News of Imperial Crown Prince Soren of Revhara and Crown Prince Rihaan of Danshin’s marriage spread across the Empire and into the neighbouring kingdoms.
The most important figures were invited to attend. So mocked the union, while others began to idolize it.
For an oga from Revhara, where people from other countries thought their opinions were acknowledged for marriage, to choose the sa alpha twice—even when that alpha was not his fated mate—was not unheard of.
What made Soren’s story remarkable was that he set aside his pride and chose love instead, sothing most could not do, whether alpha or oga.
The big day approached in great strides, and the entire palace was in an uproar.
Servants hurried through the corridors endlessly. So carried silk banners in their arms, others ceremonial trays, while the rest carried boxes of sacred ornants ant for the wedding hall.
"What are the decorators?! We were supposed to leave together!" The one responsible shouted.
"T-They must be on their way." One of the servants answered.
"R-Right. Please calm down..." another maid hesitantly tried to reassure the woman.
Beyond the palace grounds, after passing through a small forest, the Temple of Revhara stood. It had large white towers, unlike typical temples.
Weddings of any couple were never held within walls other than the Temple, where vows were bound not only before the people, but before the Gods themselves.
Revhara believed in the existence of Gods—everyone did. Their nas were taught from childhood, each of their symbols carved into their minds like spells to use magic—like survival.
Sotis it seed as if it were sothing done in monts of desperation or gratitude rather than habit.
Faith, in Revhara, was quiet. It did not demand kneeling devotion, only acknowledgnt unlike in Hianshu where praying was a requirent for every mont of their lives—even eating.
Today, however, even those who never prayed found their gazes lingering on the Temple’s gates. Perhaps it was the weight of the union being celebrated. Perhaps it was the hope that, for once, the Gods would look down and send their blessings to their couple.
Not all marriages were successful, given that ogas had the right to demand a divorce. Mostly when this ti, the oga was the next Emperor in line.
On the other hand, in Danshin, marriage happened in a very different manner.
Rihaan’s holand believed in the Gods just as deeply—perhaps even more openly—but unlike Revhara’s quiet faith, Danshin’s devotion was proved with ritual and tradition.
Every important union was bound by a sequence of sacred acts passed down through generations, each one carrying aning older than the kingdom itself. To marry without them was unthinkable.
Priests had already begun cleansing the ceremonial grounds with incense and consecrated water. They rehearsed their actions over and over to not allow even one minor mistake.
Zayden, Ren and Eiran sat among the audience in the front row. They looked up at the couple, eyes glimring. Both shone brightly like the sun and moon—and at the sa ti.
Soren looked majestic in Danshin’s bride’s gown. His slender figure was wrapped in a thin silk cloth, a veil covering the top of his head. His lips were painted a dark red, even darker than his red hair along with his cheeks brushed with a pink-ish powder the oga was displeased with.
But he didn’t complain.
"If you don’t like it, you may remove it," the alpha whispered, his gaze not leaving his bride-to-be even for a heartbeat.
Soren held back his smile. He couldn’t lose composure in front of so many people and disgrace his empire. It was basic manners. Etiquettes he learned from a young age.
"Now?" He asked, his voice barely audible.
Rihaan nodded imdiately.
Soren shook his head.
"I can handle this much for you."
The alpha felt heart rushing to his cheeks. Surely, they had turned a similar shade to Soren’s skin now.
The ceremony began briefly after one of the priests stepped before the couple.
He pronounced the vows, and the two n repeated after him. Their hearts raced equally rapidly, although both wondered if the other one could hear the sound.
After exchanging the vows, the couple shared a soft kiss before the audience. It was not a forbidden act. Nor was it demanded to seal the marriage. However, in Danshin, they did so.
Just among the countless rites, one stood above the rest.
During the vows, the alpha would kneel and place his ankle gently against the oga’s, skin to skin, binding them with a ceremonial chain for a lifeti. To outsiders, it appeared almost like a mark—intimate, deliberate. But in Danshin, it was a declaration.
