Epilogue: The Witch’s Wedding
DING-DONG, DING-DONG…
Bells tolling good luck and prosperity rang throughout the royal capital. White doves soared through the sky, delivering messages of love and peace to all the people.
The doors to the cathedral, which reached into the heavens, opened. The invited guests turned around and applauded.
Dazzling sunlight spilled in through the wall covered from floor to ceiling in stained glass, projecting stunning patterns onto the floor and walls. The huge image illuminated within the stained glass depicted the god of love.
A man and woman dressed in their finest clothes entered through the open door and walked down the aisle decorated by the image cast by the stained glass.
The bride wore a black wedding dress, earning surprised stares from everyone gathered.
Her bell-shaped skirt was layered with many ruffles at different heights. The hem of each ruffle ended in frills, giving it a soft appearance. The shawl worn over her shoulders was wide enough to cover her entire back. Adorned with golden tassels, it looked soft enough to cuddle up with.
The thin, gauzy silk veil she wore was also black. The fabric, which shimmered dark blue depending on the amount of light that hit it, made the Witch appear even more mysterious.
With every step the Witch took, her long train drew a wave across the floor. The jewels adorning her chest and the golden beads woven throughout the dress reflected the light of the stained glass and twinkled like stars on a clear night. The dress was as gorgeous as a star-studded sky.
The groom was also wearing clothing fit for the occasion. He had dressed in his knight attire, decorated handsomely for formal events. A medal glinted on his chest. He wore a vivid blue cloak over his right shoulder and a glamorous ceremonial sword at his waist.
The bride in her black wedding dress gracefully headed for the altar led by a groom in his knightly regalia. Once the bride and groom arrived at the altar, the applause stopped. The priest waiting for them nodded after taking a good look at both of their faces.
“The groom, Harij Azm.”
The solemn ceremony began by addressing the name of the groom.
“Do you swear to God to take Rose to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?”
“I do,” Harij replied in earnest to the oath the priest said for him. His commanding voice echoed to every corner of the cathedral.
“The bride, Rose.”
Hearing her name said by the priest, the bride lifted her eyes, her vision obstructed by the veil.
“Do you swear to God to take Harij to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward…”
Knowing she would be asked the same thing as Harij, Rose stole a peek at him beside her. Harij kept his eyes trained forward. Rose had already reached the peak of happiness when she saw Harij had granted her greatest wish and wore his formal knight attire. She was so taken and moved by his handsomeness, she cried a little before entering the cathedral. When she thanked him through her sniffles, he responded with an exasperated “You wanted to see it that bad…?” Yes, yes, she did. He looked that awesome.
Harij glanced at Rose. He must’ve noticed she was charmed by his looks again. He narrowed his eyes as if to silently tell her, “Eyes forward.” Then he pressed his hands together in prayer and faced the altar again with a solemn expression.
Rose had trembled before the majestic building that was unlike anything she had heard of or seen, much less visited. So she was glad she had regained most of her composure after seeing Harij act like normal.
She followed suit and faced forward. This regal building and the ostentatious guests were little more than decorations used in the background of Harij and Rose’s marriage.
The true point of this wedding—what mattered most to Rose—was her own feelings.
I’m really going to make an eternal promise to marry this man. Rose felt overwhelmed by emotion once again. A piece of her was scared that this day had finally come—but she was filled with even greater joy.
“…in sickness and in health…”
The priest must have noticed the bride was daydreaming—he tried to draw her attention back by overemphasizing each of his words.
Rose was, in fact, lost in thought. Once he saw her focus had returned to him, the priest finished the question to receive her answer.
“…until death do you part?”
Rose was a witch. It was an unarguable fact that witches didn’t worship any god.
Rose couldn’t swear a vow to a god she didn’t revere or even believe existed. After all, Rose was a witch incapable of telling lies.
She slowly closed the mouth she had opened to answer.
Silence fell over the cathedral. Scandalous whispers spread through the guests when the bride refused to give her vow for what felt like an eternity.
Rose slowly turned her neck and looked at Harij. He stared right into her eyes.
“I do.”
Sighs of relief filled the room. Oblivious to her surroundings, Rose earnestly held Harij’s gaze and continued her vow. “I swear my life to you, Sir Harij.”
The Witch calmly swore the oath she was comfortable with. Even if she tried to imitate human tradition by swearing under their god’s name, the pledge wouldn’t come from her heart. Thus, she swore in Harij’s name to make it as binding and true as possible.
Harij, who had been scrupulously following along with ceremonial tradition, suddenly raised his hand with his fingers perfectly aligned.
“I’m sorry, could you wait a moment?”
“Of course.”
The priest generously agreed, for he knew love well. Thanking him, Harij pressed his fingers between his eyebrows as if enduring some great pain.