Baptisms and marriages are always a pleasure to officiate. A chapel full of happy people, looking forward with hope and joy and full of good resolve!
It was no different this time, for the marriage of lady Echo Ashland to Jade Blackwind. They kept the ceremony modest, limited to close friends. Capsuleer marriages always draw crowds of curious onlookers though, and the non-capsuleer congregation of Gottin's Lamp Chapel had come out. Some outsiders were also in attendance, including a journalist. Not from Amarr Certified News but from some Gallente magazine I heard.
Ms. Blackwind, now lady Jade, kept us waiting... I could feel that there was some tension rising, and people were thinking that this could be a runaway bride situation. I have never had that happen, and luckily this time it was also not the case.
There was one unusual custom at this ceremony - in stead of exchanging rings, or reading personal vows, or releasing Achuran songbirds, lady Ashland adorned a necklace. A slaver tooth necklace! That is not usually a symbol associated with the bond of holy matrimony, but apparently it symbolized the hunter pledging to take care of the family.
I understand that there are many different traditions in our vast Empire, but this, honestly, had me quite surprised and I did not know very well how to react. To me - and to many - these necklaces represent something more insidious: slave abduction raids by rebels. I just continued with the ceremony after that strange moment, and there were no other, let us say, irregularities.
I hope lady Ashland will be the subject of slander or gossip for this...
