I happened to look up and caught sight of a vast stained-glass window. The image depicted God and the genesis of our world. I recognized it as a painting done by Prince Osvalt’s grandfather, the previous king of Parnacorta. Bishop Bjorn had once told me it was one of his favorite paintings.
The fact that I was contemplating such irrelevant matters suggested that I was more nervous than I cared to admit.
It was Philia’s—my daughter’s—big day. On the day she was ripped out of my arms, the prospect of someday walking her down the aisle would have seemed absurd.
Philia looked cheerful. When I heard that people found her, like me, unexpressive and lacking in charm, I was plagued by guilt…but over time, she’d started to smile more often. It was evidence of a kind of magic beyond the mastery of saints.
Without a doubt, it was thanks to one man that she was able to recover her ordinary human emotions. And there he was, standing in front of the altar… Prince Osvalt.
Thank you for looking out for Philia, Your Highness—not just as a saint, but as a human being as well.
You embraced her apparent lack of emotion with open arms, accepting it as something that makes her unique. It only took a short conversation with you for that to become clear.
Meeting a gentleman like you, who loves her for both her strengths and her shortcomings, may have been the greatest blessing she’s ever received.
Philia walked to the altar and stood by Osvalt’s side. Since I was the one to give her away, I could watch from beside the altar as the couple made their all-important vows.
As soon as he and Philia locked eyes, Prince Osvalt confessed how beautiful she looked in her dress.
She blushed. I could instantly tell that she was feeling shy. So, this was yet another emotion she had learned to express.
Since she met Prince Osvalt, Philia’s face had begun to show expressions it never had in Girtonia. I already knew that, but on this day, she looked happier than ever. It was a new thing for me to witness…and it gave me a lump in my throat.
“We will now commence the wedding ceremony of Osvalt Parnacorta and Philia Adenauer.”
Bishop Bjorn was conducting the ceremony. After checking that Philia and Prince Osvalt were ready, he began.
Once the pair had exchanged their vows, I gave the white-gold rings to Philia. Philia placed one on Prince Osvalt’s ring finger. Next, Prince Osvalt slipped the other ring onto Philia’s.
“You may now seal your marriage with a kiss.”
At Bishop Bjorn’s words, the couple turned to one another. After a delicate moment, they kissed.
Once they pulled apart, they gazed contentedly into one another’s eyes.
It was too late for me to play the role of Philia’s mother, even if that was what she desired. And yet, in my heart of hearts, I longed to be her mom. That was how I’d felt when I was putting her through stringent training as a child, and that feeling had never changed.
I wanted her to be happy. That was my only wish.
As the happy couple confirmed their love for one another, they looked as though they were in their own world. Maybe it was a cliché, but it really did seem impossible for anyone else to get near them. That was simply the atmosphere they were wrapped in.
My wish had come true. Today, Philia was undoubtedly the happiest woman in the world.
As I watched her beam with joy, my tear ducts began to sting.
Darn it. I was determined to observe Philia’s nuptials with a smile on my face, and now I was tearing up.
“In the presence of God, I now pronounce you husband and wife! Congratulations!”
When Bishop Bjorn declared that Philia and Prince Osvalt were officially married, the attendees began shouting their congratulations from the pews.
“Philia does look happy, doesn’t she, Mother?” said Mia.
“She does indeed.”
“Here. You can use my handkerchief.”
“You need that more than I do, Mia. I’ll use my own.”
“Huh? Aha ha. I was so happy, I didn’t even realize I was crying. Philia… Congratulations.”
Mia must have felt the same way I did. No…her love for Philia was more powerful than anyone else’s. The girl beside me, wiping away the tears streaming down her face, loved and admired her older sister more than anyone else in the world.
Philia wasn’t just lucky to have met Prince Osvalt. Having Mia as her sister was a blessing, too.
“Philia,” I said, “we named you with the hope that someday you would find happiness. Now you and your husband have made our wish a reality.”
When I saw the radiant smile my daughter was giving me, my thoughts drifted to the wish Kamil and I had made all those years ago.