health, and new beginnings for the couple. Then they exchanged open-ended leis of jasmine and Ti leaves, and bound their hands together with a maile lei.
The rest of the ceremony was a blur, with Enele and Huihana being presented to the village as married, followed by a chorus of cheering and "CHEEHOOO".
With the official ceremony completed, now came the big feast and hula. The part of weddings everyone looked forward to the most, after all, dancing and food! Who could go wrong with that?
Shifting about awkwardly, Keoni didn't know what to do with himself now that the celebration was beginning. Food and drinks were brought out for the guests, and some began to dance in small groups, quickly followed by singing praises for the newlyweds. He wanted to be by Moana, but she was preoccupied with her people.
He desperately craved her presence but reminded himself that she had her duty to her people, even during a wedding. While maintaining a neutral face, he internally argued with himself if he could survive a social gathering without needing Moana by his side the entire time. The logical side of him argued that if he were to continue pursuing his (still mostly private) courtship with her, then he would have to become accustomed to social gatherings and interacting with others.
C'mon... you've got this. Do this for your sister. He self-assured, do it for Moana.
And so, after a few deep breaths, he finally left the spot he'd remained at, daring to explore the crowd, and maybe meet new people.
So far, he wove through the crowd with little issue, maybe almost walking over a few kids by accident, and a few nods here and there, but mostly nothing was said to him. After a few short minutes of walking around, he bumped into Pania and Akamu chitchatting with some friends.
"Oh! Keoni! There you are!" The young woman greeted, gesturing for him to join them.
"Uh, hey, Pania." He replied, swallowing hard.
"Enjoying the party?" Akamu asked, to which Keoni offered an awkward smile and a half-shrug, "Hey, if you plan on pursuing the chief, gotta get used to the people, y'know?" At that, Keoni turned bright red and Pania lightly smacked Akamu on the arm.
"Akamu! You can't just say that to him!" She scolded.
"You're courting the chief?" One of their friends questioned, suddenly curious.
"Eh, w-who said that?" Keoni replied, caught off-guard.
"Guys! C'mon, leave him be! He just wants to enjoy the reception!" Pania exclaimed, recognizing that Keoni did not want to discuss that topic with strangers. With an eyeroll, Pania gestured for Keoni to walk with her, getting him away from the pressure of her group of friends.
"I'm sorry about that," she attempted, "we all grew up with Moana so they're all eager to see her with a partner eventually."
"...It's... it's fine. I didn't exactly expect to be questioned about my love life during my sister's wedding," Pania snorted.
"Weddings get everyone in that lovey-dovey mood, y'know? I know that there are definitely some families discussing their own wedding arrangements."
"You'd believe me if I said this is the first wedding I've attended?" She gave him a look, answering his question. "Fair enough."
"Look, Moana and I talked about this not too long ago, I've never heard her talk so passionately about someone before. I saw the look in her eyes, she knows you're the one." Keoni felt his cheeks warm slightly, but he wasn't that surprised, oddly comforted by this.
"Yeah, I know you two talked, and I'm glad to hear you're supportive." Pania scoffed in mock-offense.
"Ah! Why wouldn't I? She's practically a sister to me, and you make her the happiest I've seen. That said, there is still the council to work with. But don't worry, I plan on being there for that meeting." She grinned, winking.
"I'll take your word on that." Giving him a gentle, playful shove to his good shoulder, she went back to Akamu's side, and Keoni took that as a sign to search for Moana.
Luckily it didn't take long for him to find her, seeing a small crowd around her and her parents, but did not push his way through, not wanting to be rude. Then Sina noticed him first; she nudged Moana and gestured to him in the crowd. With a smile, Moana gave her mother a quick hug, and circumvented the crowd, appearing at his side, and linking her arm in his.
"You didn't have to leave them," he softly protested, but did not pull away from her. She shrugged.
"Oh shush, let me have this."
She led him away from the gathering to a quieter part of the village, knowing he needed to recollect himself.
"I know you're a bit overwhelmed with it all, but you're still having a good time?" He nodded.
"I am, first wedding I've ever attended."
"Really?" Another nod.
"I ran into your cousin earlier and she was... not surprised in the slightest." Moana snorted, picturing that exchange.
"Yeah, she's like that."
"She also told me how supportive she is of us." With a smile, Moana rested her head on his good shoulder, her hand on his chest. He wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her closer. They locked eyes, instinctually swaying together as the sun set in the west, casting a rich reddish glow over the island. In the east, the full moon peeked over the horizon. The ceremony for Hina would begin soon, but the couple wanted a little more time together.
With the moonrise, Moana then took him to a small beach a short distance from the festivities so they wouldn't be late. The shore was glowing a brilliant, sparkly blue as the waves softly crashed on the sand. Their footsteps in the soft, wet sand were illuminated by the bioluminescence as they made their way along the shore, eventually stopping in front of a small grove of hibiscus trees and plumeria of various shades of white, pink, and red.
Upon laying his eyes on the stunning blooms, he realized what a perfect moment he had with her. She was facing the reef ahead, the reflection of the sunset glowing on the ocean's surface. A soft breeze rustled her hair, carrying the sweet aroma of the flowers nearby.
With her momentarily distracted, Keoni spied the perfect flower for her, a stunning white hibiscus, with a soft pink center, with streaks of yellow trailing up the petals, and a bright red stigma, flecked with yellow pollen. He gently broke it free from the base of the branch, ensuring he didn't damage the petals. He took in a deep breath, self-assured with what he was about to do.
"Moana?" He called. She turned to him and eyed the flower in his hand.
"Hm?" He took her hand in his, watching her closely.
"Moana... I've thought about this for quite some time, and with all the support we've gained together, I'm eager to start a future with you. I'm ready for what's to come," with her left stunned, he placed the white flower behind her left ear. Tilting her face up by her chin, he leaned forward to kiss her. Barely an inch away from her was where he felt her whisper, "Yes,", and accepted the kiss.