BXBX NOVEL Chapter 175: The Knot.
[You cannot protect Ikaris, she is doomed to be alone; all who lock hands with her will perish such is her fate, such is her curse.]
Sol stared at him again. "I don't give a flying fuck what you think her fate is, I don't care if you're her father, her mother or her retarded uncle twice removed, nothing is happening to Ikaris under my watch, nothing!" Sol snapped and reached out to him, but before he acted impartially he stayed his hand and took a calming breath. "...What are you talking about?"
He asked.
He remembered something Ikaris said at the very beginning of their journey, something he never accepted from her who was supposedly the most powerful deity in existence; she had told him very early on that there were things set that not even she had the ability to change, powers out of her control, and Atla's destruction was evidently such a canon event.
"I ...I don't understand, what curse?" Sol stared at the entity of light. "You're her creator, why would you curse your own child?" He asked.
[I did no such thing, fate has simply decided such an outcome, it happens, it has happened, her brothers lived harmoniously with her, they perished-]
"That wasn't her fault!" Sol arose to Ikaris's defence. "Your own counterpart sent her emissary to destroy-"
[She spawned your seed, and the poor child was murdered right before your very eyes, yet you dare say you have the ability to protect her?] Light asked, and Sol went silent.
"It's different now; I am different now, and I would never allow anyone or anything to-"
[I did not come to vainly argue with you, Godslayer.] Light interrupted again. [I simply came to take back what is mine-]
"If you dare to touch or harm her I will utilize every last drop of my power and annihilate you from existence." Sol's eyes shone brightly and a sword appeared in his grasp.
[You dare threaten the father of all life, if you kill me reality will plunge into darkness-]
"Go ahead then, try me." Sol's eyes widened, his pupils and irises shrunk and his mind took a manic turn for the worst as his threat came with the full weight of his title as Godslayer.
"She no longer belongs to you, don't you dare treat my wife as a fragment of yourself, she has her own thoughts and her own choices, free will, and I know she would never willingly leave like that." Sol continued to stare.
[This is for her own good, and the good of all of us, yourself included!] Light roared causing the heavens to tilt in axis. [In order for everything else to survive, she must-]
"Leave."
[There are powers at hand that even you cannot-]
"If you make me repeat myself once more, I'm going to kill you, Ikaris stays with me, whatever fate she has I'll change it, whatever curse she carries I'm gonna lift it, anything that comes after her life is going to be subject to my wrath, so fuck off and dont ever show your face in front of her again." Sol closed his eyes feeling the light that had frozen his domain retreating to whence it came.
***
"...Did something happen just now?" Dr'ul stopped speaking and stared at Sol holding Ikaris's hand as he had been before, the smile she had just been looking at had suddenly turned into a frown, and Ikaris after she said it seemed to panic for a few seconds before taking a breath and looking around.
"Love... I sense the presence of the light, was father here?" Ikaris looked at Sol, and he closed his eyes and huffed out a frustrated sigh and then looked at her and Dr'ul respectively.
"We are under the blessing of the light, remember?" Sol smiled at Ikaris. "If you are sensing his presence it must be him wishing us well as we are joined." He closed his eyes again, berating himself as he hid the raging hurricane of anger within his heart from their seal and contract while smiling to ease her concerns. "Don't worry."
"Hm." Ikaris smiled at him once more, cheeks redenning at the comfort; the warmth of his hand and the radiance of peacefulness that his presence brought her.
[Mark my words, Sol Vestic; the queen of the gods is not as simple as your little mind can fathom, her creation was flawed, she is cursed, until her soul has returned to me, only tragedy will follow her, if you truly love her, spare her...] Light spoke directly into his head and Sol took a deep breath to remain calm and then looked at Ikaris smiling again.
"No way, no fucking way in hell, after all I've gone through to ease her pain and free her, there's no way I'm giving her up." He slightly squeezed her hand. "Don't you worry about a thing, Ikaris, I'll protect you; always."
"Shall we continue, then?" Dr'ul pulled their attention upon herself again, and Sol gratefully smiled and nodded.
"Please."
"Having none object to this union, we shall continue." Dr'ul picked up where she left off, raising her hand as the tree behind her bent and curved over her shoulder bringing the apple right into her palm where she picked it and held it before Sol.
