Unending - a Sword Art Online Fanfic (being rewritten)

Chapter 31: My New Husband... A Kind Gentleman?

And after last chapters revelation, there is yet more excitement to read about. Enjoy.

Akari's POV:

Akari lay on her wedding bed thinking about the events of that afternoon. She still couldn't believe it, married at the tender young age of sixteen. "Mom is gonna have a fit when she finds out." Akari thought to herself. Well of course she was, her sixteen year old daughter was just married off against her will, to a prince of an invading army no less.

She rolled over and looked at the peaceful face of her husband sleeping next to her and thought back to the ceremony...

<Flashback>

Akari stood facing the prince, glaring up at him for going along with this. The prince didn't look any happier with this, probably because of what he imagined was going to be a rough marriage was staring at him.

A minister stepped up to the couple and began.

"Greetings your majesty, prince, bride, esteemed conquerors, we are gathered here today to celebrate the long awaited union of our crown prince with his bride. Many years we have waited to be here celebrating this day, and with such anticipation. Now, do you have the rings?"

Akari looked around for a moment, hoping against hope that they didn't, but she should've known that they were prepared for this, as a ringbearer stepped forward with two shining golden rings on a plush pillow. The prince's ring was a golden band with a crest on it that looked similar to that of a serpent. Hers also had the crest, though much smaller, and centered around a cluster of precious stones. It was beautiful, but in that moment Akari wanted nothing more than for it to disappear. The prince reached forward and slipped her ring on her hand. Akari cringed at the contact, and the prince quickly stepped back. Then Akari hesitantly took the ring meant for his hand. Her hand shook as she took his hand and slipped the ring on, quickly letting go of his hand immediately.

The minister then continued with the ceremony. "Very good, now, is anyone here of the mind that these two shouldn't be wed?"

Akari looked at the crowd. She could see Utsumi in the back trying to raise her hand, but one of the soldiers had her arms pinned to her sides, and it seemed that Nagano had been preemptively knocked out.

"Very well, then by the power vested in me as minister by the king himself, I pronounce you two, husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."

Akari's eyes widened at those last few words. She looked at the prince, her eyes now pleading him to stop this. The prince nodded in what looked like understanding and leaned in.

"Wha-?" akari started to say before he silenced her with a kiss. It wasn't anything spectacular, but it wasn't a peck either. After it ended, she was left feeling... violated?... sort of... but also, like she wanted more. The prince quickly picked her up bridal style, sweeping her legs from under her as he carried her down the aisle and to a waiting horse. He put her down only long enough to settle himself in the saddle before someone picked her up and handed her to him.

"Great, now I feel like luggage." she thought.

They rode for a few minutes until they arrived at a building that Akari recognized instantly, the fortress for the Aincrad Liberation force. Now flying flags that held the same crest design as their rings. The prince helped her down from the horse and quickly whisked her away into the keep.

It was a few minutes later that he led her through a set of doors into a vast bedroom.

"This was meant for the lord and lady of the castle, now, it's ours." He said.

Akari turned to face him. "What are you playing at? Seriously?"

He sighed. "I did what I could out there to make the ceremony as painless as possible. Unfortunately, my father wouldn't have been satisfied with us simply pecking each other on the lips. He has ideas about how the romance he planned for me should go, the one that he never got that he wants me to have." The prince hung his head. "I'm sorry. I truly am. You shouldn't have had to marry me just because my father thought so. You are more than capable of choosing your own husband."

Akari laughed, rather hysterically and sarcastically. "Not that it matters anymore. Like it or not, I'm married to you now, and I have to deal with it, but to make it clear, I don't like you, in fact I hate you, and don't think 'trying' to make that 'wedding' as painless for me as possible is going to change that, Prince." The sarcasm lay heavily in her words.

The prince stood there in front of her, awkwardly kicking his foot back and forth for a minute. "Well," He said, "That may be, but know that I will try and do my best to make your life comfortable. I won't ask anything of you that you don't want to."

Akari looked up at his face. "Name."

"Huh?"

"Your name. I might as well know the name of my husband." she said, her voice trailing off angerily towards the end.

"Zaor, prince Zaor."

"Zaor huh, well, goodnight Zaor." Akari said, she turned and looked for someplace to change for bed. She looked back at Zaor. "Um, would you mind turning around please."

Zaor nodded and turned, covering his eyes with his hands. Akari quickly slipped out of her dress and opened her inventory, choosing a nightgown she kept for when she wasn't at home.

"Ok Zaor, you can look now." She said as she turned to approach the bed. It was a massive thing, at least eight foot across and about twelve long. Akari had never seen one this big. She climbed onto it and pushed on it. She found it very soft and comfortable. She lay down and got comfy, then noticed Zaor looking at her.

"What?" She asked.

Zaor blushed bright red. "Um, haha, usually newlyweds consummate their marriage on their wedding night... so..." Akari's face flared bright red and she quickly pulled the covers over her head.

"If you so much as touch me Zaor, then I promise you that a wedding ring isn't going to stop me from burying you alive, understood?" Akari asked, her voice laced with an angry tone.

Zaor nodded. "Completely." He changed himself, much to Akari's embarrassment as she watched, though she didn't say anything. Zaor then climbed into bed with her, making himself comfortable.

"What are you doing?" Akari asked, her face bright red.

Zaor gave her a look. "Like it or not, we're married and this is our bed, not yours, ours, so I intend to sleep in it. Goodnight." He turned so his back was facing her. Akari did the same, and a few minutes later, he was out like a light.

<End Flashback>

Akari looked over Zaor's peacefully sleeping face once more. He had turned over since falling asleep, but asleep he remained. Akari smiled subconsciously as she noticed how cute he looked while sleeping. "Wait... What?" Akari shook her head to clear such silly thoughts from her head. She turned over and faced away from him, settling into a deep and restful sleep. As she did so, a final thought went through her head.

"Who knew that my new husband... would be such a king gentleman."

And that is the end. Ok, another chapter. There will be more, and rest assured, before school starts up again, I will be publishing the final chapter. Hope you all are ready for it. However, as this isn't the final chapter, until next time... BYE!!!!