-Chapter 80-
-Chapter 80-
-3rd POV-
The marriage of the king and queen drew as much attention as the celebration at Dragonpit, and everyone scrambled to the newly expanded square of the sept, easily capable of gathering tens of thousands of common folk who came to glimpse and greet the royal couple.
The magnificent procession of King Aegon and Queen Arianne left the Red Keep as the sun reached its zenith, crossing the new city that the king had been rebuilding for nearly half a year now.
For an escort, the king chose a procession composed of 2,000 dragon guards, an elite unit formed in the tradition of the Unsullied but without experiencing castration and baby killing.
The sole task of all the dragon guards was to fight for the royal family at risk and even in some of the most extreme cases at the expense of their own lives.
Their sparkling armors with a three-headed dragon forged into their armors were magnificent and added a solemn, grandiose, and almost epic air to this already historic event.
The king, on his giant wolf, greeted the crowd while maintaining a dignified demeanor. By his side, his 7 guards surrounded a carriage, while a dragon with green scales and bronze-colored eyes, three meters tall, hovered above the procession, accompanied by a cream-colored dragon of similar size.
Once the procession arrived at the foot of the Great Sept of Baelor, King Aegon, without giving the slightest glance at the nobles gathered in his honor and without any sign of respect for the Seven, entered still mounted on his terrible wolf and did not dismount until he reached the steps leading to where he was to take Arianne Martell as his wife.
He ascended the steps gradually while everyone's gaze was fixed on him.
A real coronation had never taken place, so King Aegon VI took advantage of this moment to make it a sort of mini coronation ceremony for his future wife as well as for himself.
A few moments after the King's arrival, it was the future queen's turn to enter the Great Sept, arm in arm with her beloved uncle Oberyn Martell, the Red Viper. Although Arianne's decision had greatly upset Oberyn and Arianne, everyone could see the benefits of this marriage.
Oberyn Martell escorted his niece to the altar and then let her proceed alone as everyone admired the magnificent white dress worn by Princess Arianne.
A long religious ceremony took place in which many prayers and songs resonated within the Sept, and then the High Septon officiating the marriage finally asked the gathered crowd if anyone opposed this marriage.
Of course, no one was foolish enough to stir in front of the king's giant wolf, and the ceremony continued without incident. Everyone applauded once the King removed the cloak bearing the colors of House Martell to drape his bride's shoulders with the colors of the Royal House.
"By this kiss, I pledge my love and take you for my lord husband," declared Princess Arianne, gazing deeply into the eyes of King Aegon VI with her beautiful, large black eyes.
The king smiled and responded by saying, "By this kiss, I pledge my love and take you for my lady wife."
The newlyweds then kissed under the cheers of the crowd, and the High Septon, raising a seven-faced crystal, declared, "In this place, before the eyes of gods and men, I solemnly declare King Aegon VI Targaryen and Queen Arianne Targaryen to be husband and wife, one flesh, one heart, one soul, now and forever, cursed be those who would stand between them."
Once the ceremony was concluded, the royal procession followed by all the guests returned to the Red Keep to continue the festivities at the royal banquet organized to celebrate the marriage.
The festivities continued late into the night, and then it was only natural for the newlyweds to enter the bedroom to consummate their union