Part One - Third Year - Chapter [025]

Morning came and we woke up naturally - I'm a little bit of a hard sleeper so my eyes were glued shut. Arslan on the other hand was quick to use the restroom and brush his teeth.

"Hey -" he pushed me awake.

Gently touching my shoulder.

As I opened my eyes I saw him standing leaning down near the bed. It was still dark out, there was no light coming in through the window. 

I opened one eye - I noticed how he was half naked - was he going to take another shower?

His hair was messy and tied up in knots. His golden locks flowed freely, reflecting what little moonlight we had. 

I looked at the clock. It was just about to turn 6 AM.

"What's up?" I said through a mumble fog. 

"I noticed you have two of these, can I use one?" He asked, curious how we had spent an intimate night and he was still asking permission to grab my stuff. 

I mean I certainly appreciated it - but it made me feel bad because I was already feeling quite comfortable around him.

I mean we had seen each other fully naked after all. 

"Huh?" I asked opening both eyes and rubbing the sleepiness away, I pushed myself up on my elbow with the bed. 

I had forgotten I had bought the brush I owed him - had I set it on the bathroom counter and forgotten about it?

"I bought it for you - I spaced and forgot to tell you, you can grab the pink one or the blue one - I don't mind," I said still half asleep.

I had casually touched his shoulder. 

"You remembered?" He asked. I flopped back down on the bed, turning on my side so I was facing him. 

I closed my eyes again. 

"Of course - use my hairbrush and mouthwash if you'd like," I said forgetting we were in a hotel. But Apollo was probably more than happy to make those items appear. I wouldn't be remiss if he had set everything up while we were sleeping. 

It took him about fifteen minutes to get ready.

He got ready with the door open, so I took a peek and saw everything. 

He used a black hair tie to tie his hair in a messy bun, it looked cute.

Then he fitted the clothes he had used last night with his armor, but this time only his leather pants and a white t-shirt that had a V-neck that showed his pecks. 

He caught me staring through the mirror and I quickly pretended to fall asleep. 

"Time to wake up sleepy head - we have stuff to do remember - " he turned around and placed his body weight on the edge of the counter. I opened my eyes to meet with his. 

"Come on - I'll get you ready prince," he said and I had no choice but to stand up and head inside. 

The first thing I did was brush my teeth, I noticed he had taken the pink brush. He pulled a chair and instructed me to sit down. He started brushing my hair and getting me ready. I felt like a little kid, but his hand was soft, and his movements with grace. He never pulled at my hair but softly caressed it. 

He made me a bun much like his, but much smaller in size. It was actually like a small ponytail. 

"All done," he whispered in my ear. 

He had done a perfect job. 

"Do we need fancy clothing for the Ritual of Nuptial?" I asked. 

"Just casual wear," he instructed. 

My casual wear was probably very different from what he considers casual wear. 

'Apollo, what's considered casual wear in this world?' I asked in my head as I headed for my bag. 

[Pants and a dress shirt should do]

'Can it be black?' 

[Sure thing!] 

A chime rang through my head and I searched my bag. I noticed black leather pants that were just my size, hiking boots, and a black dress shirt. 

We matched - Arslan and I. 

I started getting ready only to notice he was sitting on the edge of the bed, looking at me like a cat looks at birds. 

He was watching me change, my face turned tomato red, but I continued anyway. 

Arslan was already fully dressed - he looked rather dashing in his outfit, and the shoes were made of brown leather and were pointy too. 

The Masc Muscle Cowboy and the Twink Emo Punk - oh what a love story if I've ever seen one. 

I turned my back to him and finished getting ready. The shirt fitted me loosely, but so did his. 

And just like that I was ready to pounce into the town. 

He offered his hand and I took it. 

We went downstairs hand in hand, this early in the morning only sleeping drunken fools and the bartender of the night watch were still active. Everything else was dead quiet. 

No one bothered us as we headed out into Vinymar. 

We crossed the Estate gates and went out into the WideBank, Arslan took the lead and made me follow him with our hands still interlocked. 

We headed for the church. 

The only church in Vinymar. 

Through the cover of the night, my giggles sounded louder than normal, my excitement filled up inside me, and my love swooned harder. 

"What's so funny?" He asked looking back at me. 

"Nothing - just excited to perform the ritual with you," 

A beat and a chuckle from him.

"You're a weird one all right, hearts are never excited to execute the ritual," 

"Why - does it hurt?" 

"It's a sting when the mark appears, but only for a moment," 

He continued as we headed deeper into the Wide Bank.

We passed through the river and headed for the North Ward - where the church was located near the end of the road. 

Finally, we arrived - outside it looked Gothic, but there weren't any crucifixes in place.

We entered the church, it was empty. 

"Hello? Morning, Father Jadal?!" Arslan shouted as we passed through the corridor in the middle.

Inside the church looked fancy.

With colored tainted glass windows, and candles adorning the place. 

A chandelier stood in the center of the room. 

We heard a fumble and some steps, and then like someone was falling.

"Ouch!" we heard a voice from one of the rooms. 

The door opened and a man peered out. 

"Ah! Arslan! Good Morning Captain!" Said the father. 

"And who might this be?" He asked looking at me. The walking towards us wore a traditional Christian priest robe. It looked so out of place. It felt so wrong. We were still holding hands.

