Chapter 35 Two Separate Seeds
Two Separate Seeds
Griffin
A Year Ago - Grypheem
Griffin stood with his back against the wall in the throne room.
The over-sized Iron Mother taking up most of the space in it.
It had been built in here for a specific purpose, and while it was reminiscent of the one used as punishment, it was different.
This one was a larger metal tube, big enough to fit a bed and two people.
Nearly ten feet tall and much longer and wider too.
He desired more than anything to not be here. But he was still royalty, whether he wanted to be or not.
The Sacred Cherished who stood in the center of the room was silent as the High Priestess removed her robe and left her bare.
Griffin averted his eyes, he didn’t want to watch this. The pre-matrimony ceremony was archaic.
But as Cherished, especially those who were sacred, became scarce, they were held more often. Before they had been saved strictly for royalty but now even advisors, distant relatives, and anyone with a place in royalty were forced through them when they were permitted to wed.
A falsified beacon of hope that women were still here, that the Sacred Trinity wasn’t dying out.
Except it is.
“Troy, you have staked your claim on this sacred cherished. Another has tried, but as he is an unnatural, he is not permitted. Only those of natural birth are to be blessed with a soul sent from above.” The Priestess’s voice echoed eerily around the space.
Drago’s advisor stood confidently. “Correct, she is mine.”
“Let us commence.”
Griffin shut his eyes at the woman’s soft sob. He didn’t want to be here. He wanted to stop this.
But what could he do? Even his brother was powerless to the High Priestess. She was the ultimate sovereign in the Sacred Trinity.
“Once she is filled with his seed, the ceremony will conclude and if they are blessed, she will swell with child.” The High Priestess’s voice suffused the air as a loud creak! echoed around. Even still, Griffin didn’t open his eyes.
He never understood why only one man could claim a woman. If more than one could, perhaps his own mother would be safe and his father would be alive. She wouldn’t have been locked away in the Isles of Sacerdos.
Or perhaps that was the point. The High Priestess wanted to control the Cherished.
Griffin’s eyes flashed open, and he found the Priestess staring at him. Her mouth pinched into a frown as she studied him.
“What if two men claimed her and agreed to share?” He wasn’t sure why he asked the question, but it spilled from his lips before he could draw it back.
The room, which had been buzzing with energy, went completely silent. He noted the woman was sealed inside the Iron Mother now. A screen on the far wall of the throne room lit up as Troy threw her onto the bed.
He looked back down at the Priestess. Her eyes were cloudy, but there was clear anger in their depths.
“She would need to take them both together, they would need to claim her together. Two separate seeds in the same womb. And that is not natural. It cannot be done.”
Griffin mulled the words, he didn’t disagree with the woman outwardly, but internally he began to unravel a centuries long tradition.
Present Day – Grypheem
Raven hissed as Matt withdrew the needle from her arm, collecting her blood. Griffin had half a mind to jump and pummel the man to death.
But it wouldn’t change anything except perhaps lead his brother here instead.
“The King wanted me to remind you all the ceremony is this evening,” Matt said as he got to his feet. “I will see you all tomorrow at the wedding. Congratulations, Raven.” And then the annoying man was gone.
Raven stared listlessly into the fire, she hadn’t been herself the last few days, but Griffin didn’t blame her. This was going to be a lot, and he was terrified himself.
That he would hurt her.
That this wouldn’t work.
That she would be taken from him.
That the High Priestess would decide to just kill them all instead and be done with it.
“They will retrieve us soon, we will complete the ceremony, and then this will all be over.” Griffin reached out, squeezing her hand.
“Until the wedding tomorrow.” Raven cut her attention back to him. “After this, we will rescue Levi.”
He nodded. Except it wasn’t a question. It was a statement of fact.
“Yes, the day after the wedding we will retrieve him before fleeing for Violencia. Our marriage will play a large distraction, the Priestess will have to accept your existence outside of Sacerdos, and my brother will have a ship prepared for us to leave.”
Julian came out of the closet dressed regally in a gold-trimmed cape, he could practically pass as a prince. Griffin’s lips quirked at the thought.
Raven stood abruptly, the gown she wore was nearly sheer, a large hibiscus threaded into the front. He knew she was bare underneath, her nipples clearly pebbled and visible through the material, and his cock jerked in his pants at the sight.
“These countries are ass backwards,” she declared, twirling around. “They parade me half-naked through a hoard of sex-deprived men. Showcase it for all to watch. And then let them know I am claimed by another. How does that not start wars? How does that not end up with more men being killed?”
Griffin chose not to mention that, in his opinion, was exactly the point. The ceremony was designed to sow discontent. To allow one more chance for a man of higher ranking to claim Raven.
But he wouldn’t let that happen. There was only one man with equal rank to him that was unmatched and it was the Prince of Luscinia. He hoped this last minute ceremony would prevent him from intervening.
“It is asinine,” Julian agreed, cutting his attention to Griffin. “And there’s not an alternative? We can’t just leave now before all of this?”
Griffin rolled his shoulders, standing up and spinning to them. “We need to fight one battle at a time. This will buy us the time we need to do that.” He focused on Raven. “But if you don’t want to do this, if it’s too much, we can stop it.”
Raven met his stare, jaw clenched, her eyes narrowed. “I can handle this. Can handle you both.”
“Good.” The single sharp knock was their sign that it was time.
Griffin took one of Raven’s arms and gestured for Julian to hold the other.
“A united front.” Julian jabbed sarcastically.
Griffin hummed, he was having a hard time breathing. A difficult time moving closer to the door. He had explained nearly all of the ceremony to Raven, except where it would be. And he doubted she would accept it.
Using his free hand, he reached the door and found Troy on the other side. “Prince,” the man chirped sharply. “Cherished.” He offered Raven a slight bow, but ignored Julian entirely.
Griffin’s annoyance fluttered, but he held his tongue, this fight wasn’t worth it.
“Please follow me.” He didn’t wait or pause, marching to the double-helix stairs.
Griffin led the way behind him, heading towards the throne room.
Once outside, Raven stiffened. “Here?” she murmured under her breath.
Griffin gave the slightest nods as Troy opened the door, he tried to guide Raven in, but she was frozen in place.
Her eyes widened at the view, he allowed her a single beat to digest, before, with Julian’s help, they tugged her inside.