"Damn it!" I scream silently to myself as I observe the royal wedding proceeding without hindrance. Boredom is etched on my face, hidden beneath the helmet. I've already spotted my targets, but I can't execute the assassinations yet. Damn it. The princess is undeniably beautiful, but she appears naive. Well, it doesn't matter; she will soon cease to exist, much like the stoic king without a kingdom. He looks perfect, but in his eyes, I sense a battle of emotions.
"And since the princess has arrived, let me begin. Here in Hentesa, we do things a little differently from other kingdoms, Your Majesty." Oh yes, the wedding proceedings. I had almost forgotten about that. The sacred preacher whispers something to the prince, probably about the rituals and customs of the ceremony. Romano, the preacher I was warned about, presents a facade of free-spiritedness. Beneath the mask lies a cunning individual, evident in his body language and the skillfully hidden intent in his eyes. Then there's the man standing next to the Mesa boy. I know nothing about him, but my senses scream danger. It's been a while since I've encountered someone who can make my senses go haywire, but it doesn't matter; today is not the day I fall. I quietly observe as the sacred preacher initiates the official proceedings with a greeting followed by prayer.
The sacred preacher begins: "In the name of the primordial waters, the living deep, and the raging calmness."
The assembly responds: "By your grace, we stand."
The preacher continues: "Be attentive to our prayers, O Lord. And in your kindness, uphold what you have established for the increase of our population. So that the union you have created be kept safe by your assistance. Through your merciful servant, Angel Rus, who lives and oversees the holy union you have blessed forever and ever."
After the opening prayer, Romano starts reading from their holy book, quoting scriptures. This takes quite some time, followed by the address and statement of intention, culminating in the exchange of consent. Glancing towards the crowd, I notice the king without a kingdom struggling not to disrupt the wedding in a blind fit of rage and the anticipation hidden in the man next to the Mesa boy's eyes. What is that? Focusing on the Mesa boy, I see something in his eyes—something I know too well, fear. But what could he be fearful of? Deciding to observe the rest of the group, I start inspecting each one of them. Besides the Mesa kid, no one else seems to have the same fear in their eyes—strange but not too concerning. That group is an odd one, though. I wonder what the point of all this is. Why should I kill them? Not that I feel bad about it, but I find it strange. Well, everything in this world is strange.
As I'm still lost in thought, I hear Romano calling the princess's name and repeating his question: "Princess Theodora, are you prepared to follow the path of marriage, to love and honor your husband for as long as you live?"
Looking at the princess, I see the cold resolve making its way into her eyes. She nods first before giving an answer: "I do." At that exact moment, the whole amphitheater suddenly becomes unbearably hot, but it's only for a brief moment. Romano and the two kings' gazes fall upon the king without a kingdom. I see wariness etched in their eyes, and almost simultaneously, the three release their auras showcasing dominance. Romano's aura is rich and dense, as if his mortal body has an infinite amount of mana, while King Amadeus's aura is sharp and concentrated, like a sword ready to strike at his enemy. Lastly, King Baichun's aura is...strange. Sadly, that little showcase is aimed at only one man. Romano's voice echoes throughout the masses: "Do that again, and you will not make it out of here alive." After that sentence, they all retract their auras. I steal a glance at the man they addressed, and I see a cold smirk on his face, as if he's saying, "Bring it on."
Romano smiles a bit and turns his attention back to the two in front of him. He asks Prince Bai the same question he had asked the princess. The prince steals a glance at his father before smiling, "I do."
The two briefly exchange consent in front of the masses, and Romano quickly adds: "May his benevolent gaze shelter you from your enemies, may he strengthen the consent you declared in front of the masses and gracefully bring to fulfillment his blessings within you. Those bonded in truth shall not be separated. Let us bless him."
All respond: "Thanks be to him."
I chuckle at that statement because if their god were so benevolent, he would have surely warned them of what's coming. Well, it's almost time for me to act. With that being said, a huge shadow falls upon the whole amphitheater. Above us, a colossal three-headed snake, Badu Larohua, the ancient guardian of the gates of Bermun, looks down at us. The serpent's heads all focus on the king without a kingdom, and the one in the middle speaks: "I told you we would find him here, brothers-sssss. The aura we felt just now was from the half-breed, huh? Do you sense it, brotherssss, the foul." The middle head hisses as it speaks. I observe its eyes searching for the source of the foul, and the middle head's eyes meet mine for a brief moment before looking away, continuing its search. The whole amphitheater falls into silence, fear and disbelief etched on the faces of the gathered people.
Sacred preacher Romano sighs and performs a quick series of hand seals, the mana around him swirling and reacting. A light barrier covers the amphitheater, forcing everyone to cover their eyes. When they reopen them, there's nothing. The serpent has disappeared, and so has Romano, or so it seems for everyone else except a selective few, including me, the three kings, the man next to the Mesa boy, a few royal guards, and the princess's mother and the princess. All of us have our gazes fixed above us, while the rest of the people gathered here are confused, asking, "Where did it go? Where is the sacred preacher?" These questions echo throughout the masses, but I couldn't care less. The intervention of Badu Larohua will decrease my chances of success, and that's what I care about the most—finishing my mission.
Above us, I can still clearly see Romano standing on top of a super-thin ice disk floating in mid-air right in front of the ancient serpent. I can see them, but I can't hear what's being said. I resort to reading Romano's lips and try to make out what's being said by the serpent's three enormous heads: "You...protecting...vile spawns...foul." That's all I can make out. Since Romano's back is facing me, I have no idea what his response is. Still, I see the three heads' expressions of surprise before nodding and deciding to vanish, returning to its post as the gatekeeper of the underworld.
Romano shakes his head from a distance before canceling his spell. He becomes invisible to the rest of the people seated in the amphitheater, slowly descending from the sky like a divine being descending from the heavens. People roar and cheer at his appearance. I watch as Romano stands on the platform, taking in all the cheers, momentarily forgetting about the wedding. Finally, he snaps back to reality with a charming smile, summoning an eagle that has two rings attached with a rope on its feathers.
"Now the final part, the part where this bond is sealed forever—the blessing and giving of rings." Taking a short pause, his eyes scan the crowd before briefly continuing, "Bless o primordial waters these rings, which we bless in your name. So that those who wear these rings be forever faithful to one another, abide in peace and your will, and live in mutual understanding, by the thirst quencher's will."
The crowd replies, "By your will." Yeah right, his will is for all of you to perish, but you don't even know. It seems like many forces are gathered here to destroy Hentesa, but my mission is a simple and short one. I watch Prince Bai take off a ring from the bird's father and start speaking, "Princess Theodora Amadeus, receive this ring as a sign of my love and fidelity."
And now it's my time to act. I remove my helmet slowly, stepping out from behind Baichun's chair, earning myself murderous glares from the two kings. But I couldn't care less; now is the time for me to cut the thread of destiny entwining itself between the two. One has to die.
"Shadow Scape: Veiled City."