Return of the General's Daughter-Chapter 579: Bener and Shaya’s Ending 2

"Brother, where are you going?" Lara demanded, stepping into Bener’s path and barring the corridor.

Bener halted, his jaw set. "Sister, I intend to fight for the woman I love. Shaya loves me—and I love her."

"I know," Lara said, lowering her voice but not her resolve. "But this is the Duke’s manor. Use your head. You cannot simply storm into a lady’s boudoir as if rules and reputation mean nothing." Her tone carried both reprimand and worry.

Bener exhaled sharply and looked away. Hadn’t Alaric once climbed the windows of Helian Manor just to steal a glimpse of her, sneaking past their parents without a shred of propriety? Why, then, was it suddenly improper when he dared to follow his heart?

Before he could respond, Gideon’s voice cut through the tension.

"Father," he said calmly, "perhaps it is time to present the list of betrothal gifts." His gaze flicked toward Duke Kassius. "After all, wasn’t the Duke eager to elevate his bloodline by marrying into royalty?" He paused, then added with deliberate weight, "The Duke may not yet realize that my brother is the brother-in-law of the Emperor of Azurverda."

The effect was immediate.

Duke Kassius’s face froze. Then his eyes bulged, gleaming with sudden calculation. The goblet in his hand slipped free, crashing to the floor, but he barely noticed.

"Emperor?" he breathed. "You mean—the Emperor?" His gaze snapped to Bener, no longer appraising him as a suitor but as a vault of untold wealth and power. "This young man is the brother-in-law of the Emperor himself?"

General Odin watched the Duke carefully, missing nothing.

So this is the measure of the man, Odin thought coldly. Gold before honor. Power before principle. Kassius had not once asked whether it was what Shaya wanted or whether she was happy. He was only concerned if the match would profit him. Odin’s jaw tightened. A father who barters his daughter like merchandise deserves neither respect nor mercy.

"You heard correctly, Duke," Odin said evenly. "The Emperor is my son-in-law." He extended his hand, offering a neatly bound list. "These are our betrothal gifts."

Duke Kassius accepted it with shaking hands. His eyes devoured the contents line by line, lips moving as he tallied the value in his mind.

When the chests were brought in, his restraint shattered entirely.

Gold gleamed beneath the sunlight. Rare silks spilled over polished wood. Novel items were laid before him. But when Kassius saw the deed to a Southridge manor and ownership of two prime shops at the very heart of Azurverda, his breath hitched.

A manor. Two shops. Permanent revenue. His pulse thundered. My name will be spoken in the capital. My grandchildren will dine with the Emperor, the Empress, princes, and princesses.

He could already envision his influence multiplying—alliances bending toward him, rivals bowing, doors once barred now flung wide.

Refuse this? He would be a fool.

Duke Kassius straightened, smoothing his robes, his smile stretching too wide, too eager. "Ah—my esteemed in-law," he said, voice dripping with false warmth. "How could I ever deny such a union?" He gestured expansively. "Your son clearly dotes on Shaya, and the girl herself has been most troublesome in her refusal to marry the Fifth Prince." He chuckled as if indulging a child. "I would be a villain to break apart such young love and sweet love."

"Since Shaya insists her heart belongs to Bener," Kassius continued, "who am I to stand in their way?" His smile sharpened. "I accept the proposal."

Odin’s eyes narrowed. Earlier, he called his daughter troublesome for having a will of her own.

"Good," Odin said shortly. At least his greed makes him predictable, he thought. And predictable men are easily controlled.

"Please, General," Kassius said hurriedly, suddenly all deference. "Come inside. Sit. Servants—bring wine, sweets, the best we have!"

As they moved, Odin spoke again, his tone measured. "You mentioned earlier that the Fifth Prince would soon arrive for the engagement."

"Oh, that?" Kassius waved a dismissive hand. "A trivial inconvenience. I will have my wife notify the palace at once. The Fifth Prince will find another bride." His lips curled faintly. "Noble ladies are plentiful. I have a niece even younger than Shaya."

Odin hummed in acknowledgment, though his thoughts were sharp.

A man who would discard a prince today will betray an emperor tomorrow, he mused. I must ensure Shaya is well shielded—from her enemies... and from her own father.

...

Three days after the Norses proposed marriage, the bells of the basilica rang at dawn—deep, resonant peals that rolled through marble streets and gilded spires, calling nobles and commoners alike toward the Grand Basilica of Samara.

A masterpiece of Westalis gothic architecture, the Basilica of Samara rose like a promise against the sky. Its iconic eastern façade with twin towers, elaborate portals featuring sculptures and stunning rose windows, all supported by innovative flying buttresses that allow for lighter walls and immense stained glass, creating a balance of verticality and earthly grandeur with grotesque gargoyles and decorative chimeras on its ridges.

At the altar stood Bener, beside his brother Gideon.

He wore ceremonial royal blue edged in silver, the colors of valor and royalty, yet his hands trembled faintly at his sides. Not from fear—but from nervousness. I am finally marrying her, he thought.

General Odin stood a step behind him, broad and unyielding, a silent pillar of strength. His sharp gaze swept the basilica, noting every entrance, every whisper. No ambush. No insult. No last-minute interference. He would allow nothing to mar this day.

Then the music began.

A hush fell over the gathered court as the great doors opened.

Shaya entered, flanked by her mother at her left clad in her princess regalia.

Duke Kassius was walking on her right, robed in heavy finery, his eyes glinting as they swept the assembly. He smiled broadly at the assembled nobility, already imagining how this marriage would elevate his standing. The Emperor’s circle, he mused.

A collective breath was drawn and held.

Shaya wore an ivory silk embroidered with celestial thread, the fabric flowing like liquid silver light of the moon. A thin circlet rested upon her dark hair, regal yet straightforward, and a veil fell softly down her back. But it was her expression that stilled the room—calm, resolute, radiant with quiet joy.

Bener’s breath caught.

She is more beautiful than any dream, he thought, his heart pounding as she walked toward him, each step measured, unwavering.

Netser, standing at the side, released a heavy sigh, and a momentary sadness flickered in his eyes, but was soon replaced by a heartfelt joy. For as long as she is happy, that is enough for me.

Krista, standing at Netser’s side, noticed the brief stillness that came over him—the way his gaze drifted to the bride. She said nothing. Instead, she shifted closer, close enough that her sleeve brushed his arm.

The small contact grounded him.

Netser looked down at her, surprise flickering across his features before softening into something warmer, more unguarded. His smile lingered, slow and genuine, as though he had only just realized how near she was—and how much he welcomed it. 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Krista met his eyes for a heartbeat longer than propriety required, her lips curving faintly in return, a quiet understanding passing between them before they both looked away.

Shaya reached the altar and lifted her gaze to Bener. For a moment, the world narrowed to just the two of them.

The high priest stepped forward and administered the marriage rite..

Golden light poured through the arched windows as the bride and groom’s hands were joined, the sacred cord wrapped gently around their wrists—a symbol of unity, of two paths made one.

"By vow and witnesses," the high priest declared, "I pronounce you bound in matrimony. What the heavens have joined, no man shall sever."

For a heartbeat, silence reigned. Then the bells rang again—joyful, triumphant.

Bener lifted the veil, his touch reverent, and kissed Shaya as the basilica erupted in applause. Cheers echoed off stone and archways, and petals rained down from the gallery above.

As Bener and Shaya turned to face the crowd as husband and wife, they turned toward the future, hand in hand beneath the soaring arches, the capital bore witness to more than a wedding.

It witnessed the union of hearts—and the beginning of two lives becoming one—a love that would conquer future tribulations.