Permission to Marry
Posted on 20 Mar 2022 @ 2:39pm by Civilian Iola Hawkins
Mission:
R&R - Styx Outpost
Location: Crossroads
Timeline: During Shoreleave
1812 words - 3.6 OF Standard Post Measure
Michael was excited and also rather nervous, he and Iola had gotten a runabout, in order to go to Agora Crossroads and meet up with her Don, or more what he termed her father for permission to marry. He had no idea as to if he will be given permission but, Michael was wanting to be with her for the rest of his life. He was the one who was piloting the runabout.
He looked towards Iola, "Will there be a certain place for us to meet with your Don? Or will you be able to just walk in and say I am home?"
"I walk in. This is home," she said as she pointed down at a large building in the center of a large square. "This is where your crewman was first brought, and served," she explained, "shuttle can be put there but must be guarded. There always people who want to escape." She shook her head. "Escaping is not good, no rewards for escape."
She smiled as a dark clad, tall individual walked out of the building, his shrouded face looking up at the sky. "Spies did work," she grinned at him, "Don is expecting us."
Michael gulped slightly, "Oh wow, your Don is definitely well informed." as he set the runabout down where the indicated area Iola had specified. When the runabout gently touched the ground, he proceeded to shut down the small craft, then opened the door for them to disembark. "There will be a guard placed, sounds like a good idea." offering his hand out to Iola. "Shall we?"
She took the offered hand, gently squeezing it. "Don knows everything," she reminded him as he led her off the shuttle. "Come with me." She led him into the large building, striding right past a clutter of simply dressed slaves. It was clear they were treated well, as they were well fed, well dressed despite the simplicity, and looked healthy and even happy.
"This way," she said, dragging him along, towards what might be called a grand hall. Once there, she strode forward, almost regally but with a hint of anxiety as she finally came to a halt in front of a tall and shrouded figure. "My lord," she whispered, bowing deeply, "I have come to visit... may I present, Lieutenant Michael Hawkins, of the USS Andromeda."
The shrouded figure glanced at the Human male in his envoy's attendance, and he could clearly see something was going on. "With me," the distorted voice sounded simply, gesturing for the woman to rise.
Iola squeezed Michael's hand as they were led to a private chamber. The Don turned and studied the Human. "What are your intentions with my Iola?" he asked, though the voice sounded very different now. Definitely not distinctly male.
Michael glanced over to Iola, giving her a smile then responded, turning his gaze back to the Don. "I have come to ask for Iola's hand in marriage. You see, I am in love with her, very much so." the tall man giving a smile once again towards his love, one of tenderness and definitely very much a loving smile. "May I have your permission?"
"Iola?" The tall figure turned towards the young woman. "Is this what you want?"
"Yes my lord," the Orion woman answered, watching the other anxiously, "very much."
The Don seemed to sigh, glanced once towards the closed door, then took off his shroud, finally exposing the true identity. "Then you will know who I am." A distinctly Klingon female was revealed, hard eyes glancing down on Michael. "Iola is special," she said, not unkindly, but quite firmly, "and she is special, to me. I found her as a very small child, and I raised her. Only few know my true identity, and it must remain that way. If you vow to keep it such, then you can have Iola. On your word, that no harm will come to her. Protecting her, from now on, is your responsibility."
Michael's eyes widened slightly then he gave a solemn nod. "I will do such and I will keep your identity hidden as well. We will protect each other, for she has kept me safe, as I have done for her. Iola is a strong woman, and very intelligent." his arm slipping gently around Iola's waist. "And she is one who has given me even more strength."
The Don nodded solemnly. "Then so be it." She stiffened when Iola wrapped her arms around her, as if on impulse. Smiling, the Klingon woman gently patted her hair. "You look happy Iola, that is all I ever wanted for you. you have served faithfully, you have earned this. However...you will remain my envoy. You will remain my eyes and ears in this sector."
Iola beamed at her. "Of course!" Her joy turned towards Michael, now wrapping her arms around his neck, a smile of pure joy on her face. "She said yes," she whispered happily, "I told you my Don would approve, didn't I?"
