Justin stiffened involuntarily. This hardly sounds like text suited to a wedding. I wonder if Hanse chose this passage to convey another message. It's true that victory, glory, and power will be his if he uses the combined might of the Federated Suns and the Lyran Commonwealth to crush the Draconis Combine.
Justin smiled as the Cardinal finished the reading with the words, "Happy are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb." He was certain that many of the guests here were less than happy. Chuckling to himself, he could even imagine more than one rewriting those lines to say, "Happy are those invited to the funeral of the Fox."
Cardinal Flynn returned to his place, then both Cardinals invited the bride and groom to come forward. Hanse and Melissa joined hands, with eyes only for one another. Cardinal Maraschal whispered something to the couple, making both of them smile.
Cardinal Maraschal looked toward the Archon. "Who gives this woman to be wed to this man?"
Katrina Steiner stood proudly. "I, Archon Katrina Steiner, in the name of her father, myself, and the Lyran Commonwealth, give this woman to be wed."
As the Archon seated herself again, Hanse's deep, strong voice filled the church. "I, Hanse Adriaan Davion take you, Melissa, as my wife. I promise, from this moment forward unto forever, to love, honor, and cherish you with my heart and soul. Forsaking all others, in good times and bad, in sickness and health, and in prosperity or poverty, I will be yours alone for as long as I shall live."
Melissa took a deep breath, then answered the Prince's vows in a clear, resonant voice. "I, Melissa Arthur Steiner, take you, Hanse, as my husband. Openly and freely, without hint of reservation, I vow my fidelity to you and affirm my love for you. In adversity or happiness, in sickness or health, in security or beset by enemies from within or without, I shall be yours alone, now and for all time."
In unison, the Cardinals pronounced their blessings. "You have declared your consent before the Church. May the Lord in his goodness strengthen your consent and fill you both with the strength to keep your vows. What God has joined, men must not divide. Amen."
Morgan Hasek-Davion handed the rings to Cardinal Maraschal. The cleric nodded thanks, then joined with his counterpart from the Federated Suns in blessing the rings. "May the Lord God bless these rings that you give to each other as a sign of your love and fidelity."
Hanse cupped Melissa's left hand in his left hand. Taking the ring from Cardinal Maraschal, he held it up so that all could see the light glinting from the golden band. "Take thee this ring, Melissa, as a visible sign of my promises to you." Smiling, the Prince of the Federated Suns slipped the ring onto Melissa's finger.
Melissa accepted the other ring from Cardinal Flynn and held it up for all to see. "Take thee this ring, Hanse, and know my vows to thee will remain as pure and unchanging as the gold herein." Melissa slid the thick gold band easily onto Hanse's finger.
Cardinal Flynn smiled broadly. "Through the power granted me by God, I confirm and bless what you have promised each other. I pronounce you man and wife." He hesitated a moment, then added in a lower voice, "You may kiss the bride."
Smiling, Hanse slowly lifted the veil from his wife's face. They stared lovingly at each other for a moment, then the Prince lowered his face to hers. Delicate and brief, their first kiss as man and wife wordlessly affirmed everything the ceremony had so eloquently described.
With his face lit with unabashed joy, Morgan Hasek-Davion turned to the crowd. He pointed his right hand at the royal couple as the assembly came to its feet and applauded. In a voice booming with pleasure, Morgan announced, "It is my great honor and distinct pleasure to introduce to you Prince Hanse Davion of the Federated Suns and his wife, Princess Melissa Arthur Steiner-Davion!"
40
ComStar First Circuit Compound
Hilton Head Island, North America, Terra
20 August 3028
Justin nodded gratefully as the ComStar acolyte directed him to the nearest of the long tables set up to ring the room in a roughly hexagonal pattern. The head table sat on a dais directly across from the one reserved for House Liao. At an angle to the right of the House Liao table, Justin saw the members of House Marik gathering at their own table. This placed House Marik directly opposite the table reserved for the nobles of House Steiner. House Kurita's dignitaries were seated at House Liao's left, where, across the sea of tables meant for less important guests, they faced the House Davion nobility.
Justin drew Candace's chair away from the table for her, then seated himself as he answered the question she'd just posed. "Walking beneath the crossed swords is an old tradition among those who have graduated from a military academy. All the groomsmen had graduated from Albion, as had the Prince." Justin grinned mischievously. "I imagine ComStar was nervous about those ceremonial swords. They collected them rather quickly after the bride and groom had passed under."
Tsen looked past Candace at Justin. "What are you talking about?"
Candace answered before Justin could. "You recall, as the newlyweds left the church, how the groomsmen performed that little ceremony with the swords. Each of the three pairs lowered the swords to bar passage until the groom kissed his bride. That pair would then raise the swords, and the couple would pass on." Candace glanced back at Justin. "What I really wanted to know is why Ardan Sortek, being the last man on the bride's side, slapped her posterior—albeit lightly—with his sword as she went past?"
Justin smiled openly. "That's to ensure many children—or so the superstition goes."
Candace raised an eyebrow. "And do the graduates of the Sakhara Academy subscribe to the same superstition, Citizen Xiang?"
Justin shook his head. "Those of us at Sakhara were smart enough to figure out where children came from, and we had other ideas about how to be sure there'd be plenty of them."
Peering down the table from beyond Shang and Romano, Maximilian Liao growled in a deep voice. "Let us hope no one from Sakhara advises Prince Davion about having many children. The last thing the Successor States need is a plague of Davions hungry for conquest."
Justin narrowed his eyes. Max is already planning a war against the next generation of Davions!"Would that truly be so bad, Celestial Wisdom? Many Davion daughters could mean many women to marry off in strong alliances to your grandchildren."
"Perhaps, Citizen Xiang, but I have no grandchildren."
Justin nodded. "The point is well taken, though the situation is not yet utterly lost. Consider this, though. Many sons could mean a division of the Federated Suns. You have seen it before. The destruction that comes when brother pits himself against brother can shred an empire that no outside force has ever been able to dent." Justin glanced over at Janos Marik.
Maximilian Liao stroked the long wisps of his mustache. "Your insights, Citizen Xiang, bear further consideration. Perhaps, with this wedding, we enter into a new peace in which the conflicts will be more political than military."