Miss Carina seemed to be in a good mood. She glanced at Resia, who was dressed as a bridesmaid. Although she didn't know what had just happened, she guessed what Resia was doing when she saw the seat near Shade.
"Good afternoon, little Leicia."
She maintained an elegant smile, and the bright red dress set off her beauty. And Leisia, wearing a bridesmaid dress, also maintained the elegance of a royal lady:
"Good afternoon, Great-Aunt Carina."
In the church where the wedding was to be held, both of them restrained their emotions, and on the surface everything seemed to be in accordance with etiquette. Leicia quickly walked back to the door, where she should stay with today's bride.
Miss Carina turned her head and watched Lecia leave, then glanced around. She did not look for other seats in the first three rows reserved for members of the royal family. Instead, after greeting Shad, she sat on the other side of the aisle, next to Miss Sylvia.
In this way, the two great witches from the Witch Council sat together.
Of course Tifa didn't have a seat, so after making sure Miss Carina had found a seat, she temporarily left the hall and waited outside. There was still some time before the wedding started, and in the slightly brisk tune of "Summer Grass", Shad wanted to continue chatting with Dorothy, but he didn't expect Dorothy to start a conversation with Princess Margaret.
The princess of Carsenrick had also learned the Draerion language, so she knew the Tobesk writer who had recently become famous. They talked happily, and Dorothy even pulled Shade into the conversation.
Although Shad had met the princess before in Huntington, he still pretended to meet her for the first time and complimented her on her beautiful attire according to social etiquette. Princess Margaret first thanked Shad for his gift yesterday, then praised Shad and Dorothy, and even mentioned that Shad's formal suit looked pretty good.
She suddenly blinked her eyes and said jokingly:
"I met another gentleman from Delarion at a farewell dinner in Huntington. He was wearing a formal suit of similar fabric and craftsmanship. It seems that this is the fashion in Tobesk this winter."
She probably didn't realize what this "coincidence" meant, but Xia De almost broke out in a cold sweat. The suit that was damaged by lightning at the farewell party last Saturday, like the suit he wore today, was custom-made for him by Leixia.
Fortunately, the topic soon passed over here, and Dorothy cleverly talked about literature with this foreign lady.
In order to prevent himself from revealing any flaws, Xia De took the initiative to withdraw from the conversation between the two ladies. But sitting there in a daze was not a good idea, so while more guests were coming in, he stood up and walked to the other side of the aisle and said to Miss Sylvia:
"Ma'am, are you Miss Emma Sylvia?"
"Sir, do you know me?"
Miss Sylvia asked hesitantly, with a cooperative expression of social aversion on her face, while Miss Carina next to her smiled.
"Yes, I have read your paper. You left a photo when you attended the Yalta Mathematics Summit two years ago."
Xia De said as planned. This is the method prepared by the witches so that Xia De can reasonably understand Miss Sylvia:
"I have always admired your academic achievements and I have been reading your papers. I didn't expect that you would come to Tobesk with Her Highness Margaret."
"This is Knight Hamilton of Rejade."
Miss Carina started to introduce them. Shade reached out to shake hands with Miss Sylvia, but the latter hesitated and refused to extend her hand, so Miss Carina tried to smooth things over again:
"Knight, this Miss Sylvia from Carsenrick is Princess Margaret's mathematics teacher. If you have any questions you want to ask, you can wait until the banquet tonight."
"Yes, I do have some questions to ask you."
Shade said softly before bidding farewell to the two ladies and returning to his seat.
"Mr. Hamilton, the teacher has always been rude to men, not because of anything against you."
Princess Margaret, who had seen what had just happened, explained softly, and Shade nodded.
The scene just now was purely performed for the princess. After the brief conversation just now, Shad had reason to continue to know Miss Sylvia, Miss Carina had reason to invite this lady to visit her estate, and Princess Margaret also dispelled her suspicion that Shad suddenly had contact with Miss Sylvia.
All of this was Miss Sylvia's plan. She had originally intended to use it at the banquet at Lakeview Manor tonight, but now was a more appropriate occasion. As soon as Xia De stood up, the two witches immediately cooperated tacitly.
