Steampunk: Sixth Era Epic
Chapter 897 - 897 Wedding in Progress

Miss Galina appeared to be in a good mood. She glanced at Lecia dressed as a bridesmaid. Although she wasn't aware of what had happened just now, seeing the seating arrangement near Shard, she guessed what Lecia was up to.

"Good afternoon, Little Lecia."

She maintained an elegant smile, her scarlet gown exceptionally complementing her beauty today. Lecia, wearing the bridesmaid dress, also retained the elegance of a Royal Lady:

"Good afternoon, Aunt Galina."

In the church hall, where the wedding was about to take place, both restrained their emotions, presenting everything in accordance with etiquette on the surface. Lecia quickly returned to the entrance, where she was supposed to be with today's bride.

Miss Galina turned to watch Lecia leave, then glanced around. Instead of searching for the other seats reserved for the Royal Family in the first three rows, she greeted Shard and sat on the other side of the aisle, beside Miss Sylvia.

Thus, the two Grand Witches from the Witch Council sat together.

Tifa, of course, had no seat. After confirming Miss Galina had found a seat, she temporarily left the hall to wait outside. There was still some time before the wedding commenced. With the somewhat lively tune of "Midsummer Grass," Shard intended to continue chatting with Dorothy, but unexpectedly Dorothy struck up a conversation with Princess Margaret.

The Carsonrick Princess had also studied Delarion, thus knew of the recently famous female writer from Tobesk. They conversed cheerfully, and Dorothy even pulled Shard into the talk.

Although Shard had already interacted with this princess in Huntington City, he still had to pretend it was their first meeting and, following social etiquette, praise her attire's beauty today. Princess Margaret first thanked Shard for yesterday's gift, then praised both Shard and Dorothy, even mentioning Shard's formal attire looked quite impressive.

She suddenly blinked playfully and said:

"At the farewell banquet in Huntington City, I saw another Delarion gentleman in formal attire of similar fabric and craftsmanship. Looks like it's Tobesk's fashion this winter."

She likely didn't realize what this "coincidence" represented, but cold sweat almost rolled down Shard's forehead. The outfit he wore last Saturday at the farewell banquet, damaged by a lightning strike, was similar to today's attire, both custom-made by Lecia.

Fortunately, the topic quickly shifted away, and Dorothy skillfully engaged the foreign lady in a conversation about literature.

To prevent further slips, Shard voluntarily withdrew from the ladies' conversation. But sitting there idly wasn't a good idea either, so as guests continued to enter, he stood up and moved to the other side of the aisle, saying to Miss Sylvia:

"Madam, are you Miss Emma Sylvia?"

"Sir, do you know me?"

Miss Sylvia hesitantly asked, her face cooperating with an expression of disdain for socializing, while Miss Galina beside her smiled.

"Yes, I have read your papers. You left a photo when you attended the Yalta Mathematics Summit two years ago."

Shard said as planned. This was the witches' preparation, allowing Shard a reasonable way to know Miss Sylvia:

"I've always admired your academic achievements, and I've been reading your papers. I never expected you'd come to Tobesk with Her Highness Margaret."

"This is Rejed's Hamilton Knight."

Miss Galina introduced. Shard extended his hand to shake hands with Miss Sylvia, but she hesitated and didn't reach out, so again, Miss Galina mediated:

"Knight, Miss Sylvia from Carsonrick here is Princess Margaret's mathematics teacher. If you have questions to ask, you can do so at tonight's banquet."

"Indeed, I do have some questions I'd like to ask."

Shard softly said, then bid farewell to the two ladies and returned to his seat.

"Mr. Hamilton, the teacher never takes kindly to men, not that she has anything against you."

Princess Margaret explained softly upon witnessing the earlier scene, and Shard nodded.

The scene just now was purely performed for the princess. From the brief conversation earlier, Shard had a reason to continue knowing Miss Sylvia, and Miss Galina had a reason to invite this lady to her manor as a guest. Meanwhile, Princess Margaret dispelled suspicion of Shard suddenly having contact with Miss Sylvia.

