Kristie Cook - Promise

"Tristan, you may state your vows," Rina commanded.

He turned toward me, smiled warmly and looked into my eyes. I was sure he purposely set his voice to its loveliest tone.

"Alexis, my love, with a happiness I had never known possible before I met you, I receive you into my life that together we may be one. I promise you my unequivocal love, my unending devotion, my tenderest care. I will love you faithfully through the best and the worst, through the difficult and the easy. What may come, I will always be there. Entrust me not to leave you or to return from following after you. For where you go, I will go, and where you stay, I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God will be my God. I will take care of you, honor and protect you, for as long as I live, into eternity. I lay down my life for you, Alexis, my friend and my love. Today I give to you, me."

Rina smiled and turned to me. "Alexis?"

I took a deep breath to steady my voice and then recited my vows, blinking back tears.

"My sweet Tristan, with deepest love I did not know could exist, I come into my new life with you. I thank you for who you are to me—my one love, my true soul mate. God created me for you and you for me. I will ever strengthen, help, comfort and encourage you. I will trust you and honor you. I will love you today, tomorrow and forever. Throughout life, as long as it lasts, even into eternity, I pledge to you my life as a loving and faithful wife, no matter what lies ahead of us. My love will never be taken from you. Today I give you my life to keep."

Tristan flashed the most sublime smile that reached into the depths of my heart. We turned back to Rina.

"Tristan and Alexis, with these vows you pledge your lives to each other for eternity. Do you promise to fight for your love and for each other for as long as you both shall live?"

"I do," we said together.

"Tristan, to come into this union, you must also give your life to God and to the Amadis. Do you promise to protect us, to love us, to serve us, to lay down your life for us, at all costs, for as long as you live, even into eternity?"

The air suddenly felt still and heavy as we all tensed. If the Daemoni knew what was about to happen, this would be their last opportunity to stop it. Once Tristan took this vow, he became Amadis royalty, pledging his allegiance to us and severing all ties to his creators.

Please, Tristan, just say it!

"I do."

Just then, a powerful gust of wind blew through the cove. At the same time, a warm sun ray beamed directly on our little group. The sun itself seemed to shine a little more brightly as it hovered over the horizon. Directly overhead, though, a dark cloud formed out of nowhere, lightning shooting across it and thunder cracking, the wind whipping around us. It made me think that something very evil was very angry.

Rina glanced up at the threatening cloud and a small, mysterious smile appeared on her face. She didn't say anything, aloud or otherwise, but her eyes looked triumphant.

She took a step closer to Tristan and me, placed a hand over each of our hearts and closed her eyes. I felt a warm tingling on my skin, then an unusual energy flow from her into my heart and throughout my body. A moment later I felt it flow down my arm, through my hand and into Tristan's, while at the same time, a different kind of energy flowed from his hand into mine. The two feelings combined in my chest then flowed throughout my body.

Rina spoke mightily, her voice clear and strong, almost otherworldly. If there was any doubt before that she ruled something extremely powerful, it was blown away then.

"I am Katerina Camilla Ames, matriarch of the Amadis, protectors of souls and servants to God and the Heavenly Host. Under my power, I join these two souls together as one, forever bound to each other with an eternal love and loyalty that cannot be severed by anyone or anything."

My skin under her hand burned and prickled and the warmth radiated, encircling my heart.

Rina then took each of our free hands and joined them together, then wrapped both of hers around ours. She bowed her head and we all followed.

"Our Heavenly Father, God of the Universe, Creator of all things, we thank You for this union and the blessings You will provide as its result. We each lay down our lives for You in our continued servitude. Show us Your way and we shall follow. In Jesus' name, Amen."

Rina smiled and gave us a slight nod. Tristan gently tilted my head up with his fingers under my chin, bent over and delivered the most amazing, most loving kiss he had ever given me.

"I love you, ma lykita ," he murmured.

"I love you, my sweet Tristan," I whispered.

"I do not know what is above us, exactly, but it would be in our best interests to vacate immediately," Stefan interrupted, eyeing the unusual storm cloud above us. It wasn't low enough to threaten rain, but the lightning, thunder and wind continued, seeming to grow in anger.

We received quick hugs of congratulations and Owen took a quick picture of Tristan and me with his new, high-tech cell phone, the only camera available. Then he, Rina and Stefan disappeared. Tristan scooped me up and ran to Mom's car, Mom not far behind. He sat in the back seat with me as Mom chauffeured us to a small parking lot where Tristan's Ferrari waited.

"Tristan, you have her bag?" Mom asked.

"In the car. Let's go, ma lykita ." He opened the door and helped me out.

The air here was perfectly calm. Mom came around the car and hugged Tristan.

"You take care of my girl," she said to Tristan. Then she hugged me and said, "And you take care of my new son."

I beamed. "Love you, Mom."

"I love you, too. Be careful and have fun. Sorry it couldn't be longer…." She got back in her car and quickly took off. I had an eerie feeling about the next time I'd see her. Just nerves. We'll be okay now . Well, "we" as in all of us. Now, me, for tonight anyway…I wasn't so sure.

"Where are we going?" I asked Tristan as he held the car door for me. "I thought we couldn't have a honeymoon yet."

"Do you really think I'd let tonight be like any other night?" He kissed me before shutting the door.

Like that could happen . We could have gone home and watched movies, but in the end it would definitely not be like any other night. Not in my life anyway.

"So, where are we going?" I asked again when he was in the car.

"Somewhere special for my special wife on this very special night." He kissed my hand and winked. "Topless?"

I stared at him blankly. I wondered if he'd still have that same effect on me in eighty years. Or a hundred-and-eighty years. I hoped so.

"Guess not," he muttered.

"Oh, yes, definitely," I finally answered. He pushed a button and the car's roof began to lower.

We drove south and stopped at an upscale restaurant in Naples, overlooking the water. It wasn't crowded, but the people there gawked unabashedly at us. I thought it was the car at first, but their stares, from both men and women, continued as we followed the maître D' to our table by the windows. The table could seat four, so Tristan sat to my right, rather than across from me.

"Are you okay?" he asked when we were alone.

"I really didn't want to be seen in this by other people," I whispered, tugging at the top of the bodice. He took my hand to stop me.

"Don't let their admiration bother you. I'm quite enjoying it." He kissed my fingers. "I couldn't wait for people to see you in that dress. Because you are with me. Forever."

He leaned closer, his lips tickling my ear. "At least let me enjoy it now, because I will have you out of that dress soon enough."

The butterflies awoke in my stomach. They fluttered throughout dinner and I could hardly eat. They grew and multiplied again in the bathroom when I overheard a couple of young women while I was still in the stall.