The Veil of Darkness
Chapter 259: The Second Ceremony (Part One)

Chapter 259: The Second Ceremony (Part One)

"We should have been prepared for this," Damien muttered as he placed an almost frozen Annalise on the high ice stone platform.

She had been dressed in a long white gown unlike the black one she wore when she was last time lying on a similar platform but one made of obsidian and carried Shadow energy. Her long platinum blue hair was styled beautifully and decorated with ice pearls that matched the jewelry that she was wearing.

He placed a soft kiss on her freezing forehead before he stepped away from her despite his soul being desperate to stay close to her and look after her. However, he knew that he was not the person she actually needed at that point, it was Valerius.

"They are here," Kenric informed as their mother entered the room along with the High Priestess and Valerius who was dressed in matching garments to their unconscious mate.

"Let’s start the ceremony." The Midnight Queen ordered as she took her position with Damien and Kenric while Valerius and the High Priestess climbed up the ice altar that was surrounded by the ring of all five elements - air, water, fire, earth, and shadow, their combined powers fueled the energy that resided in the hall.

Valerius stood next to Annalise’s sleeping form with his icy-blue eyes shining with both love and worry for his wife. After all, this wasn’t how he wanted to complete their bond and mark her. But the turn of events had brought them to a situation where her soul had entered into the final stage of mate bond with him and unless he completed the bond, she would be the one hurting.

"Let me warn you, Ken. Don’t you dare repeat your brother’s mistake, even unintentionally. She deserves to be a part of this beautiful ritual and ceremony and since she has already lost two opportunities, you are the only one left who can show her just how precious this particular moment is for soulmates." The Midnight Queen reminded Kenric who quickly nodded his head in both understanding and agreement.

Just like the previous time, there were only the few of them present there to witness the ceremony but they all knew that their wife deserved better than this, especially when they ruined the day of their wedding in the Seelie Empire. She deserved a proper wedding like the Princess she was.

Valerius took hold of Annalise’s hand and pressed it against his cheek and despite the iciness of her skin that greeted his own ice element, he didn’t like the similarity. He missed the warm of her body and the colors on her skin. However, the current her had no warmth and she looked too pale to have the presence of any sort of colors.

She would be frozen like this until - the bond between them either get completed or broken down.

The High Priestess took her place on the other side of the stone table and took out the ice and air crystals. The two crystals flew up into the air before taking place high above their heads.

Once the crystals were in their position, the High Priestess spread her hands out wide and closed her eyes as she started chanting the ancient spells of bonding ceremonies.

Valerius already knew what he wanted to do as he hurriedly closed his eyes and followed his shared bond with Annalise that led him directly into the world where she was waiting for him.

High cliffs stood on both sides and snow was covering every bit of the ground. There were a couple of trees standing around but they looked too lifeless because of the absence of their leaves. The sky was covered in clouds and the air was chilly... but in the midst of all this, stood the love of his life.

Valerius sprint across the snow covered ground and in less than two seconds, he was standing right in front of her. She looked just as he loved seeing her - beautiful sparkling ocean blue eyes filled with warmth, youth, and joy, cheeks thar carried hints of pink in them, and red glistening lips.

He didn’t waste any time as he pulled her into a tight hug, wanting to feel her warmth and he wasn’t disappointed when he felt his ice meeting with her natural warmth that melted him way too easily.

"Are you alright?" He asked as he pulled away from the hug to look at her face.

Annalise nodded her head as she answered, "The elements have been taking care of mine." She pointed in a certain direction and as Valerius followed her line of sight, he found himself looking at something he clearly missed previously.

Along with his ice and air, the remaining elements were also there. Earth in the rocks and stones that were sitting around the place, fire in the blazing trees that were surrounding them - the ones he previously mistook as ordinary trees facing the harsh snowfalls. Shadow was present in the darkness that surrounded them and the last thing he noticed were the moonstones scattered around in the air, representing her.

"It’s our bond, right? We are on the final stage?" She seemed to knew exactly what was going on but she still seemed to be looking for a confirmation from him.

Valerius nodded his head in answer before she spoke, "I must apologize. You don’t deserve all this. I should have been more careful and paid more attention to realize that we were nearing a jump in our bond. If I had done my duty perfectly, we won’t have ended up like this. You deserve a proper..."

Annalise didn’t give him enough time to finish his rant as she planted a sweet but short kiss on his lips. "I don’t want you to regret anything about our bond and it’s progression because I have lived every moment of it in full joy and warmth, and I’m really happy that we are going to finally complete our bond."

Valerius clearly relaxed at her confession and answered her with a tight hug as he placed a soft kiss on her temple before squeezing her as if he wanted to mash her against himself.

He heard the High Priestess completing her spell and it made him pull away the hug to look at his bride/mate/wife as he asked, "Do you remember how all this works?"

"Kind of...?" She gave him a look full of expectations and he just couldn’t hold himself from planting another kiss but this one on her forehead.

"No worries, I will guide you." He told her before taking hold of both her hands and moving a little bit back to put some much needed space between them.

He continued to listen to the High Priestess and when the moment arrived, he stretched his left palm out and made her do the same. Their palms were placed side by side as they stood facing each other.

"I do remember this one..." She spoke softly as she stared at their palms before looking up at him with a soft little smile on her lips.

The very next moment, two white threads appeared on their palms while the High Priestess started chanting a new spell. He took hold of the thread in his palm and merged it with Annalise’s moon thread before helping her to do the same with the one in her hand which she merged with his moon thread.

Now, her Moon Thread carried the shadow energy from Damien and now, his ice and air energy, and would get Kenric’s fire and earth one day in the future.

The next thing to appear was a huge crystal that was filled with the essence of the five elements that ruled the Midnight Realm. He placed her palm over the top of the crystal before covering her hand with his own.

"It’s time for vows. Are you ready?" He asked and watched her slowly nodding her head in affirmation.

"Alright then, repeat after me." He cleared his throat before he started translating the vows that the High Priestess had started speaking in the ancient language of the Midnight Realm.

"I, Annalise, accept the power that binds me to Valerius, the heir of the ice... and also to the throne of Midnight Realm, for eternity. I accept him at the rising of the moon and the setting of the stars. To love and to honor, to cherish and respect, through all of the eras and times that may fall before us, until our souls do us part. I give unto him my trust, my grace, my purity and accept his in return. My power belongs to him now just as his is now mine. And I shall never forsake him for another, my soul forever belonging to him. To the stars may we never part."

But what followed his chanting of the vows was nothing but deep and heavy silence... one that he was expecting and probably deserved too.

Search the lightnovelworld.cc website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.