(Outer Regions- Hidden Location)
(Merean Swamp – The Sacred Tree)
In the middle of the Merean swamp stood a tall slender tree with vine-like branches that stretched outwards and tangled with the nearby mangroves.
Beautiful red flowers blossomed along the tips of the branches and a sweet sugary scent filled the air.
This tree had no name nor was there any plant in the entire swamp that was similar to it.
The dark elves simply called it 'The Sacred Tree.'
At the base of the tree was a young woman dressed in an elegant white evening gown with golden threads woven into the fabric.
She had short blonde hair, high cheekbones and sharp facial features that enhanced her cold iceberg-like beauty.
Her physique was lean and muscular, and one could clearly see the muscles on her exposed arms that displayed the results of years of hard training.
Claire's golden eyes shone eerily as she held a simple bouquet of lavender flowers in both hands and waited for the ceremony to begin.
At first, she had been a bit unfamiliar with the ritual associated with marriage for dark elves but fortunately Elisa had explained everything in great detail.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
Claire could hear the nervous beating of her heart as she felt beads of sweat slowly drip down her brow.
Part of her wanted to laugh.
She had faced life and death situations where she had narrowly avoided getting killed and yet the day of her marriage was scaring her to death.
The waiting and anticipation were almost unbearable.
The golden threads surrounding Claire's body responded to her excited mood and began to stir.
"No… settle down…" Claire softly growled as she took in a deep breath and gently exhaled.
The female knight counted silently in her mind until she got her feelings back under control. She was not going to let her powers ruin the most important day of her life.
The sun was shining brightly in the sky but fortunately the presence of tall leafy trees in the swamp provided ample shade.
Claire fidgeted slightly as the time slowly passed. The first part of the ceremony would have most likely already begun so Elisa should be here shortly.
Around five more minutes passed until Claire's ears picked up sounds coming from the distance.
It sounded like chanting and soon Claire spotted dozens of dark elves walking out from the shadows of nearby trees while speaking in the ancient tongue of their people.
"Nre'an voe leuxn spern toeln."
"Nre'an voe leuxn spern toeln."
"Nre'an voe leuxn spern toeln."
These dark elves wore humble brown robes that were partially tattered and destroyed.
If Claire remembered correctly this was part of the old traditions to place all the attention on the soon-to-be couple instead of the spectators.
The dark elves walked slowly into the clearing and bowed twice in the direction of the sacred tree and once in the direction of Claire.
They lined up neatly into rows with a small path in the middle that led directly to the base of the tree where Claire was standing.
A single figure emerged from behind a nearby mangrove that made Claire's heart skip a beat and all she could do was stare.
Elisa… no… Princess Keya Liadi wore the traditional marriage robe of her people which was a long black dress with several brightly coloured flowers woven into the fabric.
A flowery crown had been placed on her head and her hair had been tied into a single ponytail that fell across her shoulder.
Claire opened her mouth, but nothing came out.
She was blown away by the beauty of her fiancée who walked confidently towards her with a warm smile across her face.
Princess Keya's gentle facial expressions softened as she stared at her beloved who had accompanied her for several long years in human society.
She was equally spellbound by Claire's stunning beauty but managed to hide her lust by clenching her fingers tightly into a fist.
The dark elf princess walked up to Claire and took the bouquet from her hands.
In accordance with the ancient traditions, she leaned forward and pressed two light kisses one against each of Claire's cheeks.
The dark elves in the audience resumed their chants and began to bow at the couple standing at the base of the sacred tree.
"Nre'an voe leuxn spern toeln. "
"Nre'an voe leuxn spern toeln."
"Nre'an voe leuxn spern toeln."
Princess Keya walked towards the base of the sacred tree and lay down the bouquet of flowers by one of its exposed roots.
The roots slowly extended outwards and wrapped around the bouquet as if the tree itself was holding it.
An elderly dark elf wearing similar brown robes to the rest in the clearing headed for the pair with two iron rings in his palm.
He slowly moved forward with a solemn expression on his face, but one could tell by the spring in his steps that he was in a good mood.
The elderly dark elf finally arrived in front of the pair and handed over the rings to Claire before turning around to address the audience.
He stretched out his right palm towards the sky and made a series of complicated hand gestures before beginning his speech.
Since Claire was a human, the ceremony had been slightly modified so that the vows were spoken in the common trade language.
"We have gathered here today to witness the union between Princess Keya Liadi and the saviour Claire Blanlyn," Elder Aredo shouted passionately.
"May your union be blessed by the soil beneath our feet, the skies above our head and the spirits that wander freely through our world."
"May your souls be forever connected… neither death nor life shall ever see you be apart…"
Princess Keya held out her palm and gripped Claire's hand tightly as the elder continued the marriage ceremony.
"Can you drop your protection temporarily," Elisa whispered in a low tone that only her partner could hear.
Claire nodded without hesitation and withdrew the divine protection back into her body.
It was a trick that she had mastered after five years of exploring the powers granted to her by the Lord of Light.
Princess Keya smiled, and a faint thread of black mist flew out of her fingertips and entered Claire's body.
It wrapped itself around the soul of the female knight and before flowing back into Keya's body and repeating the process.
Claire could subtly sense that something had changed but she could not detect what exactly Keya had done.
"I am selfish," Princess Keya freely admitted as she leaned in closer and pressed a light kiss against Claire's lips.
"In this life… or any others…"
"You can only be mine."