XLVII. Perfect

Alden smiled softly, cupping Elva’s cheeks between his hands.

The sun was setting before them and it lit her face in a combination of soft oranges and pinks. Her smile widened as she looked at her father’s softened gaze, her heart beating like a drum in her chest.

She was dressed in a lacey white dress, and it reached down to her toes. She held a bouquet of flowers between her hands and though she was giddy with nerves and excitement, she had never felt so secure.

“You look absolutely beautiful, Eadlin.”

Tears gathered in her eyes. Alden only called her that when he wanted her to feel comforted and loved. When he wanted her to feel known.

“Thank you,” she whispered in response.

“Are you sure he deserves you?”

Elva’s smile widened and she shook her head. “You can’t talk me out of it. I love him. I want forever with him.”

Alden smiled. “You ready, then?”

Elva nodded, blowing out a steady stream of air through her thin lips. Alden had come back only a few days ago and they immediately began to plan the wedding. There was nothing holding them back from tying themselves together for an eternity. Everyone and everything she needed was here.

They stepped out of the longhouse and Elva couldn’t help but steal glances toward the forest path. She was eager to catch even a slight sliver of Eksel, but she couldn’t see anyone through the thickness of the trees.

The air was filled with a mixture of excitement and contentment. This was the day they had fought for, what they had been dreaming of since they laid eyes on each other.

Her lips trembled from the anticipation as she looked up to her father.

He grabbed her hand from the crook of his elbow and placed a soft kiss to the back of her palm. “I’ve got you.”

Her heart sped in her chest, that was all she ever wanted. She inhaled and looked forward again, this time, making out a few people from between the trees. Her smile widened as she got closer, full out grinning when she spotted Sigrid and Sten.

Sigrid smiled at her, his grin wide even with his missing tooth. Sten only offered a slight smile and a respectful nod of his head.

She looked around, her breath leaving her when she realized just how much of the village had show up to see her union with Eksel. They were here to support them, to support him. The one they had been afraid of and whispered about behind his back. They had completely changed the way they acted around him and she knew that had to do with the fact that Eksel was a king and strong man. They were finally realizing that.

She smiled at them and they smiled in return, many throwing flower petals in her direction.

Elva’s heart quickened when she looked up to see Eksel emerging from the trees. His eyes locked onto hers, and a smile, warm and filled with a promise, graced his lips.

Alden walked her until she stood before Eksel and he slowly slid her hand from his arm.

“Hi,” Elva whispered, her eyes never leaving Eksel’s.

Eksel’s smiled warmed and his lips pulled on the scar on his cheek. “Hi.”

She inhaled, about to tell him how much she loved him when she was interrupted as ceremony began, led by an elder of the village.

Eksel smiled down at her, taking her hands between his. She bit her lip to stop herself from kissing him, and they impatiently listened as the elder poke of love, resilience, and the unbreakable bond they shared.

The sun dipped low on the horizon, casting a warm, golden glow over them and when the elder turned to them, Elva’s breath shook.

“Eksel,” she began, her voice steady yet laced with the raw emotion that only he could stir within her. “From the moment I saw you, I knew you would change my life. I didn’t know if it would be for better or for worse.”

A breeze whispered through the trees, and Eksel leaned toward her, his eyes crossing her face as he took in her words.

“But now I can stand here and say that in your arms I have found solace. In your eyes I have found my home and in your heart I have found the courage to be who I am.”

She intertwined their fingers as she took a moment to catch her breath and stop herself from crying.

“You helped me rewrite my life. You gave me freedom and taught me to fight for it myself. You loved me before I truly even loved myself.”

A hush fell over the villagers, the air heavy with the gravity of her words. Elva’s gaze remained locked with Eksel’s, her love radiating like a beacon in the gathering twilight.

“I promise to stand by you through everything. I promise to share in your joy, in your pain, in your struggles and in your triumphs.”

The elder reached for her, handing her the ring she was meant to place on Eksel’s finger. She looked at it and smiled, bringing her gaze to Eksel.

“With this ring, I give you every piece of me. I give you my soul, my strength, my heart and my future. I am yours, my love.”

Eksel swallowed the lump of emotion in his throat as he watched her place the ring on his finger. He flexed his hand, wondering how he would ever be able to believe that this was his reality. Elva was more than a dream come true and this was something he never thought would be possible for him.

Happiness?

Joy?

They were words he never understood until now.

The love he held for Elva, a force that had withstood some of the darkest times of his life, was now being spoken in front of the village that once hated him. He looked around and was surprised to only find smiles pointed his way.

When he looked back down at Elva, a wave of gratitude passed through him. It was only possible because of her.

“I love you,” He began in a quiet whisper that had Elva smiling until her cheeks began to hurt. She mouthed back her response, letting him now that she loved him just as much.

“I-I’m not good with my words. And I never thought I’d ever be here, in this position. But you made it possible for me… to hope.”

The leaves overhead rustled in a soft symphony and the air blew Elva’s hair across her face. She didn’t move it, too enthralled in Eksel’s eyes and his words.

“I discovered a refuge in you. You were a whisper in the chaos. Before you, I was happy to watch my life fall apart.”

Elva’s eyes filled with tears and she tightened her hold on his hands.

“But you gave me a reason to live. To try. And, now, I promise to be your shelter and your sword against your enemies.”

Elva squeezed his hand, letting him know that she was the same for him. The gathered villagers observed in silence, the air thick with emotion. Eksel took the ring from the elder.

”With this ring, I offer you everything that I am, because I am nothing without you.”

As Eksel spoke his final vows and placed the ring on her finger, the sun dipped below the horizon, casting a final warm glow over the couple and the village that had borne witness to their journey.

His chest ached from the onslaught of emotion he felt. It was almost too painful, but when her reached for her, wrapping his arm around her waist, she responded by throwing her bouquet to floor and immediately closing the distance between them.

Her eagerness to be with him was a balm to his otherwise aching heart.

He caressed her cheek, taking in her beauty and her gentleness. “You’re stuck with me, little thing.”

She chuckled into his lips. “Good”

He inhaled, his jaw clenching as he pulled her impossibly close and pressed his lips against hers.

The villagers erupted in joyous cheers and Elva continued to smile and chuckle in complete joy. Eksel wrapped both his arms around her waist, lifting her until her feet hung in the air.

Their kiss wasn’t just a physical thing, but a fusion of their hearts. In this moment they acknowledged their shared pain and shared triumphs. Even amidst the yelling and the cheering, the world around them faded away, leaving only the warmth of each other’s embrace. It was a kiss that spoke of healing, of scars becoming badges of strength and courage.

It spoke of their love, of their promises and their future.

As they pulled away, a soft smile played on both their lips, and the world seemed to sigh in contentment.

Everything was perfect.