Page 57 of Courting the Dragon Prince
Still, as Luther left the gardens and walked towards his room, there was a small part of Luther that wished Onyx would come after him.
ChapterTwenty-Five
Mountain spirits, please give me the strength to get through this wedding.
Onyx closed his eyes and took a deep breath. In and out. In and out. In and out.
He pictured himself at the Mystic Mountain Temple, sitting by a pillar, hand on the stone. He focused on the calm.
In and out. In and out. He let his awareness expand, feeling the stones that made up the building.
He tried to hold on to that sense of peace as he opened his eyes and faced the door that led into the ceremony chamber where he was about to be married.
Onyx glanced back at his mother, who stood behind him. They currently waited in a room just off the ceremony chamber. A normal monk, as well as several warrior monks, also stood in the room with them.
Thankfully, with Onyx’s and his uncle’s efforts, they’d been able to keep his mother together long enough to be present at today’s ceremony.
Onyx hesitated. “I … ah … I can’t believe I’m getting married today,” Onyx said, not hiding the apprehension from his voice. “And to Prince Luther of Draconia. But I will do what is needed for our kingdom. For the glory of the Grey Mountains.”
His mother met his gaze.
And for a split second, Onyx hoped she might give him some words of wisdom, might tell him she was proud, or maybe just comfort him as he entered into this horrid marriage.
But after several moments, she just blinked at him slowly and turned away.
Swallowing his disappointment, he faced the door. His shoulders slumped. He’d been a fool to expect anything more from her.
The door leading into the ceremony chamber was opened by the monk.
On the other side, the grand monk stood on a dais at the front of the ceremony chamber.
“Warden Onyx Obsidian,” the grand monk announced. His voice echoed off the tall, barren walls of smooth white marble.
“Accompanying him is the Grand Warden Amber Obsidian of the Grey Mountains. She is presenting Warden Onyx Obsidian, recognising that he is acting as a representative of the Royal House and the Kingdom of the Grey Mountains. His marriage will act as one of the marriages that will seal the peace treaty.”
Onyx stepped into the large chamber. It was almost empty. No one was present at this sacred binding ceremony except those directly involved. They’d hold a feast afterwards to celebrate their union where everyone could be present.
Bright light filled the room from large glass windows. Onyx took several steps forward. He glanced back. His mother hadn’t followed him. She stared blankly at the floor.
“Mother,” Onyx said. “Mother!”
She looked at him with her empty eyes.
“Please follow me,” Onyx pleaded.
“What?”
Onyx inhaled, trying to keep calm. “Follow me into the chamber.”
She stepped forward and thankfully followed him. Onyx let out his breath. He glanced at the grand monk, but the man smiled kindly at him and his mother.
Onyx continued to the dais. He stood before the grand monk.
A table made of white wood had been placed before the grand monk. On the table sat a bowl of ink, a quill, and a scroll. On the scroll, written in the ancient language of Lorentath, were the details and terms of their marriage contract and what they were binding themselves to for the rest of their lives.
This contract would be the reason they would need to live together for all that time. Onyx let out a breath. Only death would release them from this horrid marriage. And if one of them murdered the other, which for them seemed not unlikely, the murderer would die instantly.
But in this contract, there’d be no pledge of fidelity. Still, Onyx knew he’d not seek companionship or love outside his marriage. It would not sit well with what he believed to be honourable and right. He knew Luther did not feel the same. Already, Luther had taken other lovers at this assembly.
