Attendants went about the chamber after they had bathed and anointed me. Now the serpent maidens were folding and tying garments around my body. I didn't know what they were doing until they were done.

Each piece of silk fabric had been arranged in the most cautious manner. When the maids had finished dressing me, they walked me outside. Tusita, Samudra, and Atith sat waiting in another room. They, too, looked refined in their ceremonial attire. They were now the wedding guests.

My friends were all giggly as I walked down the hallway. I didn't know what they were thinking.

"You look splendid, Nikita," Tusita said as though she could hear my mind. "We must hurry since those serpent ladies are drooling over you. I'm afraid they might snatch you away to have their wicked will with any time soon."

I blushed at her teasing words and regarded the notion warily.

"Aw Tusita, stop scaring us," Atith said. "They are not always the seductresses. Now our dear friend is about to marry her beloved. You should be gleeful."

Then the women formed two rows beside us like a parade. They each held trays of exotic fruits and fragrant flowers and other ritual items. Two large male serpent guards stood holding multi-tier sunshades over me.

"What are these for? To protect me from the sun or the rain in here?" I said.

The avatars laughed.

"It is a custom," Tusita said. "Now you're a royal."

A moment later, they paraded us to the wedding hall. I heard beautiful music playing. Then there was an announcement of our arrival.

Once I stepped into the throne room, there was an immediate silence. Everything looked so different from earlier. There was now an outlandish decoration in all corners. The rich tapestries and flower garlands were hung on every wall and pillar. It was hard to believe we had just had a battle in this very place a while ago. My mind was still trying to grasp the whirlwind of all these changes.

We saw the Naga King himself standing by his throne. He was in his glamorous royal attire, still stern and proud befitting the Lord of the Serpent Kingdom.

We bowed to him.

The priests in white rob came to escort me. To my surprise, I was brought to sit on the great pearly seat of the King. The music started again with the drums and gongs and various flutes in their harmonious tones. This signaled the start of the ceremony.

A moment passed, Amarisa was also escorted into the hall by her maidens. She was breathtakingly adorned in a sumptuous wedding dress of embroidered silk and intricate jewelry. The costume was folded cleverly to fit her shapely shoulders and the swell of her supple breasts.

A small pointed crown showing a crested Nagahead fastened to the bun of her hair. Her long flowing hem dragged across the hall as she passed the gathering crowd. Everyone looked in admiration of her beauty and radiance. Deep in the celestial serpent world, Amarisa looked far more dainty and lovelier than any time I had ever seen her.

The attendants bowed, offering their blessings.

The princess was then brought to sit by my side. Her cheeks were burnished with lotus pollen to make them pink and lovely. I glanced shyly at her clearest of complexion and shapeliness. The epitome of her glamor made it hard for me to fathom my fortune tonight. It was still a tremendous shock that we were indeed being wedded to one another.

The priests placed the garland of jasmines around our necks. As we both sat in our poised silence, Amerisa's tapered fingers twisted nervously on her lap.

I glanced at her face, but she angled her head discreetly away. Her eyes stared deliberately at anything but me. I made an involuntary grasp for her delicate hand. Amerisa swiveled her head back to look at me.

But my heart quickly sank when I saw in her eyes the old flare of anger and disappointment. She was still upset and did not find the ceremony working in her favor. I felt shaken by her bitterness. After all that happened, she still hadn't fully forgiven me. Amarisa tried to pry her hand away from mine, but I held it firmly.

"Please Your Highness, it's our wedding," I whispered to her with pleading eyes. She looked away again, yet not unkindly this time. I could see that I would have to summon enough energy to console her afterward. Hopefully, we would talk when we had our private moment.

The priests chanted the hymns for marriage vow and passed lit candle from one another in a circle around us.

'O beautiful lovebirds,

Let us gaze upon your faces,

Perfect shapes and all aligned

With the blessings of heaven and earth,

Do not separate, do not depart.

Together in this life and hereafter.'

At the end of a long-drawn, tedious chanting, the Naga King appeared and walked towards us. Though the god was less hostile now, I still found myself squirming under his powerful stare. He held out a sword. I stopped breathing. But he merely placed it on our joined palms, which rested on the pillow of the praying altar.

"This symbolizes your new duty to protect my daughter from all dangers," he said to me. "Bound by the oath of marriage, you must take great care of your companion now and forever. Do you heed me?"

"I do, my lord," I said hurriedly.

The serpent god nodded then brought a red string of raw silk and tied it around our wrists. Now our lives and destinies were entwined and linked together through these tiny threads. After he was done tying the ceremonial knots, the Serpent King turned to stroke his daughter's head kindly. He whispered something I could not hear.

"Be well," he said and then turned away before leaving the hall without another word.

The rest of the guests came to sprinkle us with holy water and blessings. My friends joined us with their zealous smiles, giving us their compliments, saying what a beautiful couple we were and how the other avatars would die of envy.

As a signal to end the wedding ritual, the guests threw us dried white seeds from palm trees and jasmine and lotus petals into the air. The flowers rained over Amarisa and me. The room was filled with fragrance and cheers of joy. Laughter and music erupted throughout the palace.