The legend behind it was known to every child—even those who didn’t reside in Danshin. Its popularity was beyond belief.
The first to perform the ritual had been a king—one who fell in love with an oga far beneath him in status—a re slave.
Before the court, before the Gods, he had knelt and lowered himself, pressing an anklet to his lover’s ankle as a vow that power did not stand above devotion. That no crown was heavier than love. That an alpha, no matter how mighty, would bow willingly to his oga.
Love was no burden. Yet, it was enough to make one lower themselves in front of their beloved.
Since then, the ritual continued. A reminder that marriage was not ownership, but choice. Not dominance, but submission.
Rihaan pulled out a pair of anklets from the pockets of his red robe. The sound of the bells echoed in the silent hall.
A ripple of gasps broke out among the audience. They had expected it; however, for most, it was their first ti witnessing the famous ritual of Danshin.
The jewelry was made of gold. It had perfectly round, red gems carved into it, and small golden bells hung beside each ruby.
Soren parted his lips in awe. His gaze lifted from the anklets to the man who had bought them for him.
"T-This is—!"
It was what Soren had wanted—rubies. When Rihaan suggested wearing sapphires or other gems, the oga said, "Rubbies."
However, the alpha acted as if he couldn’t get it done before the wedding.
Rihaan simply humd, kneeling to the ground, uncaring that his wedding robe might get dirty. To begin with, he was never a man who valued such trivial things.
He gently placed Soren’s hands on his shoulders so the oga wouldn’t lose his balance before placing one of Soren’s feet on his thigh.
The oga blushed, shyly looking down at the audience, whose gazes were glued to them.
"Look at ," Rihaan said, looking up at the man after putting on one of the anklets.
And Soren did. Within an instant. It was as if he had been bewitched into obeying the alpha.
However, deep down, he knew that he, too, wanted to admire his husband on this day. He appeared no less than the God of the Sun, shining so brightly one might burn.
Rihaan’s fingers did not tremble as he reached for the second anklet.
The bells chid softly once more, their sound lighter this ti, as if the hall itself was holding its breath, just like the audience.
He adjusted his grip on Soren’s ankle, careful to the point that the oga was almost offended. He was no fragile oga.
Still, Soren did not get upset. He just couldn’t. He had rarely been treated with such intense care and delicateness.
Rihaan’s thumb brushed warm skin as he guided the gold into place, the red gems catching the light with every small movent. Then, slowly, he fastened it shut.
The second bell rang.
A quiet hush fell over the hall.
Rihaan lingered there for a mont longer than necessary, his head still bowed, his posture unyielding yet humble. It was not submission—no, it was devotion. A promise made before gods, immortals, half-mortals and mortals alike.
When he finally looked up, his hazel gaze t Soren’s amber one once more.
"There," he murmured, low enough that only the oga could hear.
Soren’s chest tightened. His ankles felt warm, heavy in the best way, as though sothing unseen had settled around him—sothing binding yet gentle.
At least, they were not chained in the na of marriage.
And in that mont, with an alpha kneeling at his feet and bells ringing softly around his ankles as he removed them from Rihaan’s leg, Soren understood. This was not a mark of ownership.
It was a vow. And that was why so many people looked forward to seeing this ritual.
"Papa! Dad! When are you getting married?!" Eiran turned toward both of his fathers one by one.
Zayden blinked, too stunned to speak while Ren quickly covered the kid’s mouth before anyone could hear him.
"E-Eiran! You shouldn’t be saying such things loudly," the oga said, voice low although it carried a scolding tone.
The child puffed his cheeks, folding his arms.
"You keep stopping from saying anything everyyyy ti," he pouted.
Zayden forced a soft laughter, patting the child’s head.
"Don’t be upset. We will, at so point..." he looked at Ren who more than happy appeared concerned.
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