Daniel grumbled as he held his arms out to the side, while several attendants wrapped him in his ceremonial wedding attire. Shouldn’t this be more something the bride has to deal with? He thought, glancing down at the multiple layers of cumbersome clothing being placed on him. There were still a lot of things to prepare for, in order to prevent war with the Visoth. But this wedding, HIS wedding, was incredibly important. Not just for him, of course, but for the overall confidence of the people. He shook his head at the thought. I have followers now, for some damn reason people are saying I’m something I’m not.

  “My Lord, does that feel comfortable?” An attendant asked, tightening a sash she had wrapped around his waist.

  Daniel noted the tight fit, but shrugged with indifference. “It feels fine.”

  “Wonderful.” She breathed, and stood to start straightening out any stray wrinkles that might have formed on his blouse. “That should just about do it, my Lord.”

  The door to his quarters opened and Nasha strode in and crossed her arms before him. “Well, I can’t say I’m surprised.” She grinned, “you look very handsome, Daniel. Poor Avria won’t know what to do with herself.”

  Daniel ignored her comment but nodded to her in acknowledgment of her arrival.

  “I’ve been sent to see if there is anything else you need during your final preparations.” She straightened, looking him over again. “The ceremony will be starting shortly.”

  “I’m fine here.” Daniel said through a grimace, wincing as the attendant tightened the sash again. “I’ll be out there on time, don’t worry.”

  “It’s not me you have to worry about Daniel; It’s Avria who will kill you if you’re late.”

  Daniel turned his palms up and shrugged again. “I’m not in control of how soon this damn monkey suit gets finished.”

  “He will be ready in time, my Lady.” The attendant said, smiling cheerfully. “There is no cause for concern.”

  Nasha narrowed her eyes at her incredulously, but spun around to leave while saying in an exasperated voice. “Very well~”

  True to the attendant’s words, Daniel was ready on time. He was led through the halls of the palace to one of the side exits to the large courtyard, where the ceremony would take place. The closer he got to the opening, the louder the chorus of voices became. Daniel winced at the sudden invasive glare of the sun above. The myriads of voices quieted as he strode out, flanked by several attendants and guards. A cacophony of instruments erupted as pleasant music caused his heart to race.

  The palace courtyard was packed to the brim with noble Dae from every clan in Eleutheros. Hegos, Lords, Ladies, Kings, and Queens all sat in the packed quarter, silently waiting for Daniel to make his way to the front. Under a massive archway, on a raised platform, High King Alektor and several of his council members stood, watching him intently.

  Daniel breathed heavily, channeling his Dunamis through his body to bring his nerves under control. Here we go. He thought, stepping forward with determination. He had never seen himself as a married man, or a family man back home. The war had torn any notion of purity from his mind, and left him a somber husk. But here he was, raised up by grace and forgiveness, saved from the despair of a hopeless warrior, haunted by the visions of deeds and darkness he wished to forget. Every step he took in the cumbersome garb was awkward, but his indifferent expression beamed confidence… or at least he hoped it did.

  Daniel bowed at the waist as he came to stand before Alektor, who bowed slightly in return. The High King was clad in an elaborate royal cloak, decorated with sashes and chains of bone and gold. His head was adorned with a simple crown however, displaying his humble nature beneath all the extravagance.

  Daniel turned to face the countless attendees packed in the courtyard; when he did so, an eruption of applause and cheers drowned out the music. This lasted nearly a minute, before the music changed and Daniel’s heart leapt into his throat.

  Avria strode through the main door of the palace, flanked by dozens of noble ladies and maidens who held flowers and strange looking spears. She was adorned in a flowing gown of white and crimson, that was being held by half a dozen maidens due to its immense size. Upon her head was a veil that covered her face completely, and in her hands, she held a bouquet of flowers that matched the white and crimson of her attire.

