The Vampire & Her Witch Chapter 1819: Congratulating the Brides

For a dozen heartbeats, nothing mattered but the touch of Nyrielle’s cool hand on her cheek and the taste of her lips as they kissed.

There was nothing chaste or subtle about Nyrielle’s kiss as she pricked Ashlynn’s tongue with the tip of a fang, spilling several drops of sweet, coppery blood. By now, it was such a familiar sensation that Ashlynn met the brief moment of pain with even more passion, sharing not only her blood, but the deep, vibrant energy of the earth with her lover as they kissed.

Several of the knights and lords watching the intense moment wore expressions of open shock and disbelief. Among the delegation from Dunn, however, many wore open smiles. Sir Cynwrig Stormbrook interlaced his fingers with Lady Cerys as she leaned up against him, feeling a surge of second-hand affection that transformed the snow-covered inner bailey into a mystical space where the worries of the world felt distant and unimportant next to the tenderness of this moment.

Mairwen Dunn made a similar move, emboldened by Ashlynn and Nyrielle’s display as she shifted to stand in front of Loghlan, pulling his arms around her as she relaxed into his warm embrace.

Roseen felt her face growing warmer by the instant as the kiss lasted several heartbeats without any sign that either woman intended to stop. It felt wrong to stare, and at the same time, she couldn’t look away.

Her heart beat faster and faster, but her eyes never blinked. She wanted to carve this moment into her heart forever, holding it as a talisman and a reminder that Dame Sybyll had been right. Neither Lady Nyrielle nor Lady Ashlynn seemed to care for the people who watched them; all that mattered was the love for each other that dwelled in their hearts.

If she could capture a fraction of the courage they displayed by sharing their affection so openly, then maybe, maybe she could finally cross that line herself with the woman she wanted to spend an eternity with.

At the chariot, tears rolled down Jocelynn’s cheek and a smile formed on her lips as she watched her sister and her sister-in-law cast all sense of propriety aside. A small part of her heart twisted painfully as she found herself once again envious of Ashlynn’s fairytale romance. It was similar to what she’d felt when she watched Owain kiss Ashlynn after their wedding vows. Only this time, the differences between the affection Owain doled out like tiny droplets as he plundered the lips of his bride and the deep, genuine sharing of mutual love between Nyrielle and Ashlynn made the absence of such a love in her own life even more painful.

But the thread of envy she felt was quickly washed away by the surge of warmth and joy that filled her heart when she saw the two of them together. Ashlynn was happy and she was safe, and for a moment, Jocelynn felt like she could finally let go and let herself fall into the abyss that called out to her.

Nothing she could do for Ashlynn would ever be more meaningful than what Nyrielle was already giving her, so what need could Ashlynn have for her sister’s efforts to make amends?

That thought, however, ran headlong into a wall, like waves crashing against a breakwater, when she looked around the courtyard and found several gazes that held combinations of disgust and hostility among the lords, ladies, and knights of Lothian. Most of the people in the Inner Bailey had softened in this tender moment, but some, like Telent Rundel and his wife Brighde, quickly concealed their revulsion behind polite masks that Jocelynn easily saw through.

How anyone could be so petty and small-minded when her sister, who had suffered so much, finally found happiness, Jocelynn didn’t know. But the how and why didn’t matter. All that mattered was that there were people in her sister’s court who were opposed to her union with the woman who had protected not only her life but her heart... And Jocelynn wasn’t about to allow such people to cause problems for Ashlynn.

Eventually, the moment ended. Ashlynn pulled back from Nyrielle and her face heated slightly as she realized that hundreds of people she’d only just met had watched her and Nyri share such a passionate kiss. It wasn’t like the night she’d celebrated her betrothal with Nyrielle...

There, she’d been safely in the Vale of Mists, surrounded by people who already accepted her and Nyrielle. This time, half the people present were strangers, and she had no idea how they were going to react.

Half a heartbeat later, she received her answer.

"Congratulations to her Dominion and her Eternity," High Lord Dirar said, clapping his hands loudly as he stepped forward. "To find love so pure is to uncover one of the Heavens’ greatest treasures, and we are all blessed to witness it," he declared, making a small gesture with his left hand as he strode forward.

"Congratulations to the Mother of Trees and the Harbinger of Death!" Rastlan shouted. "May your fates be forever entwined!"

"Congratulations to the Mother of Trees and the Harbinger of Death!" the soldiers and sorcerers of the Southern Steppe echoed in a loud, booming chorus. "May your fates be forever entwined!"

While Ashlynn’s blush deepened, Nyrielle shot the High Lord a skeptical look.

"Don’t think I’m unaware of your intentions, Dirar," Nyrielle said pointedly. "This isn’t the path to obtain what you’re seeking," she warned.

"I disagree," Dirar replied, refusing to step back from the position he’d taken. "This is the only path that leads where I wish to go. Others would be wise to follow it," he said, sweeping his gaze briefly over the knights and lords of Lothian before turning back to Nyrielle.

"The winds have already changed, your Eternity," Dirar said. "And storm clouds already gather beyond the horizon. These are the most precious moments in life and not a single one should be wasted. Take back every moment that cruel fate would deny you and seize all the joy that you find."

"When the storm finally arrives," Dirar added. "It’s better to face it without regrets and with countless reasons to fight and survive than with cold, hardened hearts forged in resolve and promises for a tomorrow that may never come."

"Is that the wisdom of your Stargazers?" Nyrielle asked, mildly surprised not only by Dirar’s words but the heartfelt sincerity in his tone.

"It’s the highest of heresies," Dirar said with a warm, rolling laugh. "But so what? I took the name ’Trampler of the Heavens’ to defy my fate and the fate of my people. I will forge my own destiny and trample over anything that would rob me of the people who are precious to me."

"I see the same in both of you," Dirar said with a wide smile. "So tell me, what other path is there in life, if not to fight beside you for the chance to finally escape the cruel fate painted across the heavens by the blood-stained hands of thieves?"

"Even after all these years, you surprise me still, Dirar," Nyrielle said as she took Ashlynn’s hand in hers. "Come," she invited. "My darling has prepared a welcoming feast, and I’ve had enough of the cold. Come inside and teach these young ones what it means to fight for what matters most..."