Chapter 18: Wedding – Night

As the sun disappeared from the west, and the sky started to get dark, loud music started to come out from the barn, Shani and Mikael were now inside of it, sitting on a round table, drinking some rye.

The music echoed through the barn, a merry atmosphere was created as the guests danced, drank, and sang to their heart's content.

"Want to dance?" questioned Shani suddenly, making Mikael choke on his drink.

He coughed a bit. "W-What? I prefer not to dance… I have one arm Shani."

Shani rolled her eyes. "That's not a problem at all… and I saw you dancing in the sewers days ago."

"That's different," he stated nervously. "That's KILLING, not DANCING."

"But you moved like you're a dancer your whole life." she refuted as she stood up. She offered her hand to him, and made a gesture to him to take it. "Come on."

Mikael just sighed, and relented. He took her hand, and she quickly dragged him towards the dancing floor, giggling all the way.

As they arrived, Shani took his hand, and put her other hand on his shoulder. She stared at his icy blue eyes, as they danced around the dance floor, not caring about the other guests.

They jumped around like children, laughing and giggling as they did so. Shani didn't care if Mikael was missing an arm or not, she just enjoyed her time with him, dancing merrily in the night as the music went on loudly.

Shani then separated from Mikael. She clapped her thighs, and high five his only hand, and repeated the same thing over and over again, before she took his hand again, dancing close to him, circling the floor.

"I didn't know you're a dancer." said Mikael as the music turned into a melancholic song, making them dance more slowly.

"I'm not." she said, her head on his shoulder. "Mother taught me when I was little."

"Sounds like you have a great mother."

"She is." she said. "But she's quite unbearable sometimes…"

"Really?"

Mikael then spun her around, making her giggle to be treated that way.

"Yeah." she said, still giggling a bit from the spinning. "When I brought boys to her, she often said that they're not good enough. She thought I should marry someone rich or well settled… but I always found those men to be… boring. It's getting quite annoying, so I just gave up entirely."

"Sounds like you've been in a lot of relationships." stated Mikael.

"Not really, I just brought friends to my mother, but she thought that they're my lover or something."

"Are they?"

"Of course not." she scoffed. She then separated from him, and dragged him away from the dance floor.

"Where are we going?" questioned Mikael, still dragged by Shani.

"I'm tired… let's just do something outside." she said. "Gwent?"

"Really?" chuckled Mikael. "In the middle of a wedding?"

"Well, we'll go back after a couple of rounds." she shrugged. She took her deck of gwent from her pocket, and waved it in front of Mikael. "So, what do you say?"

"Let's make a bet." Mikael said. "Whoever loses has to wear something until the wedding is over."

"Wear what?" she questioned, interested in the proposal.

"I don't know," said Mikael casually. "We'll find something."

"Oh! I know." she said. She quickly rummaged through her pouch, and found a red ribbon. "If you lose, you have to wear this for the rest of the night."

"And if you lose?" questioned Mikael in amusement.

Shani thought about it a little, and snapped her fingers. "I'll give you my necklace." she said, showing her hermes's staff necklace to him.

"Are you sure? That's like a 'you' thing you know… don't want to take it from you…"

"It sounds like you already won." Shani spoke in amusement. "Confident, are we?"

"Oh, ho ho, I'll beat you." said Mikael as the two sat down outside.

—

As time went on, the two had finished their Gwent match. It was intense, even some gnomes started to gather around them, watching their match heatedly.

"And… I won." said Mikael, smirking at the scowling Shani.

"Urggghh, what's that now? 17-1?" she said in annoyance.

"Well, you'll get on my level eventually." Mikael shrugged proudly.

"Asshole." scoffed Shani. She took off her necklace, and gave it to him. "Here, as promised."

"Are you sure? I don't really want to–"

"I insist." she said. "A deal's a deal."

Mikael sighed. "Alright."

He took the necklace, and wore it in front of Shani. He looked at her, and saw her smiling at him warmly. "How do I look?" he asked.

"Dashing." she smirked.

As she said that, the sky above started to rain. Water poured from above, soaking all that is below it.

They both quickly ran towards the barn, seeking shelter from it.

"Well, there goes the outside…" murmured Shani.

"It's fine, still has the barn." said Mikael.

She looked at the sky above them, and cursed. "Rats. It's almost midnight. Listen, I'll leave you alone for a few, as a bridesmaid I need to be there for the capping."

"What's a capping?"

"It's a ceremony for the bride." she said. "Anyway, you could just watch the ceremony, see you later."

"Alright."

Shani then quickly kissed Mikael's cheek as she ran towards the inside, rushing towards the bride.

—

A man stood in the platform of the barn, smacking a metal plate with a spoon, he looked around, and the guests got quiet.

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"The midnight chime has struck, the capping time's a-come!" he announced. "What thoughts in young hearts prance, what dreams make young blood run?"

