A/N: As I need to write big parts of the wedding and battle I will likely slow down a little more in updates since I really want to get that right.
You are all so bloodthirsty in the comments... I hope I delivered!
Thank you Meg for beta-reading... I don't know what I have against capitalising some words... it just keeps happening. (megonagall410)
Harry, Ginny and Neville got off their horses as they arrived at the temple. The guards remained on their horses, staying in front of the temple to guard them. The High Priestess stood waiting for them. She was a little older than them and had long brown hair. The headpiece she had worn during the parade was exchanged for a more sober version.
She walked to them. "Welcome."
"High Priestess," Harry greeted.
"Please, call me Tassia," she said. She stepped out of the way to let them through but then she paused. She walked past them and towards the horses. She touched both their heads and closed her eyes. She smiled and turned to them. "Who married these horses?"
Ginny's eyes widened and she glanced at Harry. "You can tell?"
She nodded. "Love bonds get strengthened through marriages. I have never felt a bond so strong between horses. Quite special."
"I did it," Harry admitted. "But in all fairness, I wasn't sure if that counted."
"In the Gods' eyes it counts, public opinion is something else of course, which is why you are here." She turned and walked to the entrance of the temple. "Let's go inside."
Ginny had never taken the opportunity to visit the temple since she arrived at the castle. She looked around, seeing all the altars lining the walls, each dedicated to their respective God or Goddess. Tassia turned to the right halfway through the temple and through a door leading to a small corridor. They followed her silently.
One of the doors opened into an office. She sat down and invited them to do the same. She looked between them excitedly. "It is always nice to see royalty get a love match. Much more fun to marry," she spoke.
Ginny was about to open her mouth to ask if she could tell, when Tassia met her eyes and smiled knowingly, and Ginny had her answer.
"Sir Neville gave me the list of rituals you were considering, let's go over them and see." She took the paper in front of her. "First up is Gydus evidently. That ceremony is always held here as you are marrying in front of the representative of the Gods. What about crowns?"
Harry frowned. "What?"
"Is she being crowned? If she is, that is the day to do it," she spoke.
Harry shrugged. "I don't know about that... my dad only became King when he was already married."
"Most royals do choose to bind it into a coronation ceremony," Neville informed them. "It would mark the moment she receives the title of Queen even if the entire wedding is not completed."
"Then let's do that," Harry agreed. He looked over at Ginny.
"Fine for me," she said with a smile.
Tassia nodded and looked at her paper. "Then we have Rekione. You two will confess your secrets in front of the Gods. An interesting choice for a King..."
Ginny looked over at Harry, suddenly wondering if this would be an issue.
"But not to worry, this is for the Rekione's ears only," Tassia continued. "Then you vow honesty in your marriage. After that, it is time for Rekione's Reverie."
"It is custom to mix families here but... I suppose just Ginny's will do," Neville said. "We can include all the guests."
Tassia nodded. "It does not matter, really. It should all be fun, a good practice for being honest. Then you have Ovtis. This will take place by the big pond outside the city, unless you have another place..."
Ginny could feel Harry's eyes land on her as they seemed to have the same thought.
Tassia smiled. "By the pond it is. I suspect you will be providing your own dream paper?"
"Yes," Harry confirmed. "Right, Neville?"
"I need to check with Prince Ron, but I believe it's all taken care of," Neville replied, noting it down on his list of things to check.
"Then I believe you wanted Gynus on Thursday?" Tassia asked.
They nodded.
"If you can provide me the names of loved ones you miss..." she said.
"The list will be long," Ginny said.
Tassia smiled warmly. "That's okay. We can take all the time we need. I know you are both orphans, I understand honouring the dead is important to you."
"I suppose the last three rituals are non-negotiable," Neville commented.
"For them, yes," Tassia confirmed. "Drymera is needed as it is expected that the Princess will promise loyalty to the Kingdom as well as to each other."
"And then Xydite," Harry said.
"An important one for this Kingdom for sure," she replied. "Any specific animals you want to honour?"
"The horses," Harry said immediately.
"There is also this owl..." Ginny started, still feeling guilty about breaking her wing.
"Hedwig?" Harry asked.
She nodded. "She should be flying again by the wedding; it would be nice to see her take off again."