This was all part of Miss Sylvia's plan, originally intended for tonight's banquet at Lakeside Manor but found more suitable for the current occasion. As soon as Shard stood, the two witches cooperatively coordinated seamlessly.

After Shard took his seat, the last batch of guests arrived at the wedding venue. This final group of guests was none other than King Larus and Queen Diana. Their arrival prompted all the other guests to stand, including the couple Duke and Duchess Esberg seated at the right side of the front row—by tradition, the right side of the first three rows are reserved for the groom's family, and the left side for the bride's family.

As they passed by Shard, the King and Queen stopped to converse with Princess Margaret, inviting her to join them at the front row, but the Princess politely declined:

"This is the Cavendish family's big day. As an outsider, how could I disturb you?"

Her reply was elegant and her choice of words and titles were quite apt, causing those around to nod in approval.

Of course, His Majesty also noticed Shard and merely nodded at him. This did not prevent Shard from seeing the look of approval in the King's eyes, a bit shorter than him. His Majesty was delighted that Shard had loyally completed his task.

With the Queen and King also seated, the guests hushed slightly as the wedding entered its final preparation phase.

At 1:45 PM, the old priest, donned in a white robe with the large White Dove Holy Emblem hanging on his chest, walked out from the corridor at the back of the hall, adjusted his hat, and came to the podium, placing the Peace Church's Holy Tome, the Peace Code, amidst the flowers.

The princess of the country's wedding would usually qualify for the parish bishop to officiate, but curiously enough, they only invited the oldest priest from the Peace Church of the parish, who was three years senior to Priest Augustus.

"Attending weddings always makes one so excited."

By now, most conversations had tapered off, and Dorothy whispered to Shard. The blonde girl was imbued with the current ambience, placing her handbag on her lap and her eyes gleaming as she looked at the podium and the priest finishing his final preparations:

"Shard, your faith is in Mr. Dawn, right?"

Dorothy suddenly asked, and Shard nodded. Mia's regular afternoon nap time had arrived, and the cat was now sleeping on Shard's lap.

The blonde girl murmured:

"I believe in the Lady of Creation, Lecia in the Father of Peace..."

[Do you know what she's thinking?]

The voice beside him chuckled lightly.

"Of course I do."

Shard replied in his heart.

At 1:48 PM, when the elderly priest, whose hair was turning gray, formally completed his preparations, he suddenly coughed. Consequently, the ensemble in the corner front now playing the penultimate third measure of "To My Beloved" subtly shifted, smoothly transitioning to the "Wedding March."

The guests all turned towards the entrance with smiles, waiting as the open double doors of the hall revealed no one initially. Now, two boys about seven or eight years old in red coats and black leather shoes carrying baskets full of petals nervously walked in, then scattered red, pink, and white petals on the red carpet at the entrance.

"It's starting, it's starting."

Dorothy exclaimed with a bit of excitement.

After the two little flower boys had scattered two or three handfuls of petals, the groom Randolph Iceberg, dressed in a red military uniform, brown leather boots, and a high black bearskin hat, finally appeared at the entrance.

He wore a smile, but still showed hints of panic, even his movements were somewhat stiff, yet he forced himself to appear calm. A golden sash draped across his shoulder towards his chest, which held not only the obligatory wedding boutonniere but also two small medals.

As everyone stood, the groom accompanied by the "Wedding March" joined by the chief groomsman in a black formal suit, officially stepped onto the red carpet.

It was likely the two boys from the church choir scattered petals at the front, while Mr. Esberg took measured steps, giving people the chance to offer their blessings.

Randolph Iceberg wore a hat, so Shard couldn't roughly estimate his height, though he was not taller than Shard. His skin wasn't very smooth, the spacing in his eyes somewhat narrow, but overall, he appeared to be a very determined gentleman.

In the music and applause, he and the chief groomsman finally reached the front of the red carpet, then opened his arms to embrace the Duchess of Esberg, who seemed to be crying. He proceeded to the front platform, standing at the left side of the elderly priest.

"It's truly beautiful."

Shard heard Dorothy quietly sigh.

