"Nero!" His mom shouted from downstairs. "I hope your hair is groomed, it is time for your wedding ceremony!"
Nero smiled, a deep nostalgia in his heart. It was his big day, Altia's big day. The navy blue velvet coat he was wearing was custom ordered in Honeywitch and delivered by train. His bow tie should be in place but he was sure Rhynne would find a way to adjust it further. He felt his fingertips tingling, eager to touch Altia's skin. He hadn't seen her in the last week, since he returned from the Dungeon and sent her back to her father's house, begrudgingly. The groom should not see the bride for a week before the ceremony. A silly custom, maybe, but Nero wanted to do right by Altia. She deserved to have everything, including the recognition of her community.
She wasn't happy to move back into her father's house. Altia and Huron were still not speaking to each other, or to better put it, she was still ignoring the not-so-wise merchant. Nero put it behind now that he survived his ordeal and obtained something unique. He looked at himself in the mirror one last time and left his room. It wouldn't remain his room for too long.
He took a carriage in front of his house. Another silly custom, that they should arrive from different ends of the venue in carriages like some pampered nobles. Nero rode alone. As this was the day of his marriage, he would become the master of his own household along with Altia. He no longer owned a spot in his parents' house. Less than a minute later, it arrived at the village's central square. Nero chuckled. Why bother renting a carriage from the next village over?
The footman opened the door and he stepped down. The village square was decorated with flags and streamers made of colorful cloth ribbons. The whole village was there, assembled and eager for some spectacle and food. All funded by Nero and Altia's families. Even Katia was there, scowling but without causing a disturbance. She too respected the customs. Nero walked the aisle alone. He was no longer a minor and he was expected to stand and live on his own. After Altia's father returned the crystals she left behind on a whim, they had half a million Essence. More than enough to live for some time.
He heard someone whisper the moniker, "Nero Zero", but it didn't bother him. Not at all. He met the speaker's eyes and smiled, causing the person to go red with shame. The end of the aisle had a dais covered by stretches of white cloth to protect everyone from the morning sun. As it means the start of a new family, weddings happened in the mornings to signify a long life ahead. The earlier the better but it also meant people didn't have time to prepare.
Reaching the dais, Nero stopped and looked at his parents, sitting on the groom's side. He smiled at them. Rhynne was wiping tears and Byron gave him a grinning thumbs up. The village elder, the one to conduct the ceremony, was resting on a chair at the back. Nero turned around to see the several hundred faces looking at him. Everyone was wearing their best clothes. It was an insult to everyone else to do otherwise.
Not for too long he remained as the center of attention, as the clopping of the horses announced the arrival of the bride. A second carriage stopped and the footman and two young ladies from the village, Altia's friends and juniors, opened the door and helped the bride come out.
His eyes burned, his throat caught, his heart threatened to jump out. As Nero took in the sight of his bride, a mix of every single emotion he ever felt washed over him. Altia wouldn't be ashamed next to any princess in the world. She was wearing a gorgeous and custom-made dress that obviously wasn't ordered last week. He glanced at his mother and she just chuckled. It was all the attention he could spare before gluing his eyes on the magnificent figure trembling like a newborn doe as she balanced on needle heel shoes.
It was strange. Nero wanted at the same time ensconce and worship Altia in her wedding dress, forever untouched, and at the same time, he wanted to rip those clothes off to enjoy the woman underneath. He clenched his fists and felt his emotions running wild. He knew he should've slotted a Class with stronger Willpower benefits but he couldn't help stacking Charisma for the ceremony.
Huron came from the other side of the carriage. The bride was always escorted by the father until she reached the dais. He offered Altia his arm and she took it, more as a need to keep herself steady. When they walked down the aisle, she was able to glide. Each step was like a big rock thrown into a still pond in Nero's heart. His excitement and a pang of fear almost clouded his wits. Was it real? Was it happening?
Yes, it was.
Huron led Altia up the steps of the dais slowly. He met the merchant's eyes and nodded. Huron smiled, and not a business smile. They reached the last step and Altia moved a bit to the side, leaving both men facing each other. It was also tradition, the delivery of the bride. The moment the father would surrender his daughter and trust her happiness to the groom. They clasped wrists and Huron pulled Nero in, clasping his hand across the younger ape-kin's back. Another tradition. It meant the father accepted the groom fully.