Tassia nodded. "Just provide the list through Neville. And please, no dragons."
Ginny grinned. "We promise."
"And the final one, Ghorphine."
They glanced at each other and back at the High Priestess.
"You will come by the altar right before midnight and then it's... up to you," she said as the corners of her mouth quirked upwards ever so slightly. "And you must remain in your room until the 24 hours are over. After that, you are officially considered married... There is a ritual to follow but I leave that to your own discretion."
"I am sure we can figure that out," Ginny said.
"I have been doing my reading," Harry commented.
Ginny chuckled but then she looked at him to see if he was being serious. The blush rising in his cheeks told her he was.
"Neville will receive your official marriage certificate at midnight on Sunday," she finished.
Neville looked up from his paper. "Is there anything else you need from us now?"
Tassia looked down at her paper. "No, I believe not. We will be in touch."
They all stood up.
"Thank you for your time," Harry spoke.
"I don't think I'll get many chances marrying royals, it's an honour."
The group was about to leave the sitting room to head to dinner when the door opened. Harry froze as a blonde guy with a sharp face walked in, shadowed by Alastor who was keeping a close eye on him.
"I claim my right to marry Princess Ginevra," he announced.
Ginny turned around and her face turned sour. Bill and Charlie shot up off their seats. The whole room froze.
"I am sorry, but that won't happen," Harry told him.
"It is my right and I want to talk to her," he said, pointing a shaking finger at Ginny.
She looked at Harry and gave a short nod before she walked up to Draco.
"I don't want to marry you," Ginny said calmly. "Half the people who signed that betrothal are no longer alive."
"You will come with me, now. No one can stop me," Draco hissed.
It dawned on Harry that Draco was the one who had attempted to bribe the guards and he had no intention of leaving peacefully. As Ginny's whole posture grew rigid, he knew she must have drawn the same conclusion.
"Come. With. Me."
Ginny let out a sour chuckle. "I have no intention of going with you."
She looked over at Alastor and with one move of his hand, the guards present took a step forward, threatening.
Draco's pale face lost even more colour when he realised he would not be helped. He had willingly walked into the lion's den. His grey eyes flitted across the room. Ginny looked over at Harry.
Suddenly Draco moved, a blade slipping from his sleeve, and he pulled Ginny to him, pressing the blade against her neck. "Nobody moves!"
"It doesn't matter if you kill me or not, you are not getting out of here alive, Draco," Ginny told him.
"They will if you tell them to," he replied.
She tried to move his arm, but his grip tensed on her and she stalled again. "What do you stand to gain from this anyway?"
"I will be legitimised by King Rodolphus! I could be King of Secretera," Draco said.
"You are a bastard?" Ginny asked.
Harry carefully took a step forward. "If that's the case, why doesn't he simply do it? If you are a pureblood royal, who would object to it? He has no legitimate heirs. Why are they forcing you to marry a Princess? You could marry anyone." He carefully took another step. "You are being used as a pawn, Draco."
He met eyes with Ginny, and she shot him a piercing look and gave the tiniest nod. He swallowed. He continued to talk.
"They currently don't have Harpia. You don't stand to gain much from your betrothal. Not since your aunt took their throne." His eyes flitted to Ginny. Draco didn't move. "You could have lived long enough and inherited the throne from Bellatrix. She doesn't have any children and your cousin is already married to a King." He took another step. All the guards watched, hands on their swords, ready to move. "Or were you starting to sense that they would not hold on to that much longer? Desperate for a different option to wear a crown?"
"I have a right !" Draco yelled, pointing his blade at Harry.
Ginny moved immediately. She pulled out of his grip, her own dagger appearing from under her dress. She whipped around, aiming at him. Her arm moved without hesitation, her blade slashing across his chest. "Drop your dagger!"
Draco clutched at his chest and whimpered. He had been cut, but he would be able to walk away. Alastor closed in now it was safe to do so without putting Ginny in more harm. Draco turned to Harry desperately, blade pointing at him. Harry jumped backwards as Draco charged at him like a madman with nothing to lose.
Ginny moved towards them, but Alastor had been closer. He jumped forward quicker than you would expect from a man missing a limb. His sword moved with precision and without hesitation. Draco was almost able to reach Harry when Alastor's sword pierced through Draco's midsection with ease. Harry saw the blade point exiting Draco's body through his stomach.
