"Zatelxi."
The second they both spoke that word, the air around them shifted. Blue Xinoraci words appeared in glowing, ancient runes, swirling around where they sat on the polished obsidian floor. The symbols danced in an intricate rhythm. There was no turning back now.
The first step was blood. Vastarael materialized a sapphire dagger in his hand, the blade glinting under the light of the three moons. He looked at it for a moment, a flicker of hesitation crossing his face. Cutting oneself wasn't an easy thing for any Aeterium or anyone with immense essence. Essence made their bodies unnaturally resistant, meaning even self-inflicted wounds required significant energy and intent.
And it was painful. That was the point.
He pressed the blade to his palm, the sharp edge biting into his flesh as his essence resisted, but he pushed through. A thin line of crimson appeared, blood welling up before spilling onto the floor beneath them. Adelasta followed suit as she mirrored his actions. Her orange eyes didn't so much as flinch as her blood joined his, the droplets mixing and sizzling faintly on the obsidian floor as they resonated with the blue Tenth Star Marriage Mystic Circle forming around them.
It was a combination of smaller mystic circles and it was so powerful that they both felt it.
The glowing runes flared brighter, humming with an almost sentient energy, and Adelasta's voice rose, steady and clear as she began to recite the Lanthadale's Vows in pure Xinoraci language.
Vastarael couldn't help but marvel at how effortlessly she recited them. She was extremely fluent in it as if she was born a native in ancient Spheraphase.
And he recited them too after she was done. They were the same words after all.
"Zelthir en'sayha mekaleth vae lioren, etha'vin kaelth ora'vinas aeran, alar norith vel'enassi, sulka varin kai'thera. Talan asural venzae na'erilion'ta, neor vel'khalin eras'tayel, telharae nar'dessa ul'vinaren."
[By the bond we share and the love we both feel towards each other, I make this bond to you for eternity, both in body and soul. May this eternal bond we create on this night be a reminder of our life together.]
When he finished the traditional words, she shifted her focus to him. Now came the personal vows, the terms that would define their bond.
And that's when things took a turn.
"I have five terms," Adelasta said, her tone firm but calm. "And I expect you to follow all of them, Vastarael."
He blinked, his golden eyes narrowing slightly.
"Five? You planned this, didn't you?"
"Of course I did. You should know by now that I don't do things without preparation."
Adelasta didn't wait for his response. She lifted her chin slightly, her crimson hair catching the moonlight, and began her vows.
"First, I will never accept Greshina Emberforge into your life unless she's completely different from what I've seen in your thoughts."
She paused, letting the weight of her words settle before adding, "And this applies to any other women you might love in the future. You need my approval first."
Vastarael choked. "Wait—what?!"
"You heard me."
"That's… that's controlling, even for you!" He exclaimed, his voice rising slightly in disbelief. "You're seriously setting terms about other women?"
Adelasta tilted her head slightly, her expression as composed as ever.
"Would you rather I lie and say I don't care? I do care, Vastarael. If you're going to have other women in your life, they should at least be tolerable. I refuse to deal with someone like Greshina Emberforge unless she's changed significantly."
He opened his mouth to argue but quickly shut it, realizing there was no winning this. Instead, he muttered under his breath;
"I can't believe this is happening."
She ignored him and moved on to the second vow.
"Second, I will always love and cherish you until the end of your life and time. I will never abandon you."
That vow was far more traditional and Vastarael's tension eased slightly as he listened. He nodded, the corners of his lips tugging upward in a faint smile.
"That's… nice," he said, his voice quieter now. "I can live with that."
"Third," Adelasta continued, her tone sharpening once more, "there will be no secrets between us. None. Whatever you're hiding, no matter how dire it is, will be shared. The same goes for me."
"Adelasta, that's a dangerous promise to make. Some things are better left—"
"Unsaid?" She interrupted, her orange eyes boring into his. "Not between us. Not anymore."
He hesitated, then sighed, nodding reluctantly. "Fine. No secrets."
Her expression softened before she moved to the next vow.
"Fourth, if you take other lovers in the future, and I know you will, they will not be married to you using this method. Our marriage is unique, Vastarael. It's special. Any others will have to go through a formal ceremony."
That one hit him like a slap.
"Adelasta! You're already assuming I'll take other lovers?"
"I'm being realistic. I know who you are, Vastarael. And I know the world we live in. You're the Prince of Anqerise, a ruler in the making and someone who attracts attention wherever he goes. Women will fall for you and you might fall for them, too. I'm not naïve. But what we're doing here, what we're creating, this is sacred. I won't let it be shared."
