News of Imperial Crown Prince Soren of Revhara and Crown Prince Rihaan of Danshin’s marriage spread across the Empire and into the neighbouring kingdoms.

The most important figures were invited to attend. Some mocked the union, while others began to idolize it.

For an omega from Revhara, where people from other countries thought their opinions were acknowledged for marriage, to choose the same alpha twice—even when that alpha was not his fated mate—was not unheard of.

What made Soren’s story remarkable was that he set aside his pride and chose love instead, something most could not do, whether alpha or omega.

The big day approached in great strides, and the entire palace was in an uproar.

Servants hurried through the corridors endlessly. Some carried silk banners in their arms, others ceremonial trays, while the rest carried boxes of sacred ornaments meant for the wedding hall.

"What are the decorators?! We were supposed to leave together!" The one responsible shouted.

"T-They must be on their way." One of the servants answered.

"R-Right. Please calm down..." another maid hesitantly tried to reassure the woman.

Beyond the palace grounds, after passing through a small forest, the Temple of Revhara stood. It had large white towers, unlike typical temples.

Weddings of any couple were never held within walls other than the Temple, where vows were bound not only before the people, but before the Gods themselves.

Revhara believed in the existence of Gods—everyone did. Their names were taught from childhood, each of their symbols carved into their minds like spells to use magic—like survival.

Sometimes it seemed as if it were something done in moments of desperation or gratitude rather than habit.

Faith, in Revhara, was quiet. It did not demand kneeling devotion, only acknowledgment unlike in Hianshu where praying was a requirement for every moment of their lives—even eating.

Today, however, even those who never prayed found their gazes lingering on the Temple’s gates. Perhaps it was the weight of the union being celebrated. Perhaps it was the hope that, for once, the Gods would look down and send their blessings to their couple.

Not all marriages were successful, given that omegas had the right to demand a divorce. Mostly when this time, the omega was the next Emperor in line.

On the other hand, in Danshin, marriage happened in a very different manner.

Rihaan’s homeland believed in the Gods just as deeply—perhaps even more openly—but unlike Revhara’s quiet faith, Danshin’s devotion was proved with ritual and tradition.

Every important union was bound by a sequence of sacred acts passed down through generations, each one carrying meaning older than the kingdom itself. To marry without them was unthinkable.

Priests had already begun cleansing the ceremonial grounds with incense and consecrated water. They rehearsed their actions over and over to not allow even one minor mistake.

Zayden, Ren and Eiran sat among the audience in the front row. They looked up at the couple, eyes glimmering. Both shone brightly like the sun and moon—and at the same time.

Soren looked majestic in Danshin’s bride’s gown. His slender figure was wrapped in a thin silk cloth, a veil covering the top of his head. His lips were painted a dark red, even darker than his red hair along with his cheeks brushed with a pink-ish powder the omega was displeased with.

But he didn’t complain.

"If you don’t like it, you may remove it," the alpha whispered, his gaze not leaving his bride-to-be even for a heartbeat.

Soren held back his smile. He couldn’t lose composure in front of so many people and disgrace his empire. It was basic manners. Etiquettes he learned from a young age.

"Now?" He asked, his voice barely audible.

Rihaan nodded immediately.

Soren shook his head.

"I can handle this much for you."

The alpha felt heart rushing to his cheeks. Surely, they had turned a similar shade to Soren’s skin now.

The ceremony began briefly after one of the priests stepped before the couple.

He pronounced the vows, and the two men repeated after him. Their hearts raced equally rapidly, although both wondered if the other one could hear the sound.

After exchanging the vows, the couple shared a soft kiss before the audience. It was not a forbidden act. Nor was it demanded to seal the marriage. However, in Danshin, they did so.

Just among the countless rites, one stood above the rest.

During the vows, the alpha would kneel and place his ankle gently against the omega’s, skin to skin, binding them with a ceremonial chain for a lifetime. To outsiders, it appeared almost like a mark—intimate, deliberate. But in Danshin, it was a declaration.

