When Nikolai looked into the prophetic fire he saw the same thing he had seen years ago. Lunia Grey holding his spawn in her arms. He had breathed a sign of relief.
So he had done the right thing after all. He had made everything back to normal by marrying Lunia. He never imagined being happy by seeing her holding his child. But he was. Relieved, at least.
Also annoyed now.
The misfit had tried to blow away the image. Nikolai was pretty sure that she had seen the same thing he had. And she did not want it.
Overall she was making plans to kill him.
That'll happen. In La La Land.
Nikolai reminded himself to be cautious at all times. She could try anything. As they stepped off from the dias. He kept his gaze fixed on her, knowing that she must have felt his glower on her.
The demons called to the ceremony started clapping once Nikolai sent them a dark look. What a wedding, he has to order his people to be present for it and has to order them to clap from him.
A demon helper came forward with the traditional black ribbon. It was a helper. Because the Priest refused to introduce a vampire to our traditions.
The helper had on a forced smile. "Now, with the blessings of the Oracles, I shall crown you both King and Queen of the demon city of Ilm in the Relm of Dinhae. " He said, and came forward to Nikolai's right hand and Lunia's left hand together.
"You shall not sever this bond until it is a bond complete of body and soul. You shall not try to sever the then complete bond between body and soul. You shall not let others sever the bond between your body and soul. Repeat." He said.
Nikolai and Lunia repeated the words. He thought he heard Lunia's once crack but he refused to believe that something so small like a stupid imaginary bond would affect her. It certainly did not affect him.
Even the helper did not expect them to follow these simple rule. He was just following protocol. It was stupid. Just a bunch of words no one would even remember after this day.
"This bond shall remain between you till the day you are claimed by the earth. Anyone objects?" He asked aloud.
"No objections." The crowd chorused, in demon tongue.
The helper looked unsatisfied by that but proceeded anyway. He put his hand on the black ribbon, careful not to touch Lunia's hand.
He chanted in demon tongue for a while. Some old lamentation, Nikolai did not pay attention. He was really hungry and the splitting headache from last night's hangover wasn't helping. He sneaked a peek at Lunia.
She looked deep in thought and kept staring at their entwined hands. Nikolai let his thumb stroke the back of her hand. He met his eyes.
Stormy grey to forest green.
She looked so beautiful in his mother's white gown. Her white hair up in an elegant bun with some curls spiling out and her makeup perfected.
She was fucking beautiful. Nikolai wanted to ravage her as soon as he saw her stand beside him. He still wanted to, no matter her thoughts of killing him.
He wondered how she found him. In his demon form as was tradition. Maybe she was disgusted with him. He hated having horns. And that tail. Warrior demons were not supposed to have tails. They were a sign of weakness. Your enemy could easily step on your tail while in battle. And Nikolai hated people stepping on his tail.
And his horns. All male demons sawed off their horns at the age of thirteen, some weird ancestral tradition for the coming of age. The horns were the most pleasurable spot other than the manhood. Male demons were to saw off their horns to prove that they were ready for the life of hardships and not pleasure.
Nikolai's mother had prohibited this tradition for her children.
"The horns are very important for a incubus. Neither of my sons will go through this stupid tradition." And Afonos being the simpering idiot he was for Feofin permitted it.
So Nikolai's horns were never cut off. He was ridiculed among his friends. And elder warriors refused to train him.
Nikolai's father had trained him himself. Today he was the strongest of all demons. The most respected of all.
Nobody laughing or ridiculed him anymore.
But he still hated feeling any lesser then the others.
"When the power invested in me I now proclaim you husband and wife." The universal sentence was said by the helper. Dimitri came and stood in front of me, beside the helper and his wife, Alicia stood in front of Lunia, on the other side of the helper.
"Nikolai Shizkov, Son of Afonos Shizkov and Feofin Shizkov, brother of Dimitri Shizkov and Alexei Shizkov, Brother in law of Alicia Shizkov and Lucelle Shizkov, I now proclaim you official King of the land of Ilm. "
Cheers broke out in the chapel. Demons clapped and shouted. The crow was place on my head, between my arching horns. Dimitri bowed and clapped me on my back twice. "Congratulations, brother. " He said, genuine pride shining in his eyes.
The helper then cleared his throat and looked nervously at Lunia. She licked her lips, looking equally nervous.
"Lunia Vel Miorisi, Daughter of Hanes Valor and...." He faltered. Nikolai glared at him as Lunia looked down at the flowers she was still holding in her free hand.
The helper swallowed uneasily. "I now proclaim you official Queen of the land of Ilm."
There were no cheers for Lunia as the crown was placed on her head. Nikolai did not order his people to cheer this time. He knew they wouldn't.
The Miorisi was not welcomed.
Nikolai looked at the crowd of his people as the helper and his brother moved away. He was officially crowned now.
He felt pride fill him as he walked towards the door, his head held high and his wife at his side, somewhere along the way, everyone started clapping for them. Or for him specifically.
This was just the ceremony.
And now, the real Wedding begins.