As the Wedding March continued to play, three pairs of groomsmen and bridesmaids also appeared at the entrance and stepped onto the red carpet with the music. Their walking speed and posture were apparently more normal. Of the three groomsmen, Shard only recognized one; a noble who had once played Roder Card with him. The three bridesmaids were all Mona Cavendish's sisters, naturally including the sixteen-year-old Angelina Cavendish. They all wore plain long gowns similar to Lecia's, but simpler in style than the chief bridesmaid.

The people who stood up didn't pay much attention to them, as behind the groomsmen and bridesmaids, the shy little boys holding a ring box walked in, followed by four little girls dressed in white robes, resembling little angels, carrying flower baskets as they came in.

At that moment, all the temporary gas lamps hanging outside the windows were lit, and the light shone through the church's magnificent stained glass, casting a colorful glow at the entrance of the hall.

Petals and ribbons floated above the red carpet as the "Wedding March" played, two musicians at the entrance in red coats raised their golden trumpets together and blew out resounding sounds.

Amidst the sound of the trumpets, the bride, Mona Cavendish, finally appeared, wearing a white bridal gown with a silver-white tiara, a pearl necklace around her neck, diamond earrings, and holding a bouquet made of white lilies.

The tiara seemed even more splendid than Sister Delphine's eye patch, and the pearl necklace made her skin appear so fair.

Her face was beaming with a happy smile, the tiered white wedding dress made her the most beautiful lady at that moment. Mona Cavendish didn't resemble Lecia in looks, but her nose was quite like Angelina's, and her eyes resembled those of the Great Prince whom Shard saw at the station yesterday.

The long red hair was a symbol of the Cavendish Royal Family. At this moment, it was braided into small plaits and then woven together at the back into a complex style.

People clapped, with Chief Bridesmaid Lecia leading the way ahead, the bride smiled as she walked onto the red carpet. The exaggerated train of the gown behind was held by eight little girls, all with golden hair and dressed in white robes.

Pre-installed steam pipes at this moment sprayed fine steam mist from small holes in the floor toward the red carpet, while gentle midday light projected inside through the higher stained glass windows of the hall. Amid those tiny gleams, the music of the "Wedding March", the envious and blessed gazes, Mona Cavendish walked down the long red carpet, passing everyone who offered her blessings, ultimately arriving at the front row of seats.

She embraced her mother, Queen Diana, and then looked at her father, the current King of the Draleon Kingdom, Larus III.

Unlike the queen, who was using a handkerchief to wipe her tears, the king's expression was very calm:

"Mona, remember to be happy."

He said softly, just a simple sentence, and the bride burst into tears.

The king took the bride's hand, led her to the high platform behind the pulpit, and then turned away. Lecia stood behind the bride.

"Oh, this is really..."

Dorothy slightly bit her lip, her gaze somewhat dazed. She closed her eyes and when she reopened them, the cat Shard was holding lightly meowed, Mia as if afraid to disturb the sacred moment, deliberately lowered her voice.

"Lecia?"

As people settled into their seats, Shard took advantage of the sound of moving chairs to quietly ask. "Dorothy" wiped her eyes, and didn't respond to Shard.

"May God bless this couple who have received approval and blessings from their loved ones, united under the Holy Emblem!"

The old priest proclaimed loudly, with Mona Cavendish holding her bouquet on his right side, and Randolph Iceberg dressed in a military uniform on his left.

Following the priest's proclamation, the sound of the "Wedding March" gradually softened but never completely disappeared:

"In the name of our Lord, the Father of Peace, may you receive blessings. Blessings upon your marriage, may you be servants of God, in the teachings and grace of peace, and attain eternal happiness in the mortal world."

The priest took a deep breath and looked at the seated people:

"May I ask, does anyone oppose this marriage of the couple?"

Of course, no one would speak at this moment, or they would certainly not walk out of the Peace Chapel alive.

But the old priest waited for ten seconds, then smiled and said loudly:

"No one opposes this marriage, may God bless everyone, the Father shall witness everything here and all vows, praise the Father of Peace! Praise War and Peace!"

