Three years had passed, since the death of my parents. No one, and I meant, no one, ever crossed me, ever again.

Not even the Chieftain.

While he had seemed to have given up a few years ago, he still tried to take me down a few notches discreetly. But now, he had given up entirely. While he, Blue Star, and everyone who was high of status hated me, they never threatened my life.

They were too desperate for the Shapeshifter blood to run through the Chieftain's line.

"Hey there darling! Ready for the big day?"

I felt my skin crawl. My training was interrupted by a sultry voice calling out. When I turned from my punching bag, I saw White Star leaning against the door frame, a sly grin on his face. I turned away.

"Remember, I'm marrying you only for the good of the Clan. Not because I like you in any way."

White Star pursed his lips, rolling his eyes at my comment. I turned back to my punching bag, continuing my punches into it.

"Come on Velvet. It's our wedding day! Aren't you at least a wee bit excited?" He cooed, leaning against the wall closest to me, coming into my peripheral vision.

I groaned, "Hardly."

The Shadow and The Heir were always married at ten years old. In order to establish a bond, and to make The Shadow more… fruitful, when the time arose. Even if I hated even the thought of being bonded to this man for the rest of my life, I had to in order for my Clan to survive.

"Jeez, of all the women in this Clan, I had to be stuck with the one with the biggest stick up her ass!" He snapped, crossing his arms angrily.

I didn't look at him, "I am not marrying you for love. I am marrying you in order to have the best chance of bearing the best heirs. Nothing more, nothing less. All I do, is for the good of the Clan," I explained.

White Star rolled his eyes, moving off the wall to pace around the room.

"Man, what is with you? Everything is 'good of the Clan' this, 'good of the Clan' that. Don't you do anything for yourself?" He asked, stopping to my left.

I slammed my fist into the punching bag one more time, watching it slam into the wall. I snorted, "The only thing I do for myself, is to make myself stronger. And even then, I do so in order to rid the world of evil."

White Star snorted, "Really? Do you still believe that lie? Come on Velvet, you know as well as I do that we kill for fun!"

I felt anger boil in my gut. I turned to him sharply.

"I do not kill for the thrill or for sport! I kill only when necessary! If someone has crossed the path of evil, or if a member of our Clan is holding us back!" I snapped, stepping up to him angrily. White Star huffed at me, turning his nose up.

"Not only are you an ass, but you're fucking boring."

I narrowed my eyes, curling up my lip.

"I do nothing for your entertainment. I may be your wife by the end of the day, but I will never be your toy," I snarled.

Before he could speak, I continued, "And the only reason I am your Shadow, is because Shapeshifter blood courses through my veins. Our child will be not only gifted with skill, but also will have the chance to be cunning, and full of tricks. So don't expect me to roll over and submit to you."

I spat off to the left, and walked away.

I left the room and walked down the stairs, needing to cool off before the wedding.

The ceremony was to take place this evening when the sun began to set. In Star Clan tradition, couples married at sunset, securing their bond and establishing it overnight. And when the sun rose the next morning, the couple was born anew. Of course, the clan spoke of how 'magical' and 'whimsical' the night of the wedding was, where the couple would root themselves in each other with physical intercourse.

But due to me not liking him, nor there being any benefit, I was not mating with White Star tonight. It was disgusting to even think about me doing that as young as I was.

And anyone who was in to that… to knowing two children were… doing it, could burn in hell. I had no tolerance for pedophiles. Anytime I got approached by one I made sure to relocate their eyes into the lower intestines.

It was even more disgusting when other Clan members would ask me how excited I was to be having that night for the first time. I think Aquamarine asked me at least three times a day.

Our Clan was full of bloody assassins, stone-hearted justice defenders, and sick freaks.

"There she is! The bride of the hour!"

Before I made it outside, I saw Blue Star rise up from the couch. I wasn't sure when he came in, but he walked over to me with his arms outstretched. He better not be coming to hug me.