The legend behind it was known to every child—even those who didn’t reside in Danshin. Its popularity was beyond belief.

The first to perform the ritual had been a king—one who fell in love with an omega far beneath him in status—a mere slave.

Before the court, before the Gods, he had knelt and lowered himself, pressing an anklet to his lover’s ankle as a vow that power did not stand above devotion. That no crown was heavier than love. That an alpha, no matter how mighty, would bow willingly to his omega.

Love was no burden. Yet, it was enough to make one lower themselves in front of their beloved.

Since then, the ritual continued. A reminder that marriage was not ownership, but choice. Not dominance, but submission.

Rihaan pulled out a pair of anklets from the pockets of his red robe. The sound of the bells echoed in the silent hall.

A ripple of gasps broke out among the audience. They had expected it; however, for most, it was their first time witnessing the famous ritual of Danshin.

The jewelry was made of gold. It had perfectly round, red gems carved into it, and small golden bells hung beside each ruby.

Soren parted his lips in awe. His gaze lifted from the anklets to the man who had bought them for him.

"T-This is—!"

It was what Soren had wanted—rubies. When Rihaan suggested wearing sapphires or other gems, the omega said, "Rubbies."

However, the alpha acted as if he couldn’t get it done before the wedding.

Rihaan simply hummed, kneeling to the ground, uncaring that his wedding robe might get dirty. To begin with, he was never a man who valued such trivial things.

He gently placed Soren’s hands on his shoulders so the omega wouldn’t lose his balance before placing one of Soren’s feet on his thigh.

The omega blushed, shyly looking down at the audience, whose gazes were glued to them.

"Look at me," Rihaan said, looking up at the man after putting on one of the anklets.

And Soren did. Within an instant. It was as if he had been bewitched into obeying the alpha.

However, deep down, he knew that he, too, wanted to admire his husband on this day. He appeared no less than the God of the Sun, shining so brightly one might burn.

Rihaan’s fingers did not tremble as he reached for the second anklet.

The bells chimed softly once more, their sound lighter this time, as if the hall itself was holding its breath, just like the audience.

He adjusted his grip on Soren’s ankle, careful to the point that the omega was almost offended. He was no fragile omega.

Still, Soren did not get upset. He just couldn’t. He had rarely been treated with such intense care and delicateness.

Rihaan’s thumb brushed warm skin as he guided the gold into place, the red gems catching the light with every small movement. Then, slowly, he fastened it shut.

The second bell rang.

A quiet hush fell over the hall.

Rihaan lingered there for a moment longer than necessary, his head still bowed, his posture unyielding yet humble. It was not submission—no, it was devotion. A promise made before gods, immortals, half-mortals and mortals alike.

When he finally looked up, his hazel gaze met Soren’s amber one once more.

"There," he murmured, low enough that only the omega could hear.

Soren’s chest tightened. His ankles felt warm, heavy in the best way, as though something unseen had settled around him—something binding yet gentle.

At least, they were not chained in the name of marriage.

And in that moment, with an alpha kneeling at his feet and bells ringing softly around his ankles as he removed them from Rihaan’s leg, Soren understood. This was not a mark of ownership.

It was a vow. And that was why so many people looked forward to seeing this ritual.

"Papa! Dad! When are you getting married?!" Eiran turned toward both of his fathers one by one.

Zayden blinked, too stunned to speak while Ren quickly covered the kid’s mouth before anyone could hear him.

"E-Eiran! You shouldn’t be saying such things loudly," the omega said, voice low although it carried a scolding tone. 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

The child puffed his cheeks, folding his arms.

"You keep stopping me from saying anything everyyyy time," he pouted.

Zayden forced a soft laughter, patting the child’s head.

"Don’t be upset. We will, at some point..." he looked at Ren who more than happy appeared concerned.