Chapter 39

Linh let out a quiet giggle when the big Duskwalker signed, "I don't want to do this."

He's been saying that since yesterday,she thought with humour.

"Too bad," she answered, kicking her feet with a squeal when he gave her a grouchy snarl. He tackled her, kind of, since she was already lying on the wraps of his tail. "You promised!"

Nathair gave a deep huff and blew it over her ear purposefully. "I am a Mavka, not a human. This entire thing is r-i-d-i-c-u-l-o-u-s." He'd picked a word he hadn't taught her just to emphasise it by spelling it out.

"But it's customary, and it's something I really would like to do," Linh answered as she lowered her head and looked up at him through her lashes. She batted them, while giving her most adorable, puppy-dog eyes she could muster.

She knew it'd worked when he cupped the left side of her head and groaned as he licked across her lips.

A smile lifted into her features while she looked around Nathair's cave. His magic light symbol brightened his nest, since it was too early for the sun to give its pinstripes of light.

I'm kind of sad we're leaving.She hoped it wasn't forever, as she'd love to visit the beach and the quartz cave in the future. This place held a lot of memories for her, and was witness to much of her healing. It was the place she'd fallen in love with him.

Nathair shifted his body in a way that he slipped out from underneath her, and she fell onto the remaining coins and jewels. A few Demons had come to take some ‘shinies,' as he put it. Linh was just thankful the tiara had managed to slip under her bedding and hadn't been taken.

She picked it up and marvelled at the silver metal. I was really hoping to wear this today.

"Hurry up then," Nathair signed as he crawled his way out of the nest. "We must pack my treasures and your shells."

Cranky pants.She stuck her tongue out at his back. Well, if he could wear pants, that is. Tenderness did pang her heart when he took her shells into consideration.

Linh finally rose to her feet and helped pack in their comfortable silence.

Nathair had wanted to return home and be in a place that was familiar in order to heal and be unwell.

His human memories were quieter, and he didn't seem to be slipping into any long or lasting trances, but he still couldn't speak. He thought over time his mind might settle, but he didn't hold out any hope that it would be soon. Linh was fine with that, as she loved him how he was.

They set off to return to her village before the sun had finished rising. With him carrying her, they made it by mid-morning.

Linh raised her hand above her brow to shield her eyes as she took it in from a distance. His orange protection dome spanned it entirely, with a little wiggle room on the southern side for a small amount of expansion. On the right, there was a large gap between the village walls and the edge of the dome.

Nathair had made her father promise the village would never expand in the direction that would be their home. Her father had agreed in exchange for a bargain of sorts. One that Nathair had hesitated on, and was the reason he was being a sour danger-noodle this day.

As soon as they arrived, her little sister was one of the first to greet them.

"Come on!" May exclaimed. She pulled Linh's arm excitedly, as if she wished to drag her away – or dislocate the limb – which forced him to put her down. "You're both late. We were supposed to start getting ready an hour ago."

Her father approached Nathair and led him away. His skull and orange orbs never left her direction until buildings separated their view of each other.

Linh was taken home, and immediately shoved into a pre-made perfumed bath. She washed on her own, getting days, if not months, worth of grime off her body.

She barely had any time to soak before May bashed at the door. "I swear, you're so slow!"

The laugh that fell from Linh was accompanied by butterflies in her stomach and puffy dandelion seeds in her chest. She's more excited than I am.

In her own defence, knowing this entire event made Nathair frantic and uncomfortable kind of dampened it for her. She would make the most of it, as Linh wasn't only doing this for herself. It was both her parents' wishes to have this day, and considering she was choosing to live her life distantly with a Duskwalker, she wanted to appease them.

Her mother was there to assist Linh in putting on a bright-red dress that had belonged to her great-grandmother on her father's side. Her mother had worn it once, and her sister would likely – hopefully – wear it one day as well.

The neckline was lace and modest as it dipped into her generous cleavage. The sleeves were long but light, able to be worn in any season, while the skirts of it were layered and barely brushed the ground. Linh was a little taller than the women of her family, standing at a solid five-foot-five.

She dipped her toes into black slippers, opting for no heel, as she already had balance issues.

Her thick hair was parted into multiple sections. Down the front, she had two thin braids that framed the sides of her face before looping back under her earlobes until they were pinned behind her ears. They, and the rest of her hair, were then twisted into a spiral bun that sat low on the back of her head.

A silver comb with white flowers made from pearl was pushed into the top of the bun. The family heirloom was generations old.

Linh then placed the tiara on her head. It was her favourite piece of Nathair's treasures, and something she knew he would be delighted to see her wear in the sun. Hopefully I can dazzle him into being joyous.

Lastly, a very light amount of makeup was applied to her face: just some blush, eyeliner, and a red lipstick.

May grabbed her shoulders and finally spun her towards a mirror. Linh immediately burst out laughing, which only made her sister's gleeful expression fall.

"Why are you laughing?" she asked woefully.

"Don't worry about it," Linh answered, turning to her.

Because Nathair is right, this is ridiculous.She felt like an idiot wearing all this, but she also found it remarkably special at the same time. I kind of feel like a princess. The tiara didn't help.

