Chapter 186: Wedding ceremony
The faint scent of burnt amber and black pepper reached Yuki again, carrying the lingering trace of cigarette smoke. She shifted slightly in her seat, trying to put some distance between them without drawing attention to herself. Kaden noticed the movement. His sapphire eyes flickered towards her for the briefest moment before returning to the altar. Neither of them said a word.
Then Killian glanced down at his wristwatch, his brows drawing together slightly.
"The time," he muttered under his breath.
Kaden followed his gaze towards the clock mounted above the cathedral doors. The second hand moved steadily around the face. One second. Two. Three. Yuki found herself watching it without realising she had stopped breathing. The second hand finally reached twelve.
A deep chime rolled through the cathedral, followed by another and another until the final stroke of midnight faded beneath the high vaulted ceiling. The room fell completely silent. Even the restless murmurs from the guests disappeared as everyone turned towards the enormous doors.
On cue, the orchestra began to play. The first notes of the wedding march drifted through the cathedral, soft and delicate at first, before swelling into a rich melody that seemed to fill every corner of the vast hall. Alexander straightened beside the altar, his shoulders squaring as every eye turned towards the entrance.
The enormous doors opened slowly. White light spilled through the opening, illuminating the beginning of the aisle before a figure appeared beneath the archway.
Aevia.
Yuki’s breath caught. Her sister stood beneath the doorway in a breathtaking white gown, one hand wrapped around a delicate bouquet of white roses and moon lilies. Her veil fell over her face, sheer enough to reveal the elegant outline of her features while leaving a veil of mystery between her and the watching crowd.
Diamonds and sapphires had been sewn throughout the gown, each stone catching the light whenever she moved. The sapphire accents shimmered against the white fabric, echoing the heirloom she wore and making her appear almost otherworldly.
For a moment, Yuki forgot to blink. Aevia looked less like a bride and more like something carved from moonlight and given life. Beside her, Declan had fallen completely silent. Even his usual polite smile had disappeared as he watched Aevia begin her walk towards Alexander. Across the cathedral, Estelle stared at the bride, her fingers slowly curling into the fabric of her gown.
The lights dimmed one by one until the cathedral was almost swallowed by darkness. Only the crystal lamps positioned at the end of each row remained illuminated, creating a glowing path towards the altar. Beyond it, the tall glass windows revealed the night sky, and the pale moonlight poured through them, bathing the altar in silver. Alexander stood directly beneath that light. The contrast made him look almost untouchable.
Aevia’s eyes lifted beneath her veil, and the moment her gaze met his, something in the cathedral seemed to still. The orchestra continued playing, but no one moved. No one spoke.
There was only the bride walking towards the man waiting for her. Her heels touched the polished floor with measured steps, the sound almost lost beneath the music. Her train followed behind her, sliding over the aisle as the diamonds and sapphires scattered across the fabric caught every passing glow. Each step sent another shimmer across her gown.
Yuki watched her sister with a strange tightness in her chest. She had seen Aevia countless times. She had seen her laughing, crying, arguing and exhausted after long days. She had seen the woman beneath the title and the crown. Yet tonight, under the moonlight, she looked completely different. Like a Goddess.
And for reasons Yuki couldn’t explain, the sight suddenly reminded her of a strange man. The thought startled her so badly that she blinked. Why would she think that? She quickly pushed the thought aside and focused on Aevia again.
The aisle beneath her was covered in red petals. Thousands of them had been scattered across the polished floor, creating a path that looked almost like a sea of blood beneath the moonlight. Then Yuki noticed the brazier. At the foot of the altar stood a large ceremonial brazier filled with glowing coals.
Heat shimmered above it, carrying the faint scent of smoke through the cathedral. Yuki’s fingers tightened around the edge of her seat. The test. The chosen bride had to cross the sacred brazier. The fire was meant to reveal the Goddess’s will. If the bride’s dress caught fire, even a single spark, it meant the union had been rejected by the Goddess.
Aevia reached the brazier. She slowed. For the first time since entering the cathedral, Yuki saw hesitation flicker across her sister’s face. Aevia drew in a long breath beneath her veil, then stepped forward. The music continued for another few seconds. Her foot crossed. Then the rest of her followed. The white train drifted over the glowing coals.
