Apparently, I'm the Infamous Earl's Legendary Bride

Book 1: A Girl in Another World - Chapter 19

Quinn

Twenty minutes later and standing on the altar while the priest went on in his monotonous voice reading some boring verse about the gods and goddesses, I was still very dazed, as I stared fixedly on Aldric's hands—large, hard, rough, and warm—gently holding mine. I drifted my gaze across his broad chest up to his strong jawline to his sensual lips and then his eyes.

Our gazes locked, and I felt heat rushing through me. Gosh, I didn't know he had his eyes fixed on my face the whole time.

"Welcome, loved ones," the priest said. "We are gathered here today to join Lord Aldric and Lady Quinn in holy matrimony." He turned to Aldric and said, "Lord Aldric, please repeat after me." He read out the vow, and then Aldric repeated, his eyes on me.

"Quinn, I promise to cherish you always, to honor and sustain you, in sickness and in health, in poverty and in wealth, and to be true to you all things until death alone shall part us."

The priest turned to me and said, "Lady Quinn, please repeat after me." He read out the vow again, and then I repeated after him.

I said, "Aldric, I promise to cherish you always, to honor and sustain you, in sickness and in health, in poverty and in wealth, and to be true to you all things until death alone shall part us."

Phew! I remembered the script and didn't muck up.

"Now, it's time to exchange the rings," the priest said.

Rings? Holy shit! I had forgotten about the rings. I had been so busy with every other thing under the sun that I had never given a thought about the rings. I was about to summon a creation magic circle secretly and make a pair of gold bands when Vincent said, "The rings," and pulled out a lovely velvet box from the breast pocket of his jacket.

He opened the lid, and I saw a pair of elegant wedding bands. Aldric took one and gently slid it onto my finger. It was, obviously, too big, and I thought it was going to fall off when the band shrunk to fit my finger. Oh, a magic-type ring!

Aldric said, "With this ring, I, Aldric Templeton, take you, Quinn Fairchild, to be no one other than yourself. Loving is what I know of you, and trusting what I do not yet know, I will respect your integrity and have faith in your abiding love for me, through all our years, and in all that life may bring us."

Now it was my turn. I picked up the ring from the box and slid it on Aldric's finger. It fit him perfectly without changing size.

Holding his hand again, I said, my gaze locked with his, "With this ring I, Quinn Fairchild, take you, Aldric Templeton, to be no one other than yourself. Loving is what I know of you, and trusting what I do not yet know, I will respect your integrity and have faith in your abiding love for me, through all our years, and in all that life may bring us." I licked my lips once I was done, and I thought that that wasn't so bad.

The priest said, "In so much as Lord Aldric and Lady Quinn have consented together in holy wedlock and have witnessed the same before the gods and goddesses and this company, having given and pledged their faith, each to the other, and having declared same by the giving and receiving of rings, by the power vested to me by the Court of the Kingdom of Athol, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride."

This was it, I thought, and instead of closing my eyes, I refused to blink as Aldric leaned toward me. Our noses touching, he planted his lips against mine, and I sighed in pleasure.

His lips felt warm, and indeed soft—contrary to the look of hardness of him everywhere else, and though brief the kiss may be, I cherished it.

When he moved back, I licked my lips, wanting another. But, of course, not now since every pair of eyes were on us, and I didn't want to be seen so eager. I took a step back and then the signing of the marriage certificate began.