Her sister's eyes flicked up to it sparkling on her head. "Where'd you even get that?" May asked, before licking at her lips with greedy brown eyes. "Can I have it once you're done with it?"

Linh's eyes crinkled at that, but it was her mother that answered. "For once, May, I don't think you'll be getting a hand-me-down."

"I bet you stole my favourite sweater again," Linh teased.

May lifted her gaze upwards. "It looks better on me anyway. Orange is more my colour than yours."

Not anymore,Linh thought, knowing she was going to be gazing into the colour for the rest of her, however long, life.

After a final check of her outfit, then her mother and sister fussing over their own, they left. Her father greeted them outside, wearing a red suit that matched her dress.

The man, incapable of being stoic, gave her the largest grin he could muster. He opened his arms towards all three women standing on their doorstep.

"Look at all my beautiful women. I am the luckiest man alive," he stated rumbustiously, waving in front of his face as if he was trying to fight back his emotions. "Linh, you look like a literal angel."

Holding one side of her skirts out, she couldn't help turning side to side for him. Her cheeks were warm from his compliment, despite being used to her father's flamboyant personality.

"How's Nathair?" Linh asked.

"He is rather surly, if I'm being honest. Does he usually hiss and snap his fangs?" He offered his elbow for Linh to take, and her mother and sister fell into a stroll behind them as they headed towards the village square. "For a moment there, I thought we would need to call the temple to bring us another antidote for his venom. He didn't like me touching between his horns."

A cold chill crept down her spine. That's where my soul is.

Oh yeah, her father absolutely went poking where he shouldn't have. Linh doubted Nathair would appreciate anyone being close to her soul, to what literally bonded them on a spiritual level, and he was likely very possessive about it. In the same way he was very possessive of her.

That unflappable obsessiveness made her stomach flutter.

All her musings disintegrated when she saw Nathair in the distance. Although he was supposed to keep his back to her, and had probably been told that, he turned the moment he scented her.

Her lips curled with humour, that she tried her best to hide, when he signed over the distance, "They put me in a fucking dress, Linh."

Leaning closer, her father whispered, "What did he say?"

"Don't worry about it," she whispered back, as her eyes crinkled with adoration towards Nathair.

A black suit shirt had been made to fit his size, but it was apparent they didn't know where to... stop. It was long, going past the length of his humanoid torso. It didn't help that he had no legs to put into pants. Beneath it, a white tunic stuck out from the collar, and already she could tell his ability to bend and twist had shifted it all wrong.

He looked messy, and she absolutely relished it.

By the tiny white petals all over his skull, in an eye socket, and even dotting his clothes, someone had put a flower crown on his head, which he'd ripped off. She was supposed to be wearing one as well, but she'd chosen not to in exchange for the tiara.

Her father was wearing one, as were her mother and sister, to highlight they were her immediate family.

No fanfare was made as she walked up an aisle of seated people, with many more standing off to the sides. She'd asked for silence, for Nathair's sake, and she appreciated everyone was giving it. All that could be heard was a dry cough here or there, the shifting of clothing, and the grind of a chair.

Well, besides her father's blubbering. Linh elbowed the crying man.

"I can't help it," he quietly wailed. "I've always wanted to walk you down the aisle on your wedding day, and I thought I'd lost my chance. It's a very special moment for a father." He gave a sniffle as he whispered, "My little girl is all grown up, and marrying some Duskwalker I barely know. It's all too much."

Linh rolled her eyes to the side. "You're the one who demanded this."

"I knooow, and it's so beautiful. I hope May's wedding is just as wonderful." He sniffled again. "But with more music."

When Linh was brought to Nathair's side, her father forced the Duskwalker to give him a handshake. Her mother and sister came to her side, whereas Nathair had no groomsmen. Her father had offered to fill that space so Nathair didn't feel alone, and had pouted to Linh when he'd been coldly rejected.

Kai placed his left hand on their combined hold. "Take care of my daughter for me," her father demanded with a firm handshake.

Nathair gave him an unnervingly quiet snarl. Oops, you offended him, dad.

Her father just chuckled and waved as he stepped away into the crowd to be a front-row spectator. The head Priestess began the ceremony – most of it in another language no one understood. They had their own gods that they asked for prosperity, health, and love from, even when being a wedding celebrant.

"I think you look lovely," Linh whispered as she brushed the back of her knuckles against Nathair's.

Her heart fluttered when the knuckle of his index finger brushed against hers in a way that showed he wanted to hold her hand. She bet he had his own compliment, and she let herself imagine what lay within his mind.

Perhaps... you are stunning, little nightingale?she thought as she smiled at the Priestess. Yeah, that sounds like something he'd say.

"You realise all of this is pointless?" Nathair signed, tilting his head at her. "This human bond is weak and barely a fraction of what it means for a Mavka to obtain their bride. We are bonded forever, Linh. In this life, and in the next."

"I know," she whispered.

"Then why are we doing this? I would rather go to our new home."

