Knight and Wand

Chapter 294: Xue Rong's Oath
The day of the lord's wedding finally arrived. The snow had just melted and inside and outside Avalon Castle presented a festive atmosphere. The streets of the castle town were swept clean and the people wrapped in cloaks were looking forward to the fun in the streets and alleys. When the knights' cavalry decorated with copper bells stepped through the city gate, the holly berries thrown by the jugglers drew arcs in the cold air, attracting children to tiptoe to grab them.

People have become accustomed to the constant ringing of wedding bells inside and outside Avalon throughout the year.

From the wedding of Lohak and Miss Sally, the wedding of Larian and Miss Margarina, to the weddings of the Knights and the common people, large and small, Avalon Castle has seen countless newlyweds.

In comparison, the fact that Leon deliberately chose today's Ilarial Assumption Festival is not well known to the people in the territory. After all, this is a tradition of the Holy Sun believers, not a festival of the Orland and Kantadar people.

Even with the exception of a few Serrians in Avalon Castle, even the Knights of Ilaril from the Holy Lake do not celebrate this festival.

According to the Holy Lake priest of the temple, although the Holy Lake believers and the Holy Sun believers have no dispute about Ilarriel's death in the city of Rolandar, they have different opinions on the specific date of Ilarriel's ascension. At least this day is not the day when Ilarriel rests in the eyes of the Holy Lake sect.

However, the Holy Lake Sect does not mind when others commemorate Ilarial. Regardless of whether it is the Ascension Day or not, they are willing to provide a venue for Leon to hold the ceremony.

Soon the sun finally reached its peak.

The bell on top of the cathedral tower also rang on time.

Leon stood straight in front of the altar, his jet-black hair was carefully and neatly groomed by Ms. Elena, and a golden laurel crown was worn on his head as decoration. He did not wear armor as per the knight's tradition, but chose a formal dress instead.

A ribbon trimmed with silver velvet was buckled on the left shoulder. The black dress was fitted tightly to the body, shining as cold as iron in the sun. Twenty griffin buckles forged from fine steel were bitten from below the collarbone, each engraved with the sword-wing emblem representing Pendragon.

The front of the robe that dropped to below the knees was open, revealing the silver embroidery on the lining. A two-tone cowhide corset tightly bound the waist of the dress and the open-collared robe. The outside was scarlet and the inside was jet black. Silver-plated buckles formed a sharp arc at the waist and abdomen, and a ceremonial sword decorated with griffins was hung on it.

Dressed in the most formal attire he had ever worn, Leon looked past the rows of benches filled with guests and towards the door at the end of the hall that was about to be opened.

Under the ringing of the bell, soft music slowly played, the door opened slightly, bright sunlight poured in, and everyone looked sideways.

The falling golden light cast a flowing halo on Olivia.

The golden hair was tied up in a bun, and the satin veil brushed over the white jade earlobes, fluttering gently in the breeze, looking hazy and charming.

Like an angel descending to the earth, or like a noble princess, the snow-white wedding dress fits the girl's figure, and the long skirt is inlaid with delicate embroidery, like a blooming rose. Her shoulders reveal skin as white and delicate as mutton-fat jade under the tulle, and the faint blush is like a newly blooming rose.

The beautiful gem-like eyes looked at Leon from afar, clear and bright, sparkling with a happy and sweet light.

A boy and a girl who survived the Selva disaster served as flower girls and scattered dried petals in front of the bride.

Old Brian, wearing shining knight armor, raised his left arm wrapped with a coat of arms ribbon.

It looked like the front of the ribbon had the old knight's new coat of arms, but only Brian himself knew that the back of the ribbon had the emblem of the deceased king.

This move was only to allow the soul of the former lord, who was sleeping in the underworld, to witness the moment of his daughter's wedding with him.

Having found someone who could truly protect Olivia, old Brian's eyes were filled with relief that he could die without regrets.

He never thought that the boy who was almost driven out of Selva by him that day would become a big man who could protect everyone.

Looking at Leon waiting in the distance, Olivia's somewhat nervous mood calmed down. She raised her right hand and placed it on the ribbon held horizontally by her father. Led by her father, she walked into the hall filled with witnesses.

The bride strolled under the gaze of countless people, stepped across the carpet covered with flower petals and came to her lover.

Leon took Olivia's hand wrapped in velvet armbands and officially took over his lover.

"It's like you walked out of my dream."

Leon smiled. The white wedding dress his lover was wearing was designed by himself, finalized by Miss Raya, and then custom-made by a master tailor. It had a purity and beauty that transcended the times.

Olivia, wearing a white dress, fits the description of a princess better than anyone else.

Although she is a true princess in every sense of the word.

Olivia's cheeks flushed at the compliment, but she no longer felt the timidity she had when she tried on the off-the-shoulder dress.

In her eyes, there was no one else except Leon at this moment.
The chief in the audience.

Ines, the invited VIP, was suddenly startled and looked at the two people on the stage.

