Page 172 of The Cerulean Sister
I beam up at him as we enter the mess hall. The tables have been arranged neatly off to the sides, the chrome surfaces polished and tidy, much nicer than the last time we dined in here.
Commander Yeva rushes to Leema as she struggles to get up from her chair, her smile so large it makes my eyes water. She has been assigned to act as Leema's personal guard, much more attentive to my sister than she ever was with me, almost smitten even.
"They're here!" Leema announces to the few other Viathans, Commander Wesley being among them.
I greet the room, suddenly feeling a little shy for all the obscured Viathan eyes on us.
"Where is Lord General?" 99 asks impatiently.
"I am here, 99th Commander," the lord general hastily announces as he enters in a rush.
Leema hugs me tightly, breaking my hold on 99. "I tried to find you a traditional ceremony robe but . . ." She gestures over her shoulder to Commander Yeva and rolls her eyes.
"No, it's fine. I don't think I would have worn it," I confess. "I am so glad you are here."
She sniffles and rubs the lovely swell of her stomach. "I am so happy too, even if it's a bit odd." She looks around at the cold metal room, smiling.
"I love you, my sister," I manage to get out without cracking my voice.
"I love you as well and I will never let anything come between us again." Her reply back is as easy as a greeting, like her love for me is a fact of the three worlds.
"99th Commander, Ferren, shall we?" the lord general says.
"Yes," we both answer in unison.
Leema smiles and hugs me one last time before I turn to walk to the middle of the room with 99.
The lord general is in the center, his helmet removed with a data pad in hand. We stop before him, surrounded on every side by the few Viathans permitted to attend and my beautiful sister.
99 removes his helmet, handing it to Commander Wesley behind him, and then faces me again.
"It will have to be a shorter version. I am happy to conduct another on Viathan if you wish," Lord General says. "Join hands."
"This will do just fine." I smile at 99, noticing he won't meet my eyes, and when I take his hand, it trembles slightly.
"99th Commander." The lord general holds the data pad a little farther away to read it. "Do you pledge yourself to this woman in union under the law of the three worlds?"
"Yes," 99 says, finally looking into my eyes.
"Do you forsake all other loyalties of flesh and heart that are not of this union? Do you vow that service, love, and respect for this union are the only values held higher than the ones made to your world and the vows you took to protect it?"
"Yes."
Each time he responds, he sounds even more sure of the words than the previous. The lord general's profound statements land hard on both of us, taking root within our tether.
"Do you promise to foster this union until the stars dim forever?"
"Until the stars dim forever." He smiles.
"Ferren." The lord general turns to me. "I am not familiar with the vows said during unions on Cosima. Would you like to recite them?"
"No," I answer, eliciting an unconscious furrowed brow from 99 until I continue, "I will say Viathan’s, the same ones."
The lord general tries to hide a smile, pressing his lips to the side and clearing his throat. "Very well. Ferren, do you pledgeyourselfto this man in union under the law of the three worlds?"
"Yes." My eyes instantly line with water, and I feel 99 squeeze my hand twice.
I answer each of his questions, vowing, promising, and pledging myself to the man I love, who loves me exactly as I am, flaws and all. And when the lord general gets to the last one, it takes everything in me not to let the knot in my throat take over my words.
