"Marry Me."
The words rang in Arella's mind. Was she hallucinating? Why would a stranger propose to a woman wearing bridal attire?
She wanted to say no. Luke was all she wanted. She never desired anybody else. And now that Luke has rejected her, she decided to remain single. She did not want to be tied to anybody. Instead, she would train and become better. Now, her only objective was to rise to a higher rank and snub the arrogance of her ex under her feet!
Seeing the resolution of denial on her face, the man moved in her direction and caught hold of her wrist.
Arella fumed at his rudeness, but then a sudden brightness enveloped her, and a mark appeared on her wrist. She felt a power gushing out of her. Something snapped inside of her. She wanted to touch that brightness, but her arms felt too heavy. She tried to reach out to the man who kept holding her.
He kept her steady as she underwent turmoil. Her eyelids started feeling heavy, and then she lost consciousness.
The stranger embraced her and looked at her with a gentle gaze. When he felt that he had etched her face in his memory, he picked her up and let her rest on the nearby bed.
----
When Arella opened her eyes, she heard a huge applause coming from the nearby hall. She was lying on the bed, and in the hall where she was supposed to get married today, her fiance was reciting his vows with her half-sister. How absurd!
Memories started flooding her. Despair ran amock, and a terrible pain crept up her gut. Her mouth felt dry. She wanted to have some water.
A glass soon appeared in front of her. Arella looked at the man who stood patiently with the glass of water at her bedside.
Sensing her gaze, he looked back at her with warm and gentle eyes.
"You said you wanted to marry me. Is it true?" Trying to control her raging emotions, Arella probed feigning calm.
"Yes." The man nodded firmly.
"What is your name?" Arella sat on the bed, took the glass of water, and started drinking it quietly.
"Adrian Scott." The man voiced his name.
"Adrian?" Arella liked the way his name rolled off her tongue.
"Yes." The man responded with one word.
Looks like the man does not like speaking much. Arella made a mental mark of not asking nonsense and keeping her sentences short.
"Do you know about my aptitude?" Arella wanted to double-check that there was no confusion about the crucial matters.
"Yes." Another one word made out of the man's mouth.
"You still want to marry me? Are you sure?" Arella was confused.
"Yes." Another affirmation.
Did this man not know any other word?
"Why do you want to marry me?" Arella asked straightforwardly. She looked good, but her aptitude was very poor. That is why people from the upper echelons avoided getting married to her.
"My soul recognized you." Arella's reverie was broken by this deep voice.
Arella looked shocked! This shouldn't be what she was thinking! This couldn't be! Surprise filled her veins. How could it be so easy to find a soul companion?
"My Beast accepted." Adrian hammered her with another shocking news!
Arella found it hard to accept! Soul companions were a legendary pair! It was said that they had the blessing of the Beast Gods and could spend more than one life together. But it was rare! So far, she had only read about it in the annals! Were they really soul companions?
Arella doubted. She looked at the man in front of her. His looks were heavenly and the clothes he wore looked expensive. He had a natural aura which only came with power and strength. He didn't look like he needed to lie or deceive an unfavored low ranked tamer like herself.
"Okay. Then let us perform the ceremony today." It was already a done deal. She wanted to get back at her ex. At first, she planned to train and become stronger than the adulterous pair. But that could take ages. This man on the other hand, was a Beast God sent angel!
Arella quickly adjusted her mood and thought of the pros and the cons. Without Luke, she could either remain unmarried or be married off to a lower ranked person. If that was the case, why not get married to him?
"If you want to perform the ceremony, then we should be moving. The auspicious time is running out." The man's words brought the distracted woman back to the present.
"Hmm." She jumped down the bed and started walking towards the marriage hall. The man followed closely behind without any questions.
A jubilant atmosphere filled the hall. The marriage vows, happiness, songs, and merry chatter could be heard in every corner. Amidst the festivity, Arella moved towards the dais.
Looking at another woman walking towards the podium in wedding attire, a sudden silence dawned on the attendants. Some gossipmongers' eyes were filled with the satisfaction of watching a huge drama. Some recognized the former bride and gave her sympathetic glances.
The ex was here to snatch the place and tear the couple apart. But the couple was already married. People wanted to see the chaos and knew in their hearts the outcome.
But against all odds, the abandoned bride did not cry or create a scene. The rejected woman calmly went up the stage and congratulated the couple. Bathed in white with serenity and smile donning her face, she looked like an angel descending upon the mortal realms.
With the pin-drop silence, her melodious voice touched everybody's ears. "Congratulations to the newly married! I wish you an unbreakable bond and a future befitting your karma." Arella took a flower out from the decorations and gave it to the bride.
She moved towards the audience and continued saying, "Dear esteemed guests, while you are gathered here, may I invite you to witness another marriage. I request the presiding temple head to perform the sacred ritual as I tie a soul knot with my soul partner."
Whispers started traveling among the guests, and only then did they notice the quiet man standing behind the speaker.
Did she say soul knot? Are they really soul companions? Whispers started engulfing the crowd like wild fire.
A soul knot! Only soul companions could tie soul knots! A knot in the souls of the partners, tying their souls together! Such partners were forbidden to cheat, betray, or divorce. Only death could break them apart. Who was she kidding? People doubted her words because soul companions could only be found in the pages of Beast history!
With a D-rank aptitude, shouldn't her partner be C-level at best? Who is he? I have never seen him before. Though he looks good, he never appeared in public gatherings. Is his aptitude too low? Don't tell me he is an E rank! Well, that should not come as a surprise. Though he has a low aptitude, he makes a good match with the D-rank beauty. Some were more interested in the quiet man standing next to her.
The contrast of cascading red hair and her white bridal attire made her look more ethereal. But the solemn man standing behind her wasn't overpowered. Instead, his presence complimented hers. Both stood straight, in harmony, completing each other.
Some people were mesmerized by their appearances, some tried to guess his aptitude, and some wanted to see the drama.
While people were engaged in heated gossip, another commotion broke out. One after the other, famous B-ranking beasts and tamers moved near the dais and started saluting the man!
Lines of soldiers wearing the uniform of the army came forward and knelt in front of him. Then, another man with decorated medals shimmering on his chest walked ahead and shouted in a booming voice, "This Colonel, on behalf of the TOI elite army, congratulates the Major General on finding his match. May the life of the married couple be filled with happiness and prosperity."
After listening to the address, every member of the army knelt in front of him. Even Luke, the ex, bowed down in front of this man instinctively.
Arella was flabbergasted by the sudden changes.
She looked bewildered, and her mind crashed.
The man who came looking for her was the…the Major General?