Page 79 of Crown of Flame

Her skin glows orange in the light of the cavern labyrinth, and every bead of sweat on her exposed chest is tempting to me. I imagine what it’d be like to perform this ceremony in my home world, introducing her to the wide-stretching caverns, lava lakes, and endlessly stretching ceilings I’ve known so long. But she would not survive there, and they wouldn’t understand her there anyway.

And I suppose she’s not missing out on much anyway.

If she’d only believe it, perhaps I’d tell her how ravishing she looks. Her red blouse juts out over a white bodice, accentuating the crimson gown she lifts with every step.

“You’ll see soon enough,” I urge her, guiding her over a small drop in the cavern floor.

The amulet around her neck jingles with every step, a small reminder of the meager barrier separating my flames from burning her. I thank the architects of this realm for allowing us to coexist, however impossible such an alliance should have been.

Perhaps there’s a magic to this realm greater than any I understand.

The passages begin to open up, and I can hear idle chatter as we approach.

“Shh. They’re coming!”

The chatter stops.

“What was that?” Serena asks as I help her step over a gap in the path.

“Nothing but the wind,” I lie. “We’ll be there soon.”

Surely, she can feel the temperature rising and knows that we’re not on the surface. Even through her blindfold, she can see the darkened passages - can feel the uneven floors and shifting corridors.

But she’s explained the joy of surprises and gifts to me on several occasions. And I’m not one to question her traditions, whether those traditions are small and seemingly inconsequential, or life-altering and impossible to replicate ever again.

It has to be perfect.

Admittedly, I don’t know the first thing about weddings or mating ceremonies. But I know they’re important to her, so they’re important to me.

We cross a small path, walking across a narrow strand above the guests who’ve come to spectate the ceremony. While she’s been asleep, I’ve come here every night, hollowing out this cavern with the help of my avian friend. Once I figured out he created the hot spring cavern, I sought his guidance on safe tunneling practices.

On the opposite end of the room are two large torches and a chiseled arch, which I’ve carved into the cavern wall. I’m relieved when our guests remain silent, not spoiling the surprise.

“Alright,” I tell her as I guide her to her place across from me. “You can remove your blindfold.”

She slowly unwraps the fabric, and her eyelids part, revealing her beautiful azure and jade eyes.

At first, she doesn’t know what she’s looking at, when she glances at me in confusion.

“Where are we?”

“Just look around.”

She turns her eyes to the room, noticing the path, and the two enclosures on either side of us. Her eyes struggle against the lights of crackling flames, both from me and from the ambiance.

She gasps, seeing everybody we’ve ever saved, huddled together in this small room. The towers all liberated, the dark elves driven from this continent for the time being, I figured they were the perfect witnesses to our love.

“What is this?”

“You’re always talking about the customs of your people, and how much weddings mean to your kind,” I explain. “And maybe I don’t understand everything about you, but I’d like the chance to learn.”

When I told them what I was planning after we liberated the final tower, not one of them turned me down. They were just happy to help.

The joy on her face is unmistakable, and I feel both relieved and elated.

But now I need to figure out how to put what I’ve learned into practice.

“So I wanted to make our bond official, in front of all of these humans we’ve saved together.”

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