The silence from the woman beside him was more than a little shocking, but Cernunnos didn't question it. He really wanted to know more, and he had to physically bite his tongue when I wasn't given the option of the chalice. passed her lips.
But he kept a smile on his face, accepting the blessing of the elder and bowing deeply but carefully, so that the flower garlands on his horns didn't scrape the dirt. Because that would've been rude. Sort of like not giving this woman the choice of what she wanted to do.
After the blessing, a flotilla of women and young girls brought them even more vegetation and animal gifts; a cage in which resided a pair of white love birds was presented to the May Queen, a lamb and kid were presented to Cernunnos, a bucket of milk from a cow sacrificed earlier in the day, baked sweet cakes of honey and milk, dusted with flower petals and called fairy-cakes.
Then they were led to a private dwelling, and left to their own devices. The King and Queen would be expected to emerge when the sun is at its zenith, to partake in the physical celebrations, but their consummation was allowed to be private.
Cernunnos allowed his new bride to enter first, and then laid the bar across the door so that they would be alone. "Excuse me," he said, and took the cage from her. Opening the door to the cage, he withdrew the birds gently in the cup of his hand, and nodded towards the window. "Would you open that please, my hands are full." Because he did not intend to let those birds remain caged for an instant longer than necessary.