"I do," Demonikai said without wasting time.
"To cherish and to adore, to care and to love with every last bit of you... Till death do you both apart. And even after death, your love for each other will never cease. You will always have each other's backs in royal wealth and abject starvation. Even when the probability of the latter ever occurring is slim to nil. In good and likewise troubling times. There's no getting away once the special mating bond has been formed."
"I do, my prince," Aekira responded.
"To cut it all short, I can now proclaim you two as one. One body, one soul, one everything, brother." Ulysses the third in command after him proclaimed, cheerfully encircling their mother's ring that was made by the finest goldsmith around his brother's newly bride's finger.
"Do you like it, Aekira? I didn't know what gift I could bestow upon you so I handpicked one out of empress's most-priced pieces just for you... In hopes that you might cherish it in my stead for all eternity." Demonikai said, shyly twisting and twirling his fingers. He was apparently fidgeting.
Aekira giggled as she found delight in merely watching him alone. He was every woman's fantasy. Every little girl's wet dream.
Both nobles and peasants admired his simplicity. For a prince, he was way too naive and clumsy almost to his own detriment. That should be his brooding charm if you ask her. Perhaps that was what attracted him to her in the first place. Every breathing being protected by his father's regency loved him.
She couldn't believe such a man was now hers. The first direct bloodline of king Oranus Vladimir. The most feared and respected purebred alpha werewolf and ruler of the kingdom.
Aekira shook her head, clearing her thoughts immediately. "Of course, I do like it, my lege. It's really a thing of beauty, my prince charming. It dazzles and sparkles so brightly enough to cause temporal blindness. I'm just not sure a person of my humble beginning deserves such an immeasurable gesture. I still don't think I deserve you, my prince... Talk more to have this royal ring within my possession. This could be treachery you know? Stealing the prince's heart," Aekira teased, fumbling with the ring until a finger was placed across her delicate lips, instantly shushing her up.
"Shush, dear one! How dare you utter such blasphemous words?! If loving you was a crime then I'm guilty and should be beheaded. I'm yours, Aekira as you're mine. You're my mate. My dazzling bride. This ring is nothing compared to my love for you. One more thing, you also don't have to be that formal whenever we're alone." Demonikai stated, stealing glances in his younger brother's direction before continuing.
"You don't have to worry about Prince Ulysses. He won't rat us out. He's my closest ally after the empress. The trees, sky, and birds are a witness to our marriage. Hopefully, if the moon goddess is willing... I pray to my ancestors and those that came before them that we would be able to openly announce our matrimony to the king and to the eight provinces without being scared of the supposed repercussions." He said holding onto her hands.
It is beyond outrageous if you ask him why he couldn't follow his heart just because of the deep hatred between his tribe and hers, one that has been there for over a century and more.
Would he be able to make some changes with this marriage or will it be an impulsive mistake between two young birds that were apparently still wet behind the ears to think things through?
Waving off the misplacement of a thought to the side, he forced out a smile.
Big decisions should be left to the elders. Their hatred... Their loss. He won't let it get to him and neither will he let it keep weighing heavily on his heart. This was a special evening. Demonikai thought.
"Can I give you a hug, Aekira?" He asked and without waiting for a response from her, he pulled her into a warm, passionate embrace, giggling from ear to ear. His ears turned bright red.
Aekira gasped at the sudden movement, walking on eggshells around him for a tiny brief moment before finally relaxing under his arms.
Were they doing the right thing? Tonight was the night of the lunar eclipse and their wedding night.
She was a witch and the outcome of the love between an original, old vampire lord and a witch. So that makes her a half-witch, half-vamp. She was a rare case. It had never been heard in the history of vampires for thousands of generations nor ever had there been a case whereby a vampire was capable of harbouring a young one.
Because of this people have always looked at her, differently. Horrifically. They were all misguided creatures and the emperor who ruled before King Oranus was the worst of them all. Since that emperor hated the vampires to the core, it was obvious she would be an outcast in the land that had been her home all along.
Aekira's mother and the vampire that managed to pregnant her at the time weren't on talking terms after giving birth to his child but when an occasion whereby she and her child were ostracized from the land and pushed to leave Iranian they were left with no better option than to leave her mother's coven. (Witches)
There've been uncountable stories of how she came to be. Some claimed her mother used some sort of dark magic to bewitch and cage the unfortunate prey of a vampire who happened to fall under her web. While the others claimed Aekira was bitten right after birth.
Theories that held little or no facts at all. Nosy set of useless breathing humans.
Why can't they just agree that love can conquer it all? Just like it did with her mother, she was hoping it'd end well with her and the prince too.
Aekira having lived long enough with the vampires in their little secret hideout outside the Iranian land above the higher mountains made a promise to herself that she would wander off on her eighteenth birthday, leaving the forest which was her new home in search of a new adventure.
A few days ago doing her eighteenth cleansing rights ceremonial ritual she'd made good on her promise. To see what the world outside these mountains and forests looked like. There she ran into the prince who happened to be in disguise himself.
As the three divinities would have it, love came knocking. A love so beautiful and heartwarming it swept her off her feet. A love so compassionate and selfless she never wished the evening would come to an end. It was love at first sight like she'd always read in manuscripts. And here they are tossing around in each other arms. Married even.
