Today was the big day… and he still wasn’t sure how they’d landed on it. Half of him wanted to blame Dagrún and the other half wanted to blame Hial… but mostly he was just blaming himself as he struggled to find who else to assign fault. He’d not been this nervous even the first time he’d managed to go on a viking outing… how was that even possible? ”I Blame ye fer this mess.” He mumbled quietly, walking along side his friend toward where they were to meet with the priestess and lawmaker both.
”You blame me for your feelings to our dear, dear friend?” He scoffed and rolled his eyes, slapping Feykir with a paw. ”Come off it!” He smirked a little… anyone who had spent more than a little time with the two could tell that they were meant to be together. Or at least that they wanted to be together… what was that saying about too much protesting?
She paced back and forth for what felt like ages… she’d switched to long circular paths but that hadn’t helped either. She could not shake the nervous feeling, and it was one she liked little and less with each passing moment. She glanced over at the lawspeaker and the priestess, ears flattening against her head in a rare show of being unsure. She would kill Feykir if he did not show… how would she ever be able to live something like that down?
[NPC]The law speaker cleared his throat as he watched the lioness, restless as she was. He didn’t blame her, this was very common place. He exchanged knowing looks with the priestess and subtly gave a little shrug. They had witnessed males that had gotten cold feet. They’d witnessed females who walked away before the ceremony was complete… they’d even witnessed couples who seemed to regret their union almost immediately after everything was said and done.
”Can’t believe I agreed t’this…” He sounded bewildered more than betrayed, he knew why he’d agreed to it. He did have feelings for Hial, very strong feelings. He’d told her he loved her… and then she said they would be better off getting married… she’d even joked that this way she could keep good track of him. Right now he wasn’t sure it was such a joke… wasn’t the male supposed to gain the wife? Someone to protect and someone to keep the den clean… look after his thralls… that sort of thing? But somehow it felt much the opposite. She’d even promised to kill him in his sleep if he even thought of taking a salt wife… she was crazy and he was smitten.
As they spotted the small group of three in the distance Feykir found his paws coming to a stand still… he felt his breath hitch in his throat for a moment. ”She’s beautiful.” He mumbled, a slow smile spreading on his maw as he thwapped Dagrún with his paw, ”Come on then!”
”Hey!” He growled, hitting his friend back. Like he was the one that was holding up the process! Feykir was such a goon! He gave the other a little extra shove for good measure. He had to agree though, Hial was very pretty… just not quite the kind of personality he wanted in his female. Of course that meant avoiding a lot of the females in their pride… but what was one to do?
”Ah! There he is… Dargún too.” She coughed to cover the pure relief in her voice, ignoring the almost sympathetic smile the priestess was giving her. She let her eyes narrow sternly but she was having a hard time of it… how could she be mad when she was going to marry her best friend today? And… how had Feykir even become her best friend?
He gave a nod to both the lawmaker and the priestess, his eyes softening as they landed on his future wide. ”Oi, sorry for the hold up… still tryin’ ta decide ‘ow crazy I was.” He smirked a little and then raised a paw at the look she gave, ”A joke, a joke! I’d have to be crazy not t’show!”
Dagrún groaned and shook his head, smacking Feykir’s back thigh. ”Idiot.” He grumbled, looking to Hial and then leaning close to her but still speaking loud enough that everyone would be able to hear anyhow, ”He’s actually quite smitten with you, you know. Can’t even look at other females now without going on and on about you.” He winked and grinned.
”See! You make me want to kill you, not marry you!” She growled, baring her teeth at him. And what was stopping her from turning and going? There were plenty of strong males in the pride she could lay with, have children with… but make a life with? She relaxed a little at Dagrún’s words and felt that Feykir was lucky to have a friend in him. ”Ah… I knew I must have put some sort of spell on him but I did not know it was that bad!” She joked and then laughed.
[NPC]He cleared his throat, trying to stop looking so bewildered. He was confused as to if they were proceeding or not, but he was not beyond asking. ”Well, are we to move forward or to move on?”
”And I am sure one day ya will be the death of me, Hial!” They seemed to both laugh at that. He glanced to the lawspeaker and raised his eyebrows, gesturing towards him. ”Get a load o’this guy… pretty pushy ain’t he?” He was trying to make Hial laugh, and it worked. He then grinned and gave an halfway decent apologetic look, ”Meaning no offense, of course!”
He glanced between the priestess and the lawspeaker and chuckled, shaking his head. ”Well one thing is for sure, these two will keep you on your toes. The simple-minded on means no harm, of course.” More laughter from Hial, who seemed more at ease than when they’d first arrived.
”You better behave or we’ll not be allowed a union!” She stated, chiding playfully. ”Though I would not be surprised if that was your goal.” But no, she was sure that Feykir wanted this union as much as she, and she had to hold onto that feeling.
”Wow! Gettin’ it from all sides, ain’t I?” He exclaimed, incredulous. He inched himself towards the priestess, ”You are on my side, yea?” He smirked a little and his tail flicked. ”Well, no matter. He’s right,” He jutted his chin toward the lawspeaker, ”We should move along so we have more time to celebrate.” He wagged his eyebrows at Hial.
[NPC]He felt the need to clear his throat again, but refrained. ”If all parties are ready then?” He gestured for both Hial and Feykir to come before he and the priestess, shifting himself so she had adequate room as well. ”We stand here today to witness the union of Hialmdis and Feykir, as the gods willed it…” And he continued on, listing off the laws and practices as was common.
Once they’d stepped forward and the joking was pushed aside she had eyes only for Feykir, she could barely hear either the lawspeaker or the priestess. That was alright, she would agree to whatever it was they said. She knew that some lions in the pride formed life-long partnerships without the need for union… but somehow this felt right.
He sat himself comfortably as he watched his friends, a slow smile resting on his maw. He was glad Feykir had invited him to bare witness, it meant a lot. He was glad he was in both of their lives, was glad they would have more exciting adventures together… was even glad of the idea that some time even possibly in the near future the two would have little mini-thems running around that he could play with and tease. He cleared his throat when the priestess asked them to repeat something and neither did, ”Psst!” He finally hissed when it was becoming awkward.
Feykir seemed to snap out of his little daze first, ”'til the Stormlords take us to walk among them I do pledge myself to Hialmdis!” He gave a sheepish grin to the two marrying them and a little shrug. It wasn’t his fault he’d got hypnotized by his almost wife!
Hial did not look embarrassed of having stopped paying attention, she just continued to keep her eyes on Feykir. She smiled warmly, ”'til the Stormlords take us to walk among them I do pledge myself to Feykir.” There would be a few more things to repeat and traditions to follow, but it was pretty much done.
They were finally joined together, finally married.
Word Count - 1,456
