Steel and Sorrow: Rise of the Mercenary king

Chapter 46: Marriage

The music roared through the grand hall, a thunderous blend of shouts and laughters . Prince Mavius surveyed the scene, his gaze falling upon the lively crowd gathered before him. Musicians and singers swayed to the beat of their own tune, while their patrons laughed and tossed coins onto the ground for the peasants to scramble after.

In a corner of the hall, a group of mummers entertained the guests with their tricks and antics. Some even drank from mysterious bottles before spitting fire onto lit torches, causing flames to dance and flicker in the air. The audience clapped and cheered in awe, but for Prince Mavius, there was something else that caught his eye.

Amidst the chaos and revelry, he noticed a man in the crowd who had an entire sword lodged in his throat. Now that was a display of skill that piqued his interest. He couldn't help but wonder if his bride possessed such talents as well - the last thing he needed was a prudish wife.

As he watched on, entranced by the chaos around him, people danced in every direction casting wild shadows on the walls illuminated by the torchlight.

Prince Mavius had never been one for battle or chaos, but he imagined this feast must be what it felt like - a whirlwind of energy and excitement swirling around him. After all, it was held in his honor - a celebration of his marriage to the beautiful daughter of Duke Landoff. Her family's sigil, a shield on a field of yellow, adorned everything from her clothes to the cups they drank from. Even when he glanced at his pillow, he half-expected to see a shield emblazoned on it.

This feast was meant to honor not only him, but also his new bride. And as he gazed at her across the room, she truly did bloom like a delicate flower in the midst of this chaotic celebration.

Her name was Silena, she was a pretty little flower, she had long luscious brown hair, a petite nose and a small mouth. Her lips were rosy, albeit small, the face all in all was pleasant to watch , giving off an air of purity and cuteness. He wondered how her face would change when she bedded her. Right now though all the things he wanted to ravage was the drinks and the food.

Hhe took a piece of chicken and cleaved the meat from the bone using his teeth, before washing it down with wine. Silena took small bite and small sip , as if she was embarrassed to be there. He watched as she ate and drank, than he got bored and resumed his feasting and drinking .

Prince Mavius was more than a little tipsy, his golden goblet swaying in his hand.The wine was always his second blood.

Suddendly a man rose from his seat ,a full smile in his face and a filled goblet rose to the sky.

With a sly grin playing on his lips, Lord Corbray proclaimed, "To our fearless leader, our noble liege, may his sword stay sharp and his wits even more !" Prince Mavius rose too , his face flushed and eyes a bit unfocused , eagerly brought the goblet to his lips with a smile. He gulped down the wine , and people cheered all around.Mavius laughed too , prompting a servant to fill his goblet again,before deciding to sit down, swaying more than he thought he would. 'I am getting a bit drunk, maybe I should tone down with the drinks' He mused as he sat down , before retaining his wits to respond to the toast.

. "You toast as eloquently as you fight, my lord !" Mavius chuckled, his words slightly slurred. "Another round for the brave noble of the empire , and let us drink to honor the gods may they bless us and our righteous choice !" The raucous laughter and clinking of goblets filled the air as the nobles raised their drinks high,before gulping them down.

Mavius, feeling the effects of the wine but reveling in the festivities, raised his voice once more. "Another toast, if you would indulge and pamper me , my esteemed lords." He fought back a surge of nausea before continuing. "Let us raise our cups to Lord Landoff, whose wine tonight is fit for the gods themselves." Goblets were lifted and drained in tribute.

"Second only to the beauty of his daughter," Mavius added, taking Silena's delicate hand and pressing it to his lips. "Tonight, I find myself insatiable, both for wine and for the company of my exquisite flower." The crowd erupted into cheers, shouts, and laughter, Duke Landoff himself raising his goblet in a salute to his son-in-law and daughter before downing its contents.

As Mavius observed the lords reveling in laughter and drink, a sense of satisfaction swelled within his chest. This, he thought, was what it meant to command loyalty from one's followers. "Maesinius may cling to his icy wastes , snows and uncivilized brutes," he reflected, tearing into his chicken

"but let us see how he''ll fare against my 150 hundred of sword ."

