Sacrifice for a Wish

Chapter 25

The joining ceremony was in the early afternoon and the banquet that followed was the celebration for Lark and her Princes as well as the Winter Solstice.

A sense of anxiety and excitement clung to my skin and goosebumps broke out on all my exposed skin.

The music started and I took a step out of the doorway, Lark and Coach behind me. Lark asked him last night if he would walk her down the aisle, and with tears in his eyes he had agreed.

The orchestra began to play a lilting love song. The song was my cue to start walking. Although the people were overwhelming, with Silk's help in blocking the sensory output I was able to walk to the front of the room with no issues.

The Queen sat in a throne in the front of the room. On the right side there was the Princes; Gryphon, Silk, Mercury, Tik and Tok. On the left side, stood my Lost Boys, Phoenix, Stone, Saint, Luck and Legend.

I walked slowly but confidently down the aisle and stood by my guys. They each had soft looks on their faces and I wondered what they were thinking. Did they wish it were us being joined? Was that something they even wanted? After the celebration tonight, I promised, I would tell them how I felt, not just that I loved them but that I wanted to be with them.

The music abruptly flowed into a new song and everyone in the hall stood except the Queen. Coach and Lark walked down the aisle to her loves. She had eyes for no one except the five men at the end of the path. The Princes stared at Lark the same way my guys stared at me, with a soft look that I barely understood.

When Coach and Lark got to the end of the aisle, Coach stopped her and turned her to him, "I know that I haven't been in your life long. But thank you for giving this to me. Thank you for allowing me to be part of your and your sister's lives. I love you."

Coach leaned downed and kissed Lark on her cheek. Lark threw her arms around Coach and mumbled through her tears, "I love you too."

Coach walked her to Gryphon who took her hand and led her to the rest of the Princes. Coach turned to me and hugged me slowly. He gave me plenty of time to pull away if I needed it. "I love you too, Wren."

"I love you, Dad," I replied, the words getting stuck in my throat.

Once he had finished his hug, Coach walked to mom and put his arm around her shoulder. She snuggled close to him, and he nuzzled her hair with his nose.

Gryphon and Silk stood to Lark's left, Tik and Tok stood to her right and Mercury, the tallest of the five stood behind her. Each of the Princes had a hand on Lark. I wondered what would happen next when the Queen stood.

"Be seated," she ordered and everyone in the hall that wasn't standing in front of the throne sat.

"Princess Lark will declare her pledge," The Queen spoke solemnly and then sat again.

Lark turned and faced her men, "You cannot possess me for I belong to myself and my kingdom, but for as long as I exist, I give you all that is mine. You cannot command me because I am free, but as long as I live, I promise myself to you. I pledge that your names will be the names I call in the night, and the eyes which I will smile into in the dawn. I pledge you the first bite of my meat, and the first drink of my cup."

She turned to Gryphon, "Gryphon, my fierce protector. I promise to fight by your side, love like it's my last breath, and place all my trust in you, for you have earned it."

Facing Silk, her words came out poised. "Silk, my greatest confidant. I promise to always be truthful, to never stop growing and learning with you. I promise that when things get too hard and the problems just seem too large, that I will share my burdens with you."