"Rise." The man responded stoically. "I appreciate your wishes. Settle down first. I need to perform the ceremony."
He moved towards the presiding temple head and expressionlessly asked him to perform the rituals.
The head started sprouting the sacred chants, and both of them repeated their vows. A man brought forward a beautifully engraved crystal goblet and handed it to the temple head.
The groom took a dagger out from his waist and made a deep cut on his hand. Then, he took the hand of the dazed girl and cut a shallow mark on her palm.
This prick woke Arella up from her bewilderment. But soon, a flustered emotion started scratching her heart.
Blood oath! People could not hold back their chatter. It was the Blood Oath! Even the last ruler did not perform it with his Queen! It was the legendary blood oath!
Sensing the distraction, the groom held the bride's hand in a firm grip and put it over the crystal goblet. Blood started seeping through their hands and fell into the goblet.
Tap, tap, tap, the droplets kept falling. Arella knew that with just a shallow prick, it wasn't her blood that was flowing endlessly. It was the man in front of her.
To perform the legendary Blood oath, both parties had to bleed. Their blood was mixed, and then they were made to drink it, accepting the blood and confirming the blood oath.
A soul knot could only stop the couple from cheating, betraying, and divorcing as they lived. But Blood oath challenged their death. As long as blood flowed in anyone's body, the other person could be brought back from the brink of death.
But the person using such a tempting death-reversing oath had to pay a befitting price. To bring back the lover from death, the offerer must be willing and during the ordeal, had to offer his/her beast spirit as a sacrifice.
A human without a beast spirit was a disgrace to the Beast world. People would prefer to embrace death than to give up their beast spirits. Even if they did not seek death, without the spirit, their life span would be reduced to half. They would suffer from ailments and rapid aging and would die shortly after.
And once the offerer died, the lover who was brought back to life was forbidden to take another partner. Without a spiritual partner, their powers would become restless, nearing the edges of madness.
Blood oath protected the lover from sudden death, but their ending was tragic, with one dying of illness without a spirit and the other becoming a lunatic. Many such lovers preferred to die together. They were buried together too.
Blood oath was the epitome of a lover's commitment. Soul knot sealed their life, and blood oath sealed their death. From now on, they would be inseparable.
Together in life and death.
An indescribable emotion took root in Arella's heart. She felt sweet, flustered, warm, indecisive, confused, and helpless.
Seeing that the goblet was full, the attendant bought a small jade bottle and handed it over to the groom. He took it and poured a few droplets on the bride's injured palm.
A cool and calming sensation washed over Arella's hand, and the injury soon recovered. It was not sticky hence, it was not the dog's saliva.
Dog's saliva had healing capabilities and that is why, wealthy people used refined, saturated, and aromatized saliva. But the cold and silky texture of the droplet was nothing like that.
A mermaid's tear! Arella's eyes widened as this dawned on her. The happy tears of a mermaid had healing capabilities. But their planet had no mermaids! It was an exotic treasure that could only be possessed by the rulers!
Looking at the priceless treasure being poured on her palms indiscriminately, she felt a little uncomfortable. That was equivalent to millions of Beast coin!
The broken skin was back to its original tender state within seconds. The groom checked her palm once again, and only after being satisfied, did he carelessly pour the remaining droplet on his deeply cut palm. The injury recovered, but a scar could still be seen on his palm.
He never needed such fancy things. Given time, his injury would recover on its own. But the girl in front of him was different. She looked so delicate.
Even shallowly pricking her palm pained him. Had it not been for the ritual, he wouldn't have required her blood. If needed, he could happily bleed buckets for her. In the future, he would never let her bleed anymore!
His plans were interrupted by a loud voice, "In the name of Beast God, with the power vested in the temple head, I now pronounce you tied for life. May the Soul Knot and Blood oath lead your path to happiness and prosperity. Please drink from the goblet now."
Both drank the blood calmly. They had beast spirits. Drinking blood was like drinking water to them. The crowd was still dazed. Did they really witness history? This must be the first couple in this century to have tied a soul knot and taken a blood oath!
Congratulations and cheers filled the hall. Merriment made its way to every corner. The army members bowed down showing their loyalty and respect to the new couple.
Arella was witnessing such a scene for the first time. Being a low-ranked beast tamer, nobody had treated her with respect to date. Watching so many people bowing their heads in front of her was beyond her imagination.
While taking in the scene, her eyes fell upon someone. Among these bowing people was Luke, her so-called childhood sweetheart. Her ex-fiance. The one who supported her during her childhood and the man who abandoned her for another woman on their wedding day.
To be honest, Arella did not know how to feel. Everything happened in a flash. Her destined marriage fell apart on her wedding day. His fiance was cheating on her with her half-sister. The half-sister was already pregnant with his child. She found a soul partner. And got married. The blood oath. The superior identity of this man. Every emotion within her was chaotic.
She felt despair at being rejected. She felt betrayed. She felt humiliated. She felt embarrassed. She was ridiculed for her aptitude. But now, looking at his arrogant head bowed down in front of her, she felt satisfied. Though she knew he was not bowing to her but the man next to her, she still felt happy.
All this was because of the man standing next to her. She was only enjoying the borrowed respect. It all belonged to him. To this man, who has given his life to her on a silver platter through blood oath. She felt a sweetness gradually warming her cold, dispirited heart.
This man, Adrian Scott. He was now her husband. He was the Major General of the Beast army. The head of the elite team. An A ranked beast. And he was hers now.
They were now husband and wife, tied for life and death. They would be inseparable now. He can't cheat. He won't betray her like the ex. A bright and cheery sensation started bubbling inside her.
But before she could enjoy it, a bucket of cold water doused her. Their aptitudes! Her aptitude was so low. In reality, she will never be able to become his support. The tamers were the only ones who could calm a raging beast. And it worked best if they were married.
Arella felt conflicted. If one day, Adrian's beast form lost sanity, she won't be able to calm him! If he needed help, she would never be able to support him. Though they were tied together, he could never be able to depend on her to calm his senses.
She was nothing but a vase. She had no ability. With such apparent distance in their aptitudes, would she be able to lead a peaceful life with him?
She had been trying to improve her aptitude, but nothing seemed to work. What if her aptitude remained the same throughout her life? Would he be able to endure it for his entire life?
She felt terrified. A pressure started weighing down her shoulders. The uncertainty started painting her future with shades of black.
Sensing the upheaval of her emotions, Adrian gently grabbed her hand.
It was just a gentle pull, but Arella felt as if she had found a footing on a crumbling mountain. A moment ago, she was about to be lost in the whirlpool of emotions, but just a gentle pull and she was back to the shore.
Arella looked at the man. He was also looking at her. There was no confusion or indecisiveness in his eyes. She could only see the determination. His palm gave her strength.
A stability appeared in Arella's stance. A clarity, a beam of light found its way out of the darkness. Even if her aptitude was low, she decided to treat him with utter respect and devotion.
They were already married. She would try her best to shower him with love, care, and affection. The future, though uncertain, was theirs to build. She would try her utmost to keep it bright. A firm resolution glinted through her eyes.
Realizing that she was in a better state, Adrian whispered lightly in her ears, "Let's head home?"