The time had come. Leon shifted uneasily as he pulled at his collar, the fine material digging into his skin far more than it should have.
Or perhaps that was just his imagination, he couldn’t imagine how else silkgrass could be so uncomfortable to a ninth-tier mage. He hoped his discomfort was understandable, though, for in he was about to marry an Imperial Princess.
The ceremony would be relatively quiet, though by Imperial standards that still meant that there were hundreds of people congregating on his villa. He and Cassandra had opted not to do some kind of destination wedding, nor would it be all that politically correct to hold the ceremony within the Sacred Golden Empire, given Leon’s own status. Already, the Director had had to field several requests for clarification on the proceedings and their implications from the Sunlit Empire.
Interestingly, they had received no such requests from the Sentinels, though Leon supposed after Heaven’s Eye largely pulled out of the region, they didn’t care so much about what Heaven’s Eye did.
As it was, Leon was glad that his wedding was receiving so little attention, relatively speaking—it was an Imperial wedding, but Cassandra wasn’t her mother’s heir. Still, on an objective scale, Leon knew that his was now practically a household name within the Sacred Golden Empire, and likely in the Ilian Empire as well.
On this day, Elise and Valeria made sure that he was dressed as well as he possibly could be. A dark blue doublet, nearly black, inspired by the crest of his new avian form, and flecked with silver like the sky just after dusk, was the main centerpiece of his outfit. Tight, cloudy-gray pants that hugged his legs more than he’d have preferred, and a pair of black boots trimmed in lion’s fur completed his outfit.
Elise had wanted him to wear a cloak of silver thread lined with eagle feathers and studded with sapphires, but Leon had put his foot down; it was just too ostentatious for his tastes. As it was, this outfit was already more than he’d wear on a normal day, but he knew that to wear any less would insult Cassandra, and by extension, her entire family. Even if he didn’t have the Grand Druid breathing down his neck making sure that he would be a worthy husband to Cassandra, he wouldn’t have made such an uncouth move. He’d learned a great deal since the days when he’d resisted as much as he’d been able Elise’s attempts to get him to at least own some nicer clothes than the plain, functional fare he usually dressed in.
As he stared at himself in the mirror, Elise rested her head on his shoulder, looking at his reflection with nothing but undisguised pride. She was glowing so brightly and dressed so well herself that Leon would’ve forgiven someone for thinking that she was the one about to be married, not him.
“Ready for this, husband?” she asked with a radiant smile.
Leon stared back at his first wife, dressed in a low-cut dress that swept out around her legs like rose petals. She prominently wore the bracelet that Leon had commissioned for her back in Ironford years ago, during the Bull Kingdom’s civil war, and around her neck rested the emerald necklace that she’d taken from the black wyvern’s lair almost six years ago. Her snow lion’s coat was nearby, but she wouldn’t put that on until later.
“Are you ready for this?” Leon countered. “I’m about to marry another woman.”
She playfully slapped his shoulder. “I’ve been waiting for this for years!” she exclaimed. “Don’t worry about me, husband, and go make our family bigger!”
Leon resisted the urge to snort. Instead, he pulled Elise closer and gently kissed her.
When he pulled away, her emerald eyes practically glowing with delight, from behind them Valeria said, “When’s our turn?”
Leon turned and locked eyes with her. She and Maia were standing side-by-side, each looking just as gorgeous as Elise. They were largely dressed the same, their own snow lion coats hanging nearby, except Maia was dressed in sea green and Valeria in ice blue. Maia seemed somewhat impassive, but Leon could feel her excitement through their connection. Not, perhaps, as intense as Elise seemed to be, but she was happy for him. Valeria, meanwhile, seemed the most excited of them all, strangely enough.
Without hesitation, Leon took Valeria into his arms and gave her a long kiss, and then did the same for Maia.
“You sure you two don’t want a marriage ceremony of your own?” he whispered as he held them both close.
Maia’s answer was simple and to the point. [We are already mates.]
Valeria, sharing Maia’s sentiment, expounded slightly. “We need no grand ceremonies. We are what we are already. Commitments have been made, and we don’t need to make any complex announcements to the world. What we have is for us, not for them.”
Maia nodded in agreement, smiling for a moment until Elise asked, “Is that an indictment of grand ceremonies I hear?”
“No offense intended, Eli,” Valeria hurriedly added. “No knocks against ceremonies and those who prefer them! They’re just not for me or Maia. That’s all.”
Elise made a brief show of looking angry, but the façade quickly cracked as Leon pulled into the shared embrace.
To him, it didn’t matter that he, Maia, and Valeria hadn’t had their own great marriage ceremonies. As Valeria said, they were what they were, and no ceremony would change that. If that ever changed, he be more than happy to comply with any marriage ceremony they might ask for, but whatever happened, he loved them all the same.
He stayed there with his three ladies for a little while longer. It was the last time the four of them would just be the four of them, and as much as Leon was looking forward to marrying Cassandra, it still felt like the ending of something as much as it was a beginning, so he took as much time as he could spare to be with Elise, Maia, and Valeria.
