Entry tags:

amada ontiveros, emily planck, events: wedding, james pryce, theora, zane smith

Sunday: September 16, 2007
Who: Zane, Amada, Theora, James Pryce, Emily Planck, and guests!
Where: The beach
When: 4 PM
What: Their wedding!

It was right on the edge of sunset, the sky over the lake was the perfect shade pinky-red, casting a gentle light over the waiting beach below. The weather was beyond perfect....just cool enough to keep everyone from being uncomfortable, warm enough to give the nuptials that balmy tropic feel they'd been going for. Not far from the water bungalows on the beach a number of white wooden folding chairs were set up on either side of a makeshift aisle, the sand strewn with flower petals, the edges of the walkway marked off with green grasses "planted" into the sand. At the end was an archway, one that was simple and white, the structure wrapped in an elegant ivy-like plant that wove its way around it. Tangled in the vines were several of the flowers Amada and Zane had selected, the bright blooms standing out against the deep green of the foliage paired with them. People were taking in the sights as they arrived, seating themselves as the time for things to begin drew nearer and nearer. Though they weren't truly needed yet, a few tiki torches were lit to illuminate the area where the ceremony would be taking place.

What few members of the wedding party there were waited at the end of the aisle along with Zane, the evening kept as simple as possible. It wouldn't fit the couple to have had some overly involved event, they just weren't the type. They loved one another and that, not some spectacle, was to be the center of the evening. Set a fair distance off from the actual ceremony space was a little white tent, in which the wedding party had put the finishing touches on themselves before heading out. In it now, Amada waited until it was her time to head out, until it was time to make her way to Zane.

The gentle gold/green of the dress she'd wanted had come out perfectly, the color made even more stunning by the rich tan her already dark skin was sporting. Her make-up was kept simple for the night, her hair pinned back and up off of her neck, a pair of gold earrings Zane had given her for an earlier birthday dangling from her ears. Her feet were bare, given the sand, and as she emerged she lifted the hem of her dress in one hand to keep it from dragging. The other held her bouquet, a bunch of gorgeous white lily-like flowers. Even as she made her way across the sand and towards the aisle, her eyes were riveted to Zane....she couldn't look away, she couldn't have looked anywhere else if she'd wanted to. All she saw was him, waiting for her, waiting for them to be married...

Zane swallowed past the lump in his throat as he stood at the end of the aisle with his best man. Pryce cleaned up pretty nice in his casual suit and his presence actually helped to keep Zane somewhat calm. Though the weather was perfect Zane felt the sweat building up underneath his arms and down the back of his neck. He was nervous, more so than he expected to be. But this was huge step in his relationship with Amada and he didn't want to mess it up. He had convinced himself that he couldn't mess it up after three years of being together, but the worry still flooded his mind from time to time. Amada was his dream, his everything, and he didn't want to ruin that.

His fingers fidgeted with the hem of his suit and Pryce poked him (roughly) in the arm. It was the other doctor's way of telling him to "chill out" without using words at all. It worked, of course, and Zane kept his hands interlaced in front of his body. He kept his focus on the wedding itself - the intricate decorations and the details that Amada and the wedding planner had sought to completing themselves. Of course there were the flowers that he helped with, their soft fragrances wafted in the air and lent to the peaceful aura of the wedding. It was perfect - not because it was how he envisioned it in his mind, but because this was where he was going to be married to his Amada and she made it perfect.

And then the music started and he glanced down the aisle to watch his future wife walking toward him. In that moment the world stood still. Zane's breath caught in his chest and all of the nervousness he was feeling seemed to vanish from his entire being. She was beautiful - no, more than that. She was heavenly, a vision of perfection, and the most gorgeous woman in the world. She walked toward him with such confidence and her gaze was locked with his. Despite all of the people attending their wedding it felt as if they were the only people in the world. His dream was walking toward him and when she reached his side he smiled. "You look so... Stunning," he said in a soft whisper. "I'm the luckiest man in the world."

