After the couple affirmed that they would always support each other, the priest continued the ceremony with satisfaction. “Then you shall promise your loyalty to one another. You may now exchange your vows and rings so that you are bound by words.”

Blanche turned to look at her lover and swallowed as she tried to quieten the uproar in her mind. Her hands were sweaty, and she swore that her heart was still beating way too quickly. They would truly exchange their vows now, and she was so nervous that she could barely keep her hands from shaking. She dug her fingers into her bouquet as she tried to calm her breathing.

Theodore showed her a bright smile that made it even harder to calm down. He looked so radiant that he might as well be the sun that lit up the entire room. It seemed like he would be the first one to speak, and she was already scared of beginning to sob now.

Her lover carefully took the flowers from her hands and gave them to one of the servants before taking both of her hands in his. Then he opened his mouth. “If I may begin, I would like to use this chance to thank you. Ever since we first met, you have been by my side as my trustworthy companion. You laughed with me during the happy times and consoled me when problems arose. You forgave me when forgiveness should be the last thing in your heart. I need to thank you for nothing less than keeping me sane and saving my life.” He squeezed her hand and looked deeply into her eyes as he continued in a soft voice. “There has never been a second in which you were not fully on my side nor has there been a moment in which I doubted this one thing. I love you. From the depths of my heart, I feel pure adoration for you. I love you so much that I cannot even put it into words. When I close my eyes, I see you. When I open them, you need to be there, or I will feel like the most important part of me is missing. You were the thing that filled the void in my chest that used to be right here.” He gently stroked over her hands and guided her palm to the place where his heart was.

Blanche couldn't help but get even more emotional. She clutched her lover's hands in return while fully forgetting all the other people within the room.

Theodore smiled at her as he continued to speak. “Without you, I would be incomplete. I would be incapable of living. My life has only been filled with happiness ever since you have been in it. It feels like I only started living for real when I saw your eyes for the first time. At that moment, I have been captured by you, and I was never released. And the more time I spent with you, the more I fell for you as my gray world was filled with colors by your presence. I have never been as happy as now with you by my side. There is no greater luck than being able to extend my hand to touch you at all times whether it may be midnight or noon. That is why I wish for you to be with me until the end of time. I demand nothing less than an eternity with you. I want to see your smile each day and know that I will see it for the next decades afterward as well. I want all of you to be with me forever. In return for such a selfish wish, I offer all of me to you. My whole life is yours. It has been ever since we met, and now it will be official.”

His eyes seemed so soft while he said that Blanche was about to lose her composure. She barely held back from crying and couldn't keep herself from blinking to keep the tears away.

But it looked like Theodore wasn't done even now. He still locked eyes with her and spoke in a gentle tone as he reached for her face and carefully stroked over her cheek to wipe away the singular tear that streamed down her face. He paused for a little moment and watched her expression with teary eyes. “I want to be yours with all of my weaknesses and strengths. I want to become the person that you can always rely on, the one that you can trust with your eyes closed. You never failed to put your unwavering faith in me, and I will become someone that deserves this trust. I cherish you more than anything else in this world, so I will offer you everything that there is to offer. I swear to walk beside you no matter what may happen. To hold your hand in good and bad times, even when we will overcome any obstacles quickly. I will pull you into my arms when you need comfort and when you just wish to be close to me. I will fulfill every single one of your wishes.”

Blanche knew all of that. But even as she just weakly nodded in return, it felt like hearing it now was almost too much.

Theodore was quite affected too. His breath hitched slightly, and he swallowed to regain his composure before continuing. “I, Theodore Estien, vow to be with you until I take my last breath and even after that. I will be whatever you need me to be, but more than anything else, I will be your husband. The one who loves you more than anyone else ever could. I will be on your side without hesitation or doubt and will always support your endeavors. Whichever dangers will reach us, I will protect you. I will make you happy. I swear that on my family name and my own life. We will be together as wife and husband, and our dedication to one another will still be known even after a hundred years. I love you so much that I belong to you in my entirety, and that will never change. This is my vow to Blanche Laister, the woman that brought love into my life and now is the only thing that truly matters to me.”

Normally, emperors would only say a few sentences about the future empresses being their support here, but obviously, it would be different for these lovers. As always, Theodore had overdone it though. There was no way that the emperor could utter such words when the nation should be his priority. Allowing another person to claim possession of him wasn't a good idea either.

