Chapter 27. I’m eight and you’re twelve

The little mistress of the northern castle was confused when she was suddenly put in a wagon and taken somewhere. Despite Hannes' offer to escort her, the girl had a strong feeling that she had little choice. As she looked at the snow-covered streets outside the window, she became more and more perplexed by what was happening.

— Why do we need to go to the temple? — Remesis continued to ask all along the way.

The knight only shook his head and answered in a low voice:

— When you arrive, you'll see for yourself.

— ...

Remesis exhaled angrily as everyone around her seemed to conspire to refuse to answer her questions. She couldn't stand the unknown. All Hannes had said was that it was a surprise, and Asil had prepared it. Remesis, who had never thought of the two concepts before, couldn't even begin to imagine what it could be. To her recollection, the princess was nowhere near a devout believer.

It would be ridiculous for a mass murderer to believe in a god.

But then why had she chosen this particular place?

Remesis eventually gave up and stopped questioning the people around her. It seemed she really only had to wait. The girl turned her back to the window and silently watched the tall spires of the cathedral grow larger and larger. There were surprisingly few people on the streets today.

«Maybe because it's a day off?»

When they pulled up, the knight gave her a hand and helped her down to the ground. Remesis was still frowning. She stepped forward with a not-so-good feeling. But as it turned out, what she saw was not at all what she expected. The normally empty church hall was filled with people. Workers, servants, and the few northern nobles mingled together and completely occupied the long pews.

It seemed to be the first time in a long time that the temple was so bustling.

Remesis froze on the threshold, not quite sure what was going on. One by one, those gathered noticed her and murmured quietly. Someone even clapped their hands. The fact that so many people were looking at her at once made the princess uneasy. But the knight who followed her whispered confidently:

— Come in, Your Highness.

— А?

The girl hesitated, but still made the first step. Only then, as she made her way through the rows of people, did she notice that there was someone standing in front of the altar. That someone was looking right at her. And Remesis was looking too. From one end of the aisle to the other, two pairs of eyes absorbed each other uninterruptedly.

It took only a couple of moments for Remesis to recognize this person. It was not the candles that illuminated the semi-darkness of the church hall, but a girl with dazzling silver-blonde hair. Beneath it, the gaze of amber eyes was focused entirely on his wife. She was dressed in modest but well-made clothes. And her hair was carefully combed and styled.

It was in stark contrast to her usual appearance, when the princess didn't care much about her appearance.

Although Remesis didn't fully understand what was happening yet, she intuitively felt that she needed to keep moving forward. The princess's gait became more and more uncertain.

Finally, the girl reached the edge of the platform and they stood opposite each other. Asil stared at her silently. Remesis didn't know what to say either.

— Your Highness…» she finally said hoarsely, «What is the meaning of all this?

— The wedding.

— What?

— We… We didn't have a wedding.

Remesis stuttered and stared at her in amazement. A wedding? So Asil's previous strange behavior was related to that? The girl looked around and froze.

— But why…? Why would it be necessary? — She muttered uncertainly.

Remesis was so discouraged by what was happening because: she had never thought about getting married before. Honestly, she didn't see the point of it. Just unnecessary fuss and a waste of money. It was one thing when real lovers wanted to seal their union with a beautiful ceremony. But it was another thing… Them.

There was no point in having a grand celebration for the sake of a fake marriage. Especially since they would be divorced in a few years anyway. Remesis especially didn't expect that from Asil. She didn't think she could even care about such things.

The princess replied:

— Uh… I heard that all married people have a wedding. I…uh…uh…uh…I thought we should have one too.

Unlike writing, Asil's oral speech still had many defects. That's why she spoke uncertainly and stuttered a lot.

— But, Your Highness,» Remesis said, embarrassed, «Our marriage is not real. I told you that we are only partners and don't have to behave like this.

«.....»

A strange fire flashed in Asil's eyes.

— But we have to play it believable, don't we? — She spoke softly.

Remesis flinched. That look again. Somehow the girl wanted to avoid it. She hurriedly changed the subject to dispel this strange atmosphere.

Looking at the magnitude of what was happening, Remesis remained simply amazed. She couldn't believe that someone like Asil was capable of organizing all of this. For an animal who had only recently been hiding in a dark corner and could barely string two words together, this was an unimaginable achievement.

— You organized all this yourself? — she asked disbelievingly.

Asil scratched the back of her head.

— No,» she mumbled reluctantly.

— Then…?

— This one helped me.

The princess pointed her finger at Hannes without mentioning his name. The commander was here too, but unlike the others, he wasn't sitting on a bench, but standing at the entrance, guarding it. Even here he retained his knightly credentials.

Remesis smiled briefly. «So that's what this is all about.»

Though the girl hadn't expected it at all, there was still nowhere to go. She would have to participate in this performance.

Meanwhile, the ceremony itself was beginning. They stood facing each other. Remesis felt a certain awkwardness when the beautiful features, straight nose, and graceful jaw line were too close to her.

