A large bronze gong sounded out the noon call. Norman idly wondered why his citizens had chosen to go with gongs instead of bells as he waited in the castle. He went over the steps of the wedding one last time while he nervously paced.
The wedding itself would take place inside the ministry building. They would take two separate processions. One from the castle, and one from Kalia’s workshop. And they would meet outside the steps of the Ministry where they would exit the carriages together and walk into the building hand in hand.
The next part of the wedding had taken considerable back and forth to agree upon. Kalia had originally wanted a standard Catholic wedding, which Norman didn’t have any issue with. But with everything that had happened in the last ten years, most people had kind of renounced religion for a more spiritual approach toward the afterlife. When people knew what awaited them on the other side, it was hard to keep believing in old stories. So even if they had been able to locate a priest – they hadn’t – they decided to change it up.
Eventually, an agreement was reached on how to handle the rest of the wedding.
Once the ceremony was complete, the pair would take an open-top carriage around Ashvale so they could greet everyone in the city.
A knock on his door startled him slightly and he realized he had zoned out for a bit. “It’s time, Sir,” Jacob spoke.
Norman opened the door, finding his assistant wearing a black suit with a white handkerchief poking from the pocket.
“That you, Jacob. Do I look okay?”
The man looked him over, adjusting a few things and brushing off a bit of dust that he spotted. “You look fantastic, Sir.”
“Are Princess and the other two ready?”
The man let out an exasperated sigh. “They are as ready as I could make them. They are waiting by the carriage along with Lohr and Nolix.”
Norman only smiled at that, knowing it couldn’t have been an easy job to dress the three hellhounds for the ceremony. “Let's not keep them waiting then.”
Jacob nodded and followed along behind Norman.
The castle was weirdly silent today. It shouldn’t be a surprise to him as everyone who worked there was at the wedding. He had just gotten so used to the background sounds that it felt off not hearing them.
As he stepped outside, he got his first look at Princess and a huge smile crossed his face. She was wearing a harness made from pink leather with lacy fabric that dangled over the sides and down her broad back making it look like she was in a fancy dress. To top off her look, she was wearing a pink bow on her head.
The large hellhound gave him a sullen look but seemed to accept her fate.
The other two hellhounds flanked her, wearing a similar getup, only made to look like tuxedo’s
Norman nearly lost his cool when he took in the trio all dolled up. It was both hilarious and cute all at the same time. Before getting into the carriage, he bent down and petted the three animals. “Bear with it for today. I will have a nice treat for you afterward.”
The two males perked up at that and Princess let out a happy chuff as she pushed into his hand.
After petting the three, he stepped into the carriage and the procession started making its way down the hill toward the city.
Crowds of people already lined the streets and everyone was waving and cheering as they passed. Norman couldn’t see the people with the window curtains closed but he could hear them. It had been decided to keep them hidden until they stepped out at the Ministry.
The sounds and cheering only got louder as they got closer. He knew there was a significant amount of non-residents at this event. Not that he was worried. All of those people were associates of guests. And someone would have to be pretty fucking dumb to start a fight here and now. He kind of wished someone would try, just to see how the wards handled it. Norman quickly dismissed that idea. Kalia would be angry if anything disrupted the wedding.
The carriage eventually came to a stop and Norman could see they were in front of the Ministry. Less than a minute later, another loud cheer started up as a second carriage rolled into the large square. It came to a stop parallel to his just as the gong sounded.
Norman took a deep calming breath before stepping out of his carriage and walking over to Kalia's. Jacob opened the door and Norman held his white-gloved hand out. Soon Kalia’s hand reached out and he helped his soon-to-be wife down the steps.
Words couldn’t describe how beautiful she looked in her dress. Her hair was done up in an intricate braid and she practically glowed with a huge smile on her face. Norman couldn’t help smiling back as the pair walked hand in hand up the stairs of the Ministry to the raucous cheers of the tens of thousands of people gathered outside.
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The main guest hall of the Ministry had been turned into the venue for the wedding. Mostly because it was the largest indoor area they had inside Ashvale. Dozens of chairs flanked either side of a wide red carpet with gold and white trim. Everyone turned toward them as soon as the doors opened.
The gazes of all their friends followed them up the aisle while music played in the background. The soon-to-be-married pair stopped in front of a small dias with Grobert standing in the center.
