took hold of my flowers.The high priestess cleared her throat, and the ceremony began. First, there were songs in Nic’s native
tongue I had no idea about. I felt shameful when I caught April looking at me with a bit of anger in her brow, as I’d forgotten to
learn the words.
Once that was over with, we each turned to face the high priestess as she wrapped our clasped hands with a knot of ribbon,
then with a piece of chain mail. She then lit our ceremony candle and let the hot wax drip onto the knot.
Tying our hands together, she flipped them over so our wrists were facing upwards. I watched as she took a small dagger
from her ceremony table. She made one clean cut across Nic’s wrist and then the same on mine.
I winced at the sting, as blood dripped from my new wound into a golden chalice along with Nic’s. She mixed the blood
with some liquid before holding her hands over our wounds, healing them in seconds.
“As their majesties drink from the sacred chalice of our Goddess, let us lift our hands in prayer. Pray that these two never
break the bond created on this day.”
She held her hands up in the air and closed her eyes, as she began to chant something again in Nicholas’s native language. I
became angry with myself now. I was missing out on this beautiful ceremony because of my ignorance.
“It’s time for us to drink,” Nicholas murmured.
He stepped closer to me, our hands still tied as he held the chalice up to my lips. As the bitter metallic taste hit my mouth, I
felt a rush run through my body, and for a few seconds I was almost in a daze—a trance. I came out of it to share the drink with
Nicholas, who finished the remaining liquid and handed the cup back to the high priestess.
“As the blood ritual is complete, their majesties must now promise one another to never break this bond, unless death takes
either of them, which in that case will take both.”
We both die if one of us dies first? That didn’t seem like a fair deal. Then again, who would want to be apart from their
beloved? Perhaps that was why this part of the ceremony happened, so each soul was tied to one another.
“His majesty will go first.”
Nicholas cleared his throat as the room fell silent once again and I could have sworn his head had a few drops of sweat on
it. I stepped from side to side, adjusting my footing nervously.
“Ornella, as I make this vow, this promise to you and in front of our guests, rest assured I will keep it for as long as I walk
this world with you at my side.”
He paused, squeezing my hand gently, and bringing my other one to hold in his. My heart began to race as my eyes caught
his intoxicating stare. My mouth watered as I watched him closely, lost in his eyes.
“You are the light to my darkness. The beacon to which my soul craves to find. The one I will forever lay my life down to
keep you safe. You are what makes me whole. And I pledge myself to you, from now until eternity.”
