Some Animalian relationships click pretty quickly and the couple become mates after a short time. And sometimes, relationships are more harder earned. It wasn't that Xochitl had a hard time winning Abbas's heart. He was a very open-minded individual. He had to be in order to join the Anubis Guard. And it has been genetically proven that the Egyptian jackal was really a subspecies of wolf, which made him more closely compatible to a Xoloitzcuintle like Xochi. The main obstacle for them is Abbas's Islamic background, even if he came from a more lenient branch than what is practiced in other parts of the Middle East.
It took quite a bit of research and consulting from both of them. Fortunately, the imams of Abbas's sect are more open-minded about their interpretations of the scriptures. Though they were still uncertain about how to consider Animalians as the prophets never foretold that there would be a day where man and beast would become as one. But it was eventually decided to table Xochi's status as a dog and focus more on her being a Christian.
"You cannot possibly be related to Abbas by blood, so I think we needn't worry about those prohibitions," said the imam that the couple were consulting, "And you are not polytheistic, so there is no concern there. All that matters is that you are one of the People of the Book."
"People of the Book?" asked Xochi.
"The other Abrahamic religions," explained Abbas, "Christians, Jews, and Sabians."
"Who are Sabians?" asked Xochi.
"They are a separate group mainly centered in Jordan, but that is not important right now," said the imam, "What's important is there is no objection to Abbas marrying a Christian woman and you are able to continue practicing your faith. Of course, the real question is how you will raise your children."
"It...will be some time before we have to think about that," said Abbas, "I mean, it would be a few years before a child can even grasp the concept of religion."
"I'm sure Abbas and I will eventually figure something out. I don't mind accepting some Muslim traditions. I'm not going to hide my entire body, which would be really impractical and could cause me to overheat. But I wouldn't mind wearing a hijab. It's not like I have anything to cover up," said Xochi, rubbing her hairless scalp.
The imam smiled benevolently and said, "If Allah wills it."
==========
The wedding itself was actually rather short and simple. Muslim weddings don't require as much ceremony as Christian weddings. Xochi didn't mind having her wedding like this. Perhaps her wedding dress covered a lot more than the other dresses she had seen, including a veil that obscured the back of her head. But she knew she looked beautiful in it. She was glad that her former owner, Rodriguez, who she saw as her father figure, attend her wedding. After all, someone had to share in the mehr, the dowry gifts that the bride and her family receive from the groom. Rodriguez would later jokingly comment that in other countries, the dowry usually came from the bride's side.
Then there was the Nikah-Namah, the marriage contract. After it was read aloud in Arabic, Abbas and Xochi both signed it. Probably one of the hardest things Xochi had to learn was how to write her name in Arabic. Still, it was legible enough that once the ink was dried, she and Abbas were considered officially wed.
The Savaqah was the last part as the newlyweds left the mosque. It was rather like the custom of throwing rice at weddings, though in this case, Xochi was showered in coins. Fortunately, they weren't thrown hard enough to hurt. The reception afterwards was pleasant enough, though mingling with people of the opposite gender was a bit more reserved. Though what Xochi was really forward to is her honeymoon with her new husband.