Life in Alarna hadn’t always been easy, and the focus on productivity and survival in particular left many people wanting. Very few outlets for citizen’s pent-up energies existed, aside from bars and brothels. There were occasional festivals at times of historical importance, but even those had to be taken with a grain of salt, as they were blessings and curses woven into one. Not only did they typically happen on the one free day of the week, leaving some no time to truly relax at home, many, such as those managing them, had to work despite it being the eighth day as a matter of course.

Frustration bubbled beneath the surface, but such was their fate. This way of life had ensured their prosperity for hundreds of years, and nobody would argue that the product of all their hard work and dedication wasn’t something to behold—Alarna, the largest and safest town known to anyone.

There was one exception to this lack of carefree entertainment, however. A type of event that was widely considered of vital importance, as it came with a promise, both literally and figuratively—a wedding. It was a time of celebration, not just for the happy couple, but for the entire community. Weddings represented the continuation of family lines and the growth of the population against all odds, strengthening Alarna as a whole. They were not only seen as a symbol of love and companionship, but a practical necessity for Alarna’s continued prosperity. As such, weddings were treated with the utmost care and attention, and the entire community rejoiced when a new couple tied the knot. Naturally, it didn’t hurt that the ensuing celebrations were a rare chance to blow off steam and have universally accepted fun on a grand scale.

Even among Rulers this sentiment was prevalent. While they approached marriage with a more calculated mind, meticulous about finding good match ups to increase their power and guarantee the birth of more children with the Ruler Calling, they celebrated the occasion just the same.

However, for Lait, the idea of weddings as a time for celebration and joy had turned into a cruel joke. Standing in the king’s reception hall, he glanced awkwardly at the young woman next to him, tapping her foot on the expensive rug below it impatiently. He had yet to see a side of Zara that wasn’t irritated by everything and everyone around her, and he in turn had been annoyed regularly by her antics.

In this moment he also noticed her puffy and slightly reddened eyes though, indicating that she had cried recently. Was her attitude perhaps just an act? Her sister had been taken from her, and she had essentially been blackmailed into this deal just for the chance to see her again. It was understandable that she was devastated, and he began to see her in a new light.

If the behavior she had shown so far was not an indicator for her usual self, maybe they would grow on each other. Zara was an attractive woman, and he was an attentive man. She had to put some effort in as well, and act with more decorum, but if she did, he would be the best husband he could.

“Ugh, how much longer is this going to take?” Zara spat, ripping apart Lait’s illusions.

No... This is going to be horrible... he thought. What is King Hertar thinking?

In a far corner of the room, Grom questioned his king’s decision as well. “Why would you arrange a marriage between Lait and a commoner? He’s pure blooded! This action will taint his line!”

“You don’t trust my judgment?” Hertar asked, an eyebrow raised.

He looked to the unhappy couple standing in the middle of the hall, as well as the Rulers sat on chairs lined up behind them. Everyone was waiting for the High Priest to arrive and conduct the ceremony.

Grom grimaced. “Allow me to say, Your Majesty, this is madness! You can’t seriously believe that this will get us any closer to them! The girl is practically glued to the group, she wasn’t abducted! At best, this will accomplish nothing, at worst, it will aggravate them!”

“Out of curiosity,” Hertar mused. “what course of action would you have advised for, regarding Ms. Fera?”

“What?” Grom asked in confusion.

“The older one I mean,” Hertar clarified. “She appeared here multiple times a day, claiming that her sister had been kidnapped. If we didn’t let her in, she waited outside until we did. She wouldn’t even respond to threats from the guards. We couldn’t let that go on, but anything we could have done to stop her would’ve shown us in a bad light. She just wants her sister back after all. So I pose the question, what would you have done?”

Grom was taken aback. “I... I suppose the plan in and of itself is acceptable, but Lait? It’s such a waste!”

“Would you have volunteered? Or perhaps you’re saying I should’ve wed her?”

“Of course not!” came Grom’s immediate response.

“Of course not,” Hertar repeated knowingly. “Consider it carefully. Lait is the perfect candidate. He’s loyal to a fault, and through the contract his loyalties will keep his wife in line as well. She will only be able to act in our best interest, and she will inevitably bring us closer to her sister. A union with a pure-blooded Ruler also gives us the best chance for a favorable outcome in matters of their offspring. We don’t lose entirely on that front. Please, by all means, stop me if there’s an error in my deliberations.”

Grom contemplated Hertar’s words for a moment. He was not happy, and while the explanation made sense, he still found it unreasonable to sacrifice Lait on the off-chance that his wife-to-be might be able to bring the girl back to Alarna. Granted, if successful, it would be more than worth it, and they might also be able to lock in young Riala through a contract. A failure was much more likely though.

“No, Your Majesty... Your reasoning is sound. As always,” Grom said through gritted teeth. “But I must remind you... It was sound just before we were shackled and thrown into cells as well.”

“Fortunately we have a better idea of what and who we’re dealing with by this point. You will see, Grom. This will lead us down a good path.”

“I hope so...”

