Wedding Ceremonies in Lustburg were surprisingly simple. Thanks to the wisdom of the previous Rulers, people were allowed to marry by following simple, straightforward procedures, which involved signing a binding contract in front of the administration.

The binding contracts were limited to very clear-cut, non-life-threatening clauses. The only binding power of the contract was the power of the law, not any unsavory inclusion of desires from either party.

Nowadays, this was the most common form of wedding that was observed throughout the whole kingdom.

Even people from the most remote village at the very outskirts of the kingdom's territory could easily register their marriage with the Mayor handling their area or zone. Said Mayor would then transmit that information to the nearest outposts, thus spreading that bit of info throughout the four duchies and, in turn, the whole kingdom.

The literacy rate in Lustburg was high enough to allow the formation of this system and tradition.

However, beyond the most basic form of legally binding wedding that was widespread, the form of wedding most women in Lustburg aspired to was a wedding blessed by Castitas, the goddess of chastity herself. This was an incredibly rare occurrence. Even for the past rulers of Lustburg. It was quite different from a religious wedding officiated by a priest. In fact, the goddess herself would be revealing her presence and personally bestowing her grace to the wedding couple, thus blessing them with eternal prosperity.

Because of the concept she ruled over, many couples initially thought that both of them would necessarily need to be entirely chaste before the wedding to receive her blessing. However, there was a small misconception in this assumption.

Unlike what her name would make one believe, Castitas was not a goddess who placed absolute value on virginity. Virgin blood could obviously be used during ritual and contract. But what she truly wanted was love.

TRUE. UNEQUIVOCAL. LOVE.

Flesh could falter, mistakes could be made, and innocence could be lost against one's will. The ephemeral nature of virginity made the concept flimsy at best.

What she sought instead was chastity of heart— the discipline of one's desires, the ability to place love, respect, and fidelity above lust, greed, and selfish hunger.

Her grace, when bestowed upon her chosen, was said to wrap around a couple like an ethereal veil, deep and soulful. It was a subtle bond draped over their being, a bond not of chains but of eternal harmony. The blessing did not prevent temptation, nor did it make a marriage perfect. What it offered was clarity, the strength to resist thoughts of betrayal against one's partner, and the courage to nurture trust even when tested by the all-devouring fires of time.

It was for this very reason that a wedding blessed by Castitas was considered rarer, holier, and infinitely more desired than any feast or grand procession. The law could bind two people before men, but only the Goddess of Chastity could bind two hearts before the heavens.

And so, even among rulers, generals, and nobles, only a handful throughout Lustburg's history could claim to have stood in her light on their wedding day.

In fact, peasants and commoners had statistically higher chances of receiving the blessing of the benevolent goddess. It did not have a deep-seated reason or a bias toward the nobility. No, it was due to the inherent nature of noble weddings themselves. A wedding between nobles was more often than not a deal of convenience between the two households under the shadow of union. There was no love or devotion, merely interest and selfishness.

The prince stood in his carriage, waving to the cheering crowd. And on the streets below, people could not help but wonder as they observed the scene.

Was this a wedding blessed by love?

Or nothing but a strategic move to secure the cooperation of the witches?

The answer seemed more than evident for many.

Still, though doubts still lingered for some, all the citizens and visitors could unanimously agree on one fact.

The prince was pretty damn handsome.

* * *

Sol was waving enthusiastically at the crowd while keeping a natural, charming smile on his face. He did not need to pretend; it was a smile born from the happiness of the day itself.

The entire scene was once again being broadcast live to the entire kingdom and even beyond its borders.

It was a wedding with too many implications.

The procession to the church was a bit too slow for his taste. Yet his hands were tied in this matter. This was a necessary tradition— a tried and tested way of showing his composure and the weight of the crown.

In fact, in the past, during this procession, the prince would be attacked by fake assassins as a staged, public showcase of his courage and might. Simultaneously, it would emphasize the valor of his knights and their loyalty. It was something similar to the Coming-of-Age ceremony that he had previously participated in by dueling in the gladiator arena.

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This tradition was mostly scrapped because true assassins would sometimes use the occasions to actually attack the prince and even succeeded sometimes.

Even so, some nobles would do this whole charade on some occasions.

This was why…

When a group of beastmen entirely clad in black cloaks appeared in the middle of the street, armed to the teeth and emitting killing intent, most citizens were more bewildered than scared.

In fact, some were even excited by the whole development, watching it unfold with bated breath and a twinkle in their eyes.

The group that seemingly appeared out of nowhere immediately lunged at Sol's carriage; however, neither Sol nor Lilith showed even a single change in their emotions, even as the team of assassins reached them.