Amada could feel Zane's eyes on her the moment she started towards him, her gaze seeking his own immediately. She couldn't have looked elsewhere if she tried, not when he was standing there waiting for her looking beyond handsome. There might have been any number of people seated there to witness their nuptials, but to the two of them they were the only people on the beach. Sand sliding between her toes, she crossed towards him until she reached the end of the aisle, handing her bouquet off to Emily so that she could take Zane's hands in her own.

She honestly couldn't believe all of this was actually happening. Things had been one big blur from the moment he'd proposed, through all of the planning and now....here they were. The day was gorgeous, the weather was just cool enough, everything looked perfect...she couldn't have asked for a better outcome. Already she could feel that warm pinprick of tears in her eyes, ones of pure happiness of course, making her vision swim as she glance up at her fiance, Theora's voice vaguely cutting through the little daze Amada found herself in. When this was all said and done, she'd be his wife...it still seemed so unreal.

"We are gathered here today to witness the union of Dr. Zane Smith to his fiance, Amada Ontiveros." Amada could feel her pulse quicken, giving Zane's hands a gentle squeeze. The smile on her lips refused to die, even if those tears were already rising in her gaze. Today was perfect.

Time slowed down all around Zane when he watched Amada walking down the aisle. His pulse was throbbing in his ears and he took slow, deep breaths in order to keep himself calm. It wasn't that he was scared of being married, he was anxious about taking this step with Amada. Forever was a long time and he used to think that he might not have been able to commit to something like that. But with Amada it was so easy to see them living together for the rest of their lives. He couldn't imagine anyone else and there would never be anyone else for him. She was 'the one', his ultimate, and he wanted to prove his love to her everyday they were together.

When Amada reached him Zane's hands immediately wrapped around hers. He held them as if they were going to break in his grasp. But they wouldn't, she wasn't that fragile but still he wanted to be delicate with her. Theora's voice rang out ethereally as she spoke the opening lines of the ceremony though it was all a blur to the psychokinetic. Every part of him was focused on her and he couldn't see, think, or hear anything else.

"Zane and Amada," the priestess said to get the couple's attention. "If you would have the foundation of your marriage be the devotion you have for one another, not just at this moment, but for all the days to come, then treasure the hopes and dreams that you bring here today. Establish that your love will never be blotted out by the common nor obscured by the ordinary in life. Dedication, love, and joy can grow only when you nourish them together. Stand fast in that hope and confidence, having faith in your shared destiny just as strongly as you have faith in yourselves and in one another today. Only with this spirit can you forge a union that will strengthen and endure all the days of your lives." Theora looked over to Zane, then Amada and smiled at them both.

"Do either of you have words you wish to speak here today?" The priestess paused and Zane took the opportunity to speak a few words to his fiancé.

"Amada, from the moment I saw you I just knew that you were going to be an important part of my life. I've dreamed of having someone as wonderful as you love me the way that you do, and I - " he paused a little and cleared his throat. He was holding back his tears for a second or two before he continued. "I am thankful for everyday that we have together. You are the light in my darkness and the silver lining in all of my clouds, and I love you with all of my heart."

The moment Zane's hands wrapped around her own, everything felt right. Time seemed to catch up, to stop pinning out of control the second he touched her. This was it, this was her perfect, the moment that she'd been waiting for. Marriage had always been something she'd wanted, but it had been this huge, scary commitment lurking somewhere off in the future. But the moment that Zane had asked her to marry him all of that fear, that anxiety had vanished into thin air. She knew that he was meant to be, that they should be together forever. It had sounded cheesy even to her at the time, it still did, but what did she care? The love that he gave her made her deliriously happy and after today she'd be his wife, his life partner and they'd be in this together for the long haul. Something about that seemed comforting instead of scary. Zane was right for her, she knew that, she hadn't doubted it since their first date. Today was simply the day that everyone else knew it too.

