by Cara Violet
Leaving the confines of the small hut on the lower side of the gorge and crossing a single timber bridge, Archibel made her way to the ceremony room of the Valendean. She gulped down her anxiousness and entered the glass room that hugged the gorge, the exterior draped with vines that let in streams of sunrays.
The interior made her gasp. The Valendeans must have spent hours with the ornamentation. Round fairy lights hung from the ceilings, huge white and emerald flowers ran down the white petalled aisle. Applewood reached her nose, and the scent of sweet berries, as if the plants themselves were incense filing the room. The standing guests, who’d turned to face her, were dressed in beige attire. Even the Kinsmen Rangers, who were lined along the front row, were dressed impeccably in beige tunics and without their weapons.
Nash, Everett, Lafael and Taelen all beamed at her. Owen nodded as she reached the top of the aisle.
Across from them, Bodel and Materid waved, blew kisses and bowed continuously. The Sarinese culture was different to Valendean in such ceremonies, but Archibel and Darayan had decided that with a new start came new traditions, and new and exciting change.
Her heart stopped the moment she saw Darayan.
Midnight black robes clung to him, as every bit the warrior that still represented his home planet of Layos. His hair was pushed back off his face, but still bushy down the sides. His face was clean-shaven and his eyes, those deep green eyes, never left hers. She walked toward him. It seemed like she was walking into her future; like the man standing there wasn’t the only thing she was gaining. She was gaining a new version of herself, too.
“Prettyyyyy!”
Cuki’s cheeky voice came from behind Darayan’s leg as the Daem-Raal emerged to place his hand on Archibel’s and lead it to Darayan’s.
“You look beautiful,” he said to her, almost in tears.
Blushing, Archibel squeezed his fingers tightly, sensing his happiness but also slight sadness.
“I love you,” she whispered.
When he returned the words, she felt the next chapter of her life beginning to write itself.
Darayan sat alone in their new home on Valendean. It had been the most joyful day of his life, and after the celebrations drifted into the wee hours of the morning, especially with the Kinsmen and Cuki exuberantly keeping things going, Darayan wanted to unwind with his new bride. He undid his necktie and breathed out a sigh.
“Do you think about home?” Archibel said walking out of the bathroom in a long white silk dressing gown, fiddling with the pins in her hair to release her mane. “I mean Rivalex.”
“I do,” he said in slight perplexity. “But I told you, I’ve let it all go too.”
“You’re not keeping any secrets from me, are you?”
Hesitation spread wide across his face.
“I can feel there is something going on with you in the present, Darayan.”
“Sorry, Arch,” he began, seizing her and pulling her down to the bed, “I should have told you earlier but I’m still coming to terms with the information. Kaianan, you see, is four years younger than me … and she was different you know, her family were different … but I guess that’s why we became friends … why we fought the same with the blade, why Dersji trained us so closely,” he spoke looking into her eyes, “what I’m trying to say is that … I love her, yes, I do. I think I always have, and I’ve always known that I have …”
Her face lingered in thought, as if she was reassessing everything he’d ever told her.
“Arch,” he wanted to make her understand, make her see how everything had fallen into place, how it had all worked out for the better when he found out the truth from Dersji. “You see, Kaianan is, well, she is my sister.”
As Darayan said the words, he felt, in that moment, he solidified himself as her brother. Even though the Siliou had disbursed and he may never see her again, he knew, wherever she was, a billion miles away, at this moment, Kaianan would feel him too.
“I love you,” he said to Archibel, as she swept him up in a huge hug.
From this point on, he just knew, everything would be alright.
