.

This part of the story is dedicated to all Tethered Fans out there. We are Tethered For Life. Thank you so, so much for continuing to be a part of the Tethered Community and enjoying my chapters as I update them. This has been an eventful journey. The big day has finally arrived. Our beloved 'Aluna' will finally unite as One. This part of the storyline was not that easy to come up with, nor was it easy to write. A LOT of research was involved. I hope you all like it. Thank you, Tethered Fans.

Also... There is a reason for the oath between Amir and Luna during the ceremony. Once they do it, it will be a focal point in the series.

.

"I created you from one soul, and from that one soul I created you its mate, so that you may live in harmony and love." Qur'an 7 18:9 (Amir)

·

Can anyone spot a few connections with the invitation?

.

💍Aluna💕

·

The Guest List:

The Bride's Parents...
Lawrence Carlyle
Elizabeth Carlyle

·

The Groom's Parents...
Nasir Khan
Maryam Khan

Adnan Khan - Amir's Brother

·
Sergeant Colin Decker

Just so you all know, he will NOT turn against the group. He is always on his phone to keep tabs on Chase and Dr. Kim. He still has contacts whom he trusts. I turned this character from a villain into a prince while I turned a "prince" [Chase] into a villain.
The writer in me knew
what she was doing. 😁
Colin is truly a good person, despite
his past interactions with Chase.

·

Darren and Sue Williams

.

Raul Nadeem- Martinez
Mera Nadeem-Martinez

.

The other guests include: Imam (Islamic officiant), Pastor, Faisal, Cassie, Cami, Liberty, Ahmed, Cyrus Shah, and Gabriella Russo.

·

·

What the Bride and Groom are wearing...

·

What little Sarah is wearing...

·

The Venue...

The group fixed this up in the house's backyard in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, which is the capitol. This is for their ceremony.

·

The wedding cake...

"Just Nikahfied" means the same as "Just Married."

Cake made by Mera and the girls.

·

·

·

*Amir*

As I woke, I felt my heart beat
speeding up and pumping harshly in its chambers. I suddenly felt like I climbed Mount Everest in seconds, and my anxiety wouldn't slow down. Not for a second. I think it's because I was distracted by the dream I had of Luna, her lips telling me yes, and the feeling of love that had come from her soul. I anticipated our wedding, and how I would feel when I touch her again. Her aura made her something I couldn't pull away from.

The guys and I didn't do anything too outrageous last night. I was afraid Faisal took some tips from The Hangover films and slipped something into our drinks, and later I'd lay on the rooftop of the house, burning from the sun. But none of that happened. I guess it would be payback if something like that did happen; I slipped drugs into people's beverages at the hospital, even though they deserved it. After our final round in a card game hosted by Decker, who was actually winning, I called it a night and they left my room. Of course my cousin felt like it would be funny to throw some ice cubes under my blanket, causing me to feel them and hop out like something bit me. They all laughed.

"Just in case you wake up, you know, missing your lady."

I could kill him, but he was just playing with me. Somehow he slipped them under the covers when I wasn't paying attention. That was why the guys snickered around me and gazed at one another like someone broke wind. It was Faisal and his damn ice cube prank. I'm going to have a talk with them later.

Slowly rising up and swinging my legs on the side, I placed my feet on the floor and stood for a moment, yawning. Then I darted quickly toward the bathroom and bathed, then brushed my teeth. After I straightening my room a bit, I then got myself prepared to meet everyone downstairs. But, before doing that, Allah came first. Instead of going into the prayer room and taking a chance to see my wife or our daughter, I pulled out my mat and began praying.

I prayed to God for his blessing of our union, for granting Sarah into my life, and I prayed for his guidance for our future. I humbly asked him to keep my family safe at home, and to bless those who are in pain due to our genetic line. I prayed for Luna's family, and the people who continued to help us while we were in hiding. As I came close to an end, I said a few final prayers.

"In the name of Allah, O Allah, keep Satan away from us, and him away from the blessing of our home. Keep him away from the life that you are granting us."

I adjusted my legs and prayed another prayer.

"O Allah, bless my wife for me, and bless me for her. Bless the little life she carried before me, and any future lives you grant us. O Allah, unite us with goodness and grace, and let there be no sadness upon us on this day, and for the remainder of our lives."

For the next few minutes, I prayed. And then I heard someone knock on my door. I stood back on my feet and rolled up my mat, bringing it back to its place. Slightly opening the door, I noticed Faisal, Raul, and our Imam who will perform the Nikah part of our ceremony. Then I saw Reverend McDaniels from our community, standing in the back.

"Asslamualaikum," I greeted to the group. I opened my door and gestured with my hand to come in.

The men strolled through and murmured "Walaikumassalam" in reply. Each of them took a seat on the bed and at the desk that the room provided.

Irfan Bhatti-the Imam-spoke up first. "Asslamualaikum. How are you this morning?"

I took a seat in the chair near the window. "I'm doing well. Shukria." He nodded back.

