Chapter 516: Vows
Standing before the waterfall, surrounded by the misty golden glow of dozens of candles, Lennart’s heart thudded in his chest like a drum, beating out the last march of his life. Zedya had insisted he take time to consider his decision well and by now there wasn’t even the slightest doubt in his heart about what he wanted.
Fear, certainly. Every soldier feared death and it was that fear of death that drove him to fight his hardest any time he was forced to don his fighting gauntlets and wade into the fray of battle. But now, death had come for him and he couldn’t fight it with fists or claws, only with a will of iron and a determination to remain at Zedya’s side that was greater than his deeply ingrained desire to stay alive.
His palms were damp with perspiration and his ears twitched nervously as Nyrielle took her place beside them, acting as a witness for the first part of tonight’s ritual.
"Zedya," Lennart said, breaking the silence that formed between the three of them once Nyrielle drew close. "I have known you all my life. You have advised me, protected me, fought beside me... I know that by any measure, I have never been your equal. Should you have desired a man in your life, you could have chosen countless people who are stronger and more worthy than I..."
"Stronger, perhaps," Zedya said softly, reaching out with a hand wrapped in lace to cup his scarred cheek gently. "But none are more worthy than you."
"Zedya," he whispered, leaning into her touch and relishing in the feel of her delicate fingers as they caressed the soft fur of his face. "I know that I lag behind you in years and power, but I promise to be worthy of the trust you’ve placed in me and the care you’ve showered on me," he said as he dropped to one knee.
"Tonight, I will fight for the power to stand at your side for as long as we may both resist the call of the abyss," he said. "But if I fall tonight, I would prefer fall as your husband, having given you my everything," he said, reaching into a small pouch at his waist and producing a lustrous silver ring, shaped like the paws of a bear wrapping around a brilliant amethyst jewel.
"I’m told that it’s human custom to exchange rings as a sign of your commitment," he said, speaking slowly around the lump that formed in his throat. "I offer this one as a promise, that my claws will always fight for you, to shelter you from harm and my arms will always hold you, to cherish you as the only love in my life. Zedya, will you be my wife?"
"Lenny," Zedya said softly, tugging at the fingers of the lace glove on her left hand, pulling it off to extend her hand. "My dearest Lennart," she said as he slipped the ring onto her slender ring finger where the amethyst jewel sparkled in the golden light, standing out brighty against her pale alabaster flesh. "I will be your wife, your one true love for the rest of our lives, until the abyss tears us from this world."
Reaching into a the folds of the dark satin sash at her waist, Zedya pulled out a simple braided leather cord that held a small piece of pure white horn, carved into the shape of a bear’s claw. The simple token had been carved from a remnant of Paulus’s horn and though Erkembalt had been reluctant to part with one of the few remaining scraps of the powerful horn after completing Heila’s Snow Fang, once Zedya explained why she wanted it, he’d been happy to accommodate her request.
"This trophy comes from one of the most powerful foes I’ve ever slain," she said, reaching out to tie the leather cord around his neck. "I offer it in the ways of your Clan as proof that I will add my strength to yours, fighting at your side to protect all that we hold dear in this world. I can never offer you children, but together, we will build a home and we will fight as one to defend it. As your wife, I swear this to my husband," she said.