He stared at her, utterly speechless. On one hand, he was frustrated beyond belief. On the other, he couldn't help but admire her honesty and foresight. She wasn't asking for something impossible. She was just setting boundaries. And he… respected that.
Finally, she reached the last vow. Her voice softened once more, carrying a note of tenderness that caught him off guard.
"And fifth, we will always love and cherish each other. No matter what."
The simplicity of her final vow contrasted sharply with the intensity of the previous ones, and for a moment, Vastarael felt his heart tighten in his chest.
She used two of her vows on the concept of loving each other. To him, she didn't even need to make all those vows because he would follow them without her even making them.
"Your turn. How many vows will you make?"
Vastarael took a few moments to think before he said.
"I'll make three vows."
"Three?"
"Three," he confirmed, meeting her gaze firmly. "And here's the first one: No matter what happens, we will always be together… unless situations demand otherwise."
She blinked, her eyes narrowing. "Situations demand otherwise?"
"Yes," he replied evenly. "If there's ever a time where being apart is the only way to protect one another, or if staying together puts the people we care about in danger, then we'll have to part temporarily. But only temporarily. Always together, unless the world itself forces us apart."
Adelasta folded her arms across her chest, her fiery hair cascading over her shoulders as she gave him a pointed look.
"I don't agree with that."
His brows furrowed. "Why not?"
"Because I'm supposed to leave for the Sandstorm Desert Island in a few days," she said bluntly. "You're saying we shouldn't part but that's exactly what's happening. I have to go."
You're not leaving me."
"Fine. But after we go back to out time, no breaking apart."
Adelasta stared at him, momentarily speechless. There was no arguing with him when he got like this. Finally, she sighed softly, her lips pressing into a thin line.
"Fine. I'll concede. But only this once."
Vastarael smirked faintly, clearly satisfied with her answer.
"Good," he said simply.
"What's your second vow?"
She asked, her tone more curious than anything. He hesitated for only a moment before speaking.
"You will never show me a cold expression again."
That one made her visibly stiffen.
"What?"
"You heard me. You don't even realize it but tonight… tonight, you've shown me a side of you I've never seen before. A softer side. One that feels… real. It's not the cold, distant Adelasta everyone else sees. It's the real you. And I'm not going to let that disappear."
Adelasta's orange eyes widened, a flicker of something unfamiliar passing through her gaze. She wasn't used to being seen so completely. For eighteen years, she had built her walls high and strong, a fortress around her heart. And yet here he was, tearing them down with nothing more than his words and that piercing stare.
"You're… unbelievable."
"And you're mine," he replied simply, echoing her earlier words with a confidence that left her momentarily breathless.
Before she could respond, he continued, his voice softening slightly.
"And now, my final vow. You will always prioritize your life over mine."
That one hit her like a punch to the gut. Adelasta's expression shifted immediately, her usual composure cracking under the weight of his words.
"I can't agree to that."
"You don't have a choice," he replied calmly, his tone leaving no room for argument. "It's a vow, Adelasta. And it's one I intend to keep, whether you agree to it or not."
She shook her head, her fiery hair swaying with the motion.
"No, Vastarael. I can't. Your life is more important than mine. You're the Prince of Anqerise, the heir to Dynasty Richinaria. Your survival means more to Spheraphase than mine ever will."
"And you're my wife. That means your life is my life. If you die, I die. Maybe not physically, but in every way that matters. So don't you dare try to argue with me on this. You will prioritize yourself over me, Adelasta. That's not a request. It's a command."
Adelasta's lips parted slightly, her orange eyes glistening with something she couldn't quite place. She had always been the one in control, the one dictating terms and setting boundaries. But now… now Vastarael was showing her a side of him she had never seen before.
After a long moment of silence, she finally whispered;
"Why didn't you make a vow about loving each other?"
Vastarael's expression softened, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his lips. He leaned closer, his eyes never leaving hers as he spoke the words that would shatter every last piece of her carefully constructed defenses.
"Why would I vow to love you, when I already do? Marriage isn't about promising to love someone. It's about officiating that love. It's about making it real. So why would I waste a vow on something that's already true?"
Adelasta's breath hitched, her chest rising and falling as she struggled to steady herself. Those words were like love arrows piercing straight through her heart, leaving her breathless and disoriented.
For the first time in her life, Adelasta felt desire. Raw, unfiltered and overwhelming desire.
Her breaths came faster, her cheeks flushing as she tried to maintain her composure. But it was useless. He had undone her entirely and there was no going back.
"And you're adorable when you're flustered," Vastarael replied smoothly, his smirk widening slightly.
Adelasta groaned softly, burying her face in her hands.
'This man. This impossible, infuriating, perfect man.'