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“Lake, there is no time for this. Yes or no!” he yells.
I swallow hard, knowing I am agreeing to something I don’t understand. The worst part is that it’s binding. Forever.
I try to push the fear from my mind. I think about my little community. I think about my best friend, Sunnie, who is still probably wondering what happened to me. I never showed up at Christmas. I think about all of the families, small children, and mothers out there who would have to stand by and watch everyone they love be mowed down by creatures from their worst nightmares.
“Okay. What do we need to do first?” I say.
Why am I not surprised? Monsterland marriage has zero romance, zero ceremony or fanfare. It is exactly what I would expect from a world where kindness, pleasantries, and humility are not only considered to be a disgusting display of weakness, but downright offensive.
The only requirement is that someone reads off the vows. No witnesses necessary because the moment you take a vow, the words will magically make their way to the No Ones scriptures on Benicio’s skin. As king of not just his Blood People, but of all Monsterland too, he is the keeper of all vows. Or laws. Or treaties. Whatever you want to call it. What’s important is that if a vow is broken, a death warrant is issued automatically, and the No Ones come for you.
An older War Woman, with long silver braids and a burn scar on her neck, stands behind Alwar, who is still bloody, dirty, shirtless, and sweaty. Seems apropos considering I’ve been wearing the same clothes for almost two months. Washed once. Totally disgusting. Yet again, still oddly appropriate.
Gabrio stands next to me as the woman reads off the vows.
Alwar, like a true giant warlord and king to his people, shows no emotion. In fact, he makes a point to not look at me.
Is he that disappointed to marry me? I wonder if I’m his first wife or hundredth. Did he ever love anyone with all his heart like I did?
Why do I even care?
Yes, I found him alluring and beautiful from the first moment I saw him, but that doesn’t make him my dream man. That man will be the ride or die type of guy. He’ll put me and us first. He’ll want to build a life together. Above all, he’ll never lie.
“You will obey your husband and relinquish all rights to an opinion,” says the woman.
“No. Remove that part,” Alwar says to her.
I sigh with relief.
She nods and continues, “You will not deny your mate the comfort of your body when it is asked of you.”
My jaw drops.
“Do not worry,” he says. “The vow to protect you supersedes that. I cannot bed you if it would kill you. At least in my current size.”
I frown with confusion. Does he plan on crossing the bridge and shrinking? He loathes all things small just like he loathes anything weak.
“Okay.” I don’t know what else to say.
The woman goes on about honoring the ways of the War People, of preserving their history. She says that I must uphold my husband’s honor, and above all else, he must protect me with his life, never harm me, and treat me as sacred because “…there is only one. One heart. One mind. One body from this day forward.”
My thoughts drift to Benicio. He vowed to never harm me, too. It’s a promise that still stands etched into his pale, nearly translucent skin. Yet he nearly drank me to death.
Maybe Alwar summed it up best: The Blood King is the king of loopholes. In other words, as long as he didn’t hurt me or kill me, it was a “no harm” situation. And Benicio would be right. I loved every second with him. It was like being an eagle in Heaven, soaring higher than you ever dreamed, where nothing bad could touch you.
The woman continues, “You vow not to lie with another and to name your children in the old ways—”
“Strike that part,” Alwar interrupts the woman. “She has my permission to lie with another.”
I blink at him. “What about you? Don’t you want to…” I can’t find the words. He’ll never be able to have sex again if he makes that vow. And from what I know, the War People live hundreds of years.
“You will be my wife,” Alwar says like it’s a curse. “I would never dishonor you in such a way.”
“But what about me?” I glance at Gabrio.
“You will open your legs for him out of necessity. I expect it to happen once. Only once.”
So he’s basically saying that after today, I’m supposed to be celibate the rest of my life? That’s a tall order, considering we’re not marrying for love.
Not that I’m a cheater. I never have been or will be. But I haven’t given my heart to Alwar. I haven’t promised him anything other than to engage in this marriage to void the Proxy Vow and save our people. I’m giving up any notions of marrying anyone else because of this. But I refuse to forgo love or sex the rest of my life for a man who doesn’t care about me.