Clang

Clang

Blades sparked as the first wave of cloaked beastmen clashed against an invisible barrier surrounding the carriage. The protective wards inscribed into the wheels flared, their runes glowing faintly before dimming again.

"Protect the Prince! Subdue the Intruders." Knights from the Red Rose Knight Order, led by none other than Lilin herself, rushed out immediately to deal with the pesky assassins.

The new knight order created by Lilin went through many name changes before they finally settled on what they thought was the most appropriate name.

All of them, clad in crimson armor and the detailings of a blood-soaked rose with verdant thorns, moved as one and established a tighter protection perimeter.

Not even a hint of surprise could be seen on their visage at the sudden, impromptu attack, convincing the citizens that this was more a performance than any real threat.

A small fairy appeared above them, breaking the tense atmosphere as she shouted in a voice more powerful than her small form would let one believe.

"Hello, dear citizens! We are now about to witness the wedding of the Century! A blissful union between the Witch Queen and the future King of Humanity. Is it not an event worthy of insurmountable joy!?"

Light burst as she giggled, "But behold! Malevolent intruders are trying to stop this beautiful union! What should we do!? Could this be allowed!?"

"No!"

"It cannot be!"

At first, only a few voices rose in response to the lovely fairy's invocation. But those voices gave more courage to the other citizens, and soon everyone was shouting out loud with all of their might, eagerly taking part in the show.

The rising excitement and the dark clothes stopped the citizens from noticing the bewildered look in the eyes of the supposedlyfakeassassins.

"Of course it cannot be! This is why they need to be punished!"

At those words, the Red Rose Knights immediately rushed to capture the assassins, who were seemingly unable to move all of a sudden.

However, soon, an ominous light started shining from their bodies. The heat around them increased, as if they were ready to self-destruct and take everyone with them.

"Ohhh! How despicable! The undignified assassins are about to use a bomb! What should we do? Should we run!? Cry!? Or pray to the goddess?"

"We need to fight!" One strangely well-built citizen shouted in answer before sinking back in the crowd.

"Fight!"

"We need to fight!"

"Show them that Lustburg is not to be trifled with. Crush them all!"

"Lustburg does not bow to terrorists!"

The fairy giggled at their answer and waved her hand high, rainbow light sparkled, causing the kids and the adults alike to look at the sky in wonder.

Meanwhile, the knights finally restrained all the would-be assassins, and a part of them left with them.

Leaving the procession to continue without even the slightest hint of damage.

No bloodshed happened.

It was nothing but a smallperformancefor the audience to enjoy.

As for the small fairy, she vanished as mysteriously as she appeared, but would come back every time the procession wasattackedto make a speech, leading the show and representing the audience's will.

The wedding procession was not the only place where such performances happened.

All over the capital, dwarves and beastmen would appear to sow chaos, but would then be immediately stopped by flamboyant individuals!

In the plaza, shining undead knights could even be seen dancing and playing while capturing some people on the road in the most amusing ways possible.

What should have been a solemn traditional ceremony ended up being a moment of fun, joy, and amusement for all the participating citizens.

This continued for nearly one hour until Sol's carriage finally stopped in front of the Church's Gates.

Looking at the sprawling church, Sol spoke, his voice covering the entirety of the capital and reaching the ears of every citizen without fail.

"Today is a day of joy. A day where Lustburg stands not divided by rank, bloodline, or allegiance, but united under one sky. From the highest noble tower to the humblest cottage, every heart beats as one."

He paused, letting the cheers swell before his smile sharpened.

"And yet, how amusing it is that on such a day, there are always those who whisper in the dark. Those who think schemes, daggers, and cowardice could ever overshadow the will of this nation. To them, I say this—" His eyes swept across the capital, boring through everyone with a sharpness that seemed to look at their very souls.

He could see it, the power of faith being shaped by his words.

"Try as you might, Lustburg does not bend. Our people do not tremble before shadows. For I am the All-Seeing Radiant Lord."

He raised a hand, the gesture deceptively casual, but the weight of his words sank like iron through water.

"I will protect you. All of you, my fellow citizens, people of my beloved nation. From plots in gilded halls, from traitors hiding behind polite smiles, and from foreign beasts who dare dream to sow my kingdom in untoward chaos."

His smile softened, almost taking on that same boyish charm once more. "So rejoice, Lustburg and her people. This day is yours as much as mine. Let the world see that our joy cannot be stolen, and our bonds cannot be broken. No matter what may come our way."

After his speech ended, Sol gave one last wave before entering the church and reaching the altar.

Behind him, the crowd roared, swept up in the wave of conviction, though more than one noble in attendance felt the razor-sharp blade and thorns hidden in the velvety smoothness of his words.

Some tried to move out, but a clown, a knight, or even sometimes a maid would appear and gently escort them away without any citizen noticing.

Never to be seen again.

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