Xanthus and Sara were married just a few minutes after she awoke.
Sara had to admit, she’d never dreamed that one day she’d get married in a dark tunnel that looked like something out of the Phantom of the Opera, wearing a borrowed, mermaid-like costume with a mother-in-law that looked as if she wished her dead. But a girl can’t have everything, right?
Her mother-in-law’s eyes pinned her with daggers throughout the ceremony. Sara just knew that if Chara could change the past, she would have let her die from her knife wound. The way she was looking at her, Sara didn’t doubt Chara now wanted something along the lines of clawing her eyes out.
It was some consolation that Adelpha seemed to be pleased with the marriage. Sara guessed two out of four wasn’t bad. Xanthus and Adelpha wanted her. On the other hand, Chara and Gael wanted her dead. That was a bit more extreme than most families.
The priest fidgeted as he stumbled his way through the ceremony. He couldn’t bring himself to look Sara in the eye and then he left immediately after. Xanthus told her the priest was honor-bound not to reveal her location to anyone, even the law. He answered to the gods alone. Sara wondered if Xanthus had had to threaten him in order to convince him to marry them. Heavens, she hoped not.
The ceremony passed with Sara in a daze. She had answered “Vei” (the Atlantian version of yes) when Xanthus signaled. He’d then placed a gold ring on her finger, kissed her, and she was a married woman. Or mermaid. Whatever she was, she was a married one.
Sara had no idea what she’d vowed to do in this marriage.
When the wedding was finished, Adelpha and Chara didn’t linger, but left immediately, leaving Sara and Xanthus alone.
“So what did I actually agree to?” Sara asked Xanthus. “I don’t have to swim naked through the streets of Atlantis now, do I?”
He laughed and pulled her into his arms, “No, thank the gods. Do you have any idea how many men I’d have to kill if you did that?” He smirked. “You simply agreed to see to my every want and need, including scrubbing barnacles from my tail.”
Sara was glad to see he was in better spirits now. “Is that something like grooming an old person’s gnarly, fungus toenails?” She scrunched up her nose at the thought.
“Something like that.” He chuckled. His smiling lips brushed over hers. “Seriously, you agreed to something on the order of loving, cherishing, obeying, and being faithful to me.”
“Oh, that’s not so bad. But do I have to obey you? Like everything you say?” Sara thought about how different his culture was from hers, where women didn’t have much say in their lives. She was a bit nervous about how much freedom she would have.
Xanthus’s eyes softened. “Dagonian women are subject to their husbands and must always obey them. But I understand you come from a different culture. I will do my best to ask things of you and not give you orders. You may ask the same of me. Does that ease your mind?”
Sara nodded and looked up into his eyes. Her throat constricted when she realized how lucky she was. She couldn’t say her dreams had come true. Sara had never dreamed anything half this good.
She wrapped her arms around Xanthus neck. “I love you.”
Xanthus held her tightly against his body and his eyes burned so hot she felt scorched. “I love you too, Sara Dimitriou. I never knew love could be this strong. I swear to you that I will do everything in my power to keep you safe.”
His lips lingered over hers.
“Don’t you want to kiss me?” she asked, wondering at his hesitation.
“I don’t trust myself to merely kiss you. I now have one less reason for waiting to… to… Hades, I need to leave before I forget my reasons for waiting.”
A thunderous crash from beyond the room echoed through the door and interrupted their interlude. Her feelings turned from intense desire to quick fear as she squeaked out a cry.
In that moment, Sara was looking at Xanthus’s broad back. “Sara, wait here. I’ll be…”
A thunderous voice bellowed in Atlantian. It was a voice of anger, a voice that promised violence to anyone that crossed it.