He then threw away the spoon and plate, and the bridesmaid started to gather in the middle, where a chair rests, and on top of the chair, the bride.

Shani saw Mikael in the corner of the room, leaning casually against a wall. She smiled at him, and he threw a smirk at her.

"Be they nice, be they vice, of jesterly or lordly stance!" continued the man on the platform. "Out they'll come in this hour's dance!"

The bridesmaid then started dancing. They circled around the bride, and sang a song that was foreign to Mikael.

♪Toast the lovely couple, then give 'em a few weeks,

And we'll toast their lovely bairn with its pale and puffy cheeks♪

Shani then followed the other bridesmaids to dance, jumping around the bride as the song continued.

♪Don't you mind our song, we don't sing to be unkind.

We sing so we can empty yet another stein.♪

The mother then entered the circle, bringing a white cap towards the bride. She took the garland that is on the bride's head, put it on her lap, and put the white cap on her head.

♪Bride's sworn love eternal, bridegroom best beware,

Or she'll make you a cuckold in the comin' year!♪

The mother then kissed her daughter, and whispered something to her, before exiting the circle, letting the bridesmaids dance to their heart's content as they sang.

♪What's the groom a-thinkin', a storm upon his brow.

Must be second guessin' if he'll get that cow!♪

The other guests then shouted something along the line of 'Garland! Garland! Garland' as the song continued, and the bridesmaid still circling around, dancing and singing.

♪You'll get the cow, lad, the bull, the calf, the hay.

So drink and be merry, 'tis your wedding day!♪

The bride then threw the garland on her lap to the back of her, and the garland landed on top of Shani's head, the guests clapped, cheered, and whistled, before the mother spoke again.

"As hallowed tradition holds, whoever caught the garland shall be next to wed!" she announced, pointing at Shani.

The crowd continued to cheer as Shani stood there in embarrassment. She looked at Mikael, who was also clapping along with the crowd, and chuckled at him warmly, before shrugging, as she didn't know what to do.

Mikael just shrugged too, as he didn't know how to interpret the tradition.

—

Mikael was not sitting with Shani once again, this time, Shani was leaning on his shoulder, her garland still on her head, sitting tiredly as the bride and groom danced on the floor. Mikael was looking at them, smiling as he did so.

Shani notices it, and questions it. "You alright?"

"Hm? Just… happy, is all."

"About what?"

"All of this," he said. "In my travels, I never really had fun like this, all I saw was just death, famine, monsters… it's just nice to just be relaxed like this and forget about my troubles. Thanks… for bringing me here."

Shani smiled at him, and elbowed him softly. "It's alright." she said as she sat up, drinking another mead from her mug.

She looked at the bride and groom dancing, and pondered too. "Mikael…"

"Yeah?"

"You think I could get married?" she questioned.

Mikael scoffed. "Is that even a question, of course you can."

"You think so?"

"I know so." he said. "You're beautiful Shani, you could choose all the men you want."

Shani just chuckled at Mikael's words, and went back drinking. "It's just that… the years're flying by, yet all I ever do is study, pump stomachs, and reattach limbs… all alone."

Mikael sighed at her. "I mean… you got me."

"Do I?" she said. "No offense Mikael, but I met you only half a week ago, I barely know you… and I don't even know when I will be called upon by the army again… don't get me wrong Mikael, you're sweet, the sweetest person I've ever met, but… my life… it's uncertain, I really want to get to know you… but, I fear that I will just be called upon by the army again, and separate from you, making me start all over again."

Mikael hummed. "I get it, but why don't you just refuse the call? It's not like it's mandatory, is it?"

"I don't know… probably?" she said.

"Probably?"

"I never asked… but, it sounded mandatory…"

"Wait, so you mean, you never asked if you could refuse?"

"Well…" Shani chuckled nervously. "But it's not like I could refuse… they need my help Mikael, thousands of men are dying out there."

"And many more will die, Shani." he answered. "It's useless to support an army for war, you're just going to prolong it. It's better to just stay in a village, or a town that has minimal medic, and take care of them, that way, you're saving families, instead of supporting an army that kills families.".

"We're defending from an invasion Mikael." Shani rolled her eyes.

"Yes, but the point still stands," he said. "If you can just refuse, then refuse. It's as easy as that."

"And then what?"

"Then you'll get to know many people freely," he said. "Instead of just sticking with a one-armed one like me."

"Come on Mikael, have some faith in yourself." scoffed Shani as she rested her head on his shoulder once again. "You're sweet, many women will like you."

"You think so?"

"I know so." she giggled. "I mean, I like you, a lot of women probably will too."

"Well that's great news."

"Just don't stick your rod to other women freely like Geralt…" she joked.

Mikael laughed. "Will do my sweet Rowan, will do."

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