[Chapter Size: 1900 Words.]
Third Person POV
Skellige.
...
...
Mousesack raised the staff, tapping it lightly on the ground, and the murmur of the crowd ceased completely as soon as the sound echoed through the place.
A small cold wind, matching the climate of Skellige, came from the sea at that moment, while the tree above the couple and Mousesack swayed gently.
This brought a smile to the druid's face as he watched the wind softly move the hair of the bride and groom before him, as if the very world itself was reacting to that moment.
The druid took a deep breath and opened his arms, beginning the ritual.
"Before the gods, before men, and before the realms represented here. Let all bear witness to the union of these two young ones." He began and turned back to the two.
"Now, as is customary among kings and nobles, but also among warriors and their homes in Skellige, each of you must declare before the gods and before all here what this union means. But today, I do not wish for you to speak only as bride and groom... I want you to speak as two destinies that meet and complete each other. Let your words be remembered not only by those present, but also by the stones, the sea, and the wind of Skellige, which never forget. Do you wish to say something before beginning your vows?" Mousesack left the question in the air.
This was a wedding custom of the islands of Skellige, and while Madara and Ciri were already aware of it—since, as they would be married in Skellige, they had decided to accept the local tradition—both nodded after Mousesack's words, ready to begin, each fixing their gaze upon the other, as if looking into the very soul of the other.
Ciri squeezed Madara's hands and took a deep breath. She seemed a little nervous for a moment, but even then Madara could describe a glimmer of determination in her eyes locked on his.
"Madara... since we were children, I knew you were my home. It didn't matter where we were — in the castle, on the run, or in the midst of battles — it was always at your side that I found courage. You taught me to be strong, more than that, you changed my destiny..." She said with words full of meaning, Ciri thinking of that other Ciri, the one who lived a life without Madara Uchiha, full of scars and pain. One who, in the end, sacrificed her life as a heroine to save the worlds, but certainly did not have as happy a life as she wished. Everything indicated that this other Ciri had a romance with another woman, and she was killed.
But the Ciri of this world was different. She had certainly known love since her childhood, had grown up at his side, faced many hardships, and they had become stronger together. She might not be as powerful as Madara, even with her uncontrolled powers, but she was not a weak little girl like the other Ciri. At this time, when she should still be training to control her magic, she was already powerful and confident, thanks to the man she loved. Even better, she was not alone.
Ciri then continued.
"...Today, before everyone, I swear that I will walk with you, not only as your wife, but as your partner in every war, every triumph, and every silence between us. The young lioness is no longer alone. You are my hero, my friend, and now my husband." She said, and almost let slip a 'lover' as well, which she should not have said, since in theory they would only become such after the wedding.
Everyone could hear the noblewomen who were accompanying Ciri sighing like a group of girls admiring her words.
Zoltan could be seen breaking into tears in the corner, wiping his nose with a cloth, though he tried to disguise it as if he were coughing. Geralt maintained his composure, but Yennefer grasped his hand beside her before giving him a sincere smile.
They did not know how it had happened, there was no fight, no argument. They had simply joined this journey together and begun to share a more romantic touch than they had ever had before. It was as if they had been infected by the romantic relationship Madara and Ciri had carried since leaving Kaer Morhen. After all, their bond had been defined in the midst of training, something that had already been inevitable. They simply could not wait any longer.
"How romantic!" shouted Dandelion, drawing everyone's attention around him. It was certainly an inappropriate remark while everyone was supposed to remain silent as the ritual continued. However, he did not care.
Madara gave a small smile to Ciri as he slightly tilted his head to speak his own words. This had not been rehearsed together, but they had each prepared a small speech to say to the other.
"Ciri. One thing I know, ever since I saw you in that forest being escorted by Geralt, I knew I was destined to have you with me. I do not promise a life without enemies, without wars, or without pain, but I promise that no blade, no spell, and no empire will touch you as long as I breathe. Let the heavens, the earth, and even the gods remember: whoever dares to rise against you will rise against me. And I, Uchiha Madara, will make the world remember why they must not have me as their enemy."
Madara spoke with an arrogant tone, in that strange way of stating his name that no one else used, placing his family name before his given name. But all were surprised by these words.
Most were stunned, but some certainly had different thoughts, letting fear creep back into their memories. Those who had been on the battlefield of Sodden would carry that memory forever—the giant blue figure devastating an entire army.
Thorne, his men, Tissaia, Yennefer, and several other sorceresses accompanying the rector of Aretuza had been on that battlefield and were eyewitnesses to the powers of Madara Uchiha.
If Madara could once again summon that power, a power capable of shaping the entire world, then his words were not empty, and all his enemies should indeed be fleeing at that very moment.
Ciri was also surprised, but that did not overshadow her happiness for the wedding, while Madara made only a pause before continuing, making Ciri's smile widen.
"...Today, more than husband and wife, we are a single destiny."
Some murmurs were heard after Madara's words, for his statement was a message to all present, to their superiors and their kings, even to the kings themselves. Mousesack was quick to continue, while Bran opened a wide smile, satisfied to hear such a thing, and Throness had a softer smile, yet understood what Madara meant more than anyone else there. After all, he knew Madara better than most of those people—only a few knew him better, such as Ciri, Mousesack, Geralt, and Yennefer.
