Many were in attendance to the wedding, which occurred a week after they had felt each other's bare skin. Their presences were natural, without them, they might still feel bare. All Archknights, besides those that had been posted outside the courtyard within the center of Naasis were present, as well as the three false Consorts, and Xerandes, their attendant. Of course, Cercival was present, standing at the edge of the courtyard with a beaming smile on his face.
While most Runebranded Houses had attended, including the Sequoia, Capet, Aurelius, Oberon, and Belmont Families, the three most anti-Lightseeker Houses, Patterow, Summerrich, and Bonnesseau, were not present. As for the Lightseeker Houses, the Summerstelle, Pendragon, Orsini, Elric, Cassius, Fafnir, and of course, the Starke Family, were in attendance as well.
Willow Starke stood at the head of his few aunts, uncles, and cousins, a beaming smile on his face as he watched his elder brother, Artemis, emerge from a distant hall into the garden courtyard. A canopy of bright lilac flowers hung overhead, petals falling down like rainfall.
Four bridges cut from the outer edge of the courtyard to the center pedestal over the water, which had been formed from thick, silver stone. It was ornate in its etchings that featured the designs of the Lunastre House Crest - the Circle of Redemption. It was a braided cord wrapped around a thousand-petaled flower. This crest was a craftsman's ire, but also his masterpiece, that he might have spent weeks on the flower alone. There were unlit white-stone lanterns around the outer edge of the courtyard, waiting, silent.
This courtyard of ripples, its waves were commanded by the falling petals. When one touched the water, it reciprocated, it was a song. A lovely harmony was etched into the mirrored surface, and all present could hear it; it was silent, but it was there.
The polished wreaths that lined the railings of the bridges were suspended by thick braided red rope, which hung thousands of bright-yellow cords above the water. And in the center of the water, atop the ornate stone pedestal, wide in its array, was fine white sand. It had been strewn about, the drag of footsteps obvious in the prints left behind. They were sweeping, endless, entwined with each other.
This... this was the remnant dance of Jehellius Lunastre and his late wife! This pedestal, meant especially for marriage, was not touched until this very sacred moment. All who read such tales knew that this courtyard, this wondrous garden was sacred. Not even Isolde, Eunice, or Adeline would have stepped foot into this sand. It was an honour reserved only for the Crown Consort, and that was Artemis.
Standing amidst the waving footprints, he felt a sense of reverie. Perhaps many decades ago, Jehellius and August's mother would have performed a dance as they soon would. He saw its effects in the ground below, it was enthralling. Graceful movements, careful steps. There was so much love in the dance of a cruel person. He wondered, if in pursuit of this 'Aspect', Jehellius Lunastre was simply a masquerader.
But August, in all of his teasing, was certainly filled with Light. It wasn't the case for him, perhaps Jehellius was simply filled with Darkness.
Artemis wore a stark-black formal coat with prussian-blue inlay, and a corset of the same colour around his waist. He had a cloud-white button up shirt underneath the corset, and his hair had been tied up behind his head with black lace. His eyes had been accentuated and sharpened with black ink, and his cheeks were slightly blushed.
Each Noble lady seemed to have eyes for him as he walked along the first bridge, stopping at its edge before glancing forward. On the other side of the platform, having emerged from the hall opposite, August stood silently, staring at Artemis with a glimmer in his eyes.
That man of wonder, he wore a cape of gold and white, a cloak with a hood draped over his body. Underneath the hood, it was the same man, untouched by cosmetics, yet still radiant. He looked... Deific...
He stepped forward, reaching out his hand as if beckoning Artemis to approach. While Artemis was hesitant to interrupt the footprints left behind by their predecessors, he followed August's orders. After all, wasn't he just a dog? If he had a tail that could wag, or ears that could perk up, perhaps they would have. He was quite excited.
In the center of the platform, Artemis took August's hand, his arm extended outwards, as if they were posing theatrically. The foreground exemplified, it felt like their audience had all but sunk away. It was only them, only the platform surrounded by the waving water. Only two dancers underneath the rain of purple petals.
Thin cords of light arose from August's sleeve, wrapping around both of their wrists, binding them together, loosely, but firm. It was now that they would never leave each other's side, not for long. He reached into his pocket, procuring two silver-bound rings that glimmered underneath the light streaming through the canopy.
"Crystals?"
"From the cavern ceiling. They were made in-house, by the blacksmith my father coveted and convinced to work here. He's a man of wonderful craft."
"Did you send someone up to the ceiling to grab these?"
August shook his head in reply. "No, I went and got them myself. They would mean nothing if I did that, just cheap trinkets."
These crystals sell for a high price, their market value is insane... how warped is your view of money, I wonder?
Artemis sighed internally, but he couldn't help but smile. This much had been done for him, he felt far too special.
August slipped the ring onto Artemis's extended finger, gently, before attending to his own. The silver band swirled unto itself, creating a layered, intricate design that wonderfully exemplified the opaque crystal in the center.
"Shall we really do this?" August asked, happy notes trailing off of his words in his tone, like he couldn't bear containing his elation.
At first, I had written to August as a joke. I had never met the man, I considered him lofty, Deific... I can see he's human, his hand feels wonderful to hold. These experiences I've had with him in these short times... I wish for me, I want him more...
"Yes, let's do it." Artemis smiled brightly. It felt as if he didn't have to carry around his bluntness, his professionalism around this person. He was open, he was no longer such a recluse.
Then, August took the first step, forcing Artemis to move in his stride. Soon, it was Artemis that took initiative, leading August along. This was the tradition of marriage for the Witch-King, a dance that encapsulated their passion, etched into the sand below. With each movement, their predecessors faded, but August paid it no mind. It did not matter that they did not contemplate the past, they only looked towards the future.
When they danced, weaving about the center-platform, Artemis led. He did not know the steps, this sort of thing had never been taught to him, but it still felt as if it had been etched into the thick of his bones, as if it coursed through his blood. August smiled as he was twirled about, their steps matching perfectly to the rhythm of the water's song. Tap, tap, tap upon its surface, petals cascading like rain. This was heaven, this was their dance, their day, their life.
Weaving strands of light shimmered between August's fingertips, which held tightly onto Artemis's, twirling around like the dancers as they nestled their way into the lanterns across the water, casting the garden in a gentle golden radiance.
At the same time, the petals in the water stirred, endowed with life as flickering spirits rained down from the remnant trails of light. From their places, and deep in the soil underneath the water, new blossoms bloomed. They resembled lotuses, with dozens of petals stretching upwards towards the heavens, but they were pitch-black in hue. Their countenance casted shadows onto the golden surface of the water, thin, jagged strips of white running along their edges.
As they spun once more, Artemis's hand grasping at August's waist, the King smiled.
"This is Artemisia. These bulbs, black like the fur of your Spirit, white like your hair- these are yours, my Love."
Artemis blushed, glancing back towards the water, which almost caused him to lose his balance, suspending the sequence of steps. "I've never seen them before..."
"They are new. I made them just for you."
"Truly?"
August nodded, placing his head against Artemis's chest as he smiled. "I spent all night while you were asleep contemplating it. I worried so much- would you even like such a gift? What colour should it be? What are your best traits, what would match you perfectly? Should it have any ornate designs? How would it breed? Well? Would it grow well in dry, loamy, or wet soil? All of these things, all of its traits, it has become my idealisation of you. It is beauty, you are beauty, it is you."
Their movement paused, the footsteps in the sand jagged, cut away from the flow of their dance. Artemis looked down at August, some deep longing in his eyes as he held him slightly apart. His expression was wondrous, but also surprised. His heart beat quick, and his stomach felt fluttery.
"I... love you..."