But right now, Blanche couldn't even bring herself to complain. She bit the inner side of her cheek hard and gave her best to stay somewhat silent instead of letting sobs wreck her throat. Now it was her turn to speak, and she was glad that she had chosen just as romantic words as he had. She had been worried about being too informal, but it seemed like she had come up with the most fitting words. Now she only needed to deliver them well.

She took a deep breath and stifled the sobs that threatened to come out before beaming at her lover. “I, too, have to admit that my words will never be enough to contain my feelings for you. I love you. These words are so simple, and yet, there is no other way to express it this directly. I could also say that I adore you, that I wish to devote my life to you and that I am yours with every fiber of my being. To me, saying that I love you means all of this and even more. It means that I fell for you when we met and that I still remember looking into your eyes and feeling like I was in a fairy tale. That my heart melted when you pulled me into your arms and that it yet has to return to its original state. It also means that there isn't a single day during which I'm not thinking about you. My thoughts always accompany you, even when we need to be separated for a few minutes. I will always be with you no matter what. I will hold you in my arms and kiss you and take your hands in mine. The situation may be horrible, but I would always stay with you.”

Even after her death. But those grim memories didn't matter today.

Blanche tightened her hold on her lover's hands and looked into his eyes. When he was crying, the blue of his irises reminded her of the sea even more than ever before. She got lost in his eyes for a moment before she forced herself to wake up. She put her hand onto his, which was still resting on her cheek, and gave him a radiant smile. “I wish to be at your side for all eternity. As you your trusted companion, your lover and your wife. I will accompany you on whatever path you wish to walk on in the future and do my best to help you. I will be with you in each and every scenario and support you. You will always be able to rely on me. I want to be your safe haven, just like you are mine. You have given me the stability I needed for years. When we met, you weren't the only one that was saved. The day that I made eye contact with you made it feel like I woke up after sleeping for a long time. I was finally able to feel happiness again.”

She paused and tried to swallow the sobs that had formed in her throat. What was she supposed to do now? It felt like she might be unable to continue speaking completely. If anything went wrong, she wouldn't be able to hide her embarrassment. She didn't want to interrupt her wedding vows because she was crying already. But it seemed like her worries were exaggerated once again.

Theodore seemed to have noticed what was going on. He continued to stroke over her cheek before he slowly moved her hand to his mouth. He kissed the back of her hand gently and thus stalled for time for her. His expression with teary eyes and a slight smile made her knees so weak that she feared that she might collapse.

But Blanche managed to control herself and stood still despite her quivering legs. She focused on inhaling and exhaling for a moment before she continued. “Just like you promised me your life, I wish to offer mine. I have been yours for a long time, and now it will finally be official. We will not settle for anything less. I, Blanche Laister, vow that I will be yours for eternity and will be whatever you need me to be. I want to be your wife, the person that is always with you. I will grant you the support and comfort you need and listen to your problems no matter what they may be. Then I will do my best to take care of those issues to eliminate everything that troubles you. I will deal with every burden that I can take off your shoulder. Not only that, but I also want to show you how much I cherish you each day. I will make you smile and shower you with my affection so that there will never be any doubts among the people around us. I will kiss your worries away and hug you until everything gets better. Like you hold my hand, I will hold yours and reassure you that everything will be fine. We can be certain of that.”

She had almost finished it. Only a few words remained.

Blanche smiled at her lover and squeezed his hands while saying the thing that only the two of them would understand. “Because it will be perfect. We were brought together by something more than coincidence. Our love is strong enough to defeat the laws of this world. There is no way that we will lose to anyone. As long as we trust each other and remember that our love is the most important part of our relationship, we cannot be defeated by anyone. We will crush the people that try to get in between us. We won't allow anyone to harm us. And when we are with each other, doing that will be easy. I swear to cherish you, Theodore Estien, with my whole heart for as long as even a little part of me exists. We will never be apart. I promise you an eternity full of happiness with me. I love you.”

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She had finally done it. She had finished and could stop delaying the inevitable. The tears, which had been pricking in her eyes for minutes, were allowed to roll down her face now. She gave her best to keep her head upright and to cry in a somewhat graceful manner, but the first sob made her give up on that delusion. She definitely wouldn't show the people around her a pretty display if she cried now. A bright smile graced her lips, but her tears would destroy her make-up, and she would barely be able to continue with the ceremony.

