Soren entered the room the royal palace had set up for him. He wasn't surprised to see how big the "Queen's" room was, it was twice as big as his own room at the Manor. Everything looked beautiful and new, with soft earth tones that stood out a lot against the colors he had seen in the rest of the palace. The jasmine scent filled the room, and Soren stopped for a second.
He smelled this scent when he met Lucian earlier, he felt that this scent was Lucian's own, not one that came from the palace, because a different scent could be picked up in every corner of the palace, the scent of different flowers.
Soren walked around the room, touching every piece of furniture. It was spotless. Near the bed, a big window was half-open, and the curtains were gently blowing in the wind. He opened the window a bit and looked outside. He could see everything pretty well, even though the village wasn't visible because it was blocked by a high wall. He could see some kids running around and playing, and some workers busy with their chores but still enjoying a few laughs.
The vibe here is nothing like the Dreadmoor's serious atmosphere, even though the village is quite small. The cold that often settles over Dreadmoor means the village is rarely bustling outdoors, usually, people gather at each other's homes with their families.
Soren closed the window and turned on the light. Then a maid knocked gently on the door. Soren was still standing there, his suitcases neatly lined up near his bed.
"Your Majesty The Queen, we are pleased to bring a small amount of fruit and a change of clothes for the ritual."
Soren watched as the maids came in and set down trays with bowls of fruit and different Veridian specialties. The maids bowed respectfully, then took off, leaving Soren alone. He wasn't about to protest the fact that they were calling him 'Your Majesty The Queen', though.
When the door closed, Soren climbed into the soft, large bed. He looked out the window and sighed. His parents were right, Lucian looked as weak as a kitten compared to the other kings.
It is no secret that Crown Prince Lucian spends much of his time at church rather than attending the various lessons required to become the next king. Many rumors have been circulating, and royal officials have grown frustrated because King Caelum has been reluctant to take a concubine to produce numerous heirs. Moreover, following Queen Seraphina's death, King Caelum seems to have lost interest in his only heir, Crown Prince Lucian.
But that was just a rumor that had been going around for a while. Soren had no idea about the truth.
He sighed again, starting to untie the laces of his boots one by one. He was now wearing only the plain white T-shirt he'd kept under his cloak throughout the journey. Feeling a bit sweaty, he lay back and stared at the ceiling of the room before finally dozing off.
Soren woke up when he heard knocking, and he got up quickly. Once again, he'd fallen into a deep sleep after catching that overwhelming jasmine scent.
"Your Majesty The Queen, we are now entering..." The maid's voice came from behind the door again. Soren cleared his throat, smoothed out the slightly rumpled sheets—from his nap—and then let them in. He realized he must've been asleep for quite a while, since the sun had set completely.
He was still gripping the sword hilt by habit when one of the head maids came over and greeted him. A woman in her late middle age, who was barely half as tall and as large as Soren, smiled broadly, "Welcome, Your Majesty, to the heart of Arboris and to the Kingdom of Veridian. My name is Lyra Aethel, and I humbly offer my services as Your Majesty's personal attendant, starting for the present day." She had a soft and well-modulated voice, and you could just tell by looking at her that she was the perfect choice for the job.
Soren just nodded slowly as all the maids and stuff started surrounding him. They asked for permission before starting to undress him, piece by piece. He was led to a spacious and beautiful bathing area, which was connected to the room he was staying in. He took off his bathrobe and entered the cool, refreshing water. The scent was totally different from what he had smelled on the journey and in the room, and it made him feel much more relaxed and comfortable.
When the clock struck midnight, Soren was all dressed up in his traditional attire. Soren's outfit was the perfect fit. It was colorful, with white and gold, and it had the vibrant floral embroidery that's typical of Veridian. They combed his hair back, and it looked perfect. With a sheer white veil covering his face, he was ready to face whatever might happen after the ritual ended.
He was hoping to talk with Lucian privately about the conditions he'd set with Malakor before finally agreeing to go to Veridian to do his responsibilities. But the opportunity never arrived.
The head maid handed Soren over to two guards, who then slowly led him toward the back garden of the castle. The two guards walked next to Soren at a moderate pace. The corridor was dimly lit and completely silent. He could only hear the crackling of the torches lining the corridor, there was no other lighting here.
As they got closer to the end of the corridor, a cold night breeze blew, and Soren's eyes got big when he finally saw the Mother Tree with his own eyes. He'd only heard about it since he was a kid, like it was something from a fairy tale.
The tree was absolutely massive, kind of like a banyan tree, but with a huge trunk, aerial roots, a really dense canopy, and oval-shaped, pointed leaves. Every single leaf was golden. If it were a banyan tree, it shouldn't bear fruit, but a few fruits hung from each aerial root. The fruits looked like pears, but they were a deep blue color and had a sweet, tempting smell.
Soren was amazed by the stunning beauty of The Mother Tree. He stood there for a while before finally catching the scent of jasmine. He turned around and saw the very pretty guy reaching for him. Lucian was dressed just like Soren, but with a little twist, a small crown on his head with fiery red pearl eyes.
Soren took Lucian's hand and walked closer to him, as if they were doing a wedding ceremony. Yeah, this was definitely a wedding ceremony.
In Veridian, wedding ceremonies are divided into three parts.
The first part is held inside the palace and only the chosen few who'll be performing the rituals are allowed in. This wedding ceremony also serves as the coronation of the Chosen Queen as a 'bearer of the heritage' chosen by The Mother Tree, and there are various rituals that must be performed.
The second part is a banquet for royal dignitaries, which is usually held as a standard banquet attended only by royal dignitaries from various countries.
The third part is a celebration for the people, during which the king and queen are typically paraded to be introduced to the public.