As Alastor pulled the sword back out, Draco fell backwards with the pull of the blade. He collapsed on the floor and went unconscious almost immediately. A pool of blood formed quickly beneath his body. Everyone closed in. Alastor, Ginny, the guards, Bill and Charlie.
For a moment everyone stood quietly. Then Ginny bent down, moving the skirt of her dress as she moved. Two fingers pressed against the skin of his neck, checking his pulse. Silently she stood up again. "He's dead."
More people streamed into the room. Harry looked up to see Neville run in, with Ron, Percy and the twins in tow.
"What happened?" Ron asked as they walked up.
The guards separated to let him through.
"Is that your betrothed?" he asked, glancing up at Ginny.
She nodded. "Was."
"Take him away," Alastor ordered, pointing at two guards.
They stepped forward and picked up Draco. They carried him out of the room, leaving only the large pool of blood. The remainder of the guards returned to their former position. Alastor bowed and walked off, mumbling something about cleaning his sword.
Ginny's hand snaked around Harry's waist. Her gaze landed on him. "Are you okay?"
He leaned into her softly. He nodded. "Yes. You?"
Her eyes returned to the pool of blood as she nodded. "Yeah, fine."
"This was a suicide mission, who in their right mind would put him up to it...?" Harry wondered out loud.
Bill came to stand on Ginny's other side. "If you are hesitant about recognising a bastard... it's perfect. You make him prove himself or he dies in the process. We did the work for him."
"If Draco truly was his son, why would you want him dead? That is his own child," Ginny said. "I don't understand it."
"Not everyone cares about family the same way. There is status and power..." Harry trailed off. He didn't truly understand it either.
"At least our children won't be bastards." Ginny offered him a blazing look. "I would have loved them all the same but it's better if they grow up without that hanging over their heads."
He could feel the heat rising in his cheeks. From the corner of his eyes, he could see Bill look away as if he was momentarily distracted. Harry shuffled his feet. "I wouldn't have..."
Ginny pushed closer to him, her eyes remaining locked on him.
"I wouldn't have..." He trailed off again. "What was I saying?"
She smiled. "Nothing."
"I am glad we got rid of that git," Bill commented loudly to make sure they heard him. "I would not have liked him as a brother-in-law."
Ginny seemed to shiver at the thought. "I would not have liked him as a husband. I'd rather be dead. Then he seemed rather keen on either taking me or killing me."
"I don't think they like you two pairing up as Ignotian and Harpian royalty..." Bill said.
"It does make for a rather strong allyship," Harry said. "They should have betrothed you to me from the start."
Ginny chuckled. "You weren't threatening us; you were already allies. They needed their support more...not that it mattered in the end."
"Now you get to marry whoever you want," Harry told her. "I am very lucky it's me."
Ginny walked into Harry's room in her sleep shirt. Now with the threat of an assassin gone and the rising excitement of the wedding and the battle, the guards weren't watching as closely. It was easy to sneak off to his room tonight, even without being in armour.
She settled on the couch and poured them their wine as Harry stripped off his vest and took off his shoes.
"Do you think I am asking for too much?" she asked.
He turned to look at her. "What do you mean?"
She sighed. "Harpia, the wedding... everything. I am starting to get worried it's all just too good to be true. I feel like I am on the brink of a disaster."
He walked to her immediately and sat down on the couch beside her. He took her hands into this. "You are not asking for too much. Harpia is for your family, it is not a selfish thing. And marrying me..." He smiled. "That's because I insisted."
A small smile appeared on her face. "You know I wanted to say yes right away; I just couldn't."
He nodded. "I know." He pulled her closer and placed a kiss on her forehead. "I know you are anxious, but it'll be fine. Is the battle a risk? Sure. But there is nothing scary about marrying me, I hope."
"That's easy for you to say." She tucked her head into the crook of his neck, her breath fanning against his skin. "You have been preparing to marry someone all your life."
He could tell she was playing. He laughed. "I am indeed very ready to marry you." His arms relaxed around her. "Today was eventful, I am sure you'll feel better tomorrow."
"Not my first time with a blade to my neck," she spoke.