The wedding traditions of Draleon are quite complex, normally at this point the choir should appear to sing hymns of the Peace Church, like the "White Shepherd" or the "Song of Peace". But royal weddings usually simplify the process— to prevent any accidents, hence the choir children did not appear, instead the priest read aloud selections from Chapter 5, Section 3 of the "Peace Code", regarding the Peace Church's view on marriage, during which the band played the "Song of Peace".

After all this ended, the priest proceeded to the most critical step, people held their breath watching the bride and groom behind the platform:

"In the name of God, questioning you under the Holy Emblem—"

"Dorothy" quietly held Shard's hand, and Mia curiously climbed onto Shard's shoulder, with wide eyes looking at the priest over the crowd.

"Randolph Johnson Esberg, are you willing to let this lady become your wife, even as her years pass, youth fades?"

The priest asked.

The young Mr. Esberg instinctively looked at the King seated below, then quickly spoke:

"Yes, I am willing, may the Father witness, I am willing."

His hand rested on the Holy Tome that the priest held, the priest smiled slightly, then turned to face another direction and asked:

"Mona Fran Cavendish, are you willing to be this man's wife, whether in poverty or wealth, health or sickness?"

"Yes, I am willing."

Tears at the corners of her eyes, a smile on her face, she reached out and placed her hand on the Tome as well.

Shard seemed to hear Queen Diana finally crying out in the front row, while his hand was being firmly held by "Dorothy." Behind the bride, "Lecia" was smiling at her sister, and among the bridesmaids behind the chief bridesmaid, Angelina's expression was quite normal.

Curious about the expressions of the witches at this moment, Shard carefully turned slightly, glancing with the corner of his eyes toward the other side of the aisle.

Miss Sylvia was looking ahead at the bride and groom making their vows, as if she were conducting some kind of academic research. And Miss Galina happened to look at Shard, the red-haired witch inexplicably glared at him.

"Hmm? Did I do something wrong?"

Shard thought to himself, then heard the priest announce loudly amidst the climax of the "Wedding March":

"Our Lord, the Father of Peace, witnesses the validity of this marriage, you have pledged your vows, witnessed by God. Please exchange rings with one another, may God bless, your marriage has begun, this is a new beginning, a new family, a new continuation!"

The ring bearer presented the rings, the priest stepped aside, and amid the applause of people, Mona Esberg and Randolph Esberg looked at each other and then placed the rings on each other's fingers.

The midday sunshine was just right, the atmosphere inside the church hall was intense. Applause arose as a continuous wave, everyone was smiling.

Hence, as the atmosphere reached its climax, Mr. Esberg embraced his bride and then kissed her.

Afterward, there were still processes including the priest's speech and gifting of church presents, as well as brief statements by the parents of both parties, but Shard couldn't pay attention to those anymore.

"Dorothy" suddenly turned her head and hugged Shard's neck, then kissed him, of course, it wasn't a deep kiss, just a light touch. Not many people noticed this scene, even Princess Margaret, intensely focused on the stage beside Dorothy, didn't notice.

But Shard was sure that the two witches definitely noticed, at least Miss Galina must have seen this scene, Shard felt as if her gaze almost became physical and was "scanning" him.

The priest's voice of blessings continued in front, "Dorothy" after kissing Shard, immediately turned head and looked at the crowd on the stage again, as if nothing had happened.

Shard dared not look toward the witches' direction, he just lowered his head and touched his lips, then saw the cat lying on his lap twisting its neck in an awkward position, looking up at him with big amber eyes:

"Meow!"

Shard thought he understood Mia's words, so he reached out and scratched its little head, the cat squinted its eyes showing an expression of enjoyment, then comfortably lay down, its two fluffy white front paws cushioning its little head.

"Marriage..."

Shard thought during the final passionate segment of the "Wedding March", hearing those around him beginning to applaud again, he joined in clapping.

Just, as he looked up at Randolph Esberg and Mona Esberg holding hands with happy expressions, Shard still pursed his lips slightly, pondering the meaning of love and marriage.

"May God bless them."

He said softly, but the sound was drowned in the applause around him.