"yes you did." murmuring softly then placing a kiss upon her lips. "My beautiful rare flower, lovely and beautiful woman." he looked back at the Don, "I thank you, and perhaps we should be on our way back to our ship. Our leave is almost up."
"You should," the Don answered quietly, putting her shroud back over her head to conceal her face back into the shadows of her cowl. "And give my regards to your captain, I am certain he will inform me, when your ceremony has been concluded. It is unfortunate, that I will not be able to attend. I cannot leave my planet for too long."
Michael raised his hand for a moment before she could completely put her shroud back on. "There is something that you can do, and it can be witnessed by you. You can be witness of us exchanging rings. You are an official." Michael gave Iola bit of a smile, "I had something planned to give you, on our being married." he turned his gaze back to the Don. "Would you be so willing?" Michael brought forth a ring that he had crafted for Iola, he had intended it to be a surprise, and now was as good a time as any. "I have a simple ring with purple colored stones." her ring was crafted with amethysts in a flower pattern like a violet. The band was of gold. ( Unless you prefer some other metal)
The Don nodded as she completed her own re-dress. "I can do so," she -now he again- answered, "and Iola does love purple." The Don regarded the rings, unfamiliar with this kind of ceremony.
Iola, equally un-educated about marital vows, looked at Michael in stunned silence, not quite sure what to do or say.
Michael smiled gently, "A simple ceremony, where I tell you how much I love you and vow to be with you for the rest of our lives, and you do the same. And I will start." he taking a look at the Don, then back to Iola. "When you first came to the ship, I found you beautiful and saw the fire in you. I saw your intelligence, and I found you were enchanting. It took me awhile to realize that I truly loved you. I had been hurt deeply by someone and was worried that I wouldn't nor couldn't let someone get close to me. Then gentle like the opening up of a beautiful flower, I began noticing that the more time I spent with you, the more the affection I had for you was becoming something even more. Just being with you, showing you the things about life. I found that I loved you, and do love you. From this moment, I pledge to be the best husband and also friend you have. You have brought healing to my wounded heart, and peace to my soul. I love you, and always will. I give you this ring as a symbol of my love. Will you accept me as your husband from now on?"
Momentarily speechless, Iola glanced from the one surrogate parent she'd ever known, to the man she loved, and back. "I glad to have healed your soul," she smiled at him, reaching to cup his cheek with one slender hand. "I glad to have found you. You gave me so much... so much more than sense of freedom." She paused. "I am free... in more ways than one, you freed my heart, only to capture it. I am yours, as you are mine, yes you are my husband, from now on. My mate, my soul, my all." She didn't have to dig deep for the words, they came without much thought, even though she had never really speeched before.
She paused again, looking uncertain now. "Do I say more?" she asked.
Michael was stunned and also delighted, "That was beautiful Iola." he handed her the ring he will be wearing.
"Now I will say this, with this ring I thee wed." slipping on the ring he had for her, on the fourth finger.
"Now you do the same for me. And say, with this ring I thee wed and you put the ring upon my finger." then he turned to the Don. "Then you say I pronounce you married. In human terms they say I now pronounce you husband and wife."
The Orion woman took the offered ring and with great reverence put it around his finger. "With this ring, I thee wed," she answered dutifully.
The Don had been observing this with great interest and it took him a few seconds to realize that the final words were now for him. "I now pronounce you married," he declared solemnly. "Is there any ritual you now need to perform? Here, anyone coupled just... goes off together."
"Well, she and I exchange our first kiss as husband and wife then well we go off together. At this time it will be us going back to our ship." Michael explained with a smile. Then he turned back to Iola and pulled her in for a very heartfelt kiss. Then he said, "Hello Iola Hawkins, my beautiful bride."
Iola beamed up at him. "I have a name," she breathed happily. Finally, she had somewhere she belonged, properly and as a free woman. She smiled at her master, well former master. "Thank you," she said, her bearing one of utter joy and gratitude. "This will always be home, I will never forget. But I have new home now, yes?"
The Don nodded, the smile hidden inside the shroud. "Go on... go..." He waved them off. "I have work to do."
Iola grabbed her new husband's arm. "Let's go....we should tell captain."
Lieutenant Michael Hawkins
Chief Engineer, USS Andromeda
Iola Hawkins
Don's Liaison