  Daniel was stunned at the elaborate dress, and the full weight of the moment began to crush him as though he were ten miles beneath the surface of the ocean. He controlled himself, of course, doing his best to express confidence and strength. But within, he was a maelstrom of thoughts and emotions. Tighten it up, he thought, clenching his teeth. Before he could blink, she had made it to the platform, and a moment later, turned to face him before Alektor. He looked into the faceless veil of his bride, then, two maidens beside her each lifted it by the corners of the fabric and brought it over her head, revealing her stunning features.

  Avria’s golden eyes fixed on him, roiling with barely restrained emotions. None of that took away from her beauty. Her face was one of perfection in his eyes, stern, but loving and complex. It mirrored every moment of his journey with her up to this point. As he looked upon her, he saw the anger and resentment that he felt at the start, turn into the affection and love that had blossomed in their place. A faint crease etched her mouth as she held back a smile. He mirrored the expression, continuing to behold her, unable to turn away.

  “Lords, and Ladies!” Alektor began, pulling Daniel back to the moment. “Kings, and Queens of Eleutheros! Today, we see ourselves… once again brought together with the promise of eternal companionship and love. A promise that stands as a pillar of inspiration to all Dae in Pelemont… and a promise from the great spirits themselves… that our world is not damned. That we are, in fact, blessed by them. By the arrival of the Spirit-Sent! We are vindicated and can rest assured that they smile their favor down upon us.” He paused, scanning the crowd with a look of sheer determination. “It is with great pride, that I call one of them by brother now. And with this union.” He gestured his hands toward Daniel and Avria. “We welcome another into a position of true royalty within the Eleutheron courts.”

  An attendant came from behind the platform and handed Alektor two golden sashes. He held them up in reverence, then passed them to both Daniel and Avria. Daniel took the golden fabric, remembering his quick, albeit very informative briefing on the marital ceremony he was about to participate in. The sash was mostly the same as a wedding ring from his own world. But you didn’t have to wear it all the time.

  “With the sacred sashes, you will now tie them around the other.” Alektor bowed his head, gesturing to Daniel. “After which you will repeat the oath of fidelity and everlasting love.”

  Daniel swallowed past the baseball sized lump of iron in his throat and took a step forward. Reaching down, he wrapped the golden sash around Avria’s waist.

  “Listen to my words, Daniel, and answer truthfully.” Alektor continued. “Through the bond of the spirits, and the words of our fathers. Do you solemnly swear to love, cherish, and protect this daughter of Eleutheros?”

  Daniel began reciting the oath he had memorized, his heart beating like a hammer mill in his chest. “I do swear to cherish and love this daughter of Eleutheros; and to uphold the laws of our Kingdom, to defend her and all within.”

  Alektor looked at him expectantly, urging him to finish it, but Daniel held firm. The last part of the oath was a dedication of worship and praise to the spirits, something he didn’t feel comfortable doing.

  Alektor turned to Avria, handing her the other golden sash, which she tied around Daniel’s waist. Alektor then pressed on, repeating the question to Avria. “Princess Avria, do you solemnly swear to love, cherish, and protect this… son of Eleutheros?”

  Avria seemed to take in a shaky breath before responding. “I do swear to cherish and love this son of Eleutheros; and to uphold the laws of our Kingdom, to defend him and all within. By the grace and mercy of the great spirits, my oath is bound in them, and all who witness today.”

  Alektor raised his hands above his head, “by the power and grace of the spirits, you are now one!” The crowd erupted in cheers and applause as they were led out of the courtyard, and into the palace for the festivities.

  Daniel and Avria were quickly separated, as members of the different clans and kingdoms pulled them aside for congratulations and words of encouragement, sprinkled with various nuggets of advice that Daniel found unnecessary. He had parents of his own, and figured he knew the gist of it.

  Daniel found himself, sometime later, in the midst of a mind numbingly tedious conversation with several nobles from Baa’Yega. Daniel managed to slip away at some point, determined to find his way back to Avria, or someone other than these nobles.

  “These events are quite tedious…” An unfamiliar voice called from behind him. Daniel turned toward the speaker, finding a well-dressed noble from a clan he didn’t recognize. The man must have noticed his confusion, because he smiled broadly before clarifying. “Please, let me introduce myself, spirit sent. I am Lord Bre’kon, chairman of the royal council in Domanicia, and friend to a… mutual acquaintance.”

