It was as if time itself had slowed. My shoes crunched in the lush grass with each step. Winter was at least another month out. However, an early frost had settled on the ground the night before.

My grip tightened around the arrangement of flowers in my hands. I looked down to examine it to take my mind off my nervousness as I walked.

It was composed of a variety of dried plants and flowers. There were a few I didn't know the name of. I recognized stems of dried wheat, craspedia, and fall leaves. The vegetation was adorned with dahlias that ranged from cream to cinnamon.

I exhaled and adjusted my posture to look forward again. I was accompanied by the same two ladies' maids. They followed behind me to keep my gown and veil in place if needed and to carry the jar for the ceremony.

There were now a few moments left before I'd cross the field to the waterfall. There, Jasper and the others would be waiting. The excitement began to overwhelm me. Soon I'd meet his gaze.

We passed by several mature oak trees. Unlike the many prior trips to the waterfall, I paid more attention to them today. I hadn't realized how special this place was until now.

The familiar trees were planted during the past unions of Orc and their wives from many generations. It all came together in my mind... why Jasper would bring me here all those days. Why I felt drawn here.

I tensed my fists, causing my knuckles to turn ashen. I did my best to disguise my nervousness. I never became accustomed to this emotion until I met Brenna.

I'd always seen it as a sign of weakness to display emotions in that way. I never thought I'd feel nervous, especially to a wee human female whose height was just shy of my collar bones.

I never thought I would take a wife until I met her. There was something different about her. She didn't look to me for protection or had an interest in me because of my status. The girl nearly impaled me the second I first laid eyes on her.

I suddenly noticed my face wielded an idiotic grin while reminiscing. I licked the inside of my cheeks, trying to gather my composure.

I inhaled, realizing I had been holding my breath while waiting in anticipation. I kept my eyes locked on the castle, waiting to see Brenna come into view.

Sten stood to my left, holding my jar of soil. He reassuringly placed a hand on my shoulder. He's always been a cocky fuck, but he's always been there for me. Helena and the upper-ranking orcs and their wives stood before me. There were at most twenty people in attendance. Thank the gods for that.

I continued waiting for what felt like forever. I could feel my heart pounding from within me. A few more moments passed before I could hear a group walking toward us.

Finally, I caught my first glimpse of her. I had not seen much of her since I arrived home with the work I had to deal with and preparing for our wedding.

My heart nearly leaped into my throat. I gulped, mesmerized by Brenna. The world blurred around her into autumn colors. I didn't have words to describe how I felt or how she looked.

She appeared otherworldly. It was as if she floated toward me. The wind blew, causing the many layers of her gown to flow, as well as her veil and hair.

Her cheeks blushed when our eyes locked on each other. She gently smiled at me. She was only feet away from me now. She placed her delicate fingers over her lips to hold back a giggle.

I realized I had been gapping at her the whole while. I quickly composed myself again, or I at least tried to anyway. I didn't know my face could flush from embarrassment, but I'm sure it was at this moment.

She turned to hand her flowers off. I took her hand in mine and pulled her by my side. I rested my forehead on hers a short moment before we began.

Most of the ceremony was a blur from that point. I just gazed into Brenna's eyes. I felt dumbstruck during most of it, wondering if she was nervous too. The final part of the ceremony came.

The time came to plant the sapling before heading to the great hall. I came here earlier to dig the hole to make the process easier. I picked the spot near the waterfall since that was one of her favorite places to sit with me.

I let go of her hand to pick up the sapling and let her place her hands on its thin trunk to help me place it in the soil. We kneeled on the ground around the sapling and poured out the contents of our jars.

Our hands touched as we combined the two around the roots. I paused and smiled at Brenna. I still felt like it was just her and I in the world; nothing else mattered. Once our soil was added, I filled the hole with the remaining soil around the hole.

The final part was to water it. This was to symbolize nurturing the relationship together. Helena placed a white pitcher into my hands. I waited a moment so Brenna could tip it and allow the water to pour out onto the soil.

With that, we stood up. Brenna started to Dust off the skirt of her gown. I didn't let her get the chance. Muddy hands and all, I placed my hand under her chin and kissed her gently, leaving a smudge on her face.

I made an apologetic expression and tried to wipe it. Brenna giggled and wrapped her arms around my neck. I was much stronger than her, but I let her handle me. She pulled my face down to hers and kissed me back. In one quick motion, I scooped her up and started walking back to the castle.

"Jasper!" She laughed.

"Well, I'm ready to celebrate with my wife!" I boomed unapologetically.

I genuinely meant the celebration in the great hall. However, I immediately wondered if she had taken it another way. I couldn't deny I ached to have her.

I wanted her badly. I wanted to feel her skin against mine. I wanted to indulge myself... to make her mine in every way. I only needed to restrain myself for a bit longer. A part of me feared scaring or hurting her on top of my frustration.