Ring Bearer by Kinto Mythostian "Stop fidgeting," Sieta admonished. "Aren't you done yet?" Camess whined impatiently. "I would be if you'd sit still, silly," Sieta playfully tapped her daughter's nose. The gazelle fawn pouted but obeyed her mother. She stopped fiddling with her dainty lace gloves and folded her hands in her lap. Only the restless twitching of her small tail betrayed Camess's pent-up reserve of energy. Sieta took advantage of the opportunity and was quickly able to finish lacing up the back of her daughter's dress. "There. All done." Thus freed from Sieta's maternal ministrations, Camess bounded off the stool where she had been sitting and dashed across the room to stand in front of the mirror. Sieta followed at a more leisurely pace and stopped a few steps away, one hand resting on her gravid belly where Camess's youngest sibling was growing. The mother gazelle watched as her little fawn twirled about, examining her reflection, curtseying and pirouetting in imitation of the proper and dignified movements of Lady Cihannim and Tusae. Camess's bright brown eyes sparkled as she twisted this way and that so that she could admire her beautiful new dress from every angle. The modest, graceful bodice was made of white satin with elegant elbow-length sleeves of translucent lace. A pale pink sash circled Camess's waist and was tied off in a large bow in the back, the loose ends dangling down on either side of her black-tipped tail. The skirt of the dress extended just past the fawn's knees with a single layer of white lace overlaying the satin. Sieta had artfully wound a length of white ribbon around each of Camess's legs between dewclaw and knee in a crisscross pattern and tied off each with a small bow. A lace-trimmed white choker circled the fawn's long, slender neck, decorated with an enamel brooch displaying the crest of the Shiccauatt family. "You look beautiful, sweetheart," Sieta softly spoke. At her throat she wore a brooch identical to Camess's on a choker that matched the simple pale green dress that cascaded down past her knees. A pair of small opal ornaments adorned her ears and a plain steel ring encircled her left horn. Camess turned and abruptly wrapped her arms around Sieta's waist in a hug, pressing her small head against her mother's rotund belly. "Thank you, mommy. I can't wait for everyone to see how pretty I look." Sieta smiled; Camess had talked about nothing else for the past month. After the endless weeks of planning and preparation it was hard to believe that Onxan's wedding was now only hours away. Sieta knelt to be eye-to-eye with her fawn. "They won't be able to take their eyes off you, my darling." The young gazelle beamed. "Remember, though, you're not just up there to look pretty. Onxan has given you a very important job." "I know, mommy," Camess spoke in the exasperated tones of a fawn who had heard the same litany a thousand times before. "When you're up there, you're representing our whole family." Camess gave a knowing sigh. "You must behave yourself. When Onxan and Tusae are saying their vows, you mustn't let your attention wander. And you mustn't fidget." Another sigh. "Being the ring bearer is a big responsibility. When it's time-" "Mommy," Camess looked her mother right in the eye, suddenly more serious than Sieta had ever seen, "I *know*." Tears formed in the corners of Sieta's eyes. "Oh, my little fawn is all grown up." She wrapped Camess in a tight embrace; Camess squirmed a little, but only for show and not out of any real desire to break free. "I'm so proud of you," Sieta whispered in her daughter's ear. "I'll always be your little fawn, mommy," Camess whispered back. At that moment, Sieta's mate Aatacir opened the door, holding Camess's younger brother Eyco in one arm. "Aren't you done yet?" the gazelle buck asked impatiently. Neither Sieta nor Camess could suppress their giggles, leaving Aatacir utterly perplexed. Sieta stood up and briefly hugged her mate and took Eyco, cradling him in her arms. "We were just finishing, dear. I was reminding Camess of how important her job is." "Your mother's right, Camess. After today, Onxan will be our lord." Aatacir unconsciously touched his right horn; a steel ring identical to his mate's was on his left horn. "I want you to be on your best behavior." "Yes, Daddy, I know." Aatacir looked down at his beautiful daughter and saw the seriousness in her brown eyes. He smiled. "You do know, don't you? You hardly need me to tell you anything anymore." He brushed the short umber fur atop Camess's head and the two small bumps that were the closest she had to horns. Aatacir knelt down beside his daughter. "Well, there's still one thing I need to tell you." "What, daddy?" Camess asked curiously. "It's very important that you know this, and remember it." "Daddy, tell me." Aatacir leaned in close and whispered in her little black ear, "I love you." Camess smiled and hugged her father. They held their embrace for a few moments before Aatacir stood. Holding his mate's hand on one side and his daughter's on the other, they exited the room and joined their herd, mostly consisting of Sieta and Aatacir's grown children and their own fawns, and the large extended family made their way to the church. -- After that, there was no more time for private moments. By the time the gazelle herd arrived at the church, the place was in the state of barely-controlled chaos that precedes