She could also appreciate the bold design that exposed the shoulders yet retained its purity, and the unique beauty of the wedding dress. Perhaps even if she were still wearing a gorgeous palace dress at this moment, she would not be able to overshadow the bride's beauty.

However, after witnessing the little lioness in gorgeous attire walking up to the altar arm in arm with Leon, Ines felt a little empty inside.

She felt that she was not a crazy fan. Although she had a slight affection and a little regret for the Griffin of Avalon, it was not to the extent of being jealous of his fiancé.

But deep down in her heart, at this moment, she felt as if a piece of her was taken away, which made her feel a little confused.

This sudden feeling of missing out? I don't know where it comes from.
Azerien, Lohak and Corvis, the best men, were already standing neatly on one side of the altar behind Leon.

On the other side, there were bridesmaids Theresia, Elena, and Olivia’s childhood friends in Selva.

Holding the girl's hand and standing at the altar for the marriage, Leon saw that everything was ready, so he nodded to the priest, signaling the ceremony to begin.

The priest presiding over the wedding, holding the holy cup filled with water from the holy lake on the altar, first looked at the groom.

"Leon Pendragon—

Will you swear?
Whether facing light or darkness.

Whether facing glory or humiliation.

Will you use your body to protect the person in front of you until the light of life is extinguished? "

"I swear! Olivia is my life."

Leon stared at the girl in front of him, not willing to blink his black eyes for even a second.

The priest nodded and turned to look at the bride.

"Olivia Selva—

Are you willing to commit?
Whether in midsummer or winter.

Whether facing happiness or suffering.

Will you accompany the person in front of you until the stars and the moon stop rotating?"

Olivia smiled faintly, her shyness faded away, and she looked frankly at the love who would accompany her for the rest of her life:

"I promise that neither I nor my sword will ever leave Leon's side."

The priest nodded solemnly and looked at little Lina in the audience.

The little head maid of the Pendragon family, although already thirteen years old and a little over the age to be a ring boy, was still entrusted with this important task by Leon.

The little girl's eyes were shining with blessings and envy. She came to brother Leon and sister Olivia, holding the carpet containing the couple's rings.

Leon picked up the contract ring engraved with each other's names and put it on Olivia's ring finger. Although this is not a custom in this world, Leon still likes to wear it in this position. There is no other reason, the satisfaction of owning each other is indescribable.

Olivia imitated Leon's actions and put a marriage ring on her husband.

When the newlyweds finished the ceremony, the priest of the Holy Lake announced with a smile:
"In the name of Ilaril, with her as witness, you are officially married. As long as you still love each other, no one in the world can separate you."

Following the priest's announcement, the bells on the church tower rang again.

Avalon's celebrations, wedding banquets, and dances gradually came to an end amid laughter and joy.

Night is falling.

Leon was thankful for his foresight in arranging Azerien's wedding in the past. At this moment, outside the luxuriously decorated wedding room, there were no elders and relatives and friends eavesdropping, the so-called strange aristocratic tradition of witnessing the integration of the family.

The two, who have become an official couple, can enjoy a romantic night that belongs only to them.

The moonlight coated the windows of the wedding room with silver frost, and dewdrops condensed on the silver cups and wine glasses on the windowsill. In the room with flickering candlelight, Olivia's veil had been taken off, and Leon's sword was leaning against the table.

The man's fingertips hovered over the bun on the back of the girl's head, stroking it gently, as tenderly as if he were touching newly melted snow.

His fingers lifted the silk ornament that covered the blue hairband, and with a little force, he untied the token of love that bound the girl for life.

The long golden hair falls like a waterfall, the cool and silky hair is so lovely that you can't let it go.

The engagement hairstyle that she would never allow anyone other than Leon to touch was freed, and Olivia held her breath as her heart trembled.

Even though I've almost gotten used to being bullied, this time is different from any other time in the past.

She now somewhat vaguely realized that Leon had been restrained and patient until today, and Olivia truly understood the significance of keeping each other pure until now.
Leon suddenly lowered his head and moved closer.

"I have to apologize to you."

Olivia's cheeks turned pink under the candlelight, and the girl was a little dazed: ".What?"

"Actually, I'm not such an upright person, Olivia. When I first met you, I couldn't help but fantasize about this day. I even thought of what to name our child." Leon shamelessly showed his closest person the expectations hidden in his heart when he first met the other person.

Olivia blinked, then burst out laughing.

"Okay~! I was deceived by your serious appearance at the beginning, but I didn't expect that you were such a rude and bad guy from the beginning. I shouldn't have cared about you~" The girl turned her head with pretended anger in her eyes.

Leon lowered his head, kissed Olivia's lips unceremoniously, and gently picked up his little wife from the chair.

".Don't blame me. How stupid must I be to stop liking you after meeting such a beautiful and kind girl?
After all, I am not like those unfortunate people in Selva who were beaten by you since childhood."

He smiled wickedly, but then turned serious.

"I just want to tell you that I fell in love with you the first time I saw you, but I'm curious, before I accidentally gave you the headband, when did you have the emotions to accept my proposal that night?"

