Maidens & Killers

Moonlit Union

       I don’t speak for a few moments, letting the sound of our breathing echo off of the bare walls of the gym.
I think about asking Garrick to repeat himself, or asking if he really means it, but I don’t want to give him a chance to rethink this.
“Yes.” I say on a sigh.
Garrick grabs the back of my head and pulls me into a hard, forceful kiss.  He mumbles something that sounds like, “Mine.”
I moan into his kiss and I think we are about to go for a  round two when Garrick suddenly bounces up.
“Come on, if we’re doing this we need to hurry.” Garrick says pulling me up and throwing my shirt at me.
“What do you mean if we’re going to do this? Like tonight?” I say shocked.
“Tonight.” Garrick says pulling his shirt over his head. “I’ve been doing some research and found out that if we are married, like legally married, then when I get leave I can meet you in town and you will get weekend passes sometimes in year two. It won’t be often, nothing like Xaden and Violet, but it will be something.”

     My eyebrows fly up as I pull the rest of my clothes on, “And do you know someone who can marry us?”
Garrick nods, pulling up his pants, “I found a guy in town today, one of the things that I have been working on. For enough coin he said we can do a moonlit ceremony with Craobh and Chradh tonight. Xaden and Violet will witness for us.”
“Wow. You really planned this out…” I reply trailing off and stopping to look at him for a second. He seems completely calm despite the rushing, making me feel like he is absolutely sure of what we are doing.
“Of course I have it all planned out. Violet has been getting your Reunification outfit ready for you. You should head up to your room and meet her.” Garrick says with a wink and bolts out of the gym.

    I run down the hallway and up the stairs all the way to my room, finding Violet in fact sitting on my bed with a massive grin on her face. “Congrats bride!” She says with a giggle.
“This is nuts, right?” I say exasperated.
Violet nods, “Ya, but according to Xaden he couldn’t convince Garrick of anything else. He was a man on a mission.”
There’s nothing that could wipe the smile off of my face now.
“Garrick said that Craobh and Chradh would be involved in the ceremony tonight. I don’t have any dragon riders in my family, so I don’t know much about the wedding ceremonies.” I say to Violet.
Violet nods as she helps me get into the high slit black skirt that I wore at Reunification Day, “Yes, I know the dragons are involved but I don’t know much more. I’ve never seen a ceremony in person as neither Mina or Brennan are married and the attendees are kept very limited usually. It’s a very private, very intimate ceremony between two riders and their dragons.  I have heard that high ranking riders have large parties after, but the ceremony is always very small.”

     I take in what Violet is telling me while I button up all of the copper buttons on my tight fitting black top that matches my skirt. I walk towards the small mirror in my washroom and stare at my reflection. I look like I am going to the burning of someone’s possessions. It’s a lot of black. I pull at the braid that is holding my  red hair back and let my curls fall to just below my shoulders. My hair has grown a few inches since I've arrived here, and it looks nice laying down the way that it is.
“You need some color.” Violet says from the doorway to my washroom.
I nod, “I need something.”
“Wait here a second.” Violet says turning and racing out of my room.

   I wait in my room for Violet to return and when she does she is holding a red rose and a small tube. 
“Here.” She says, breaking the flower's stem off and placing the bud of the red rose behind my right ear and pins my hair back with it, then she unscrews the tube in her hand and applies it to my lips. It’s a bright red lipstick that perfectly matches the rose in my hair.
“A wedding gift from Rhiannon.” Violet explains.
I look back into the mirror and note that the hints of red have made all of the difference, taking the outfit from funeral attire to sexy and sleek.
“It’s perfect.” Violet says from where she is standing behind me.
“It really is.” I say and I can’t believe that I am getting married tonight.