9. Maldenis #2
The elder spread his hands toward the crowd. “It is, therefore, a great fortune for basilisk society to witness a marriage blessed by the sacred pond.”
Maldenis felt Liora shift slightly beside him, and he tightened his hold on her hand.
“And as tradition holds,” the elder continued, “those who bring gifts to the newly bound couple will share in the blessing bestowed upon them.”
Maldenis closed his eyes for a brief second. Oh right. The gifts. He had forgotten about that part.
The first family approached almost immediately. “A home within the eastern district,” the elder announced grandly.
Polite applause filled the hall while a large crystal screen lit up with an image of a sleek modern house.
Maldenis blinked. Well, that was…generous.
Then came the next.
“Vehicles for each of them.”
Another round of applause. Images of two luxury cars appeared.
Then furniture. Travel. A series of extended hotel stays. Jewelry.
With every announcement, another family came forward to present the gift. And with every gift, a photo was taken, with Maldenis and Liora standing beside them as the cameras flashed.
Again. And again. And again.
At first, he thought Liora was simply leaning closer because of the crowd. But after the third group approached, he felt her press more firmly into his side. By the fifth, she was practically glued to him.
He glanced down.
Her smile was still there for the cameras, but her fingers had tightened around his arm.
“Hey,” he murmured quietly, leaning closer. “You okay?”
She didn’t look at him. “It’s too much,” she whispered.
“What is?”
She swallowed slightly. “My power.”
That made him straighten a little.
“They can’t keep touching me,” she said under her breath. “It’s…overwhelming.”
Maldenis immediately understood.
When each family came forward, their greeting involved hands on shoulders, arms, and brief embraces for the photographs. For a normal person, it was harmless, but for someone like Liora, it was probably chaos.
He didn’t hesitate and shifted smoothly, guiding her a half-step forward so she stood directly in front of him.
Then he wrapped his arms loosely around her from behind.
One hand rested at her waist, and the other settled gently over her clasped hands.
From the outside, it looked affectionate.
Sweet, even. The newly married basilisk husband holding his human wife close during the ceremony.
But it created a barrier.
Now, when families approached, they shook Maldenis’s hand instead or waved politely. No more crowding around Liora, no more grabbing her shoulders.
He felt her exhale slowly. “You good?” he murmured near her ear.
She nodded faintly. “Yeah.”
Another camera flashed.
He stopped thinking about the elders, the ceremony, or the ridiculous mountain of gifts. He was just focused on making sure the human in front of him didn’t bolt from the stage.
He kept his arms loosely around her while the next family approached. Each time someone came forward, he angled his body just enough that they greeted him instead of crowding her. A handshake. A nod. A quick exchange for the cameras.
Behind him, the elder continued announcing gifts like a town crier.
But Maldenis barely heard it because mostly he was aware of Liora. The warmth of her back against his chest. The way she had relaxed slightly once the stream of touching stopped. The faint scent of whatever the stylists had put in her hair. He shifted his hold a little to keep the illusion natural.
It’s just to keep up the farce, he reminded himself.
That’s all.
Anyone watching expected it with a newly married couple. The protective husband and a sweet little moment for the cameras. He was just playing the part.
Still.
He had to admit something to himself. Having her this close was…nice. Unexpectedly nice.
What struck him was that, with how strong Liora actually was—with the power she carried, the way she handled herself with monsters who could tear buildings down—this might be the only moment he’d ever get to play the role of the strong one.
The protector. Keeping the crowd back and shielding her from something.
He snorted quietly under his breath. Ridiculous. This was all for show and just another part of the spectacle.
Eventually, the last family moved away. Liora shifted slightly in his arms and tilted her head back to look up at him.
The tension that had tightened her features earlier had eased. Her expression was softer and calmer, the strain still present but finally fading. “Thanks,” she said quietly.
“Part of the act.” He shrugged a little, trying not to make a big deal out of it.
She studied him for a moment, then smiled. Not the polite smile she’d been wearing all evening, but a real one. And before he could stop himself, Maldenis smiled back.
Eventually, the elder raised his hands again, signaling for the room to be quiet. “We thank all of you for your generosity and your blessings upon this union.”
Polite applause rippled through the hall.