"It was personal and then he jumped at me. It's okay to be a little shaken up about it," he said.
She lifted her head to look at him. "I just can't imagine marrying such a man. I never thought much about the betrothal. When my parents died, I was still too young to understand what it meant. Then I didn't have to think about it for quite a long time... I am now just wondering how they could have... they sold me off." She frowned.
"I am sure it was a difficult choice to make. Perhaps they were hopeful that baby Draco would turn out okay." His hand came to her cheek. "Rest assured I would never expect such a thing from our children. They'll marry whomever they like. And I'll marry whoever I like." He smiled softly and kissed her.
Her eyes fluttered close and she leaned into him. "This is one of our last nights like this," she said softly.
"I know. We can't risk it with more guests coming in... It'll be difficult."
"But it'll be worth it," she added.
He nodded. "That it will."
"Speaking of guests, I guess Hermione should be here soon," Ginny asked.
He nodded. "One of these days, yes."
"I am excited to meet her," Ginny said. "She's kind of your only friend."
These days they always left the door open a smidge at night on the days Ginny slept in her Knight room. It felt strange to feel so close together and yet not be able to spend the night together.
Ginny had just woken up, hearing a sound come from Harry's room. She immediately pulled her dagger from under her pillow and soundlessly walked into his room. Harry seemed asleep and nothing else seemed out of the ordinary.
She stood for a minute, contemplating if she needed to investigate further. Then she realised where the noise came from.
Harry mumbled in his sleep. She listened more intently and then heard her name slip off his lips. She grinned, both amused and endeared she was present in his dreams. She was now quite sure that was what she heard but she felt like she should still make sure there was no one else there.
She walked further into the room and when she walked by the foot of the bed, Harry stirred. His eyes opened sleepily. He startled as he spotted her.
"What are you doing here?" he asked, pulling his sheets further up in reflex. His cheeks coloured red.
"I heard a noise, was just making sure all is alright," she said. "Probably was just you though." She walked quicker now she didn't have to be careful about waking him. It appeared no one was hiding in there.
"... you heard me?" he asked carefully.
She shrugged. "Only a part." She grinned. "You were dreaming about me, I guess."
Harry stared down at his sheets and nodded softly. "Yes." He carefully looked back up at her. "How much did you hear?"
"Only my name, really," she replied. "I won't ask." She walked back to her door. "Was it married people stuff?"
"You said you wouldn't ask!" he retorted as his blush darkened.
That was enough reply for her. She paused at the door and looked at him. He shifted uncomfortably. She quirked an eyebrow. "We will be married soon. So you could—"
"Go away."
She closed her mouth. She bowed. "Yes, your majesty." She walked back into her room and crept into her bed. She tucked her dagger back under the pillow.
It was quiet for a minute or so, then she could hear Harry step out of bed. She watched the door until it opened. Harry stepped in. She didn't move and looked at him.
"You know I didn't mean— I didn't mean it like that." He sighed.
"Come over here," she said, patting the bed.
He was hesitant but then walked over to her. He sat down on the edge of the bed and looked at her.
"I know. But you are my King until we are married." She paused and smiled softly. "After that, you will still be my King, but differently." She reached out to his hand and took it. "The only reason I tease you is because I feel it too. You know I want you. I am tired of waiting and it is so close."
The grip on her hand tightened. He squeezed. "Yeah."
"And part of me knows if you got into my bed right now, no one would find out," she told him.
Harry seemed to think about it for a moment, looking down at the bed.
"I know you didn't change your mind. I won't ask," she told him. Her thumb rubbed the back of his hand.
He seemed to chew on his words. "I just want to... do it the right way. Not sneakily, or shamefully."
"And I know you are worried about status... have to make sure I am Queen before we..." She smiled cheekily.
He pulled his hand away jokingly. "You know that's not it!"
She sat up. "A hypocrite. That's what you are. I am out here marrying a half-blood King."
"Your family is known to have that Pureblood obsession all the nobility strives after..." he said, a smile appearing.
She took both his hands in hers. "I should have simply checked if all was okay and left."
"No, it's okay." He shook his head. "I suppose you are right. In two weeks, our wedding will start."
"We waited this long, may as well," she told him.
