The wedding ceremonies of the royal family were performed by the supreme bishop of the state religion of Fanoren, the head of the Palace of Heaven and Earth.
The wedding ceremonies themselves were quite simple. The bishop would recite a ritual prayer, each person would place an offering to the gods on the altar, and both would recite their vows, after which their names would be registered in the tome which maintained a record of the royal family tree, completing the process.
However, there was a tedious pre-ceremony ritual that had to be performed first. For ten days, each morning at dawn, a prayer and a new offering were required at the royal temple in the Palace of Heaven and Earth. The signing of the marriage documents itself had already taken place before this ritual began.
During those ten days, Leorino was treated as an apprentice of sorts, because despite being royalty in terms of status, he was not yet recognized under God.
It wasn’t easy getting up at the crack of dawn every day, but Gravis and Leorino completed the ritual with solemnity.
Finally, the day of the wedding ceremony arrived.
“Hah… You look stunning, Master Leorino.”
Josef beamed with joy the moment he saw Leorino in his formal attire. Dressed in pure white clothing embroidered with silver thread, buttons lining his chest, Leorino smiled bashfully.
Behind him, his full-time attendant who had served Leorino since he was little was smiling, looking very satisfied indeed.
“Mother spared no effort for the occasion,” said Leorino. “It’s really quite heavy, though.”
“You’ll manage. Don’t you want to look pretty for the general? You’ll have to hang in there during the ceremony.”
“Yes, you’re right.”
Finally, Gravis also arrived in his formalwear. Seeing Leorino so beautifully dressed, Gravis could hardly believe his eyes.
“…I lack the words to express how breathtaking you look. Madame Maia knows exactly what clothes suit you best.”
“…Thank you.”
Meanwhile, Leorino was so captivated by Gravis’s flawless appearance that he could only blush, Gravis’s words of praise hardly registering at all.
Gravis’s formal attire was of a blue so deep, it appeared nearly black. It was modestly embroidered with gold thread on the cuffs, collar, and chest. Over this, he wore a cloak of the same fabric.
His general’s ceremonial uniform was easily more ornate than this. Overall, the design was so understated that it seemed almost too plain for the special occasion.
Fortunately, the man’s perfect masculine beauty compensated for this, radiating charm that left everyone around him in awe. He was the very image of a perfectly mature man.
There was a reason why Gravis’s clothing was so plain. The jewelry he wore over it was dazzlingly lavish.
His bangs were combed back to reveal his prominent forehead, adorned with a circlet. It was molded from thick platinum into the shape of thin vines extending from a cross-star, giving it a sturdy impression. In its center, a precious stone, the same color as his unique pupils, shone brilliantly like a third eye.
A luxurious necklace glistened on his chest, and a ring was displayed on his finger.
“Vi…you look marvelous.”
Seeing Leorino’s transfixed expression, Gravis smiled.
“Theodor.”
“Yes, sir.”
Reaching for the flat, cloth-covered box behind him, Theodor held it out to his master.
The box opened to reveal a circlet, necklace, and ring, all of the same style as Gravis’s jewelry.
“We prepared these for you. I hope you’ll wear them today.”
“…Thank you so much.”
Leorino was speechless at the opulence of it all.
The circlet was even more delicate than Gravis’s. The platinum was shaped into a delicate leaf fretwork, its flowers made of diamonds of various sizes.
Inlaid in the center of the forehead was a large precious stone of indigo with a hint of dawn.
“This stone…”
“This precious stone was chosen to match the color of your eyes. The artisans have truly shown their skill.”
Leorino was dumbfounded.
The necklace was so elaborate that it hurt the eyes. The choker-like piece around the neck was intricately ornate, and from it hung bead-like ornaments of various sizes.
Here, too, a number of purple precious stones had been used, even larger than the one in his circlet. The accompanying diamonds were too numerous to count.
The ring was engraved with the same coat of arms as Gravis’s, only the stone in its center was different.
Lost for words, Leorino looked up at Gravis timidly, scared of how much money he would be wasting.
“I-I’m afraid I don’t…have any money…at my disposal.”
“…Pfft—”
Theodor brought his fist to his mouth and apologized as he stifled a laugh.
Gravis couldn’t have expected Leorino would worry about how he would pay for the jewelry. He broke into laughter, thinking it was a very fitting reaction for him.
“Fear not. In this sense alone, you are not special. This sort of jewelry is always provided for royalty. You must wear it for the most prestigious occasions. Such are our customs.”
It seemed excessive even with that explanation, but Leorino was at least relieved that no one would expect him to pay for it.