At the same time, she endured embarrassment for her appearance as well.

Unlike Asil, Remesis had not prepared herself in any way, and she was wearing the simplest dress possible. She never thought she would be in a situation where this little beast would look more presentable than she did.

At any rate it was too late to run and change.

Asil slowly took her hand. Their gazes intertwined. They stood at the altar in full view while the clergyman began the service. After a while the solemn speech reached those cherished words:

— I ask the bride, Asil Naru Ashelot. In the sight of the Lord and the witnesses here present, do you agree to take the bride, Remesis Carter, to be your bride, and do you swear to respect and love each other and to fulfill the duties of a wife while you are legally married?

— Yes,» Asil answered without hesitation.

— I ask the bride, Remesis Carter. In the sight of God and the witnesses here present, do you agree to be joined in marriage to your bride, Asil Nara Asheloth, and do you swear to respect and love each other and to fulfill your duty as a wife while you are legally married?

Remesis's heart sank for a moment. Never had she thought she would have to say such words. Especially not in front of Asil. But still, her lips moved slowly:

— I agree…

— With this you have vowed to be wed in the presence of God. In accordance with the covenant and the holy promises, as well as the authority given to me as a clergyman, I pronounce you wives.

After the priest's declaration, clapping was heard in the hall. Remesis looked around again and then looked at Asil a little worriedly. They had already been served a pad of rings.

They were melted out of plain iron and devoid of any jewelry. There wasn't even any decorative pattern. But that was not surprising. The wedding rings that were exchanged among aristocrats were extremely expensive for them. Spending so much money on such trinkets was stupid and pointless.

Nevertheless, Remesis held her breath as she looked at their hands with matching rings. Never before had she experienced such a feeling. As if she really was someone's wife…

— Are you alright? — Asil suddenly asked quietly.

— Ah, yes…

The moment had come when they should have sealed their vows with a kiss. However, understandably, they didn't. Instead, slightly embarrassed, the children briefly hugged each other. The cold sunlight streaming through the stained glass windows dazzled them both. Asil let her go. The ringing of wedding bells filled the church.

They stepped onto the carpeted walkway, accompanied by fairly quiet applause. Still, not everyone in the north had yet accepted Asil as their lord, and had only come because they had received orders from the northern fortress. Hannes was the one who rejoiced the most, even tears welled up in his eyes.

Remesis was a little upset that Maester Leeuwen was not present at their wedding. But apparently the princess had not invited him for reasons of personal dislike.

They went outside, where a festive carriage pulled by a trio of shaggy horses was ready to take them to a small feast in the northern castle. Remesis stood in the cold for a few more minutes before climbing inside, waving awkwardly to all the gathered guests.

The rest of the evening passed for her in a flurry of activity. Almost all the servants and guards of the castle gathered around the feast table — celebrating the wedding ceremony of the Lord of the North. The feast continued until midnight. The general merriment and dancing made it impossible to breathe. Remesis even got a headache from all the noise.

«We shouldn't have had such a feast,» the girl mentally lamented, «one small dinner would have sufficed.

At this rate they would spend all the money of the temple before the next winter.

When the cheering and congratulations that were pouring in from everywhere had finally subsided, they returned to their quarters. After all this, Remesis had only one wish: to collapse and sleep until morning. The rest of their belongings could be finished packing tomorrow as well.

But the princess suddenly asked:

— Is that all?

— What…? — The girl was a little surprised when she was about to go to bed.

— We haven't had our first..... yet Pp… The first wedding night.

— Huh?

When Remesis realized what she meant, her face flashed. Where the hell did Asil get all this stuff from?! Was it all the influence of the guardsmen the princess goes hunting with? She must have just overheard them talking dirty.

— No way! — The girl blushed, «That's definitely not going to happen!

— Ww… Why? It's tt… also a tradition after the wedding.

Remesis blushed. She already didn't bother to mention that this marriage was a sham. But how could the princess miss the more obvious detail?

— If only because you are twelve years old, and I am eight at all…! — she exclaimed, -What kind of wedding night can we talk about?

An epiphany flashed across Asil's face.

— Oh, right…

The princess muttered it to herself, but Remesis heard her. She hummed, deciding that the princess had finally figured it out.

— Your Highness, from now on, filter the information you receive. Not everything should be taken seriously.

«…»

— Now let's go to sleep. We have to get up early tomorrow.

The girl got into bed and turned off the light. But Asil was in no hurry to do the same. In the pitch darkness, her gaze stopped on a small figure who was already sound asleep. Her quiet and peaceful breathing made the atmosphere in the bedchamber more peaceful.

Asil was silent. She stared at Remesis with an unreadable expression that made it impossible to guess what she was thinking. After a brief pause, she laughed softly.

 ***

Chapter 38 is already available on Boosty: https://boosty.to/meredit