Eléonore had been eyeing him ever since he returned from the Greengrass Manor with his grandmother.
Altair knew she was seeking an opportunity to talk to him, but he was not in the mood right now.
He had a lot on his mind, and he shut himself in his trunk after lunch.
It was late in the evening, close to dinnertime, when he came out, feeling hungry, and frowned a little when he saw his fiancée sitting at the study table, reading a book.
She noticed him, of course. The room was silent, and the sound of the trunk opening and closing was loud enough.
However, she paid him no heed, but seeing her shake her leg in impatience, he sighed.
She was upset, and he could not really blame her for it.
"El," he gently called out to her, and watched her body freeze. "My apologies if I have made you feel disrespected or unwelcome. It was not my intention. I simply have a great deal on my mind today."
She stayed silent, but she slowly closed the book and stood up, grateful for the invitation to speak, before turning to meet his eyes.
They were the same as his, those sterling grey eyes of the Morvaine family, and right now, they were a little cold.
"You have not disrespected me, but I do feel unwelcome, Altair." She did not hide what was in her heart, and her words made him flinch inside.
However, a soothing feeling swept over them as the Moonfox resting on the bed let out a soft, magical howl.
Altair fell into a deep thought, lowering his eyes, and did not raise them even when she approached him.
"Have you ever lied to me, Altair?" she asked, and he frowned at her question.
"No."
"Why did you take Grandmother to the Greengrass Manor today?"
"How do you know I took her to the Greengrass Manor?" he asked lightly and smiled when she narrowed her eyes at him.
"You are deflecting my question."
"I was merely curious, El," he spoke gently and took a deep breath. "We visited the Greengrass Manor to negotiate certain contracts."
"Which contracts, precisely?"
"They do not concern the Morvaine family."
"But they concern you, and I wish to know what they are."
Altair sighed in his heart and looked right into her eyes.
"Marriage contracts."
There was no hint of surprise on her face. Instead, her eyes only narrowed further.
"Elaborate, please."
"Lord Greengrass signed the contract, giving Daphne to me as my wife, and Astoria as our handwife. Cereus will be named the future heir of the Greengrass family, and when she comes of age and the Greengrass family changes their name back to Mournwyl, she will take me as her consort. The future line of the Mournwyl family will continue from my legacy."
She stared deep into his eyes, trying her best to stay composed.
"Wife?"
"Yes?"
"The House of Black?" she asked, and seeing him shake his head, she froze. "The House of Morvaine?"
"My dearest Eléonore, you are my future wife and lady of the Morvaine family," he smiled. "How could I draw such contracts without your permission?"
Her brows instantly eased, but her eyes remained narrowed.
"Then?"
"Daphne will be the future lady of the Slytherin family," he informed her, and her eyes instantly glanced at his ring.
"So, it is true."
"Yes," he nodded, and did not resist when she took his hand and closely inspected the ring.
"It's cursed."
"Not for the rightful heir."
She nodded and then gently let go of his hand.
"So, what should I be addressing you as from now on? Lord Slytherin? Heir Black? Heir Morvaine?"
"You do not need to address me as anything formal, El. I am Altair to you."
Her lips curved into the softest of smiles.
"Are you?"
"Yes."
As soon as he answered, she grabbed his hand and led him out of his room.
Illya, who was watching them from the bed, suddenly blinked to their side and followed them out onto the topmost hanging garden of Castle Nocturnum.
The sky was unusually clear tonight, and the stars were brightly lit. The pale starlight and moonlight fell on the platform in the garden, and he could sense and see magic everywhere.
Tonight was special, truly special. It was one of those mystical nights that came unannounced, bathing the entire land in its blessings.
He raised his brow when he sensed and then watched her take out her wand.
He was familiar with it. After all, it was a very special wand; fourteen inches, designed by Eléonore herself, and it contained the feather of a Phoenix as its core. The same Phoenix had given another feather the day Fleur and she had stumbled across it in the woods of the Flamel Palace. They had witnessed its rebirth, received its gifts, and cared for it for a few weeks, hiding it, until it was old enough to fly away.