  “Right...” Daniel raised an eyebrow, readying an excuse to leave this unfamiliar man behind him, when his brain seemed to finally catch up to what he had just heard. Domanicia… he thought, the pieces starting to come together. Angelo is in… “Hold on, you don’t mean.”

  Bre’kon’s smile widened even further as he let out a chuckle. “I do. Your friend sends his congratulations to you on this most joyous day.”

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  “Where is he!?” Daniel blurted out, before catching himself and glancing around to ensure he hadn’t inadvertently made a scene. “Where is he?”

  Bre’kon bowed his head, and Daniel felt a firm grip on his shoulder.

  “Closer than you might think.” A familiar voice rang from behind him.

  Daniel’s heart raced as he spun around again, only to see another well-dressed Dae. “Angelo?” He asked, in confusion.

  The man smiled and winked. “You bet your ass, brother. Been working on this disguise for a while now, guess it’s good enough to fool you and everyone here.”

  “Angelo…” Daniel’s throat tightened as he embraced his friend, his mind racing to fight the disbelief he felt. “I thought you were dead, man. You and Henry.”

  “Trust me.” Angelo chuckled, backing away from him. “I almost bit it more than a few times. But I survived, thanks to some really great people.” He leaned in, nudging Daniel with his elbow. “Glad to see you made out alright too, a princess? damn man, way to marry up.”

  Daniel barked out a laugh, wrapping his arm around Angelo’s shoulder. “I’ll introduce you to her, and everyone else. They’re gonna flip.”

  Angelo held his hand up, his face turning more serious as he looked at him. “That will have to wait. I made it a point to get here, Dan, because some crazy shit is going down in Visoth. We heard about the demon invasion here in Eleutheros. We also heard that it was you and a couple other humans that beat the shit out of them.”

  “We weren’t alone.” Daniel nodded. “The Dae fought with us every step of the way. They spilled blood for us and died for the cause.”

  “We had to bide our time to get down here.” Angelo sighed, his eyes unfocused as though lost in thought. “It isn’t that great in Dominicia either. The demons are trying to find and recruit any humans they can get their claws into, or neutralize them.”

  “I heard.” Daniel agreed, gesturing for them to move to a less populated area. They slipped away from the crowd, to one of the secluded side tables at the edge of the throne room. “How many of us are there in Pelemont? I heard it was somewhere around ten.”

  “I think it’s closer to twenty, actually.” Angelo corrected. “Or was, seeing as how a few of us got cooked upon arrival. Literally, unfortunately.”

  “What about Henry?” Daniel asked.

  Angelo chuckled, “That bastard is still in the East; Watiba or some damn place, I can’t remember. He and I actually made contact a few months back.” Angelo shrugged, his smile fading a bit. “He’s been through some shit though, Dan; I think we all have. But, like us, he’s found a way to survive. And is pretty damn powerful now.”

  “Good to hear.” Daniel let out a sigh of relief, feeling a weight he had not even realized still lingered, lift from his shoulders. “As long as both of you guys are alive and well, I can rest a bit easier.” Daniel turned toward the reception party of his own wedding, noting the mass of partygoers starting to realize he had seemed to disappear. “We should probably get back to the party, Angelo.” Daniel gestured with his head. “If my wife thinks I’ve dipped out of this and left her to deal with it on her own, I’ll never hear the end of it.”

  “Won’t be much of a wedding night either, I’ll bet.” Angelo laughed, “We can catch up afterwards. In the meantime, you’ve got to introduce me, right?”

  Daniel rejoined the party with Angelo, greeting dozens of nobles and dignitaries as he made his way toward the center of the festivities. There, he figured, would be the best place to find Avria. He was correct in his assumption when he saw a group of high nobles and royalty surrounding a beautiful grey-skinned Dae woman, with pearl white hair and fierce yellow eyes. Eyes that locked with his as he approached, wordlessly pleading with him to rescue her from the desperate situation she no doubt found herself in.