I guess he saw the stare I was giving him, for before he grabbed me, he lowered his arms to his sides.

"Well, Miss Velvet Star, how are you feeling today?" He asked, clapping his hands together. I snorted.

"Fine."

Blue Star reeled back slightly, his brows furrowing into a look of concern.

"Fine? Just fine? You're marrying the great heir today, where's the excitement? Why not stellar? Or, overzealous!" He cried, throwing his arms up into the air. I pursed my lips, rolling my eyes at his dumb antics.

"Just, fine." I sneered, moving past him to go outside. I needed some time away from all the people before the ceremony started and the whole village was in my face.

I opened the door and stepped out into the cold air. It was currently December 22nd, 1988. Being this far north this time of year was quite a challenge to most people. The snow was heavy and thick, piling up on the ground around the village. It was tradition to have the next heir and his Shadow to be wed during time, and on this day. The Winter Solstice, the longest night of the year. It's said that longer the wedding night, the stronger the bond. So for the future Chieftain and his heir-bearer, they needed to have the strongest bond of all. '

Not that is was going to happen.

I walked down the steps on the patio and began to walk through the village, the cold air soothing me. The village was much quieter during this season, as most assassins stayed inside when here, avoiding the cold. Only a few guards and some cold dwellers like myself were out and about, and thankfully, they paid me no mind.

Three years since my status rose to its ultimate height. There was nothing left for me to do to try and send it any higher. Having my parents executed was something that the whole Clan wasn't expecting me to do. Having the blood of the people who brought you to life on your hands was the ultimate victory. Knowing that you would put the Clan before your own flesh and blood meant there was no one more loyal than you.

No one was more loyal than I.

As long as I continued to slay the evil-doers in this world, nothing else would matter to me. I would bear the next heir for the Clan, and continue my mission until my final day.

At least until my mission changed.

I walked over to the information building, wanting some peace and quiet before the wedding. Aquamarine was, thankfully, off today, so I could guarantee that silence.

When I walked into the building, the windows were all closed and the room was silent. I walked over and behind the counter, sitting down on my stool. I pulled out various boxes and began to file and organize.

Organizing things was something that I admittedly enjoy. Just, having things color-coded, placed in their own little boxes, ordered by number and name just gave me a small thrill.

Each mission file was grouped by date, then organized by number. The mission copies that were filed behind each assassin was organized by number, and the assassins were filed alphabetically.

Even the failure box was organized.

Thinking about the failure box made my gaze wander over to it. The small, black box was sitting alone, collecting dust on the shelf. It hadn't been opened since the day I sent my parents to their grave.

I put down the bin I was working on, and slowly pulled it out.

I blew the dust away and lifted the lid, seeing the mission files piled onto each other. The clipped picture of the target, and the images of the assassins working the mission screamed at me. I lifted the one at the top of the pile.

The mission my parents failed.

The picture of the targets showed the small band of Grim Reapers all communing at a cafe, laughing and enjoying themselves. Each bore that set of three stripes in their hair, but in different locations. One had it close to the top of their head, one all the way down to the bottom. One even had it completely sideways on their head, making it look like a three-ringed target.

And below that picture, was two images of the assassins working the mission. I pulled the two pictures from their clip, gazing at them silently.

One was of my mother, and the other of my father.

I never held any sort of emotional bond with my mother. She never seemed to care enough for me, as much as she said she did. My father, on the other hand…

He seemed to genuinely care for me to some extent. He made an effort to show me the ways of the Shapeshifter, and I gained a thrill from power. Racing in the wood, gazing out at the forest from that cliffside, it was one day where I think I held the most joy in my young life.

And my father kept looking at me with a soft stare, a gentle smile on his lips. It made me feel proud of myself, to have gained his recognition.

My cheek felt… wet.

I lifted my hand and wiped my cheek, seeing a small drop of liquid on my finger.

Had I… shed a tear? For the man I killed?

