24 Amashumi amabili nane

Nikola's POV

My stomach was in knots. This was an important day that a part of me had grown up dreaming about. I remember the elders talking about how beautiful my mother and father looked on their wedding day. The whole week of their wedding ceremonies, in fact.

I hated that I could not honour Melissa with a full week of festivities in order to make a spectacle out of our love for all to see and fawn at. At least we had today. With the help of my best friend, I would everything in my power to ensure that it was a day she was look back fondly at for the rest of her days.

Truth be told, it was probably for the best that we only had today. Many of the weeklong traditions involved other family members that both of us lacked. But today none of that mattered. With Sam at her side, mine as well, and the rest of our makeshift gang of mystics and chiefs we were more than sorted with our guest list. How many people get to have a princess in attendance to their wedding, I thought sarcastically.

I was weird to think of Riley attending my wedding as a guest. All of our lives, we had worked under the impression that it would our families joined together by this day. Whether through Maleek or myself, I had presumed I would be present for the day Riley became an Achebe but instead, Melissa was about to receive that honour instead of her.

Shaking the thought of the princess out of my head, I followed Sam as he led me further into the bunker. He said that he had something important to show him. I had a hunch what it could be. I knew a lot about their customs from listening to the twins' stories and lessons about Old Norse.

We reached Merlin's metalwork room. It was already radiating a soldering heat, but I smiled at it. It brought back fond memories of my time as his apprentice when I was younger. He was always patient with me. He would tell me repeatedly how honoured he felt to be able to pass his knowledge to an Orisha but apart of me always thought it was deeper than that. He doated on me as a father would, or a grandfather perhaps seeing as he was far older than Junaid. He had lost his own family during the war and I was the first person he had really opened up to again according to the Chief. Whatever his reasons for taking me under his wings, I cherished the memories we shared even if he was a pain in my arse when it came to detailing.

"What's going in the pit today, Merlin?" I asked excitedly. The pit was what we called the furnace. She chuckled at my giddiness and motioned for us to get closer. Sam was a bit hesitant to near the flaming mouth of the furnace. It was quite ironic, both he and his sister were the rumoured descendants of a Gaul dragon but they both faltered at the sight of fire. Even the years they'd spend by my side hadn't made them feel more at home with the lively plasma. I suppose the water spirits were trying their best to keep their little Nøkkenson away from the seduction of the flame. I hope they didn't get too offended after today, having to see one of their water shifters get married to the blue flame.

I peaked over Merlin's shoulder and instantly felt tears well up in my eyes. I bit them back. Tears were forbidden in front of the furnace. Merlin said that it would make me appear too weak to wield metal and the suborn material would resist my command. So, I didn't cry. I just smiled softly and allowed myself to be enveloped by nostalgia and I watched him heat up my father's sickle sword. He could behead a man before the man realised who had attacked him. But my father never did that. King Achebe always met his prey's eyes before he went in for the kill. I smirked at the thought of my father, he was a true warrior and King.

"What are you doing to my father's sword?" I asked still enamoured by the way the flames wrapped around and embraced the elegantly curved blade. The Mambele was a fierce weapon. Merlin peaked over his shoulder to the unusually quiet blonde man beside me.

"What's going on, Sammy?" I asked. He bit his lip and smiled fondly at me. Before showing me his fist. Turning it over, he opened it to reveal his father's golden bracelet. This was a very powerful symbol of his father's connection to his gods and, in his death, Samuel's connection to his father. I was confused by this reveal, I searched his eyes. Was he seriously giving this to me?

"I can't…" I started to say but he interrupted me.

"You must. This was my father's. It was his duty to protect us, to protect Melissa. That duty fell to me when he died but now, she has you and I think its safe to say that no one has ever been more dedicated to my sister's safety and happiness than you are. It is our custom to retrieve our family sword so that you carry all the strength of the men before you into manhood in order to ensure you are strong enough to protect your wife…" he chuckled slightly, I joined in, then he held up the bracelet, " Man or not, you are strong. But I think that my father, and yours, would both feel honoured to gift you their strength on this special day and for the rest of your days at my sister's side. Its only fitting that both of them are united in the blade that you will use to enter this union."

Without replying I walked up to my tall, statue of a best friend and gave him a tight embrace. He relaxed in my arms and nuzzled the top of my head. His blond hair falling like a curtain over my face. I didn't mind. I squeezed him tighter.