Then I was told to hold onto the hem of Amarisa's long scarf— a symbolized gesture performed by all married couple. It was said that the legendary prince did so in order to enter the Naga realm in the first place.

The joyous crowd cheered as I followed Amarisa out of the boisterous hall. Then we were led towards our prepared chamber.

My rapturous heart pounded inside my chest. Once we were inside the enormous room, the large doors groaned shut. All the maidens left us alone. Everywhere hung the glittering silk curtains dropping from the crystal ceiling. The light glowed from the inside of the topaz walls.

I was still admiring the grandness of this beehive of a palace that I didn't notice Amarisa had disappeared.

"Amarisa?" I spun around, looking for her.

It didn't take me long to find her again. She was sitting primly on our wedding bed, which was covered with red flowers. I walked forward then stood there, not knowing what to do. The floor was cold under my feet. After another moment passed, Amarisa sighed and looked at me at last.

"You have come all the way here, surely you must have something to say to me," she said, trying to allay her anger. The itching need to hold her and console her struck me again.

I inhaled, but there was no clever way to start with. Instead, I said the only thing I could think of, "I miss you."

My voice was barely above a whisper, yet loud enough in a too quiet room.

I waited, but she said nothing back, only studied me with a steady gaze. My face began to flush with guilt.

I cleared my throat again and stepped towards her. Then I knelt before the princess. Perhaps it was because I knelt that her eyes softened a little as she considered me. Her guarded face betrayed her frayed emotions.

"Please forgive me, Amarisa," I said.

A burst of raw anger flared like fire in her dark eyes. Amarisa's hands balled into fists. I watched her face tighten with anguish as she glared at me. Then ceaseless tears began spilling down from her cheeks. She bit her lips, and with the heat of sheer frustration and hurt, Amarisa pounded my shoulders and chest with her open hands. They were mild blows, yet done from an internal pain. I did not feel anything. If at all, it only brought a wild relief over me that at least she expressed her anger.

"Why Nikita? Why did you hurt me so terribly?" she sobbed. "Why wasn't I good enough for you?"

Her words slashed at my heart, and I flinched and threw my arms around her waist. My head rested on her lap as remorseful words streamed from my lips.

"I'm so very sorry, please forgive me, I'm so sorry," I said over and over until there were only the sounds of our ragged breaths. I inhaled her familiar scent. She smelled of pleasant jasmine and a hint of sweet pomegranate.

We stayed that way for a long time, weeping. Then I felt her trembling hands rubbing my back as if forgotten all about the anger.

"I will not hurt you ever again, I swear to the gods," I told her. "I can't go on living if you're not in the same world with me. Do you know how much you mean to me?"

"You shouldn't have come down here," she said, which caused me to look back at her. "It would have cost your life if I hadn't interfered."

My hand reached over to wipe the tears from her ruddy cheeks.

"You're the one I live for. What is life anyway if you're not a part of it?" I said. "It has become clear to me now. It would be the same in any birth and any realm that we are destined to be together. Amarisa, I love you with all my heart and for all eternity."

"Lord Father has told me everything I needed to know," she said. "We were lovers before this, but our reunion will spin the wheel of destiny."

"You know about the warning, too?" I asked.

Amarisa slowly nodded.

"I also know that you are the future daughter of Queen Mother Jayara. And we are both related."

"Do you mind it? Even now we are married?" I said, but she shook her head.

"It's not a concern anymore."

"So will you forgive me as well?" I asked hopefully.

Amarisa bit her bottom lip in contemplation. I was holding my breath for the answer. Then she gave me a slow nod.

"This cobwebby scheme is far too confusing for both of us," she said. "But I forgive you just once and once only, do you understand me?"

A wave of euphoria washed over my body. I nodded and nodded, feeling light after the long-suffering turmoil had vanished. My arms went for her body again in longing.

Amarisa then cupped my cheeks with her hands, making me look at her. Our eyes entwined. A tiny smile formed on her supple lips. I shifted myself towards her. It was like rising from the deep water, coming back for air after a long drowning. It seemed she missed this intimate feeling just as much.

She leaned forward until our lips merged.

I had missed her taste. My insides twisted with needs. I deepened our kiss, and a warm blooming pleasure spread beneath my skin.

I heard Amarisa's soft moans when the strength of our passion churned like thick honey. My hands roamed the curves of her waist, feeling the softness of her body melting into my own. Our cheeks blushed hotly as if with fever. Without speaking, we both knew this night was our true moment.

After a time, I leaned her body onto the soft bed. Her hands kept stroking my sides, pulling me with her.

"I miss you, Nikita," she whispered and we pulled away to stare at other's face. Her hands caressed my arms and neck. I understood what she wanted. Though still seemed nervous, her innocent face was set with determination.

"Are you sure?" I asked softly.

"I am your wife now," she answered with a blush. I felt my own face redden, but I gave her an eager nod.

"Yes, now you are mine," I whispered then dipped in to join our lips again.