“May those who gave tonight share in the favor of the sacred spring.”
More applause.
Then the elder lifted his glass. “And now,” he announced, voice brightening, “we begin the dancing!”
Music immediately swelled from the musicians’ platform. The crowd responded with cheers and movement as the crowd began shifting toward the center of the hall.
Maldenis felt Liora go completely rigid in front of him.
Then she tilted her head slightly toward him and whispered, very quietly, “I can’t do anymore of this.”
“Right.” He didn’t hesitate and scooped her straight up into his arms. A startled sound escaped her while the room erupted into laughter and cheers.
Maldenis grinned broadly at the audience, as if this were all part of the show.
“We need a moment!” he announced.
More cheering followed. Someone even whistled.
“What are you doing?” she hissed under her breath as he carried her away from the platform.
“Getting you away from the crowd,” he said simply.
He moved quickly toward one of the side exits, weaving through guests who parted for them with amused smiles.
“And where do you think you’re taking me?” she demanded.
He glanced down at her. The fire was back in her eyes now, annoyed, alive, and not overwhelmed. Good. He liked her this way much better.
“Where else?” he said easily.
She squinted at him. “Maldenis—”
“To the honeymoon suite,” he finished.
Liora groaned softly and dropped her head back against his shoulder. “Oh gods,” she muttered. Then after a beat, she added dryly, “Fine. I’ll allow it.”
Maldenis chuckled.
A moment later, she relaxed in his arms, settling against him as he pushed open the large doors and away from the celebration behind them.
The moment the doors closed behind them, the roar of the party dulled to a distant hum. The music still throbbed faintly through the stone walls, but it was nothing like the overwhelming noise of the hall. The corridor beyond was quiet, lit by soft golden lamps set into the carved walls.
She relaxed a little more; the tension that had been locked in her shoulders all evening slowly eased, and she shifted in his arms until she was more comfortably settled against him.
When he reached the large carved doors at the end of the hall, he pushed them open with his shoulder.
Their suite was enormous, though that wasn’t surprising.
The elders never did anything halfway. A wide sitting area opened before them, with low couches, soft rugs, and tall windows that looked out over the dark desert landscape beyond the city.
Lanterns glowed softly around the room, and a long balcony door stood open just enough to let the cool night air drift inside.
He nudged the door closed behind them. Only then did he pause.
She shifted again, pressing her face briefly against his shoulder. “Just for a moment,” she murmured.
He adjusted his hold slightly so she was more comfortable. He didn’t mind. The quiet after the chaos felt…good. For the first time all evening, there were no elders watching them, no cameras flashing, no crowd pressing in around them.
She sighed softly, snuggling a little closer as if she could finally let the exhaustion of the night catch up to her.
For a little while, they could just exist and breathe. Just the two of them.
The quiet stretched comfortably around them, broken only by the faint music filtering up from the celebration and the soft desert breeze drifting through the balcony doors.
“It’s harder,” she said quietly.
He glanced down at her. “What is?”
“Locking down my power.” She drew in a slow breath. “When there are a lot of people around, especially when they’re touching me.” Her fingers curled lightly into the front of his shirt. “It’s like…noise. Too many thoughts, too many impressions. Everyone feels so loud.”
He tightened his arms around her without thinking. The way he’d been doing on the stage. Only now there was no one watching.
“That sounds exhausting.”
“It is,” she admitted. “Usually, I can manage it. But tonight…” She shook her head slightly against his shoulder. “Everything was happening all at once. The ceremony, the gifts, the crowd. It was just too much.”
He nodded slowly. “Yeah.”
She glanced up at him, surprised. “You get it?”
“I think this whole thing is too much,” he huffed a quiet laugh. “And I don’t even have powers to deal with.”
That made her smile faintly.
“All the elders watching,” he continued. “The speeches, the photos, the expectations. My family acting like this is the most important moment in basilisk history.
“Honestly? It’s overwhelming.” He shook his head slightly.
Liora studied him for a moment, and then her expression softened. Maldenis looked down at her properly, and the thought hit him suddenly.
She looked…beautiful.
Not in the dramatic way the stylists had been aiming for earlier in the evening. Not like the carefully staged photos hanging all over the reception hall.
Just like this.