“Very well. Since you’ve admitted your mistake, I shall…” However, before Ignatius could finish his sentence, Gerald interrupted, “Hold on! I will decide Jared’s punishment.”
Ignatius blinked, surprised that Gerald would personally intervene. He dipped into a respectful bow. “Go ahead, Great Elder Earthfire. How should we punish Jared?”
Gerald’s molten-gold eyes flicked from the young man to the crimson-faced princess, a knowing smile curling at the corners of his flame-lit visage.
“Since Lindsay has claimed him as her man, we should let them marry immediately. As husband and wife, Jared becomes a member of Earthfire Pavilion and ceases to be an outsider. The crime of trespass is thereby nullified.”
“What?!” “Marry?” “Immediately?!”
A sudden chorus of shocked voices ricocheted off the lava-glazed walls, swelling through the cavern like a flock of startled birds. Ignatius, usually so quick to rage, stood rooted to the stone, eyes wide, mouth half-open, as though the heat had welded his jaw shut.
All around him, the elders traded wary looks, their weathered faces illuminated by the glow from the magma, each wondering what on earth they had just witnessed.
Meanwhile, Lindsay’s blush blossomed so fiercely it outshone the firelight, her head dipping while one slender hand twisted the corner of her robe until her knuckles whitened. Jared, too, went perfectly still. He had never imagined that Gerald’s notion of punishment would look anything like that.
Ignatius swallowed hard. “Great Elder Earthfire… T-This…”
The words jammed in his throat; nothing followed but the crackle of molten rock below.
“What’s the matter?” Gerald asked. “Has my command suddenly lost its power?”
The temperature spiked. Super-heated air rolled across the chamber, and the lava pool frothed like a cauldron brought to a violent boil.
Ignatius bowed so fast his hair whipped forward. “Of course not, Great Elder Earthfire! It’s just that marriage is no trifling matter, and Lindsay is Earthfire Pavilion’s princess. The ceremony should be grand, with guests invited from all over…”
“Why care about those excessive formalities?” Gerald cut in, flicking the thought away like an ember on his sleeve. “With Malevolent Path Hall’s army pressing down on us, what time do we have to hold a grand wedding? Let them get married at once. We can always host a celebration to make up for it once we’ve driven the invaders back.”
Then, he turned to Jared, the magma’s glow dancing in ancient eyes. “Well, young man? Do you accept?”
Jared’s mind spun like sparks in a bellows. Gerald’s ploy, ridiculous on its surface, struck him as anything but foolish. First, it wiped away the crime of trespassing—a son-in-law could hardly be branded an outsider. Second, it chained Jared to the pavilion’s war wagon; family ties demanded full support against Malevolent Path Hall. Third, his Golden Dragon Bloodline, rare and coveted, would pour fresh strength into the pavilion and aid Gerald’s dream of rebuilding a mortal body.
And as for himself, Jared’s gaze slid to Lindsay. Head lowered, she still worried her robe’s hem, crimson flooding her face until it seemed liquid enough to drip. She was shy, yes, yet in her eyes lingered no refusal, only a shimmer of barely contained anticipation.
By any standard, she was extraordinary: beautiful, noble, brave, and unwavering in her affection for him. To wed such a woman, especially one so devoted, was a blessing few cultivators dared dream about.
But Jared’s heart was already tangled with other women and unfinished vows. Then again, she had declared publicly that he was her man, binding her honor to his. On top of that, he couldn’t deny that he had romantic feelings toward her. Turning her down now would shatter her heart and ruin her reputation within Earthfire Pavilion. Beyond that, he needed the pavilion’s might against Malevolent Path Hall and Gerald’s knowledge of where the Jadeheart Marrow lay hidden beneath the earth.
Jared drew a steadying breath. “I am willing,” he said, each word clear as temple bells.
