Chapter 086 – Ceremony

[298 AC]

It was some time later, that Phenex and Arianne found themselves resting in the soft grass near the river.

Using his hands as a pillow, Phenex was laying on his back, while Arianne's body was draped over his as she enjoyed the warm sunlight on her back that was slowly drying her still wet hair.

One of her hands was placed under her cheek, while the other drew soft circles on Phenex' chest right above his heart, her eyes closed.

"Arianne?", Phenex addressed the Dornish Princess quietly.

"Hm?", she hummed in response, obviously somewhat exhausted after their passionate bath.

Moving his arms, Phenex supported himself on one of his elbows, as he placed his other hand on Arianne's cheek, turning her head slightly so that she faced upwards.

His eyes carrying an affectionate look, while a simple smile sat on his lips, Phenex looked in the warm and sleepy eyes of the Dornish Princess.

"Will you marry me?", the God of Volantis asked lightly.

…

[Three weeks later]

"It's today, isn't it?"

"What is?"

"The Princess' wedding, you bloke! How can you not remember that when even the temple has announced it daily for the past week?"

"Ah, now I remember again! Princess Arianne is going to marry the Sword of the Morning! Such a grand pair!"

"Not just the Sword of the Morning, the High Priest mentioned that he is also a great commander of the Red Temple!"

"He is?!"

"You ears are clearly useless if you haven't heard of that by now! Everyone in Sunspear knew this since a week ago!"

"..."

Such talks were all over Sunspear, the ruling seat of House Nymeros Martell, as the Red Temple had made sure to announce this news with great zeal, which only made sense considering that it was their god that was about to get married, even if only the high-level officials and priests were in the know about this.

And while the wedding was going to be a private and small ceremony which would be held in the Tower of the Sun in the Old Palace, the wedding banquet was for the whole city to enjoy, as preparations had been ongoing for this since days before.

The Red Temple had sent dozens of ships with supplies and delicacies from Essos that were going to be served up for the whole city to enjoy, while a massive amount of gold had also flown into the city's markets as large amounts of food had been bought for the feast from local vendors.

The High Priest Moqorro was said to be the one to officiate the wedding, as he had personally come to the Tower of the Sun to join Phenex Firestar of House Dayne and Arianne Nymeros Martell of House Nymeros Martell in marriage.

…

As a Lord and father, Doran Martel couldn't help but be satisfied with the choice his daughter had made for her husband, as he had hoped that something like this would happen after he had sent Arianne to Volantis.

In the world they lived in, Doran knew that power was necessary to protect not only yourself but also those around you. All too well he remembered the painful consequences of his House's weakness that led to his sister's death at the hands of the Mountain.

And even though Phenex had brought her back to life, he would never forget the lesson he had learned that day. If his House had had the same power as the Red Temple had nowadays, no one would have dared to lay a hand on Elia or her children back then.

Still, Doran wasn't just all politician and ruler, so he was also somewhat concerned if the Red God treated his precious daughter like she deserved, though the reports he had gotten from Oberyn had been reassuring.

And as the Lord of Sunspear led his daughter in her bridal dress to the rooftop of the Tower of the Sun and saw Phenex standing next to the High Priest, his worries completely vanished.

The God of Volantis wore a dark purple top out of high-quality silk with beautiful black, flame-like embroidery all over, his pants while a simple black colour, were not of less quality. On the side of his hip, two swords were sheathed and Doran knew one of them to be the heirloom blade of House Dawn.

Phenex' eyes immediately locked onto Arianne, who was clad in dark green silk, the lower part of her face veiled, while tasteful golden jewelry with dozens of emerald gems embedded or joined to it decorated her neck, wrists, and hair.

The divine being made not the slightest attempt of hiding the overwhelming affection and desire in his gaze, as he watched Arianne in a daze, her beauty captivating and enchanting him like any other mortal man.

Truth be told, it took Doran a moment to convince himself that what he was seeing was reality, as the Red God was completely smitten with his daughter. At this moment he was not the man who held the lives of millions in his hands, or the being who could defy the natural order and revive the dead.

In this moment, where Phenex was about to marry Arianne in the presence of his and her family, he was just a man in love and Doran Nymeros Martell couldn't be happier about that.

He had known that the Phenex was an incredible ruler, but now he was also sure that he would be a good husband to his daughter, and that was something every father wished for.

…

Despite all the passionate moments that they had shared before, Arianne's heart still struggled to contain the storm of affection and pure joy she felt in this moment as they were about to be wed as husband and wife.

It was different from just being lovers, even though she knew that Phenex wanted her to be with him even before, as Arianne now belonged with him, not only in her own eyes but also in the eyes of everyone else.

"Today the night is bright, and fearful are its terrors, as the Heart of Fire blesses those that come together as one. Your love and devotion shall be the flame to guide you, as you walk your path together."

The Dornish Princess barely registered Moqorro's voice, her focus on the man before her, as she tightly held onto his hand. The young woman being hardly able to believe that this day had truly come.

"Do you swear to keep this flame alive even in the darkest hour?", the Red Priest asked while facing her.

Finally, she was asked for her consent, though Arianne's voice nearly cracked under the intense emotions welling up inside her heart as she voiced her agreement.

"I-I do, I s-swear.", her voice soft, but full of affection and want.

Arianne knew that she would never love another man the way she loved Phenex. It wasn't just the incredible passion between them, but every light caress and gentle smile they shared was etched into her mind as if it was the most precious thing she had and would ever possess.

She wanted nothing more than to be by his side and melt into the safety of his embrace for the rest of her days. It was a longing so strong, that she could hardly put it into words and her heart tightened almost painfully just thinking about it.

"Do you swear to keep this flame alive even in the darkest hour?", Moqorro questioned again, this time facing Phenex.

Everyone gathered on the rooftop now turned their attention towards the man that wasn't really a man at all, waiting for his answer.

The guests though only included the members of House Martell, namely Doran, Oberyn, Elia, Ellaria Sand and their respective children, Lord of Starfall and Phenex' uncle, Anton Dayne, and the High Priest Moqorro, who acted as the officiant.

Though there was also a group of thirteen very special guests hidden in the shadows, all of them wearing a feather tattoo on their cheeks.

"By the name of my ancestors and the love of my mother, I vow to love you, Arianne Firestar, née Nymeros Martell, until the fire of my existence perishes.", Phenex vowed softly, before slowly removing the veil from his lover's face.

His whole focus was on the beautiful dessert flower before him, Arianne's eyes brimming with tears and love, as he placed a tender kiss on her lips.