Olivia was annoyed by Leon's straightforwardness. She slowly calmed her breath, turned her pretty face slightly away, and muttered softly: "I'm not as quick as you, a bad guy. At first, I just felt that you were not bad, so I helped you. It turns out that I was wrong. There was actually a bad guy like you hiding among them."

At this point, the girl stole a glance at Leon, who had a non-ashamed expression, bit her lower lip, and hesitated for a moment. The sense of security in the bridal chamber and in the arms of her husband still gave Olivia the courage to confess.

"Actually, on the day you saved me, when you opened your visor, I..."

The girl dodged her eyes and muttered quietly.

If he didn't have feelings for her, why would he bring her back to his room and give up his bed?

However, Olivia decided to keep in her heart forever the stupid act of pinching his face secretly when she carried him back to the room that day while he was asleep.

".At that time?"

Leon was a little surprised, and then a little confused: "But Azerien and Lohak, who risked their lives to save you that day, also came here. Why did you only fall in love with me later?"

Olivia heard this, raised her eyes from the other person's arms, and looked speechlessly at Leon who suddenly seemed a little stupid.

"Before that day, Azerien, Lohak and I had not spoken more than a dozen words. Although they were very polite, the gloom in their eyes seemed to sting people. Unlike you, you were eloquent and had endless strange stories to tell. You would also make jokes to make me happy.
After you saved me that day, I did regard them as my most important friends and benefactors, but to be honest, even for a long time after the disaster in Selva, I knew nothing about the past and thoughts of Azerien and Lohak. Only you, a hypocritical guy, told me everything like pouring beans. "

".So that's how it is." Leon suddenly realized.

Yes, although he inherited the memories left by the original owner and sympathized with the experience of the hunter's son, after all, he was not the one who experienced the tragedy personally. After escaping from danger, he was naturally in a much more cheerful mood than his two companions who were far from free from pain at that time.

Before rescuing Elena, Lohak had been suffering from severe self-destructive tendencies.

Azerien's mind has always been very deep. Apart from trusting and being honest with himself, he would never communicate with others as heartlessly as he did.

Unexpectedly, the random chats about everything under the sun for just a few days left a deep impression on Olivia.

"I remember you said Arthur or Altria, right?" Olivia asked with her cheeks burning.

"Ok?"

Leon shook off his memories and looked at the girl in his arms.

Olivia's cheeks felt like they were burned by fire, or even if they were really burned by fire, it was not as scorching hot as she felt now.

".Our.children."

The girl lowered her head, lying in her husband's arms, with her little face buried in his chest.

Leon couldn't help but smile.

This arc is full of greed and smirk.

But it is also a symbol of sweetness to each other.

"Yes, our child."

The moonlight cast silver spots between the curtains.

The knuckles sank into the gauze, like holding the first melting spring water.

The ebony wood beats out the rhythm of the tides, and the spreading golden waterfalls are like waves of wheat, covering the overlapping and clasped knuckles.

The copper bell by the window rang softly.

The iris petals that decorated the curtains fell down in surprise.

When the sun once again shone dimly
Morning mist filled the room.

After a night of crying and singing, the sound gradually faded away.

Leon placed his palm on Olivia's sweaty lower back, his fingertips unconsciously tracing the curve of her spine.

Olivia grabbed the big hand that was tickling her back, pulled it in front of her and hugged it around herself, then leaned back and pressed her body against Leon's chest.

Leon hugged the dozing girl and looked out the window. Suddenly, he asked softly:
"Olivia, if you have the chance, would you like to take revenge?"

Although he knew the girl's attitude, he never asked this question when he had no power.

But now, he has gradually gained the ability to do certain things.

The lazy girl opened her eyes, and tightened her hands that were clasping her husband's hands, but she was still awake.

Both of them were powerful Knights of Arms, and it was only one night, so it was not enough to tire them out.

"I don't know what happened back then, and I still can't tell right from wrong. All I know now is that the civil war killed many, many people."

Olivia turned around, put the instep of her foot against Leon's calf, and snuggled in his arms.

"Last year, the war between Orland and Kantadar, as well as the war of the undead, took many lives. Too many people have died in this world, Leon. Perhaps more people died last year than in the past hundred years." The girl raised her head and looked at her husband.

"If Ledwin III turns out to be as incompetent and tyrannical as they say my father, whom I have never met, I will raise my sword against him, and I believe that you will be able to help us restore order.

But if he can fulfill his duties as king and govern Orlando in peace and prosperity, then I don't want more people to die for meaningless things.

It takes a dozen years for a child to grow up and several decades to live a life, but thousands of people died in the war with just a split second of decision. I think revenge for my family is a meaningless thing for those brave warriors. "

Looking at the girl in front of him with serious green eyes, Leon couldn't help but feel an immense sense of pride in his heart.

He also knew that Olivia now had a strong heart that could accept everything.

There are some things she is destined to know, and she will definitely know.
"After the spring, we'll go together to Orlando this time."

(End of this chapter)