Chapter 92 - Carefully Explaining To A Moth Just Whose Lamp It Is...

The 'groom' lowered her blade - and the one calling himself Lirante completely lost the rest of his apparently limited composure.

"It's not fair! How am I supposed to compete with you? You're everything I've ever wanted to be!"

Elua's eyes widened in early realization as her spirit had been tightly monitoring him. The young man continued, oblivious to the reaction he was causing in the young bride or the crowd around him.

"Your strength, your grace, your... your masculinity! I've admired you since our Youth Guild days, Qatrand! Why couldn't I be the one to stand there next to you!?"

Silence fell awkwardly over the gathering. Confessions during the ceremony were not unheard of, but most had the tact to voice them much sooner or not at all. The Challenges were meant to test mettle, not the couple's relationship. Qatrand stood there woodenly… very unsure how to respond.