Chapter 338: The Offering (1/2)
Anne can't stop smiling while thinking about her wedding ceremony. She always thought about it and what her husband would be like. Now, she feels that there would never be anyone better than Lucien for her.
The other girls are also very excited about the ceremony, especially the demi-human ones.
”So, you know how the ceremony works, right?” Laure asks Lucien while she is also very excited about that.
Lucien nods. ”Yes, as I said, I read some books about the Alliance and the clans, but that is someone else's interpretation of the subject. I would like to know your point of view about the ceremony.”
Laure can't help but smile as Lucien makes her opinion more and more important. And of course, she likes him more and more for respecting her and Clovis that much.
She starts to explain. ”This is simple, but to do it the best way possible requires a lot of work, and it is also dangerous for people without good combat skills. Many couples often ask for help from family members. However, it is right for people to do it on their own to show all their love and dedication they have for their partners.”
As soon as Laure finishes speaking, she points to a small scar near her left eye. It does not reduce her charm in any way but rather makes Clovis love her even more.
”A red eagle almost took my eye out, but I took a big feather from her for our offering to the nature spirit. And she blessed us with a perfect marriage.” Laure explains while Anne makes a proud expression and Clovis a loving one.
Then she looks at Clovis and smiles. ”But my husband had even more work, didn't you, dear?”
Clovis lifts his shirt and shows a large scar on the right rib area. It took a few months to heal and allow him to walk again. Also, he can still feel the pain nowadays, but he doesn't complain because he really thinks he was blessed by the nature spirit with a perfect wife of all and a perfect marriage.
Anne also looks at her father with a proud expression, while Laure speaks in a loving tone. ”Clovis was very bold and took a tooth from an adult black panther. Even experienced warriors have already died trying that, but Clovis used his clever mind to set a trap, and alone, he pulled out the scary creature's tooth.”
”The nature spirit protected me that day, or I couldn't have done it,” Clovis speaks humbly despite the fact that he made an act almost impossible for a simple farmer.
Lucien signals positively to him. ”Really brave. What happened to the creature afterward?”
Clovis replies. ”I released it. The purpose of the offering is to show respect for our partner and the nature spirit, so we shouldn't kill the creatures and just get proof of our effort without causing any major harm to them.”
Laure goes on to explain. ”Yes, both the groom and the bride must achieve three symbols of their love for each other and respect for the nature spirit.”
”For women, the first symbol must be a flower. The rarer the flower, the more effort she will have to make to get it and thus demonstrate more dedication to their marriage.”
”Also, the color of the flower represents what kind of wife she wants to be: The lighter the flower, the more delicate and kind the wife wants to be. She will depend on her husband for everything, and in return, she will always be beautiful and silent beside him. She will always be ready to be loved by him and will accept all his orders.”
Laure doesn't seem very excited when talking about wives who choose a light-colored flower. Well, Lucien and his wives also don't like that kind of wife who looks very 'passive.' But he understands that some women don't have very active personalities, and that doesn't make a person bad or good.
She continues to explain. ”If the bride chooses a darker-colored flower, it means that she wants to be a wife who will always be on the side of her husband on an equal footing. She will fight to defend him if necessary, but she will also have an active voice in their relationship.”
Most of Lucien's wives quickly identify with that type of wife. Despite obeying Lucien when he asks, they are always giving their opinion on important matters and fighting alongside him.
Laure also prefers that personality type and smiles at Clovis. ”I chose a red-apple rose because I don't want to be a very dominant wife in the relationship, but I also want to help my husband and not depend on him unilaterally.”
She looks at Anne and Lucien's other wives. ”I don't believe that any man wants to marry a woman who chooses a totally white or black flower, but that is about the choices of each one. You must choose the color of your flower by balancing your intentions.”
”Mm.” The girls nod while thinking about the color they want her flowers to be. Most of them want a balanced it with a color to show that they are 'obedient wives' but also warriors who want to be beside Lucien in every situation.
Even Kara, without being a demi-human, is interested in doing that ceremony and having a flower with a color slightly lighter than darker because she doesn't want to be a combatant and just take care of their house. Maybe some shade of pink is the color she's looking for.
So Laure makes a concerned expression. ”After choosing the flower of your preference, comes the dangerous part for many, but you are powerful women and will not have as much difficulty as I had.”
She explains to the girls. ”You should take a feather from a bird. If the bird is very simple and small, it will demonstrate that you are not willing to make big sacrifices for the sake of the relationship with your husband, so the most dedicated wives look for the rarest and biggest birds possible, which results in many of them getting hurt in the process. Remember not to kill the bird or cause irreversible injuries.”
The girls start to think about what birds they will be looking for, and Cassidy can't resist making a joke with Aria. ”What about harpy feather?”
The other girls, including Aria and Ella, laugh, but they are also curious about that.
Laure makes a thoughtful expression as she looks at the pair of mother and daughter harpies. ”Harpies are rare even here in the Alliance. They nest in remote places and in small groups, so I've never seen a harpy wedding ceremony.”
So she speaks to Aria in a very respectful tone. ”But my mom told me stories about that. If something is wrong, please correct me, Aria.”