Page 91 of Honorable Convictions
“We would,” Pierson confirmed with a grin for his Mitchell.
“Of all the things we get to do in life, nothing is more sacred than honoring Fate. As fallen knights, we are born of magic. A single necromancer has dedicated himself to creating an incorruptible and incredibly talented group known as the Order of the Fallen Knights. One morning in 1905, his spell brought forth the two of you. Some called you enemies while others preferred the word rivals but, in your souls, there was only the word ‘mates.’ It doesn’t matter how rocky the road was to bring you here, the important thing is the way you feel about each other now. I don’t have to ask or wonder what emotions are in your hearts because I can see them in the way you’re smiling at each other. As Reverent Knights and as your friends, we wish for you a future as bright and beautiful as the love that exists here in this moment,” Drystan said.
“Thank you,” Mitchell responded softly.
“Gentlemen, please raise your left hands,” Conley instructed. Drystan unsheathed one of the special daggers the Arch Lich had created to allow the fallen knights to bleed long enough to tie them to their other halves. Pierson let go of Mitchell to do as he was asked and barely felt the burn as Drystan cut him first. When he was finished doing the same to Mitchell, they pressed their palms together. A sense of togetherness and affection infused him as their souls were finally bound.
“Fallen knight to fallen knight. Master Juris Knight to Master Juris Knight. Their souls are now tied, and their lives now linked. May their hearts always stay united, so they will never want another,” Drystan stated.
“Wow,” Mitchell murmured which made Pierson smile. It was nice to know that his other half was as moved too. Calm flowed through Pierson; Mitchell was his and they belonged together. The normal tension he carried that he mostly tried to ignore lifted, and he wondered if they’d allowed themselves to be tied in knots by shoving each other away. Had that created a misery that compounded the original issues? They might never know, and Pierson no longer cared. It was irrelevant to who they were and the continually strengthening relationship they’d build piece by piece.
Drystan opened a box and handed them each a ring. They were made of black metal and had hammered rings of gray through the middle.
Conley grinned. “Shifters exist throughout the Council and their traditions overlap, but I hope you’ll forgive us for speaking of dragons. We were born as drakelings and learned early that our beasts would seek out a mate to bite them—to bind us for eternity. It would, however, leave behind no mark. Proud to show off our gift of Fate, a practice of exchanging rings was started many centuries ago. We’re pleased that you wish to carry on this beautiful custom and ask you to do so now.”
Lifting his hand, he rejoiced at the cool glide of Mitchell sliding on his ring and it was a moment he’d remember for eternity. “Chosen by Fate and accepted by my heart as true, I accept you as my mate.”
His eyes damp with all the love he had for his other half, Pierson gently pushed on Mitchell’s band. “Chosen by Fate and accepted by my heart as true, I accept you as my mate.”
“By the customs of magickind and those of dragons, you are now mates,” Drystan said. “You have honored us by allowing us to bear witness to your joining.”
Conley moved forward with a second poisoned dagger that smoked black. After he cut their palms, Pierson pressed his hand to Mitchell’s again.
The Reverent Knights had already used their new titles, but Pierson was still surprised by the ripple of awe that slid over him as Mitchell spoke. “Fallen knight to fallen knight. Master Juris Knight to Master Juris Knight. Our blood has spilled, and our spirits have bonded. We ask Fate to grant us a mark from left shoulder to elbow so the world may bear witness we belong only to each other.”
A fiery burn crossed Pierson’s arm, but he didn’t care, and he was impatient to view the image branded on his skin for eternity.
“Thank you for being here with us today,” Mitchell told the Reverent Knights solemnly, tugging a willing Pierson into his arms and dropping a light kiss on his lips. “And thank you, Teverild, for the pictures.”
“Totally my pleasure. I’ve got some wonderful ones. I can shoot them to you guys later. Have fun at D’Vaire.”
“Thank you for letting us be part of your day. You ready to go have beers and some lunch at D’Vaire?” Conley asked. “Dad’s going to grill us steaks.”
Drystan’s biological parents, King and Queen Beradraconis, were neighbors of the D’Vaires, and Pierson had learned that they often hung out together. All he wanted was to get out of his uniform to see his mating mark and enjoy the day with Mitchell. They exchanged hugs with everyone, and Pierson, along with his mate, promised to teleport to the D’Vaire mansion in a few minutes.
Once Pierson was at their condo, he went to work on getting undressed but was stopped by a hand on his arm.
“Hey, it’s snuggle time.”
“No, Mitch, we have to go.”
Mitchell’s bottom lip poked out. “We were just mated, Blondie.”
Giving in far enough to buss his lips, Pierson left him to walk into his closet. “People are expecting us, and after lunch we can snuggle for the rest of the day.”
“Promise?”
“Yes, now change.”
Pierson tugged off his jacket and shirt. His gaze flew to the coat of arms emblazoned on his arm, and he traced a finger over Mitchell’s name in bold letters beneath it. “Mitch,” he called out.
“Did you see it? It’s got ‘MJK’ on it!”
“I guess Fate agrees that it’s the right title for us.”
“Of course it is,” Mitchell called from his closet. Pierson vowed to admire the artwork on their biceps later, but it was simply not in his nature to be late. Getting a pair of jeans on after slipping out of his trousers, he went with a polo instead of T-shirt. When he walked into their bedroom to put on his shoes, he was relieved that Mitchell was also wearing a collared shirt. They moved swiftly, exchanged a quick kiss, and teleported to the front of the D’Vaire mansion.
“On our last visit here, we were splitting up a couple,” Pierson murmured.