"Now swear, Lord Vestic, on this our most sacred fruit of truth, that there is no reason known to you that this union should not proceed, and eat of its flesh to be judged."
"I swear it." Sol took the silver fruit from her palm and bit into it, and as he did his powers flared dramatically before waning again as he turned to Ikaris and placed the fruit in her free hand.
"Queen Ikaris, be there any reason known to you that this union not being made whole before the light?" Dr'ul asked, and saw Ikaris smile brightly and shake her head.
"None your holiness." Ikaris answered and bit into the fruit, humming at the texture melting in her mouth and smiling again as the blush returned on her cheeks.
"By the light; creator and father of all, we humble seek your blessing upon this union, may these your children be granted goodness all the days of their existence, strength, and unity, under your watchful eye, I Dr'ul, bare witness to their hearts." She raised the fruit to the skies and then lowered it to her mouth and bit into it as well.
"Do you, Lord Vestic, take onto you as wife the beautiful Goddess Ikaris, and pledge unto her under the light eternal servitude, to be her defender, her healer, and sure resort, to honour and sustain her in sickness and health, in fairness and foul, with all your powers that be, forsaking all that stand against her, so long as you both live?"
At his question, Sol's conversation with Light reverberated in his head and he slightly frowned, causing Dr'ul's expression to register worry for a split second before she saw him smile again. "Yes, I absolutely do."
"And do you, Queen Ikaris, take unto you the noble lord, Vestic, to be your rightful Lord Husband, and pledge unto him before the Light and all our witnesses to honour and cherish him, to cleave onto him in sickness and health, in fairness and foul, to be his one true and lasting counsel and solace, and forsaking any and all who rise against him, to keep thine self unto him alone, so long as you both shall live?"
"Oh gods..." Eris in the audience held her mouth and fanned her watering eyes while Lyra cradled the baby. "It's so beautiful, I can't believe I'd see the day."
"I do, your holiness." Ikaris pledged, and after she did, on queue Adonai walked up next to them, holding in his grasp a tesseract cube which held two rings floating in tandem at the heart, and Sol accepted them from him with a nod, placing his in Ikaris's hand, and keeping hers.
Going through the rights, Dr'ul blessed the rings and brought them before the light once more.
"My goddess and lifeline, Ikaris, receive and wear this ring, as a symbol of my trust and undying love and devotion for you." Sol smiled at her, taking her hand as they drew closer together and sliding the modified and refurbished ring upon her finger, and as he did Ikaris finally unable to hold herself any longer burst into tears.
"S-Sol, my heart and universe... wear this ring, as a symbol of my eternal devotion, my submission, my respect and my love for you." Ikaris gently raised Sol's finger, and slid the ring onto it, and then raised her head smiling again. "I can't stop myself, this is the happiest day of my life..."
"I will let nothing sour your mood, my love." Sol raised his hand and carefully wiped her tears.
"By this knot, your vows shall be sealed, with all Arkadia baring witness to your declarations." Dr'ul turned to Arla and Dina, who stepped forward presenting a golden divine rope; a fragment of the foundation of their very universe.
They went through the rites, looping the knot around their joint hands skillfully under the watchful eye of The goddess of War.
"Two entwined in love, bound by commitment and fear, sadness, joy, by hardship and victory, anger and reconciliation, all of which brings strength to this union." Dr'ul declared loudly.
"Hold tightly your partner in both bad and good times, and watch as your strength grows... I shall now remove the cords."
And so she did.
"You have both pledged upon your existences and sworn before the great light, you have exchanged rings and tied the holy cord, binding one soul to the next in this divine ritual, may it be granted that what has been made whole before the light may never be undone by any other entity."
"Before I proclaim you joined you must kiss thrice before all hosts and guests, once for luck, twice for love, and thrice for everlasting happiness."
*Kiss
*Kiss
*Kiss
"By the powers vested in me by the light and realm, I now declare you, Lord Sol Vestic, and Queen Ikaris, Husband and Wife, you are free to kiss your bride my lord." Dr'ul smiled and closed the scroll before her as their audience erupted in tears and cheers, while those immediately around them applauded.
"Sol."
"Ikaris."
Ikaris reached for his cheeks, pulling him in while he locked his hands on her hips and leaned into her, both enjoying the kiss to their fullest as their joy overflowed within each other and their mana sprung forth bright and gold in tandem.
Both: "I love you."