Chapter 25:A marriage plea(Karna's POV)

It took a long time for me to be able to see it, but I completely fell in love with Lhorulu. The woman was just too perfect... Her personality was great, she was very happy, and makes me very excited every day, making me dream about a future with her, the children we could have, our married life, and so on... Her beauty and appearance made me want to have her to myself for all eternity. So she was the lady of my dreams that I wanted to have a future with and the beauty of my fantasies... She really became quite dear to me.

Marriage traditions in the Rhoyne are quite than those from Westeros. Rhoyne royals usually marry people of similar standing to them, though there are not necessarily political marriages, as their main aim is not to form a political alliance, just to have descendants with magical talent. So, yes we have a view of keeping the blood pure because of the importance of water magic to our society, but we are much less radical than the valyrians, as we do not practice incest, and usually do not marry first-degree cousins, not because of it being tabu, but because we felt it is awkward.

We also do not see much problem with marrying legitimate princes/princesses with bastardly princesses/princes as long the second can perform water magic. Not all marriages are open usually this is a choice of the couple. As the future dornish-men, we do not have any sort of tabu with bastards. There are two types of marriage that nobles perform. The heir marriage is only performed by heirs or permanent heirs of heirs and was the one my mother performed.

The second is the love marriage. It can be performed by heirs or heirs of heirs if they are already in love with someone. This marriage is also performed by commoners but in a less spending way. In this marriage, the male or the female may request the hand of the other. The male may request his wife's hand from her mother, while the female may request it from his father. To make the request one must give it through a carved-in stone or wood tablet. The stone one is the most traditional and respectful. Carving the tablet on your own is a way of showing devotion to your lover and it's said that doing it makes Mother Rhoyne gives a special blessing to the marriage, though it's not mandatory. Then, the father or mother, if they approve, would answer: "If by the will of my child and the grace of Mother Rhoyne, this blessed marriage shall happen". Later the parent would discuss the marriage with his/her son/daughter and if he/she approves, the two families would start combining the wedding.

I am not a sculptor so it was not easy for me. I used an enormous rock thirteen feet tall or four meters and sculpted on it, to sculpt it, both because it was easier for me as I did not have to control my strength too much and because I thought it would be more beautiful this way. So I carried it to the banks of the Rhoyne river, gently putting it in the waters, I pleaded:

"Mother Rhoyne, please bless me with the hand of your daughter."

All of a sudden, I was transported somewhere else. I was in a space right in front of a massive palace made of water, the windows were as transparent as water but as solid as ice. The walls seemed to be made of a compacted white translucent snow. It was majestic. Eight-point towers were forming an octagon and in the center a large square dome.

Should I enter? I was not given permission yet, so I kneel at the entrance, after all, I am only a mortal and that's Mother Rhoyne's palace by what I can tell.

"You may enter."I heard a divine and, at the same time, motherly voice saying.

"Thank you" I said in a low voice. After entering I made a straight path through a corridor that led to an enormous throne rune. In the center, there was a stared-tower where on the top stood a massive throne of pearls and gold. There were eight thrones in smaller towers forming an octagon. One of the thrones was empty. Five were occupied by women, mine of which have dark-brown hair.

Each seems quite different from the other, one has an air of wisdom and seems like an older sister figure, next to her left stood a much younger woman that seems like the youngest with an air of curiosity of a child. Left to this girl stood the empty throne. Left from this throne stood a man with grayish-green hair that seemed like a slow-aged old man, and his clothes seem to be made of a turtle shell. To this man's right and right to the door stood another man with hair and a beard as red as blood, and with clothes that seem to be made of a crab exoskeleton.

At this man's right stood a woman that sort of seemed shy, she hid her face with her long her and seem retracted in her throne. To her right, stood another woman that was wearing a black dress, have black hair and was wearing dark makeup. To this woman's right stood another woman that was wearing light leather armor and was looking impatient through the room, seemly bored.

There were below them, eight bleachers with throne-like chairs.

"As you can guess I am the one you mortals call Mother Rhoyne. These ones are my sons and daughters. And those below are my husbands and suitors. So you are that one, the mysterious entity that made a deal I don't know the terms with future me. And be it coincidence, or fate itself came here to plead to marry my daughter. You seem sincere so I... "Mother Rhoyne said.

"Please wait, mother. I think the man needs to prove himself to me to show if he is worthy of my cheerful sister." The red-haired man was looking at me like wanted to fight.

"I accept" I said. Mother Rhoyne seems to be somewhat against it, but she said nothing.

Quickly mother Rhoyne waved her right hand, and we and the Crab King were out in an open space.

So our fight began. The Crab King quickly took his true form and now I was right in front of a giant crap. He tried to smash me with his left claw, but I was faster so I jumped and began running above his left "arm", He tried to push me out of it with his right claw as if I was an annoying insect, but I jumped into his right arm's direction and started climbing in it with my small nails pressuring at his arm. So I reached his head and climbed to his back where it seemed his body has the most protection as I don't want to accidentally kill my brother-in-law. I only gave him a light slap.

"Ouch! I did not lose yet."The Crab King shouted, and quickly transformed back to his human form.

As my armor would protect me in the fall, I landed on my feet. Seems like I gave him too much of a slap, he seems dizzy so I waited for him to recover. When he did, he made a fighting pose and started to throw a fist at me, with his left hand, which I caught with my left palm, and returned with a fist to his solar plexus. He landed on the ground when all of a sudden...

"Don't be a sore loser accept that there is someone else that can beat you up." Said the green-haired man.

"You are THE FIRST man to defeat me be honored." The red-haired said with his left hand on his abs, he looked at the green-haired man with clear anger. It seems that this two have a kind of rivalry like the Crab King and the Old Man of the River. Yes, it's exactly it. I am glad that they are not fighting in the mortal realm, though I doubt this Crab King is nearly as strong as the one in the long night tale.

"Karna, come with me. My daughter has gone to your father to request to marry you, how cute." Said Mother Rhoyne.

Reaching my father's place we saw Lhorulu having a nice talk with my stepmother and father, while my younger brother Shandi looked at us with curiosity.

"Oh, you two came. We were talking with your future wife, and your father wanted to ask if you agreed with the marriage, but seeing that you went to the girl's mother to request for both of you to marry, I think this question was already answered " Said Sanjna.

"Karna, how was it knowing my family for the first time?"Lhorulu asked me.

"I think the usual of meeting family members. I just have a small friendly fight with your red-haired brother."I said.

"Oh, he is like that sometimes, but he does not mean bad, I guess he was just being overprotective of me."My dear Lhorulu said.

"Yes, I agree."I said, looking at her beautiful face, then asked. "How was it, meeting my goodly family?"

"They are nice and love you a lot and Shani is very cute."She answered.

"Guess he is."I said.

So we started to combine the initial details for the ceremony, having to decide more things when we return to the mortal realm.