Through Time and Space: A Love Story

Chapter Fourteen: Happily Ever After....

   Maeve was awoken from her nap by the sound of a commotion outside of the bedroom door. Before she could even get up to investigate, the door was slammed open by Moji.
   "Maaaeeeeeeeeve!" she shouted. "Come on, you have to get back to Crosswind Hold! Let's go, let's go, let's go!" She was bouncing around excitedly and Mr. Snugglesworth was panting.
   "Okay, okay, I'm coming," she said tiredly. She sat up and stretched out, trying to shake off her fatigue. Moji helped her get to her feet and led her out of the castle. Moji and her familiar hastily made their way through the forest and Maeve struggled to keep up for the first ten minutes. Eventually, the fresh air woke her up enough that she could walk fast enough to match their pace.
   "What exactly is going on?" she finally asked after regaining her senses.
   "We beat the Abyssal Lords!" Moji exclaimed. "It was awesome! Furia took us into space and transformed into the goddess of the Pyre. Then we all got Battlesuits, which was the coolest thing ever! Then this guy named Aurox came out of the Abyss and we found out that he was the goddess's brother and the creator of the Abyss itself. We thought he was gonna kill us, but then Jenos came out of nowhere as the Exarch and he blasted him with this massive laser beam,which vaporized the Lord of Chaos. He was all like 'You're no match for a real god. I'm gonna erase you completely.' And then his hands got all glowy and he was like PYOOOM and Aurox was gone. Then we all cheered and came back home."
   "Slow down, Moji," Maeve said giggling. "You talk too fast."
   "Sorry, I'm just really excited," she replied. "It was so freaking awesome and now, Ash wants to see you. She really misses you." Maeve started blushing at that. Ash wanted to see her. She was the first thing on her mind after returning home safely. They walked in silence the rest of the way as Maeve thought about Ash's reaction to seeing her new look. When they reached the town, the first thing Maeve noticed was how mysteriously quiet it was. The market wasn't bustling with its usual activity and the shops appeared to be closed. Were the people hiding out because of the battle against the Abyssal Lords? They continued through the town until they reached the Magistrate's castle. Moji opened the door to let Maeve in first. What Maeve saw caught her by surprise and she forgot how to breathe for a moment.
   The halls were decorated with astrological colors and nebulae. Maeve felt as if she were up in space.
She followed the path into the throne room and her heart skipped a beast. It looked as if she were standing in the middle of a solar system with planets and asteroids painted on the walls. The room was lined with rows of chairs that seated people from the town of Crosswind and Magistrate staff. At the front, she spotted the Champions. The crowd stood and turned to face her upon her entrance. Standing at the end in front of the ruby throne were Jenos, Ash, and a middle-aged woman who looked to be in her mid-fifties. To Maeve's left stood Lian, Kinessa, Imani, Furia, and Seris. To her right were Fernando, Khan, Atlas, Zhin, and Koga. The moment Maeve realized what was going on, she burst into tears. Ash didn't just want to see her; she wanted to get married. The woman standing with Ash gave her a hug before taking a seat in the front row.
   Moji picked up a basket near the front entrance and she, along with Pepper, led Maeve down the aisle, tossing rose petals as they walked. About halfway down the aisle, Maeve was met by a green-eyed man with raven hair he had slicked back. He was dressed in a black suit and had a red rose in his pocket. He looked somehow familiar, but she had never seen him before.
   "May I have the honor of giving you away?" he asked, extending his hand. His deep voice was smooth like honey and had a familiar tone to it.
   "Androxus?" Maeve asked. He smiled at her as she took his hand.
   "Killing the Lord of Chaos seemed to have cured me of my disease," he explained. "Turns out, the goddess I killed was his daughter."
   "As great as that sounds, it's still kind of strange to see you without all that armor on. I think you looked better with it," she teased. He punched her shoulder with his free hand and they both laughed softly. He brought her to the altar and the two hugged.
   "Congrats, kid," he whispered in her ear. He returned to his seat and Maeve turned to look at Ash. She looked like a goddess herself in her dark blue dress. The two smiled at each other and Ash reached a hand out to wipe away Maeve's tears. Just then, Lex came up dressed in his Judge robes, bearing the emblem of the Outer Tribunal.
   "You may all be seated", he told the guests. They followed his command and Lex cleared his throat. "As the Scion stated before, today is a day of celebration. A day to rejoice in many victories in life. Not only do we celebrate the fall of the Abyss, but the joining of two beautiful souls in holy matrimony as well. The two lovely young ladies you see standing before you today are beloved friends and family members here in the Magistrate. Over the years, I have had the pleasure of watching them grow as individuals and as friends. They are truly inseparable and they remind us each and every day what true love looks like." Ash and Maeve blushed at his comment as they lookedinto each other's eyes.
   "Life has been full of hardships for them just as it has for everyone else. They faced many trials and tribulations over the years, but their trust in each other has remained steadfast and they overcame every hurdle life placed in their path together. Today, they have come to the end of their trials and stand here prepared to spend the rest of their lives together. Their story is not yet over, however, and we are reminded of that today. This is only the beginning of another chapter in their lives, and the first of many they will be writing together. This shall be made possible by the help of the Magistrate and myself."
   As if on cue, Pip came up to them holding a pillow. On that pillow sat a box with two rings in it. The rings looked as if they were crafted from diamond and had their birth stones set into them: a ruby for Ash, and a Topaz for Maeve. Ash took the ring with Maeve's birth stone and placed it into her left ring finger.