"So, Reverend McDaniels and I have discussed how we will perform the ceremony today. First, we will do the Nikah. I just need to meet with the bride when her sister informs me that she is available. I will talk with her about the importance of faith and love inside your home. I will also pray with her. Reverend McDaniels will then talk to her about her personal feelings about faith, and what is to be expected in an interfaith marriage. I have known Raul and his family for many years, and since he asked me kindly to perform a Nikah by someone I'm unfamiliar with, that is why we met a few days ago. I missed out on officially meeting the bride."

"No. I completely understand. And thank you doing this," I told him.

"And son," Reverend McDaniels spoke up. "This joint ceremony will be a piece of cake. We have it planned to do the Nikah first and Luna will walk with Colin Decker, who is her wali. Then after you two sign the contract in front of everyone, formally agreeing to this marriage, it will be official according to Islamic Law."

"Not yet," Irfan murmured. "What about the Mahr? That is part of the process. I put down twenty-five thousand dollars to be awarded to Ms. Carlyle."

Faisal's mouth dropped open. Then Raul's eyebrows shot up. They were both surprised I had that much money in a bank account at home. Our job paid me well, plus I'd done several projects back home for all the investors who asked me to conduct them. It may not seem like a lot, but it was what I had saved up. Faisal and I hardly ever spoke about each other's finances, and I wanted Luna and Sarah taken care of if something were to happen to me.

"Yeah, that's correct," I said, nodding. "Did you have concerns about it?"

"No, no. I just wanted to make sure. That's all. I've never performed a Nikah and drawn up a contract with this amount before."

"Well, Luna and Sarah should be taken care of. Regardless of what happens to us."

Faisal noticed I said the words "happens to us" and not "happens between us." I was thinking about the future, and if I ever died, that money can be given directly to my girls. I wasn't remotely worried about us separating or ending in divorce. We were connected until death.

All of us finished in here, and the reverend discussed how he will do his part of the ceremony. Once Luna and I stand at the front, he will say a few things about life and the joy that marriage can bring. He murmured to me that he could sense my love for her through our connection and him being one of us. He will also conduct the ceremony in an interfaith way rather than a religious way. He and Irfan Bhatti will later file the documents once both Luna and I say our vows and acceptance in front of all the witnesses. Faisal was one of them, and Raul was the other one to stand for me. So now we were set to begin our wedding.

As the gentleman and I stood, we finished getting ready and Darren, Colin, and Ahmed joined us in my room, then spoke about how the ladies were getting Luna prepared. Mera applied Mehndi onto her arms and hands, a traditional custom we do before the Nikah. I walked with them downstairs and looked around at the refreshments everyone prepared, and then Raul quickly mentioned that he had to run off for a moment, but he'd be back in time for the ceremony. He had something he needed to get and told me not to worry. I exhaled a deep breath. His leaving had me worried, and I needed him as one of the witnesses for our Nikah.

I'll just have faith that he will be back before it begins. It was only one in the afternoon, and the ceremonies weren't going to start until much later. For now, I busied myself with gazing over the canopy out back with a peach-colored sheet drapped across it. Multicolored flowers decorated the top and sides, while a huge flower decoration sat in the back. Six chairs were settled on the small stage, and several chairs lined up in the yard to face the front.

As I stood still in the back, I felt the knots in my stomach twisting. I wished my family could be here and enjoy this special occasion with us, but I'm sure they would've had a hard time getting into the country. If Faisal and I didn't have all the people to help us come to America, we wouldn't have been granted entrance. But I think Colin said he will pull out his phone and he will have our wedding recorded for us.

My mother would hold my wife and daughter and never let them go. She loved them already, even though Mom always wanted to meet the woman I marry first. She didn't have any issues about this, though. And springing Sarah up that time made my mother feel even more excited to welcome them into the family. I just prayed that nothing went wrong. This moment was all I'd thought about since meeting Luna, spending our lives together, fighting, hiding, and making sure we were all safe. Just a few more hours, and I'll be one lucky groom.

***

*Luna*

"Where are my earrings?" I murmured, looking around in my jewelry box. I wanted to wear my Eiffel Tower ones for today, since Amir and I dreamed about lying in the grass in front of the magnificent structure. But I couldn't seem to find them.

"I don't know what you did with them," Liberty said, helping me look through my jewelry that was spread out over my dresser. "I remember I put them on the earring hanger. I don't know what happened."

"Found them!" Cami announced near my end table. She handed them to me.

I put them in my ears after the girls came into my room last night, and we ended up playing some bachelorette games. I took them off shortly before going to bed. While finishing my preparation, a soft knock was heard at my door. Cassie walked over and opened it. Then I noticed Reverend McDaniels standing with the Imam who will perform our Nikah. The two of them slightly nodded while I stayed standing in front of my long mirror and had my hair being prepped by Mera.

Sarah ran over to my waist and hugged me. I glanced at the two gentlemen and welcomed them.

"Hello, asslamualaikum," I said to the Muslim officiant. This was my first time meeting him.