“Right… But it feels almost too luxurious to actually wear…”
“You don’t need to wear it in your daily life. But today is special.”
Leorino suddenly felt nervous.
Of course. Today was the special day when he and Gravis would officially be wed.
Gravis instructed his valet. “Theodor, help him put it on.”
“Yes, sir… Lord Leorino, please sit down for me.”
The valet sat Leorino down in a chair and ran a comb through his bangs, revealing his forehead just as he had done for Gravis. He placed the circlet on his head to hold the bangs that spilled softly from between his fingers in place.
Leorino’s fair, round forehead glistened with the shimmering circlet.
“Oh…my lord!”
“…It truly suits you.”
Everyone cheered. Even the calm and collected Theodor sounded impressed. Leorino looked more mature just by exposing his forehead.
His dazzling beauty was even more striking now. Theodor also assisted him with the necklace.
Gravis’s fingers gently cupped Leorino’s chin.
“I instructed them to make it as light as possible for your comfort… How is it? Does it hurt or otherwise feel wrong?”
“No, it doesn’t hurt. I can’t see it myself, but does this gorgeous jewelry really suit me?”
Leorino brought his hand to his forehead anxiously, but Gravis only smiled fondly.
“It looks fantastic on you. You’re stunning.”
“Thank you.”
Leorino’s cheeks flushed. If Gravis thought it looked good on him, that was all that mattered.
Gravis took Leorino’s right hand and fitted the band on his ring finger. It was not customary to wear jewelry for the sake of indicating one’s marital status in Fanoren. For both of them, the rings were simply a symbol of their royal status.
“Perfect. Now let’s head to the temple.”
“Yes, let’s.”
Hundert helped Leorino put on his cloak as the final touch to his formal attire.
When he was ready, Gravis offered him his hand. Leorino swallowed and took it.
Leorino looked up at his beloved spouse and smiled.
Soon they would be officially recognized as married under God. He had thought of it as nothing but a formality, but there was something deeply moving about the thought of being ready, formally dressed, and recognized in the presence of God.
Then Gravis stopped. He addressed Josef and Hundert, who had been waiting with their heads bowed for the couple to depart.
“Hundert, Josef, you should also attend the ceremony.”
“What…?”
“…B-but that’s…!”
They were both taken aback.
It was truly unheard of for two commoners to be allowed to attend a royal wedding ceremony. At the same time, Leorino’s eyes lit up.
“Can they really attend?”
Gravis fondly looked down at his spouse, who looked up at him with gratitude, his cheeks flushed.
“No one will complain if you stay in the back. What do you say, Theodor?”
“As a bloodline purist, I see no issue.”
Leorino had tears in his eyes.
“Thank you…!”
Leorino looked back at his cherished servants.
From the frontier to the capital and then to the royal palace.
No matter how lonely the battle, these two had been there to help him get to where he was now.
Josef and Theodor were also trembling with emotion.
Tears welling in his eyes, Leorino turned to them with a radiant smile.
“It would be very heartening to see you there. Will you wait for us in the temple?”
“…Oh… Oh my… Of course, my lord.”
“I’d love to…Master Leorino. I’ll be watching as you become a beautiful, beautiful bride.”
“Thank you… I’m still not a bride…but all right.”
Gravis tenderly watched the master and servants tearfully gaze at each other and took his spouse’s hand.
“Theodor, take care of them, will you?”
“Yes, sir… Hundert, Josef, hurry up and put on some finer clothes. Their Highnesses will greet Their Majesties before heading to the temple. We will go to the temple and wait for them.”
In addition to the royal family, the families of the Duke of Wiesen and the Margrave of Brungwurt would also be present in the temple. Chancellor Ginter and Lieutenant General Brandt were also invited as witnesses.
In addition to the official attendees, Gravis’s second-in-command, Dirk, military doctor Sasha, the couple’s attendants, and Leorino’s guard, Josef, watched over as Gravis and Leorino exchanged vows.
The ceremony was solemn and simple.
Illuminated by the light streaming in through the skylight, the two men were as beautiful as an image plucked straight from a dream.
The sight of them standing side by side brought a variety of emotions to the hearts of those in attendance.
Leorino glanced up at the man standing next to him. Gravis looked down at him with kind eyes.
They felt no need to say anything other than their vows.
From the depths of their hearts, boundless words of love came forth, unvoiced.
Having overcome days of hardship, and finally allowed to nestle close, it was the moment the two souls would forever belong to one another.
Their silent prayer dissolved into the air like bubbles, becoming the light of blessing silently embracing them.