13. Fun, the year of the Pegasus

Dear diary,

I have a confession to make. The most difficult confession I have ever made. My wedding mostly resembled human weddings because...well because...Okay, fine, I admit! I like human wedding ceremonies. They are beautiful, and I wanted something similar for my wedding, as well.

So Van and I have written and recited our vows during the ceremony. They were raw and real, not one of those unnecessarily romantic ones. I still remember them, so here, judge for yourself. Here is mine:

"Dear Van,

When I first met you, I thought that you were just a pompous elf and a smooth talker. Now, that I have gotten the chance to spend time with you, I still think you are pompous, but also wonderful. You are a bright soul who makes this world more magnificent simply by existing.

I realized that you are a charmer, but my charmer. You charmed me into loving everything about you, even the things that drive me crazy. The only person who managed to steal my heart and not be punished for it is you. Never before have I been tempted to let my heart be stolen by a sweet-talking man.

Perfection is not something you possess, but that's okay because neither do I. I used to think I was perfect, but you helped me see the truth. You helped me see that I could be good, even without trying to be better than everyone else.

I don't know what the future may hold for us, but what I do know for sure is that we make each other better. No matter what, you are there to catch me when I fall, and I am here to return the favor, literally.

Sometimes, you drive me crazy, but I would rather fight with you than have a boring passionless life that I was expected to have.

You showed me how to live, and be who I am, not who others want me to be. Most importantly, you taught me how to love myself, and how to love you. For this, and so much more, I willingly give you my heart for all eternity."

I am not going to lie, after I finished saying my vows, tears were streaming down my face because I was so darn happy. Many would have found the red swollen eyes and bloated face unattractive, but not Van. His eyes shone with pure adoration even at that sight.

If I had any doubts before, that would have been the moment to know for sure that he loved me truly and deeply.

As I stood there, lost in the beauty of his eyes holding my gaze, I could feel the love emanating from him, and it was obvious he was doing his best not to cry. He would never hear the end of it if his friends saw him crying.

However, I could see him swallowing a lump in his throat, and his eyes were filled to the brim. Moisture kept building up, and though he was doing his best to fight it off, I knew for sure that it was only a matter of time. Instead of letting his tears flow, he smiled at me, with one of those mischievous smiles that left me breathless, and then he started reciting his vows:

"My precious queen,

From the first moment I saw you, I knew that you were special. That is why I flirted with you like crazy, but you wouldn't even give me the time of day. Your constant refusal gave severe blows to my poor ego, but it also made me want to know more.

You were like no fairy I have ever met, and I was drawn to you like a bee to the most beautiful flower. I couldn't stop myself. I didn't want to stop. All I could think about was spending more time with you, getting to know you...And let's be honest, kissing those soft lips of yours.

You once told me that it never occurred to you that a relationship between a fairy and an elf was possible, but let me tell you, the moment I met you, I knew everything was possible. The more I got to know you, the more I was impressed by how passionate and adventurous you truly were.

I was honored to see many sides to who you are, and although sometimes you can be very stubborn, I love every little thing about you.

If I am being honest, sometimes I love to drive you crazy because there is a certain fire in your eyes that I have never seen in another person.

I can promise you that we will make mistakes. We will disagree, but I can also promise you that we will fix the mistakes together and that I would do my best to help us go through any kind of fight unscathed.

The truth is, that from the very first day we met, you had me on my knees, begging you to take me as I am, a work in progress, a growing flower that you can tend to and make better, you already have.

For all these reasons and so many more, I willingly and happily pledge my heart to thee, my queen, my princess, fair one of my heart."

When he finished saying his vows, we were both a crying mess. Other people were laughing at some parts of his vows, but I was touched. He was honest, he was himself, and that was all I ever wanted for both of us.

We were laughing and crying like crazy, but it was okay. The day was about us, and we had the right to do what we wanted to, to feel how we feel, and not worry about other people's opinions.

Finally, we sealed our love with a sizzling kiss that was inappropriate, but necessary.

I must admit, it probably didn't look like one of those fairy tale kisses, since we were both red from crying, and I am pretty sure that in that kiss we could taste each other's tears, but I didn't care, it was perfect.

Oh, would you look at the time, I better get the dinner ready. I will tell you more about married life next time.

Goodnight.