Chapter Text
ARTHUR LEYWIN
Music drifted across the open fields and floated gently toward the shimmering lake.
Years from now, if you ever stop by Ashber Town and ask the locals, they will tell you of the melodious aria that seemed to etch itself forever into the atmosphere—a song drifting down from the hilltop home of Dicathen’s greatest hero and Elenoir’s beloved leader.
It was no grand, pompous orchestral piece, but a light melody woven from acoustic strings and wooden flutes, carried along by the warm summer breeze.
Surrounding the Leywin home, where laughter and jovial conversation echoed through every open room, lay a homely yet breathtaking courtyard overlooking the fields and water.
Rows of wooden benches garlanded with nature’s finest treasures—woven moss, moon blossoms, and white lilies—were filled with friends, veteran soldiers, mages, and even visiting dignitaries.
Here in this courtyard, on this very day, no one bore titles.
There were no kings, no commanders, no enemies, and no gods.
Only survivors.
Ellie stood near the front row, dabbing at her eyes with a lace handkerchief despite having insisted to everyone that morning that she wouldn't shed a single tear.
Beside her, Mum smiled warmly, her eyes shimmering with tears of overwhelming pride and peace.
Beside me stood Sylvie, her elegant dragon-human form draped in a soft cream gown. Her golden eyes held a depth of ancient, affectionate serenity as she gave my hand a gentle, reassuring squeeze.
Resting at my heels, Regis shifted in his shadow-wolf form, all fashioned up with a cute yellow tie for this special occasion that he insisted he wear. Though he attempted his usual stoic, cynical posture, his tail gave away a low, rhythmic thump against the grass.
'Try not to faint, boss,' Regis’s said, soft for once, where only both Sylv and I could hear. 'You look like you're about to fight a Sovereign.'
I breathed a dry laugh, my heart pounding louder than it ever had on any battlefield.
Then... the music shifted.
Every whisper ceased.
Virion appeared at the edge of the aisle first. He looked older, his shoulders slightly weathered by time, but the fierce, parental pride in his eyes was unyielding as he stepped forward with slow, deliberate grace.
And beside him... was Tessia.
She wore no heavy jeweled crown, nor an extravagant royal gown.
Her dress was an embodiment of graceful simplicity—white silk embroidered with delicate silver and emerald vines that shimmered like dewdrops under the sunlight. Her long silver hair tumbled freely down her back, crowned only by a simple wreath of fresh lilies, dandelions, and a train of a veil that stretched and flowed down until the floor like a river.
She looked nothing like the timid princess I had rescued in the forest so many years ago.
She looked confident. Strong. Radiant.
Our eyes locked, and the entire world simply ceased to exist.
Virion stopped before me, looking at the young man he had taken in as an apprentice so long ago.
A tender, nostalgic smile broke across his weathered face.
‘Take care of her, Brat,’ he rasped softly.
I met his gaze without a second of hesitation. ‘With everything I am.’
Virion nodded slowly, gently placing Tessia’s hand in mine. ‘Then she’s yours.’
As Virion took his seat, Tessia stepped closer, her hand warm and trembling slightly against my own trembling palm.
She leaned in, whispering just loudly enough for me to hear, ‘Did you actually write your speech down this time?’
A soft chuckle escaped me as I pulled a nervously crumpled piece of parchment from my coat pocket. ‘I wasn't taking any chances.’
Tessia let out a bright, airy laugh that instantly dissolved every trace of tension in my soul.
We exchanged our public vows under the summer sky—promises spoken in front of our family and the people, both comrades and former foes, who had survived the impossible alongside us.
Rings were also exchanged. I slipped the ring I proposed to her onto her ring finger, and Tess slipped the ring she made for me, white gold, with a ruby in the centre to match hers, onto mine.
I reached out, gently plucking a stray moon-blossom petal from her hair, my fingers brushing against her cheek.
A brief hush fell over the assembled crowd. For a heartbeat, the soft rustle of leaves overhead and the distant lapping of the lake were the only sounds left in the world.
I looked at Tessia.
She stood before me under the woven arch of white lilies and luminous moon-blossoms, her cheeks dusted with a delicate, rosy flush. Her emerald eyes—clear, bright, and brimming with an unconditional devotion—met mine without a shred of hesitation.
Gently, my right hand slid up to rest against her cheek, my thumb tracing the high, delicate curve of her jawline. Her skin was warm, smooth, and vibrating slightly with a nervous, breathless energy.
