Page 209 of The War God’s Favorite

“Since I’m the only one aside fromHinuewho knows about the Ceremony, I’ll tell you two what to do. Dahlia, bring the thread, please!”

While Missandra took the silver thread and started gently wrapping it around both of their wrists, in a complex ensemble of knots, Kairen’s eyes were on Cassandra’s skin. The shimmering from earlier was actually that strange ink that she had used to paint herself with. From the look of it, those weren’t simply lines and strange shapes, but obviously some foreign language he couldn’t decipher at all. He frowned.

“What do those say?”

Cassandra blushed a bit, looking down, and her younger sister was the one to answer.

“The partners can paint whatever they want on their bodies as a sign of affection.Hinueput your name and titles with the symbols of protection, health, and strength.”

Kairen was surprised. He kept looking at all those strange scriptures on her skin, unable to decipher what was which.

“Do it on me, too.”

“What?”

“With that ink. I want to write her name.”

Missandra sighed.

“But I’m almost done with the silk thread!Hinue, you didn’t tell him earlier about the borean ink?”

“Just bring it to me, please,” said Cassandra, with an apologetic look.

While Missandra pouted and kept doing her knots, Dahlia ran over, with an umbrella in one hand and the little bowl of ink and a brush in the other. There wasn’t much left of what Missandra had prepared, as Cassandra had painted a lot on herself already. She took the brush with her available hand and pushed the cloak a bit to access his torso.

“What do you want me to write?” she whispered to him.

“Your name.”

“Are you sure? Just my name?”

“Yes.”

Cassandra chuckled, and proceeded to do as asked. It was so like him. No prayers, just her name. She knew Kairen wasn’t a man to believe in prayers or divine will. He only trusted himself and the people he cared about. She wrote her name on his skin, as many times as she could before running out of ink. The ink Missandra had made wasn’t as good as the real borean ink and was already starting to drip a bit because of all the rain, but this was good enough. The silver ink shined strangely on the War God’s torso and arms. Maybe because of his natural musculature, they looked more like tribal fighting signs than his Favorite’s name.

“Alright, I’m done!” said Missandra, looking satisfied.

Dahlia swiftly walked away, going under the little porch to shelter herself from the rain, close to Shareen and Kareen. Mother and Daughter were standing side by side and watching the Ceremony attentively, not saying a word. They were aware that although there wasn’t anything official about this, this ceremony was sacred to Cassandra’s people. As they knew nothing about this foreign custom, they were silently watching, curious.

Cassandra and Kairen’s wrists were now tied together by that silk thread. The gentle fabric wasn’t painful on their skin, but their wrists couldn’t move, being tied so tightly together with those complex knots. Cassandra looked at her left wrist and Kairen’s right wrist, with a smile. She had never thought she would get to have this ceremony ever, let alone with a Prince, and a man she loved. Kairen chuckled.

“Are you so happy?” he said.

“Yes...I feel a bit like it’s a dream.”

“Sorry, we can only do this for now.”

“No, it’s plenty,” Cassandra whispered, her cheeks blooming with pink.

“Alright, if you two are done being so mushy,” said Missandra. “I’ll start...Hinue, should I translate it into our tongue or theirs?”

“Just do it in our tongue and I’ll translate in the Dragon Empire’s tongue, Missandra.”

“Understood. Then...”

Missandra took a deep breath and took a couple of steps back, opening her hands, palms towards the sky, and closed her eyes. She started speaking, and Cassandra repeated in words everyone else could understand. Both sisters talking in the exact same rhythm, one echoing the other.

“Today is the Day of Rain, the Sacred Day. As the Sky God is showering the Earth Goddess with love, their children are born with the rain. We are children of the rain, children of sacred love. O, God of Water, let your rain pour, and hear your children today, for they carry their faith, love, and joy in their heart too. O, God of Water, Son of the Sky and Earth, if love is your eyes, let them see. If love is your tongue, let it speak. If you can hear us, hear your children’s pledge of love today, as we share it with you.”

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