"Hi, Luna. Walaikumassalam," he replied. "My name is Irfan Bhatti of the Islamic Mosque in Baton Rouge. I am acquainted with Raul and Mera." He waved softly to Mera, and she nodded back. "I have just spoken to Amir once again, and Reverend McDaniels and I explained to him on how we will conduct the ceremony."

"Oh. Sure. And thank you for coming on short notice."

He gave me a soft smile. "It was no problem. I am happy to learn more about you and Amir's union and individually. You two seem quite a pair."

"That's my papa!" Sarah yelled out, making all of us smile and laugh. She looked around and then up at me, eyebrows scrunching together. "What? I just want you two married and live happily ever after."

"Aw. She is adorable," Reverend McDaniels said, gazing at the group.

"Thank you," I murmured, running my hand through her hair. Then I looked down at Sarah and whispered, "Now go sit with Aunty Lib for a bit. Okay?"

She gazed up at me and then leaped into Liberty's arms.

"Luna, before we begin the ceremony on the Islamic side, I wanted to confirm it with you first," Mr. Bhatti said.

"Confirm what?"

"That you fully summit and accept this marriage to your own free will, that you aren't pressured or forced, and that you are genuinely getting married to Mr. Amir Ibrahim Khan free willingly?"

Wow. I hadn't realized that these kinds of questions will happen this early on. I glanced at the girls in the room and back at the two officiants. I guess this was somewhat protocol, which I was sadly used to, unfortunately. I straightened my back and gave the both of them a slight nod with my chin.

"Yes. I accept Amir Khan as my husband and my partner for life." Whew. Just saying that made my stomach filled up with knots.

The ministers glanced at each other and nodded, then Mr. Bhatti spoke. "It is customary for me to meet with the bride and groom before the Nikah, and I will ask you again during the ceremony."

"I understand, sir, and I will say qubool hai three times or ten times. However many I need to say, so I can officially be married to the love of my life." I slightly burned with embarrassment and glanced down. "I mean, Amir... err... Mr. Khan."

"You can call him Amir, dear," he said, chuckling. "I can see that this is a genuine match. I have spoken to both of your parents. His parents welcome you and your daughter. And your parents were happy as well with this marriage. So I am confident to proceed and document it."

"And Ms. Carlyle?" Reverend McDaniels murmured my way. I glanced up at him. "Once I marry you two, I will also document it and send it to the Baton Rouge Clerk of Court. So don't fret over any of the details."

"Okay," I said, smiling.

Mr. Bhatti looked my way. "Reverend McDaniels and I would also like to say a little prayer for the both of you individually and in front of witnesses."

"Sure."

"Have you looked over the Nikah documents, yet?" Mr. Bhatti asked me. I shook my head. "It's standard that we ask your wali to look over the contract, but it is your solemn right to read over it as well."

I gradually took a seat at the vanity and stared at the documents in their hands. "Do I look at it before we marry, or...?"

"It's whenever you feel like it. I just wanted to go over one of the items that are listed on the document. For Mr. Khan's Mahr, he is free willingly giving you a certain amount from his bank account in Pakistan. Do you know what that amount is?" I shook my head, and he passed me the paper.

My eyes widened, and my mouth dropped.

Twenty-five thousand dollars to be awarded to Sarah and me if we end in divorce, or in case of death? Huh? I didn't realize he had that much in his account. And he never told me that was his Mahr. I can't take this. We discussed signing my studio back over to me if things calmed down for us. He and I will never separate or divorce, but this will leave him with nothing if shit goes wrong. But I will say, this was very generous of him. I looked at my sister as she peered over my shoulder, dropping her jaw.

"Seriously?" she murmured. "Faisal said that Amir was a planner, and also makes good money, but this is huge."

"I know. And he never discussed it with me."

"Ms. Carlyle," Mr. Bhatti said, peering my way. "Do I need to make any revisions for it? Are you satisfied?"

I nodded back. "I have read all that I need to, sir, and there is no reason to revise this. I am happy and content with everything inside these papers."

"Splendid."

There were other items on the list, such as his home going into my name. And also his car. If something were to happen to him, I could do whatever I wanted with all his belongings, because everything was basically signed over to me. He had his friend, Faris, fax over each document that was in Amir's name to have them signed over to me. Once we marry, it would be legally ours. He planned everything this past week.

Both men stood up and walked over to me. Then Mr. Bhatti said a prayer in Urdu over our marriage and our life as a family. He prayed to Allah about blessing our union and keeping the enemy away from our home. Even though he meant Satan when he said "enemy", I giggled because that's who Chase was. He was Satan, or at least his spawn.

We wrapped it up, and the two gentlemen left. Reverend McDaniels informed me that he will conduct the Christian ceremony after the Nikah is done, and then he will leave shortly later to bring the wedding license to his church after we sign them. He will also include a copy of the Nikah documents that we'll sign so that everything was in order. I had a feeling that once we marry, the whole house will need to run. Chase and Dr. Kim will search the entire globe and database once our status is recorded, but by then, I prayed that it won't be too late to flee the country.

We cannot get caught.