"Dearly Beloved, we are gathered here today to witness the union of Calla Andris and Mateo Guerin in holy matrimony…"

Calla shivered. Either from the words or the light breeze that had just hit the elevated courtyard, she couldn't tell. Mateo squeezed her hands gently and her smile stretched wider. She felt a bit on display wearing this traditional dress and veil in front of the entire royal court, but it wasn't every day a kingdom found their lost prince and that prince got married. This was as much Mateo's homecoming as it was Calla's most beautiful day. Her heart fluttered with happy anticipation.

Mateo looked fetching in a black suit that had been trimmed in royal gold. There were no pins to indicate his station, nothing but a very subtle ring of gold around his temples. His hands were warm in hers, confident in their strength and welcoming. He kept twitching his thumb over the back of her hand, like he wanted to pull her closer and had to make himself resist. It had been six weeks since he’d come home to Patomas, and his new identity was beginning to settle over him. He would always be known as a rockstar- the paparazzi were having field days- but there was a new weight in his eyes. He understood the problems here on Patomas, and wanted to help his father end the war.

"Mateo," said the officiate, addressing him first as his station demanded, "do you take Calla to be your mate and your wife, first before all others, as long as you both shall live?"

Calla held her breath, staring into Mateo's dark eyes. They danced and reflected the gold all around them. "I do," he said.

"And do you Calla, take Mateo to be your mate and your husband, first before all others, as long as you both shall live?"

Her heart was going to explode with happiness. "I do," she said, with a smile that was too big. Mateo matched it. She vibrated with excitement. Calla squeezed Mateo's hands.

"Then by the powyr vested in me, I pronounce your bond irrefutable under the laws that govern hearts, and by the witness of this land's queen and king, I declare you to be husband and wife." The officiate closed her book softly. "Mateo, you may kiss the bride."

He released her hands and grasped the thin corners of the veil. Between lifting it over her head and staring deep into her eyes, Calla's body stilled into a suspended calm of readiness. This was the kind of control she could wield before a great battle and Calla had no doubt that a life with Mateo would lead them both into a new era. She was strong, attentive, and prepared. Nothing could stand between them.

Then Mateo closed the distance. Calla reached for the back of his head and pressed herself into his hard body. Their lips melted together and she breathed only him. The world faded away. Blood and static rushed in her ears. Her dragon roared. They were now married by law, but there was one thing left to do. Calla's heart thumped faster.

She pulled away from the kiss and lifted the skirts around her knees. Mateo blinked at her. She turned away from him and the gathered crowd knew what was coming. They made room. Lots of room. Calla laughed as she ran down the elevated steps and pulled her dragon to the surface. "Catch me if you can!" she yelled over her shoulder, then shifted mid-stride, shredding the traditional dress into a thousand small pieces for the crowd to collect.

Calla bounded down the last few steps in dragon form and launched herself with powyrful wingbeats. Mateo's excited roar burst the air right behind her. She strained upward, higher, faster, farther. The human rituals were complete, it was now time to complete the dragon bond. Her large heart thumped in her chest as she rose into the sky. At a peak of clouds, she tipped backward, slowing down, stalling. She used her wings to flip her about and spotted Mateo's golden-bronze body already aligning with hers. He may not have been raised a dragon, but he knew what to do. The instincts were strong.

Mateo clasped her claws with his, tucked his wings, and together they tumbled out of the sky. Falling, falling, the wind rushed and Calla's heart soared with completion. This was the piece of her soul that had been missing. This was the man who could make her whole. She had found not just a prince, but her heart.

They pushed away from each other just above the ground. Calla's wings strained to keep her airborne and she relished the stretch and work of her muscles. Mateo challenged her in all the right ways. The strength of their love solidified in their mental bond, banishing the fatigue of the flight. Calla and Mateo circled each other in the sky, dancing with the wind. They were one heart and soul, forever.