Indeed, the two mates had a quick session of pleasure in which Hades might have gone a bit overboard, enough that Artemis was now struggling to hold his weight up with jelly-like legs. But he didn't regret one second of it.
Hades put his soldier green shirt on, leather jacket, and dark navy blue jeans. He slid his feet into black combat boots and tried untangling his hair as much as possible. Meanwhile, Artemis only needed to change into his white tunic and white flats.
"Ready?" Hades asked when he finished dressing himself.
"It's a little odd we're getting married when neither of us proposed." Artemis looked to the side with a slight blush as he rubbed his left arm.
"I can fix that."
Artemis perked up as Hades walked to his side of the bed and reached inside one of the drawers in the nightstand. He pulled out a a small black box and Artemis looked excitedly between the box and Hades.
Hades knelt down on one knee and showed Artemis the inside of the box. Artemis gasped in surprise at the shiny, thin golden ring with a fiery ruby as the diamond in the center.
"Artemis Lyra," Hades spoke, looking up at his mate, and holding his left hand. "Will you do me the honor of becoming my loving husband and king consort of Lamia?"
Artemis smiled wide and his eyes were prickled with tears.
"Yes Hades! Yes!" He replied and Hades smiled as he slid the ring on his finger and kissed his hand.
They embraced tightly before finally leaving the comfort of the lakehouse.
It was probably midnight when Hades and Artemis arrived to Lamia and the palace. As soon as they entered, they were met by Hades' brothers who roughly tackled him to the ground.
"YOU GOT OWNED! YOU GOT TAMED!" They mocked as they playfully wrestled each other.
The three Crows laughed hysterically and Artemis awkwardly stood looking at the scene.
"Artemis!" He heard the queen call his name and he turned to her.
"Queen Crow, sorry for the intrusion. Should I be worried about this?" Artemis greeted and pointed at Hades and his brothers on the ground.
"Oh no don't fret, sweetheart, and no need to apologize. This is your home after all now. Tonight you will became part of our royal family. Let's dispose of the formalities please, just call me Astrid."
"Oh, thank you for welcoming me, Astrid. How did you know I'm becoming part of your royal family?"
"Honey, I can smell Hades on you. Not to mention the bite mark and your new appearance are clear signs." Astrid laughed.
"Right yes!" Artemis scratched the back of his head. "I'm still trying to wrap my head around vampire things."
"Don't you worry Artemis, you will get used to it in due time. If you have any questions just ask Hades or me, we know all about our species."
Hades was finally allowed to get up and Erebus punched his arm one last time.
"Mother." Hades greeted smiling.
"Oh, my son." She exclaimed tearfully and hugged him. "I am so proud of you Hades. You've come a long way and chosen a worthy mate. I wish you two the best of blessings on your marriage and life."
"Thank you mom."
Erebus and Ares approached Artemis who impulsively took a step back.
"Why'd you do that for?" Ares questioned Artemis.
"Last time you two got near me I was kidnapped and about to be marked against my will!" Artemis argued.
"Well there's no more of that, you're bonded to Hades. You reek of him, it's fucking disgusting."
"If there's one thing vampires respect it's the bonds of each one." Erebus placed an arm around Artemis.
Hades involuntarily snarled and pulled Artemis to him, wrapping protective arms around him.
"You two ought to know better than to get the near the submate of a recently bonded royal man." Astrid pointed at Erebus and Ares. "He'll rip your arms out, no questions asked for real this time."
"Haha, he's like a guard dog!" Ares chuckled and taunted Hades in the face with his finger. "Aw, does the guard dog want to run on a leash with his master?"
Hades snapped his jaw to bite off Ares' finger but he withdrew it barely in time.
"Chill bro! I'm just messing around!" Ares screeched. "You almost ripped my precious "fuck you" finger."
"Well I'm not!" Hades frowned and tilted his head, still holding Artemis.
"H-Hades, you might want to loosen up your grip." Artemis struggled.
"Oh shit! Sorry!" Hades loosened his arms and Artemis breathed properly again. "Sorry sorry, I didn't mean to squeeze so hard."
"I'm okay." Artemis smiled and coughed a bit.
"We must prepare the wedding ceremony at once! There's only hours left before dawn." Astrid hurried away to the staircase before disappearing in the shadows.
"Who's gonna be your best man, Hades?" Erebus walked forward and Ares did the same.
"Probably your handsomest brother right?" Ares made finger guns and held his chin, giving a dazzling smile.
"Oh thank you for choosing me Hades!" Erebus clapped his hands together.
"Fuck off, dickhead! He's not gonna pick you! You're an ugly mole!"
"Says the fuckboy that got stuck in high school! At least I grew a pair somewhere along the way!"
