Page 108 of Castor
“Like mates.”
“Yes. The ties that bind you to this person will never be broken, no matter how far you may be from each other. And when you meet? That red strand tugs. Warms. Nothing in this life happens by accident. When you chose to journey to the underworld to save your friend Simon, it was destiny that led you to the fighting pit where you found your Nephilim. The red string of fate guided you to him.”
I opened my eyes and looked at her in the mirror.
“So you see?” She smiled. “There is no reason to be nervous. You embrace your destiny today. It’s all part of fate’s plan.”
“So you have multiple red strings?” I asked her. “One for each husband?”
Ryoko gave a musical little laugh. “I believe so. I would be lost without any of them. Some believe the heart is only big enough to love one person, yet mine holds all of my husbands inside of it. Enough of that.” She squeezed my shoulders. “It’s time to get dressed.”
It was our custom for grooms to wear kuro monstuki—a formal kimono in black—with Hakama, which was traditional long pleated trousers. I put mine on and exhaled a few times, trying to calm my racing heart and get my nerves under control.
A light tap sounded at the door before it slid open. Tatsuya walked in wearing traditional clothing as well. His black hair was pinned back.
“Are you ready?”
“Yes.” I stepped toward him. “Are you still upset with me?”
“As much as I would prefer for you to marry someone like Prince Warrin, I understand that your heart has chosen Castor. Though not my ideal match for you, he seems to be a male of honor… if not a bit strange. And at the end of the day, I only want you to be happy.”
“I am happy,” I said, bowing to him. “Thank you, Tatsuya. For everything.”
“Stop that.” He motioned for me to stand up straight, and I noticed the emotion he could no longer hide from me. It shone in his eyes. “Everyone’s waiting for you.”
Some weddings were held in a shrine, but I had wanted mine on the beach. So my two loves—Castor and the sea—would be with me. I couldn’t think of anything more perfect.
Ryoko kissed me on the cheek before rushing off. Daichi was waiting for her at the end of the hall, and they joined hands before heading outside. Sora and Akio fell in behind them, carrying the twins.
“How the hell have you done this seven times?”
Tatsuya released a light laugh. “With very little feeling, I must admit. I didn’t know any of my wives before our wedding day. I suppose the detachment made it easier.”
“But you love them now?”
“Yes. Deeply.” He arched a brow at me. “It’s not too late to call this whole thing off and marry Prince Warrin instead.”
I scoffed. “You wish.”
“It was worth a try.” But he smiled as he said it.
The October evening on the island was warm but not unbearably so, and the humidity was down. We walked through the palace gardens and found the trail leading to the beach. It was lined with softly glowing lanterns. My heart picked up pace inside my chest, knocking against my ribs. Those nerves from earlier continued to swirl. I still felt a little sick.
But all of that faded away as we came out of the trees and my gaze landed on Castor.
He stood beneath a wooden arch that was covered in flowers and greenery, and he wore a white suit. His red hair stood out against the blue ocean behind him. The sunset colored the sky in bursts of yellow and orange with shades of purple.
I knew there were chairs that lined the path toward him, and people sitting in those chairs, yet I saw none of it as I walked. All I saw was him.
When I reached him, I tried my hardest to hold back tears, but my vision blurred with them anyway. He brushed one away, and I noticed his eyes were glassy too. We would undoubtedly give each other shit for this later—because that was our thing—but for now, we smiled and faced each other, joining our hands between us.
“Hey, you,” I said.
Castor beamed. “I half expected you to get cold feet and leave me standing here alone.”
“Never.” I squeezed his hands tighter. “You’re stuck with me, Red.”
A priest from the sacred shrine officiated the ceremony, starting with a prayer that asked for protection and blessings for our union. Afterward, we exchanged cups for thesan san kudo.We drank sake from sakazuki cups, which had a wide mouth and was only big enough to hold a few sips. The ones we used were made of gold, and I stifled a laugh when I caught Castor eyeing them as Tatsuya brought them forward.