"This is Aiden - we're here to perform The Ritual of Nuptial if you'd please!" 

"Ah! Of course!" Said Father Jedal. Musing over us and then walking towards the shrine on the other side of the one-floor church. 

He got out a big book from underneath the table and ushered us to walk towards the podium. 

"Okay!" He grabbed an ointment.

"I'm gonna have to ask you to reveal your shoulders for me," he said. Arslan pulled down his shirt and I did the same. 

The difference in our shoulder size was substantial.

Father Jedal used the ointment and rubbed it on my shoulder first. 

"If you'll excuse me," he said as he placed a substantial amount of it. It smelled minty and had a healing effect on my skin. He did the same to Arslan. Having had to use almost all of it. 

He went back behind the podium. 

"I now pronounce you -" 

"Father, we'd like the full version of the ritual - I'll make it worth your while - If you'd please," said Arlsand interrupting him. 

Father Jedal looked astonished. 

"Sure - okay - I'll have to go by the book though, it's been so long since I performed the full version,"

He cleared his throat. And started reading. 

"Dearly Beloved - we are gathered here today to see the union of a Crown and a Heart in holy inamorato union - the gods have granted me this power and have allowed me to join the crown Arlsand with his heart Aiden. Anyone who opposes should speak now." 

Crickets sounded through - the church was empty. There was a squatter in the back, sleeping. 

"Okay - Now repeat after me," he said and we joined with both hands. 

"In sickness - and health," said Father Jedal. We both repeated. 

"I promise to protect you and give you strength," 

"In the name of the 7 seven gods,"

"I bow to take you as my inamorato,"

"To have and hold you from this day forward,"

"For better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and cherish you, until death do us part."

"Now - to seal the deal, a kiss you both shall take," 

We kissed, a tender and sweet kiss. It lasted a couple of seconds, then we separated. 

"I know pronounce you, complete inamorato." Father Jedal completed the ritual. 

Just after we separated, the skin on our shoulders started to sting. 

The pain was immediate, like a tattoo appearing from beneath the surface, completely black.

Strange lines formed around until a circle encapsulated them. We didn't let go of each other, just bared the pain as we clenched our hands together. The ointment that had been previously placed on us started burning off. It helped with the pain. 

I grunted through it, and Arslan as well, but I saw his smile and it felt like I could bear it. 

Just like that - the inamorato mark had appeared. 

"Now if you'd let me - " said the priest, and he brought out a pink crystal. And flashed it across our new tattoos. Once on me, and then once on Arslan, he asked us to hold both our hands holding it. We were entwined through the crystal. 

It flashed once -

"Curious," said the priest. 

Then flashed another time - once more - and then it flashed quickly a thousand times, too fast to count. The crystal broke and splintered. 

The priest gave a shocked expression. And pulled the crystal from our hands. 

"What does that mean?" I asked. 

"It means - you're mark - holds immense power - a testament to your bond," he explained. 

"It's not usually like this - inamorato holds great power - but most of the time, the crystal flashes once or twice - five times at most - with you it flashed too much the light from within broke it," he explained. 

"I've never seen anything like it." he mused.

The crystal was still intact, but the crack ran from the bottom to the top. It was probably unusable now. 

"I'm sorry father -" said Arslan pulling out money from his pocket and giving it to the priest. 

"I hope that covers for a new one and your troubles," 

"Oh, no worries at all! This is more than enough. Thank you. Don't worry about me - now you two go questing or something, the ritual is complete." 

"Let's make sure to hide that mark, the morning market is about to begin," Arslan said with a smile. We covered it up and headed outside. Still holding each other hand in hand. 

I said my thanks and so did Arslan and we headed out through the entrance. 

The sun was starting to shine through and morning was starting to break. 

Arslan put his whole arm around my shoulder. And I grabbed him by the waist. 

We walked like that past the river and into the wide bank. 

Where he proudly showed me off. 

"You know we should make it official," he said and headed towards a ring shop. 

"I'll buy you a ring," he said and we headed inside. I couldn't be happier. 

Inside we saw many rings - but the one that caught my attention was one made of obsidian.

We got our finger size fitted and lucky enough they had two in stock.

It cost a pretty penny - but Arslan was more than happy to dish out the money. When I asked Apollo for the calculation it ended up being around 180 USD so 360 USD for both. The total was 8280 L'arcs en Riels. 

But before he paid. 

"How much for a tracking spell - can you infuse them in the rings?" He asked the ring maker.

"Of course!" Said the ring maker with a peppy smile. "However with obsidian - only true love will activate it. Obsidian is perfect for such kinds of spells."

Arslan looked back at me. 

"I think we'll be fine," Arslan mused.

The tracking spell was 23 more L'arc en Riels. 

I hadn't even noticed, but the earring Arslan had given me before, had broken. I didn't notice until we were fitting the spell into the new rings.

When had it come off from the base that attached to my ear?

"Don't worry - this new pair will last a whole lifetime before breaking," said Arslan probably noticing my demise. 

After a moment they were ready.

Let's just say the ring maker was more than happy to sell us those rings. 

Arslan paid the total in cash. And it was my choice. 

But boy were they pretty. 

We headed back down to the estate - still his hand around my shoulder and mine around his waist.