Chapter 139
A woman in immaculate priestess robes walked towards the chapel.
The holy knights followed her solemnly, armed and vigilant.
Since the Holy King himself was attending the event, the Seat Guard was involved.
"... Has the entrance of the guests been completed?"
"The number of attendees exceeded our expectations, so entry has been restricted. Currently, only nobles with status have entered the chapel."
"How about the groom and bride?"
"They are waiting in the prayer room, dressed in their ceremonial attire and with their wedding gifts prepared."
Hapnen, after busy preparations for the wedding, was now finally moving together with the Holy King.
At the Ergnate Grand Cathedral, the Holy King would be officiating the rite of matrimony.
Thus, as the Third Holy Apostle, hapnen was assisting the Holy King in the conduct of duty.
"Are the First Apostle and Second Apostle still conducting inspections?"
"They should return before the ceremony begins... Ah, they have just arrived in front of the chapel."
The woman noticed the two and slowly came to a stop.
Berhan and Ronit faced the Holy King and showed polite respect.
"How did the inspection go?"
"We confirmed there were no issues and delegated further responsibilities to the commander of the holy knights."
"In that case, we will begin the rite of matrimony. From this moment, no one is to enter the chapel."
"I will carry out your command."
The woman left a portion of the Seat Guard behind and crossed the threshold of the chapel.
At the same time, the Seat Guard spread out, forming a wide cordon and soon surrounding the chapel entirely.
Berhan and Ronit immediately followed her, scanning the interior of the chapel as they went.
"Hm hm... His Excellency the Holy King has arrived here, following the radiance."
Hapnen recited a unique phrase as he guided the woman forward.
At that moment, the guests rose from their seats and gently bowed their heads.
Escorted by the Seat Guard, the woman at last ascended the dais, albeit belatedly.
Berhan and Ronit moved to either side of the dais and soon stood at attention.
"I am Yuena Jeremut, 10th Holy King of the Semerune Holy Order. As I will be officiating the rite of matrimony for Alter Radiant and Brillie Illenat, I have appeared in person. Distinguished guests, please be seated."
Yuena surveyed the surroundings and calmly continued speaking.
The guests immediately sat down, and neither the clergy nor the holy knights moved a muscle.
Hapnen glanced around briefly to gauge the atmosphere, then carefully opened his mouth to speak.
"I will now give a brief introduction of the groom and bride. The groom, Alter Radiant, is a scion of the Grand Duke Radiant's House, a descendant of the commander in chief of the Northern Army, an honorary official who helped restore the Imperial Household, is known to possess the ability of a great mage, and is celebrated as a hero who vanquished a dragon."
Hapnen made this declaration in a single breath, pausing only briefly afterward.
It was a common practice at weddings to introduce the groom and bride in this way.
By citing their accomplishments and honors to date, the tone and dignity of the wedding were elevated.
"Hm hm... The bride, Brillie, is the lord's daughter of Duke Illenat's House, continues the bloodline of a founding contributor, is an honorary official who helped restore the Imperial Household, made her name widely known as the Sword Flower, and is also celebrated as a hero who vanquished a dragon. In short, both the groom and bride have dedicated themselves to safeguarding the Agnes Empire."
Hapnen kept glancing at Yuena with a sidelong glance as he reviewed the order of ceremony.
With the formalities roughly concluded, it was time to bring in the groom and bride.
After that would be the wedding vows, and the Holy King's blessing and words of encouragement would mark the conclusion.
"The Grand Duke Radiant's House and Duke Illenat's House are both venerable families, recognized by the very first Emperor of the Agnes Empire. As their bloodlines have endured to this day, is it not natural that the groom and bride have accomplished such significant achievements?"
Zair and Cadeon turned to look at each other.
This had been a political marriage meant to benefit each family, but even that pretense was fading now.
Alter and Brillie had grown closer in a way that exceeded expectations.
"There is more I could say, but let us end here. This occasion is for the groom and bride, and His Excellency the Holy King is personally officiating the rite of matrimony, is it not?"
Hapnen smoothly advanced the schedule, locking eyes with Yuena.
No matter how important formality and dignity might be, dragging out a wedding excessively would be inappropriate.
Besides, the bride's side had requested for a succinct ceremony, so some cooperation was only fair.
"We will now begin the rite of matrimony for Alter Radiant and Brillie. Groom, Alter Radiant, please enter the chapel."
At Hapnen's announcement, the notes of an organ and horn began to play.
The doors opened, and Alter appeared.
Conscious of the guests, Alter walked calmly down the center of the chapel.
His wedding attire was much stiffer than his usual formal wear, but it wasn't so uncomfortable as to prevent him from moving.
"Hm hm... Bride, Brillie, please enter the chapel."
Brillie, albeit belatedly, began to walk towards the dais.
This time, instead of a suit, she wore a pure white dress with a veil draped over her braided hair.
Clergy followed, lifting the train of Brillie's gown so it trailed gracefully behind her.