any wedding. Caterers and florists bustled hither and thither carrying overflowing burdens; young cubs in suits and dresses chased each other shouting through the gardens; and adults greeted each other stiffly, uncertain exactly how, or even if, they were related to each other. An infectiously cheerful hyena photographer of indeterminate gender flitted gleefully through the melee, documenting everything. Sieta and Aatacir found Taliis Shiccauatt in the rose garden with his wife, Cihannim, and his son, Onxan, the groom. "Good morning, Lord Taliis, Lady Cihannim," Aatacir bowed slightly. Sieta and Camess curtsied. "Aatacir!" the noble tiger boomed warmly when he saw the gazelle family and gave Aatacir a firm handshake that morphed into an enveloping embrace, "It's wonderful to see you." The grizzled feline cut an impressive figure in his sharply tailored suit, his vibrant orange fur impeccably groomed. Rings of gold and steel glittered on his fingers. Taliis's long striped tail swayed happily behind him as he turned to Aatacir's mate, "And Sieta, lovely as always," the tiger kissed her hand, "And Eyco, my you're getting big!" "Hi," Eyco squeaked shyly. "And precious little Camess. Are you ready for the big day?" Camess nodded enthusiastically and her tail flickered excitedly. "Yes!" Cihannim likewise greeted the gazelles before adding, "And you do know you needn't bow, Aatacir. We're not your lord anymore." "Of course. I'm sorry." Aatacir unconsciously touched his right horn. "It's hard to get used to not having a lord. I keep looking over my shoulder." Taliis nodded understandingly. "You won't have to worry much longer, old friend. I know my son is up to the responsibility of looking after your herd." "I know as well." Aatacir turned to Onxan "I look forward to serving you and your bride, as I served your father." "I hope I will be worthy of your service. I know I have a lot to live up to." "I am certain you will do wonderfully, Lord Onxan," Sieta said sincerely. The younger tiger smiled wanly. "Lord Onxan. There's something that will be hard to get used to," he mused. Onxan was not at all at home in his suit; it was in fact custom-tailored but nevertheless looked out of place on his muscular frame. Onxan had always been more comfortable outdoors, getting his hands dirty working or playfully wrestling with his peers. Though he was about to begin a new life as a married tiger and a lord no less, he remained incorrigibly young at heart. "I think you'll be a great lord, Onxan," Camess piped up. Onxan smiled. "Coming from you, that means a lot to me. Thank you, Messy." Camess giggled at the nickname. "I can't wait for the wedding." "I'll bet. You look absolutely beautiful. In fact, you're so pretty I just might decide to marry you instead of Tusae," he added with a wink as he saw his bride enter the garden with her parents. The fawn laughed and the young tigress smiled. "You're a bit short for me, but that can be fixed easily enough." Camess let out a whoop of laughter as Onxan abruptly scooped her up and lifted her to sit on his broad shoulder so that she rose head and shoulders above him. The tiger looked up at the giggling gazelle. "But then who would be my ring bearer? Quite the conundrum." "I suppose you'll be better off just marrying me, then," Tusae lightly hugged Onxan, though they did not kiss - it was bad luck to kiss before the wedding. "Sorry, Camess," the tigress tickled the fawn's chin. The tigress appeared radiant in her long wedding gown, the cascade of white satin shimmering in the sunlight and trailing across the emerald turf. "She's right, Messy. I'm sorry, but it would have never worked out between us." Onxan lowered Camess back down to the ground. "At least we'll always have the memories." "That's alright, Onxan. I'm glad you chose me to be your ring bearer." "Who else would I choose? One of your nieces? You know you've always been my favorite, Messy, ever since that was you in there," Onxan pointed at Sieta's pregnant belly, "You were a cute little fidgeter even then." Camess hugged Onxan's waist. "Thank you," she whispered. Then she turned and hugged Tusae's waist, catching the tigress bride by surprise, "And thank you too, Tusae." Tusae blushed beneath her fur. "You're very welcome, Camess. I look forward to getting to know your family better." Camess looked up at the tigress, her expression serious. "They're not just my family. They're your family too, now." Tusae was speechless, touched by the pure sincerity of the little gazelle's tone. She looked to Sieta and Aatacir. The gazelle couple was smiling warmly. "Welcome to the family," Sieta said softly. Tusae looked down at Camess smiling up at her. She lowered herself to a crouch, her bridal gown billowing around her and wrapped the gazelle in a proper hug. "Thank you, Camess," she whispered into the fawn's little black ear, "I promise I'll take good care of our family." "Places, everyone! Everyone, take your places!" called an usher from the steps of the church, the shouted announcement bringing them all back to the present. The churchyard erupted into a fresh frenzy of activity as everyone realized that the ceremony was about to begin. Florists and caterers vanished, squirming cubs were marshaled into the church, and the wedding party shuffled into line, carefully pushing past each other to get into the proper order. Eyco was handed off to one of Sieta's grown daughters