Princess Of The Skulls - Chapter 65: Chapter 65

The old chapel had been abandoned for decades, its stone walls cracked with age and its windows boarded against the elements. But the altar still stood intact, and the sacred symbols carved into the ancient stones still held power for those who knew how to recognize them.
Brother Marcus waited for us in his simple brown robes, his face grave with the understanding of what we were attempting. Behind him, candlelight flickered across faded murals depicting the marriage ceremonies of kings and queens from centuries past.
"Are you certain about this, Your Highness?" he asked as I approached the altar with Aldric at my side.
"Once the vows are spoken, they cannot be undone without formal annulment proceedings that would take months."
"I'm certain," I replied, though my heart was racing with the magnitude of what we were about to do.
Master Dorian stood witness on my side, his weathered face showing approval mixed with concern. On
Aldric's side, Kael served as the second witness, his presence creating an odd symmetry—the man I'd chosen to love standing beside the man I was choosing to marry.
"The emergency marriage provisions require statements of necessity," Brother Marcus continued, opening the ancient book of ceremonies. "Prince Aldric?"
"I invoke emergency marriage under threat of imminent warfare," Aldric said formally. "The union is necessary to prevent bloodshed between our kingdoms and protect the innocent citizens of both realms."
"Princess Seraphina?"
"I invoke emergency marriage under threat of magical catastrophe," I replied, the words feeling strange and final in my mouth. "The union is necessary to ensure proper guidance of dangerous powers that could otherwise destroy both kingdoms."
Brother Marcus nodded and began the ancient ceremony, his voice echoing in the empty chapel as he spoke words that had bound countless couples through the centuries. But this wasn't a normal wedding, and we weren't normal people. As he reached the exchange of vows, the very air around us began to thrum with magical energy.
"Prince Aldric Thornfield," the priest intoned, "do you take Princess Seraphina Blackthorne as your lawful wife, to stand with her against all enemies, to share power and responsibility as equals, and to honor the bond between your souls for as long as you both shall live?"
"I do," Aldric said, his voice steady despite the circumstances. Through our existing soul-bond, I felt his sincerity, his genuine commitment to the partnership we were forging.
"Princess Seraphina Blackthorne," Brother Marcus continued, "do you take Prince Aldric Thornfield as your lawful husband, to stand with him against all enemies, to share power and responsibility as equals, and to honor the bond between your souls for as long as you both shall live?"
The moment stretched like eternity as I considered the irrevocable step I was about to take. Marriage to a man I respected but didn't love, binding myself legally and magically to someone whose motivations I still wasn't entirely certain of.
But through our soul-bond, I could feel Aldric's thoughts, his genuine desire to protect both our peoples, his willingness to stand against his father if necessary. And I could feel something else—the potential for real partnership, real trust, perhaps even real affection, given time.
"I do," I said.
The words had barely left my lips when the magical energy surrounding us intensified dramatically. The skull relics, despite being locked in their warded container back in my chambers, responded to the ceremony with such force that I could feel their presence across the distance.
"By the power vested in me by the ancient laws and the sacred traditions," Brother Marcus proclaimed, "I pronounce you husband and wife, united in law and bound by destiny."
The moment the final words were spoken, I felt our soul-bond shift and strengthen, becoming something deeper than the connection we'd shared before. It was as if our consciousness had been woven together on a fundamental level, creating a partnership that went beyond mere political alliance.
"It's done," Aldric said quietly, his mental voice mixing with his spoken words in a way that was both strange and comforting.
"Now what?" Kael asked, his expression unreadable as he watched us adjust to our new reality.
"Now we prepare for war," I replied, feeling the certainty of it settle in my bones. "My father will be furious when he discovers what we've done. Your father will consider it an act of rebellion."
"Both of them will probably try to have the marriage annulled," Aldric added. "Which means we need to present them with a fait accompli they can't undo."
"The public wedding," I realized. "We go through with it as planned, but as a renewal of vows rather than the original ceremony. Make it clear that we're already legally bound and that any attempt to harm either of us would be an act of war against both kingdoms."
"Risky," Master Dorian commented. "If your fathers decide to eliminate you both ."
"Then we'll face that together," Aldric said, his hand finding mine. "But at least we'll face it as equals, with the legal authority to protect our people."
As we prepared to leave the chapel, Brother Marcus pulled me aside, his expression troubled.
"Your Highness," he said quietly, "there's something you should know about the emergency marriage provisions. The magical binding they create is. unusually strong when both parties possess significant supernatural abilities."
"What do you mean?"
"Your necromantic powers and Prince Aldric's dimensional sensitivity," he explained. "The marriage bond has amplified both, creating a connection that goes beyond what either of you possessed individually."
I could feel it now that he'd pointed it out—not just our mental connection, but a shared pool of magical energy that either of us could draw upon. It was as if our abilities had been merged into something greater than the sum of their parts.
"Is that dangerous?" I asked.
"It's unprecedented," Brother Marcus replied. "The historical records don't describe anything quite like this. You'll need to be very careful how you use the enhanced abilities until you understand their full scope."
As we made our way back to the castle through hidden passages, I reflected on the magnitude of what we'd accomplished. In a single ceremony, we'd created a political alliance, amplified our magical abilities, and fundamentally altered the balance of power between our kingdoms.
But we'd also painted targets on our backs. Both our fathers would see this marriage as a betrayal, a threat to their authority that had to be eliminated. The next few days would determine whether our gamble had saved our people or doomed them all.
"Any regrets?" Aldric asked as we reached the point where our paths would diverge back to our separate chambers.
I considered the question seriously. I was now married to a man I barely knew, bound to him by laws and magic that I didn't fully understand, committed to a course of action that would likely make enemies of
Both our families.
"Ask me again in a week," I replied. "When we know whether we'll live long enough for regrets to matter."
Through our enhanced bond, I felt his rueful amusement at my response. But underneath it was something stronger—determination, resolve, and the beginning of what might eventually become genuine affection.
We were married now, for better or worse. Tomorrow, we will face the consequences of that choice together.