MoonLife (20 page)

King Nicon turned to me and smiled as we started down the aisle. Everyone in the room was standing, then as we approached each isle they bowed to us. At first I assumed they were bowing for the King, but then I got the impression they were bowing for me also. It was a strange feeling and the whole walk down the aisle felt remarkably unreal; I just chalked it up to yet another experience in my newfound life.

Sebastian looked stunning in his tuxedo. It was black, fitted and knowing him
,
probably Gucci. He wore a crimson red vest under his tux that matched my dress perfectly. He looked stunning. He had pulled his hair back loosely for the occasion with a blood red ribbon. His eyes were smiling at me as much as his lips. He looked so happy, sated. I felt tears starting to well up again in my eyes, but I willed them back.

I glimpsed to my right and saw my parents in the audience. I smiled at them, and my mom was already crying. She cries at commercials and bad movies, so I wasn’t surprised at that. What I was surprised to see was the one lone tear running down my father’s face. He was a stoic
man;
I had never seen him cry. To see that meant a lot to me, having them there meant even more. I mouthed I love you to them, and my Mom pointed to her forehead. She had noticed the little star and she hugged herself. I could tell she was happy.

I looked back to Sebastian. We were almost at the end of the aisle.
This is it
, I thought to myself,
this
i
s actually finally happening
.

A man I hadn’t noticed before was standing on the platform in front of the twinkling lights and addressed the crowd. I had to assume he was their version of a priest and was going to be officiating the ceremony.

“Dear friends, family and loved ones, join with me in the celebration of the union between Sebastian Knight and the Kali Princess Sadie Jones as their lives’ paths now merge to become a singular road.”

“The Rite of Binding ritual recognizes the union of two spirits. It is a joining together before us and symbolizing the union of two becoming one for all eternity. This is not a binding to go into lightly for
the Turn
ing of the woman into Mandurago is a hard and arduous one.”

“Who pledges this girl into this union?” asked the Cleric to the King.

King Nicon looked down at me
,
then up at Sebastian. "I, King Nicon, pledge that she is worthy to become a Mandurago."

With that, he turned me to the right so I was standing sideways in the aisle. I looked him in the eye and then shifted my nervous glance to Sebastian. I was a little frightened, but Sebastian gave me a reassuring look. I looked back to King Nicon, and his eyes were red. He gently put his hands on both sides of my face and turned my head so my neck was out a bit. He leaned in and said quietly, “Stay still
,
” then bit into me. It was a single bite
,
but deep. He drank for a moment then carefully pulled away, licking the marks so they would heal. He then took my arm and turned me back to facing the platform. As he turned towards the Cleric and Sebastian, he bent at the waist and bowed to them both.

The Cleric looked down to me.

“Do you, Kali Princess, stand in our presence of your own free will to seek union with this Mandurago known as Sebastian Knight?"

“I do," I said softly.

“Mandurago Sebastian
,
please fetch your chosen and join me at the altar.” said the Cleric motioning to me.

Sebastian walked down the few stairs to me and offered me his arm. I smiled at him nervously and wrapped my arm around his.  Arm
in
arm we walked up the stairs, my long dress flowing behind me, to the starlight altar.

The Cleric met us under the canopy of lights. He asked us, “You are aware of the reality of the vows you are about to speak to one another. Of the great responsibility that comes when a Mandurago partnership is created for all eternity. If there is any reason within your hearts that this ceremony should not continue at this time, I charge you to voice it now, for those that
are
bound cannot be undone. “

“Do you Sebastian and Sadie want to continue with the binding? Please say
“
I do
”
of your own free will
.
”

Sebastian and I answered in unison, “I do.”

“Please turn to face each other.” I turned to my side and faced Sebastian. His face was blooming
. H
e looked so content and blissful. He reached for my hands and we waited for our next directive.

“Do you have the ties that bind?” asked the Cleric. Sebastian reached around and pulled the ribbon out of his hair. It was the same red velvet ribbon that I had noticed walking down the aisle. His hair fell around his face, making him look even more like the Norse god that he is. He smiled down at me,
and
even though my thoughts were protected
,
I could tell he knew what I was thinking.

“I do,” and he handed it to the Cleric.

“Please face your chosen, wrist over wrist, hand over hand.” Unsure exactly what to do, Sebastian crossed his wrists and held his hands out to me. I followed his lead and crossed my wrists and interlocked my hands with his.

The man took the long velvet ribbon and threaded it in-between our wrists and hands. Intertwining it around us, essentially binding us as one and tying a single bow on the top.

The Cleric placed his hands on top of ours and said:

“Above you are the stars, below you are the stones, as time doth pass, remember...

“Like a stone your love should be firm, like a star your love should be constant. Let the powers of your Mandurago minds and intellect guide you in your eternity together, let the strength of your Mandurago wills bind you together, let the power of your Mandurago love and desire be the flame of your happiness. May the strength in your blood be the dedication of your eternal union, and make you inseparable for all time.” 

He then turned slightly to Sebastian and asked,” Do you, Sebastian, stand in our presence of your own free will to seek union with Sadie?”

Sebastian looked at me and said, “I do.”

