Note: This story was a bit of an "experiment", trying to emulate Ancient Near Eastern / Biblical poetic styles that I had been reading during my studies. Hence the "repetitiveness", parallelisms, unusual sentence structures etc. I hope the style is okay and not too weird. ^^;

I.
I promise you I will be true, he said, kneeling across from her on the grassy Hill of Ceremony. I promise you, as long as there is breath in my body, I will be yours, and you will be mine. I promise you, no matter what lies in store, I will be true to you, my wife. And he bent to the ground and kissed the red earth, and then Carnelian looked up into her eyes with that smile she loved so well.

All eyes now turned to her, and Ruby felt the blush on her cheeks as she trembled with joy and hope and delight, and she opened her mouth to speak the vow as well –

With the clatter of hooves and the blare of a trumpet, four riders tore into the midst of the gathering, crying, Hear the command of your King!

The priest looked disconcerted; the people started muttering; Ruby did not know if she should rise or stay kneeling – the ceremony was not over yet. A shadow had fallen over their wedding day.

Hear the command of your King! one of the riders called out. We are at war! Every able-bodied man is to gather at dawn. Every able-bodied man is to leave wife and home, to defend our country! Long live the King!

Then they thundered away, onward to bring doom to another village, and the next, and the next. A shadow had fallen, and it would not go away.

Ruby found herself still kneeling on the ground, still trembling, but now no more with joy and expectation – only with fear. She could not look into Carnelian's eyes – for before it had begun, she knew it was over, and she would lose him.

The priest, confused, said the final blessing and let them go – and Ruby realised later that she had never said her vow.

Do not be afraid, Carnelian said, as she lay that night in his arms. But she knew that he was afraid; she could see it in his eyes and taste it in his kiss. I will return – soon, he said. But she knew that he was afraid; she could feel it in his touch and smell it on his breath. It will be all right, he said. But she knew that he was afraid; she could hear it in his heartbeat as he drew her close to him.

Then he spoke those words again: I promise you I will be true. I promise you, as long as there is breath in my body, I will be yours, and you will be mine. I promise you, no matter what lies in store, I will be true to you, my wife.

And Ruby opened her mouth as the tears ran from her eyes, wanting to speak those words as well – but he had fallen asleep.