"Your balls are smaller than mine, the fuck are you talking about?!" Ares pointed at Erebus' groin.
"No they're not!" Erebus retorted.
"Bet!"
"BET!"
They held their pants about to drop them and Artemis covered his eyes.
"Okay you two STOP! Nobody wants to see two pairs of limes!" Hades separated them.
"TWO PAIRS OF LIMES?! SAYS WHO!!" Erebus and Ares turned to Hades.
"Like it or not, I have more balls than you two combined."
Hades, Erebus, and Ares held each other by the collars of their shirts, angrily bickering over who had the largest testicles.
"Oh Luna." Artemis groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Am I marrying into a family of idiots?"
"ARTEMIS!" The three brothers whipped their heads to Artemis who jumped.
"Tell them how big mine are!" Hades demanded.
"Um, w-well I like them . . . th-they're quite large I guess." Artemis stuttered.
"Ha! Suck on that bitches!"
"Nuh uh! He's biased! He's only seen your sorry excuse for a dick and balls!" Ares shook his head. "He doesn't count!"
"Okay if he compared all of us, would the answer be legit?!" Hades asked them.
"Yes!" Erebus and Ares replied.
"Hades!" Artemis shouted in disbelief at his new fiance.
"What?" Hades asked and then realized what he said. "Dammit, sorry Arty. You two fuck off already! I'll pick Ares then."
"Why him!?!" Erebus complained and Ares mocked him as he laughed.
"I don't know he was in my line of sight! Alright fine, Erebus you be my best man."
"Haha!" Erebus pointed at Ares who had his mouth hung open, and flipped him off.
"You can't change your mind once you decide asshole! You picked me first!" Ares jabbed a finger in Hades' chest.
Artemis grumbled and stepped away from the scene. It seemed the three Crows would be going at it for a while, so he decided to get some silence in Hades' room.
As he went up the main stairs and picked a hallway to go into, he had to ask the servants for directions on getting to Hades' room. But the castle was so large and the hallways so similar Artemis wound up lost anyway.
Artemis couldn't help but feel out of place here. He didn't know the servants or the castle, and he was a foreigner here even if he was on his way to becoming their species. These thoughts made him miss his home briefly.
"Mind if I walk with you, your majesty?" Artemis heard the familiar voice of his handmaid.
"Dia?" Artemis turned around to see her face. "Dia! What are you doing here?! How did you find me!"
Artemis hugged her tightly, relieved to have a familiar face here. He then thought of a reason she might be here and stepped back cautiously.
"Don't worry your highness, I'm not here to take you back to Sapphire. I'm here to join you, if you will allow me to." Dia smiled.
"How did you find the kingdom though? Hades said only vampires knew . . . where . . ." Artemis trailed off. "Hold on a second, are you--?"
"Indeed your majesty, I am a vampire hybrid." Dia confirmed.
"How?! How could you live in Sapphire! You didn't look like a vampire, you looked like an elf."
"Perhaps I should tell you while we find the king's bed chamber."
As they walked, it dawned on Artemis that Dia actually looked different here. Her red hair was wavy and her body certainly looked more carefully sculpted. She had bright emerald eyes now and also fangs in her mouth.
As they passed hallways and staircases, she told Artemis her story.
It turned out, Dia was a lot older than she seemed to be. She was actually over a few centuries old, older than Hades was, but she barely looked thirty in Sapphire and here.
She confessed that she was the only child of the third prince of Sapphire and a female vampire. The rumors she had told Artemis were what the rest of the kingdom knew, but she knew differently.
The Prince had indeed been turned into a vampire and became mated to his lover. They had a baby whom they named Diamante Regulus, but the elders found out about this relationship and killed the prince. Her father protected his wife and child with his life, but because of the absence of her mate, Dia's mother had to make a decision.
While she cared for Dia in Lamia, she could feel her sanity slipping as the effects of the broken mate bond. She didn't want to ever hurt her, so she returned to Sapphire to abandon her in an orphanage. Because of her elf lineage and her birth in Sapphire, Dia was able to appear like a full fledged elf, even with the crystalline aspect.
She was raised as an elf and trained to become a maid in the castle. She only knew of her true roots through a letter her mother left with her.
"When you lost your parents, I couldn't help but see my younger self in you." Dia told Artemis. "You were so young, so fragile, and already being forced to mature quickly. No one was able to raise me like a parent would, so I took it upon myself to do that for you. Because I became the only person you trusted as a child, I was automatically named your handmaid. I considered, and still consider you my child Prince Artemis."
"I am sorry to hear that Dia." Artemis replied as they walked through a hall. "And . . . I do in fact consider you my mother too Dia."