“Do you
,
Sebastian
,
pledge that this union will be one with the Mandurago ways and traditions, forsaking all others and all others
’
blood for all eternity?”

Sebastian squeezed my hand. His eyes were turning colors and looking into them I could feel his deep love for me. He said, “I do.”

“Sebastian
,
please pledge your vow to your beloved
.
”

“Sadie, my love, my darling. You are the moon, and you are the blood that courses through me that brings to me life. Before I had you, I was nothing. You came to me, found me and made me whole. I offer my life, my love and my existence to you… my eternity. You are my everything, you are my perfect
love
.” Sebastian squeezed my hand and let me feel all the love he was feeling. It flooded over me, overpowering me and making me off balance. He pulled on my hand to keep me up. Then from nowhere Ludwik appeared next to us and slid a ring into Sebastian’s hands that were bound with mine. Sebastian carefully placed the ring onto my finger. It was the beautiful, gold
,
princess cut diamond ring that had belonged to his
m
other. I so wanted to kiss him and talk to him and tell him what I was thinking, but instead I just sent him the thought,
I love you
.

The Cleric then turned slightly to me and asked,” Do you, Sadie, stand in our presence of your own free will to seek union with Sebastian?”

I looked down at my hand
,
at my ring,
and
then to the velvet ribbon interlaced between us and thought how simple it all was. Our worlds tied up as one. I answered, “I do.”

“Do you
,
Sadie
,
pledge that this union will be one with the Mandurago ways and traditions, forsaking all others and all others
’
blood for all eternity?”

“I do.” Knowing that there is no one else I want to ever be with.

“Sadie
,
please pledge your vow to your beloved
.
”

I was stunned. I had so many emotions running through me, I wasn’t sure just what to say, so I just opened my heart. As I spoke my vows of love, I let Sebastian feel everything I was feeling. How he had changed my life, how my world went from dismal to extraordinary. How when he’s not around the color goes out of the room. My vows could be nothing compared to the feelings he made me feel. I sent everything I am, and I was going to be to him in that
moment. Then Wendy snuck up to the stage and placed Sebastian’s ring in my bound hand. I carefully maneuvered the three intertwined bands of gold onto his finger. A feeling of overwhelming happiness came across me like I have never felt before. He looked as though I had bathed him in love and he too sent the simple
I love you
back to me in thought. It was the most magical
“
I love you
”
in the world, and it meant everything.

The Cleric continued, “We Manduragos are chosen ones, born of stardust and deepest oceans, of erupting volcanoes and the bones of the earth. In celebrating your binding, you celebrate a heritage of all these things, and of the eternal love of all Manduragos from the dawn of time. In making your eternal blood commitment to each other, you share that which is best in us and give us a moment of light in this usually dark world.”

“As your wrists are joined by the ties that bind, may it be a symbol of the bonding of your souls, your energy, your blood and your eternal life together. Therefore, let the physical bonds of the binding ceremony be removed and saved as a reminder of this joyous day. But ever remember, the spiritual bonds will always remain. Please all rise.”

All the guests in the room stood in unison. With that, the Cleric reached down and pulled the ribbon free and released our bound wrists.

“By the power vested in me by the Mandurago people
,
I do declare to all assembled here, in the presence of the Ancient Ones, and the blood of life that you are now bound for all eternity. You may kiss your chosen.”

Sebastian took my hand in his and ran his finger over my ring. He then leaned down and kissed me tenderly. My heart sank to my knees. I was married to this magnificent gorgeous man
.
H
e was now mine forever. I kissed him back and lost myself for a brief moment in his lips. We moved back and smiled at each other and turned toward our guests.

“And so it is with immense pleasure that I introduce to all, Mr. and Mrs. Knight.”  

Chapter
Nineteen

He held me close next to him, knowing I was nervous as we stood in front of the doors to the bridal chamber. I took a deep breath, unable to forget that once we went in, our lives would change forever. I would either be Sebastian’s Mandurago mate or be dead from this world, never to be with him again.  I was hoping for the first one
. D
ead was a little too final for me. I looked up at Sebastian, scared but wanting to continue on. We had just a few minutes before the Cleric would show up and lock us in.

“I love you
,
Sadie, we can wait on this
. W
e don’t have to do this now. We will still be married in the eyes of our people.” He leaned down and kissed my forehead.

He said “our people”
,
I thought to myself. It made me smile. “I know
,
but
I have to do
the Turn
eventually
. I can’t imagine us getting married and not making love on our wedding night. I have waited so long to be with you, I don’t think I can wait any longer.” I paused for a moment. “But Sebastian
,
if something happens, and I don’t make it through
the
change, you have to promise me that you will continue on,
that
you won’t do anything rash.”

Sebastian put his finger up to my lips. “Don’t speak like that
,
my darling. There is no way I am going to let you not make it through. If I have to give my life to make you live I will. You are my world now
…
I will not exist without you.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of Sebastian. I know there is a chance I may not make
the Turn
and I need to know going in, that you will not stop living if I don’t make it.”

“Sadie
,
I have lived a hundred lives. I now know what life is like
living
with my soulmate
.
I don’t wish to
spend
an eternity without you. So you must decide you are going to make it through this, so we may both live.”