Chapter 41 - Call Me Husband
I felt a faint sting as Ysvéra bit into my neck, and at the same time I sensed her blood flow into me.
The ritual had begun.
A moment later, strange symbols, maybe runes, flared to life along her wings.
They spread outward in a circular pattern, covering the space around us in a crimson glow.
My body heated up almost immediately.
When she finally pulled away, her eyes were hazy, her breathing slightly uneven.
She raised one hand in front of us as if she were holding something invisible, then spoke in a language I had never heard before.
Strangely enough, I understood every word the instant she said them.
"I, Ysvéra d’Arvonne Beaumonté, declare Evren Sorin as my eternal husband, swearing upon all my bloodlines and before the One True King."
Red energy gathered in her palm as she spoke.
Then she looked at me.
I nodded and did my part.
"I, Evren Sorin, declare Ysvéra d’Arvonne Beaumonté my wife, swearing upon my humanity."
For a brief moment, Ysvéra gave me an expectant look, as if I had forgotten something important.
I stared back at her for half a second before understanding.
"And before the One True King," I added.
Blue-green energy flowed out of my body at once, merging with the red light from hers.
The two streams separated into distinct halves before entering both of us.
The moment they did, something inside me shifted.
Our connection grew much stronger.
I could now feel that if I focused, I could even send her my thoughts directly.
That realization was still sinking in when something else happened.
A window appeared in front of me.
Not a status screen or a system prompt as I did not have a personal system.
But something else entirely.
The Constellation intervention, which appeared in the form of a translucent window.
[The One True King looks at the odd pair.]
I felt an invisible gaze settle over us.
[The One True King pities you.]
[The One True King blesses your union.]
My eyes widened.
Even Ysvéra froze for a moment, staring at the air in front of her as though she could see the same thing.
"..."
Then she slowly turned toward me, and the moment her eyes met mine, all pretense disappeared.
"Evren, let us consummate our marriage." she said, her voice suddenly becoming softer.
"?"
I felt her desire immediately.
It flowed through the bond with startling clarity, making my own breathing catch for a second.
Her wings disappeared, and before I could properly react, she embraced me again.
Her body felt cold against mine, but not unpleasantly so.
Then she bit into my neck once more and drank my blood.
"Agh..."
This time, the sensation was entirely different.
Pleasure rushed through me and for a brief moment I almost forgot how to breathe.
But, something in me responded as if awakened.
My teeth lengthened slightly.
My senses sharpened further.
And when I looked at her pale, slender neck, an instinctive hunger rose in my chest.
Ysvéra seemed to notice the change in me immediately.
Instead of pulling away, she only held me tighter, her hips shifting ever so slightly in a way that made my thoughts scatter for a second.
I blinked, tried to steady myself, and then reached out with my mind.
’Ysvéra... didn’t I say something about this earlier? Don’t you think we’re moving a little too fast?’
Her answer came instantly.
’Ah, Evren... about that. It cannot be helped, we were blessed by the One True King, remember? Our marriage was practically destined and even if we wanted to, we can no longer truly be separated. I am yours now, Evren, yours in every sense. And you are mine.’
Her voice sounded almost dreamy, like she was high.
I felt my conscience immediately begin shouting at me.
Now is not the time!
If you back out now, you are a hypocrite!
I still remembered the long lecture I gave her.
But the truth was more complicated than that.
What I could feel from Ysvéra right now was real, there was no falsehood in that.
There was lust in it and also a great thirst too.
But there was also love.
And not a weak, fleeting thing.
Something vast.
Something intense enough to overwhelm anyone who wasn’t prepared for it.
I also felt that this was only the beginning of her love.
She was a vampire, but even more than that, she was someone who had been alone for far too long.
I kept drinking her blood while I sorted through my thoughts, and slowly, the answer became obvious.
I had already chosen this path. Running from it now would only betray the promises I had made to myself.
And, a man could not keep a woman waiting forever, not in matters like this.
Not when the feelings involved were this strong.
My conscience and I had a fight... and I won.
So, I tightened my arms around her and held her close.
Her hands, which had been resting against my upper back, pressed harder against me in return.
A person who had originally been fated to die in some pitiful, forgotten place had instead found a new future because of me.
And now that she was here, in this foreign world with no home left to return to.
I made my decision.
I would be that home.
I lowered my head slightly and let the thought settle in my chest.
’Call me Husband, Ysvéra.’
I stroked her head as I removed my teeth from her neck, there was still the taste of her blood in my mouth.
Now that I notice properly, her body was cold.
While she felt my warmth, I felt her coolness.
I did not stop her from drinking my blood for quite some time.
And soon, Ysvéra stopped drinking my blood, before licking the place where she had bitten me.
I felt a shiver and it felt strange.
But maybe because of my new fake immortal body, the wound healed quickly.
Then Ysvéra’s gaze turned to me.
Again, I felt that that those eyes looked beautiful.
Then without saying anything, both of our heads moved forwards.
We kissed.