He nodded in agreement. He shifted so he was sitting beside her. He leaned against the headboard and pulled her to him. She wrapped her arms around him and cuddled against him.
"Good compromise," she said.
Harry petted her hair absent-mindedly. "Thanks."
Her eyes grew heavy, her eyelids slipped close. "I love you," she mumbled.
"I love you too, Ginny."
Ginny stood in the armoury with most of her brothers, going over the alterations for their armour. She didn't like giving up her armour for a few days but at least she could go about her day as Princess at least.
"The material looks good, I don't want cheap materials to be used. They should be the best of the best. As for Harry's, make sure the plates on the side connect well, perhaps reinforce it. I think it's his weak point..."
Fred took note. "What about yours?"
"Just needs some maintenance, I don't think it needs much adjusting," she said. "I will layer up underneath both for protection and heat, but I want to make sure I keep a full range of movement."
"What about secret compartments?" George asked, turning the armour around to inspect it.
She shook her head. "Don't have it."
"Why not?" he asked warily.
"... I have never needed it. I have my sword and my dagger." She looked up at him.
"We were thinking of making it a family thing. We tend to be rather well-armed most of the time," George said.
Ginny looked at her armour. "Not sure if it's feasible in my armour."
"Sure, it is." He pointed at the back of her armour. "If you put it here you can just reach back." He demonstrated the move on himself, pretending to grab a knife from under his vest. "And it is out of reach from assailants."
Ginny frowned, contemplating it.
"We'll discuss it with the armourer, but I think we should not tempt faith on this one," George told her.
She nodded. "You are right. I will leave it up to your judgement."
"We got it, sister," Fred assured her. "Only the best for our best Knight."
Neville knocked and walked in. "Ginny, the King wants to see you."
"Why?" she asked.
Neville sighed. "He told me the name of the guest but for the life of me I don't remember."
"Oh! Hermione has arrived?"
Neville smiled. "Yes! That one."
"Thanks, I'll go meet her." She looked at her brothers. "Are you all good?"
They nodded. "We will make sure it gets done."
Ginny walked into Harry's office. Across from him stood a woman about their age. Her brown hair was bushy, and she had not bothered to style it in any specific way. She looked at Ginny as she walked in.
"You must be Lady Hermione," she said.
Harry nodded. "She just arrived by ship this morning. Hermione, this is my fiancée, Princess Ginny of Harpia."
Hermione curtsied. "So nice to meet you." She shot a glance at her friend. "I can't believe you got engaged while I was away."
Harry looked over at Ginny. "I couldn't pass up on this one, trust me."
"Harry has told me about you," Ginny said. "I am glad to meet one of his friends."
Hermione beamed. "I don't know much about you I am afraid... Naturally I studied Harpian history, and I know about you and your family... what I mean is I don't know you personally and..."
Harry smiled. "Hermione, it's okay. She is not that uptight."
Hermione looked relieved. "Oh. Good. "
"I am sorry you haven't heard much about me," Ginny said. "Letters can be intercepted, and we have big plans."
"I have heard some rumours, yes." She looked at Harry.
There was a knock on the door. Ron popped his head in. "It's almost time for practice and Ginny, you need to ch—" He spotted Hermione. "Sorry, didn't see you there." He walked into the room and up to her. "Forgive my manners."
"This is my brother, Prince Ronald," Ginny told her.
Hermione curtsied and looked up at him. "Nice to meet you, Prince Ronald."
"You can call me Ron," he said, his eyes locked on her.
Harry cleared his throat. He looked at Ginny. They had agreed to tell her about Gwyn, but he checked one last time. She nodded.
"So, Hermione," Harry started. "As Ron said, it is time for off to go practice. Preparing a war you see..."
Hermione's brows furrowed. "Just spit out what you are trying to say, Harry."
"Right. Remember I was looking for a Knight to protect me?"
"The one who discovered that Peter was a filthy traitor?" she asked.
Harry nodded. "Turned out that my Knight was actually a Princess in disguise." He waited for Hermione to put it together.
Hermione looked at him for a moment. "Oh! That's what you meant in your letter..." She looked at Ginny. "You are his personal Knight?"
She nodded. "I am."
"I am glad to tell you more later tonight, but we do have practice soon and Ginny needs to go change," Harry told her.