"My son," Huron whispered in Nero's ear. "I can only thank you. She called me 'father' for the first time in a week today. You proved your worth tenfold and I am proud to know the caliber of my daughter's husband. I had little time to prepare a proper gift but this is for you."
He released the boy and handed Nero a small velvet pouch. A few small bulges inside and the clinking of crystals against each other. Nero could see a faint white light seeping between the seams and gasped.
"Thank you, father," He told Huron. "I will treasure these."
"Do make use of them soon. Grow strong, my son."
They smiled, staring into each other's soul.
"I will. I have. For her sake, I must."
"Now go. The young lady is getting antsy at not being the center of attention."
Huron turned around and headed for his seat, alone on the bride's side. Nero pocketed the pouch but not before he made sure Altia saw it. Taking a couple steps to put him in the right spot next to his bride, marked in chalk with an X on the ground, he took her arm.
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** Altia's POV **
"Are these what I believe they are?" Altia asked with a whispered voice as she locked arms with him.
"You too are gorgeous, bride. I almost wish you could stay in that marvelous dress forever," He changed the subject.
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
"If I am doomed to keep wearing this forever, could you at least spare me the corset?" She joked.
"I am inclined to be magnanimous."
"Oh, thank you, husband." She said coyly, trying the last word like someone tasting a new pastry.
"I love you, Altia. I feel as if I am unworthy of being here next to this goddess."
"You solo'ed a Dungeon for me, my beloved. You took on a dare from my father and delivered on your promise. You were deadly stupid and I hate you for running off without speaking to me. But you won me a dozen times over, my hero."
"Never again, I promise. We'll be together forever in all things. But the goblin didn't drop only its corpse."
They were just standing there on their spots, waiting for the village elder to start the ceremony. But what Nero said made Altia stop staring at the probably asleep old man and crane her neck to look at Nero.
"Did it drop an Anima crystal? Did it give an accolade?"
She was an Adventurer first and foremost. The excitement at her companion's first boss loot overrode the "bride mode" mentality.
"Calm down. Yes on both counts, and it also dropped a special card."
"The blue [Backstab]. You told about that."
"No, another one. Please wait until the end of the ceremony."
She pinched his arm. "I hate you."
Nero chuckled. "I love you."
"I don't hate you, not really. Please tell me. What card did it drop? At least the colors."
"Green background," Nero whispered, cryptical.
"A Class. good. More cards to trade. And the borders?"
"Later."
"No! Tell me the borders!" She whined.
Altia thought Nero was teasing her, making it sound mysterious. A Class card was useless to them aside from trading stock. But a rare Class could be a windfall for them. Better gear, better Skills, everything.
"Yellow? Purple? Orange?"
"No, no, no. Altia, stop. Please."
"Just blue? I guess, it is fine, but with all this smoke you were blowing..."
"It is not blue or any common colors, okay?"
It didn't add up. There was no other card quality besides those. Nero was bullshitting her on their wedding day!
"Tell me the color of the card's border or I walk," She gave an ultimatum.
To Altia, it was not about the card. It was about trust. She was still hurt by his antics of going in alone. He returned without as much as a scratch, at least where she could check, but he shouldn't have risked his life like that. She shook her head. Nero's cap was zero but he didn't need to be coddled. He proved himself capable over and over.
"Black," Nero said in a confessional tone.
Something clicked. It was a stupid fairy tale. That there was a rank of cards outside the ranking. They didn't have a color and the conflicting stories told of transparent, rainbow, iridescent, and black.
"Nero, are you pulling my leg?" She asked, serious.
"Can you please wait until I can show it to you in private?"
She looked at those lost puppy eyes and nodded. On the corner of her eye, she saw her father, staring at them with disbelief in his face. Altia stuck the tip of her tongue at him and he recomposed himself. Did he listen to their conversation? Against the blurb of guests chatting in the pews behind her, she wasn't sure. Her father's perception was legendary, well over a hundred. He was called Deadeye Huron back in his delving days, from the key Skill of his build.
The village elder stirred, then chewed on his drool before blinking and looking around. Seeing the bride and groom at the dais, he stood up and walked to his position before them.
"We are all here gathered to honor the start of a new family. Nero and Altia found their partnership in the Dungeon and from there it grew. Through thick and thin, the two cemented their bond upon the blood of their enemies!"
