Balance

Chapter 33- Our Wedding

Our wedding was set in Agrabah a few days after my eighteenth birthday. Mom made an exception, since I had a suitor when I was seventeen. She was letting me take my time. And I was grateful, especially since I didn't want to marry Jay a month after knowing him.

Mal and Evie were helping me get ready. Evie added my veil to my dress, making me grin as I looked in the mirror. Everything was going to be perfect. Dad was going to walk me down the aisle. Jafar was going to be there. And my brother was my fiance's best man.

"I've done it again," Evie said, a satisfied smile holding her lips.

"You truly have," I agreed.

"This is going to be my life from now on," I said, my mind swarming with images of a possible future. "I love you two."

"We love you, (Y/n)," Mal assured me. She noticed my shaking hands. "Nervous?"

"Of course," I said, my smile falling. "My friends. And the only people that need to be there are my father and Jafar."

"You're worried about what you'll look like in front of people you don't know," Mal realized.

"Exactly." I nodded. "Especially the whispers."

"The whispers do not control your life. You control your life. How many do you think I got? They thought I was spelling Ben before the wedding," Mal reasoned. "You got this."

Evie made a chef's kiss when she stepped back. I smiled when I looked into the mirror. The smile came back. I felt like me. Not a princess. Not soon-to-be Sultanate. I was (Y/n). Just (Y/n).

"By Allah, I love this," I breathed, happy tears brimming my eyes.

"Ready?" Mal asked.

"Let's do this." I nodded.

The music started when I was in front of the door. Two guards opened, revealing Dad and me. Jay looked so happy and mesmerized by me. Dad walked me up to the front and kissed my forehead. He then sat in the front row with my mother. The latter was already letting tears out.

"Welcome family, friends, and loved ones. Please be seated." The officiant took a deep breath. "We gather here together in the sight of Allah and of you as witnesses to join the hands of Princess (Y/n) and Jayden in marriage. In Islamic tradition, the only requirement of a marriage according to the Quran is the signing of a marriage covenant, called the Nikah, which Princess (Y/n) and Jayden have chosen, as many do, to make a part of the ceremony today. We will all bear witness to this commitment, and we will promise in the sight of Allah to hold Princess (Y/n) and Jayden up in faith and they journey through the rest of their lives together.

"The story of creation is laid out in the Quran. When it was time for Allah to create the first man and the first woman he saw, when the man was alone, that something was missing. The Quran tells us 'It is He who created you from a single person, and made his mate of like nature, in order that he might dwell with her in love'. The message is clear, a man ought to have a wife, and a wife ought to have a husband. The covenant we are to witness today goes back for thousands of years, and is a promise repeated throughout cultures and across continents. It is a commitment for Princess (Y/n) and Jayden to hold one another up in faith, and help one another grow together.

"Princess (Y/n), Jayden, the agreement you make today is sacred. You make it in the sight of Allah, and of these witnesses. It is not to be taken lightly, nor broken easily. It is a sacred trust, built on faith and love, and it's yours to keep, protect, and honor. Now it's time for the Meher, which starts in Muslim tradition with an offering by the groom to the bride. Today we use a ring as an offering. As a tradition, Jayden will now give the ring to Princess (Y/n) as a symbol of his promise to provide for her, and of her freedom within their marriage."

The officiant turned to Jay. "Jayden, you're about to enter into a sacred covenant with Princess (Y/n) and Allah, with these loved ones and myself as witnesses. Will you give her this ring as a symbol of your promise to honor and provide for her the rest of her life, and as a symbol of her freedom as your wife?"

Jay looked into my eyes. "I do." He slipped the ring onto my finger.

"Jayden, Princess (Y/n), in the sight of these witnesses and before Allah, are you ready to pledge yourselves to one another?"

"We are," we said in unison.

We signed the contract. My hand was shaking half of the time as I signed my name in neat cursive. Jay grinned at me when we were finished. Dad and Jafar signed the contract, giving intense stares at each other before and after doing so.

"Now that the ring has been delivered and the covenant has been signed by Princess (Y/n), Jayden, Sultan Aladdin, and former advisor Jafar, I'd like to offer a blessing by giving them a few words on marriage.

"Marriage, as we've covered, is not only a sacred tradition among the ways of man, it's a sacred tradition in the eyes of Allah. It's part of His design and purpose for our lives. We are created as beings who are not meant to be alone. We are meant to have someone to help us on our journey in faith and in life. A husband and a wife ought to be patient with one another. They should be respectful and kind. They should not hold grudges, and be quick to forgive. Those qualities are built on a foundation of love, faith, and trust.

"It's love that is going to help you get through the tests and valleys, and it's love that's going to make the joys of life that much sweeter. It's faith that's going to keep you on the path of righteousness and steady you when you're in the midst of turmoil. A faith that's shared between the two of you is twice as strong. Finally, it's trust that allows you to be vulnerable and honest with one another. Trust is built through faith at first, then strengthened by evidence, and finally demonstrated in the devotional acts of love we do for each other every day.

"I, Princess (Y/n), offer myself to you, Jayden, in marriage, bound by the instructions of the Holy Quran and the Holy Prophet, peace and blessing be upon him. I pledge in honesty and with sincerity, to be for you an obedient and faithful partner," I recited.

"Princess (Y/n), I pledge myself, Jayden, honestly and sincerely, to be for you a faithful and helpful partner."

The officiant smiled. "In accordance with the laws of Allah, and the power vested in me and the kingdom of Auradon, I pronounce you husband and wife."

Jay pulled in for a quick kiss as the girls cheered. I could hear Carlos's echoed cheering.

"We're married!" I cheered, laughing happily.

The end, finally.