"If you want to watch, I am happy to walk out with you," Ron suggested.
Hermione smiled at him. "Sounds good."
Ginny watched curiously as the pair left, seemingly having forgotten the other two.
Harry scoffed. "As if she doesn't know the grounds better than he does."
"Harry, my love. They are flirting," she told him.
"Why would she do that? She is not interested in marriage." His eyes widened. "Oh no."
Ginny chuckled. "She must have thought he was incredibly charming."
Harry met her eyes. "No. Can't be."
Except when they went to practice, it became abundantly clear something was happening. Ron made sure to practice close to her and she only had eyes for him.
Ginny and Harry were next to him.
"You aren't cold, are you?" Ron asked. "Since you are sitting still."
Her eyes studied his face. "Quite alright, thank you. You better don't get distracted." She eyed George behind him, trying to charge at him while his head was turned.
George managed to strike him rather hard, and he tumbled to the ground. Hermione shot off her seat and kneeled beside him. Ron's ears turned red.
"Are you alright? I am sorry, that was my fault," Hermione said. "I read this book about duelling; I should have known better than distract you."
Ron mumbled he was okay. George kicked against his foot to make his stand up. He looked over at Ginny, both amused and confused at the scene in front of him.
Ginny tried to suppress her laugh and covered her mouth. She mouthed I know to George. Ron was unaware of the whole exchange and only Alastor's shout to get off his ass made him jump up.
Harry shook his head in amusement. "This is interesting for sure."
Ginny walked to Hermione. "Go ahead and distract him. It's good practice for him to stay focused on the battlefield." She and Hermione shared a knowing look.
The week before the wedding, Harry watched Ginny push herself beyond a limit he didn't know possible. Despite being busy greeting arriving guests, she seemed to find time to train. She was outside all hours she was free.
Alastor increased training too, barking commands at them. Then he made Ginny go up against her brothers, him and all the guards. She won the majority of the duels even if they were one right after the other. He would have been in awe if he wasn't getting increasingly worried that she was pushing her body too far.
When she spent another long training session in the woods, he decided to talk to her. It was three days until their wedding. He found her doing pull-ups on a tree branch. She let herself drop from it as she spotted him. She caught her breath as he walked up to her.
He cut right to the chase. "I think you need to slow down."
"Why?" she asked him.
"Your body needs to rest too," Harry told her. He was trying to be direct with her.
She shrugged. "I won't have any time at all next week. I better get those hours in now." She smiled at him, but it faltered when she realised Harry was quite serious. "I need to be at my best."
"You are the best Knight we have. If we don't win, no one is going to blame that on you. You are ready," he reassured her.
She fiddled with the glove of her armour. She shook her head. "No. There is too much at stake, Harry."
"I understand that. I am worried if you push your body any further, you'll reach your breaking point. That's no good to anybody."
"I can't slack off," she told him firmly. She gripped the branch again, preparing to pull herself up again.
He looked at her, imploring her to stop. "You are not slacking off. You have two more days to train."
She pulled herself up until her chin reached above the branch. There she paused.
"I am sure Regulus taught you the optimal way to train. I have seen it, and this isn't it. "
Reluctantly Ginny let herself drop down. She released the branch again. She nodded silently, her eyes meeting his as if she was biting back a snide comment. She remained silent.
"Thank you." He stepped closer to her. "I am not trying to be difficult on purpose."
She sighed. "I know." She reached out to him and her hands found his hips and pulled him to her. She leaned her head against his chest. "I can't sit idle. Not now."
"No one is asking that of you." His arms came around her. "You have a wedding to prepare."
"I am right on track with my schedule for that, if you must know," she told him, glancing up at him.
"I didn't doubt it," he said. "We are all anxious. Spar a little with your brothers perhaps. Go over the attack plan with Bill and Alastor. Not idle. Just not intense beyond reason, please?"
She nodded. "I am trying. I know you are just looking out for me, too."
"That's what married people do," he said. "And that's going to be us very soon."
A/N: I have been working on a little alternate version of Knight of Mine... what would have happened if they would have met that summer when they were kids. It would only be a few small chapters and I would only post it after this fic is (mostly) done. Let me know if you'd want to read that or not ...
Yes, also Lighted fic... I know.