I dropped the file and furiously rubbed my eyes. I had no feelings for them! Sure they were my parents, but that was it! I had sent them to the gallows three years ago, it was done and over with!

There was nothing I could do to bring him back.

I put the file back and closed the box, putting it back on the shelf.

I refused to cry for someone who I had killed.

I moved back to the other boxes, continuing my organization of other files.

When the evening arrived, the whole village was awake. Lights had been put up and strung around the village, illuminating every way walkway.

Everyone had gathered in the square where the wedding was going to take place. Even from the house, where three other women were fussing over me, I could hear the music and loud talking.

"Oh, such a young bride! Quite a beautiful young thing too!"

The three women dressing me were constantly cooing over how I looked and over how young I was. Yes, I'm ten. Get over it.

"Oh, you're going to look so beautiful once we're done! Tell me, how excited are you to be wedding a future Chieftain?" Another chirped, yanking on my hair.

I let out a hiss of pain, feeling her begin to put it up with a series of ornaments. Why did wedding stuff have to be so complex? I was being dressed into this large, white kimono with a back bow and everything. And the woman were working with my hair to the best of their ability, since it wasn't very long.

"Fucking-OW! Thrilled." I hissed, feeling them tighten the center of the kimono. Was it in style for women not to breath when getting married!?

"Oh, come on now. Are you trying to tell me that you aren't excited? You're wedding the heir of our Clan, and you'll soon be bearing his heir-"

"I'm not fertile yet, I haven't bled at all!" I snapped, feeling blood pool at my cheeks.

"-Oh, well when you do-"

Are these women for real!?

"I'll bet you bear the greatest heir our Clan has ever known, with that Shapeshifter blood of course~" she cooed, pinching my cheek.

If I didn't have to present myself to the whole Clan in less than an hour so help me.

"Anyway, I know you'll be the greatest Shadow our Clan has seen! Now sit still while we finish up!"

I hadn't moved in four hours.

As they continued to doll me up, I kept my eyes glued to the floor. They continued to talk, more so to each other than to me. I drowned them out, needing to get lost in my thoughts for a while.

This was going to be the day that I gave myself to my Clan truly and completely. I rose through the ranks on my own, I had surpassed almost everyone in this Clan, but this was my final step.

Marry the heir. Bear the heir. Then my journey was complete.

I began to wonder what my little would be like after I made our Clan's heir.

The Chieftain's Shadow had completely disappeared after she bore White Star. I had never met her, nor had I heard of her name. The Chieftain never spoke of her, nor did White Star.

Was that my fate? To fade away into nothing after I did my job? To be forgotten to the point that not even my name survived?

The thought made my skin crawl.

And it made me wonder if that's why I was chosen to be the Shadow. Not just because of my skill, or my blood.

But because they had planned for my name to be erased from history.

I clenched my fists, feeling new surges of anger bubble up inside of me. Like hell, I was going to let them erase me from history.

The women yanked and tugged at my hair, threading different ornaments, or as many as they could, through my hair.

"My goodness, we could do so much more with you if your hair was just a bit longer. Have you ever thought about growing it out?" One asked me, huffing in annoyance as a bead fell out and onto the floor.

"No. Too much work, and it would get in the way of my face," I answered, flaring my nostrils.

"Oh, but you would look so adorable with long hair. With this unique color, you could do so much-"

"No. End of discussion."

I felt the grip of one of the women tighten on my arm, "Excuse me young lady, you don't speak to adults like that you understand me?"

I slowly turned up to her, yanking my arm from her grip. The clip for the dresses trail fell from her hand as I relinquished her grip.

I stared up at her angrily, feeling my lip curl into a snarl.

"I don't care if you are three decades older than me, I am the Shadow. I am one of the highest ranking members of this clan. And I, will soon be the wife of the Heir. If there is anyone in this room who deserves the utmost respect, it is me. Do not speak against me, do not talk back, and you might just have a chance at keeping your tongue. Do I make myself clear?"