The festivities carried on for hours, with the nobles becoming increasingly intoxicated, their senses dulled to the point where they could hardly distinguish their goblets from their plates. Some even seemed inclined to slumber right there on the ground until their attendants ushered them away to their chambers, under the heavy cheer of thier fellow guests.

Taking note of the state of his guests, Duke Landoff rose from his seat "My esteemed guests," he announced, all went silent as the head of the house was speaking "this has been a joyous evening of feastin.Tomorrow, we shall bathe in the blood of our enemies. For now instead let us accompany my son and daughter to sigil thier union.LET US WITNESS THEIR BEDDING!''

The men and women erupted into cheers, their voices echoing like lions asserting their dominance, as they banged their goblets against the tables. The noise was so thunderous that even the passing dogs, initially cowed by the commotion, wagged their tails once more upon glimpsing the feast laid out on the ground before them, caused by all the shaking.

As the noblemen and noblewomen rose from their seats, their voices echoed throughout the hall in a deafening roar, drowning out even the sound of an army. The ladies flocked to Selina, whose cheeks were flushed with embarrassment as she was led by hand towards the bed. Their movements were still graceful, despite the excitement that filled the air.

For the men, it was a different story altogether. They stumbled and shouted, rising from their seats to hoist the drunken prince onto his feet. Goblets of wine spilled in their hands as they carried their liege towards the bed.

Mavius's face was flushed from the wine as he looked around with a foolish grin, joining in on the chants of "The husband to the bed!" as if he were just another guest and not the one being thrown into bed with his new bride. Servants scurried ahead to prepare the bedroom, placing burning bricks on the mattress and leaving wine and water within arm's reach.

The duke followed behind at a leisurely pace, a small smile playing on his lips as his gaze lingered a bit too long on the drunk prince. "TO THE BEDS! TO THE BEDS!" They all cried, running through the halls until they reached their destination. With wild excitement, they threw both Mavius and Selina onto the bed. The men helped the prince remove his clothes while the women covered their queen and assisted her onto the bed with grace and care.

Landoff reached out for his guest's hand, a sly smile spreading across his face. "Come, my dear guests," he said, "let us leave our king and queen to have their fun...alone." The various nobles booed and jeered, eager to witness the act themselves, but they obediently closed the door behind them as Landoff and his guest exited.

The noise from the room still echoed through the halls as they returned to their seats. The new king, formerly prince, trudged forward with heavy steps. His hand gripped the edge of the mattress tightly as he removed his undergarments and climbed onto the bed where his wife was waiting for him, already naked. She stood there trembling like a small bird, her hands covering her small breasts.

"Don't cover up, let me see," Mavius whispered in her ear as he gently pried her hands away, exposing her vulnerable body to his eyes. She was clearly scared and he could see it. It was his duty as king to provide an heir, a task that could not be done alone.

Their eyes met and they both knew what was expected of them. Without hesitation, they engaged in the act. The prince's head swayed slightly from the wine as he aimed his rod towards her entrance. He missed three times before finally succeeding, causing a pained frown to form on his wife's face and small drops of blood to fall on his cock.

But he paid no mind to her discomfort as he leaned close to her ear and whispered, that A mighty sword is better bloodied.She forced a smile through the pain and forming tears,she knew it was supposed to be a jest, and he was too drunk himself to notice her discomfort .

"From tonight on, you are my queen,as king I shall take my right, may the mother bless you with son " he spoke the ceremonial wordsand mixing it with a prayer . His head throbbed from the wine as he continued to sway and thrust wildly inside of her, like a man armed with spear does when scared for his life . Ten times he pumped before finally releasing inside of her and collapsing onto the bed with a drunken smile, too drunk to comfort her bride , who was alone, trembling and with tears in her eyes. That was what was expected of her, and she had delivered.She was to be queen , of that she was happy , yet that was only if they won.If they did not she would be the wife of the pretender, and maybe her head would roll with his. Yet that was not the moment to be worried she had a task and a duty to accomplish.

''May the mother bless me '' She muttered as he struggled to cover herself , failing as the passed out body of his husband pinned the cover still. She slept in the cold that night.