"Attention." Mousesack smiled, his eyes brimming with pride for the two as he struck his staff once again, silencing all the murmurs around them. At his side was a small bench, holding a silver cup and pitcher. He left his staff standing upright, which remained perfectly still after he released it, and took up the two items.
Everyone fell silent as he poured the pale golden liquid from the pitcher into the cup, then set the pitcher aside. He approached the couple with the small cup containing mead mixed with Skellige's ancient herbs, symbol of union and pact with the gods.
He handed the cup first to Ciri, who released Madara's hand for the first time since she had taken it upon stepping onto the altar, and she drank before passing it to Madara. Both took a sip, and then the druid retrieved the cup, placing it once again upon the bench.
"Now we come to the vows. Place your cloak over her." Mousesack requested as Madara finally removed his cloak, extending one arm to drape it over Ciri's head and arranging the fabric upon her shoulders in a comfortable way. Ciri adjusted her shoulders while keeping a joyful smile for Madara, now cloaked in his garment.
"Now I want you to repeat after me. This is a Skellige vow for souls united through marriage." The druid introduced, while the couple waited for him to continue after agreeing, once again taking each other's hands as before.
"Promise under the eyes of the gods that you will walk side by side." Mousesack began, initiating the final stage of the wedding.
"We promise to walk side by side." Madara and Ciri spoke with a single voice. This was something they had been instructed to do and had even practiced, to avoid mistakes at this very moment.
"Say under the eyes of the gods that no evil shall separate you." Mousesack continued.
"We promise that no war or conflict shall separate us, and that between us there will never be lies or betrayals." Madara and Ciri continued in unison, their voices carrying through the place.
"Say under the eyes of the gods that you will be each other's shelter through all days."
"We promise to protect one another, to be strength in weakness and calm in the storm." They answered together, without averting their eyes.
"Say under the eyes of the gods that before the entire world you have chosen this path."
"Today, before all, we choose not only to be husband and wife, but to be one heart, one will, one life."
Mousesack raised the staff.
"So it has been spoken, so it shall be remembered. By the sea, by the stones, and by the winds of Skellige, as well as by the people who witness this moment, you are now united." His voice echoed, and all those seated on the benches turned to Madara and Ciri, still gazing at one another without breaking eye contact after his words, Mousesack standing behind them with the entire sea beyond the tree at his back.
Madara tilted his head to make the final vow, but Ciri was quick enough to intercept him halfway, as they kissed with closed lips, yet pressed firmly together, while Ciri released Madara's hands to take his face in her own, pressing him even closer against her.
The first applause came from Dandelion.
"Bravo!!!" he shouted as the others followed, ignoring his out-of-turn remark during the wedding, while everyone clapped before the ritual that had finally come to an end.
Madara and Ciri were an eighteen-year-old couple, and now, in that moment, they were husband and wife. But the two of them ignored the people clapping, as everything around seemed like a slow hum.
Ciri pulled away from Madara, her green eyes examining him as if she were the happiest woman in the world, her smile widening, unable to hide her satisfaction at seeing Madara there, looking back at her with tenderness and offering her a sincere smile. His smile had always been sincere, but it was rare.
And the hum continued around them, as their eyes remained fixed on each other, as if to make sure they were still there. Ciri did not think twice before leaning in toward Madara's face, kissing him with even greater intensity.
-------------------
Author's note. Although I did not write much more than I usually do, I kept revising this chapter to create a type of wedding I had to invent for Skellige. I spent about three hours here; I hope you enjoyed it.
◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆
🦝 Raccoon here: 🦝
I deeply appreciate your support since the beginning of this exciting journey!
I hope each chapter has provided incredible moments. If you like my work and would like to support the continuation of this fanfic, consider becoming a patron with plans starting at $2!. As a token of gratitude, I offer access to more than 210 extra chapters with 7 active fanfics at the same time, along with other exclusive benefits on my profile, such as images and significant decisions for the stories.
Even if you are not a patron, I am making chapters available a few hours earlier here, so become a free member on the platform!
🌟 RaccoonLeague | Patreon🌟
Visit our Patreon for more: https://www.patreon.com/RaccoonLeague
Extra Content Already Available:
🏴☠️ One Piece - I Am a Different Luffy!: 30 extra chapters!
👑 Game of Thrones: The Legend of Jon Arctic!: 30 extra chapters!
🌀 Naruto - Minato Namikaze SI!: 30 extra chapters!
🗡️ The Witcher - As Uchiha Madara! 30 extra chapters!
⚡ Harry Potter - Shadow Monarch! 30 extra chapters!
👑 Game of Thrones: DragonBorn! 30 extra chapters!
Except for One Piece with daily chapters and DragonBorn once a week, all fanfics are updated 3 times a week, there's just a pause in updating in the week, only to create drafts for the week's chapters.
In addition to the extra chapters, daily chapters are posted and 25 chapters per week!
Your support is very important and makes all the difference in keeping these stories alive.
Thank you very much for being part of this journey! I hope you continue to enjoy the story and that it brings even more joy to your life!
Visit our Patreon for more!!
◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