  “That’s her?” Angelo asked, letting out a sharp breath. “Damn, bro. You really married out of your league. What the hell is she doing with a dumbass like you? She’s gorgeous.”

  Daniel scoffed, somewhat impressed with how quickly Angelo fell right back into their regular banter. Then again, he shouldn’t be too surprised; after all, Angelo was his oldest friend. And despite everything that had happened while he was fighting in Iraq, back in their own world. Angelo did the same thing then, once he returned. Though, it had been quite a bit longer this time. “You’d think she was crazy or something, right?”

  Daniel began working his way toward Avria, politely excusing himself, and making a path forward. “Please excuse the interruption everyone, but might I have a word with this stunningly beautiful princess?”

  The small crowd let out a complex mix of laugh and whispers of disappointment, some even gave him words of encouragement as they dispersed. Avria’s eyes flashed with annoyance, but her cheeks flushed a bit, betraying her feelings.

  “The mighty spirit-sent finally makes his grand appearance.” She huffed, her eyes briefly glancing at Angelo, seemingly analyzing him. “I was beginning to think you had abandoned me to these nobles, Daniel. You were supposed to meet me here nearly a half-hour ago.”

  Daniel rolled his eyes, letting out a breath of irritation. “I was absconded away with by Lord Malti of house Ro’oice and his lackeys for a time.” Daniel followed her gaze to Angelo, who smiled and bowed his head to her in preparation of his introduction. “But… the real reason I’m a bit late, Avria. Is because of this man.” Daniel placed his hand on Angelo’s shoulder.

  Avria raised an eyebrow, her icy gaze falling harshly on his oldest friend. Then as she studied him, her eyes shot open in surprise. “Unbelievable!” She hissed, barely containing her outburst. “You’re a human.”

  Daniel laughed, giving Angelo a friendly slap on his back. “This is Angelo, my oldest friend. And as you’re fully aware, one of the humans I’ve been looking for all this time.”

  “I am pleased to meet you, Princess.” Angelo bowed, “Though I don’t envy your position of being this man’s wife, I am sure you are up to the task.”

  Avria blinked in confusion, looking at Daniel who only sighed. “The pleasure is mine, Angelo. I have heard a great deal about you from Daniel, and am looking forward to getting to know you more fully. As for my new… position, I feel I am well qualified for the task.”

  Angelo chuckled, giving Daniel a sly grin of approval.

  “There are a great many things we will have to discuss as well.” Avria continued, “Dominicia is a fairly isolated kingdom, if I am not mistaken.” She glanced at his clothing. “I assume you came here with their dignitaries.”

  “You are correct.” Angelo bowed again, this time taking a step backward. “But we will have plenty of time to go over all of that in the morning. For now, I’ll leave you both to your wonderful evening.”

  Avria nodded, but Daniel turned to face him in confusion. Before he could protest, Angelo turned and started walking back toward the festivities.

  “Give me a sec.” Daniel grunted toward Avria as he dashed to intercept Angelo. He grabbed him by his shoulder, turning him around to face him. “Seriously? Sit down with us for a bit, the night is young, and we’ve got to celebrate your return too.”

  Angelo laughed but shook his head. “I’m not going anywhere, man. Relax, go spend some time with your wife. By the way, does she have a sister?”

  “No.” Daniel quipped, “she has a brother though, but I doubt you’re his type.”

  “Still a funny guy.” Angelo shook his head mockingly

  “Look at you though,” Daniel pressed, “Going through an entire conversation without even a single swearword, I’m impressed.”

  “I told you, I’ve been working on this disguise for a while. Manners and clean vocab included.” Angelo grabbed Daniel by his shoulders and forced him to turn around. “Now stop stalling and get your ass back to your wife, Dan. I’ll catch up with you tomorrow. Invite us over for a royal breakfast or something, the Domanician nobles will lose their shit if that happens.”

  Daniel grunted in reluctant agreement, but turned as he began to make his way back. “I take it, what you have to say to me isn’t just a normal reunion. There’s a reason you’re here in disguise right now.”