Eventually, the hall’s doors swung open, signaling the end of the wait time. The heads of all attendees turned to see Molyn Firela stride in, flanked by two other priests, one being of the arch variety. Their heads held high and their white robes shining against the backdrop of dark stone walls, they striked an impression on this first official outing of the new High Priest.

“Elian and Laena...” Grom muttered, seeing Lilana’s mother and uncle next to Molyn. “To think that the Firelas now have control over the entire temple... We should’ve vetoed this decision.”

“Time will determine if they’re a problem. For all we know, they are normal priests,” Hertar said. “You know how little Worshippers care for their children. The way Lilly turned out had nothing to do with them. Come.”

Grom and Hertar walked over to the center of the room, meeting the priests halfway up the alley towards Zara and Lait.

“King Hertar,” Molyn said. He and the others bowed their heads slightly. “Good afternoon.”

“To you too, High Priest Molyn. It is unfortunate that we had no opportunity to talk yet. I congratulate you on your appointment, despite the tragic circumstances surrounding it.”

“Thank you. Do not call it a tragedy though. It was the gods’ will to end Orthur’s rule. Rather, praise them for their wisdom.”

Hertar eyed Molyn suspiciously. His words seemed genuine, which suggested that Molyn was a deeply religious man. In the past, this had never been a good sign, and Hertar was starting to have a bad feeling about him. Would they fare better with this new High Priest? He repeated his own words in his mind. Time will tell...

“Of course. Praise be to the gods,” Hertar said through a fake smile.

Molyn briefly scanned the room and the waiting couple, seemingly wearing their usual clothes. “I have to admit, I’m a little surprised by this urgent request for administering a wedding. And the ceremony seems... forgive my words, hastily put together. Am I right to presume that you’d like us to start right away?”

“A request of the bride, I’m afraid,” Hertar said. “She had a strong desire to get married as quickly and with as little fanfare as possible. Surely that won’t pose a problem.”

“Not at all. Let us begin then.”

Seemingly done talking to Hertar, Molyn and his family walked past the king and lined up in front of the throne, while Hertar and Grom took seats among the Rulers. The room grew quiet as Zara and Lait faced Molyn, wearing looks of determination and trepidation respectively.

Molyn opened a book in his hand and began reading from it. “Dear attendees, we have gathered here today to witness two individuals becoming one through holy marriage. It’s a union blessed by the gods themselves. It is a commitment between two souls, joined together in love and devotion for all eternity. Kyu himself once said...”

His voice echoed through the hall as he talked about the gods, until he was suddenly interrupted by Zara. “High Priest, I apologize, but could we hasten up this process? I would like to get it over with.”

Lait’s face was red as his eyes shot open and his head snapped in her direction. “Will you just wait!?”

“I’m done waiting,” Zara said. “The sooner this is over, the sooner we can get started.”

“There are more preparations to be done, there is no need reason to rush this!”

“I don’t care.”

Molyn was taken aback, not having expected to be interrupted by a bickering couple during their wedding ceremony. He listened to their back and forth for a moment, but it seemed like the groom was not winning this argument.

“I’m so sorry, High Priest Molyn,” Lait pleaded. “She isn’t familiar with this ceremony, and as you can see, she is... impatient.”

A smile on his lips, Molyn took it in stride. “I don’t mind. The gods will forgive a bride that can’t wait to be joined with her husband. Let us proceed then. Please face each other and raise two hands, pressing your palms against each other.”

Zara spun around immediately and raised her right arm. With much less enthusiasm, Lait followed. When their hands touched, glowing scripture sigils miraculously appeared in the air above them, showing that the two were engaged.

“Hm, hm, very good,” Molyn said. “I will now bless this union, in the name of the gods.”

Zara glanced at him in confusion when the High Priest began speaking words she had never heard before. Different languages were rarely used in Alarna, and this one was entirely unfamiliar. Whatever he was saying though, it appeared to have an effect, as the sigils started glowing more intensely and morphed to take on new shapes. What little knowledge Zara had gained of Omega by listening to Riala told her that the engagement script was turning into a marriage script. A contract that would not expire until one of the partners died.

The entire spiel took an excruciatingly long minute, until Molyn finally raised his arms and proclaimed, “In the name of Kyu and the gods, I announce the holy marriage between Ms. Zara Firela and Mr. Lait Dana. You can lower your hands now.”

They did as instructed and the script disappeared. Zara immediately turned towards the priests again. “It’s done then? The ceremony is over?”

Molyn’s mouth opened a few times while he blinked in surprise. “Uh... I... Yes, technically it is,” he muttered.

“Alright. Thank you,” Zara said. She then turned on her heel and walked down the aisle with quick steps.

The Rulers began muttering among themselves as Lait hastily apologized to the High Priest and hurried after his wife. Everyone watched after them as the ceremony abruptly came to an end just moments after it had begun.

Grom turned to the king, an eyebrow raised. “Quite spirited that girl... You still think this was a good idea?”

“Yes... Probably...” Hertar said with a frown.

It was possibly the shortest wedding the Rulers had ever witnessed, and Zara’s behavior left the majority of them question Hertar’s sudden decision to bring her into their fold, even if any connection to Tomar and Riala might turn out beneficial. Nobody could possibly realize yet what a momentous event it had been.