Tessia leaned into my palm, letting out a soft sigh that sounded like the quietest release of a burden she had carried for years. She raised her own hands, her slender fingers lacing into the lapels of my coat, pulling me towards her.
When our lips met to seal the vow, time didn't just slow down—it ceased entirely.
It was not a hasty or urgent kiss born of desperation, but a slow, lingering promise overflowing with everything we had survived to reach this moment. It tasted of sweet honey, morning dew, and the quiet safety of home.
Her lips parted slightly with a soft, breathy gasp as I deepened the kiss, wrapping my other arm securely around her waist to pull her flush against my chest.
I could feel the rapid, synchronized rhythm of her heart against my ribs, echoing the steady pulse of my own.
Through the subtle, unspoken bond between our souls, a wave of pure golden warmth flared between us—a shared feeling of complete peace, as if two wearisome travelers had finally set down their heavy packs at the end of an endless road.
Her fingers tangled into the hair at the back of my neck, holding me close as if ensuring I wouldn't vanish into thin air. I tilted my head, lingering against her mouth for several long, unhurried seconds, drinking in the sweetness of her breath until we both finally needed air.
When we parted, our foreheads remained pressed together, our breaths mingling in the warm summer air. Tessia opened her eyes slowly, her long dark lashes fluttering as a radiant, tearful smile bloomed across her lips.
Cheers erupted around us, signalling the beginning of a new era.
Following the ceremony and the lively congratulations from our family, Tessia gently tugged my sleeve.
In accordance with ancient elven tradition, the bride and groom were to retreat to a secluded natural sanctuary before sunset—a private space to speak the unspoken vows meant only for one another's ears.
We slipped away from the bustling courtyard, hand in hand, walking down a hidden dirt path that led deep into the quiet birch grove bordering the lake.
The canopy above filtered the late afternoon sun into a golden halo around us. The air smelled of damp earth, sweet pine, and moss.
Stopping beside a quiet clearing where the water lapped gently against smooth pebbles, Tessia turned to face me. She reached into her pocket and produced a thin ribbon woven from green willow bark and silver thread—the traditional elven binding cord.
‘Here,’ she whispered softly, her cheeks flushed with a rosy warmth.
I took one end of the cord while she held the other, wrapping it gently around our joined hands until our fingers were tightly interlaced beneath the fabric.
‘Arthur Leywin,’ Tessia began, looking up at me with shining emerald eyes that held an entire lifetime of devotion. ‘Before the world, I gave you my hand. But here, in the quiet... I give you my whole soul.’
My thumb gently caressed the back of her hand beneath the woven ribbon. ‘Tess…’
‘In my past, I was weak,’ she whispered, a tear slipping down her cheek, though her smile remained radiant.
‘I was lost, burdened, and imprisoned from all that I loved. But through every shadow, your light was the anchor that brought me back home. I don't need a savior, Art. I just need you. My partner. My heart.’
A hot lump formed in my throat. I reached up with my free hand, my palm gently cupping her jaw to brush away her tear with my thumb.
‘Tessia Eralith,’ I continued. ‘Before the world, I gave you my hand. But here, in the quiet… I give you my whole soul.’ I repeated her words.
‘In my first life, I died alone on a cold throne,’ I confessed softly, my voice thick with emotion.
‘I built walls around myself because I believed caring for someone only brought pain. But then I met a little elven girl in a forest who taught me how to feel again.’
Tessia’s breath hitched, her eyes shimmering with fresh tears.
‘I spent so long fighting because I thought I had to earn the right to exist,’ I continued, leaning down until our foreheads pressed together.
‘But standing here with you... I realise I didn't survive the war just to save the world. I survived so I could love you.’
Tessia let out a soft sob of pure happiness, closing the final inch between us.
Our lips met in a slow, deeply intimate kiss—unhurried, sweet, and overflowing with the raw weight of two souls finally at complete peace. Her arms slid up around my neck, pulling me closer as our bound hands rested against my chest, right over my beating heart.
The wind rustled through the birch leaves above, carrying away the ghosts of our past.
There were battles that could never be won with strength or magic.
Only with love.
And as I held my wife in the quiet sanctuary of the grove, I knew with absolute certainty that I had finally found it.
That I have finally found my home.
And I was exactly where I was meant to be.
Credit to Reddit and the artist!