260. Emily - The Seven Steps 2

260. Emily - The Seven Steps 2
After the first step is taken by my bondeds, Rin readers the vows they prepared for me, “We vow to cherish you with all of our hearts, to love you without end, as the sacred fire of the Creator burns eternal. We vow to love all our children equally, to nurture and protect them, and to keep love as the root of our family, unshaken by time or trial.”
I take my first step toward them and start reading my first vow, “I promise to always love you, even when love demands patience, even when it is hard to give. I promise to stand by your sides in light and in shadow, in peace and in storm—even when you would rather walk alone, I will remain with you. My love will be your constant companion.”
They take another step forward. “We vow to respect you as my equal, never placing myself above you or beneath you. We will honor your thoughts as we honor our own, and we will listen to your words with patience and with care. Whatever path the Creator lays before us, we promise to walk it beside you—sharing your burdens, celebrating your joys, and standing with you in all things."
The next step brings another vow. “We vow to walk in truth with you, never hiding what is within our hearts. We vow to speak openly, to let no shadow of deceit live between us, and to guard our bond with honesty, even when truth is hard to bear. We will share our joys and our faults, so that you may always know us fully.”
I read my next vow. “I promise never to hide myself from you, even in my flaws. You will know my laughter and my sorrow, my weakness and my strength, for only in honesty can love endure.”
Step four is that of faith. So Rin read, “We vow to keep faith with you, to believe in you and in us, no matter what storms may come. We vow to stand with you in darkness as in light, to believe in the path the Creator has set before us, and to hold fast to the bond that ties our souls together.”
“I promise to keep faith in you, even when doubts whisper. I promise to believe in our bond, in the strength of what we have built, and in the future we will walk together. I will hold faith for you when you falter, and I will let your faith steady me when I am weak,” I read after I take another step toward them. 
They take another step. 
“We vow to place our trust in you, to share our lives without fear or doubt. We vow to trust your heart, your strength, and your spirit, knowing that our bond is made stronger by the faith we give each other. We will not let suspicion or pride break the circle we walk together.”
While I vow, “I promise to trust you with my heart and my life. I will trust your hands to hold me, your words to guide me, and your spirit to walk beside mine. Even when fear tempts me to pull away, I will choose to trust in us.”
Humility is the next step.
So Rin reads, “We vow to walk humbly beside you, never seeking to rule over you, but to stand as your partners. We vow to lay aside pride when it would harm our bond, and to remember that love is strongest when it is gentle. We will honor the Creator’s gift of you with gratitude, never taking you for granted.”
I take another step. “I promise to walk humbly with you, not as one above or beneath, but as one with you. I promise to admit when I am wrong, to learn from you, and to let our bond teach me patience and grace. I will remember that our love is not a prize to be won, but a gift to be cherished.”
The last step is kindness. 
“We vow to meet you always with kindness—in our words, in our hands, and in our hearts. We vow to temper anger with gentleness, to answer sorrow with comfort, and to let compassion guide our bond. In kindness, our family will find peace.”
I read my last vow to them. “I promise to show you kindness even in anger, to soften sharp words with tenderness, and to let my love be gentle as well as strong. I promise to be your comfort in pain, your calm during the storm, and your peace in silence. My kindness will be the shelter of our bond.”
After we say our vows, a very big blanket is tied around us. 
Grandpa Takota says, “The knot represents the union not of the grooms and bride but also of their families, who come together as one. Traditionally, when a Cherokee man would marry a Cherokee woman, he would follow her in her clan.” He looks at all the guests. “We all know what this means–the woman is the boss.” 
We all laugh at that. 
But Grandpa Takota turns serious. “Cherokee women were highly respected. They held power. They decided whether the clan went to war or not. They could even spare or take a prisoner’s life. If a man wanted to become the Chief, he had to pay really close attention to the elder women, because they had the power to make him Chief or not. But apart from this, both men and women knew and understood their responsibilities.” 
To us, he says, “This is my blessing to you all.
“May you walk in harmony all the days of your life—with each other, with the people, and with all creation.
“May the sun warm your faces and the moon light your path.
“May the rivers bring you cleansing, the winds bring you strength, the earth give you shelter, and the fire keep your home alive. 
“May your love be as constant as the stars, and your bond as unbroken as the circle of life.
“So may it be, now and always.”

Before I forget - Angel. I know many have questions about her powers. this is a spoiler alert, but each book has at least two important characters. All are important, but two are even more so. So, for Shackled is Angel + one of the guys. For Bought and Trapped - I already made it clear. Olivia + Ansel, Em + Rin.
I have left the Piercing Ceremony + more henky penky + prologue and the end.