Shadows of Desire Ch. 11

Food was to be distributed to those who had none, or very little, and Thaden planned to issue grants to local business owners and farmers. Once the city was taken care of, Rowan planned to turn his attention to the Palace itself. First he planned to expand the royal gardens and make them available for all to enjoy. After that, he planned to tackle the interior of the castle. It was time to be rid of all the dark tapestries with their gruesome depictions and bring in some art work that was more pleasing to look at. As he'd told Thaden, it was time to bring Basmorte out of the dark ages.

All of this planning would have to wait though as Thaden had one last thing he needed to do. Something, he felt, that was more important than anything he had ever done in his life. Turning to Rowan, Thaden took his hands in his own and stared into his beautiful emerald orbs.

"Rowan," He said with a quivering voice, his eyes alight with such love for the man in front of him that he could barely breath. Just being in Rowan's presence was like being held within a cocoon of warmth and safety, sheltered from the rest of the world where only the two of them existed together in blissful harmony.

"Deep in the shadows of the night, under the watchful eye of the Goddess, you and I spoke vows, promising to love and cherish each other for the rest of our lives. We created an unbreakable bond, strengthened only by our love and pledged our love to each other through good times and bad, in sickness and in health for as long as we live. Now, I want to repeat those vows before our friends and family. I want the entire Kingdom to bear witness to our love and bond. I want it known to all that you are my mate, my other half, my very reason for being." Rowan watched, with tears in his eyes, as Thaden went down on one knee and then presented Rowan with a gold wedding band.

Holding the ring up he asked the most important Question of his life. "Will you, Rowan Elias Alexander Rochfort Dacaryn, Queen of Basmorte, accept me as your bonded mate, your guiding light in the darkness, and the warming comfort in the cold of night? In return, I vow to always protect you from harm, to stand with you against all odds, to hold you in your time of need, and to cherish you every moment of every day until the end of time."

Rowan, unable to speak nodded, tears of joy flowed freely from his eyes and once he'd managed to find his voice again he whispered in a tiny voice filled with emotion, "I will."

Thaden then placed the ring on Rowan's finger and stood, holding both of Rowan's hands in his, said,

"Rowan, you are everything that I have ever dreamed of and everything that I will ever need. Our love was written in the stars. Today, I vow to be here with you, for you. To honor and love you, now and forever."

"And I you." Rowan whispered through his tears, his smile lit the room brighter than any candle could as he looked deep into Thaden's eyes. "I will love you, honor you, and cherish every moment with you, for all the rest of my days. I vow to be here with you, for you, now and forever."

The room filled with loud cheers and applause as Thaden and Rowan shared a tender kiss, sealing their love and marking a new chapter of unity, freedom, and unending devotion.

The End