The priest hesitated. ‘ŠarEssen, given the circumstances, shouldn’t we-. ’
‘Proceed!’ Mak repeated, his guttural rumble radiating in a shockwave to her bones. ‘We will not let them disrupt this moment. Not today.’
The luminary swiveled his head between Mak and Saba, then nodded, unable to refuse the Head of the great Sauvage family.
‘Naam, Šar.’
The guests murmured among themselves, rattled and awed.
Mak’s command and his guardians’ quick and ruthless reaction had kept them safe.
Still, why the hell had the sachem attacked?
Saba’s eyes met Mak’s hardened, cold stare as he gave her a slight shake of his head, warning against the question at the tip of her tongue.
They had more pressing matters, like getting married.
The priest nodded and resumed the ceremony, lifting the glowing scroll again.
As the vows began, Mak reached for Saba’s still-shaking hand and squeezed it, comforting her.
Their fingers intertwined in an unexpected, yet profound, connection.
With a sweeping gesture, the cleric declared their bans. ‘Bless these our servants of the Sacred Covenant who fulfill the marriage law today. Make them worthy of the blessings to come. May they accomplish the union without any obstacle to please one another and bear fruit for the gift of life.’
Saba took a shaky breath, which hitched when her groom placed both hands over hers, a visible sign of his protection.
The seer’s voice broke through the thumping in her ears.
‘ŠarSauvage, spread yoursafinover her to uphold your bride as you are now her next-of-kin.’
Clenching his jaw, Mak uncloaked himself and wrapped his sacred mantle around her.
The shock of his warmth and scent, along with a wave of impostor syndrome, overwhelmed Saba.
Still, he kept the charade going, holding her close, his musky cologne wafting over her and his sinewed arms encircling her waist.
The luminary smiled with delight and maybe even a hint of relief. ‘OurŠar,Makennon Essen Sauvage, is now a man called to devotion and responsibility,’ he announced. ‘His bride, nowŠarim Shakhete Lisade, is a woman purposed to love and care for her sacred groom. Under theŠar’smantle, they are bound for eternity according to our Akkadian code and tenets. They are now joined in divine unity.’
As per tradition, they turned hand in hand to face the attendees.
TheŠar’sface, cold and recalcitrant, defied anyone who chose to speak ill of what they’d just witnessed.
There was a moment of uneasy silence.
It was the first time Saba had seen the multitude, and her eyes blinked as she took in the sheer number of guests.
The sea of faces stretched as far as the eye could see.
Over five hundred, she estimated, were present.
A Sauvage woman Saba didn’t recognize, seated on the Mak’s side of the aisle, rose to her feet and ululated.
Seconds later, all the women of the illustrious family joined in, their tongues and glottis working, ringing in their nuptials.
As one, the crowd stood and clapped in a rousing wave of congratulatory joy.
White and silver ribbons fell from the sky, along with pearl rice and clouds of sparkling bubbles that burst with rainbow radiance over them.
