Chapter 346: Oath of the Bonded

Mila

“I guess I’ll go first.” Aalam spoke up, taking both of Mila’s hands in his own, and his full attention was on her, partially so he could ignore everyone else in the room, lessening his nerves, and partially because he wanted to look at her.

“I remember meeting you for the first time. Diana’d brought me to see my favorite author talk about his newest story, and you were behind us in line when we queued up to get our books signed.

“I was distracted, trying to figure out how to optimize the linkage between biological and mechanical nervous systems, so I don’t remember what you said, but I do remember thinking you were the most beautiful woman I’d ever met and that it was a little weird how you and Diana instantly hit it off.

“Then you started coming around our place, always trying to talk to me, and I was annoyed. But, after one of your questions, I had a breakthrough. And then the same thing happened again and again. It took me a while, but I eventually realized, while you didn’t fully understand what I was working on, you were deliberately asking the right questions to get me to think about my problems from different angles.

“You were studying teaching at the time, and it was obvious you were going to be really, really good at it.

“I wanted to be your friend.

“Then, when you pushed the relationship to be something well beyond my expectations, I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you.

“You seemed to match me so well, enjoying the same types of activities, holding similar morals, and always speaking to me with open and honest communication. So, when I was with you, it was easy, and it was fun. 

“Later, when I learned you were actually spying on me, I thought everything was fake. But, looking back, all the parts of you I admired, all the parts of you I loved, they were mostly real. And the parts I didn’t know about were either things you had to work through or just plain awesome, like how good you are at elaborate thefts and schemes to protect those you care about.

“Getting to know you again after the integration was a pleasure.

“And I owe you so much for guiding me through some of the toughest times in my life.

“You kept me alive through the tutorial and getting back to Earth. You brought me back from the brink after I fell apart while avenging Epecteos’s death. And you were there for me when my mother turned out to be an absolute psycho.

“Whenever I needed you, you helped share my burdens. And, throughout the good and the bad, you’ve always been my best friend.

“You’re amazing, Mila. And I’m so lucky you’re willing to put up with my shit.”

Mila felt her smile grow wider and her eyes grew a bit misty as she squeezed Aalam’s hands.

“I remember seeing you for the first time. I had dragged Nitya and another friend to my favorite author’s event and another student called you up to ask the author a question. I could tell he was completely lost as you dissected how his entire magic system would interact with physics, and, when you finished your question, asking if your interpretation of how things worked was correct, he just said yes so as to not come off as ignorant.”

Mila couldn’t help but chuckle at the memory.

“I asked Nitya who you were and she told me, about your inventions, about your in school title, Curve-breaker of the Sciences, and a bit about your seemingly complete disinterest in even white lies.

“Then and there, I decided I was going to marry you. And I immediately started putting my plan into action, approaching you and your sister.

“Admittedly, my motivations weren’t pure. I wanted to escape my responsibilities by spying on you and no one else. But I quickly realized just how amazing you were and I did something no good spy ever should. I fell in love.

“But, when I realized you were about to find out my true identity, I panicked. And I fled, causing our relationship to fall apart.

“Then, however, things changed after we died. Some of the risky choices you made during the tutorial forced us to work together. And we got to know each other again as we grew.

“We matured, and we built open communication with each other into the very nature of our power.

“You are my best friend. You are the gravitational center of my internal universe that keeps me stable. And you are the man I want to spend the rest of my life with.

“I love you, Aalam Alvaro. And I am so happy to be your wife.”

Then, tears forming in her eyes, she moved forward and kissed her husband, partly because she loved him, and partly because she wanted to annoy her master by not letting her say any of the section of the ceremony leading up to ‘and you may now kiss the bride’.

Still, Nana Xara, not to be outdone, smoothly started speaking as soon as she and Aalam separated. “Now, normally, there would be bowing to the gods, but you’ve killed most of them. Then there would be bowing to your elders, but we’re all lower than you in social status, so you don’t have to if you don’t want to.”

Smiling at each other, and without communicating, she and Aalam turned to Diana, Isaiah, and Immortalia, giving a quarter bow from their waists. Then they turned to Mila’s grandparents and did the same. And, finally, they both turned to Nana Xara and gave a bow that was ever so slightly deeper.

Tears started to form in Nana Xara’s eyes. “Now, I believe you both have oaths for each other.”

“Yes.” Aalam, taking hold of Mila’s hands again, looked directly into her eyes. “I, Aalam Alvaro, take you, Li Mila, as my lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, to love and to cherish, in war and in peace, till time do us part. I promise to support you in all you attempt and to pull you back if I think you’re going too far. I promise to always be honest about my emotions and to share them with you as soon as I understand them myself. And I promise to watch over you, to protect you, and to try my best to always make you happy.”

Primal energy in his soul began to transform, but only about half way, and then Mila began her words, making all the same promises as Aalam.

“I, Li Mila, take you, Aalam Alvaro, as my lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, to love and to cherish, in war and in peace, till time do us part. I promise to support you in all you attempt and to pull you back if I think you’re going too far. I promise to always be honest about my emotions and to share them with you as soon as I understand them myself. And I promise to watch over you, to protect you, and to try my best to always make you happy.”

Primal energy in her soul began to transform as well and the transformed primal energy in both of their souls started to move across their bond with each other, half of her transformed primal energy entering into Aalam and half of his transformed primal energy into her, the total amount of primal energy used more than quadruple that of any other oath they’d made.

Then, with both their bodies heating up due to the subtle transformation of their souls, they pulled each other close and kissed again, their combined oath merging their souls for a second before they were both fully returned back to their own bodies.

“By the power vested in me by the two of you, I pronounce your wedding completed.” Nana Xara’s voice rose. “All rise for Emperor Aalam Alvaro and Empress Li Mila, rightful rulers of the entire multiverse.”

As the crowd in the cathedral rose, applauding under the stained glass pictures of some of her and Aalam’s greatest achievements, Mila barely followed what was happening, too engrossed by still kissing her husband.

Then, using the local version of the System Aalam had created and updated over the years, she checked the contents of their oath.

Oath of the Bonded

You and your husband have made vows to each other and shared your souls, empowering each other and strengthening your bond

Benefits:

Exceptionally increase the strength of the bond between you and your husband

Remarkably increase the benefits of dual cultivation with your husband

While connected to your husband with a full powered bond, increase the quality of all energy for both you and your husband by half a rank

Limitations:

Ignoring, hiding your emotions from, or not being honest with your husband for reasons other than play will temporarily shackle your soul, the worse the offense the worse the shackles and the longer they will last

Aalam had the exact same benefits and limitations, his overall power increasing by a factor of more than six from just the further increase in his energy’s rank, and Mila felt her soul injuries start to rapidly heal.

But neither of them were focused on those benefits.

Their strengthened bond just felt too good, and they both knew the ecstasy and comfort from its transformation would fade within a few hours as their souls and bodies adjusted. So, without another word, Aalam teleported them away to another universe, to an unpopulated A rank planet, and there they had their first night as a wedded couple.