Snippet #2636696

To be honest he didn't have the slightest clue how it ended up like this. Seriously. He wanted to go away. Sit on the veranda of the little house far from nosy people drinking his tea like always. Day in and day out, he didn't have to think of any responsibilities, just lazing around doing nothing. It was heaven, indeed. Far from... the little situation he had now.

It was his wedding.

Yeah, throw the flowers girl! Hit the floors and be joyous of this fantastic occasion! The happiest day of his life! ... not. Clearly not. This caused him to catch some many headaches instead. Considering the personality of his bride-to-be, anyways. Only the preparations were troublesome. More and more people wanted something from him, one full month prior to this mess! Imagine! He was being annoyed about it the whole month! Whether to take his measurement, dancing lessons, lessons of behaviour, and what ever else - he didn't really want to remember all of it.

In the whole while, his father was just sometimes visiting, watching quietly with a frown on his forehead. Herz knew well, his father didn't want this either, one of the few things they had a mutual understanding in. Though for different reasons, obviously. He had to marry off his only successor to the family he distrust and hate the most! How had one to act in those times? And obviously, he was powerless because the majesty himself had ordered it. A puny noble, even with his standing, won't be able to go against the Emperor himself, it would be suicide.

A sigh escaped his lips, as he stepped on the grand podium. Everything was overly exaggerated honestly. But clearly, Herz was quite interested in the servings today but he was not allowed to eat anything. It would be bad if bride-to-be would be confronted with a man of foul mouth in her wedding ceremony, would it?

Herz only was present with half of his mind, at times stealing a glance to the food... but then eventually felt a stare of someone. It was his bride-to-be, Rosaria Zankor... wait, it will be Rosaria Aurelis after this, right? Somehow, she had that heated smell of a woman in heat... like she wanted to eat him up right on the spot... but that was probably just his imagination.

To be honest, Herz always had a positive opinion of Rosaria. She was everything he was not, and she had that certain determination he clearly respected a lot. Certainly, she was also very stubborn and focused even though she was angered quite easily. Long story short, she was a person that will be accomplished in the future. And she was beautiful. Even in the black and white world of Herz, he couldn't help but find her beauty mesmerizing. But that was it. He never would have thought, he would now stand here with her, for the sake of marrying her.

"I now declare you husband and wife, Lord and Lady of House Aurelis. Lord Herz, you may kiss the Bride."

Shit. No one told him this! Did he really had to do this! Why was she staring at him full of expectations anyway! So confusing! Herz knew, it would hurt his family's reputation if he hesitated, therefore to prepare his own heart for what he would be doing, he firstly gently took the tender hand of Rosaria and kissed the wedding ring on her hand to then pull her a little closer and proceeded with the kiss, now finally on the lips.

It was a fleeting kiss. At least, suppose to. Somehow he liked the taste and wondered what it was exactly, so it became a little longer than a mere second. Herz was definitely not an amateur in kissing. Ten seconds passed, as he somehow felt a deadly glare on his back and he retreated, still with grace, to the back. It was his father. He licked his lips and looked a little apologetically to his direction. The kiss was not that deep, but certainly something that clearly marked the beautiful and promising start of the powerful House of Aurelis. In fact, only his father sat like that with a gloomy and serious face, while others already stood up from their seats and shouted their congratulations. The banquet will start shortly afterward and people expected the couple to lead the way.

So Herz turned to Rosaria and offered his hand in the gentlemanly way. "Rose, if you will." And a smile plastered on his face. There was a certain flicker in his eyes, desiring another kiss. After all, even while he was an oddball and very lazy with only loving kids to interact with, he was still just a healthy young man. So unconsciously, he called her familiarly already. A natural flirt, some of his ex-girlfriends would call him so from time to time.

Suddenly, Insciri with haste proceeded to squeeze through the crowd only to stop beside Stephen Kael. She whispered something to him, that made the latter's frown even deeper. The banquet place had been destroyed! What a disaster! Stephen remained calm, and asked for details. It seemed no one had seen the culprit despite many people around guarding the place. A king of alchemy was apparently used in this case, quite secretively. Quickly, he forwarded the news to the majesty and the leader of the House Zankor. With this many important guests present, they certainly could not proceed with what was prior planned. An emergency plan had to be made. Insciri felt greatly responsible, but Stephen ordered her to handle the matter in the banquet place, so she did as told.

In the whole ceremony, there was a man who looked knowingly at the messenger that passed the message to Herz's father. And the same man was the one who gave Herz the deadly glare before. Herz mistakenly thought it was his father, but how could he had considered someone else? Soon, the man disappeared in the crowd, just like that, nowhere to be seen.