"Groom and bride, bow to each other."
Alter and Brillie gazed at each other for a while before finally bowing their heads.
Perhaps out of nervousness, no other thoughts entered their minds.
For the moment, they just needed to follow the ceremonial steps carefully.
"His Excellency the Holy King will now verify the wedding vows of the groom and bride."
Yuena looked between the two, her gaze radiating sacredness.
This was her first time officiating a rite of matrimony since being instated as Holy King.
Without their help, the Semerune Holy Order would have been tarnished with infamy and disgrace.
Moreover, both had achieved great accomplishments at a young age; they truly merited their places as people of virtue.
"... Marriage is a pledge to take responsibility for each other's lives. It is not to be taken lightly; it is bound by grave responsibility. That is why divorce is not permitted easily."
"......."
"Instead of seeking happiness through marriage, you must approach it with the willingness to sacrifice for your companion. Happiness cannot be obtained without cost. You must work for each other in order to cultivate happiness."
"...."
"So I ask you. Groom, Alter Radiant, will you take responsibility for the bride?"
"Yes."
"Bride, Brillie, will you take responsibility for the groom?"
"Yes."
"May you not forget your present intentions. Marriage starts out of love, but is concluded through faith. If you hold that faith deep in your hearts, you will surely be granted eternal happiness."
With a gentle smile, Yuena lifted the weight from the two of them.
She had long known that this was a political marriage arrangement.
However, considering all they had survived together on the battlefield, it was likely some trust between them had been forged.
"I, jeremut, 10th Holy King of the Semerune Holy Order, praise the radiance in place of the Goddess Semerune. May her radiance guide these two glorious individuals along the right path, and may she surely deliver them from all adversity. As the two have faithfully served the Goddess Semerune, they are worthy of receiving the grace of her radiance. Goddess Semerune, please watch over these two glorious people and grant them a resplendent miracle."
Alter and Brillie listened quietly, unable to fully suppress their complicated emotions.
Once the wedding vows ended, the marriage would be fully confirmed.
They would now be joined as husband and wife, companions for life.
"It has now been proven that these two have become one through the rite of matrimony. I, Yuena Jeremut, as the officiant, publicly declare their marriage accomplished."
As Yuena finished speaking, the organ and horn blended in harmony.
The guests responded with thunderous applause, and the chapel interior became quite lively.
Nonetheless, Alter and Brillie remained stiff, only stealing glances at each other.
"... As a pledge, groom and bride, please exchange your wedding gifts."
Two clergy knelt down on either side of the couple.
Raising stands high, they presented them to Alter and Brillie.
On each stand was a gem-set ring.
"Groom, please present your gift to the bride first."
Alter slowly picked up a ring and took Brillie's left hand.
He slid the ring onto her lace-covered ring finger.
"Now, bride, please present your gift to the groom."
Brillie grasped the ring and lifted Alter's left hand.
She nearly lost her grip but managed, with effort, to place the ring on his ring finger.
"With this, the marriage is now official, and the bond of husband and wife has been formed. The Semerune Holy Order, as true guarantors, affirms this as fact."
Hapnen, only after reciting the final sentence, realized the ceremony was truly over.
Weddings of this scale were rare and always felt rather novel.
But as it was the wedding of Alter Radiant and Brillie, he couldn't help but feel somewhat proud.
'May the radiance of Semerune shine on their future.'
* * *
Brillie changed into formal wear as she prepared for her honeymoon.
She wasn't planning on venturing far from the capital.
On the contrary, she would probably just travel to a city or tourist spot near the capital for a short while.
'We really did get married...'
Brillie carefully gazed down at the ring on her left hand.
It was the wedding ring Alter himself had placed on her finger.
Just this ring alone was proof enough that she was legally Alter Radiant's wife.
'What should I call him now? I can't keep calling him Lord Alter, can I?'
Brillie thought over it, unable to come to a quick decision.
Though there were many ways to address him, she couldn't predict how Alter would respond.
Even if he was younger than her, shouldn't she treat him as her husband?
'Sometimes I refer to him as "you," but... is that really okay?'
Brillie looked back on her past with a hint of regret.
It was a completely acceptable term, but in reality, Alter had only ever called her "Lady Brillie."
Maybe she should have used the same title for him, just like he had for her.
'I have no idea how to spend the wedding night. What if the same thing happens as last time...?'
Anxiety twisted Brillie's expression.
Last time, she had been emboldened by drink and acted impulsively, while Alter hadn't responded well.
Maybe she was reacting even more sensitively because things had ended so ambiguously before.
'Is it alright to have a child now? Is it enough to just have one? Ugh...'
Brillie became wrapped in even deeper concern.
Because she couldn't be sure about anything, her hesitation only grew.
It felt like the burden was too great to just act thoughtlessly.
'I'll think about it after we leave. Maybe an answer will come to me later.'
-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------=
Finally, they got wedded at last...
【ദ്ദി(⩌ᴗ⩌)】