The women all fell silent. They stared at me with fearful eyes, the dressing process being brought to a halt.

"Y… Yes," the woman mumbled, lowering her head. I snorted.

"Good. Now, no more casual discussion, I want to get this ceremony over with a quick as possible. Now hurry up."

They quickly scrambled back to work, fixing me into the kimono. I kept my eyes on the wall, feeling anger and rage boil inside of me.

I was one of the highest ranking members of this Clan. I will not be treated as inferior.

I looked up at the ticking clock.

Only five more hours, before I would be White Star's wife.

The entire Clan was silent when I walked out. The aisle for me to walk was long, leading up to the fountain in the center of the Star Clan village.

Lanterns were strung up from house to house, characters reading the words "bond", and "fertility" painted on their surface. Camellia blossoms were everywhere. In bouquets and scattered over the floor. They were known for lacking in fragrance, so their smell wasn't so overpowering.

The aisle made for the wedding lead from the Chieftain's home to the square, a long white sheet lining the pathway. People were standing on either side of the long, silk cloth, their eyes all turned to me.

At the end of the aisle stood the altar. Made from wood, it was elevated above everyone else, and stood in front of the fountain. The highest ranking members of the Clan stood directly in front of it, getting front row views to the wedding of the decade.

A traditional Star Clan wedding, was usually held privately between the couple and their officiant. But since this was the wedding of the heir, everyone was here, and the ceremony would be much longer and much more… meaningful as they say.

The wedding had a very strict schedule to follow, and once the moon showed her bright glow over our heads, the ceremony began.

I was standing at the back of the line of people to walk that aisle. I had two guards in front of me, and two behind me, all with swords strapped to their hips. White Star was in front of me, but he stood guardless. It was considered an insult to the future Chieftain to have him guarded like his bride, as if saying he was incapable of taking care of himself.

In front of him stood many high-class members of the Clan, consisting of the Council, Blue Star, and a few others whom I didn't know. And at the front, stood the Chieftain, waiting patiently for the moon to rise before he began to walk.

I was clutching the bouquet of camellias tightly, looking down at my feet in silence. The whole Clan was silent, waiting for the Chieftain to begin the ceremony. My thoughts were racing a million miles a minute as I waited. My freedom was slipping from me today. I may not have had much, but what little I had was being relinquished today. I hated this. I hated getting dolled up like this and put on display…

But, my feeling were irrelevant. As long as my Clan was successful, and evil could continue to perish at my hands, I was fine with whatever life I lived.

Even if my story so far as been scattered, and even a bit confusing. I hadn't said much about my kills, or about my relationship with White Star and the rest of my Clan.

But those things only really began to pick up importance after I wed him.

So forgive me for the scattered tale so far. After today, it will become more fluid.

The moon began to peak from behind the clouds.

As soon as the first moon rays shown down on the Chieftain's face, he began to march forward.

The music began to play, and the whole of the clan went silent. Everyone stood up straight and fixated their eyes on the Chieftain as he led us down the aisle and towards the altar.

As each person in the line began to make their way down the steps, my heart beat harder and harder against my ribcage.

My freedom to go and do as I please, or at least most of the time, was slipping away the closer and closer we got to that altar. The priests walked down. The guards walked down. White Star walked down. My guards walked down.

I stepped forward, and began to walk.

The crowd all turned their eyes to me, eyes going wide and gasps rippling through the numbers.

"Oh, she's beautiful."

"Such a wonderful Shadow for our Prince!"

"I bet she'll make wonderful heirs!"

I felt my blood boil with every word mumbled, forcing myself to bite my lip in order to keep quiet. That was my job now. To keep my mouth shut and be the wife of the heir.

It was infuriating. As the music got louder and louder, I did my best to drone it out. The altar got closer and closer, and I did my best to look happy.

White Star made it to the altar, stepping up and turning sideways. He looked down at me, a sly smile on his face. He knew how much I hated this, he was relishing every goddamned moment.

