He smiled more and nodded to her suggestion.  Leaning in, he gently kissed her nose but quickly looked up just in time to see a very disgruntled Bryony fall from nothing onto the bridge.  His eyes went wide as he watched her collect herself and for now he was lost for words…though his markings were shining brighter from the surprise.  While he had gotten better with the Rose family over the years, he still hadn’t spent too much time with any of them or their widespread family…aside from Echo and Angela of course.  He and Bryony’s first meeting hadn’t exactly been a fun one, so it was relieving to see this negativity directed at The Mother and not himself.
 
His eyes moved between the two of them as they spoke of the Spirits, something he actually had not known much about until this conversation.  Water fastenings?  Yes of course since that had been what was in mind, but the Spirits…it made it all the more intimate.  He liked it, and soon the lines on his arms dimmed back down.  A soft chuckle escaped as she spoke about Angela, and he was starting to think it would be easier than he’d previously thought to get along with Bryony.
 
But when she talked about this bond, and how she thought it best for him to not be bound through another God…that was different.  Good, but different.  It struck him deeply and the smile faded as his eyes glowed brighter: shining emerald.  He doubted she realized the gravity and impact of those words, and if he was a less reserved person or had he known her more closely, he would have expressed to her how much it meant that she’d taken that into consideration…
 
She mentioned clothing and his eyes widened, looking down at himself.  Minutes away from being wed and he was still dressed this way. “C-Clothing, right.”  His hands moved back from her and his garments changed from head to toe: gold and white to represent his domain of Light that arched and curved into intricately detailed designs in representation of Perseverance.  He looked over at Bryony, back to Echo…he never thought this would have happened, not in his entire life.  Even though it was minutes away from starting, there was still a part of him that feared it would be ripped away, that she would be ripped away, or harmed.
 
“If you’re ready then…”

Bryony saw his eyes and chuckled at the change. Good, he looked very happy with her words. Echo looked as confused as ever at why he was so happy but from the look the oracle was giving she just nodded and accepted. Once Naota had changed Echo’s eyes got large at how real everything was. She was starting to get jittery as Bryony brought them closer to the water.

“My dears, I am not so good with long speeches so I’ll attempt to keep the point strong.” She took one hand from each of them and joined it. “Did you know that a knot can represent a marriage. The tighter the knot the harder it is to undo it. A marriage that is so tight that it can’t be undone is said to live forever even when the owners of the knots have moved on from this world. We value the meaning we put on marriage in Sularia. Even as spirits we hold our vows seriously.”

Moving her free hand Bryony called up a stream of water. It moved along their hands forming a ribbon. She tied a knot tightly around their hands. “This is the base of everything you have worked so hard on. A marriage is a partnership even for a God.” Bryony looked towards Naota and offered him a simple smile. “Work together always and bring happiness to each other. The tighter your knot remains, the better your lives will  be together.” She blew on the ribbon and it turned to a solid ice. “I gift this knot to you. I bind you as one. Naota and Echo-Rose Uharu.”

At the sound of her name, Echo was suddenly blushing more than she ever had before as her wild amber eyes stared up at Naota. They were being bound. Bryony, on the other hand, was rubbing the back of her neck. “I suppose that traditionally you would end it with a kiss Naota. I would have asked you if you took each other but, only a dumbass needed to ask that.” The oracle laughed and Echo did as well.

“I agree.” Echo managed to sneak a few words in as she stared up at Naota.

“It’s the kiss that binds you by the way. It binds the very feelings you have. You can save your knot if you wish. If it were anyone else it would probably melt not too long after this.”

He heard her words, but his eyes never left Echo as they were spoken.  Ceremony aside, he was just happy that she would allow him to keep her.  The young woman had gone through so much in her life that he didn’t take this weight of trust lightly.  His hand moved when it was needed and he felt a comforting rush move through him from the icy water, accompanied by light goosebumps up his arms.  His eyes softened when her new name was spoken for the first time, and he was urged to touch his lips to her blushing cheeks…but refrained.
 
His eyes moved to the knot of ice and he thought of Kessho no Niwa back at home; of the countless gems and stones that had grown there.  Looking at this knot, he wanted to work magick into it if he could figure out how, to give it longevity that matched that of a time hardened gem.  That was something to hone later though: he highly doubted Bryony’s magick would fade so fast that the knot wouldn’t survive, especially if what she said about it was true.
 
With her blessing he turned himself to face his new wife, and gently rested his hands at her sides to turn her with himself, “I also agree…”  He’d been a ‘dumbass’ for not expressing this sooner, before a bloodsucking wretch had ripped her arm from its socket…
 
He looked at her, his eyes tracing every inch of her face, every line and scar no matter how small only made her more perfect in his eyes.  With a touch as gentle as ever, his fingertips rested under her jaw, the action causing their bound hands to lift as one but the knot felt comfortable somehow.  With a small but loving smile, he inclined her head towards his before leaning in and softly touching his lips to hers.  The first intimate touch he would have with her after their binding, and it felt…indescribable. 
 
The emerald of his eyes shifted to deep amethyst before closing, and his lips slowly moved with hers as his free hand traced back to her hair; holding her as close as he could.  When he pulled his lips back he planted a small kiss on the bridge of her nose.  His words came out as barely a whisper, “I love you…”