The tradition was non-negotiable apparently.
Maren had explained it with the specific tone she used for things she knew would be resisted and was presenting anyway. Separate rooms the night before the ceremony. Different wings. No contact until the morning. It was in Cassiel's documentation, it was in Aldric's historical precedent notes, it was in the bonded pair traditions that nobody had used in decades but which everyone had agreed should be observed.
Aelara had looked at Maren and said: "We have the bond. Separate rooms does not mean separate."
Maren had said: "The tradition is about the rooms."
So they had separate rooms.