Soon after Shad sat down, the last group of guests arrived at the wedding. The last group of guests were King Larousse and Queen Diana. Their arrival not only made other guests stand up, but also the Duke and Duchess of Asperger, who were sitting on the right side of the first row, stood up to greet them. According to tradition, the first three rows on the right side were all the groom's family members, and the first three rows on the left side were all the bride's family members.
When passing by Shad, the king and queen stopped to talk to Princess Margaret and invited her to sit in the front row, but she refused:
"This is a big day for the Cavendish family. How can I, as an outsider, disturb you?"
She answered gracefully, and her words and addresses were quite appropriate, which made people around her nod their heads continuously.
Of course, His Majesty the King also saw Shad, but he just nodded to him slightly. This did not prevent Shad from seeing the approval in the eyes of the king who was slightly shorter than him. His Majesty the King was very happy that Shad could faithfully complete his task.
After the Queen and the King also took their seats, the guests' voices lowered slightly as the wedding entered the final stages of preparation.
At 1:45 p.m., an old priest wearing a white robe with a huge white dove emblem on his chest walked out from the corridor at the back of the auditorium, adjusted his hat, came to the pulpit, and placed the Peace Church's canon "Code of Peace" in his hands among the flowers.
The wedding of the princess of the country was qualified to have the diocesan bishop as the officiant, but for some reason, in the end they only invited the oldest priest of the Peace Church in the diocese, who was three years older than Father Augustus.
“It’s always so exciting to be at a wedding.”
Most of the conversation was over at this time. Dorothy said softly to Shade. The blonde girl was infected by the atmosphere at the moment. She put her handbag on her legs and looked at the pulpit in front of her and the priest who was making final preparations with shining eyes:
"Shad, your faith is Mr. Dawn, right?"
Dorothy asked suddenly again, and Shad nodded. It was time for little Mia's daily nap, and the cat was now sleeping on Shad's lap.
The blonde murmured:
"I believe in the Lady of Creation, and Leicia believes in the Father of Peace..."
Do you know what she is thinking
The voice in my ear chuckled.
"Of course I know."
Xia De replied in his heart.
At 1:48 in the afternoon, when the gray-haired old priest was officially ready, he suddenly coughed, and the band playing the third to last bar of "To My Love" in the front corner of the church suddenly changed the tune and began to play "Wedding March" smoothly.
The guests all turned around with smiles on their faces and looked towards the door. After a moment, two boys wearing red coats and black leather shoes, who looked only seven or eight years old, walked in shyly from the double doors of the auditorium, which were originally empty. They each carried a basket full of flower petals, and then scattered red, pink and white petals on the red carpet at the door.
"It's started. It's started."
Dorothy said a little excitedly.
When the two little flower girls had scattered two or three handfuls of petals, the groom Randolph Iceberg, wearing a red military uniform, brown leather boots and a tall black bearskin hat, finally appeared at the door.
He had a smile on his face, but he was still a little flustered, and even his limbs were a little stiff, but he still pretended to be calm. The golden ribbon on his shoulders was pulled to his chest, and in addition to the necessary boutonniere for weddings, there were also two small medals on his chest.
As everyone stood up, the groom officially walked onto the red carpet accompanied by the wedding march, accompanied by the chief best man in a black formal suit.
Two boys, probably from the church choir, were scattering flower petals in front, while Mr. Eisberg walked at a moderate pace, giving people a chance to offer their blessings.
Randolph Asberg was wearing a hat, so Shade could not roughly estimate his height, but he was no taller than Shade. His skin was not very smooth, and the distance between his eyes was a little small, but overall, he was a very resolute gentleman.
Amid music and applause, he finally came to the front row at the end of the red carpet with his chief best man. He opened his arms and hugged the Duchess of Asberg, who seemed to be crying. Then he walked up to the podium in front and stood on the left side of the old priest.
“It’s really beautiful.”
Shad heard Dorothy sigh softly.
