Before he let Anna go, he said something to her. She nodded before he helped her up the steps.
Char retreated to his chair, sitting next to Augustus on the front row.
Anna stood facing me. Looking at her face, I could almost forget how nervous I was. We held hands and looked into each other’s eyes.
Ashton stepped forward to begin the proceedings. I had no idea what he had prepared.
“Dearly beloved,” he said, loud enough to be heard by everyone, “we’re gathered here today to see two young people join together in matrimony, and…” He paused a moment, shaking his head. “I feel like these things are in danger of going on too long, especially when there’s food to eat and booze to drink. But more importantly than that, there’s love to celebrate.”
Ashton motioned to Michael. Michael moved forward, handing me the ring. I held the ring, turning to face Anna.
“In accordance with the happy couple’s wishes, I’m going to keep this short. So, Alex…repeat after me.”
He said the words, which I repeated: “I, Alexander Lorin Keener, take you, Anna Bliss, to be my wife, to love and to cherish, in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, in life and in death, from this day forward. I give to you this ring, as a symbol of my constancy and devotion, from now until the end of my days. With this ring, I thee wed.”
I slipped the ring on her left ring finger.
“And you, Anna,” Ashton said, voice thick. “Repeat after me.”
Anna said the same words, and as she did so, a tear came down her face. I knew what she was thinking. We would only have a few days to enjoy this. But at least the world would know that we had loved each other.
Anna slipped my ring on: a thick gold band that was unadorned, but classic. We continued holding hands as Ashton continued.
“You have said your vows. You have exchanged your rings. There is nothing left to separate you from becoming man and wife.”
Ashton turned to me. “Alex. Do you take Anna to be your wife, to hold and to cherish, to love and to protect, for the rest of your days?”
“I do.”
Ashton waited a moment before turning to Anna.
“Anna…do you take Alex to be your husband, to love and protect, to hold and cherish, for the rest of your days?”
She smiled. “I do.”
Ashton waited a moment, before breaking into a smile. “That’s it. You’re husband and wife. Alex, you may kiss the bride.”
I smiled, lifting Anna’s veil. She smiled as I leaned forward to kiss her.
The crowd applauded, and I probably kissed her a little longer than I was supposed to, but as far as mistakes go, I guessed that one was okay to make.
I held out my arm, which she took, and escorted her down the lane toward the green hill.
We waited at the base of the hill, where all of our friends came to congratulate us.
I looked at Anna.
“Well. We’re married.”
“Yeah,” she said. “It’s weird, huh?”
“I guess so.”
From the sea, thunder boomed. I turned to see dark gray clouds on the horizon.
“That’s not a good sign,” I said.
“Quit being superstitious,” Anna said.
“We should get to the pavilion,” I said. “They’ll have the food ready soon.”
Anna smiled. “Always thinking about food.”
“I know you are, too,” I said. “Don’t lie.”
“Come on,” Michael said. “Let’s get up there before we get drenched!”
The storm was fast advancing, and already, a few fat drops were falling and the wind had picked up. We vacated the beach, where the waves had increased in size, and made our way up the hill.
Hopefully, during the meal, the pavilion would stay standing.
By the time the storm came, everyone had gathered inside the pavilion. The wind and rain buffeted against its westward side, but not so hard that the pavilion was in any danger of collapsing. In fact, the pavilion’s interior was cozy, filled with a rosy, red light from hanging lamps. The food had been cooked and prepared beforehand, overseen by none other than Mayor Herbert Shaw of New America. He and several of his residents had roasted pork and vegetables, as well as baked some flatbread. From the farms of Skyhome had come fruits and salads, and from the Empire itself Augustus had a cake prepared, which I was now seeing for the first time. It was three-tiered and covered with thick, white frosting.
The cake, along with the food, was set on a long banquet table in the center of the pavilion. Tables and chairs were set up around various tables inside the tent. No less than two vats of wine had been brought along with the cake, from Augustus’s own cellar. With the rings, the dresses, the food, and the wine, there was no way we could ever repay him. Still, I knew all this stuff had barely made a dent in his vast wealth.
I had the opportunity to meet Augustus’ wife, the Empress of Nova Roma, along with the Royal Heir, whose name was Hadrian. She congratulated me on my wedding and said that she and her husband had been looking forward to it.
When everyone was seated, Ashton stood and whistled, getting everyone’s attention.
“We’ll go by table, starting with the bride and groom, and work our way around,” he said. “Let’s eat!”
There was general cheering and applause. We filled our plates with food and our cups with wine, and dug into our meal. The food was delicious. Even as it rained and thundered outside, we laughed and celebrated for what seemed the first time in my life. I was so happy, maybe aided a bit by the wine (which Anna made me stop drinking by my second cup). There wasn’t enough happiness in the world, and it was great that there was at least this one day to celebrate it.
The pavilion was filled with a lively hum as everyone ate. At our large table sat all of our closest friends — most of the inner crew, along with Marcus, Augustus, and his wife and son. From time to time, I would catch glimpses of other people I had met throughout my journey. Jonas Sparks sat a few tables away, talking intently to Deborah — who seemed to be vaguely interested in what he had to say — while Marcus sat on Deborah’s other side, staring daggers at Sparks. Mayor Shaw sat with Julian’s mother and sister the next table over. Julian was among them, laughing — and standing next to Julian, holding his hand, was none other than Makara herself.
Grudge sat quietly with some of his Suns in a corner, sipping a cup of wine — the gang was no more, but the friendship among their members had continued. Meanwhile, the guitarists from New America began to play music, and from time to time, Julian’s sister would get up to sing. I never really knew the songs. There hadn’t been much time for music in my life. Still, it was lively, and seemed good to dance to.
“Come on,” Anna said, grabbing me by the hand.
Some space had been cleared in one of the pavilion’s corners, near where the band was set up. I noticed that Anna and I were the only ones dancing.
“I never really learned how to dance,” I said.
Anna smiled. “Me neither. Now’s a good time to learn then, huh?”
I didn’t feel too nervous about it. I was only happy, and happiness made it easy to dance.
“Just do this,” Anna said, placing my right hand in the small of her back. “And hold my left hand, over here…”
She moved her feet, slowly to the tempo of the music. Everyone quieted as all eyes turned on us. I felt a bit self-conscious. I just tried to time my steps with Anna, which was harder than it seemed. After a moment, though, I got the hang of it. We danced and turned with ease, almost becoming one.
“Not bad,” Anna said.
“You’re really graceful,” I said.
Her face reddened a bit. “Well…I kind of lied. I had a bit of practice. My dad, when he was alive…he showed me how to dance when I was little.”