I pulled back eventually and met his warm crystal eyes; they were the same colour of freshly polished diamonds. "I love you, brother." He beamed at my words and pulled me into one last hug, this one tighter than the last.

"All right. There have been enough hugs and emotions exchanged in this room. I didn't bring you toddlers in here to have a moment. There is work to be done!" Merlin grumbled unconvincingly. He was an undercover softie. Sammy and I chuckled, both embracing him quickly. The old man glared at us, while Sammy shrunk back, I took it a step further and kissed my mentor's slightly sweaty forehead before hopping away and getting ready to work.

It was time to make a sword worthy of both of our fathers.

It took us a few hours to finish crests on the blade. Sam suggested that we take the cleansing ritual to the lake because It was hardly advisable for me to be couped up in a sauna. No need to roast my soon to be brother as payment for all his help. Despite having the obvious water fight that Sammy and I found ourselves in, we managed to get serious for long enough for me to engage in not only a cleansing ceremony and enjoy the full wait of revival after "resurrecting" my father's sword.

We did the necessary rituals and then both of us knelt in the swallows of the water, with the water wrapped neatly around our waists as we send a silent prayer to our respective Gods in gratitude for the paths they had painted for us that led us to that lake and for the blessings for the wedding ahead. This was a highly spiritual moment for both of us. Our gods were, at least in our minds, seated beside one another above the lake listening to our respective yet entirely united pray. It was a moment for the ages.

Before long, I was fully dressed in my white throbe with my freshly hydrated curls falling freely on my shoulder and down my back. I was wearing a vibrant coloured scarf; this was Merlin's gift to me for the occasion. It had belonged to his wife and she had worn it on their special day. I hugged him when he placed it around my neck, felling him hug me back. He whispered how proud he was of his little delinquent being all grown up and I had to fight back the tears.

Soon we were all stood beside the riverbed. Zain had taken it upon themself to put Quaahir and Riley to work with collecting flowers and various shades of white fabric to line to the forest floor and make a path towards the river for Melissa and me to walk along. Where they found the materials will always be a mystery to me. But I had learned long ago to never question a Meru. They were infinitely tricky yet reliably magically creature. Who was I to question them when it was sure to be a victory?

What surprised me more than anything was the sight of Riley presenting my gorgeous bride with a hand weaved Kransen. It had wildflowers and water twine interweaved in the design and the end product was quite darling. It was dainty, elegant yet still wildly beauty – it was perfect for my Norse love. Melissa had accepted the offering with a grateful smile while I was thanking the princess with a brief hug, whispering 'thank you' in her ear. I felt her shiver at the sound of my voice, but she nodded softly and returned to her spot beside Zain and Merlin.

Sammy was performing the ceremony, with the help of Quaahir's beautiful Arabic inspired melodies. He tried to use the mbira to enrich it with a rich African feel to it. He was a man of various enchanting talents, so I expected nothing less from him.

Before everyone else faded away as I met the dazzling lilac eyes of the woman I loved most in this world. I placed my hands on top of hers as we layered our hands over one another. Sammy laid the cloth over our conjoined hands and said a few words in Norse that I could not bring myself to pay attention. I had my mother's ring ready for Lissa to wear but I was a bit nervous for her reaction to my version of a wedding band.

We looked at each other, smiling like absolute idiots and each repeated Sammy's words as he said them. We send thanks to the creators of man, the world and the see. I send my gratitude to Oya for bringing love into my life and to Shango for injecting lighting in my veins. Melissa thanked Ægir for his wise and guiding waves and asked Frigga for her blessing for our union. Our Gods had conspired to create a union that bridges the distance between heavens, and I was more than happy to thank them for my part in that.

I hoped my father was looking down at me. I hoped that my mother approved of how I treated my wife and I hope that my brother could feel my happiness and share a smile with me once more. I would do them proud by ensuring the woman who now carried their name would always be happy and never experience the pain that had stolen them from me. I had a new family in Sammy and Melissa but that did not remove them from my heart. I hope they know that. I pray that they know I will never stop loving them.

"It is finally real," Melissa cried in joy. I leaned forward kissing the tear off her cheek before whispering," I love you" and sharing my first kiss with my wife.