It’s a beautiful, sunny day with only the odd white fluffy cloud passing through the blue sky above the Rose Gold palace today.
It’s a stark contrast to the endless dark nights of combat and firefight the realm has been subject to in recent times.
The commons are packed with white chairs, occupied by all the sky realm royals, and separated by a rose petal-lined aisle going through the middle of it leading up to the marble-pillared gazebo where our bride and groom stand on either side of the high priest.
“And do you, Lord Vega, take Persephone to be your wife?” the priest queries.
For such a fair, warm day one could feel the sudden chill in the air.
Vega’s face, unmasked for all to see, is the picture of perfection, perfectly chiseled, and not a scrape or scar on display. He looks over Persephone as if to study her with those cold blue eyes and after a moment looks away—
“Yes.”
The collective exhale of the crowd transitions into a massive cheer that nearly drowns out the high priest’s consummation.
“I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.”
The young lord and the blonde-haired beauty step towards one another and exchange a brief smile before embracing for a mere peck on the lips.
The business plan has been executed to perfection.
The two most powerful kingdoms of sky realm have finally merged into one with this wedding. A moment of paramount importance for this realm, the excitement as well as the intensity is palpable, and with this consummation comes hope for the future of this realm:
That terrestrial and extraterrestrial forces may be stifled in their ongoing attempts at hostile takeover.
This is the realm’s best chance at stability; this is sky realm’s only chance for a future.
Hand in hand, bride and groom walk down the aisle together as guests shower them in rose pedals. The newlyweds reach the edge of the palace’s gates to board Vega’s imperial airship and the crowd cheers for them as the ship floats off into the ocean of air.
But suddenly the cheers turn into blood curdling screams.
Armed guards have descended on the bride’s attendees, capturing those who aren’t fighting back and slaughtering those who oppose them.
Persephone looks back in horror, belting out a shrill scream that morphs into a gutteral squelch as she looks down and realizes that six claws have been stuck deep into her lungs.
Vega leans in close to her as he places his white mask on his face and whispers, “your people will be of great service to sky realm’s one royal family.”
The happy couple exchange one final glance before Vega unsheathes his claws from Persephone, watching her drop to the floor with a thud as their ship floats away from the utter madness behind them.
“Where to, sire?” asks the ship captain.
“To the tournament— to save our world whilst decapitating the undesirables,” Vega declares.
The captain nods and turns a hard right as Vega caresses Persephone’s cheek.
“Such a shame for beauty like this to be sacrificed.”