But none of them could stay there for too long. Soon enough, a knock came at the door, and Leon’s head of the villa staff informed all four of them that it was time for the ceremony to begin.
---
The outside of Leon’s villa had been transformed quite substantially to be worthy of an Imperial wedding. Since Cassandra was of the Sacred Golden Empire, Evergolden décor was the standard. Golden trees filled Leon’s largest courtyard, bathing the white marble in golden light. Exotic flowers and fountains had been brought in to line the villa’s corridors and the courtyard itself.
The marriage altar was in the center of the courtyard, surrounded by seats of rough-cut stone radiating outward in a circle. There were enough seats only for about a hundred and fifty people, despite the sheer number of attendees—those who had no assigned seats would have to watch the ceremony from the peristyle or the gallery above.
Many of the most important people on the entire plane were already present, pleasantly chatting amongst themselves—it occurred to Leon that it was practically a repeat of his birthday party given just who was in attendance, though given it was a wedding, even his birthday rather paled in comparison to who had come.
Anastasios, the Grand Druid, and the Director were all present, but this time, they were joined by dozens of eighth and ninth-tier mages, all of whom Leon guessed were diplomats and senior functionaries within their respective Imperial or guild bureaucracies. Sunlit diplomats were in attendance as well, looking no less happy than anyone else. Not a single Sentinel had shown up, though Leon was sure that had more to do with their lack of interest in arriving than in their lack of invitation.
The Sacred Golden Empress and the Ilian Emperor had also arrived, turning Leon’s marriage ceremony into quite possibly the single most important diplomatic summit in hundreds of years—he knew that the respective Emperors, though they were frequently in contact with each other, rarely ever met in person. This was quite possibly the first time that the Ilian Emperor and the Sacred Golden Empress had ever met face-to-face.
He was just glad that most of the politicking wasn’t being handled in his home, though since both Imperial processions had arrived weeks ago, he knew that both sides had been holding dozens of meetings not just with themselves, but also with the Sunlit delegation and Heaven’s Eye representatives.
There was a part of Leon that was quite curious as to how those meetings had gone and what had been discussed, but he put it out of his mind. Given the Director’s uncharacteristic smile, he supposed that things were fine right now, anyway.
Everyone looked at him as he entered with his ladies on his arm. His first instinct might’ve been to have his ladies come in before him and mingle a bit, out of some desire not to insult Cassandra or her family by flaunting his other lovers. However, he’d learned from both Cassandra and the Grand Druid herself that it was customary in their Empire for the head of a household to have their entire family prominently displayed during a marriage ceremony, to make sure that everyone knows what’s happening and to symbolize that the person joining the family was being welcomed by said family.
Leon was fine with that, and he and his resplendent ladies made a quick round, welcoming everyone to the ceremony.
The Lord Protector was one of the first Leon spoke with, being the closest person of consequence to the door.
“Congratulations, Leon,” he said with as much sincerity in his voice as Leon had ever heard. He extended a hand, and Leon, a smile on his face, grasped it warmly. “I look forward to all that you go on to accomplish, and wish you luck in all your future endeavors.”
Leon smiled a little wider and accepted his wishes.
The Director was next, and he was all business, even as they clasped wrists.
“We’re as stable and secure as we’re going to be,” the old ninth-tier mage said. “It’s taken a lot of work to make sure that this can be accepted. Let’s not waste all of it.”
“You’re setting the mood wonderfully,” Leon quipped, and the Director smiled.
“Focus on what’s to come,” the Director replied. “Leave the rest to me.” His yellow eyes glimmered with ambition, Leon recognizing the look as the one that crossed his face whenever they discussed leaving Aeterna.
Leon clapped the man on the shoulder before moving on.
After the Director was the Grand Druid, who, despite being surrounded by gorgeous Evergolden attendants, outshone them all through sheer smug joy.
“Leon,” she said as he drew close. “You’re finally here.”
“Good to see you,” he said as she pulled him into a tight hug. Leon gave their surroundings a meaningful look as they separated, the Grand Druid having taken some part in preparing his home for the wedding. “How have things been today?”
“The day seems blessed,” the Grand Druid replied. “The sun is shining, a fair wind blows, and the trees sing their songs with every gust. There could be no more auspicious day than this for my granddaughter’s wedding. We’ll be family after this, Leon, sharing in each other’s triumphs and hardships.”
“I suppose we will,” Leon said, his smile faltering only for a moment. “Let’s hope the former outnumber the latter.”
The Grand Druid nodded, and Leon moved on. It took a while, but he greeted all of the important guests—which was to say, those who’d actually been invited rather than brought along as an attendant or retainer. He spoke with the Sacred Golden Empress, who while not as friendly and eager as the Grand Druid, her own mother, the Empress was polite and outwardly happy, her mood only apparently souring slightly when mentioning that neither of Cassandra’s siblings could attend, their official duties keeping them back in their Empire. The Ilian Emperor, meanwhile, spoke so long and with such youthful enthusiasm that Leon struggled to get away from the man, only extricating himself once Anastasios himself came over and ran some interference.