As the wedding march continued to play, three pairs of best men and bridesmaids appeared at the door and stepped onto the red carpet. Their walking speed and posture were obviously much more normal. Shade only knew one of the three best men, who was a nobleman who had played Rhodes with him before. The three bridesmaids were all Mona Cavendish's sisters, including the sixteen-year-old Ajelina Cavendish. They all wore plain long dresses similar to Resia's, but the style of the long dresses was simpler than that of the chief bridesmaid.
The people who stood up didn't pay much attention to them, because behind the best man and bridesmaids, the ring boys, each holding a ring box, walked in shyly. Then four little girls carrying small baskets, wearing white robes and dressed like little angels, walked in carrying flower baskets.
At this moment, all the gas lamps temporarily hanging outside the windows were turned on, and the light passed through the magnificent stained glass of the church, illuminating the door of the auditorium with colorful rays of light.
With a dull bang, petals and ribbons fluttered above the red carpet. While the "Wedding March" was playing, two musicians in red coats at the door raised their golden trumpets at the same time and blew out loud sounds.
With the sound of the trumpet, the bride, Mona Cavendish, finally appeared. She was wearing a white bridal dress, a silver crown on her head, a pearl necklace on her chest, diamond earrings on her ears, and holding a bouquet of white lilies of the valley in her hands.
The crown even looked more gorgeous than Sister Deverein's eye patch, and the pearl necklace made her skin look so fair.
Her face was filled with a happy smile, and her white wedding dress with folds of skirt made her the most beautiful lady at the moment. Mona Cavendish did not look like Resia, but her nose was very similar to Ajelina's, and her eyes were like the eldest prince that Shad had seen at the station yesterday.
The long red hair was a symbol of the Cavendish royal family. At this time, the long hair was braided into small braids and then woven into a complex pattern at the back of the head.
People clapped their hands. The bride, led by the chief bridesmaid, Leicia, walked on the red carpet with a smile. The hem of her exaggeratedly long dress was held up by eight girls with golden hair, who were also wearing white robes.
The steam pipes that had been laid out in advance were now spraying tiny streams of steam mist from small holes in the ground onto the red carpet. The soft light of noon was shining in from the stained glass windows higher up in the auditorium. In that halo of light, in the sound of the Wedding March, in the envy and blessing gazes, Mona Cavendish walked across the long red carpet, passed everyone who wished her the best, and finally came to the front row of seats.
She hugged her mother, Queen Diana, and then looked at her father, Larus III, the current king of the Kingdom of Delarion.
Unlike the queen who was wiping her tears with a handkerchief, the king had a calm expression:
"Mona, remember to be happy."
He spoke softly, just a few simple words and the bride burst into tears.
The king took the bride's hand and sent her to the high platform behind the pulpit, then turned and left. Leisia stood behind the bride.
"Oh, this is really..."
Dorothy bit her lips slightly, her eyes looked a little dazed. She closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, the cat held by Shad meowed softly, and Little Mia lowered her voice deliberately as if she was afraid of disturbing this sacred moment.
"Lecia?"
As people sat down, Shad asked softly, taking advantage of the sound of the chairs moving. "Dorothy" wiped her eyes and ignored Shad.
"God bless this couple who have been praised and blessed by their relatives and friends as they are united under the holy emblem!"
The old priest announced loudly, on his right was Mona Cavendish holding a bouquet of flowers, and on his left was Randolph Asperger in military uniform.
As the priest announced, the sound of the Wedding March gradually faded, but did not disappear completely:
"In the name of our Lord, the Father of Peace, I bless you. May your marriage be blessed, and may you become servants of God, and obtain eternal happiness in this world in the teachings and grace of peace."
The priest took a deep breath and looked at the people who were already seated:
"Excuse me, is there anyone who objects to this couple's marriage?"
Of course no one would speak at this moment, otherwise the other party would never be able to walk out of the Peace Church alive.
But the old priest still waited for ten seconds, then smiled and said loudly:
"No one objects to this marriage. May God bless everyone. The loving Father will witness everything here and all the vows. Praise the Peaceful Father! Praise War and Peace!"
