🐈🐈🐈
THE heavy doors slowly opened before us.
Lord Viol and I beamed at one another, then slowly walked into the grand hall. The king and queen awaited us at the end of the gold-trimmed crimson carpet.
They were both so good to me, but I chose a different path from the one they wanted for me. I chose another man and not Prince Helios—their son. Seeing them here, now, ready to send me off this way… Their compassion and kindness made me experience a mixture of gratitude, regret, and all sorts of confusing feelings.
No doubt they must have had certain feelings about my choices, too.
I had no idea how to thank them for arranging this ceremony for us. A splendid orchestra, and even Prime Minister Borden, was there.
With each step we took, I could see the faces of the king and queen more clearly. They watched us approach with composed expressions.
Finally, we stopped in front of them, and together, we knelt.
“…Finally, this blessed day has arrived.” I heard the king’s calm voice above my head. “To think that today is your wedding day, Seren… We have thought of you as our own daughter all this time. We are both so deeply moved to be able to give you away.”
“…”
“And to know that you are marrying Archmage Viol, head of the High Mages who protect this land… Well, we could not be happier.”
When I heard them say those things with utter conviction in their voices, I felt the same wave of emotions I had when my parents agreed to our marriage.
“Raise your heads, both of you.”
I lifted my head to see the king smiling down at me with a gentle, warm gaze. Then, when I saw the tears in the eyes of the queen standing beside him, I lost all my composure.
“We both wanted to offer you our blessings. I apologize for making it about us.”
“No, thank you for your kind words.”
“…”
Lord Viol was the one who responded. I couldn’t speak. All I could do was choke back tears. In the end, it was my selfish whims that had led me away from the path of becoming a future queen. I had strayed from the path that would have led me to being their daughter-in-law. It meant everything that they still blessed my marriage.
One day, I wanted to return the kindness they’d shown me.
“Now, to the exchanging of the vows. Archmage Viol, Seren, please hold this chalice between the two of you.”
I managed to take hold of the golden chalice with only a small, awed gasp. It wasn’t huge, about the size of a regular wine glass, but it was an exquisite treasure of an item.
Beautiful, truly…
As I admired the chalice I held, Lord Viol gently curved his fingers around mine so we both grasped the cup between us. The warmth of his fingers soothed and reassured me.
Then, our delicately engraved wedding rings were dropped into the chalice, which was filled to the brim with a clear, alcoholic liquid.
For some reason, Lord Viol’s hand twitched around mine, and the king, spotting this, chuckled knowingly.
“Just as I expected, Archmage Viol, you noticed. Yes, this is a magical vow-binding device passed down through generations of the royal family. It is used in every royally sanctioned wedding.”
A magical, vow-binding device…
I didn’t know such a thing really existed!
I looked up, surprised, and found the king smiling sadly. He closed his eyes slowly, paused, then looked at Lord Viol and addressed him solemnly.
“Now, Archmage Viol. Do you swear to love Seren for the rest of your life?”
“Yes. I promise to love and cherish Lady— Cherish Seren for the rest of my life.”
Surprised by Lord Viol’s choice of words, I lifted my gaze.
I mean… He just called me… Seren.
Though I was the one who’d asked him to, hearing Lord Viol say my name like that… It made me blush, and my heart swell with happiness. I loved how diligently he’d set about putting what I’d asked for into practice.
“…Very good. Well, then, Seren…”
I looked at the king, who repeated his question very slowly as if to make sure I was serious.
“Do you promise to love Archmage Viol for the rest of your life?”
“I do.”
I answered without hesitation.
To express my feelings in front of Lord Viol, the king and queen, our families… There was no better moment. I held my head high and spoke with all the intention of my heart.
“I swear to love only Lord Viol for the rest of my life.”
The king’s lips twitched in a smile, and the queen nodded slightly beside him.
“Very well. Now to seal your vows with a kiss. Hold on to the Vow Chalice.”
My heart pounded loudly.
I knew that weddings involve sealing the vows with a kiss, of course. But now that it had come to that moment, I felt painfully shy about it all. I mean, right in front of the king and queen? And if I turned around, I’d see all of my family AND Lord Viol’s family, all watching.
I awkwardly faced Lord Viol, raised my eyes, and made eye contact. Heat prickled my cheeks.
Ah…
Lord Viol smiled… And gave me a small nod, and in that moment, I felt reassured.
I can leave it all to Lord Viol. I have nothing to worry about. The thought centered me, and I lifted my face toward Lord Viol’s, closing my eyes.
Lord Viol’s warm fingers closed around mine, and I felt another fleeting rush of nerves. I could sense Lord Viol’s face moving closer. Then, there was a warm, soft touch on my lips.
At that moment, it happened.
A flash of light so bright I could see it through my closed lids.
Lord Viol must have been taken aback as well. His fingers tightened even more around mine. I blinked my eyes rapidly as the king declared, in a solemn voice:
“The vow is sealed.”
The orchestra and the royal choir struck up as the king spoke, performing a joyful piece of music. It was ceremonious but warm and filled with joy and promise, and it made me feel incredibly blessed.
Listening to the wonderful music, Lord Viol and I drained the liquid from the chalice, and our wedding rings—the symbol of our commitment—appeared at the bottom.
Every time I see our rings, I’m struck by their beauty. The intricate engraving work makes me think of going with Lord Viol to order them. It makes me smile every time.
The silver cloak clasp that I’d given to Lord Viol to celebrate when I defeated my first-ever Magic Beast.