The wedding was being held at the estate. Despite is massive size everything was being pushed to capacity. I had been moved into my mother’s apartment, while my current rooms were being given to a King who had come from a neighboring country. No one would dare touch my mother’s rooms except me. Since taking her apartment suite would be claiming a higher status than the person who had been staying there.
I had talked about this with my father and had agreed to the arrangement. My youngest sibling had also lost his apartment in the mansion as well and moved in with his parents to save space. Tutor Damian and Healer Castelle along with the other high ranking staff were all moved into the barracks with an apology, but everyone understood the situation.
This wasn’t just the social event of the year, but the decade, at the very least. And while my eldest half brother and his fiancé were at the center of the chaos, it was my presence that was fueling the drive for everyone to attend. I wasn’t my mother, just a likely future legend, and she wasn’t around to kill people that offended her in some way.
The nobility in the surrounding nations were using this chance to try and see if there was a huge shift in power coming up and how much they needed to prepare. That was why so many kings from neighboring countries had arrived, each with their own nobility and entourage.
A large section of the estate grounds was set aside for pavilions for this nobles. Unless you were a King, it was impossible to stay in the mansion. King Verander had the entire guest house for himself and family.
Security was incredibly tight. I now had three elite guards shadowing me at all times, even while sleeping. If I was assassinated in the middle of the wedding it would be a political disaster of epic proportions. Since no one knew exactly what my mother would do beyond killing a lot of people.
At least it was only for a week. Five days leading up to the wedding as various banquets and get togethers were held. Then the day of the wedding, and a day for everyone to pack up and prepare to leave.
A servant helped me into the perfectly tailored clothing that had been made a month prior for the wedding. A seamless fit that I would soon grow out of, and the highest quality. That was the current fashion of nobility, to flaunt their wealth and status with colorful and clothing that was far too tight. It was a way of measuring another’s wealth without having to fight, since many battles that weren’t decided by a legend were decided by supplies and mercenary support.
I sat down in the front row with my family as everyone gathered in the outdoor chapel for the ceremony. The King and his family sat on the other side of the aisle in the front row. The rest of nobility sat behind one side or another. While the visiting royalty got floating platforms to view the ceremony from the sides.
There were at least four legends in attendance as hired guards from what I heard. My father had given me a Ring of Concealment to block out any attempted scans at my status. Normally an illegal item, since it stopped people from being scanned by guards at the gates of a city, he said it was for my health. It was highly likely enough people would try and scan my status, causing me to develop another skill, which would be bad for me.
The orchestra began to play as noon began to approach. One by one the marriage procession walked down the aisle and took up their positions on either side of the altar. My brother then walked down the aisle in a resplendent suit. The golden thread sparkled slightly.
He took up his position to one side of the System High Priest who was present. My father would have gotten a Cardinal if they did weddings, but they tried to avoid all politics. That just left the High Priest for the nation to Terander.
The music changed and everyone stood up and turned to watch the bride walk down the aisle. I didn’t see her until she got to the front. Two elves walked in front, using a spell to create shimmer flower petals in the air in front of the bride. Small glowing magical fairies carried her white bridal gown behind her. They weren’t real creatures. They were just some enchanted automatons used for events like this that cost a fortune from the Dwarves.
Her gown shimmered in waves like white water come to life. No doubt another expensive enchantment. But despite the immense cost, I had to admit both of them looked amazing. Not a single hair, enchantment, or thread out of place.
The King escorted his daughter down the aisle and left her at the altar across from my brother. Everyone took their seat for the ceremony.
“We are gathered here today, in the light of the System to bless this couple. May their fates be intwined together forevermore. If anyone has an objection to this union, speak now, or forever hold your peace,” the System High Priest said loudly. No one spoke up and created a scene.
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“Then, do you Dereck Burnstock, Heir to the Duchy of Burnstock, First Son to Duke Darren Burnstock take this woman as your wife in perpetuity, to protect, cherish, and honor until the end of your days under the watchful gaze of the System?”
“I so swear under the watchful gaze of the System,” my brother declared.
“Then, do you Jasmine Terander, First Princess of Terander, daughter of King Maximillian Terander the Eighteenth of the nation of Terander take this man as your husband in perpetuity, to protect, cherish, and honor until the end of your days under the watchful gaze of the System?”
