"One more thing," Orion added, causing Merida to cautiously raise her head, her curiosity piqued. She awaited his next words with a sense of anticipation.
"I need something that will guarantee you'll keep your promise and not break it," he continued.
Merida's eyes sparkled with realization. She released a deep sigh and nodded in understanding.
Slowly, she reached for the waistband of her panties, attempting to pull them down.
However, before she could complete the action, Orion immediately caught her hand, holding it firmly in his grasp. Merida raised her head, a puzzled expression on her face, as she looked at him.
"Not that," Orion sighed. Since she was going to become his wife soon, he had no use for her panties when he could have the real thing.
He cleared his throat slightly and raised his other hand to gently touch the side of her lips.
"Where I come from, when two people promise to get married in the future, they seal the pact with a kiss to become each other's spouses," Orion explained.
He watched as Merida's eyes lit up, and she immediately nodded in understanding. Before Orion could take the lead, Merida boldly stepped forward and pressed her lips against his.
Orion's eyes widened immediately at the sudden and unexpected kiss before he slowly embraced the soft touch of her lips. Sensing that she might pull away too soon, Orion, unwilling to end the kiss prematurely, wrapped his hand around her waist and drew her closer to his chest.
"Hhhmm!" Merida initially tried to break free, noticing that other guests were slowly making their way out of the grand hall.
However, realizing she couldn't resist Orion's strength, she decided to go along with it.
She parted her lips and began to gently respond to his kisses. Although she was a bit inexperienced, she allowed Orion to take the lead, following his actions with growing enthusiasm.
Orion, however, seized the opportunity to slide his hands under the little dress at her hip level and grasped a handful of her petite perky ass.
The sensation of touching the fabric of her panties, along with the softness of her charming buttocks, tempted him to explore further. But Orion was aware that time was limited, so after indulging in the feeling for a moment, he retracted his hands, releasing Merida from his embrace. She slowly pulled back her head and took deep, rapid breaths.
Seeing her bewildered expression, Orion, whose skills were honed to perfection through his interactions with his wives, could easily discern what was going on in her mind.
He leaned in gently towards her ear and whispered, "Don't worry. Tomorrow, I'll make you my wife, and you'll get to enjoy this experience to the fullest."
Meanwhile, Merida couldn't help but stare at Orion, utterly dumbfounded, as various thoughts raced through her mind.
'Are men supposed to be this assertive?' Merida wondered as Orion withdrew his lips from her ear. His actions had taken her by surprise because of his overwhelming dominance.
'Are people from outside the mountain really so different from us?' Merida pondered once more.
She began to reevaluate her previous thoughts about Orion to ensure she truly understood the kind of man she would be marrying.
Orion leaned in once more and kissed Merida on the cheek, pulling her out of her daze.
He whispered, "See you tomorrow," then turned and headed towards the royal carriage waiting for his departure.
Meanwhile, onlookers who had paused to witness their intimate interaction couldn't help but whisper to each other in surprise about the scene they had just witnessed.
Hearing their murmurs, Orion realized that, unlike in his village, a kiss held a similar significance, if not exactly the same, as it did in his former world.
He had already confirmed this when he kissed Elysia and expertly turned the tables when she attempted to take him forcefully. Now, seeing the same reaction from Merida only solidified this idea in his mind.
Soon, he arrived at the carriage, where the coachman professionally opened the door for him and closed it securely after he had entered. Orion settled himself comfortably in a seat opposite the king and queen.
"So, what did the Luminaris clan's eldest heiress want to talk to you about?" Queen Selene asked, her curiosity evident.
"It was about the agreement," Orion responded, his tone earnest.
"Oh! Did she want you to annul it in exchange for something else, or perhaps threaten you?" Queen Selene asked, her eyes narrowing as she awaited Orion's response.
"No," Orion shook his head in response. "She did none of that. She wanted me to keep to our initial agreement, which was that if I won, then I would leave her sister and only take her as a wife," he explained.
Queen Selene nodded in understanding. "And what was your response? Did you agree to it? Remember, you can still have the second heiress of the Luminaris Clan become your wife if you wish to because you are not breaking any agreement since you also won against her," Queen Selene pointed out.
While Orion was taken aback by the woman's unexpected matchmaking efforts involving another clan's heir, he quickly discerned her ulterior motive. This appeared to be her opportunity to eliminate one of the clan heirs and expand the reach of the Crystalforge Clan.
"I believe it would be more complicated if I insisted on marrying Maya Luminous. So, I've decided to stay with Merida and further develop our relationship in the future," Orion responded.
While King Brylon idly listened to the conversation between Orion and his wife, his thoughts wandered to the various affairs he would have to handle upon returning to the castle. On the other hand, Queen Selene's lips pursed slightly upon hearing Orion's response.
Just a few hours ago, she had thought that he wanted to marry both heiresses of the Luminaris clan, but it seemed that this was not the case.
Nevertheless, she nodded quietly in understanding to avoid making her intentions too obvious.