But despite breaking words with Imperial personages, Leon found that the most interesting guest was the leading figure of the Sunlit delegation. The man had been speaking with Narses the White when Leon made his way over to them, and the blond man practically pulled Leon off his feet with a forceful hug when he joined them.
“What a day, Leon!” he exclaimed. “What a day!”
“Have you been drinking, Narses?” Leon asked as the larger man pulled back.
“Is the sun shining?” Narses shot back as he gestured at the clear sky with his mostly-empty cup. “Speaking of which, I need to offer you my congratulations on this marriage, Leon. So, congratulations. For now, I need to fill my cup.” Narses slunk away, leaving Leon along with the Sunlit delegate.
“Leon Raime, a pleasure to make your acquaintance,” the man intoned, his voice soft and deliberate. “Richard, of the Sunlit Empire,” he introduced himself.
Leon smiled, not having needed that latter part of the introduction, the man’s attire having spoken that much already. Richard was a ninth-tier mage, and his long, flowing robes were gilded and adorned with sapphire lightning bolts raining down from an image of the sun on his chest—a fairly typical Sunlit design, as far as Leon knew.
“Wonderful to meet you, as well,” Leon replied, clasping the man’s hand for a moment. “How is your Emperor doing? I regret that he wasn’t able to come in person…”
‘… Not that I sent him an invite,’ Leon silently finished.
“His Imperial Majesty is well,” the delegate said. “His attention is taken with other matters, such as the war with the Sky Devils. Unfortunately, while we have been prosecuting the war with strength and courage, that hasn’t stopped the occasional raid from reaching the coast. Or worse, collaborators throwing their lot in with our savage neighbors across the sea.”
“Collaborators?” Leon asked in only slightly-feigned shock.
“Indeed, though it shames me to admit,” Richard replied. “Almost fifty men have been hanged or been immolated for aiding and abetting Sky Devil raids, despite being citizens of our fair Empire, or of the Pegasi States. It’s unfortunate, but collaborators with those monsters simply can’t be allowed to live.”
Leon smiled and nodded.
“While I have you, Leon Raime,” Richard continued, “My great Emperor has asked me to pass along an invitation. He would greatly appreciate it if you and your lady wives could visit our fair Empire at your convenience.”
Leon almost asked why but managed to hold his tongue. For an Emperor like Sunlit, he doubted any reason was even necessary. “Please be sure to tell him that his invitation is gladly received. Our family’s business keeps us close to Occulara, but we’ll see if we can make some time to take His Imperial Majesty up on his offer.”
Richard smiled pleasantly, but his eyes took on a slightly harder edge as he replied, “His Imperial Majesty will be thrilled to hear that. I shall tell him to expect you as soon as I get back.”
With that, Leon’s quick exchange with the Sunlit delegate ended.
By this time, essentially all of Leon’s guests had gathered in the courtyard, though were mostly still milling about talking to one another. Perhaps most notable for the fact that they weren’t mingling as much as everyone else was Leon’s retinue, who’d mostly already sat down in their seats in the front rows. All of his people, save Anshu, were present, including Tikos and Red, though the latter was in her human form—and drawing quite a bit of male attention, Leon noted, though she seemed to not care a whit for any of it.
But the other seats were also being slowly filled, and as he made his way back to the central altar, everyone else began to find their seats. Leon, his ladies, the Grand Druid, and the Sacred Golden Empress herself were the only people remaining on their feet as they stood around the altar, Leon and his ladies off to one side, while the Empress and the Grand Druid stood to the other.
They’d rehearsed this several times, and there was a large part of Leon that wasn’t looking forward to this at all. All the ceremony and pageantry was wearing his patience down already, but he forced himself to ignore it and wear as pleasant a smile as he could muster.
And then, the ceremony was signaled to start with the dimming of the golden leaves, and, accompanied by at least fifty ladies-in-waiting, Cassandra herself finally arrived, and Leon found himself staring at her, speechless.
She was a breathtakingly beautiful woman even on her worst day, and now she’d had the best designers her Empire had to offer preparing her for hours.
Her long blond hair had been magically grown, the sides now matching the rest of her hair and brushed into cascading waves. Woven throughout her golden locks with equally golden thread were hundreds of tiny rubies that glittered as she walked.
Her body was clad in a long red dress, strapless and backless, though the latter was somewhat obscured by her hair. Her dress had been decorated with golden lightning embroidery rather than the usual floral motif that was the usual Evergolden fare, and as she approached, Leon was pleased to see that faint avian outlines had also been included.
She wore less gold than she had when arriving in Occulara, though what she did wear was magnificent: a golden diadem around her brow set with a monstrous red diamond and dozens more sapphires; golden bracelets on each wrist studded with rubies; and a prominent amulet around her neck that stood out for being only a single brown feather held by a thin gold chain.
Cassandra stopped in front of him, clearly enjoying the effect her arrival had on him. Her ruby eyes had narrowed with a mirthful smile, and she asked him, “Ready for this?”
Leon answered without hesitation. “Yes.” It was finally time for Cassandra to join his family.
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