Who would believe she was married to the werewolf prince above all others?
Ulysses cleared his throat, gently placing his arm on top of his brother's shoulder.
"I will hate to break it to you, big brother it's approximately about six to eight hours before the lunar eclipse. You know fully well what happens to us around that time, whenever it is that time of the night... Right? We're all alone and we've spent an hour here already. I'm sure the royal guards would be turning the marketplace where we lured and ditched them upside down by now. Let's round this up, properly here. Congrats on winning him over, little miss Aekira." He said subtly, dropping his arm by his side as he watched Demonikai start to shift back.
As if he'd had a reality check.
"I'm afraid I will have to go now. I will send a messenger, discreetly or better still seek you out myself beyond the greet mountains when the time comes. We can't miss out on the good part just because we were so unfortunate to get married on a blood moon day. I will surely find a way to reach out like I always do. I might use a messenger pigeon or crack open my brains if I have to just to find a permanent way to be by your side... Forever." Demonikai said, shyly blushing as the evening air slapped across his face, a strand of white platinum hair covering a good portion of his left eye just before the wind blew it away.
"Even if I might be too far away for your magnanimous reach, sire. Even if our names aren't written in the stars... Will you still reach for me even at that?" Aekira asked, softly.
He nodded. "I definitely will."
"Even if the world... Your tribe and mine are against us?" She asked, again.
"I will still choose you over them, Aekira." He reassured.
"It doesn't sound like a wise decision," she mumbled to herself, continuing. "What if being with me threatens to scrape you off everything you know and love? What if I turn your world upside down by letting me be a part of it huh? Won't it be better to reconsider now?" She asked once again, anxiety kicking in.
Now she was getting him worried as he held her cold, delicate arm, instantly blowing hot air on them. "Your hand is still looking so pale like a sheet. That's why it's necessary to always cover it up. These aren't the mountains and forest. You can't go around telling everyone you're a direct bloodline to the leader of the underworld. You will be captured and burned to a stake once your identity is exposed for crossing the forbidden borders," Demonikai nagged, yanking off the silk robe around his neck and placing it around hers, unceremoniously. He yanked off his gloves as well. When his woman said nothing, barely intently staring back at those ocean eyes, he was pushed to give her the response she'd been waiting for.
"Why even ask the obvious, beautiful Aekira? No matter what jabs the world, my father most especially throws at us. Our undying love will persevere. Don't forget to keep to your end of the bargain... Okay? You convinced me that your kind wants a peace talk.."
Aekira nodded with a smile. "And you promised to be the bridge that unites them with yours. Of course, I remember."
"Good. A peace talk I shall give them. I will not to fail you. I will not fail us. The king won't be convinced, easily but I will give it a go." Demonikai added.
"I know you will. I... love you grand prince Demonikai. You're one of the most beautiful things to ever happen to me." Aekira said as tears of joy and wretched pain crowded her eyes.
Prince Demonikai held the tear with his thumb before it could escape and stain her pale, fair skin.
She watched as he slid it into his open lips, his lips curling to a smile. Narrowing down, he couldn't resist kissing her passionately for a few minutes, as if his life depended on it. As if he was about to lose her.
This was no goodbye.
They were merely rekindling their love. One that would last for a lifetime. For she was his fates mate. His all.
Just then as he was about to pull out, she nipped on his bottom lip, sucking on his tongue and lips as if she wanted to devour his mouth until she drew blood. But that didn't stop her from her desperate search to literally suck or should he say drain the living hell outta his blood.
Demonikai pushed her away with slight force, wincing as he immediately backed away.
She'd always had weird eyes. Searing red eyes and for that, he didn't know if it was normal for her or not. What in the name of the gods took over her?
"I'm terribly sorry, sire. A-Are you hurt, my prince?" She asked with sheer dread, reaching for his bleeding mouth.
"I'm alright. It's a tiny cut. Don't worry about it. It will heal, with or without a supernatural touch to it." Demonikai responded, offhandedly.
"Right but still I beg that you will grant me pardon, my lord. I can't control my abilities, yet. I'm still learning how not to turn given the slightest chance but the scent of your blood is too pungent. Too distinct. It smells heavenly. Even at this minute, I have this insane desire to drain it outta you but I can't give in to temptation. A-Are you scared of me, now because that's the last thing I'd wish for?" She asked running her trembling hands around her black hair. "That's why I proposed we should hold off any sort of skinship till I'm able to learn the basics. I don't want to hurt you."
Her earlier behavior was a quick reminder of what she was. Just like how he was unable to hide his true form during every full moon, her true nature cannot be hidden no matter how good she is at blending in with normal humans. But she's not normal and neither is he.
"Are you alright, Demonikai?" Ulysses asked in a concern-laced tone.
Demonikai laughed it off, immediately nodding. "Don't be overdramatic both of you. It will take more than that to leave a scar on my sacred body." He bragged, turning to Aekira. "How can I be scared of you, Aekira? You're my harmless bride. You should be the one that should be wary of me. Not the other way around." He said, blinking twice. "We will get over this... Together."
"We will."
He waved her goodbye for the last time before taking a leave.
It's going to be a long night. For each and every one of 'em.
.
.
.
To be continued...