"It is alright your majesty. In the end, I was able to travel undetected to Lamia once and got to meet my mate. His name is Cassius Knight, and we have two beautiful children. Because of my position in Sapphire and my care for you, I couldn't be here often, but I sent letters to him and my children every night. I am happy that now I may spend my life with them."
A short pause followed before Artemis asked:
"Did you ever know about me and Hades? Before now."
"I suspected when you first asked if there's ever been a Prince who contacted a vampire." Dia recalled with a mischievous smirk. "Mind you, I thought you were only involved with a vampire. I never expected that it was the king of vampires. However, once you two started spending nights together, I was well aware of what happened."
"Oh no. God, I'm so embarrassed about that Dia. I'm so sorry."
"It's okay your highness, I know the feeling. But I was well aware of your relationship by the time the Princess of Ezamore started appearing in Sapphire. It wasn't just because of your nocturnal activities, but also because vampires can sense life forces and approximate who they belong to. Royal vampires have strong life forces, so I guessed you were involved with a member of the royal family."
They reached the door of Hades' room and Dia playfully whispered:
"I commend you on your choice, your majesty. He is indeed the most handsome of the bunch and with the best husband-material."
"Oh I know!" Artemis chuckled. "Thank you for coming here Dia. It gives me such relief to know I am not alone here."
"You haven't forgotten me have you?" Hades appeared out of nowhere and pouted.
"Of course not Hades." Artemis smiled happily when Hades hugged him.
Dia bowed in the presence of the king and Hades said:
"There's no need for that Dia. Thank you for taking care of Artemis all this time, for all you've done for him. I would be honored if you could remain his handmaid here."
"Of course I will, your majesty." Dia beamed. "Shall I help you Prince Artemis get ready for the wedding?"
"Yes." Artemis replied.
Hades faced him and tucked a hair behind his ear as he kissed his forehead.
"I will see you at the altar my love." Hades caressed his face.
"Until then." Artemis smiled, feeling excitement butterflies rise in his stomach.
Hades left them so his mate would get ready and he went to do the same in a guest room in the far side of the hallway from his own room.
Artemis was readied in the span of an hour. The final product was him dressed in a long black and silver wedding gown with a tail that extended behind him. The shirt of the dress was sleeveless and revealed his shoulders along with the cleavage of his chest. Silky black gloves were placed on his arms and a thin veiled mantle was draped over him. The area around his collarbone was adorned with three necklaces with onyx stones in different lengths, a choker on his throat.
His hair was parted in the middle and done into a bun with half of his extensive hair loose. In the bun, a comb underneath held his long veil and two hairpins protruded from the front end.
Before departing the room, Dia added black liner to his eyes and placed a veil over his nose and mouth. The prince was now ready to be wedded to the King of Lamia.
Downstairs, a large chapel was filled with the nobles of the kingdom and subjects. The rogue carpet extended from the double doors all the way to the altar where the queen was ready to marry the couple and pronounce Artemis king consort.
Hades was standing on the right, anxiously waiting for the arrival of his mate.
He was dressed in the royal regalia of the king for the first time in ten years. His undershirt was black and there was a royal blue coat over him that had matte golden embroidery. His legs were covered by a pair of tight fitting black pants, and his feet with matching shoes.
For once in his entire life after being crowned, Hades wore the crown his father once did. It was an intricate golden headpiece with different types of jewels in patterns of red, blue, and clear.
At his side, stood both his brothers also dressed for the occasion. Each one had a ring on a cushion that belonged to Hades and Artemis.
Hades' heart pounded when he heard the church organ play the Canon in D, signaling Artemis was about to emerge from the doors.
The people stood up and looked at the entrance. Finally, the double doors swung open and Dia walked in first, accompanied by her husband, and holding the crown that would belong to Artemis.
Hades' eyes landed and illuminated on Artemis, everything melting away. He walked in, holding a bouquet of black roses and white lillies, the train of his dress being held by Dia's children behind him.
Hades couldn't hold it back and he smiled as tears of happiness formed in his eyes. He chuckled tearfully with a hand covering his face, and the vampires clapped for Artemis and he also began smiling tearfully.
Everything that ever happened to him, everything they went through was worth this moment. Nothing was a better ending this very second.
Artemis reached Hades at his side and they stood facing each other.
"You look so beautiful." Hades smiled and his voice broke a little.
"Thank you." Artemis wiped a tear from his face. "You look so handsome."
They looked at Hades' mother and nodded and she began the ceremony.
"Dearly beloved," she started. "We are gathered here to celebrate the union in marriage of my son, King Hades Crow of Lamia with the Prince Artemis Lyra of Sapphire. Their union will forever hold the legacy that love has no bounds. No matter who you are or where you live, true love will always reach those it is meant to. Tonight, we pronounce them man and husband. Will the ring bearers step up please?"
Ares and Erebus went to stand in front of Hades and Artemis at their cue.
