"I, Aiden, take you, Adanne, to be my lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part."

"I, Adanne, take you, Aiden, to be my lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part."

The two stood on the balcony and said their vows before the crowd, which erupted into applause and cheers as they sealed their commitment with a passionate kiss. The sun shone brightly as unbelievable noise filled the air as the public chanted over and over. "LONG LIVE THE KING!" "LONG LIVE THE QUEEN!"

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

Aiden opened his eyes, looking at the ceiling, which was brightly lit by the sunlight. Thinking of yesterday, he couldn't help but smile and turn over, replaying the events of last night in his mind. He turned over to see his new wife, but was met with an empty bed. He got up promptly, looked around, and only saw two servant girls waiting at the door with jars of warm water.

"Where is the Queen?"

"To answer your majesty, her majesty is in the private garden."

He relaxed a bit, knowing she was still in the palace. He got up to quickly get ready so he could come and join her for breakfast.

An hour later, his footsteps interrupted the rhythmic 'thumps' coming from the baracks. He sped up, his heart rising to his throat as he felt nervous. He wondered what she was wearing, what her hair was like, and if she was tired from last night. Was she satisfied with him? His thoughts only came to a halt once he arrived at the large open archways leading to the private garden reserved for members of the royal family only. His breathing stopped as he saw her arms raise a large battle axe with ease as it landed on what looked like a wooden dummy, cutting the head clean off with minimal resistance. After the decapitated wooden head landed on the floor, rolling under a rose bush, she stopped. With laboured breaths, her arms gave way, dropping the large axe to the ground. She stood up as Lilian rushed to her with a bowl of cold water and a cloth to wipe her face with.

"You're getting better with that; you can probably move on after another month." Her voice was casual and free, her eyes darting over the maids waiting to the side with petrified eyes. They stood stiffly as an uncomfortable silence settled over the court.

Seeing this, Aiden snapped back to his senses and let out a light cough, drawing the girl's attention to him.

Anne's face lit up, seeing her newlywed stepping onto the courtyard dressed majestically in red robes, with his left arm holding the train from his cape and his sash adorned with numerous medals. She noticed she was wearing rather plain clothes in contrast—a pair of brown leather pants and a cotton shirt. Still, she bowed in respect with the maids, who kneeled to the floor to greet the king.

It was custom for servants to not speak unless spoken to, so the maids remained on their knees on the floor while she straightened her back and ran to him with a beaming smile.

"What brings you here, my Lord?" Her voice was sweet, like honey in his ears. His heart eased, and his muscles relaxed.

"I didn't think you'd be the type to have such interesting hobbies."

She didn't comment but instead excused herself to get dressed. She knew today was going to be important; she just wanted to start it off with some adrenaline.

She was dressed to be his counterpart; she too was adorned in a bright white dress and a gold sash, but instead of medals, all she had were embroidered flowers. Her crown from yesterday was replaced with a less dazzling one, perfect for official events. She was adorned with a red cape, but this time in the form of two elegant silk scarves flowing gracefully behind her. She was taken to Aiden, who waited for her in her parlour, his cheeks flushing at the site of her, the Queen of Veinna.

"My wife is beautiful."

He said it with a small chuckle, giving her his arm to hold. She hugged his arm close and, with a coy smile, replied, "I know."

In the private dining room belonging to the royal family, guards were stationed in anticipation as a handful of guests sat around the long, ornate table. They sat in silence, mainly ignoring each other, as they anxiously awaited the arrival of the royal couple. A woman sat at the end of the table, nervous. Her hands scrunched her beautiful baby blue dress under the table as she took a few nervous glances at the entrance and then at the young woman, who calmly sat with a traditional hand fan covering her face. She sat next to an elderly man dressed formally in a dark blue sash, branding his numerous medals and accomplishments. He towered over the delicate woman next to him; he had a stern face with his head of white combed back smartly. He looked like a man bred on the battle ground, his face covered with a few faded scars and his neck with a large, hideous scar going straight across.

They sat across a young man who had an uncanny resemblance to the elderly man, the same tall muscular stature and a black military uniform with a dark blue sash. He had significantly fewer medals, but he still gave off a mildly dangerous aura. His stern eyes looked at the grandfather clock adjacent to him at the end of the room.

The young woman with the handfan looked at the young girl sitting at the end of the table and ticked in anger. "For god's sake, dear, stop fidgeting; it's giving me a head ache." She said it sharply, forcing the girl to jolt up and stare at her like a deer in headlights.

"I-I," she stuttered, smoothing out her dress.

"Don't frighten her anymore than you've already done." The young man said it with a scoff, fixing his black hair back into place. "You know she's a timid little thing; don't put anymore pressure on her."

