RD: Chapter 18

Personal Log; Ne'tal i-Tephon t'Jaeih; 2-1-Water
Tonight is the last night I go to bed alone.  And the last night I'm a Jaeih.  My name is changing so fast even I can't keep up.  I'll be joining Tarven's house.  Technically I have both House's responsibilities.  As any children Tarven and I have belong to both houses.  A complicated compromise.  
The final details of the wedding are in place and ready to go.  I'm so glad everything is done.  All that is left is to get ready in the morning.  
Currently I'm staying at the Jaeih estate.  It's traditional that the couple are kept apart for a number of days before he wedding to be trained for marriage by there respective families.  s'Jaeih is all about tradition.  So for the pass few days I have been preparing for married life by learning to cook tradition dishes, sew and other such things in the traditional ways.  Tarven however is partying with Flaivian.  I'm jealous.  Tarven did love the jacket I had embroidered for him.  He is going to wear it at the ceremony tomorrow.
I'm excited at the prospect at spending the rest of my life with Tarven.  Excited and nervous at the same time.  It is an odd feeling.  Tarven and I have a house now!  We placed the money down on a wonderful house in the s'Aegis estate.  It is on a hill and over looks the city of Ki Baratan.  I was surprised we could afford it, but Tarven had been putting part of his salary away for years to have enough money for it.  He always thinks of these things.  There is enough room for us to start a family.
More immediately Tarven has planned a beautiful honeymoon.  I'm looking forward to the break.  We are staying on a private cabin on a secluded beach.  How Tarven managed to find it, I didn't ask.  But I am pleased with the location.
I need to go to sleep.  Computer end log.

The golden light of Eisn streams through the open window caressing my face.  My eyes blink open.  Slowly I sit up in the gigantic bed.  I smile at the tray of breakfast waiting for me.  Quickly I consume the kreevis fruits, hlai egg, and small cup of hholaer.  
Once I finish, I quickly get up and retrieve my beautiful emerald dress from the closet.  I carefully remove it from the protective plastic and take it off the hanger.  Gingerly, I step into it and draw the silk creation up my body carefully clasping it behind my neck.   I pull the zipper to and admire myself in the mirror.  I've never been vain, but I will admit that I look amazing this dress!  I hope Tarven thinks so too.
I turn my head at the knock on my door.  This house still uses the old fashion doors with round knobs to open them.  Antiquated but beautiful.  Donatra enters a few moments later.  "Good, you are already dressed.  Come, paenhe."  I get up and follow her across the ancient stone path to one of the interior courtyards.  There waiting for me is a group of servants and hired hands, all female of course and all Romulan.  I glance at Donatra confused.  "They will help you get ready.  Sit in the chair and they will do everything."
"Everything?" I ask not use to being waited on hand and foot.
"Yes, now sit.  I must go get ready myself but I will be back in a few minutes to check on you." She walks back to her bedchambers as I sit in the chair provide.
As soon as I do, the serving women cluster around me.  One obviously the overseer or something stares at me then tells the other women what to do.  Two women take my hands, cleaning them and placing polish on the nails.  Two others take my feet giving them the same treatment.  Another brushes out my hair then stylizes it.  Others apply make-up to my face.  It's all very overwhelming and oddly relaxing at the same time.  I'm certainly not use to being so pampered.  It also concerns me that I can't see what they are doing.  A few minutes later Donatra returns dressed in her violet dress with a selection of earrings, earcuffs*, armbands, bracelets and even tiaras.   
"These were all given to me by my mother for my wedding day." She explains.  "But I think they should go to you now.  Pick whatever you wish."  I stare at the collection amazed.
"Are you sure Ri'nanov?  You are still young and may marry yet." I ask.
"I'm sure Paenhe.  Besides you will wear them much more than I would.  They should be worn." She answers.
Looking over the collection, I pick a set of drop earrings with clusters of emerald, sapphire and amethyst teardrops; small sapphire studded earcuffs; and a simple but beautiful tiara.  "Good choices," says Donatra.  "Why no pendant?"
"Tarven asked me not to where one.  He said he would explain." I answer.
"I see.  Well, you should wear these too." She withdraws two blood-metal wrought bracelets studded with dark blue gems I have never seen before.  They also have strange symbols that I cannot read.
"What are they?" I ask mesmerized.
"They are bonding-bracelets.  They were carried by my ancestors from Vulcan to the Twin worlds.  Every bride in my family wears them on her bonding day.  The stones are called Yon-Kevush.  It is said they collect the feelings of the couple and preserve them forever.  That way the couple always remembers there love for one another." She explains pointing to the stones.
"Ri'nanov I can not take these.  They belong in your family not mine."  I answer amazed that she would even offer them to me.
"You are my daughter.  And you will have a daughter one day.  I want to give them to her on her bonding day.  I want you to remember where they came from and tell her.  I do not want them to be given to a museum to be displayed at the end of my life.  These must be used to retain there value.  Each bride gives a new experience to the crystals and every experience is valuable."  I bare my wrists in submission.  Once the straight panels of metal touch my flesh they immediately curl around my wrists fitting perfectly.  I stare them in amazement and little bit concerned.  See my concern Donatra adds, "Don't worry you can remove them anytime you wish.  I have seen my mother take them on and off."  Donatra stares at them for a moment.  "I have never seen the gems become such a bright blue before…"
I glance down.  Sure enough the gems have gone from a dark cobalt, to a bright cerulean blue.  "Does that mean they are recording my emotions?"  I ask.
"I guess." Says Donatra.  "I have never seen them do that before."
"Done!" declares the leader of female servants.  Suddenly they disperse from me like song birds that have finished feeding in one place.  Donatra stand up straighter admiring the servant's work.  The servants themselves stand at a respectful distant whispering and nodding approvingly among themselves.  
"You look stunning, Paenhe!  Tarven will be very pleased." Donatra helps me up from the chair.  I stand somewhat uneasily as I had not noticed the heeled copper sandals being placed on my feet.  She guides me over to a mirror.
I stare at me reflection amazed.  I do not even look like myself!  Any flaw or blemish has been expertly hidden.  Bronze coloring has brought out the angles in my face and given my fair skin more coloring.  My emerald eyes look larger because of the violet eye coloring placed on the lids.  My lips look fuller and moistened by some magic I do not know the name of.  
The most amazing change is my hair.  It's tawny tresses have been curled into perfect ringlets!  I have never seen it curled.  I didn't even know it could curl.  All of the curls have been pinned up by emerald, amethyst and sapphire hair pins and placed behind the emerald and sapphire studded tiara.  I touch the curls carefully surprised to find them soft as silk just my normally straight hair.  In this dress revealing my right calf decorated with its copper sandal straps and this face I look like one of the models on the veiwscreens.  I'm not concerned any more of what Tarven will think.
I turn to Donatra beaming.  She simply smiles and says, "Now go to the sitting room.  Members of the family will want to congratulate you before we go to the temple."
I nod and turn towards the sitting room getting use to walking in high heels again.