If I weren't dolled up and in front of the whole clan, I would've socked him in the jaw.

The guards in front of me parted, allowing me to climb up the wooden steps. The bouquet of flowers was taken from me, and the trail of my kimono was removed to give me more movement.

I stepped up onto the altar, and turned to face White Star. He smiled.

"Excited?" He whispered, flashing his teeth. I narrowed my eyes, biting my cheek to prevent myself from snarking back at him. I didn't respond to him.

The Chieftain stood above us, looking down at us with glee. He rose his arms up like a priest, and the Clan all turned to him.

I looked down at the ground in front of me.

"Welcome my children! Today is one of the most important days of our lives! Today, we bond the two who will pave the way for our Clan's future. The heir to our Clan of the Stars, and my son, White Star ⅩⅩⅣ!"

The crowd cheered wildly, thrusting their daggers and weapons into the air.

"Long live the White Star! Long live the White Star!"

White Star puffed out his chest, grinning with pride as the Clan cheered for his long life. I bit my tongue.

"And, the Shadow of our Clan, one of the most successful assassins we have created, and one savage enough to end her own flesh and blood, Velvet Star!"

The cheers weren't as loud for me, but people still slammed their weapons together for me.

"Long live the Shadow, bearer of the Heir!"

I looked down angrily. That's all I was to them. The Heir bearer.

"Today, we join them together in holy matrimony. To ensure the survival of our clan, and the line of the White Star, we bond these two together early in their life to ensure their bond be unbreakable."

The Chieftain stepped forward, reached and taking both of our hands. Now, he was going to briefly explain our Clan's history.

"Many generations ago, the Star Clan was created by a group of people who wished to cleanse this world of evil. For glory and for riches, they purged the lands of Asia of those who defied the Great Divines, and of those who killed for sport. At first, we were seen as criminals, as bloodthirsty assassins who hunted like wolves. But now, as our numbers have spread across the far reaches of Asia, and our hunts have traversed the world, our name is a name that is revered across the world. There is no child who doesn't know of our Clan, and doesn't gasp in awe at our accomplishments. Some may still see us as savages, but we know who were are. We have torn apart any who have tried to hold us down, and any who have defied our views. We are the Clan who looks to the Stars to guide us on our missions. We are, the Star Clan!"

The crowd roared, whooping and hollering as the Chieftain ended his short speech.

He held up his hand, and the crowd went silent.

"And now, to ensure our Clan lives on for many more generations, we join these two in mind, body, and soul."

The Chieftain lifted our hands, linking our fingers together. A Priest walked over and took our hands from him, pulled out a long, blue cloth from beneath his robe.

"In the name of The Great White Star, and the great Hoshi, the Great Divine of the Stars, we bond these two together in soul. The blue cloth of silk, represents the wavelength of the soul. By winding and threading it through the hands and arms of those joining, it represents their wavelengths threading into one. As we join these two together, their wavelengths will be fused into the one, and when you sense a throbbing, powerful, commanded wavelength, you not just one, but two, great leaders."

The Priest slipped the cloth in-between our hands and around our thumbs, then he wrapped the two ends around our forearms. When the whole of the cloth was secured, he took the two ends and tied them into a tight knot.

"With this knot, I seal their wavelengths together. Now the two bonding shall let their wavelengths swell, and merge into one."

Soul Resonance. By matching wavelengths, it symbolized our bonding in soul. Reluctantly, I forced my wavelength to swell, searching for White Star's.

When he swelled his, I reached out to match it. In a few seconds, our souls shrunk, securing their bond. And then, they swelled up strongly, being seen by the whole of the Clan.

The crowd cheered, some women crying happily.

We let our souls dance for a minute, then slowly pulled them apart. The priest lowered our hands, but kept the silk around our arms.

He walked off to the side, and a second Priest came into view. In his hands were two head crowns, thin and made of gold. He stopped in-between us, raising them up so that the Clan could view them.