as the rest of the extended gazelle family herded inside to take their seats. Sieta guided Camess to her place near the front of the procession and someone pressed the empty white satin cushion the fawn was to bear into her hands. Mother and daughter exchanged one more embrace, and then Sieta hurried off to join Aatacir farther back in the procession. The organist struck a throbbing chord that reverberated in the gothic heights of the nave and the wedding began. ... For the next hour the ceremony progressed flawlessly. Every word, every movement bore the weight of centuries of tradition, a tangible link between past, present, and future. As Onxan and Tusae repeated the vows their ancestors had sworn, Sieta felt her heart swell with reverence. To have and to hold, to love and to honor, in sickness and in health, in life and in death. As the last echoes of those sacred words faded, Camess reverentially approached the altar where the tigers stood, holding the empty white satin cushion in front of her in her delicate gloved hands. The young gazelle stopped before them, standing perfectly straight with practiced posture. Onxan removed a heavy gold ring emblazoned with his own crest from a finger on his left hand and set it on the cushion. Tusae removed a similar gold ring from her own finger and set it beside Onxan's. The young gazelle turned and, balancing the cushion carefully, walked slowly to where her parents waited in the front row of pews. Aatacir accepted Onxan's ring and lowered it onto his right horn. As the gold ring slid into place, the nervous tension visibly ebbed from the gazelle buck's body now that his right horn was no longer naked. Sieta likewise took Tusae's gold ring and put it on her own right horn. Aatacir then removed the steel ring from his left horn, plain and unadorned but heavy with symbolism, and laid it on the cushion still held by his daughter. Sieta set her own steel ring from her left horn beside Aatacir's, taking a quick extra moment to tenderly stroke Camess's head. The fawn smiled and turned to carry the rings back to Onxan and Tusae, the clicking of her tiny cloven hooves on the polished stone floor the only sound in the ancient sanctuary, her short tufted tail flicking in rhythm with her steps. She stopped in front of the young tiger pair and held aloft the cushion with her parents' rings resting on it. As the echoes of Camess's hoofbeats faded, Onxan carefully picked up one of the steel rings. He took hold of Tusae's left hand and slipped the ring onto her finger. The metal, still warm from Sieta's horn, slid smoothly into place over her velvety fur. Tusae picked up the second steel ring and likewise placed it on a finger of Onxan's left hand. She looked up from his hand and her eyes met his loving gaze. They both smiled shyly at each other; it was a dream come true standing here together. The priest smiled benevolently at them. "By the power vested in me, I now proclaim you Lord Onxan and Lady Tusae Shiccauatt, and guardians of the Shiccauatt Herd." A joyful cheer and a burst of applause sounded from the congregation. The priest spoke once more, "Lord Onxan, Lady Tusae, you may seal the bond." Onxan and Tusae nodded. The tigers each took hold of Camess and gently hoisted her up to sit on the altar, facing out over the congregation with her ribboned legs dangling over the front. Onxan unclasped the white choker Camess wore and carefully set it aside. With one pair of hands the tiger couple held each other's behind Camess's back. With the other pair, each tiger tenderly held one of Camess's small gloved hands secure in her lap. They leaned in close and each kissed her on the cheek, the touch of their rough feline tongues eliciting a smile from the gazelle. All eyes were Camess seated on the altar, a priceless treasure beautifully clad in satin and lace. The congregation watched in reverence as the young gazelle trustingly raised her chin, pointing her nose skyward toward the frescoed ceiling high above and baring her naked throat to her lord and lady. Onxan and Tusae gently took the fawn's fragile neck into their jaws, their noses pressed together beneath her chin. Time slowed, every second stretching into a small eternity. The tigers breathed into each other's nostrils, smelling the musky scents of each other and the sweet floral aroma of Camess's shampoo. The tigers could feel her throat press against their jaws with each calm, even breath she took; the gazelle showed no sign of fear or nervousness. Together the tigers began to squeeze, their fangs sinking into Camess's delicate flesh, effortlessly piercing her skin so that the tang of her lifeblood filled their mouths. Camess's lips parted in a silent breathless gasp as her trachea was crushed in a crackle of cartilage. The tigers' hot breath rippled the short fur of her neck, their saliva dampening her fluttering throat. Her right leg twitched reflexively, her tiny hoof beating staccato against the front of the altar. Onxan and Tusae held her delicate hands comfortingly even as they extinguished her life. Camess was reassured by the feel of her hands in their grasp, happy to give them her life, proud to have the honor of being their first prey as husband and wife. There was no greater love a prey could show her lord than to give her life freely and without reservation, and Camess was determined to show Onxan and Tusae how much she loved them and how happy she