Tendred was thinking for a while, after a long moment of silence he poured wine into his and Setia's goblet, then walked over to her and handed it to the young woman.
"I will need a marriage contract." He emphasized, lowering his eyes and avoiding looking at Setia.
"I need to have a guarantee of your funds."
"A contract will be needed to ensure the mutual benefits of this arrangement." She faked a smile and raised her goblet.
"To a new beginning." Tendred raised his goblet in a pathetic attempt to celebrate their agreement.
"For changes!" Setia agreed. The clinking of glasses sealed the deal. This was a beginning, a new start for Setia and she felt it with every fiber of her body. A strange mix of euphoria and fear.
* * *
Dagrana didn't sleep almost all night. She was a bundle of nerves. She knew that something had happened between her father and her future husband and the matchmaker. No one uttered a single word about it, but her intuition told her that it was about a marriage contract. For the next two days after the welcoming feast, Gorsep did not honor her with his presence, he was busy with the legal matters of their relationship, her person was only a necessary addition to the business.
The morning greeted her with rain. She stood mindlessly looking out the window. The stillness of her chamber was disturbed by the sudden intrusion of servants and maids. The morning procedure had to take place. With some irony, she thought that working on her appearance required the presence of as many as four women. Each of them energetically set to work. Moreover, without exception, all of them were constantly chatting about today's wedding ceremony
"Your ladyship is awake already?"
"Mila, - the chubby maid admonished her - who would sleep the night before the wedding... - she sighed - but it's raining, that's good. My mother said it was a sign of wealth."
"Whatever, our lady will soon be queen of all southern Hadgard."
"And that Gorsep, he's so handsome! You're lucky, she could have done worse."
"You know, for example he could look like your ladyship's father-in-law." They all laughed.
" Withsuch good looking husband, the wedding night isn't scary either." The blonde with the long nose winked at Dagrana, who turned red in the blink of an eye at the thought of the wedding night.
Gorsep also prepared for the wedding, but alone. Dagrana will become his wife today. He knew that sooner or later he had to find a wife, and a one, who would support the Equerds. For a while when he was younger, he constantly thought about Setia as his partner for the rest of his life. Then he realized it was impossible, but he wanted her anyway. He wanted her until it hurt. He remembered their first kisses together, their shy caresses and that one magical time when she became his woman and then disappeared. Without a word. And Dagrana? No, he didn't like this silent, thin woman with big wet eyes. He found comfort in the fact that the delightful Erona was waiting for him. He told her to stay away from Dagrana until the wedding, then as his wife, she would have to accept the presence of her redhead lover. He was interrupted from his thoughts by a knock on the door.
"Come in." Gorsep ordered rather than invited in.
The father appeared in the doorway, dressed in an exceptionally ornate caftan. He had a trim beard, a circlet studded with diamonds, and a wide belt that made it so that even his huge belly didn't stick out so much. Next to him stood Ledwira, who had come especially for this occasion
"Well, let me have a look at you." Ledwira looked with appreciation at her son's figure, straightened his silver-embroidered collar and moved a lock of hair that was falling into Gorsep's face.
"You look great."Tears of emotion appeared in the mother's eyes.
"Let's go," Hadbel urged, "all of Prenian is waiting." He laughed loudly at his own joke.
Surrounded by the entire entourage, they went to the chapel of the goddess of love and fertility - Naida, which was located in a large garden adjacent to the Latamora castle. Fortunately, it was no longer raining, but the grass was wet and all the ladies in court took gentle steps so as not to get their dresses dirty. The Equerds' retinue stood out in stark black and distinct silver against the background of the pastel Prenian courtiers.
On a covered platform, next to a two-meter-high statue, Gorsep noticed his wife to be ,Dagrana. The statue depicted a woman with a very generous figure and was set on a rock from under which a small stream of water flowed. The Princess of Prenian was dressed in a light yellow dress with a golden diadem in her hair, which flowed loosely down her back in curls. She looked very ethereal, Gorsep had the impression that if the wind blew harder, his future wife would disappear. Bowing his head to Latamor, he ascended the three steps of the landing and approached Dagrana. The priest of Naida came closer with stately steps, dressed in gold-embroidered robes, followed by a procession of ten young maidens in white dresses. The girls chosen for the occasion were among the most distinguished families of Prenian. They wore wreaths made of wheat and blue flowers on their heads. The first two carried a jug and two cups. The entire procession surrounded the young couple.
The priest, muttering words of blessing, raised his hands first over Gorsep and then over Dagrana. Hadbel watched the ceremony with satisfaction, the pair perfectly reflecting the balance of power, the strong and powerful Equerd and the docile, delicate Prenian. Thanks to this marriage, they won Prenian without a fight. Hadbel felt that he would soon achieve his goal. He will become the king who will unite all of Hadgard once again.
In the meantime, the priest took spring water into a jug and then poured it into two cups, giving them to the young couple.
"Oh you - the priest began in a dramatic voice - you who bless love and fertility, let these two unite into one body, let their fruit be abundant and their love not exhausted, just like water from a spring, which will seal their mutual bond."
The priest, an elderly balding man, handed them the cups. The young couple quickly drank water from the holy spring. The priest said something else about a husband's obligations to his wife and vice versa, but Dagrana was dizzy. A sleepless night and stress made its impact at the most inopportune moment. If it wasn't for Gorsep's strong arm, she would have fallen.
After the ceremony, the girls lined up in a row and amidst the general uproar, the newlyweds were thrown with grain, a symbol of fertility that was supposed to bring them happiness.