   "Maeve Camille Leblanc," she began. "You are the greatest thing to have ever happened to me. Just as Lex had said, we are inseparable. From that day in the rose garden at Jaguar Falls, I always knew deep inside my heart you were the right one. I faced many sleepless nights, wondering how I would ever have the courage to tell you how I felt. The days that I sat quietly, watching from the shadows as you went out in search of love, were some of the worst days of my life. My biggest fear was that you would never fall in love with another girl, and that thought hurt. Even still, I stayed by your side, waiting, wishing for my chance. I did everything I could to assure you that I would never hurt you, something I failed at in recent times. But you forgave me anyways, something I'll never understand. I'm eternally grateful that you weren't just willing to give me another chance, but that you also chose me. From this day on, I promise that I won't ever hurt you again. I will remain just as faithful as your wife as I have as your friend. Let this ring be a reminder of my promise."
   Maeve took her turn and grabbed the ring with Ash's birth stone. Before she spoke, she gave Pip a kiss on the cheek and he left to sit next to Moji, a big grin plastered on his face. "Ashley Michelle Rhodes," she said. "You are, without a doubt, the biggest blessing in my life outside of my family. When I was in a dark place, questioning myself, I felt lost and alone. I never had much of anyone I could turn to. I struggled to find love, something I thought I needed to feel important. To feel like my existence had any sort of meaning. Thinking such things was foolish, and you opened my eyes to that reality. You helped me to find my purpose in my otherwise seemingly meaningless life. You've shown me what love is about. Over the last decade, I thought I was ready for love. I constantly chased wild dreams rather than looking for something realistic. I had a lot of growing up to do, another thing you have shown me. My childish reactions and the way I mistreated you proved that I needed to get my act together and I've done so for your sake. True love is about forgiving each other, no matter how much we might hurt each other. 'Il n'y a qu'un bonheur dans la vie, c'est d'aimer et d'être aimé.'* There is only one happiness in life: to love and be loved. And you, Ashley, are my one true love. I will continue to grow and I won't ever mistreat you again. Let this ring be a reminder of my promise." She placed the ring on Ash's left finger just the same way. With their vows complete, Lex took over again.
   "And now, we conclude this ceremony," he said. "With the Exarch as my witness and by the power granted to me by the Scion of House Aico, I hereby pronounce you woman and wife. You may kiss the bride." Ash and Maeve embraced each other and they kissed, just as they had so many times before. But this felt different. Time seemed to slow down, and the cheers of the guests faded into silence. It was as if they had existed outside of time and space completely. Maeve could feel her heart beating in sync with Ash's. When they separated, they gazed into each other's eyes once more and she could feel the passionate fire burning between them. In that moment, nothing else mattered. All Maeve could possibly care about was her wife. After what felt like an eternity, they hugged each other tightly, silent tears streaming from their eyes.
   "I love you so much," Ash said softly.
   "I love you, too," Maeve replied. Time turned to normal and Maeve could hear the applause. The middle-aged woman she saw before approached them. Ash pulled away from Maeve to hug her again. She was also in tears. Ash turned to face Maeve, her arm still around the woman's back.
   "Maeve, I want you to meet my mom," she told her. Maeve extended her hand to the lady.
   "It's a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Rhodes," she said. Rather than shaking her hand, she hugged Maeve tightly, which took her by surprise.
   "Oh please, dear," she replied. "Call me mom." Maeve smiled and returned the hug. She and Ash spent the next half hour talking to guests. There were lots of hugs and congratulatory comments from them all. Eventually, Lian herself took to the podium to get the crowd's attention.
   "If a may please have a moment," she said. Everyone went silent and turned their attention towards her. "I would like to invite everyone to the dining hall for the reception. We will celebrate with a banquet and dancing to honor the newlyweds, Ashley and Maeve Rhodes." This incited even more applause from the crowd and everyone made their way to the dining hall. Ash and Maeve were the first to be served, followed by the rest of the Paladins. They sat together at head of the table in the center of the room. The whole time they ate, Maeve sat silently, listening to the others tell stories about the fight against the Abyssal Lords. She also enjoyed the music that was being played.
   When she finished eating, the DJ announced that it was time for the first dance. Ash took Maeve's hand and led her to the dance floor, where everyone stood together in a circle around them. The song finally came on and Maeve gasped. It was her favorite slow dance song from her high school prom. Ash stood in front of her and took a bow, then held her hand out. Maeve responded with a curtsey and took her hand. Ash placed her hands on Maeve's hips and Maeve placed her arms on Ash's shoulders. Together, they danced slowly, gazing into each other's eyes. Once more, the rest of the world fell away and they were all alone in their own bubble.
   "I'll be honest, Maeve," Ash said. "I had several nightmares about this before. I was afraid that you would be with Jenos on this day. When you told me you were pregnant, I....I thought my nightmares were becoming a reality. I thought I lost you. I had prepared to accept my losses and was ready to move on."
   "Since we're being truthful here, I suppose I have something I need to get off my chest as well," Maeve responded. "I may have slept with him, but I don't think I could have possibly envisioned a future with him. What I felt wasn't love; it was jealousy. I slept with him to spite you, not knowing the full story. I paid the price for it the other day, especially when I ruined your date. I even felt regret at one point, regretting my choices. I considered getting rid of the baby, but I couldn't ever bring myself to do something like that. And now that we're married, I feel like maybe it is a blessing. We can raise it together and start our own family." Ash was silent for a moment, and Maeve could see her considering her words.
   "I think I'd like that," she said. They smiled at each other and shared another kiss. When Maeve turned her attention to the guests, she saw that they, too, had joined in on the slow dance. She placed her head on Ash's shoulder, listening to her heartbeat. Love was a beautiful blessing, and marriage was its greatest reward. Maeve knew from this day forward, she would never have to feel lonely again.

*Quote by George Sand