NOVEL NEXT Chapter 155: Union
Jamie let out a long, tired sigh as he tightened the buckle on the gauntlet hugging his forearm. Both pieces of leatherwork clung to his arms, keeping the fabric of his attire from shifting. Despite the ceremony he was dressing for, his expression showed only impatience and reluctance. He'd been fasting for over twenty hours, as required by the ritual.
By the window, Jay lay sprawled, narrowing his eyes in silent reprove.
'How in the world could you agree to this?!' Jay had demanded as Jamie explained what had happened. 'What happens to me when you're gone? Don't leave me alone with them!'
'It was this or facing Maximus," Jamie had retorted, effectively ending the argument. Jay, realizing the futility of fighting, sulked by the window.
'I can't wait to be back in Hafenstadt,' he grumbled from time to time.
'Me neither,' Jamie would answer in his mind, just as weary.
The outfit chosen for Jamie's big day, a bright yellow tunic and plain brown and orange trousers, did little to improve his mood. It was both formal and gaudy, designed more for show than comfort, emphasizing the peculiar nature of this arranged marriage.
"Done! That's the last knot," Jessica announced, stepping back after adjusting the final tie on Jamie's tunic. "Quite a bit of work, but it looks nice."
"'Nice'?" Jamie snorted, glancing down at the glaring yellow fabric. "I look like a giant egg yolk."
"You're only saying that because you're mad," Jessica scolded. "Besides, you may grumble to me, but don't you dare go out there looking sour."
Jamie raised his hands in capitulation. "I know, I know. It might be a marriage of convenience, but no bride wants to see a sulking groom during the ceremony."
"Exactly," Jessica said, giving him a stern look. "Put on a big smile. It's important that no one suspects how annoyed you are."
"Hey, I'll be the happiest groom in the city. No, in the whole Empire," Jamie retorted with forced enthusiasm.
Jessica rolled her eyes but smiled anyway. "All things considered, you came here for this. You ended up getting everything you wanted, right? Maximus will secure the iron you need for your weapons. You found me again, and Maria has freed her uncle."
"True enough," Jamie allowed. "I guess I can't complain. We're each getting something out of the deal. But dealing with Maximus leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Worse still, he sent you to keep an eye on me. I'd rather have bargained with Varric than endure that man's smug face."
Jessica's gaze rested on Jamie as he made another futile attempt to smooth out the creases on his clothes. Her expression teetered between amusement and exasperation.
"Well," she said at last, glancing around the modest inn room, "at least I have a decent excuse now to follow you back to Hafenstadt."
"I'd prefer if you were heading home to our world," Jamie confessed, tightening the belt around his tunic one last time, "but I suppose, of all the problems we have, that's the smallest."
She gave a tiny shrug, her tone more resigned than bitter. "It's not as if we have a way back yet. And until we do, we make do here."
Jamie nodded. "I guess this is as good as it gets," he said, turning to face his sister. "What do you think?"
Jessica reached out, pinching his sleeve, eyeing the bright yellow tunic, and dragging her gaze from top to bottom. She pressed a thoughtful hand to her chin. "Hmm… you do look like an egg yolk."
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"Get lost," Jamie grumbled, raking a hand through his hair in halfhearted protest. But he couldn't hide a tiny grin that tugged at his lips. "Let's get this over with."
They left the cramped upstairs room they had rented in the center of Frosthell. Morning light spilled through the inn's windows, and faint smells of bread and coal fires drifted in from the streets. The city was unusually quiet. Its citizens enjoyed a rare day without the looming threat of a Monster Rush.
The Church of Aetheron rose at the center of a modest square. It was far simpler than some shrines Jamie had seen elsewhere, built of dark gray stone, shaped much like a plus sign from above, with a dome set in the middle. Four entrances faced the cardinal directions.
"Which side do we go in again?" Jessica asked, pausing at the edge of the square. She was still getting used to the memories of her guardian.
"That one," Jamie said, pointing at the northern arch. "I go in from the north. The bride enters from the south."
