She wore a relatively demure, but very Dellish nightgown.

She looked beautiful.

But she said, “I had something else planned to wear for this occasion. Sadly,” she indicated her arm in its sling with her other hand, “it will have to wait.”

Sadly, indeed.

But there was that something that would not wait any longer, and as Farah moved to her side of the bed, True followed her.

“Love,” he called when she pulled the covers back.

She turned and her head twitched slightly with how close he was.

“True, you know that I wish…have wished…have been waiting much time to—”

He turned to her nightstand, bent to it, opened the drawer and pulled out a long ebony box.

When he straightened, she was staring down at it with eyes wide and lips parted.

“I asked Elpis before we left Firenze to find one that would suit you. She brought me five,” he told her. “I selected this one.”

And with that, he thumbed open the box which inside had a Firenz marital chain from which hung diminutive emeralds, topaz and rubies.

“The emeralds might be of Firenze, but they also signify Wodell, in a way,” he carried on.

Slowly, her gaze drifted up to his.

“The rubies are definitely of Firenze, your land, a part of you,” he continued.

Her eyes started to grow bright with tears.

“The topaz,” he grinned, “well, they just reminded me of your beautiful eyes.”

“True,” she breathed.

“Will you wear this for me, my bride?” he whispered.

A tear tracked down her cheek.

Then another.

“I didn’t think—” she began.

“You are Firenz, this is your custom. I know it means much to you, so it means much to me too.”

Another tear fell.

“Please, do not weep,” he said quietly. “I had hoped this would bring you joy.”

“It would be the greatest honor of my life to wear your marital chain,” she replied.

To that he did not grin.

He smiled.

“Elpis tells me they are not slept in. Therefore, I shall put it on you tomorrow, hmm?”

Two more tears dropped as she nodded.

Then she bent her head and reached out tentatively to the chain, like it was the most precious thing to touch her fingers.

He very much liked she felt that way, for it wasn’t even his custom, and he felt the same.

“Can I have a kiss now?” he asked throatily.

She looked up at him, still weeping, but dashed a hand along her cheek, the other, before she shook her head.

True was surprised at this response, for she had never, not once, denied his embrace.

“No?”

“No,” she whispered, slid out from in front of him and walked right out of the room.

He stared after her.

She was not gone long.

And she came back with the fingers of her hand not coming out of her sling closed around something.

He turned her way as she approached him.

“Farah—”

“I shall say this fast.” She stopped in front of him. “I was going to wait. But after that,” she gestured to the box still in his hold, “I will not wait. Because of what this is. Because of what this day was meant to be. And because you deserve to have all of it the way she intended.”