She worked hard to pay attention to Theora, to the ceremony as it started around them. It was so easy to get lost in Zane's eyes, to stand there staring up at him, that smile never once fading from her lips. She was a mess of emotions, her hands shaking just slightly in the strong grip of his own. Amada squeezed his hands gentle, a little moment of reassurance in the swirl of the moment. This was big, by far the biggest step they'd made in their relationship. This was it, there was no bigger choice to make after this save for the children they would surely have. Each wanted a family - it seemed more a matter of 'when' and not of 'if'. The things that had brought them to this moment - the war, the disease - none of that might have been perfect but this moment was absolutely ideal. Amada truly couldn't wait for be married to this wonderful, handsome man she'd fallen head over heels with so many years ago.

Emotions were kept in check relatively well until Zane started in on her vows. There was no way she could stand there and listen and not let her emotions well up and threaten to overwhelm her. He was there, looking so amazing, declaring his love for her and it was too much in the best way. She could feel those tears rise in her eyes again, making her vision of him swim. They filled up until there was nowhere to go but down over her cheeks, spilling in little streams of happiness. When he was through, she smiled up at him and took a moment to clear her throat. "When I was a little girl, I used to dream about my wedding, about the man that I would marry, like I think that most little girls do. Standing here today, with you, I want you to know how much you have bypassed even my wildest imagination," she paused for a moment, voice wavering with the emotion evident on her face, "From the moment I met you, I knew there was something intensely amazing about you. You were so much more than this handsome, intelligent doctor....you were the man that made me fall in love with him, the man that loves me so intensely that I never doubt it, not for a moment. So I want to say thank you, that I love you more than anything. I can't wait to be your wife, the mother of your children...I can't wait to start our lives together." How she managed to get through that without completely breaking down, she'd never know. Through those little tears, she managed a wink up at her fiancé, a soft smile on her lips.

With their vows spoken and the couple silently gazing at one another, Theora took the moment to proceed onto the next portion of the wedding ceremony.

"If there are no more words that your hearts wish to speak, I will continue with the rings." The best man and maid of honor both handed the rings to Theora. The priestess held them gently in the palm of her hand. She spoke some words in her Elven tongue, a blessing upon the rings that lay in her hand. There was a soft, ethereal glow surrounding the rings when she was done, the only indication that there was any magic done on them at all. She handed the rings to Zane and Amada and then turned to look at Zane.

"Please take Amada's left hand and repeat after me. I, Zane, take you, Amada, as my love and companion. In laughter and in tears, in conflict and tranquility, asking that you be no other than yourself. Loving what I know of you, trusting what I do not know yet, in all the ways that life may find us. I ask that you always be by my side as we journey down this path, and I solemnly swear that my love for you will continue to grow for the rest of my days." Zane repeated the words as Theora directed, and when he began to slide the ring on her slender finger he felt a lump form in the back of his throat. He swallowed it quickly before he spoke the next words that Theora had spoken.

"Take this ring as a symbol of my love, from now until eternity." He slid the ring the rest of the way onto her finger and felt it fit snugly at the end of her finger. Zane raised his eyes to hers and smiled broadly. He mouthed the words 'I love you' to her and then waited for her to complete her part of the ring ceremony.

Amada watched as Theora blessed the ring that would soon grace her finger right below the stunning engagement ring Zane had first proposed with. The elven priestess handed the band over to the handsome doctor, instructing him in exactly what vows to repeat before he pushed that little piece of jewelry up over her finger. It looked stunning there, sparkling against her skin, glinting in the fading light that surrounded them. More than that, it looked right, it felt right. That ring was a physical symbol of how much she loved Zane, of the commitment she was prepared to make to him. And then it was her turn to do the same.