The wedding tradition of Delarion is quite complicated. The normal process requires the choir to appear and sing hymns of the Peace Church, such as "White Shepherd" or "Song of Peace", but the royal wedding has always been simplified. In order to prevent accidents, the children of the choir did not appear. Instead, the priest read aloud an excerpt from the third chapter of the "Code of Peace" about the Peace Church's view of marriage. During this period, the band played "Song of Peace".
After all this was over, the priest proceeded to the most crucial stage, and people watched the bride and groom behind the pulpit with bated breath:
"In the name of God, I ask you in the presence of the Holy Symbol—"
"Dorothy" quietly took Shad's hand, and Mia climbed onto Shad's shoulders curiously, staring at the priest with her big eyes across the crowd in front.
"Randolph Johnson Asberg, will you take this lady to be your wife, even though she is old and no longer young?"
The priest asked.
Young Mr. Asberg subconsciously looked at the king sitting below, and then quickly spoke:
"Yes, I do. May my loving Father be my witness, I do."
He placed his hand on the Holy Scripture held by the priest. The priest smiled, turned around and asked:
"Mona Fran Cavendish, are you willing to be this gentleman's wife, for richer or poorer, in sickness or death?"
"Yes I do."
There were tears in the corners of her eyes, but a smile on her face, and she stretched out her hand and pressed it on the holy book.
Shad seemed to hear Queen Diana in the front row finally cry, and his hand was tightly held by "Dorothy". "Lecia" behind the bride was looking at her sister with a smile, while among the bridesmaids behind the chief bridesmaid, Ajelina's face looked normal.
Being very curious about the expressions of the witches at this moment, Xia De carefully turned his head slightly and glanced at the other side of the aisle.
Miss Sylvia looked up at the bride and groom who were taking vows in front of her, as if she was doing some academic research. Miss Carina happened to look at Shade at the same moment, and the red-haired witch glared at him for no reason at all.
"Hmm? Did I do something wrong?"
Shad thought to himself, and then heard the priest announce loudly at the climax of the Wedding March:
"My Lord and Father of Peace, bear witness to the validity of this marriage. You have made vows to each other, witnessed by the gods. Please exchange rings with each other. May God bless you. Your marriage has begun. This is a new beginning, a new family, and a new continuation!"
The ring bearer presented the ring, the priest made way, and amid the applause of the people, Mona Asberg and Randolph Asberg looked at each other, and then put the rings on each other's fingers.
The afternoon sun was shining brightly, and the atmosphere in the church hall was lively. There was continuous applause, and everyone was smiling.
Then, as the atmosphere reached a climax, Mr. Asberg hugged his bride and kissed her.
After that, the priest gave a speech and presented church gifts, and the parents of both sides made brief speeches, but Xia De was no longer in the mood to listen to these.
Dorothy suddenly turned around and hugged his neck, then kissed him. Of course, it was not a deep kiss, just a light touch. Not many people noticed this scene, not even Princess Margaret, who was concentrating on watching the stage on the other side of Dorothy, noticed it.
But Shade was sure that the two witches must have noticed it. At least, Miss Carina definitely saw this scene. Shade felt that the other party's eyes seemed to have become real and were "sweeping" him.
The priest's blessing was still ringing in the front. After "Dorothy" kissed Shad, she immediately turned around and continued to look at the people on the stage, as if nothing had happened.
Shade didn't dare to look in the direction of the witches. He could only lower his head and touch his lips. Then he saw the cat lying on his lap twisting its neck and raising its head in an awkward position, looking at him with its big amber eyes:
"Meow!"
Xia De thought he understood Mia's words, so he reached out and scratched its little head. The cat squinted its eyes with an expression of enjoyment, then lay down again with peace of mind, resting its little head on its two furry white front paws.
"Marriage..."
Xia De was thinking during the most exciting last section of the wedding march. When he heard the people around him start clapping again, he also started clapping.
However, when he looked up at Randolph and Mona Asberg holding hands with happy expressions, Shad still pursed his lips and pondered the meaning of love and marriage.
“May God bless them.”
He spoke in a low voice, but the voice was drowned out by the applause from the surroundings.