Chapter 228: Chapter 229 - Red Marriage (II)
"A feeling so evil that it corrodes our determination and shows us only the most perfect side of our partner. Is there anything more terrible than love when we are in love?" Visenya II Targaryen.
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"How do I look?" Visenya asked, coming up beside Aenar. She looked at his clothes and gave him a bright look. Although it was discreet, it was elegant and simple, but any clothes on her husband became the most beautiful and expensive clothes on the planet.
"Just like the day Maxares married Balerion, you are equally beautiful and will be mine for all eternity."
Aenar replied, holding her small hand as he looked at Visenya with a gentle gaze. In his eyes, everything else seemed to disappear and there was only her in the world.
Visenya smiled, her smile seeming like the brightest thing in the hall, making countless women feel envious at the scene.
Rhaella let out a laugh and whispered to Aenar. "Take good care of my daughter, Aenar." With that, she stepped away and sat down at one of the tables, not far from the table where Oberyn, Tyrion, and other lords and ladies were seated.
"I always will." Aenar looked at his grandmother and replied with a solemn look, promising before everyone.
Holding Visenya's hand, Aenar looked at Kinvara and nodded, asking for the ceremony to finally begin.
Looking at everyone in the hall, Kinvara spoke in a gentle and warm tone. "Welcome, brother and sisters, we are all here to witness and bless this sacred union."
Turning her gaze back to the couple, Kinvara said, "Aenar of House Targaryen and Visenya of House Targaryen, have you both come before me to unite in flesh, mind, and spirit?"
"Yes." Visenya and Aenar spoke at the same time.
"Repeat after me." Kinvara said as she opened the Bible. The most shocking thing was that the Bible began to burn in red flames, but the pages were still intact beneath the flames.
Exclamations of surprise and shock could be heard in the background, but the protagonists of the ceremony did not care.
Kinvara began to speak, and Aenar repeated after her while focusing his gaze entirely on Visenya.
"I, Aenar of House Targaryen, take you, Visenya of House Targaryen, as my wife. Before men and gods, I swear this vow:
until the stars are extinguished,
until the planets crumble into cosmic dust,
until every particle of this vast universe disintegrates,
still, I will love you for all eternity."
Visenya bit her lip and wished she could jump into Aenar's arms as she listened to his wedding vows. However, seeing Aenar waiting for her answer, she spoke aloud.
"I, Visenya of House Targaryen, take you, Aenar of House Targaryen, as my husband. Before men and gods, I give you my heart and my name.
Even if time freezes the seas,
the fire of the world is extinguished,
the ages pass and names are lost in the ashes of history,
my love for you will endure,
immortal as the blood of the dragon,
unshakable as the will of the ancient kings."
The exchange of vows really opened the eyes of many people, especially women, who looked at their husbands with cruel eyes. As if they resented not having such a beautiful and sacred marriage.
Kinvara nodded, and with that simple gesture, two rings of fire glowed, appearing in their hands. "Just as fire is eternal, bringing light to our nights and warmth to spring, this ring symbolizes the immortal union between this couple, the church, and God. May the flame of your love never be extinguished."
Aenar took the ring and gently placed it on Visenya's ring finger. "I take you as my wife," he said as he looked at her with a solemn expression.
"I take you as my husband," Visenya mimicked Aenar's action and said with an equally solemn expression.
When both rings were on their respective fingers, red flames condensed above the hall. Petals of fire rained down from the ceiling of the hall, falling like snow, slowly and with a beauty that took the breath away of those watching.
Perhaps Aenar was the only one who truly dared to use magic to perform his wedding. But he didn't care what others would think, he just wanted to make this day even more memorable for Visenya.
Visenya looked at Aenar as petals of fire fell around them and said with an expression full of passion, "Tonight, I swear you won't be able to get out of bed."
Kinvara's lips twisted at the girl's bold statement. Especially Kinvara, she looked at the queen's still small body and the king's body, which was two meters and twenty centimeters tall.
Aenar just let out a low laugh and held Visenya's face with both hands and whispered with a tone tinged with heat and lust. "I can't wait to see how you will defeat me in bed, my queen."
Visenya felt her legs weaken at the sight of her husband's almost beastly gaze. She regretted saying that, but she didn't show any fear and raised her head proudly.
Aenar would have believed her performance if he hadn't noticed her legs trembling slightly. With a malicious smile, he was looking forward to the night.
At one of the tables, Oberyn looked at his niece and sighed. "Are you sure you want to go through with this, Arianne?"
Looking away from the couple, who were apparently whispering sweet nothings, Arianne looked at her uncle and said casually, "Uncle, I know you're thinking of my best interests, wanting me to give up and have a similar marriage, but I am an ambitious woman who cares little about what others think of me."
"As long as I have a child with silver hair and purple eyes, no one will dare speak ill of me," said Arianne with a carefree look. Although the marriage before her was truly beautiful, she knew better than anyone that Aenar's love was reserved for only three women, and she was not on that list.
Oberyn looked at his niece with a strange look, but did not deny her words. As Arianne said, as long as she had a child with Aenar, not even the most stubborn of the Dornish would dare to do anything against Arianne.
After all, Aenar's history was quite impressive.
Especially Caraxes, who destroyed a castle or two and burned hundreds of thousands of human lives. What fool would dare fight something like that?
Unfortunately, Oberyn knew that the Dornish lords were even more stubborn than the Northmen themselves. He just hoped that Aenar would be a little merciful and not do the same thing Aegon did riding Balerion.
As Oberyn and Arianne spoke, Eddard looked at Aenar and Visenya at the altar with a genuinely happy look on his face. He took a sip of wine and a gentle smile appeared on his lips.
"Lyanna, our boy is getting married, finally becoming a real man, starting his own family." Seeing Aenar get married brought a sense of peace to Eddard.
Perhaps every father felt a sense of relief when he saw his son marry. It was as if a sacred duty was finally complete. A cycle of creation and maturation finally coming to an end.
"I hope my sons and daughters find love and security in their future partners," Eddard murmured as Howland Reed also smiled.
Looking at Eddard, Howland said in a low but calm tone. "Lord Stark, when the war is over, I will renounce my titles and join the Night's Watch. I have many sins to atone for."
Eddard was not surprised by the words of his old friend, the Lord of the North showed an equally calm look and replied. "So do I, old friend.
We all have sins to pay for."
Eddard was already determined to abdicate and pass his titles on to Robb. Although the boy was young, he saw that his son was already a lord worthy of inheriting the iron throne of House Stark.
With Aenar helping, he couldn't believe anyone would be crazy enough to attack Robb, so Eddard was confident about his family's safety.
"Do you think Lyanna would be angry with us?" Howland asked in a low voice, a nostalgic look flashing in the eyes of the Lord of House Reed.
"She'd probably shoot a few arrows at us." Eddard said with a low laugh, full of longing for his sister.
"She wouldn't miss an arrow." Howland said in an equally amused tone.
"Yes, we'd be dead." Eddard said with a slightly louder laugh, which Howland shared.
"Let's drink to our bleak future on the wall and our frozen balls." Howland raised his wine cup and said with a cheerful tone as he looked at Aenar and Visenya, who had begun to greet all the nobles present.
"To the future." Eddard toasted along with him, and they both drank the purplish liquid in a single gulp.
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