Chapter 590: Yours And Mine
(Myra’s POV)
"Huhh~ ...." Elio made a dumbfounded expression. Then he laughed heartily, "What are you saying, Myra? This is our secret spot and your favourite place. And why would I be a wolf?"
"Weren’t you?" I questioned again, perplexed.
"I am a Lion, and you, my precious mate, are one too," he uttered. "See~ ...." He quickly transformed into his majestic form, and this time, my body also shifted into its animal form.
Though I didn’t know what was happening to me, the transformation felt familiar, as if my body was used to it. As if it was a regular occurrence.
Soon, my entire figure changed into something else completely.
When I saw my reflection in his greenish blue pupils, my whole body stiffened; my eyes contracted and expanded at once. I wasn’t a human anymore. I was~ .... a glorious lioness, but without wings. Covered in short, dense and sleek yellow gold fur, my frame was lean and streamlined.
Still shell shocked, I didn’t notice Elio had come close to me again. His forehead rested against mine. He whispered, his tone coaxing, "You must have been really exhausted. You should have let me handle all the wedding preparation, my love. It breaks my heart to see you like this."
I was stunned once again. Stammering with confusion, I inquired, "Wed~ding? Whose wedding?"
"What has gotten into you, silly? Our wedding, of course," Elio replied, his tone casual.
"Yo~ ... yours and mi~ne," I repeated.
"Myra, are you seriously okay? The day after tomorrow is our wedding as well as our marking ceremony. We have been looking forward to it and preparing for it for more than a year. How can you forget that, my crown princess-to-be?" Elio gazed at me with concern. He sighed and queried, "Are you having second thoughts, hmm? Let me tell you~ .... you are my mate, my love, my everything. I won’t let you go for anything." His voice dropped to an octave, low and rough against the rustling sound of the daisies.
I just stared at him; several questions were cropping up in my mind. But I didn’t dare to ask. We soon changed into our respective human forms as Elio hugged me close, adding, "MINE~~~~ ...." and placed a feather like kiss on my forehead.
I closed my eyes, basking in our romantic, peaceful moment.
When I opened my eyes the next time, the environment totally transformed.
My hazels flitted instantly. I was holding a bouquet of lively and fresh ivory daisies. I was wearing a white dress with a long trail. In front of me, on either side, there were long rows of people standing. Their eyes were glued on me. Their expression unreadable.
Then my eyes landed on the man wearing a striking cream royal ensemble suit, standing in the middle of the stone-hedged altar. A gold embroidered, long, side cape was attached to his left shoulder, extending to the limestone floor. His large pair of feathered wings was slightly coiled. He was looking my way. When our eyes met, his lips immediately curved upwards in a grin that made his eyes crinkle, flashing a warm, unguarded smile.
My heart leapt in my chest as I held my breath. Without anyone telling me, I knew what it was.
It was our wedding day- mine and Elio’s.
I started walking down the aisle, my steps slow yet confident. When I reached on the edge, Elio stepped towards me. He extended his hand like a gentleman. I raised mine as he held it, his touch unimaginably tender, making me nervous. "You look~ .... Just how I imagined, like a true goddess, stunning like celestial stars."
He guided me forward, in the middle of the sacred altar, and I let him.
Now, surrounded by a pair of limestone pillars on either side, we stood facing each other. Elio’s smile didn’t falter even in the slightest. His eyes were twinkling with unconcealed joy and happiness. He was waiting for this exact moment.
Looking at him like this, my eyes welled up.
"What happened, Myra? Why are you crying? Did someone say something to you? Tell me who bullied you? Was it the council head, Dalton? That son of a bitch~ ... once this ceremony is over, I will teach him a lesson," Elio asked, his eyes turning fierce. He cupped my face tenderly and cooed, "Don’t cry, I will make things right."
Honestly, I don’t know who this Dalton was. I don’t know anything about what was going on. Whether it was just an illusion or a reality or a parallel world thing. I don’t know what this place was or what kind of people were living here. I don’t know and don’t care anymore.
I just wanted to~ .... stay in this moment forever with him. I truly wanted to freeze the time.
I chuckled and held his face. "They are tears of joy. I am just so, so happy to have you."
His expression relaxed at my words, a gentle, breathtaking smile caressing his lips as he took my hand and laced them with his. We turned around to face the audience. He said, his voice booming, "You all are here to witness the union of me, crown prince of the Lionheart, Elio Arier and my beloved mate and your brave crown princess, Myra Loew." The crowd started cheering loudly as the atmosphere turned pompous. However, I saw some people in the front row, frowning and rolling their eyes with clear contempt. Their gaze made me really uncomfortable.
But Elio ignored them and continued, "Without further ado, let the marking ceremony of my crown princess begin."
He raised our intertwined hands as golden and white light erupted from the four pillars, reaching the crystal clear sky. I looked down at the floor; the inscriptions on it lit up. I felt a surge of raw energy coursing through my veins and reaching every corner of my body.
Elio shifted his attention back on me and said, his voice reaching every person present, "I, Elio Arier, take you, Myra Loew, pledge my realm to your hearth, my strength to your shield and my heart to your keeping. In light and in the long night, through the breaking of empires and the quiet of peace, I give you my oath and my soul, until the stars fall from the sky."
I gasped, and the crowd followed. I heard someone say, "Did you hear that. The crown prince, he didn’t utter the normal, formal wedding vows. He just recited the soul-binding oath for that ordinary lioness. He must be really head over heels for her."
"I would say he is just a lovesick fool. She is an ordinary lioness, and he is the heir of the Lionheart Kingdom with eternal life. If something happens to her or when she dies, he would die alongside her. Giving your life for a mere mortal, that’s insane," another person made a snarky remark.
My eyes widened when I got to know the meaning of this. He wasn’t just marrying me. He was ready to give up everything.
Elio understood and shook his head, "This is nothing. Myra, you are my whole life. If there is a world where you are not present. I would rather cease to exist from the world." He took a box out of his pants pocket and unlatched it.
Inside, a ring made of pure gold with a winged lion symbol sat beautifully. He mumbled, "This is the family heirloom and belongs to my mother. Accept this. Once I place this on your finger, our bond will be sealed for an eternity. So~ ..." he looked at me nervously. "May I?"
I nodded eagerly, tears spilling down my eyes. He took my hand, and just when he was about to slide the ring, a crashing sound echoed from above. I looked up at the sky. The bright and clear weather had turned darker, gloomier.
All the senses in my body were buzzing with alarm bells. Something was definitely wrong. Instinctively, I looked at the front row; a woman in an emerald dress was smiling, but the smile didn’t reach her eyes. She was the one who was gritting her teeth earlier.
Before I could understand what was happening, a bolt of lightning landed right between Elio and me, tearing us apart. I jolted from the impact, and in that moment, I felt my soul pushed out of the body
To Be Continued . . . . . . .