Linh gave a wary glance to the masked woman before them. They weren't supposed to talk during the ceremony, but the Priestess nodded in approval. Linh licked her lips nervously and cast her gaze to the crowd.

She kept her voice low as she said, "I know it's silly, but a lot was taken from me, my family, and my people. This is new for me, and something many girls dream about when they're little. As much as my father pushed for this, I think he did so on my behalf." Nathair's shoulders stiffened, and she gave him a sad, but reassuring smile; one that crinkled her eyes and made her head tip to the side. "Even if you don't understand it, I'm really happy I'm doing this with you, Nathair."

Nathair's head reared back a little, and his orange orbs darkened in their hue. He looked at the Priestess, as if he couldn't look at Linh under the weight of his own apparent guilt. This day was special for many humans, but she didn't blame him for not understanding the emotional weight of it.

He circled his chest. "Sorry." His skull tilted back towards her a little. "If this is what you want, then okay."

Seeming to come to a decision, he turned. He darted to her father, who gasped in surprise at his speed, before Nathair stole his flower crown. He placed it, lopsided, on his head before returning.

The Priestess eventually switched over to English so she could tell them to put their rings on. Nathair gave her one from his treasures – of course she'd picked it – and she gave him one that her village had helped make. Something that would handle being in the water and wouldn't erode if he took care of it.

Then they were allowed to give their vows.

Linh went first, and kept it simple. "I found you when I needed you most, and I've been so thankful ever since that day. Your embrace fills me with so much love, while your heart makes me feel so safe and nourished. You mean the absolute world to me. Thank you, Nathair, for choosing me."

Her damn father blubbered in the background, and she almost palmed her face in disbelief.

Then it was Nathair's turn.

When he lifted his hands, she noticed how steady they were. Instead of nervously shaking, he signed with confidence, as if he meant every word – which surprised her considering he likely made it up on the spot.

"I find comfort in your embrace, as much as you do mine, and I will cherish this life with you." His lithe fingers and strong hands slowed as if he wanted to highlight his next words, and his orbs shifted to bright pink. "You are the heart that beats outside of my chest, my little nightingale."

Then he made the gesture for ‘I love you,' but extended his middle finger to cross it with his index finger, changing it to ‘I love you very much.'

Tears welled in her eyes as her bottom lip trembled from the overwhelming love that crashed over her.

A small purr started. "Was that good?"

Linh leapt forward while nodding. She threw her arms around his thick, corded neck, and pressed her lips to the seam of his bony maw.

"I guess you may kiss each other now," the Priestess said, a small and deep chuckle falling from her.

"Oh, sorry," Linh rasped, pulling away with a flare of embarrassment.

Nathair cupped the back of her head, brought her closer, and shoved his forked tongue into her mouth. He let out a groan as his tongue brushed against hers.

A few people awkwardly clapped before a sea of applause roared. At the noise, Nathair reared back with a shudder, his head twitching in repulsion. He didn't bite at the crowd, and instead kept his attention on her by brushing her cheek with his thumb.

Thank you, Nathair.

She appreciated him finally accepting this, them, and just this day as a whole. Her heart felt lighter than ever, and she truly needed to have a proper wedding as a reminder that everything she'd suffered at least had a happy ending.

"Can we leave now?" Nathair asked.

Linh cupped the sides of his bony face so she could nuzzle her nose against his. "First, we must have festivities, and then we can excuse ourselves."

He grunted but accepted it with a nod. He lifted his skull in a direction behind her, before it tilted with his orbs flashing dark yellow in curiosity. When she began to turn around with a frown marring her features, he cupped her jaw.

For a few seconds, he didn't move.

"You said this day is important, yes?" When Linh nodded, he sighed. "Then turn and face someone. Do not bring too much attention to them, as it may cause distress to your people."

Why did that make a crawl of anxiety slip down her spine?

Linh turned as Nathair tilted his body in a different direction. It wasn't hard to guess who she needed to search for; two people stood in a shaded entrance of an alleyway.

One figure wore a dark-grey cloak which hid them entirely from their forehead down to their feet. The woman next to them wore a cloak made mostly of white feathers, with quite a number of them brown and kind of spotty. The hood was down, revealing dark-brown, loose curls, and a beautiful face that had stern features. Her skin was brown, but it was difficult to gain any other details in the shadows.

The woman lifted a hand to press a singular finger to her curling lips, then bowed her head in greeting.

"I don't understand," Linh said, turning to Nathair. "Who are they?"

He gave a small chuckle. "My mother and father, I think."

"What?!" she quietly rasped. She didn't even get to see his father under his cloak!

Then they were gone, as if they'd disappeared into thin air. She stepped forward, searching for them, only to be swarmed by her family, who were tired of waiting for food and festivities.

No, wait.She scanned the crowd, but couldn't find the woman in white bird feathers. Where'd they go?

She would have loved to greet them properly.

Did they come to watch the wedding? Linh couldn't help being disappointed that they'd left. How did they even know about it?

She spun to Nathair with her mouth open to voice her complaint. She shut it when she found him looking down at her with his orbs bright pink again, and her heart panged in tenderness.

It's okay. We'll meet them properly in the future.

They had plenty of time.