H is for Handfasting

Image by Stan Richards from Pixabay

“Handfasting,” the ancient word for a wedding, was traditionally recognized as a binding contract of marriage between a man and a woman. The voyage of Captain Ellspeth of the House of Cszabo and Lord Dal, archmage of the world, that was captured in Windmaster Legacy began with their handfasting. As a teaser, part of the ceremony follows.

While she was sure she would remember every word and image later, Ellspeth only heard the words of the handfasting. Her skin flamed beneath Dal’s touch when he tied the wooden token of promise around her neck. I’ve missed mine since he took it back to finish the carving, she mused. I had gotten used to the weight of it hanging from the circlet. On the voyage back to Stratven, she and Dal exchanged them on the deck of Sea Falcon to signify her acceptance of his proposal to share his life and magic. His wink as she placed the intricately carved amulet symbolizing her heritage around his neck showed her he remembered the occasion as well.

In a combination of Southern Sea and Mtwan Mountain traditions, Timmel wound the string of flowers around their wrists securing the fragrant ropes with an intricate knot known to sailors as the ‘lover’s eternity.’ His singer’s voice carried throughout the garden.

To read the entire ceremony as well as their matrimonial voyage or the story of Talann and Glynnes click on the buy links below.

Buy Links:  List of ebook sellers
Paperback at Amazon or Amazon.uk

Buy Links:  List of Ebook sellers
Paperback: Amazon / Barnes & Noble

The dragshi (humans with a twinned dragon soul) also have the tradition of a handfasting. One where considerations of time and fate prevented the full story from appearing within the story, was published as a reader's bonus at the end of Hatchling’s Vengeance.







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~till next time, Helen