  Angelo’s face went deathly serious as he let out an exasperated breath. “Perceptive as ever… and there’s no reason to ruin your evening over it, so again, let’s go over everything tomorrow morning.”

  Daniel gave his friend a long look, before letting out a final grunt and resuming his march back to Avria. Something was definitely wrong here, he thought. The appearance of Angelo now of all times meant more than he was letting on. Great, what’s next? Another world breaking catastrophe waiting to happen?

  “Something is wrong.” Avria said, pulling Daniel from his thoughts.

  “Huh? Oh… yeah. I think so too.”

  “There is always another crisis to avert.” Avria closed her eyes and shook her head. “But I refuse to allow it to interfere with us today, Daniel.”

  ~

  The festivities lasted another several hours, all the while Daniel pondered the potential ramifications of Angelo’s sudden appearance, as well as what new threat they might have to face. It’s always a threat… he thought, or at least everything needed to be treated as one. Those who neglected to assess everything as such, usually ended up dead, or quickly learning from such complacency.

  A loud cheer brought Daniel from his introspection, and he looked up from his bridegroom table to see Alektor standing with a bowl of wine raised in the air. He had apparently been speaking about something.

  “I will end it with this, my fine lords and ladies.” Alektor exclaimed, an uncharacteristically genuine smile on his face. “We never know where we will find love. In our villages, our Libreos, on the field of battle… or in another world. Only the spirits know.” He turned to face Daniel, and Avria who was seated next to him. “Again, my friends, I offer you my most sincere congratulations, and pray that your lives be long, and filled with joy.”

  The crowd erupted in drunken cheers, and Daniel winced as they began chanting for the main event. Oh, right… it’s THAT part of the wedding, he thought, turning to look at Avria. She looked calm and collected, but he could tell she was a bit nervous. He stood from his chair, extending his hand to her. As she accepted his help and stood, the crowd’s cheers intensified to a massive roar; only to fade into the distance as he walked with her, hand-in-hand through the hallway. They didn’t speak to each other though; the firm but loving grip of her fingers on his was more than enough of an indication of her affections.

  They approached their destination, a royal room that had been adorned and prepared for them in advance; their new accommodations. Dozens of silent guards stood lined up against the walls, Alektor’s personal elites, if Daniel’s memory served. The large door to the room slid open, and they entered, his heart tightening with the nearly silent thud of the door’s closing behind them.

  He took in a deep breath, turning to face her, as she did as well. His throat caught with what could only be his heart, attempting to leap free of him as he gazed at her. Here she was, the woman who had stolen countless hours of thought from him. Who had saved him and supported him during the darkest of times here. Who had fought beside him against the forces of hell… here she was. “You’re… so beautiful.” He whispered, staring into her golden yellow eyes. As they gazed at him in anticipation and… hunger.

  She placed her hands on his face, pulling him into a gentle kiss; the taste of her lips and the scent of her perfume causing Daniel’s blood to all but boil over in his veins. He wrapped his arms around her and deepened the kiss. She seemed small to him in that moment, her typical fierceness and battle-hardened exterior melting away under the pressure of his advance and her clear inexperience.

  When she finally pulled away from him, the previous look of hunger in her eyes had fully taken hold of her. “I thought this day would never come.” She said, between heavy breaths. “And now… here you are…”

  Daniel smiled at her comfortingly, then led her toward the large bed at the far side of their new room. He sensed her hesitation as they approached it, then turned to face her again. With an inward sigh of relief, he relieved himself of the cumbersome ceremonial clothing he had been wearing all day, and stood before her, completely bare.

  She looked him up and down, seeming to take in the sight of him. After several moments, she started to do the same, only to be enthusiastically assisted by him as he pulled her in again. He felt the warmth of her skin against his as the last of her garments were removed, and before he knew it, they were entangled with one another. The passion of their growing attraction and love for one another manifested in those moments. Not the passions of lust or pure physical attraction, but the true essence of what Daniel had now started to recognize as love. Untainted and beautiful, in every sense of the word. He lost himself in her, and she in him, until his vision began to darken with sleep as the world outside brightened with new life.