She wasn't sure whether this was good, but at least Theodore was as emotional as she was. It was obvious to see that he wanted to kiss her and struggled to hold back. So, he clung to her hands and pressed his lips into a line while looking at her. He tried to stay quiet for a moment before he gave up. “You are perfect. I love you so much.” He brought his hands to his face and bowed forward to press another kiss onto her fingers for the third time today. It wasn't really necessary to do that now when he would have countless chances to kiss her hands in just a few seconds.

One of the servants stepped forward with a navy cushion in his hands. On top of that, a small box sat enthroned. He brought it to the couple and knelt down next to them.

Theodore only looked away for one second to open the box to reveal the rings. His praise after justifying why he needed to buy a third pair for them hadn't been exaggerated. The rings were absolutely gorgeous. The golden rings were adorned with three sapphires, two small ones and the bigger one in the middle. It was easy to see that a masterful jeweler had to have created them.

Blanche couldn't discern too many details through her veil of tears, but at least she was able to recognize that much. And now those rings would be exchanged and prove that she would finally marry Theodore. Just thinking about that made her stomach complain once again.

Thankfully, the priest took over for a short moment now. He stood next to the couple and spoke up in a gentle voice. “The present guests and the witnesses of the gods have heard your vows. May you always keep them in your hearts and never break your promises. To signal that you will not forget what you said here in the temple on this day, you will now exchange a physical reminder. The rings that will always bind you two in a harmonious marriage.”

Theodore didn't hesitate for a second when the priest stopped talking. He immediately took the smaller ring into his hand and gently raised his lover's hand. Then he slowly put on the ring while looking into her eyes. His face was glowing with unrivaled joy as he did that. “I love you. I will never let you go.” As expected, he gave her yet another kiss on her hand before caressing the back of her fingers with his thumb.

Blanche admired how calm he stayed despite crying the whole time. She could barely see anything at this point and feared being unable to put on his ring properly. She blinked as often as she could and was thankful when her lover carefully wiped away some of her tears. By now, her make-up had to be ruined, but she couldn't bring herself to care when Theodore was smiling at her like that. She grinned at him too and turned her head for a moment to pick up his ring. Blanche worried about dropping it, so she was extra careful to keep it between two of her fingers. She didn't want to risk letting it fall onto the floor after all.

Blanche barely wanted to move her hand, so she took some time as she slowly brought it over to her lover. She lifted his hand and put the ring onto his finger with utmost care. Then she interlocked their fingers while giving her best to ignore how quickly her heart was beating. “I love you too, Theo. More than anyone else could ever love.”

Theodore could only beam at her and held both of her hands as if he didn't want to let go anymore. He probably even wouldn't do that if he wasn't forced to so that they could progress with the ceremony.

The high priest smiled at them and spoke up once again. “We have all been witness to the deep loyalty between these two. A bond like this is touching, and we shall all pray for their happiness. Even if all questions regarding their devotion should be answered, this union will have to offer even more than this. The emperor and the empress are not only connected by law. They share countless responsibilities and will always be one another's most important support. They carry the burden of governing Artias and must be able to rely on each other in every situation. Between them, trust is required at all times.” His gaze wandered from the guests to the couple. “Will you swear to trust in one another blindly so that you will take what the other offers without hesitation?”

This question was way too easy once again. Both Theodore and Blanche responded at the same time once again. “Yes.”

“Then so be it.” The priest turned around to the marble table and picked up the two golden chalices that had been standing there. He brought them to the couple and handed one to each. “You may now interlink your fates by exchanging a drink so that you are bound by actions.”

Blanche's hands felt cold when Theodore had to let go of her. Now her fingers were shaking so that she used all of her concentration to keep the chalice upright to avoid spilling the water onto her dress. She was quite grateful that she didn't have red wine here, which would be the usual procedure if they weren't currently considering the option that Blanche might be pregnant. The water certainly wouldn't be too obvious even if she spilled it. She carefully mirrored her lover's movements and lifted the chalice to his mouth while crossing their arms. He was cautious as well, so it took a short moment until they had brought the drink to each other's lips.

Theodore's eyes seemed to stare directly into her soul as they titled the chalices to allow one another to drink. He was so close to her that they might as well have been hugging, which took her breath away. They only had to drink a small sip from the chalices, but it felt like time had been frozen.

