Blood and Matrimony
For the privileged, marriage was a ritual of great pomp and ceremony. With whole clans taking part, any given wedding was liable to be held in the capital, then again at the couple’s new personal estate, and then again at a lavishly decorated church.
But for the everyday pair, nuptials were something to be performed alongside others just like themselves, and Berylin was no exception to the rule. Every season, the parishes of the city put aside time to hold mass weddings for their devotees.
Whereas countryside cantons were given only a single ceremony in the autumn, urban populations required more regular events to not overwhelm the organizers with a backlog of unwed couples. Better funded than their rural counterparts, the clergy of the city made it a point to host at least one every few months.
As a rule of thumb, prospective newlyweds tended to be sworn in under either the god they truly worshiped or the one that looked to offer the most benefit. Popular picks founded in the second reason included the Sun God, for his place as the heavens’ first-ever husband, and the Harvest Goddess, who oversaw childbirth.
Yet arguably the most prominent was the patron saint of maidenhood, the pinnacle of loving motherhood, and the other half of the first divine pair: the Night Goddess. Chaste and just, a loving wife and a wise mother—the Night Goddess enjoyed zealous popularity among the women of the nation. When the time came for lay folk to marry, the only temples that could claim to rival the popularity of Hers were the Harvest Goddess’s.
For any woman hoping to live out her days in a sound and healthy relationship, the strength Mother Night displayed in rebuking Her husband for wrongdoing was sure to strike a chord. Though the Age of Gods had passed and She no longer smote adulterous men where they stood, Her blessing remained perennially welcome; no matter the era, the worries of a married couple were sure to stay the same.
Today, as with any day of matrimony, the Mother Goddess’s temple was full of men and women dreaming about the next step of their futures. The main hall of the Great Chapel was open to the public on this special occasion, and as a rare indulgence, the cleansing fragrance of incense wafted through the air. In the center of the hall, Her marble visage was decorated with all the flowers that had been brought in honor of the occasion. Although it was far from flashy, the atmosphere had a palpably celebratory texture to it.
The usual pews had been removed to facilitate the presence of all the couples and their families. Merry participants crowded into the open space, amazed by the splendor of it all—something truly foreign to their daily lives. Near the walls, the Goddess’s servants watched on as the ceremony began.
“Quiet, please.”
Amplified by way of miracle, the Head Abbess’s voice carried to the back of the room. As it did, a wave of silence overwrote the assembly’s oohs and aahs.
On a podium in front of the altar stood the head of the congregation, flanked by other high-ranking church officials; their expressions were invariably soft, welcoming smiles. Being a goblin, the Head Abbess required an extra stool to compensate for her height; yet her dignified manner preemptively expelled any notion of silliness.
“We are joined here today to offer the Night Goddess our prayers that She may bless those newly wed, but also to ask: What is a husband? What is a wife? Here I shall lay out Her answer for you to behold.”
Subdued yet clear, the abbess’s sermon began to fill the hall.
Off in one wing, a vampire stood against the wall with her fellow nuns and smiled: weddings were always wonderful, no matter how many times she saw them. Though her expression was usually frozen in a state of sobriety, these sorts of unabashedly happy occasions gave her free rein to pull off the mask and let her emotions show.
I wonder what sort of life they’ll live together? Cecilia thought, lovingly watching over each pair. For some, the groom seemed nervous; for others, the bride was tightly clenched; for others still, both halves of the pair were anxiously frozen up. But on the other hand, many wore the blissful smiles of couples unafraid of whatever the future had in store. No matter whom she looked at, though, the priestess felt blessed to see that all had arrived anticipating the day.
Of all the lovers, Cecilia’s eyes came to rest on one pair in particular.
The groom was a younger boy who, being a commoner, had grown out hair that reminded her of a similar set of locks in a similar hue of gold; the bride was a girl sporting just about the same hairstyle as herself. In a peculiar coincidence, the pair lined up together at the same heights as the priestess and her friend.
The boy squeezed his sweetheart’s trembling hand to calm her down. Before she knew it, the vampire had begun imagining herself in their shoes. Strangely enough, the fantasy came with a mysterious sense of contentment. That said, she knew it was impossible and banished the thought from her head.
The boy was mortal. By the time she came of age, he would be rushing past sixty. Time was a commodity doled out to all equally, but the rate of return was incomparable.
Tilting her head at the slightest of angles, the nun wondered why her mind had wandered like that—when she noticed her fangs extending into her mouth uninvited.
Although she moved her lips so as not to let the jagged teeth show, the sharp points prodding at her tongue tickled her heart and dragged up a vivid recollection of sweet, mind-numbing blood. She’d lost herself then, lapping the final drops up like a vulgar barbarian; yet the memory filled her mouth with drool.
Bearing such thoughts in the middle of a day as happy as this troubled the priestess beyond expression, and she could do nothing but wait for the mental outburst to fade. Her beloved student-turned-boss’s preaching went in one ear and out the other as she stood at the mercy of the past’s unchanging history; the unforgettable aftertaste of blood still dancing on her tongue, the nun held back a dreadful shiver.
[Tips] Church affiliates do not marry in mass weddings. Instead, their monasteries will wed them to their partners individually.
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