"Friends and Family, we have gathered here today to witness the marriage of Brandubh Badb Catha and Mira Blackthorn." His gaze focused on the couple, "Some say love is a state of mind, I say love is when you look deep into someone's eyes and go all they way to the depths of their soul... and you both know it. True love, is loving the person despite what you see there, or perhaps... because of it." His lip quirked up in a smile, "Do you both come here freely on this day, with an open heart?"

It was just a formality really, obviously they did, and both confirmed with a yes.

Y'roden's eyes rose to the congregation, "Mira and Bran have prepared their own vows, sealing their union with their own words." He looked to Mira first, "Mira... if you would like to begin."

Mira let her eyes meet her father's for a brief moment, there would be time to answer is comment later, but now, her time and thoughts belonged to Bran. Somehow, the trip down the aisle had seemed so far when she'd taken that first step and yet it was over in seconds, here she stood, her hand in Bran's. She'd seen, or rather, felt the presence of the knights flanking the petal covered aisle, she had heard the ghostly whispers of their blessing and it had caused tears to well up in her eyes. And then it was time...

She only prayed she remembered all she wanted to say.

"Bran, I love you. I love you not just for who you are, but for who I am when I am with you. I love you for what you've done with your life...and what you're doing to mine. I love you for making me happy and whole. You've shown me trust is not a weakness, it is a strength, and love is not a dream that vanishes with the dawn. No one else has done that, no one else has tried...no one else would have succeeded."

Mira drew in a shaking breath, her gaze lowering for a moment, then going from Bran's hands to his face, her eyes meeting his, "The sound of your voice is like rain to the desert, it brings life to my spirit and calms the storm within my soul. With a simple look, the barest hint of a smile, you captured my heart and tamed the dragon that I am." Mira paused, lowered her head and fought back emotions that threatened to overwhelm her.

In a quiet voice, one that carried softly through the hall, Mira repeated the ancient words of promise that had been used by her mother, and her mother's mother, "I will watch your back when darkness comes. I will heal your body when you are in pain and comfort your soul in times of sorrow. I will share my joys and fears with you, I will give you children when the time is right and I will deny you nothing. My life is yours, my love is yours, all this I offer to you and no other. Will you have me?"

In the moment of silence after that, Mira wondered if she were still standing, her knees were weak and her heart was racing.

There was silence for a moment, and with a start Y'roden realized it was because he was suppose to be saying something. The half-elf had been a little distracted by Mira's heartfelt words to the man she loved.

The Prince of Corin smiled, switched his gaze from the Bride to the groom and said simply, "Bran?"

Bran looked into the jade green eyes of the woman he loved and for a moment he was breathless. As he took her hand in his all the words he wanted to say seemed to catch in his throat as if to choke him. How could he even begin to express how much she meant to him? He knew he had to try though.

In a clear voice he said,

"I accept all that you offer me as the treasure that it is.
My beloved, I promise to love you, respect you and grow with you;
To strive always to be your husband, lover and companion;
To share with you all my sorrows and joys, my thoughts and my life;
To care for you, comfort you and support you."

The fair-haired elf lapsed into elven as he finished, "Aaaranya, anarinya mii luunefanyare, isilmenya mii anduune. I kala mii kuilenya. Aminmela ile, hilde."

My dawn, my sun in the blue sky, my moonlight in the evening. The light of my life. I love you, forever.

It was quite possible that the big goofball was about to cry, he had a low threshold for this sort of emotion. The half-elf cleared his throat and rubbed one of his eyes with the back of his hand. There was something in his eye... honest.

"And now," he managed in a perfectly steady voice, "Could we have the rings please?" He looked expectantly at Drake. He did have the ring.... right?

There were tears in Willow’s eyes as she listened to Mira say her vows to Bran. She was remembering her own vows that she had spoken not to long ago to Drake. Then Bran shared his and it was time for the rings.

She heard Ro ask Drake for the ring and she watched as her husband reached first into one pocket then the next and a look of anxiety suddenly appeared. “Drake you didn’t forget did you?”

Eyes wide he looked back over at her. Smiling she looked at him then searched in her mind for where he left it. It was in the room upstairs. Seeing his frustration she did the only thing she could and portaled the ring into his hand.

Bran gave Drake a mildly panicked look when the best man started to look distinctly like he'd mis-laid the ring. He couldn't have? Could he? Surely the whole point was that the best man DIDN'T lose the ring?

Suddenly the ring appeared in Drake's hand and the fair-haired elf heaved a sigh of relief. Giving Drake a look of 'I'll get you for that later' he turned back to his bride.

Taking Mira's hand in his, he placed the ring on her finger saying "This ring represents the eternal love and trust I bear for you."

Y'roden was quietly glad he wasn't the only one that had problems at weddings. He smiled down at Willow when she helped out Drake, then nodded at her when it was Mira's turn.

Willow smiled at Ro as he turned to her. It was Mira's turn to give Bran his ring so she slipped it off her little finger and handed it to Mira.

Mira's breath caught as Bran slipped the ring on her finger. It seemed so heavy at first, but the longer it was on, the lighter it felt. By the time she managed to take his ring from Willow, it seemed to be a part of her, that it had always been there, and would always be there. Silently releasing her breath, her fingers finding some sense of stability despite her nerves she gave the ring a final look before placing it on Bran's finger

The ring had been carved in the shape of a simple solid band from a single ironwood sapling. It would never break, yet was flexible, it would withstand the centuries as if newly given. The inscription inside read, "You've Tamed the Dragon, and Claimed her Heart, Aminmela Ile".

In the light of the chapel, the ring reflected the colors of dawn in a forest, pearl grey, pale green, silver and gold. It's black wood grains seemed to swirl and change as Mira took it in her hand, and it suddenly grew warm, as if coming to life Slightly surprised, she gave it one last look, then looked back to Bran.

"Rings have always represented the cycle of life, a circle without beginning, without end, a circle that cannot be broken." Mira cleared her throat a little and went on, "My love for you is the same, without beginning, without end, Aminmela ile."

As Mira slid the ring on his finger, the black grains of the wood swirled again, then settled, leaving a slightly raised outline of a dragon in flight against its ever shifting colors. Wide eyes looked up at Bran.

It wasn't supposed to do that...was it?

Y'roden smiled to himself, silently amused by Mira's bemusement. "Mira and Bran, you have vowed your love to one another, pledged your lives to one another here before friends and family, under the eyes of the Gods. May your lives be blessed with happiness, children, passion, and joy. By the power invested in me as the Crown Prince of Corin and Prince of S'hea, I now pronounce you Elf and Wife. Bran, you may kiss your Bride."

The ring was a warm weight on his finger as Bran's gaze met Mira's. He couldn't explain the dragon he had seen for a moment amongst the wood grain but at the moment he wasn't really concerned anyway. His fingers tightened around hers, pulling her into his arms. "Vanima" he murmured softly as his lips claimed hers. She was his wife. Joy filled him.

Mira finally found the courage to exhale about the time she found herself Mrs. Brandubh Badb Catha. The idea that anyone was in the chapel with them seemed to fade and vanish as he gathered her into his arms and kissed her. Trembling hands slid up his arms, one slipping around his shoulders, the fingers of the other tracing the line of his jaw. The room seemed to narrow to only contain them, and Mira soon found she'd quite forgotten the audience.