Jessica couldn't hold back a light laugh. "You know," she teased, "you had to travel to another world to tie the knot. Tell me that's not a little ironic."
A sigh escaped Jamie as he stood before the northern doors, heart pounding harder than he liked to admit. Even though he understood this was only a marriage of practicality, he couldn't help the nerves.
Jamie walked hand-in-hand with Jessica along the narrow lane that led inside. With every stride, he gained a clearer view of the church's central hall. Though humble compared to the opulent cathedrals of Hafenstadt or the immense church of Frostwatch, it possessed a quiet, unassuming dignity. At its center, a circular space formed a kind of sanctuary where a few townsfolk knelt in silent prayer.
Standing in that circle, Maximus awaited them. His polished armor gleamed, no different from what he'd worn in yesterday's battle, except he bore neither helmet nor sword. Instead, his hair and mustache were neatly groomed. Since Frosthell lacked a permanent squad of clerics, Maximus, as a paladin of Aetheron, was going to do the ceremony.
On the opposite side of the hall, Maria entered, escorted by Jamie's younger brother Darius. They walked with the same measured pace, heading toward the sunlit center of the church.
"Why Darius?" Jessica whispered to Jamie, glancing across to where the tall swordsman guided Maria by the hand.
Jamie responded under his breath, "It has to be a male relative, like a female companion walks with me. Her uncle's still imprisoned until we finish the ceremony. Darius had to make do."
Jessica nodded. "So… what about her gown?"
From Jay's memory of clerical rites, Jamie explained, "Men wear yellow and orange in honor of Aetheron's bounty and the sun's growth. Women in red represent the sun's warmth and power."
Indeed, Maria's dress was a bold crimson hue, trailing in soft folds behind her. A translucent red veil concealed her face, and her dark hair was pulled gracefully behind her shoulders. Jamie himself wore a tunic and trousers in vibrant yellows and oranges. Both outfits might've seemed plain if it were not for the striking colors.
Soon, both pairs arrived at the center of the stone floor, meeting in front of Maximus. Jessica and Darius halted a step away from the circle.
Maximus cleared his throat softly, then launched into the scriptures of Aetheron. For the first ten minutes, his words formed a sermon. It was focused not just for the couple, but for all those gathered within the church.
"The sun is light and life," he intoned, his voice echoing through the vaulted dome. "The moon is the end and death. Yet neither can exist without the other. As the gods balance day and night, so do man and woman unite to form a sacred pair."
He turned his attention to Maria and Jamie. "This day, you receive Aetheron's highest blessing, becoming husband and wife beneath the sun god's gaze."
Instead of producing rings, Maximus stepped forward with a woven cord of braided fibers, one end draping over Jamie's right hand, the other across Maria's left. As the cord lay between their palms, they grasped it. As they held it, the binding tightened, pressing against their skin. Without warning, the cord burst into flames.
Yet the fire did not burn their skin, nor did it produce any heat. Instead, a warmth seemed to seep into them, leaving behind a faint glow that shimmered on their hands before fading.
Jamie cast a glance at Maria, trying to read her reaction. Although he knew in his heart that this marriage was born out of necessity rather than love, she looked radiant. The corners of her mouth curved in a bright smile.
'She seems happy—content, at least,' Jamie thought, hoping the sparkle in her eyes was more than pretense.
"With the ceremony complete," Maximus declared, "you may now kiss the bride."
Instantly, Jamie's pulse hammered in his ears. 'It's a professional kiss. A farce for more power,' he reminded himself, trying to maintain a measured composure. Yet his heart fluttered when he reached out to lift Maria's crimson veil. Her dark hair framed her pale cheeks, and she looked at him with unwavering encouragement.
Stepping forward, Jamie closed the distance. His lips brushed hers lightly, a cautious gesture that somehow sent a warm electric current skittering through both their bodies. In that split second, Jamie's eyes flickered open, greeted by a notification.
[Gangmaker System Updating]
[Congratulations on becoming a lord]
[Crime Lord System acquired]