Chapter 156: The Offical First Night

"What are you talking about Ariana?" He laughed at her.

"I don't know, I kept thinking about your proposal, and I regretted saying its quick. Ever since you left I have been longing to be with you, and I realized I cannot part with you, I cannot," she said. She lied plainly to not let him know the truth. To hide the truth she had learned from her family. 

"You sound cute you know?" He said to her kissing her nose tip. She smiled 

"Yes i knows, so marry me, I can get even cuter than this, or hotter," he said pinching his cheek. He laughed out loud innocently believing her words. While on the other hand Ariana's heart exploded inside has sadness deepened inside her heart. She cursed the gods and the leaders for being cruel to this poor phoenix soul. 

Feng took her hands and ran back into the gates. He felt energetic all of a sudden, happy and excited. A pure soul. He had a thousand volt smike on his face as he ran with her. He took her to his palace, and asked the maids to arrange an room for her. 

Ariana walkd around his room and liked them. Lots of articrafts, painting, rare objects and few things related to the Heavenly Realm. She watched them all, enjoying going around the palace. He followed her behind. She looked through some of the books kept on his shelf. She stood there taking them in her hand, she could not read the textbooks entirely. But she has knowledge out of the book. He stood behind her, watching her, enjoying their moments again and again. He cornered her against the shelf, trapping her between his hands. He smiled at her. She raise dher brows, asking him what he is doing. She grew tensed. He enjoyed it, feeling her heartbeat as he held her hands. He put her arms around him and touched her cheek. She blushed instantly, looking into his eyes and looking away. Then he leaned down, not waiting anymore and kissed her. Tenderly. He took her lips in his, moist and what tasted like cherries. He did not let her go until they both grew breathless. A few books had fallen down from the shelves as they got busy and did not care about this stuff keeping then far away. He could not let go at all. He have another quick kiss. Suddenly they heard someone calling for Prince Feng. They jumped end stop kissing, keeping their hands to each other, moving apart. Ariana saw how Feng is respected in this Realm. Without any troubles. 

The king was alerted about the arrival of monster's daughter. He immediately summoned her. The guards went straight to meet Feng let him know and asked him to take Ariana to the court. 

Ariana grew tensed. Feng also had no idea how to break this news to the King. He exhaled and took her hands again, walking out of this place. "He will do nothing, come with me, I will speak with him, don't go alone now," he said, trying to protect her and they moved towards the court hall.

Ariana on her away kept turning her heads around, looking at the setting of the Realm, the coral place gleaming like anything, the life, the creatures, the other set up, everything looked marvellous. She kept asking doubts to Feng'er on her way. 

"I don't know exactly when they split from Water Realm and started existing separately. But I know Water King and our King, they are pretty close," he said. I have seen King Aenon visiting and meeting with King Dylan often at sea or on land. They are close. They reached the court where the King sat straight on the throne. 

"Welcome home," he welcome welcomes Ariana wholeheartedly to his crew. 

"Thank you," she said and smiled. 

Moon is high up in the sky , you know what it means?" He asked the two of them.

"No?" She said. 

"It means nothing, am just saying but I smell love here," he said and looked at Feng who stood there happy as ever. 

"Yes, kind of," he revealed. 

"Not just a kind of, I know, but, how about we celebrate it?" King Dylan teased Feng. And supported it. It was surprising. "I did not think that you two could be so into each other," said out loud. 

"I love her, isn't that all what matters?" Feng said and smiled looking at her face.

"Yes, so that I want to marry him," she said openly. Everybody who heard it in the court wen shocked. 

"What are you talking about my child?" King Dylan asked her in shock. 

"Am not joking," she made it clear. King Dylan looked at Feng who stood silently. 

"Are you sure?" He asked Feng. Ariana's heart literally stopped seeing how the King asked her love for confirmation and she could see a flash of pain hitting him inside. She wanted that pain to be erased, to be extended. And she believed that marrying him and making him happy might extend the days. She did not wish to waste even a minute with him. She took his hands and moved closer to him. 

"I am not leaving him nor going back, I cannot, I want him, I need him," she made it clear.

"And you?" King Dylan asked Feng.

"I asked her to marry me first," he opened up. King Dylan was even more surprised to listen to him. He shook his head and got up from throne and walked around the two of them. 

"When do you want to?" He asked them. Feng smiled. 

"Now?" Ariana replied. Feng and King Dylan laughed our loud. Feng put his arms around her shoulders and drew her close, kissing her head.

"Two days, from now, we will hold this grant ceremony, like a Phoenix should," the king said and sent a decree to everyone to start preparing for the wedding immediately. 

The bride and the groom were taken away separately to do rituals of both sides. The Realm was rejoicing with the wedding. Everybody was excited and making great arrangements. The lights, the ornaments, the clothes, the beautiful decorations, the stage, a platform, everything in red and green. 

Feng and Ariana were kept apart and did not let them see each other nor were allowed to spend time with each other. It only increased her longing for him. 

Everything was set and it was the morning of their wedding. Ariana put on a green gown with magnificent scales and multicolored sequins works on her fishtaled gown. A crown was kept on her thick red hair. Her lips red along. She looked at herself in the reflection and she did look good. Gorgeous as a bride could be. Indeed. Where as Feng had put on the traditional red hanfu, a Phoenix King's costume itself. Grand, heavy, and full of gems embellished on the embroidery along. He kept the crown on his head and he walked out of his room to the ceremonial hall. The spectators were all murmuring, happy and wishing him. They waited couple of minutes for the bride to come. And as the ceremony being, the bride was brought in. Everybody looked at her in surprise. Such a beautiful mermaid, nobody has ever seen it before. Feng's eye glistened with tears, watching her walking towards him. He extended his arms to take hers. King was there on the front watching them, holding his grail. He raised his hands asking people to keep silence. Feng took her hands and helped her walk up the platform. He looked at her. He could not stop it not could he stop smiling. A moment he thought would never be possible in his lifetime, to be with someone who loves him.

"I now pronounce you, husband and wife," the priest said. "You may kiss the bride,"

Feng smiled leaned forward, taking Ariana's lips in his. "I love you," he whispered. "And I always will," he promised her.

"So will I, forever," she said back. 

The wedding ceremony lasted for half an hour and the party lasted for the whole day.

The lavish, luxurious feast arranged for the guests. It was lovely. Ariana's parents were notified about the wedding, but none cared to show up. Ariana understood well that her ties with the family are over. She did not care about it. She decided to solve the family issues later and give priority only to Feng for now. They were waiting for the party to get over. When the night fell, everyone grabbed the two and pushed then inside to their bed chamber, as a part of bedding ritual and locked the door literally. "We will not open the door until late in the morning," the people screamed and left. 

The two could not help but laugh. The official first night. The two of them looked a little nervous. 

"What a day!" Feng exclaimed. 

"So this is what a marriage feels like," she said and looked at him. Smiling wide.

"This is what a marriage looks like," he said and looked into her eyes, locking. And they found that instant spark between them. She moved forward and kept looking at him. She closed her eyes, waiting.