He turned to face us directly. "Your Majesties, you have already chosen each other in the most ancient way known to our kinds. You have marked each other as equals, bound by something deeper than law or custom. Today's ceremony merely acknowledges what is already written in flesh and blood."
The archbishop raised a small, ornate book. "Will you now make your declarations before your people, binding yourselves not just to each other, but to the realm you will guide together?"
"We will," Theo and I answered in unison.
What followed was a series of ritual questions and responses, each more solemn than the last. We pledged to uphold justice, to protect the innocent, to hear the voices of all our subjects regardless of birth or status. We promised to preserve the ancient traditions worth kee