“I so swear under the watchful gaze of the System,” she declared.
“Then with my authority as a High Priest of the System, I declare this couple married, and grant them the linked skill of Bonded Companion,” the High Priest said and brought up his hands. A white glow engulfed my brother and his new wife.
“Now you may kiss and seal this covenant,” the High Priest said, and they kissed. There was a round of applause at this.
My brother turned to the assembled guests. “Family, friends, honored guests. Please join us for the celebration of this happy occasion,” my brother said to another round of applause. He escorted his bride back down the aisle, and towards the mansion so they could get changed into new outfits.
While I didn’t have a good sense of money, I knew all of this was costing a fortune. But the Burnstock family was on the ascent, and they needed to look good in front of the other nations.
As we made our way to the party site while the orchestra played in the background, a grizzled looking warrior with no shirt and only a simple pair of shorts covering him, and a massive war hammer on his back, stepped in front of me and my family members. The guards nearby all tensed up.
“I shall look on the son of the Supreme Warlady myself,” he declared, and I felt quite a bit of fear. Several of the elite guards took a step forward.
“No harm will come him,” my father said while stepping in front of me.
“Hah, I do not kill the weak like she does. I only kill the strong like her,” the man declared. My father made a half step to the side while the heavily scarred man stared down at me. The elite guards nearby had all tensed up. He could probably crush my head with one hand.
“Weak, but young. I am Legend Extravagant Warren,” he declared.
“Justin Burnstock,” I replied while not looking away, even while trembling.
“Good, you have steel in your spine, like your mother. One day I will kill her and take her title of Supreme Legend with my skills and my Warhammer Absolute Domination. Then I hope you come to me for revenge, and I will kill you too,” he declared loudly. Several people were looking over and the tension had increased.
“Then make your attempt on her, and we shall see the outcome,” I declared, putting my belief in my mother out there for everyone to hear.
“Hah! I like people who aren’t afraid to speak their mind. If they can back it up. Don’t let over confidence be your downfall young Justin,” he said.
“I will remember your words in the context in which they were given,” I said the politest thing I could think of that would end the conversation with this man.
“I believe that is enough. You said what you wanted to Legend Extravagant Warren,” my father said. The scarred man gave him a look and then turned away without saying anything else. The tension left the air.
“Come, let us get to the celebration,” my father said as we continued to walk over with the other guests. That was when we were forced to come to a stop once more as another figure stood in our path.
“Forgive my colleague, but he arose my curiosity. I am Legend Quick Draw Yorren,” the man said while spinning a pair of knives in his hands casually.
“Justin Burnstock,” I greeted him while he looked me over.
“The same fire in your eyes just like your mother. She is quite the scary woman. And unlike that muscle headed brute, I have no interest in fighting her to the death,” he replied.
“I won’t convey anything in that regards to her,” I replied. He let out a low chuckle at that statement.
“And if you ever want to learn about knives in the shadows, well you can come ask for some training from me. Your mother might be an invincible supreme, but the rest of lesser beings have to make do with other tactics besides brutally slaughtering our way through the opposition. Some finesse goes a long way. Well, it was a pleasure young Justin,” he said and just left before I could say anything else.
Legends were eccentric, but that was expected. One did not reach that level of strength by being simple. These people were greeting me now, since my father had been running heavy interference up to this point. Also, the legends greeting me like this before the celebration kicked off was a favor in disguise. They were telling all the would be social climbers they didn’t have the levels to try and talk to me, since they approached me so openly.
While I was the son of the Supreme Warlady Elena, it would only invite her ire if people tried to manipulate me or cause trouble. I had enough social training and levels to pick up on this.
They didn’t use any skills or threaten me directly with a weapon. It was clear that Legend Quick Draw Yorren was always spinning his knives in his hands. Probably some kind of training for some skill. A true legend never stopped training for a single moment. It was inspiring for me to work even harder.
Seeing the people who I was chasing after, it was thrilling. Those two men were over level 100. I had no idea how far above that they were, but they stood at the pinnacle of strength of all beings. That was the level I wanted to reach one day.
I noted they had gathered at a separate standing table with the other two legends present for this social event, drinking as much as possible in some kind of contest. Probably more skill training and a contest. I could only imagine the stakes they were playing for. A favor, or something else?