Page 36 of Bought By the Revenant
“And I love you, Amity.”
“Let’s make it official, then. Once and for all.”
***
The lake looks perfect at twilight, with lanterns hanging from tree branches throwing warm light across the water. A bonfire burns at the shore’s edge, sending sparks up into the sky as it darkens above us. Riven waits beside the fire, and his white hair and eyes seem golden in this magical light.
This afternoon, Nell and Fria helped me get ready for the ceremony. Fria made disapproving sounds when she saw my chipped nail polish and carefully removed every trace before painting my nails deep blue again. The wedding dress that Olaf brought back from the seamstress in Aura Glade fits my body perfectly – white fabric with blue details that flows from my hips down to my ankles.
“You look beautiful, Mistress,” Nell said.
Now I walk toward Riven, and everything else fades away until there’s only him. The terror I felt when I first saw his stitched-up face is gone. I see every mismatched piece of him and love how they come together to create the man who saved my life.
Our witnesses stand in a small half-circle around us. Nell and Fria, Tomas and Olaf, all of them serious. This isn’t the wedding I dreamed about as a young girl in Witherglen, surrounded by family and neighbors in the village square. This is better, and I’m sure my parents and my brother are watching from wherever they are. When I reach Riven, he takes both my hands in his.
“In my long existence, I never imagined finding someone who would look at me and see beyond this form. Who would choose me not once, but every day.” He reaches into his pocket and withdraws a ring – a simple band of some dark metal with an iridescent sheen. “I’ve carried this for centuries, never believing I would have the chance to give it to anyone.” He slips it onto my finger. “I vow to protect you, to cherish each moment we share, knowing that your mortal life is precious and fleeting compared to my existence. To remember always that you chose me when you could have turned away. At the bride market, you reached for me instead of running. When I found you on that altar, you called my name. You’ve given me what I thought impossible: a home in someone’s heart.”
Tears blur my vision as I look from the ring back to his face.
“I don’t have a ring to give you,” I say, my voice catching. “But I offer you my heart, my life, whatever years I have.” I squeeze his hands. “I vow to see you always as you truly are. Not the monster others fear, but the man who risked everything to save me. Twice. I promise to build a life with you, where neither of us needs to hide or run. Where we can simply be.” I reach up to trace the stitches on his cheek. “These marks that others find frightening, I find beautiful. They are proof of your determination to exist, to be part of this world. Just as my scars now show that I fought to stay here, with you.”
The fire crackles, warming us both. Riven pulls me against him and our lips meet in a kiss that seals everything we’vepromised. Behind us, our small group of witnesses breaks into applause and cheers that echo across the water.
The celebration afterward feels perfect in its simplicity. We gather around the bonfire to share the feast Nell prepared, passing plates of roasted meats and crusty bread, sweet pastries and bottles of wine. The servants who stood so seriously during our vows now laugh and talk freely with us. Tomas raises his glass to make a toast to our happiness, his words slightly slurred from the wine but heartfelt. Even Olaf, usually so quiet and stern, offers his congratulations with what might be a smile.
For the first time since my family passed, I belong somewhere again. I belong with someone who chose me just as I chose him.
The night grows deeper around us, and the fire burns down to glowing coals. Riven wraps me in a thick blanket, and we sit together looking up at the stars. I feel connected to them in a way I never did before, and I know it must be because of Riven’s blood flowing through me. Part of him came from out there, from those vast spaces between the stars, and now part of that cosmic essence lives in me, too.
We turn to look at each other at the exact same moment, and I feel something pass between us – a sort of deep understanding.
“So, this is forever,” he says.
“It is.”
Epilogue
Amity
The portal brings me home, in our library, and I grab the nearest bookshelf to steady myself. Even after all these months of using portals, my body still needs a moment to remember it’s all in one piece. The basket under my arm is filled with chamomile, mint, and rosemary, and the fragrant smell helps with the nausea that’s been constant lately.
I spent the day in Aura Glade with three new mothers and their healthy babies, plus one woman who will deliver her first soon. Working with the village’s midwife and Fenna has given me purpose and fulfillment these past months. The money doesn’t matter, since Riven provides everything we need, but earning my own keeps me feeling independent and useful.
The library is empty. I usually find Riven reading in one of the enormous armchairs by the window, but these days he spends more time outdoors than buried in his books. The change makes me happy, because his pale skin could use the sunlight, and he seems lighter somehow when he’s not hiding away.
He kept his promise about the portal and had one installed right here in our home, so I can travel easily to work. Then he surprised everyone by donating another portal to Aura Glade, which now connects the village to the world and brings visitors from all over.
I set my basket on a side table and take a moment to breathe. Today isn’t just any day. After weeks of morning sickness, tender breasts, and one missed cycle, I finally got the courage to confirm what I suspected. This morning, with help from the village midwife, I tested my first morning urine using the old method of wheat and barley seeds that midwives have trusted for generations. The barley sprouted faster and stronger than the wheat, and I knew. The method doesn’t always predict thegender right, but if I am to trust it, Riven and I are going to have a boy.
“Nell?” I call out as I step into the hallway.
She appears almost immediately, as she always does. “Yes, Mistress?”
“Where is Riven?”
“At the stables with Olaf, Mistress. They’re discussing the new mare.”
“Thank you.”