The crowd cheered.
"Their efforts in culling the Dungeon granted us safety and brought wealth to the community. To that, we are thankful. To show their appreciation of our community, a mighty feast is being prepared as we speak. May we drink and eat in their honor!"
The crowd went crazy, shouting Nero and Altia's name. One burly villager shouted, "Nero Zero!" and he wasn't mocking.
"This union brings us great happiness," the elder continued. "and the opportunity to strengthen our clan. 'From the mighty, might is born', the wisdom the Kings of old left us. Do not be deceived by young Nero's level cap. For he delved alone and alone he thrived in the Dungeon."
"Just killing rats, I'm sure," Katia growled in a moment of silence.
The elder cleared his throat and continued. "This union represents the future. A promise of prosperity to the Minnid tribe and swift death to our enemies."
"Death!" Someone shouted.
"For the camaraderie of brothers-in-arms can be broken in the despair of battle. But the bond between lovers is eternal," He glanced at Byron and Rhynne, both parents beaming. "For they would never dare break the line and abandon their mate. And today, we witness their union as these two warriors become one. Fierce. Loyal. Undaunted. And those qualities will go on to their offspring. For our tribe shall be forever reinforced by the strength of the blood they will shed."
The traditions were old, of a barbaric time, but they stood to this day. And they weren't wrong. The monsters still prowled the wilds. The deep wilderness, untamed for centuries, was dangerous. Back in the day, there were castes, the serfs, craftsmen, warriors, and nobility. The former three disappeared with the social reforms a few centuries ago, but the traditions remained. Adventurers married according to the warrior caste rituals.
"And now we will proceed with the vows. Nero, please make your vows."
Altia felt a tingle in her stomach, the butterflies threatening to fly away. She turned to face him and he took her fingers in his hand. Nero knelt.
"Altia, I promise that you will always be my sun bringing warmth in my joy, and my moon shedding light to dismiss my darkness. I will fight to protect you, our household and our tribe. I will stand with you side-by-side as we slaughter our enemies. I will love you and cherish your company for as long as my hands can raise a sword. I will respect your decisions and heed your advice. You shall be my equal and my partner. I pledge my soul to you for life."
It was also traditional but he added a few bits here and there. It was not unusual in the traditional vows that the wife remained subordinate to the husband and she was elated that Nero changed that around.
"Altia, please make your vows."
"Nero, I promise I will always look up to you to be my safe spot. You will be my shelter during the storm, my granary during the harvest. You will be my song when I am happy, my solace when I am sad. I will fight to protect you, our household and our tribe. I will stand with you side-by-side as we defend our kin. I will tend your wounds, give you counsel, and point out your mistakes as we grow together. For as long as I can brew my potions, you shall never be in danger of death. We will be as one, a bulwark where our enemies will find no purchase."
Altia paused but as she didn't utter the pledge, it was obvious she wasn't done with her vows. "You have proven your worth in the eyes of my kin. Despite your level cap, my father gave you a daunting, impossible task. Foolish words he regrets to this day, I am sure," She sent a fierce glare to her father. "Despite all odds, you fought, you thrived in the depths and you prevailed. Alone. You fulfilled your quest and earned his respect and my admiration. My heart died during the day I awaited your return. I cannot live without you. But if you do something as stupid as that again, I vow to kill you myself."
The breach of protocol was such that the people in the pews laughed at what they perceived to be a joke by the bride. The village elder shouted for silence and altia continued.
"Despite that, you showed your valor. Your courage. Your determination. You showed that there's a quality to a warrior that cannot be measured by Attributes or Levels. You shall always be my inspiration and my partner in life and beyond. I pledge my soul to you for eternity."
They both were crying. The crowd gave roaring applause to Altia's vows. The emotion she put behind her words was undeniable. Even Huron, she saw, was wiping the corners of his eye. She couldn't see Nero's parents behind her but she could trust they were touched too. Once the spectators calmed down, the village elder spoke again.
"The vows in a marriage are the pure expression of the soul and mind of the bride and groom. That these youngsters can weave such powerful vows is a testament to how much they've grown in the last month since they came of age. To these promising warriors, we give our blessings!"
"Blessings!" The whole village shouted in unison.
"And in the eyes of the Minnid tribe and of the world I now declare you husband and wife."