Most were sceptical about their story until they showed the feathers to them, and as it so turned out, both chose those feathers as the cores of their wands.
"Want to duel?" he guessed.
She did love to duel with him a lot.
"No."
Altair curiously looked at her and watched her take a deep breath.
"Marry me. Right now."
Her words stunned him, and he stared deep into her eyes.
His heart raced when he sensed that she was not being playful. She was dead serious and anxious.
The silence, as it reigned, made her feel even more anxious, and he frowned.
His instincts told him that he should not ask her why. He knew if he said that word or did not agree to her sudden demand, it would break her heart into pieces.
Making up his mind, he drew his left hand to her, intertwined his fingers with hers, and stared right into her eyes as her wand floated up and ejected a stream of beautiful golden flames that surrounded them. The flames exuded a very comforting warmth which brightened their smiles.
It was clear that she was well prepared for this event, and now he had to initiate the vows.
"By blood, by magic, and by name,
I, Altair Cillius le Noir Morvaine-Slytherin-Black, standing before the sacred flame,
Swear upon my wand and soul,
To bind my fate with thine, Eléonore Viviane Flamel, making our house whole.
I give you the name Morvaine, declare you my wife above all.
With wand in hand and heart in trust,
I pledge thee honour, strength, and love that will not rust.
May the Magic witness our troth,
Let none unbind this oath, save death alone."
As soon as he finished speaking, the golden sacred flame flared up, and the platform under their feet lit up as well, making the world around them come alive with excitement.
Eléonore held back her tears as she began to speak.
"By blood, by magic, and by name,
I, Eléonore Viviane Flamel, standing before the sacred flame,
Swear upon my wand and soul,
To bind my fate with thine, Altair Cillius le Noir Morvaine-Slytherin-Black, making our house whole.
I accept the name Morvaine, be your wife above all.
With wand in hand and heart in trust,
I pledge thee loyalty, wisdom, and love that will not rust.
May the Magic witness our troth,
Let none unbind this oath, save death alone."
Altair's wand floated out of its holster on its own and ejected an emerald and silver flame, which intertwined with the golden sacred flame, creating a spectacle that stunned them, and also the elders and others who were secretly watching them.
The two of them recited their silent promises to themselves and each other, and then smiled when their eyes met again. They recited the next words in unison, and their bodies suddenly started exuding radiance.
"So do I vow beneath star and on the stone,
By the secrets of our house and the powers we own,
Let our magic be entwined, our destinies as one...
Now and forever, till all is undone."
The flames burst out in a deep, dull explosion, and a resonant magical hum spread across the entire valley and lake, perhaps even beyond.
As for their immediate surroundings, they were showered with colourful specks of magic, and the hands they were holding continued to shine as some mystic threads took root, binding them forever to each other.
Eléonore, who was radiant with happiness, suddenly stepped forward, and before Altair could react, her lips were on his, and he instinctively answered her kiss.
When the kiss ended, their hands stopped shining too, and both reluctantly let go of each other and accepted their wands, which waited for their hands to hold them.
Altair turned around when a sudden presence appeared with Fruska, and he stared in shock at seeing Fleur standing there, grinning happily.
"My turn!"
Her accent still had the French tinge to it, which he guessed would never go away. Then again, he found it very beautiful.
Eléonore giggled and happily stepped away from the ritual platform, and Fleur took her place there, her wand already in her hands.
The next instant, she gently tossed it up, and it ejected the familiar golden sacred flames again that surrounded them.
Altair chuckled inwardly but lovingly looked at the girl who offered him her hand.
He took it, intertwined their fingers, and then stared right into her eyes.
"By blood, by magic, and by name,
I, Altair Cillius le Noir Morvaine-Slytherin-Black, standing before the sacred flame,
Swear upon my wand and soul,
To bind my fate with thine, Fleur Appoline Delacour, making our house whole.
