One month later, Seraphina stood once again in the council chamber, but this time, everything was different. The silver marks of her soul bonds glittered on her skin, no longer hidden. Her three Guardians stood beside her—not behind her as mere protectors, but beside her as equals and beloved partners.
"Your Majesty," Lord Aldwin said, his tone now respectful and slightly awed, "the people are calling for a celebration. They want to formally recognize your… unique union."
Seraphina exchanged glances with her three men. In the past month, they had settled into their new relationship with surprising ease. Kael's quiet strength balanced Thorne's passionate intensity, while Lyrian's wisdom provided guidance for them all. And at the center, Seraphina bloomed under their combined devotion.
"Then we shall give them a celebration," she decided. "But not a traditional wedding. Something new. Something that reflects who we truly are."
The Festival of Hearts, as it came to be known, lasted three days. The entire kingdom participated, celebrating not just their Queen's happiness, but the revolutionary idea that love could take many forms and that power shared was power multiplied.
On the final evening, in the same sacred grove where they had completed their binding ritual, Seraphina and her three Guardians exchanged vows before the entire kingdom.
"I, Seraphina, Queen of Aethermoor, take you—Kael, master of shadows and keeper of secrets; Thorne, guardian of flame and passion; Lyrian, wielder of light and wisdom—as my eternal partners, my equals, my beloved."
"We, bound to you by soul and choice," they replied in unison, "pledge our hearts, our magic, and our lives to you and to each other, for all eternity."
As they spoke, their combined magic painted the sky with silver fire, golden light, dancing shadows, and crimson flames. The display was visible for miles, a declaration to the world that Aethermoor was ruled by love as much as by power.