"We now join the young leaders in mind. Upon these crowns are pendants of the tanzanite variety. The Tanzanite is the gemstone of the Star Clan by reflecting the velvety blue and deep, rich purple undertones of the stars. It also represents the integration of heart and mind and wholeness. By placing these gemstones close to their minds, we pray that the young bonding will take their heart and mind, and project it onto their betrothed."

He lowered the crowns down onto our heads. I felt it slip past my hair and stop on my forehead, the pendant sitting right in-between my eyebrows.

"And now, the two will place their foreheads together and connect the two pendants, so that they may hear each other's thoughts."

The Priest placed his hands on the back of our heads, gently pushing forward. We carefully matched up the pendants. We locked eyes, staring at each other for a few moments.

"Now, close your eyes, and project your thoughts to your betrothed."

I closed my eyes, a few thoughts running through my head. I couldn't hear what White Star was trying to say to me, but I had only one thing to say to him today.

Go to hell.

After a few minutes, we drew our heads away and opened our eyes.

The crowd cheered once more, tears falling down the cheeks of many.

The second Priest stepped away, and a third one came into view. In his hands were two goblets of water and a knife.

I was dreading this part of the ceremony.

A servant rushed up with a small table, placing it in front of the Priest so that he could place the goblets down.

He lifted the knife to show the crowd, the Clan went dead silent.

"And now, we join the couple in body. Only under the light of the blue moon will they truly bond by merging their bodies together tonight-"

That made my stomach churn.

"-But here at this ceremony, we merge their blood together. Filled in these goblets is the water from the Spring of the Stars were the Priests pray to Hoshi. This holy water will connect them to the cosmos above so that in their dreams tonight, they made traverse the stars hand in hand. And with this knife, we shall cut the hands of the couple and drop the blood into the water. They will drink the holy water with their betrothed blood, so that they may share their blood and produce fertile, healthy heirs."

The priest reached for White Star's unbound hand and lifted it up so that the crowd could see his palm. The Priest took the silver, jagged blade and pressed it against his palm. I saw White Star suck in a breath, bracing for the pain.

The Priest pulled the blade across his palm and quickly closed his fingers into a fist. Blood seeped from his fingers and the Priest pulled his fist over his goblet. I watched the blood dribble into the water, dissipating into the liquid.

The Priest took a small, white cloth and wrapped it around White Star's hand, closing it against the wound. He wiped the blade and took my hand.

He flashed my palm to the crowd and placed the blade to my skin. I furrowed my brow, bracing for the pain.

The Priest pulled the knife across my skin. I felt my skin split and blood seep out. The Priest closed my fingers over the wound and pulled my fist towards my goblet. I watched as the blood dripped into the goblet, turning the once clear water a misty red.

He wrapped a white cloth around my hand, allowing it to soak up the blood. He lifted the goblets up, showing them off to the crowd.

"And now, the young couple shall link arms and drink the holy water. By drinking the water, they shall be bonded by body and blood."

He handed the goblet with my blood to White Star, and the goblet with his blood to me. We took the goblets and linked the arms with our cut hands. We pulled at each other's arms, bringing the goblets close to our lips.

The Priest placed his hands on our elbows, gently pushing up on our arms. I opened my mouth and placed the goblet to my lips, and began to drink the water.

It tasted slightly metallic with the mixture of blood, making my tastebuds curl in disgust. But I pushed the taste aside, quickly downing the water.

When I had cleaned the goblet out, I lowered the cup down and looked down at White Star. He had lowered his goblet as well and was staring at me silently.

The Priest took the goblets from us and turned them upside down towards the crowd.

"By drinking the water from the goblets, the young couple has accepted each other's blood as their own! And now, if my fellow Priests will come and join me, we shall establish the bond and finish this ceremony!"

The crowd went wild. The other two Priests walked over to us and took our hands, lifted them into the air. The Clan went completely silent and listened to the Priests began to pray loudly and in unison.