"Hpmh!" The lady pulled up her fan closer to her face. She glanced at her husband next to her, but he did not comment, so she smiled to herself. The young girl in blue couldn't help but feel a sense of disappointment at the man's indifference to her disposition. The room descended into silence once more.

After an undefined amount of time, the entrance door was pushed open, and the four stood up to receive the couple. As they stood in reception, the King walked in, his blonde hair resting on his back, with a shorter woman holding his arm with a simple smile on her face. The four at the table bowed without a word until Aiden stood at the head of the table. He looked at the girl in a blue dress at the end of the table. The family did not dare look up, but the girl shook under his obvious gaze.

"Please sit, Duke, Duchess."

"Yes, your Majesty." The Duke replied, and his family straightened their backs but remained standing as they waited for the couple to sit.

The Duchess pulled out her fan to cover her amused expression as she watched the King look strangely at the girl sitting at the other end of the table.

"Oh my, I deeply apologise to your highness. It seems there has been a mistake." The Duchess had a lulling voice, drawing the group's attention. Anne's smile widened. She clung tightly to Aiden without saying anything. There was another woman in her seat, but she had no plans to fight this battle. "Get out of there, you silly child!" She scowled at the girl harshly, making her jump up and stand out of the seat immediately. "Tsk, this girl is normally very smart; I don't know what came over her today." The Duchess carried on with an exasperated sigh.

Aiden pulled out the chair at the head of the table, and Anne took her seat while he walked to the other end by the large portrait of the late King and sat at his seat. He stood across the now-empty chair from the girl in blue. "Who is she?"

"She's a girl I adopted while you were away." This time it was the Duke who spoke, his voice deep and raspy, sending shivers down Anne's spine. She turned to look at the girl, who stood stiffly with her head down, not daring to look directly at Aiden, and she felt a bit amused. The girl's fear was palpable; it felt like she would burst into tears at any moment. "Go and sit next to your brother." The Duke said it curtly, and she scurried to sit next to the black-haired man who scoffed, looking away from her.

"Discipline your children more; I understand you're getting old, so this was unavoidable." Aiden said with a sigh, sitting down. Anne watched him carefully. With the delicate relationships in this court, she only had a general idea, but seeing it in person felt quite exhilarating.

'What was the point of sitting in my chair? To belittle me? To grab his attention? Witchcraft?'

Even Anne had to laugh at her own thoughts. What would a young Veinnan girl know about witchcraft? She mused at her own thoughts internally, maintaining the same vapid smile when facing the Duke's family.

The others sat down, and dinner was served without issue. They ate in silence as per the custom, with the Duke only speaking after the plates had been cleared and replaced with tea. He took his left-over wine cup and stood up, hitting his teaspoon against the side of the glass cup to draw everyone's attention.

"Your Majesty, I want to congratulate you again on your marriage. You have obtained a stunning jewel. May you obtain many more stunning gems in the future."

Anne's eye twitched, but she still said nothing. Aiden smiled politely, raised his own cup, and took a sip to accept his toast. Anne watched the Duchess, who once again raised her fan to her face, and her gaze seemed to land on the girl in the blue dress across from her. The girl, seeing this, grabbed her wine cup and stood up slowly, and finally Anne could see the face of the timid mouse that had been facing the floor all day. The mouse turned out to be a siren.

She had straight platinum blonde hair, grey eyes, and plump pink lips; her face had a red flush, and her eyes were big and watered her thin frame, making her seem delicate. Her dress was plain in contrast, but it was impossible to pay attention to the dress. Anne tensed; her eyes immediately darted to Aiden, but seeing his expression, she relaxed.

'Well, I expected this, but it's still interesting to experience.'

Anne pretended not to notice and instead raised her teacup to her mouth to hide her laughter. As she took a sip, she couldn't help but admire Aiden's ability to keep a straight face.

The siren finally spoke.

"I want to toast you, your majesty, for putting your country before all else! You are a valiant king!"

Anne's eyes twitched again. Her voice was so sweet and playful, but her compliments were too backhanded. The siren watched Aiden with enthusiasm. Aiden grabbed his wine glass, but this time instead of drinking, he swirled his drink.

"Remind me, what is your name?"

"Deborah, your Majesty!"

"Oh, I see. You may sit down."

Deborah paused, uncertain; his tone was cordial, so she thought for a moment that she had misheard him.

"..Your Majesty?"

"I said you may sit down."

Abrupt coughs pierced through the hall, and everyone turned to Anne, who quickly grabbed her handkerchief to cover her mouth. She stood up and was quickly escorted out of the hall. Deborah watched in confusion; she turned to see Aiden still looking at his teacup with his eyes hidden from their view, leaving them unable to gauge his reactions.

"Your Majesty, is the Queen okay?"

"She's fine." This time, his voice sounded more strained as he struggled to contain his laughter, which only added to their confusion.