“I want to see Maric,” Nimue said, going to the door. Lady Vivianne and Maric’s lady mother laughed at her. Vivianne gave her a gentle shove back down on the bench.<br/><br/>“You will not bring bad luck on this union by seeing each other today,” she informed Nimmie with a diabolic smile.<br/><br/>“I don’t believe in bad luck and what if Maric decides to run away? You are scary, you know.” She answered sourly.<br/><br/>“My son is not without honor.” Maric’s mother replied kindly. “You say you are wed already. He won’t abandon you at the altar. She directed her gaze to the Lady of the Lake. “If you would excuse us, I would like to speak to Nimue in private.”<br/><br/>Nimue’s blood ran to ice. What would this woman say to her? Her eyes frantically sought the Lady, begging her to stay but Lady Vivianne, bowed graciously,<br/><br/>“Of course,” and she left Nimue alone.<br/><br/>The woman took a small package from her pocket and lovingly placed it in Nimue’s hand, covering it with her own worn hands.<br/><br/>“These have been in my family for generations and on this day it is fitting that my son’s wife wear them to carry them to future generations.”<br/><br/>Nimue’s eyes swam with tears as she lay back the soft cloth to reveal a necklace with five beads of bronze separated by smaller beads of silver and a pair of earrings to match.<br/><br/>Without waiting for an invitation, the older woman fastened the necklace and slipped the hooks of the dangling earrings in Nimue’s ears. The weight of them felt like the weight of family pride and responsibility.<br/><br/>Outside, Lady Vivianne turned her cheek to Lord Varatt as he took her hands, drawing her close. She rested against his chest for a bit and then said, contentedly,<br/><br/>“The yard looks beautiful, you, Faren and Samantha have done yourselves proud with all the decorations. The cake is lovely. I see the cook from the Tor arrived with it safely.”<br/><br/>Varatt chuckled,<br/><br/>“You should have seen her arriving on the back of that dragon, clutching the cake,cursing to high heaven. That was a sight I would have paid money to see.”<br/><br/>They both laughed, walking to the meadow where the ceremony was soon to start.