The orchestra abruptly stopped. Silence crashed over the cathedral. Yuki stopped breathing. No one moved. The entire hall seemed to be waiting for the same thing. The train passed over the brazier. Kaden’s fingers curled, half expecting the dress to spark, but unfortunately for him, it didn’t happen.
Nothing happened. There wasn’t a single spark or flame. Not even a scorch mark. Aevia had crossed safely.
A breath escaped Yuki before she realised she had been holding it. "Thank Goddess," she whispered beneath her breath.
A soft click of the tongue came from beside her. ’You must be so happy.’
Yuki froze. The voice hadn’t come from Kaden’s lips. It had come from inside her head. Her eyes widened as she slowly turned towards him. Kaden remained facing the altar, his expression perfectly composed. The mind link. The bond was broken. So why could she still hear him?
Yuki’s brows knitted together as irritation replaced her surprise. She scoffed silently and turned her attention back towards Aevia, deliberately refusing to answer him. Kaden’s lips twitched faintly. He said nothing more.
At the altar, Reed leaned towards Alexander and murmured something beneath his breath. Alexander’s eyes briefly shifted towards him before he gave a small nod. Reed stepped away from the king and moved towards the edge of the altar, leaving Alexander alone as Aevia finally reached him. Alexander extended his hand. Aevia placed hers in his. His large fingers closed gently around hers, careful despite the strength in his grip. He leaned towards her, lowering his voice so only she could hear.
"You look like a Goddess," he breathed.
Something flickered behind Aevia’s eyes. Then her lips curved into a teasing smile.
"Should I call you a god, then?" she whispered back.
A rare smile touched Alexander’s lips. Yuki nearly stared. Alexander rarely smiled. When he did, the change was almost devastating. The hard lines of his face softened, making him look younger and far more approachable.
Aevia seemed equally affected. Her eyes lingered on his face for a moment before she looked away, clearly trying not to smile too widely. Alexander’s hand tightened gently around hers as he guided her up the remaining steps towards the altar.
Then the last of the crystal lights went out. Darkness swallowed the cathedral. Only the moonlight remained. It poured through the enormous glass windows behind the altar, washing over the couple in a pale silver glow. Every diamond on Aevia’s gown caught the light.
The sapphires glittered against the white fabric, while the jewellery around her neck and wrists scattered tiny reflections across the altar. Even Alexander’s ceremonial robes shimmered beneath the moonlight. For several seconds, the scene looked almost sacred.
Then a priestess stepped forward. She wore a long golden robe embroidered with intricate symbols of the Moon Goddess. Her silver hair was braided down her back, and a delicate crescent-shaped crown rested against her forehead. She raised her hands, and the murmurs in the cathedral disappeared completely.
"We are here tonight to witness the union of two souls who have chosen each other and decided that they are worthy of sharing the sacred bond," she announced, her voice carrying clearly through the vast hall. "Marriage is not merely a promise of happiness. It is a journey through joy and pain, prosperity and hardship, devotion and sacrifice."
Her gaze moved between Alexander and Aevia.
"It is a journey the Moon Goddess normally chooses for us."
Something complicated flickered across Alexander’s eyes. The priestess paused.
"But there are times when the Goddess fails to choose for us."
A murmur almost stirred through the crowd before dying beneath the priestess’s stern gaze. She turned slightly and gave a subtle nod towards one of the younger priestesses. The woman immediately stepped forward. In her hands was an intricate silver box decorated with tiny crescent moons. She approached the altar and lowered herself onto one knee before carefully opening it. Inside lay a long cord woven entirely from pure silver. Aevia’s fingers tightened around her bouquet.
The priestess lifted the cord and continued, her voice solemn.
"Before we continue to seal these two souls in marriage, one final question must be asked." She turned towards the congregation. "Is there anyone present who has reason to believe these two should not be joined?"
Silence. Absolute silence. No one moved. Aevia’s grip tightened around the bouquet until her knuckles turned pale beneath her gloves. Alexander remained beside her, his expression unreadable as every pair of eyes in the cathedral waited for someone to speak.