He stood beside Liora while an elder slid forward, robes sweeping dramatically behind him.
The basilisk cleared his throat and lifted his voice, so it carried through the hall. “Tonight, we celebrate not only a union,” the elder proclaimed, “but a blessing upon our kind.”
Maldenis kept his expression neutral. Beside him, Liora had gone still again.
“The sacred spring has chosen,” the elder continued. “And such a union is rare in our history. We honor the couple whose bond was formed under the blessing of the waters.”
Maldenis resisted the urge to rub his temples.Blessing. That was one word for it.
The elder spread his hands toward the crowd. “It is, therefore, a great fortune for basilisk society to witness a marriage blessed by the sacred pond.”
Maldenis felt Liora shift slightly beside him, and he tightened his hold on her hand.
“And as tradition holds,” the elder continued, “those who bring gifts to the newly bound couple will share in the blessing bestowed upon them.”
Maldenis closed his eyes for a brief second.Oh right. The gifts. He had forgotten about that part.
The first family approached almost immediately. “A home within the eastern district,” the elder announced grandly.
Polite applause filled the hall while a large crystal screen lit up with an image of a sleek modern house.
Maldenis blinked. Well, that was…generous.
Then came the next.
“Vehicles for each of them.”
Another round of applause. Images of two luxury cars appeared.
Then furniture. Travel. A series of extended hotel stays. Jewelry.
With every announcement, another family came forward to present the gift. And with every gift, a photo was taken, with Maldenis and Liora standing beside them as the cameras flashed.
Again. And again. And again.
At first, he thought Liora was simply leaning closer because of the crowd. But after the third group approached, he felt her press more firmly into his side. By the fifth, she was practically glued to him.
He glanced down.
Her smile was still there for the cameras, but her fingers had tightened around his arm.
“Hey,” he murmured quietly, leaning closer. “You okay?”
She didn’t look at him. “It’s too much,” she whispered.
“What is?”
She swallowed slightly. “My power.”
That made him straighten a little.
“They can’t keep touching me,” she said under her breath. “It’s…overwhelming.”
Maldenis immediately understood.
When each family came forward, their greeting involved hands on shoulders, arms, and brief embraces for the photographs. For a normal person, it was harmless, but for someone like Liora, it was probably chaos.
He didn’t hesitate and shifted smoothly, guiding her a half-step forward so she stood directly in front of him. Then he wrapped his arms loosely around her from behind. One hand rested at her waist, and the other settled gently over her clasped hands. From the outside, it looked affectionate. Sweet, even. The newly married basilisk husband holding his human wife close during the ceremony.