"O' Great Hoshi, master of the Stars and all beyond the cosmos. Hear our call and answer our prayer! May you join these two in an eternal bond, and allow their bond to bear the fruits of our clan!"

The Clan all bowed their heads, lowering themselves down to their knees.

The Priests removes the ribbon from our arms, the crown from our heads, and linked our arms together.

The third priest turned us to the crowd, placing his hands on our shoulders.

"With that, the ceremony is complete! We shall now guide the newlyweds to their home, where they shall solidify their bond under the light of the blue moon."

The three Priests rose their heads.

"Long live the bond between White Star and Velvet Star!"

The crowd remained silent, and we were guided down the steps and back into the aisle.

We walked arm in arm, silently moving through the Clan and back towards the house.

I looked down, seeing everyone on their knees with their heads to the floor, bowing as if we were gods. It made me uncomfortable to say the least.

I turned my head up to stare at the house, biting my cheek.

When we reached the house, the Priests guided us up the steps and into the house. We didn't go up the steps but straight to the back of the house. They opened a door to the backyard where a large gazebo awaited.

The Priests stood by the doorway, bowing to us slowly.

"We shall stay here to witness the bonding. Please go up to the gazebo. May the Stars illuminate your mating."

I grimaced, tightening my jaw as White Star led me up to the hill.

"Excited my dear?" White Star smiled, reaching his hand over to wrap his arm around my waist.

I snarled, feeling the hairs on my neck bristle.

When we reached the gazebo, I looked up at the moon. It was full and almost at its highest peak, glowing a gentle blue.

White Star turned to me, grabbing my kimono and pulling me against his chest.

"Don't worry Velvet dearest, I'll be gentle with you."

I bit my lip, feeling him thread his hands underneath my kimono.

I felt anger bubble inside of me as White Star began to remove my clothing.

I was now White Star's wife.

This was going to be a long, horrible night.

Hey guys! So sorry about the silence. Work has been slow, I'm changing jobs, and I've been traveling a bit.

But I'm back, and I'm a few chapters ahead!

Well, let's talk about the chapter we came back to shall we?

So Velvet and White Star get married. Let's talk about the Star Clan marriage traditions.

The Star Clan wedding tradition revolves around the resonance of the soul. The silk around the arms represents the wavelength and how they fuse it together. The gemstone represents the mind, and how two who are marrying must connect their mind. And the drinking of the holy water plus the blood is the joining of the body, plus the honeymoon... stuff that comes after.

Traditionally, Star Clan members are wed at night under a full moon, and the only people present are the ones getting married and a Priest. In order to confirm the bonding of the newlyweds after the ceremony, the Priest must sit and watch them, do the do. The only wedding that the whole clan views is the wedding of the heir and their Shadow. In this wedding, they mate underneath a special gazebo to shine the blue moon on them, the only night of the year that the couple can be wed, and all three Priests must witness it.

It's safe to say the Star Clan is kinda fucked up.

They have no sense of privacy, and are almost medieval, maybe Game of Thrones levels of inappropriate. So yes, even if the Heir and the Shadow are wed at 10 for Velvet, and 11 for White Star, they are still required to mate under the moonlight.

No way in hell I was going to write it out, so it's only hinted at.

Why do I make these characters suffer so much...

Anyway, Velvet is married now, so the time skips are gonna slow down, or stop altogether. Well, there's only one more big one we have to take for a while. We'll soon be meeting some familiar characters~

Welp, that's about all I have to say. A Star's Revelation is updated every Saturday at 5 pm Tokyo time (+9)!

NEXT TIME:

Only a year passes from the time Velvet marries White Star. Eleven years old, she basically runs the Star Clan in how she overlooks missions. Since her marriage, she hasn't been on many missions. Safe to say, she's bored. Suddenly, she decides to take up a mission. Where will this mission take her, and what does it entale?

Find Out Next Time: April 27th (I SWEAR THIS TIME GUYS!)

~HUGS ALL AROUND~

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