Reynolds waited until the echoes of the blood ritual fully settled and only then did he step forward again.
"This concludes the ancient rites. What remains is the simplest part. The part that has endured even longer than law, power or divinity."
He turned first toward Asenane. In a matriarchal society, this mattered. Everyone knew it. The choice always began with the bride.
"Asenane, Progenitor Dragon of Frost, Fourth Enlightenment Divine, do you take Vastarael Richinaria of Dynasty Richinaria as your lawfully wedded husband?"
Asenane inhaled slowly.
"I do. With my will, my power, my blood, and my frost. I choose him."
Reynolds turned next to Vastarael.
"Vastarael Richinaria, Royal Aeterium, descendant of Master Vasreveilder, Fourth Enlightenment Divine, Monarch of Dynasty Richinaria, do you take Asenane as your lawfully wedded wife?"
Vastarael didn't need to think.
"I do, with everything I am and everything I will become."
Reynolds nodded once then raised his hand.
"By blood bound and will affirmed, by law invoked and bond sealed, I recognize you before this realm, before the souls who witness you, and before the laws that govern existence itself..."
He smiled.
"...as married. Asenane, you may kiss the groom."
She didn't hesitate.
Asenane stepped forward with her hands already on his chest and fingers curling into the fabric of his royal white suit. She pulled him down just enough to meet her. Vastarael responded to her kiss immediately. One hand was at her waist and the other on her neck. Souls rose from their seats with laughter and applause echoing through the Sinking Void.
Asenane finally pulled back just enough to rest her forehead against his.
"You're now mine," she murmured half teasing and half deadly serious.
The moment Reynolds stepped back and the cheers fully broke loose, Vastarael moved on instinct. Before Asenane could even process what he was doing, his arms slid under her legs and back and lifted her clean off the ground. Asenane laughed once in surprise and then immediately smacked his shoulder.
"Veneri, put me down right now. This is highly undignified."
Shimmer was already cackling.
"Mother is being abducted," she declared cheerfully.
Runner sighed. "I give it ten seconds before she stops pretending to hate this."
Vastarael ignored them all. He spun her in a wide, joyful twirl that sent the hem of her purple gown fanning out as snowflakes spiraled lazily around them. Asenane was speechless for a few seconds before she laughed openly with her head tilted back. Her laugh was unrestrained, unlike the composed, mature woman everyone knew.
The laughter startled everyone. Vastarael stopped mid-spin, staring at her like he had just seen something sacred. When she finally caught her breath, she wrapped an arm loosely around his neck and shouted, voice full and proud,
"I'm married to the most handsome Divine of the Third Generation!"
The meadow went silent. Vastarael nearly tripped.
"What... why would you say it like that so loudly?"
Asenane laughed even harder, pressing her forehead to his.
"Because it's true," she said, utterly unapologetic.
He stared at her, stunned. She had always been mature and it was rare seeing her laugh.
"You're... laughing."
She looked at him, smile still wide and for a moment there was something shy in her eyes.
"I am. Is that strange?"
"No," he said immediately, pulling her closer. "It's... it's beautiful."
She scoffed, flustered again, and finally smacked his shoulder properly this time.
"You're embarrassing me."
"Too late," Phaenora called out cheerfully, a shimmering hologram hovering beside her as she recorded from at least three angles. "This is going into the eternal archives."
Vastarael glanced over. "You're recording?"
"Obviously. I was literally born for moments like this. Omniscience comes with perks."
Shimmer leaned into the frame and flashed a grin. "Make sure you get Mother's laugh. That's rare loot."
Asenane groaned. "I'm surrounded by traitors."
Vastarael finally lowered her back onto the grass, but he didn't let go. His hands stayed at her waist, grounding, warm, real.
She looked up at him, still smiling, still flushed, and for just a second the weight of everything they had survived came in her mind. Then she leaned forward and kissed him again, softer this time.
"Thank you."
"For what?"
"For choosing me. And for letting me be happy."
He rested his forehead against hers.
--------
The reception area barely felt like the same realm.
Where the Sinking Void had once been an endless realm of hunger and silence, Luke had reshaped it into something almost unreal. Long wooden tables stretched across the meadow with a lot of food and drinks. And apparently, the souls could eat. That discovery alone had caused absolute chaos. Souls who had forgotten taste crowded tables with wide eyes and unsteady hands, marveling at warmth, texture, sweetness, bitterness. Some laughed. Some cried. Some simply stared at their plates in disbelief before taking another bite like they were afraid it would vanish. Vastarael sat beside Asenane at the central table, entirely unbothered by the attention. He held a fork carefully, scooping up a piece of food and bringing it toward her mouth.
Asenane hesitated.
"Veneri, people are watching."
"So? You're my wife."
She opened her mouth anyway. The second he fed her, her wings fluttered slightly. That was an unconscious reaction that did not go unnoticed. Shimmer froze mid-bite. She leaned slowly towards Runner.
"I just watched Mom get fed by Dad."
Runner didn't even look surprised.
"She's gone," Runner said calmly. "That is not the same woman who once lectured me for thirty minutes about posture. She looks like a lovesick young woman."
Across the table, Asenane was very clearly not helping her case. She covered her mouth with one hand as Vastarael smiled at her like she was the only being in the realm.
"She's like Mother Adelasta," Shimmer continued. "Hiding everything, acting composed, pretending she doesn't feel things."
Runner smirked. "Marriage did to her what centuries of war and divinity couldn't."
"Who knew marrying Dad would break her emotional firewall so fast?"
"It's a good thing. Though after this, they're going straight to their honeymoon."
Asenane choked. Phaenora appeared beside the girls, leaning her elbows on the table like she had been there the whole time.
"Oh, she's going to have a very fun time," Phaenora said cheerfully.
Shimmer glanced at her. "Are you jealous?"
"Why would I be?"
"You love Dad too," Shimmer pointed out.
"I do. That doesn't mean I'm in a rush. Marriage is sacred to Omniscients. Our wedding ritual is... different."
"So you're not jealous?"
"No, Runner. I'm happy for Asenane. Also, I already booked his ring finger."
Shimmer nearly spat out her drink.
"What?"
"Only I am putting a ring on his finger. No one else."
Runner sighed. "How does Dad even survive five women like this?"
"He doesn't. We handle him."
Shimmer leaned back, counting on her fingers. "Sooner or later, we'll have more weddings. Knowing them, only Mother Elyonari would do a public one."
"The rest?" Runner asked.
"Secret rituals," Shimmer replied confidently.
Phaenora smiled. "I'm doing a public wedding too."
That caused several heads to turn. Before anyone could respond, Asenane stood. The chatter died almost immediately. She cleared her throat. Vastarael looked up at her, surprised by the sudden notice.
"I..." she began, then paused, inhaled, and squared her shoulders.
"I have an announcement. I have a song dedicated to my husband."
Shimmer slapped the table. "NO WAY."
Runner sat up straighter. "This I have to hear."