I give you the name Morvaine, declare you my wife in name and deed.
With wand in hand and heart in trust,
I pledge thee honour, strength, and love that will not rust.
May the Magic witness our troth,
Let none unbind this oath, save death alone."
Fleur was shocked when she heard him recite his full name, but she quickly regained her composure and spoke her own vow aloud.
"By blood, by magic, and by name,
I, Fleur Appoline Delacour, standing before the sacred flame,
Swear upon my wand and soul,
To bind my fate with thine,
Altair Cillius le Noir Morvaine-Slytherin-Black, making our house whole.
I accept the name Morvaine, be your wife in name and deed.
With wand in hand and heart in trust,
I pledge thee loyalty, wisdom, and love that will not rust.
May the Magic witness our troth,
Let none unbind this oath, save death alone."
As soon as she finished speaking, Altair's wand left its holster and floated around them, ejecting a beautiful emerald and silver flame.
The magic around them became excited, and their bodies soon became encased in starlight.
Their eyes met again after they recited their silent promises, and then they spoke their final vow out loud.
"So do I vow beneath star and on the stone,
By the secrets of our house and the powers we own,
Let our magic be entwined, our destinies as one...
Now and forever, till all is undone."
This time, the explosion of flames was not as dramatic. The magic shimmered around them in beautiful specks of light, and the resonant hum travelled far.
However, there was an enchanting floral scent now exuding from both of them, and even Eléonore, who was standing aside, felt overwhelmed by it.
Fleur giddily stepped forward and kissed him, and Altair returned her kiss, amazed at how different she tasted from Eléonore, yet just as fascinating.
When their lips separated, their left hands that were intertwined stopped glowing. Again, Altair felt the invisible threads binding them, and they had to let go to grab their floating wands.
The next instant, Fleur rushed to Eléonore and hugged her, and the two excitedly started jumping around.
Seeing them so excited, he did not know why he felt like he had been tricked. He was very curious now and no longer held it back.
"May I ask what caused you to make such a sudden decision?"
The two of them happily grinned at each other, grins that made his heart skip a beat, and then looked at him.
"Grandmother told us that it was a very special night, and the girls who marry on this night have a very high chance that their first children will be a pair of fraternal twins."
"We want twins!"
Altair deadpanned at their words, frozen in stunned silence, and imagining two pairs of twins suddenly made him feel very dizzy.
"You are thirteen!" he reminded them, and both heartily laughed at his reaction.
"Don't worry. The blessing lasts a lifetime. We don't have to have children soon," Fleur informed him, and he felt even dizzier.
"That's not what I mean! You are too young to be thinking about children!"
"You are young, not us." The girls did not like his words and rolled their eyes, and this irritated him even more.
Sighing, he turned to look at Illya, and his Moonfox jumped straight into his arms, comforting him with her presence.
"Let's go. I am famished," he said and watched the two girls happily start skipping into the hallway.
He truly felt embarrassed at getting tricked by these two girls, and he felt that even his grandparents were in on this plan.
When he focused, he sensed the presence of the parents of both girls, and even his mother and Granduncle Cygnus were present.
Yes... he had been plotted against!
Altair sighed as he felt a little upset, but what truly upset him was not that he got tricked, but that he had no argument against it. Except that he had not been informed, but he was already aware how mischievous his grandparents could be... telling him in advance would have ruined all their fun.
However, he soon smiled and plotted to get back at his two wives.
After dinner, where he had to try his best to keep a very composed face, ignoring the mischievous giggles and sniggers, and comforting little Gabrielle, who was upset that she did not have her wand yet and could not marry him tonight, he pulled Eléonore and Fleur into his room.
There, he gave them a gift they would never forget. Seeing them consume the potion and then fight the immense pain for hours satisfied his heart, but there was no guilt. After all, this was a gift they would have willingly accepted had he told them what it was and what its benefits were.