"You cried like a baby." Ares snickered at Hades.
Astrid wrapped two connected loops of gold and sapphires around the couple and handed them the rings.
"Will the king please start with his vows." Astrid motioned a hand at Hades.
"Artemis Lyra," Hades began and Artemis smiled immediately. His emotions surged inside him, and he made a soft smile as he spoke from the heart:
"In my life, I never once thought I could meet someone as amazing and bright as you. Even without a bond, your presence always made me happy and brought out emotions I thought I'd lost. You changed the way I see myself and the world for the better, and I will thank you for the rest of my life. Though I used to question all the time why things happen the way they do, with you . . . I didn't care why. Meeting you was an accident, but every other time after that was a choice. I didn't want the answer of why we met, I wanted to find it out with you. So, as the highest expression of love I know Artemis, I want to commit to you for eternity and give you a part of my soul."
Hades slid the wedding ring on Artemis's slender finger and smiled brightly. Artemis was in tears from the beautiful vows Hades said, and he sobbed quietly.
"Now you, Prince Artemis." Astrid inhaled tearfully.
"Hades Crow," Artemis cleared his throat from the tears. "Growing up, I always had a sense of conformity. Change was a stranger to me, and I never had anything to make me desire it. Even when we first met, I was scared, terrified of what being with you meant. I didn't want to change anything because even if I wasn't happy, I wasn't in distress. Meeting you brought me the greatest stress of my life, and I was a fool for failing to see how worth it it would be. You're a change I wanted to fight for, a reason to not let my life grow dull. I love you more than I can ever express, and I vow, to stay by your side for the rest of our lives."
Artemis placed the ring on Hades and exhaled, watching him smile warmed up his heart.
"Hades Crow, do you take Artemis Lyra to be your lawfully wedded husband, both in sickness and in health?" Astrid asked Hades.
"I do." Hades replied looking directly at Artemis and holding his hands.
"Artemis Lyra, do you take Hades Crow to be your lawfully wedded husband, both in sickness and in health?"
"Yes, I do." Artemis smiled.
"If there are no objections to the union of these men, then by the power vested in me, I pronounce you man and husband." Astrid declared. "You may lift the veil from the groom and kiss him, King Crow."
Hades carefully removed the veiled facemask from Artemis's face and brought his face to his own. Their lips finally connected and the kingdom rejoiced and cheered for the new couple.
"Now, Prince Artemis Crow." Astrid looked at Artemis and the crowd settled. "Would you please step here and face the kingdom?"
Artemis stepped onto the altar and faced the multitude. He felt Astrid place a golden medallion around him that had a crescent moon and the symbol of Lamia etched into a large ruby in the space. She stood in front of him holding a crystal orb with a purple mist inside it, and a golden scepter.
"Prince Artemis Crow, do you willingly, with no outside pressures, accept to become King consort Artemis Crow of the Kingdom of Lamia?" Astrid questioned.
"Yes, I do." Artemis spoke clearly.
"Will you partake in our customs, religion, and swear to lead the kingdom beside our king with the best interest of the vampire race in mind?"
"Yes, I will partake in your customs and religion. I swear to lead the kingdom alongside the king with the vampire race's best interest in mind."
She placed the orb and scepter in his hands and then his crown on his head.
"By the power vested in me as Queen of Lamia, I now pronounce thee Artemis Crow as King consort of Lamia." She pronounced.
Everyone except Hades and Astrid bowed and said a collective: "we pledge our allegiance to the crown."
The purple mist now glowed as an intense white and it was now approved by Luna herself that Artemis was to become king consort of Lamia.
The celebration afterward the ceremony was brief, as that was the tradition. Artemis didn't mind it at all as now he just wished to spend every moment with Hades.
At the moment, they were in the balcony looking at the northern mountains and enjoying the view of the stars bathed by the glow of Northern lights. Hades was hugging Artemis from behind, shielding him from the cool breeze.
"This is my idea of a perfect life." Artemis smiled as the light was reflected in his eyes.
"It's only perfect because I have you in it." Hades kissed his cheek.
Artemis turned around and held his face as they kissed. He barely pulled away so only the tips of their noses touched and whispered:
"I would have never believed it if a person had said to me, the night I met you in the forest, was the night I would meet my future husband."
"I thought I would never change my mind about never having a mate, if I had known back then that I would miss out on this, I would've taken it back a lot sooner." Hades whispered back.
They withdrew inside their new room and enjoyed each other both as mates and husbands. They didn't rush or do it roughly, today, all that mattered was feeling their connections.
Physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.
"I love you Hades." Artemis sighed as Hades kissed his chest.
"I love you more Artemis." Hades brushed his thumb over his cheek before leaning in, and sealing their eternal promise with their lips.