Chapter 105 Chapter 105
Chapter 105 Chapter 105
Aira.
"Thank you so much," I muttered aloud, my voice wobbly at the ends. The maids smiled and bowed their heads lightly.
"It's time to meet the king at the cathedral, Your Majesty," Helen softly announced, and I felt my cheeks grow warm, my grip on the bouquet of lilies she had handed me tightening.
Just then, the doors burst open, and a row of soldiers burst into the chambers. They bowed quickly, with one announcing they were there to escort me to the cathedral. My heart skipped several beats at the sight of them, and with a nod of approval from Helen, I followed them out of the chambers.
They formed a protective circle around me, with some maids trailing behind. Slowly yet measuredly, they led me outside of the castle to a carriage that was waiting for me, bound for the cathedral, which was at a considerable distance from the castle.
The almost-full moon was bright in the sky, smiling down at us as we made our way through the streets, already illuminated with beautiful lanterns and torches. The villagers were sticking their heads out of the windows as the carriage rode by, shaking their handkerchiefs and humming a chorus.
Never in my wildest dreams did I think my mating ceremony would take place in the middle of the night, but it was, and I was loving every minute of it.
The cathedral was even more grandly decorated when we arrived. It astounded me how quickly they were able to put this all together on short notice, but remembering Helen's words on how quickly bonded mates moved to the mating ritual after discovering themselves, I was mildly surprised. Such things must be normal for them.
A soldier helped me out of the carriage, an accompanying maid helping to straighten the ends of my gown as we proceeded into the building. Inside, I found King Kael standing still at the altar, a priest next to him, donning his ceremonial wear—a royal purple robe that flowed to the floor with gold and silver intricate designs woven all over it.
The sight was so stunning that I paused, a soft gasp escaping my lips. His eyes zeroed in on me instantly, and from the distance between us, I could see a warm smile grow on his face. My heart started to patter in my chest, and I couldn't wait to be next to him.
Walking down the aisle, I slowly made my way to the altar, with several nobles as well as common folk in attendance, seated and watching me. From the corner of my eyes, I swear I could spot humans in the congregation, though I couldn't be too sure. My hands were clammy with sweat, though I remained grateful that my expression was still calm and collected.
Before long, I had gotten there and crossed the rest of the distance to Kael, who helped me up. His strong, warm hands wrapped around mine, and my heart started to pound against my ribcage.
"You look so beautiful," he growled softly, his eyes twinkling as he gazed down at me, and I felt my cheeks grow warm. "So do you," I whispered back, barely able to hear myself. He must have heard it, as emotions flickered in his eyes.
The priest began to recite words and speeches, stuff I barely listened to as I gazed into Kael's eyes, letting them tell me things he wouldn't otherwise put into words. The priest interrupted our silent conversation as he passed up a goblet filled with red wine, motioning for us to drink it.
Kael accepted the goblet, drinking from it while holding eye contact with me, before handing it to me, and I did as well. The content was rather strong, but it had a fruity aftertaste I really liked.
Thereafter, the priest accepted the goblet from me and placed it on a nearby table, opening up a worn parchment. "Please, repeat this after me," he announced, glancing at both of us.
"I, solemnly swear..." "I, solemnly swear..." We said in unison, our voices intertwining. "To be by your side, for all eternity..." "To be by your side, for all eternity..." "Through heaven and hell, time and seasons, for as long as I live." "Through heaven and hell, time and seasons, for as long as I live." We chorused.
The priest passed us the goblet, telling us to finish the contents this time around. We did so, and Kael leaned in to kiss me, capturing my lips in a searing kiss. I gasped softly into his mouth but instantly wrapped my hands around his neck, deepening the kiss and tasting the alcohol in his mouth. It made me dizzy, causing me to get high on him.
The priest cleared his throat, forcing us to end the kiss a bit too soon. "You may now proceed with the rest of the ritual. We shall be expecting you to be fully bonded in the next seven days. No more, no less," he added, albeit more sternly.
Kael let out a chuckle at that, while I blushed deeply. Cheers erupted from all around us, bringing my attention to the audience that had watched us get bonded in the dead of night, all here to witness this spectacular moment.
I giggled, feeling Kael pull me closer to himself. It still all felt like a dream. A dream I didn't want to wake up from. Kael turned me to face him, holding my face tenderly, his forehead almost touching mine.
I grinned, unable to tear my gaze away from him, my heart bursting with happiness. "Want to go on a run?" he groaned, his voice thick with emotions. "With you? Always," I answered with a breathy chuckle.
Right there and then, Kael shifted into his beast form, letting out a powerful roar that shook the foundations of the cathedral, and the cheers and screams around us grew louder. Letting out a stunned gasp, I stumbled backwards until he urged me to climb on his back.
Hesitating slightly, I gingerly climbed onto the huge beast, getting onto its back and wrapping my hands around its neck, securing myself. Letting out another roar, Kael turned to the opened doors, and we sprinted out of the cathedral, straight into the streets filled with party-going villagers, and finally into the woods, my excited shrieks trailing behind us.