was that they would be looking after her family. For Onxan and Tusae, the rest of the world disappeared. Nothing mattered except for the sensation of a shared kill, a kill of a prey that was truly theirs, a kill shared with their true love and soul mate. They gazed lovingly at each other under Camess's trembling chin, savoring the moment. The tiger couple did not want the moment to end, though they just as strongly did not want Camess to suffer. Onxan and Tusae were very careful, reining in their savage instincts to give the fawn as clean and painless a death as possible. They killed not out of malice but rather out of necessity; as predators they needed to kill to live and it was important to demonstrate proper respect for the prey whose life must be sacrificed, especially when that life was sacrificed by the prey's own volition. Onxan had killed before, but this time was special. The young tiger had known Camess her entire life, had watched her grow up, and was touched that she was so eager to be ring bearer to him and his love. His parents still kept the skull of their ring bearer enshrined in a place of honor in their manor, and Onxan knew Camess deserved nothing less. As he felt the little fawn's heartbeat start to falter, Onxan was proud of how calm Camess remained; he gave her petite hand a gentle squeeze and hoped she understood how much he adored her, how much he admired her courage. Camess made no effort to resist even as her lungs burned for lack of oxygen; she was determined to fulfill her role perfectly, to be a prey her whole herd could be proud of. She could feel Onxan's and Tusae's fangs sinking ever deeper into her flesh, a growing pressure on the back of her neck, every pulse of her blood bringing her closer to death. Onxan and Tusae would feast on her tender flesh at the wedding banquet this evening, and she would always remain a part of them. Camess did not want it to be any other way. She felt Onxan give her hand a gentle squeeze and she managed a tiny smile. The tigers kept applying more pressure, working together to grip the gazelle's slender neck in a fatal vise. A quiet crack echoed across the sanctuary; Camess's spine snapped like a twig and her body abruptly stilled. The fawn's pupils slowly dilated, staring at the mural on the vaulted ceiling high above as her head limply flopped back. The painted figures beckoned to her, growing brighter and brighter as the rest of the world faded. A spot of white light appeared in the center of her vision and grew and grew until it had absorbed everything else. Camess could no longer feel or sense anything at all. Her body no longer belonged to her; she had given it to Onxan and Tusae. There was no pain. Camess's eyelids sagged and her gaze became glassy and unfocused. Her fragile heart beat once, twice, and stopped. The sparkling light within her wide brown eyes faded and her young life winked out. A few drops of crimson dripped from the tigers' jaws to stain the immaculate white satin bosom of her dress. The predator couple relinquished their hold on the gazelle's ravaged neck; as they carefully pulled back her otherwise unblemished body remained sitting upright. Tusae softly nuzzled Camess's still warm cheek and Onxan gently stroked her limp head before they both finally released their hold on her dainty gloved hands. The sacrifice had taken a scant couple minutes; a swift, clean death was guaranteed under the arrangement between the predator lords and their prey vassals and Onxan and Tusae had upheld their obligation perfectly. A prey without the protection of a lord received no such guarantee. An unprotected prey could be taken at any time by anyone; a protected prey was secure in the knowledge of exactly who would take their life, and was promised at least eight days' notice to prepare. Predators were responsible for ensuring the health and security of prey under their protection, and a prey could even solicit for a new lord if they felt they were being treated unfairly. The arrangement had stood for centuries, honoring the rights and needs of both prey and predator. As their young daughter died on the altar in the jaws of their new lord and lady, Aatacir and Sieta smiled to see the old traditions honored so properly. With Camess's blood warm on their lips, Onxan and Tusae kissed, sealing the union between husband and wife, between predator and prey; a bond born from love and sealed with blood. Aatacir and Sieta's herd was their family now to protect and to provide for, and the herd in turn would provide for them, freely out of respect and gratitude as they had provided for Taliis and Cihannim before. Sieta felt the unborn fawn stir in her womb and thought of the many fawns she had borne over the years. Many of them had grown to be mothers and fathers themselves, now seated in the pews behind her. Many more had been offered to Taliis and Cihannim, snuffed out and frozen in her memory forever young. Camess would always be Sieta's little fawn. The gazelle matriarch looked forward to the distant day in the sunset of her years when she would humbly go to Lady Tusae and offer her own throat in the most valuable expression of respect and admiration a prey could give. As the happy couple affirmed their love before their first prey shared as mates, Sieta shed a joyful tear. First draft began August 19, 2011. First draft completed October 17, 2011. Editing completed October 22, 2011.