Great Bear Wilderness [wp] sea of love

for @Solharr & @Callyope ! blessing their union as discussed <3

this'll likely be one post with the entire prayer within it, so feel free to do single replies!

to the forneskjan altar, faithman had delivered both an assortment of ritual herbs, as well as a smooth, gleaming moonstone from the quarry that lay not too far from where they had currently gathered. rökkur had watched their vows been shared, had danced, had eaten, but now came the time for a private affair that would only be for the newlyweds and their priest. in front of him lay four separate moonflowers, each a differentiating pale shade, each with one more petal than the next. it is time, he called to the pair.

sólhárr, came his first words, looking towards the man of ice and fire, the sun-king, he who has now taken his bride after paying the price of both body and soul. faithman gazed into a single amber eye, a sense of brothership running through his veins, before he would look over to the snowwoman. callyope, came his next, nodding to the moondaughter, of whom was gifted upon them by the pale wolves of moonglow ; a truly worthy seiðkona, and an even more admirable friend. he looked down to the flowers.

he took a breath: i gather you here today so that, under the light of the moonlady, máni, your union may be blessed, praised and accepted by the gods that have come from across savage seas and tall spires so that they may witness this moment, he put a paw to the first ; it was defected, with only two pale petals that stemmed from the center. a symbol. this moonflower, bi-petaled, symbolises your union. two who have come together as one, as the gods have intended to be so. þeir hrósa þér fyrir ástina sem þið deilið, saman, he stood so that he may place it atop the kings head.

the second moonflower had four petals, each soft and delicate, a symbol of the leaders and those in which supported them from the ironbark circle. this moonflower, blessed with four petals, symbolises both you, our leaders, and my wife and i within the ironbark circle. we offer you our support as you venture through this new experience, as god-given words may inspire courage to face, together, something unknown. guðirnir gefa þér hugrekki til að takast á við þessa nýju reynslu, that one would find itself upon the pale crown of callyope. they were to sit still, lest the petals fall from their heads ; a symbol of bad luck, of a prayer, a god-given gift declined.

the third ; it held six petals, one more than should be natural, and so he said: this moonflower, petaled with six and larger than the others, represents family ; of the family that you may share with one another. children born of moon, he looked towards callyope, and sun, then, towards sólhárr. his gaze returned to the flowers. together, your strength and your resolve and your compassion will bless this blood of forneskja to be leaders, warriors, healers and the best of their peers, just as their parents are. guðirnir blessa þig með voldugum börnum, placed upon suns head.

the last. it was without petals, the five that should have surrounded it mere buds that had never truly formed. but there was nothing bad about this moonflower, simply something meaningful, something for the faithman to interpret. this moonflower is without petals. you may think that it is a bad omen, but on the contrary ; you have met, you will live together, you will love together and strive for a better world together, and so you will die together, within eachothers arms and walking, together, towards the gates of valhalla, and so, his final blessing would roll from his lips: guðirnir hafa blessað þig með sálufélaga sem mun fara í þessa ferð með þér, að eilífu og alltaf.

and so the last flower would find a spot upon moonwomans head. he would leave this moment to them, so that they may relish in his god-given words, as he turned away to seek his own wife. inspired, perhaps, by the couple that this very celebration was for.