Chapter XX

When they again had a private moment, where none could listen in, Milo stopped Sarahi to talk to her. There had been something on his mind for the past few days, and with how crazy things were getting he didn't think he should hold off any longer. “Sarahi, there's something that's been on my mind...”

“You can tell me anything, Milo.”

“Well...here's the thing,” Milo began, scratching the back of his head and looking down at Sarahi's feet. “You see...you know I love you, I know you love me, and we've known each other our whole lives...”

“That's a given,” Sarahi said with a smile.

“Yes...and, you see, usually couples are together a long time before they marry, to get to know each other. So when Hadar told us what...he told us...I held off on proposing because...we've not really...been together...”

“But we have been together,” Sarahi said.

“Yes! Exactly my point! We've known each other since we were kids, what could we possibly be waiting to discover? What I'm saying is...I think you and I...maybe should...”

“Let's get married, Milo!” Sarahi interrupted.

Milo was caught off guard by what Sarahi said, but pleasantly surprised, “So...that's a yes?”

“Of course, silly!” Sarahi said. “Come on, let's go find Hadar so he can perform the ceremony and I can ravish you.”

Milo laughed hard and hid his red face in his hands. “A bit eager, are we?”

“Hey! Less chit-chat!” Sarahi playfully pushed Milo to the door. “Get moving, soldier! We're losing daylight!”

It didn't take long for the two of them to find Hadar and privately tell him the good news; that they had finally decided to be married before him and God. Hadar took a few hours to prepare his part of the ceremony, and Milo and Sarahi took some time to prepare their vows. Hadar had asked them if they'd prefer a few days to prepare this, but they insisted that they wanted to be wed immediately, especially with how dangerous things were getting. Once they were all ready the three of them met in Hadar's quarters to perform the secret ceremony that would bind Milo and Sarahi together as man and wife in Heaven's Law. Milo and Sarahi had secretly been preparing for this day for a long time. Traveling in disguise in the capital city's market, Milo bought a ring to use in the ceremony. Sarahi had sent a letter back home many days ago, in anticipation of this day, requesting her grandfather's old wedding ring. She told her mother, Marquise Zoe, that the ring was for Hadar.

Hadar stood in front of the two of them, the Sacred Scriptures in his hands, and began the ceremony. “Dear friends, I have known you your whole lives. I have watched you as you've loved each other in secret since you were old enough to begin to comprehend love. Out of all the couples I've had the pleasure of observing you two are the most precious. It's true that not all marriages truly work out for the best, often the two begin to take each other for granted, but if there's any couple I've known in all my years that I believe can make it work for the best it is you two. Just as God made his covenant with humanity many millennia ago, so we make our covenants with one another. Recite your vows, dear friends, and join together as man and wife, as one flesh, for all time.”

Milo reached into his pocket and produced a ring; one identical to the one Sarahi had received during her wedding with Hadar. This, of course, was so that she could wear the ring that bound her to Milo openly without arousing suspicions. “There's no one in all the world I'd rather spend the rest of my life with. Whether we live here in this castle, or in a hovel in some poor village far away I know that as long as I'm with you I'll be happy, because wherever we live you are my home, you are my refuge. With this ring I give to you I express that I love you as my soul, dear Sarahi, and by the Law I give myself fully to you, to be only yours and belong to no other woman. With this ring I am yours, and you are my wife. I swear by God to always love, cherish, and protect you for as long as I live.” Sarahi removed the ring Hadar had given her and slid Milo's ring onto her finger in its place.

Sarahi then reached into her pocket and pulled out a ring for Milo, one made of gold, and along with it she produced a pair of black, cloth gloves so that Milo could hide the ring if necessary. “I, Sarahi, fully pledge myself to you, Milo, in marriage according to the Law as it is written in stone. I swear always to love and protect you for the whole of my life, to forever be your faithful, honest, and sincere wife. You've made me happy beyond measure, far happier than anyone ever has before, and far happier than anyone ever will.”

Milo's eyes got misty as he heard Sarahi speak those words, but before tears could flow he wiped his eyes on his sleeve. Sarahi giggled a little.

Hadar touched them both on the shoulder. “Then, as a member of the clergy of the Agalmite Church I pronounce you husband and wife. May you be forever joined together, not two people but one, thinking and acting together in unison, and completing each other. My friends, even for me this is the happiest day of my life, the day I finally got to see you two get together, to grow into the beautiful married couple you've become. It's still sad that you can't proclaim your love to all the world, but God and all the angels know about this holy union, and ultimately isn't that what matters most?” Then Hadar leaned in close to Milo's ear and whispered, “And if you need the bedroom to yourselves tonight I'll think of an excuse to be...elsewhere.”

“Hadar, really...”

“It's ok, Milo, you two are married now,” Hadar said. “It's only natural.”

. . .

At that same moment, in the Grand Cathedral in Aius, the Arch-Bishop met with a small contingent of paladins, some newly graduated from Caelum Academy, others who had been serving the order of holy knights for many years. Among them were Berne, Zepho, Omar, and Magdiel, as well as Kamal, the geomancer. “From the information our scouts have gathered,” began the Arch-Bishop, “An attack on the March of Muri seems imminent. Most of you will go to the Marquise and offer your services, but I want a few of you staying in the capital to protect the King, both from our enemies from Nihilus and...well, from that inquisitor he's hired.”

Zepho spoke up first. “You don't trust the inquisitor to just do his job?”

“I think the Inquisition didn't just send him as a gesture of good will or in an attempt to make money,” the Arch-Bishop said. “When's the last time we heard about the Inquisition caring about either? Not since the Church ordered them to disband.”

“So, who do you want to watch over King Hadar?” Magdiel asked.

“Zepho, Omar, and Kamal will watch over the king,” the Arch-Bishop replied. “The rest of you are going to the March of Muri. If you have any objections speak them now.” Silence followed the Arch-Bishop's words, to which the Arch-Bishop nodded. “Very well. While in Muri you will follow Marquise Zoe's orders, but within reason. If she orders you to do anything that goes against the wishes of the Church, or, more importantly, against the Law itself, then you must refuse. Other than that you are to treat her as if she were me, with reverence and respect.”