He had not spoken loudly, yet his answer carried through the sweltering chamber and rang in every ear. Lindsay’s slender shoulders jolted as though a current of lightning had raced through her veins. Her head snapped up. In the copper-gold glow of magma, joy and disbelief glittered in her eyes, mingling like twin stars across a midnight pond.
“However, even though Lindsay and I are of one heart, marriage remains a solemn covenant. The choice must be hers alone. Should she decline, I will never press the matter,” Jared continued.
All at once, every gaze pivoted toward the young princess. Lindsay bit down on her lower lip. Molten reflections danced over her damp lashes as she looked at Jared, hope shimmering in each unspoken word.
“I… I’m willing too…” she whispered, the words fragile as moth wings yet ringing in her chest with the weight of a lifetime. Though softer than a sigh, her answer cut through the hush of the cavern like a lightning crack, echoing off stalactites and magma alike.
Gerald let out another booming laugh that rumbled the rock walls. “Excellent! Then let’s hold a wedding at once. Ignatius, you shall preside!”
Ignatius managed only a rueful smile. He wasn’t entirely on board with how things were rushed, but refusing their ancestor’s decree was unthinkable. He turned from the glowing pool, shoulders squared. “Very well… Since Great Elder Earthfire commands it, and the two are willing, let the ceremony proceed.”
Facing an elder in ash-red robes, he added, “Spread word through Earthfire Pavilion. Prepare for the wedding of Princess Lindsay and Jared immediately. Keep it modest, yet flawless in form!”
“Understood!” the elder replied, bowing before hurrying into the tunnels.
Gerald nodded, embers swirling around his translucent frame. “After the vows, Jared will enter the forbidden ground to aid me in rebuilding this old body. Once flesh is restored, I shall host you both a proper celebration.” His molten eyes rested on the young man, the glow turning hard. “Look after Lindsay and treat her well, boy. I have watched her grow from a spark. If you dare bully her… Hmph…”
Jared dipped his head politely. “You have my word, Great Elder Earthfire. I will never fail her.”
“Good! All of you, disperse and make ready…”
With that, Gerald’s towering flame-form thinned to ribbons of light, those ribbons curling back into the magma pool until only a faint glow remained beneath the roiling surface. Servants, guards, and elders filed out, their footsteps fading into the network of tunnels beyond.
Ignatius lingered, watching Jared and Lindsay stand shoulder to shoulder beside the glowing lake. Unease, relief, and fatherly worry warred behind his eyes. He laid a broad, heated palm on Jared’s shoulder. “Young man, cherish my daughter. If you bully her or let any harm come to her, I will not forgive you…”
Jared answered without missing a beat. “Understood, Father.”
Ignatius’ mouth twitched, half amused, half resigned. With a final sigh, he strode away into the shadowed corridors.
Soon, the cavern held only Jared, Lindsay, and Vermilion Demon Lord, whose crimson cloak flickered at the edges like living cinders. An awkward hush settled, thick as cooling lava.
The demon lord offered a knowing grin. “I’ll head outside for a walk. Talk all you need.” With that, he drifted toward the exit, cloak flaring like smoke.
Once he was gone, Lindsay’s cheeks flushed scarlet. She toyed with a strand of hair and spoke in a tremor. “Jared, I’m sorry about what I said earlier. I never meant to put you on the spot. I only wanted to save you…”
“I know,” Jared replied, voice gentle as falling ash. “Truthfully, I should be thanking you. Without your courage, today might have ended very differently.”
Her eyes misted again. “B-But now Great Elder Earthfire wants us to get married. Are you truly willing? If not, I can speak to him, tell him we need time, anything…”
Jared cut her off, his fingers wrapping warmly around hers. “Yes, I am… Lindsay, you are a wonderful woman. To walk the same path, to share the same sky with you, that would be the greatest fortune of my life…”
“It’s just that I carry too many burdens, and there are other women in my life as well. There may be many dangers ahead of us. If you follow me, suffering will follow too.”
