Now it was Osmar's turn to remember, specifically the wedding vows he had prepared for the moment. They were not particular lengthy; Mor'osi wedding procedures placed emphasis on the build up the happy day instead and almost seemed to rush through the final ceremony in an attempt to get at the food and drink that the subsequent banquet was to provide. He'd gone over them flawlessly before with himself a thousand times before. But the task grew infinitelly more difficult in the presence of an audience.
"
Dalēn Anson Delmar al Rassen Shaulil Zhaumu on zhī on sēv-cham sū vī-sam ha las al mam al vī-sam id fūr dī lhak. Boh vī-sam dī ad mam al zhīn'av us sī." He concluded the last sentence with a sigh of relief at having said what needed to be and at having done so without fault.
Now it was Hanna's turn. She had against her the additional barrier of language, despite her impressive progress in the past several months as a result of the complete immersion that she faced. Osmar could not help but wonder what expression she wore on her face, and held his breath.
"
Arteus Erik al Sabina on mu," she began, carefully articulating the words with precision and a moment of painful memorance as she spoke the names of her late parents. "
vī-sam ha om on tok dal las al vī-sam dē dī lhak. Vī-sam dī lēch bu al mūz tok dal mam. Jas on pas sū sēv sēv-cham ha chab dī ab, she finished, like Osmar reciting her lines without a hitch. Osmar exhaled and smiled behind his mask. The priest, satisfied that everything had been conducted properly, produced a box and drew back the lid. Osmar reached in and withdrew a silken strand while Hanna lifted and presented her left wrist.
Intoning his next prescribed set of lines, Osmar spoke as he tied the silken strand around Hanna's wrist. "
["Sēv sēv-cham on yhīn al av ha hītsī on rach.". The same set of actions was now repeated in reverse, with Hanna drawing a section of thin white rope from box while Osmar presented his right wrist.
"
"Sēv sēv-cham on kor al nol ha hītsī on nah.". she said, tieing the rope around Osmar's wrist. The section of the ceremony completed the two stepped back from one another, and the priest again intervened.
"
Hem on fū wo keng on dī tah al shem-sam al shem-sam on kaz-sam ha ben dī tom. Zhoi kengsun sū ong dī kesh sai... Both Osmar and Hanna complied, and a timed passed in darkness for both as the priest removed first Osmar's mask and then Hanna's.
"
Ong dī eng sai... said the priest with a sincere tone of happiness in his voice. Osmar opened his eyes, and looked at the smiling face of Hanna, which seemed more beautiful than ever, and returned her smile with an enthusiastic one of his own.Instinctively the two embraced one another and kissed, wed to one another as husband and wife at last. The assembled noisily voiced their own approval and joy, Osmar's mother in tears, though how much of it was for the new couple and how much of it was for the prospect of the banquet which would now commence was unclear.