She reached for the wedding band she'd selected for him, taking it from Theora's palm as she turned to face him again. To her left, Theora began the ceremony for Amada this time, her words the same. "Please take Zane's left hand and repeat after me. I, Amada, take you, Zane, as my love and companion. In laughter and in tears, in conflict and tranquility, asking that you be no other than yourself. Loving what I know of you, trusting what I do not know yet, in all the ways that life may find us. I ask that you always be by my side as we journey down this path, and I solemnly swear that my love for you will continue to grow for the rest of my days." Amada repeated exactly what the priestess had said, the words falling easily from her lips. She couldn't help but smile up at him, those tears of happiness still streaming gently down her face every now and then.

"Now that we have witnessed the exchange of rings, we ask that anyone who objects to this union of these two people to rise now and say what they might or else respect this coming together for all of eternity." There was a pause in which Amada didn't worry in the slightest - there was no one here surely that could want to keep them from getting married. And they nearly were! Almost done!

Theora smiled at the happy couple after they had exchanged rings. The priestess could feel the joyous energy that was emanating from them and it brought forth a warmth deep inside the priestess. Theora reached for Zane left hand and then Amada's and pressed their palms together. Her soft hands covered theirs on the top and bottom and she spoke an Elven blessing under her breath. A glow surrounded the couple's hand and Zane distinctly felt warmth traveling through his body.

The doctor smiled at Amada and reached his right hand up to wipe away the tears that fell her cheeks. "Don't cry," he mouthed so he wouldn't interrupt Theora's prayer. "I love you," he added silently just before Theora lifted her eyes to them and to the people in the ceremony.

"By the power graced unto me by Elune, and by the power of the love displayed here today, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Zane, you may kiss the bride."

Zane's face broke out into a smile and he stepped forward to take Amada into his arms. "Hello Mrs. Smith," he said with a cheeky grin before he dipped her in his arms and leaned over her. He brought his lips to hers to kiss her softly. It wasn't all out passionate (that would be saved for the honeymoon), but it wasn't a tame peck on the lips either. No, Zane parted his lips slightly for his kiss. The sweet taste of his wife made his heart beat faster in his chest. When he was done he pulled back and lifted his wife back to a standing position.

"It is my deepest honor to introduce Mr. and Mrs. Zane Smith," Theora said as the crowd clapped. A few Elves had taken positions at the end of the rows and with their magic created sparkling, golden arches over the happy couple as they walked down the aisle. Zane held Amada gently by the hand and led her under the archway. He knew he was grinning like a fool but he didn't care. He was married to the woman of his dreams and nothing could have made him happier.

Nothing had ever felt more perfect than sliding those rings onto each other's fingers. It felt so official now, so final. She was Zane's and he was hers – those rings were simply a tangible sign of the commitment they'd made to one another. Her palm pressed to Zane's as Theora covered their joined hands, a little tingle sliding up Amada's arms as the priestess whispered her blessing. She leaned just slightly into Zane's touch as he wiped the tears from her face, a smile touching her lips – they were tears borne of happiness, after all. "I love you too," she assured him silently, not wanting to interrupt their officiant. She pressed a quick kiss to his palm before he could withdraw his hand, that smile never fading.

"By the power graced unto me by Elune, and by the power of the love displayed here today, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Zane, you may kiss the bride."

Amada's smile widened to a level that was dazzling and their union was officially announced, her heart pounding in pure joy. This was it! They were married! She couldn't believe it had actually happened, they'd actually made it through. "Hello Mr. Smith," she returned with a laugh as he stepped closer, just a second before sweeping her nearly off her feet, into a dip. She was smiling, still, as he leaned in to kiss her. Arms slid loosely around his neck and she gladly returned what he offered, the perfect example of a wedding day lip lock – not too passionate, but not boringly tame either. Eventually, like all good things, their kiss had to end and Zane righted her on her feet again.

Somewhere, in that joyful fog, she could hear Theora announce them, officially of course, to the gathered crowd. Zane took her hand and Amada threaded her fingers through his, her free hand lifting the hem of her dress as they started down the aisle together. The arches were stunning, the sun glinted off of them as the newlywed couple walked beneath them. If Zane was grinning like a fool, then so was Amada….she was purely blissful to be Mrs. Smith.