Chapter 308
Are you okay now? That’s why you sent me a gift like this? I always heard about you through your father, so I felt a bit upset about you.
While I was carefully stroking the platinum queen, I suddenly recalled a piece of advice that Allendis gave me one day. He pointed out that I seemed to be avoiding the queen unconsciously, then advised me to use it more actively.
Allen, I opened the seal of unconsciousness like you advised on that day. So, I would like to thank you so much, and I feel sorry. I hope you’re doing well until I meet you, and that you are happy, too.
When I was touching the platinum queen in a gloomy mood, a shadow suddenly hung over my head. Even before I raised my head, he quickly pulled me toward him, so I was held in his arms. A smile came to my lips at his familiar body odor.
“Your Majesty.”
“What are you looking at?”
“Oh, it’s a gift from my friend. ”
“I see.”
When I carefully put down the queen, he leaned forward to see me at eye level. My heart pounded when I saw the scarf for a formal dress with the initials embroidered with gold thread. That was my gift! I wish I had made it better.
As I sighed with regret, he said, looking at me for a long time in a calming voice, “What should I do…”
“Pardon? What’s the matter with you?”
“Because you are too beautiful. Even now you are so popular, so I am afraid more and more people will like you if I let you go around. Should I just hide you in the palace, so nobody can see you?”
“Pardon, Your Majesty …”
Fortunately, I was covering my face with a wedding veil. Otherwise, he would have noticed my blushing cheeks.
When I laughed shyly, he held me tight again. My heart began to beat quickly as he touched my face lovingly.
He carefully lifted my wedding veil slowly, with his blue eyes looking straight into my eyes.
My heart started beating fast again. When I saw his passionate look, I felt a thrill. The moment I closed my eyes, a bit nervous as he was about to kiss me, someone broke the silence.
“I’m really sorry, but it’s time you came down now.”
My face blushed.
‘Come to think of it, Lina was here all along!’
I blushed, watching her at a loss about what to do. As if he felt the same way, he broke into a smile, too, looking at her blankly. He was shaking his head, giggling at me.
“Let’s go now.”
“Pardon? Me, too?”
“Of course. Didn’t I tell you I would be with you always? That’s why I am here to pick you up. ”
“Well, but…”
“Shush! Forget about the existing practices. I don’t want you to come a long way alone, bound to that kind of stuff. Now, let’s go. We will be late. ”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
‘How eloquent he is to make my heart thrilled!”
When I held his hand with a smile, the maids, who lined up on both sides, hurriedly held the wedding veil and the back of my dress. Watching them silently, I threw a bouquet. It was a different bouquet from the one originally planned.
“This…?”
“I ordered them to change it.”
I nodded slowly, thinking to myself, ‘I see why he did so.’
Originally, I decided to use a white camellia flower that my mother liked, but the small bouquet that Lina showed was made of silver flowers that bloomed brightly.
Suddenly I recalled what happened last night, namely the white snow field and silver flowers in full bloom under the moonlight, and the young man with blue hair who pledged eternal love to me.
I picked up the bouquet carefully with my heart pounding. Lastly, I checked my dress once more and put down the wedding veil to cover my face. Then, relying on his hand grabbing mine, I went down the stairs carefully.
When I went down from the high spire after a long walk, the priests and lower nobles waiting for us there bowed their heads all at once.
“Long live the emperor!”
“Long live the empress!”
“Long live the empire!”
“Salute to the Sun and the Moon!”
Returning their shouting slightly, I stepped on the blue carpet. When I arrived at the great hall of the temple after passing though the path only the bride could walk, the high priests greeted me and him.
People surprised by my extraordinary actions opened their eyes wide. I sighed somehow.
Now the wedding ceremony has just started. How can I bear the intense look of the priests for a long time?
Although everyone was surprised, the priests in light green and green robes began to sing hymns with a serious expression.
I walked slowly, keeping pace with him while being careful enough to make the long hem and wedding veil dragged on the floor smoothly. When I climbed six more stairs and stood in front of the High Priest, he slowly opened his mouth, with his long white hair hanging down the green cloak.
“May the blessings of life be with you. Father of Life, Lord Vita, the Sun of the glorious empire and the child of your prophecy, soon to be the noble Moon, are standing in front of you. May you bless their union …”
Even while he was reciting the prayer of blessings with a mystical voice, I felt their intense gaze behind my back, but instead of being irritated, the High Priest spoke with a solemn expression after finishing the short congratulatory message.
“Rublis Kamaludin Shana Castina, the Sun of the empire, do you take Aristia Pioneer la Monique as your wife and swear to love, comfort, respect and keep from this day forward, for better, for worse, in happiness and sadness until you are parted by death?”
“I swear.”
“Aristia Pioneer la Monique, do you take His Majesty, Emperor Rublis Kamaludin Shana Castina, the 34th Sun of the empire, as your husband, and love, comfort, respect and keep from this day forward, for better, for worse, in happiness and sadness until you are parted by death?”
“I swear.”
When he and I were done swearing the short but very heavy oath, a senior priest who approached us cautiously opened a gorgeous, cushioned box of jewelry. A diamond ring shining brightly over the blue velvet was revealed.
The High Priest put his hand on the ring and briefly recited the prayer of blessing.
“Please give her the gift, Your Majesty!”
Gently holding my left hand, he slowly put the ring on my finger. I felt a thrill at that moment.
While the High Priest was reading a congratulatory message after holding a white cloth and tying his hand and mine with it, he looked at me, holding my trembling hand tightly. Even though I could not see clearly his navy blue eyes because of the veil, they were pretty heated.
I was thirsty suddenly. And my heart beat fast in nervousness and excitement.
I didn’t remember how the ceremony went. I was so absent-minded that all I remembered was that I barely signed the marriage oath with a trembling hand, the repeated chants and the voice of the High Priest who blessed us by declaring that our union was legal in the name of Vita.Only when the High Priest disappeared after bowing to us and he turned me around did I realize that it was time to exit.
“Aristia Pioneer la Monique, my vower, and my only partner, I hereby give you the title of the empress and the honorable last name of Castina, as you’re the greatest woman, the noblest woman, the most shining woman and the most beloved woman of the empire. May the blessings of Vita and the Sun be with you!”
“Your Majesty?”
I opened my eyes wide in surprise. He was as surprised as I was. People who were supposed to recite the congratulatory message after him remained silent. They could understand he described me as his only partner as it was a customary title, but they could probably not understand what the heck “my vower” meant.
“Why did you use that expression…”
“Shush! That’s fine,” he said, stretching his hand to touch my lips. After looking at me for a long time, he kissed my face after removing the veil covering my face when they stopped whispering. I was relieved by his natural actions. When I looked up with a shy smile, he also had a smile.
With the orchestra playing magnificently, the bell rang throughout the capital to announce our marriage. After confirming that the maids lifted the hem of my dress, I looked up at him receiving white gloves from the servant.