CHAPTER#23:Wedding Ceremony?

The Stygian fortress was not bustling with the grand ceremony. However, the servants and knights alike were excited to witness their master finally getting married. It was not a joyous event. Neither Erebus nor Luciana liked any of it. It was merely Jafar's suggestion to at least follow the cultural norms of Amanécer just so Luciana wouldn't feel isolated.

Erebus didn't care much less than Luciana did. Mina who was the most excited among the servants helped her get ready.

"Ahhhh~Just how gorgeous you are my lady!"She wouldn't stop exaggerating Luciana's unparalleled beauty.

The wedding dress was too simple. Something that not even commoners in her homeland would prefer.

Perhaps they did not know how to make one. She did suggest a simple design but did not expect it to be too simple. It was white silk fabric probably from the human realm. And namely, a lace adorned on the neckline and the bodice. A pair of silk sandals and a tulle veil. She wore a pair of earrings she had been wearing when she stayed at the inn. She did not dare take out the pouch that was filled with jewels. Considering the condition she was in she could not take any more risks for the time being.

Mina handed her a small bouquet of odd-looking flowers. Of some, she knew with merely a glance. Spider lilies red and blue, demon orchids, Datura, and Tribulus wildflowers. All of which were mainly poisonous. She was very careful in holding the bouquet. She was grateful to her late mother for teaching her knowledge of plants and medicine from an early age. The records she left behind on flora were all preserved in the imperial library.

There was no temple in this realm. Nor a chapel to hold a wedding ceremony. She was escorted through the hallway to the stairs until they reached the main hall on the ground floor of the fortress. The guards were stunned by her beauty forgetting to open the door. Mina coughed to signal them to open the heavy metal and wooden doors to let the bride enter.

It was the largest room in the entire fortress. And was spacious enough to hold at least four hundred guests according to her assumption. Just like her palace in Amanécer. The tapestries hung on the grey stone walls and banners from the ceiling. It bore the symbol of a black three-eyed wolf bearing its fangs with battle axes in a cross over the wolf's neck. A small crescent moon was embroidered in the center of the axes. It was similar to those that were hung in the hallway for decades.

Her shoulders tensed at the sight of demons who assembled in the great stone hall. Her husband-to-be stood tall and unmoved, unlike the others who occasionally gasped and sighed while staring at her. Mina stood proudly behind holding her tulle veil as she nervously proceeded down the aisle. With every step, she took forward, her heart would beat faster and thump louder. She could feel the cold sweat breaking on her back. Her chest could explode at any moment. She did her best to hold back her tears at this moment. She couldn't ruin the event they were generous enough to hold for a hostage bride.

Her eyes pinned straight ahead followed the old red carpet that had just been cleaned by the servants, giving her a view of her groom all in black in the distance. It was another surprise of who the priest was. It was the elderly physician who had been kind enough to treat her sincerely.

She finally stood before Erebus slowly extended his hand to have hers under Jafar's instructions. He had taught him well. He looked more elegant and poised. It was something that did not suit his personality but was oddly refreshing to see him in a different light.

She hesitated for a moment and glanced at the old man and back at his hand. They were bigger than hers, stronger, more rough, calloused, and darker than hers. His nails were black. A symbol that he was a demon.

"You're not going to faint on me, are you?"he asked in a low stern voice.

N nShe flinched and gave the bouquet to Mina who stood beside her and slowly placed her hand over his without looking at him. The whispers died down. The hall was silent. The silence to her felt eerie and deadly. They stepped up the wide stone stairs. Derran smiled at her and began the ritual.

"On this day... "

Luciana zoned out and began to recall their conversation about the contract. Erebus refused her proposal of divorce. He was too stubborn to be convinced. Besides running away from the palace or divorcing he allowed her to roam freely in his territory. She felt like a caged bird being monitored from every corner of the fortress. He allowed her demands as long as they did not include her leaving the empire or his territory.

"Cut it short already old man."She heard his voice and came back to her senses. Derran sighed and proceeded to the end of the ritual.

"Do you Lord Erebus Stygian accept Luciana se Amanécer to be your rightfully wedded wife?"

Erebus gave a nod as the old man proceeded to ask her the same question.

After a brief silence, her lips moved.

-"There is no going back now Luci."She thought at the back of her mind.

"Yes..." She trembled as she mouthed those words.

"I accept Lord Stygian to be my lawful husband."

"Then I pronounce you man and wife. You may now make a kiss of vow." he declared and stepped back and bowed a little closing his eyes.

He looked at her in the eyes.

-"Is this what Jafar meant by defining beauty?" he wondered.

Luciana blushed while remembering how the bride and the groom would kiss at all the weddings she was obliged to attend. She would feel rather shy to not even look at them.

He closed into her. Even Octavius kept a certain distance out of respect for her. But this man in front of her was now her husband. There was no denying that he could kiss her.

But to her surprise, he lifted her hand and bowed slightly to kiss her hand lightly, and looked at her again.

His eyes held a question if she was satisfied by it.

She looked away. Rather she was embarrassed. He slowly rose and left when Nemesis hugged Luciana from behind her.

For a bride to not be escorted by her husband down the aisle was considered shameful in Amanécer.

It meant that the groom did not accept the woman as his bride. She was heartbroken to recall the belief.

He was unpredictable. Sometimes she felt a warm sensation of kindness coming from him. But he'd immediately switch to becoming colder than ice and sharper than steel. She looked down at Nemesis. She had him in her arms as he clung to her wedding dress.

"Apologies for his rudeness my lady, "Jafar interfered with her thoughts as she watched him leave the great stone hall.

"Please, don't be."She reassured him.

-"He must not have known about it."She assumed.

The demons slowly left the great hall after their master had left. The ritual was over. There was not a word of a blessing said to her until the old man in grey and white robes with his hunched back came to her and congratulated her on her wedding.

"Congratulations my lady."He smiled. His face was more wrinkled up close. There were heavy bags beneath his eyes. And spotted reddish skin. His height was half that of hers. Nevertheless, he respected her.

"Thank you, mister Derran."She smiled a meek smile.