Soren is currently in the first part.
There were several guards in the corners of an enormous garden. They were standing at the ready among the bushes and flowers. There were at least ten people standing beneath The Mother Tree, including Malakor.
"Are you nervous?" They were still walking slowly toward The Mother Tree when the question came up. Soren was taking his time because he was still trying to get used to the clothes he was wearing. He wasn't used to the one-piece outfit, he was wearing the looked like a wedding dress worn by noblewomen.
"No.." Soren answered quickly, sideways, looking at Lucian from under his veil. He wasn't nervous himself, though, he was positive that Lucian was the one feeling anxious. In the middle of this super cold night, Soren could feel a sweaty hand gripping his.
They stopped in front of a priest, and Lucian gasped when he saw the old man.
"Father Silas…" He muttered softly, but Soren could hear him clearly. He looked at the old man, who was smiling. The old guy was pretty plainly dressed. He had white, thin hair, and the back of his head was completely bald. His skin was wrinkled, and he was quite thin. Soren took a close look at the old man's eyes. They were almost completely white. He was blind.
"We are about to commence the ritual..." Father Silas said in a gentle tone.
After mentioning that, Malakor went to the old priest, Father Silas. A few others started pulling out a little book-like a bible and singing a song Soren didn't know.
Father Silas took Soren's hand as if he were seeing what lay before him, he pulled Lucian's hand and placed them together. The man's hands opened, and Soren and Lucian's hands rested one on top of the other. Lucian lowered his head, and Soren did the same.
"This ceremony is witnessed before the Mother, whose heart beats beneath our feet, and it marks the bond between two people. Lucian Sol Veridian, you are a beacon of light, guiding the nation toward its brighter future. Soren Vane Delve, you are part of the Marrow, the vessel chosen to serve as a protective shield for the seed within the darkness and to be the ideal companion to this land's king." Father Silas's voice echoed clearly over the hymns that accompanied his vows. Soren's chest tightened, his heartbeat accelerated, and the hairs on the back of his neck stood up. He could feel something sacred happening all around him.
This is the ritual that a lot of people have been talking about, and up until now, most people thought it was nothing more than a fairy tale.
"By the flowing sap and the binding blood, you are no longer two separate souls. You are the two individuals who serve as unifiers of the Unspoken Throne. What The Mother Tree has united, no human can separate. It will remain in place until such a time as death parts you. Forever."
Soren was amazed by what he saw. He looked up as The Mother Tree glowed so brightly that every branch, trunk, and leaf shone as if in celebration. Soren and Lucian saw something shiny appear on their wrists, like a bracelet, but then it disappeared.
He was just about to say something when he heard Father Silas say the vows, and he felt like something was off.
"Your Imperial Majesty.." Malakor's voice startled Soren, who turned and saw the man holding a blue pear with a sweet smell right in front of him. The pear was in a basket lined with golden leaves. Lucian touched Soren's hand, and Soren, who was a bit puzzled, followed Lucian's lead. His mind went blank.
Lucian led Soren, bringing him face-to-face with him.
The young king, who had fiery red hair, lifted the veil that had been covering Soren's face, "I offer you this fruit, my Queen."
Soren took a deep breath when he heard that Lucian wasn't calling him by his title anymore, but had started addressing him as "My Queen." He was feeling a little nervous. He took fruit from a basket. It was the size of his fist and he had to finish it.
He opened his mouth and took a bite of the marrow pear. A burst of sweetness exploded in his mouth, which surprised Soren, the fruit tasted so good. He took another bite, chewed, and swallowed. The juice flowing with each bite was incredibly delicious, it wasn't like regular water, but for some reason it felt far more refreshing than other waters. Soren ate it over and over until the fruit was gone, and he didn't even realize it.
He just took a last bite of the fruit and swallowed it when he felt something change inside his body.
It wasn't a gradual change, but it felt sudden, like something had exploded inside him. Soren collapsed to the ground, and Lucian reacted quickly, catching Soren's body as it slumped lifelessly, as if all his strength had been drained.
"Agh.." Soren groaned, he felt like his body was burning from the inside out. Soren was totally new to this. He tried to take a deep breath, as if there were no room for oxygen to fill his lungs. He needed air.
"Arghhh…"
"What's going on?! What happened?!" Lucian shouted, panicked, looking back and forth between Malakor and Father Silas. His hands were shaking as he watched Soren's face go pale.
"This effect is attributed to the Marrow Pear, Your Majesty.." Malakor gave a quick summary.
"Ugh.." Soren groaned, gritting his teeth as he felt extreme pain in his abdomen, a pain far worse than when he'd been slashed in the face with a sword, a wound that still had a scar to this day. None of the pain he'd felt in battle could compare to the agony he was feeling now from eating that pear.
As he screamed in pain, a glow appeared. From under his arm, golden lines started crawling like living lightning. The lines extended from his chest and wrapped around his biceps, and now, a ring of light that looked like roots was surrounding his body. The Womb-Bloom tattoo wasn't just a mark, it was a connector. Soren felt his physical strength, from years of training, muscle, and his power, being sucked into the middle of his body and now focused in his lower abdomen. He felt like his body was being reset by magic.
The golden light was a sign that his body had been "reset" to accommodate the womb. And there was a mark glowing under that stomach.
"It seems that the ritual has reached its success, as the womb has appeared within the empress's body." Malakor smiled big, and bowed a little deeper to Lucian and Soren.
Soren felt Lucian's hand, which was holding his body, tremble. He really wanted to say something, to ask why this king was shaking so much. After all, a king shouldn't be afraid of something so small. Soren's a knight commander, so he shouldn't be this weak.
But the pain he'd felt earlier was so intense, and his vision became dark.