The couple just looked at each other while realizing that this was really it. They would finally be married. The concubine's heart pounded in her chest, and it was a wonderful feeling. She seriously considered kissing her lover now already and was barely stopped by the priest's voice in time.

“Your trust has been proven along with your loyalty. Now the last addition is needed.” The priest waited until the couple reluctantly let go and turned to him before he continued in a soft voice. “This may be the most crucial part of a married couple's life. May you always be with each other while being bound by an unconditional and eternal love that is stronger than anything. Even if we all already noticed that you were blessed with the most wonderful connection, please promise it once more. Will you vow to love one another for all eternity and devote your life to each other?”

The response was the same as always. “Yes.”

Theodore grabbed his lover's hand again while they answered. He tried to be careful, but he used more strength than before. It was obvious that he was more nervous than he could ever hide. So, he held her hand tightly while trying not to skip parts of the ceremony.

Luckily, it seemed like the priest was almost done. “Then it is settled. This couple has proven their desire to be wed in front of the gods' eyes enough times. It is time to give the final promise.” He addressed the emperor. “Theodore Estien, do you take Lady Blanche here to be your lawful wife? Do you swear to love her in good and bad times and wish to be her partner for all eternity?”

Theodore turned to his lover again and took both of her hands in his. He looked at her with nothing but pure adoration in his eyes as he said the words that the both of them had longed for ever since they had met. “Yes, I do. I will love her forevermore.”

The concubine almost choked on her own tongue. She was too happy. All of this had felt like a dream that could never become reality for so long. And now she was truly here with tears on her face and Theodore's hands in hers, which reminded her that this wasn't a dream.

They were finally here after having gone through so much. Only the two of them really knew how close they were and how their fates were undeniably interlinked. Now they would finally be connected through marriage as well.

The high priest smiled at the groom's response before turning to the bride. “Lady Blanche, do you take Theodore Estien to be your lawful husband? Do you swear to love him in good and bad times and wish to be his partner until the end of time?”

Blanche nodded even though she hadn't wanted to show her eagerness that much. “Yes, I do. I will be with him for even longer than just the end of time.”

The priest seemed to blink away some tears at that as well. “There is nothing left to ask then. You may now kiss the bride so that you are bound by love.” He didn't need to ask twice.

Theodore pulled his lover closer to him in an instant. He gently brought his hand to the back of her head, which created a contrast to the passionate way that his lips crashed onto hers.

Blanche wrapped her arms around his neck and let go of herself completely. It felt like all the troubles they went through were finally over. Now they would be rewarded for holding on and finding each other even when it should have been impossible.

Their love had finally won. They would have their happy ending, even if this wasn't a novel.

She melted into the kiss and let the tears freely run down her face as her mind could only grasp one thing. How much she loved Theodore. He held her tightly in his arms and kissed her as if their lives depended on it. In some way, they did. They were only complete when the other one was with them. It was wonderful to learn that this world had accepted that and given them another chance. Both of them knew that, and they would never forget it.

Her lover could only cling to her as they came undone in each other's embrace, and for her, it was the same. The faint sound of clapping reminded them that they weren't alone, but they didn't really care.

It took a while until Theodore slowly pulled back to allow them to catch their breath again. But he didn't let go of her and kept her cuddled against his chest.

Blanche was content with that. She could barely stand upright and letting her lover support her was the best way to avoid issues.

The priest waited for a bit but gave up when he saw in which state the couple was. So, he just smiled at them and extended his arms as he spoke to the guests in a booming voice. “With the power that the temple bestowed onto me, I will now pronounce you husband and wife. May the gods bless this union with love, health, luck and prosperity so that it shall spread to all of Artias as well.” He made eye contact with the sobbing bride and continued in a voice that was a bit softer. “From now on, you are known as Blanche Estien. You carry the name of the royal family and are considered a full royal now. As the His Majesty's first wife, you will be the most powerful woman in this nation. In just a few hours, you will be crowned empress and shoulder the greatest responsibility a human could have. You deserve everyone's gratitude for taking on this burden to ensure the nation's well-being. Please remember that the temple will always fully support the royal family. May you have a long life along with your fated partner.” Then the priest addressed the guests again. “You may now congratulate the newlywed couple so that they may have the blessing of the gods and the humans and can rely on their loyal subjects' support as well.”

It only took a short moment before the guests stood up and clapping filled the room.