Any small sounds or conversation soon quieted and Grobert cleared his throat.
“I’ll be the first to say, I don’t get all the fuss of a wedding. That being said, I understand the need for two souls to join in union.”
There was some quiet muttering from those less accustomed to Grobert’s peculiarities, but they soon stopped.
“We have all gathered here today to witness the union of two people very dear to us. Without Lord Norman’s effort, none of us would be here today. Without Kalia’s effort, our soldiers would not be as safe as they are today. They have done more than any two people should be asked to do. And for that we are thankful.”
“For Normenia!” came the chorus of replies.
“Lord Norman, please repeat after me. I vow to stand by your side, to love, cherish, and support you through all the days…”
Norman repeated the vow. “I vow to stand by Kalia’s side, to love, cherish, and support you through all the days.
I promise to be your partner, your confidant, and your greatest advocate.
I pledge to celebrate our joys and comfort you in our sorrows.
I look forward to the adventure of building a life together and nurturing the bond between our hearts and souls.”
Before finishing the vow, he pulled out the ring. The true ring. The one he had given her before had just been a simple construct that resized itself. This was the real deal. “With this ring, I symbolize the unbreakable connection that ties our two souls together.” With that, he slipped the ring on Kalia’s finger.
Grobert turned toward Kalia and repeated the vow. While she was speaking the words that would bond them together through life and beyond, Norman took off his glove.
“With this ring, I symbolize the unbreakable connection that ties our two souls together.” Norman had to help steady her shaking hand as she slipped the ring on his finger.
She let out a slight gasp as the final feature of the rings activated. He could feel the slight pulse of her heartbeat through the ring, and she would be able to feel his as well. Even when he was undead, the feature would still work so long as he wore the ring.
“The vows have been spoken and witnessed by everyone here. I now pronounce you Lord Norman Ashvale and Lady Kalia Ashvale, Husband and wife!”
Everyone in attendance rose from their seats, cheering and clapping while Norman leaned in and kissed his wife. She looked slightly surprised by her new last name but not unhappy with it. Norman had decided to leave it as a surprise for this moment. If he was going to start a family, he needed a proper last name. And he certainly wasn’t going to use his old one. It only seemed fitting to use the name of the first town he founded as part of his royal name.
There was a chorus of pops as magical fireworks rained down from the balconies, making them look like shooting stars. He would have loved to stick around and greet everyone personally and thank them for coming, but the pair were quickly ushered down the aisle while people clapped them on the shoulder and wished them luck.
As soon as the doors opened to the outside, the gong rang three times and much larger magical fireworks exploded into the air to the deafening cheers of thousands. Norman and Kalia waved to the crowd as they walked down the steps hand in hand. A beautiful topless carriage was waiting for them at the bottom and Norman helped his wife inside.
From there, they were led around the city. He waved to people and even shook a few of the more adventurous citizens' hands as they slowly rode through the streets of Ashvale. His city. No, he corrected himself, their city. People offered gifts, and even a few of the living with families asked him to kiss their children.
Norman thought that last one was a bit weird but he agreed as he was caught up in the excitement of the day like everyone else.
Kalia was getting asked much the same, but people weren’t as grabby with her as they were with him. That was a good thing. He may have taken offense if they had been.
After the pair made a circuit around the entire city, and people had gotten time to congratulate the pair, the carriage finally made its way up the winding road toward the castle. Norman reached over and grasped Kalia’s hand gently. She smiled brightly at him.
“Pinch me.” Instead of asking what she meant, he gave her a gentle pinch on the arm.
“Ow,” she hissed quietly before laughing. “It’s not a dream.”
“No it isn’t,” he said as he leaned over and kissed her again. “You are now Lady Kalia Ashvale.”
“I like it,” she admitted. “Although, I never did ask what your old last name was. I wish I had the strength you had to just get rid of my old last name.” she leaned against his shoulder.
“You did,” he quietly responded as he leaned his head against hers.
The pair remained that way until the carriage stopped outside the castle and Jacob opened the door for them. “Lord and Lady Ashvale, welcome home. Your guests will be arriving shortly for the evening festivities.”
It wouldn’t be a wedding without a wedding feast.
The pair strode into the hall, which had been modified since he left only three hours ago. Instead of the single throne, there were now two of equal stature sitting at the end of the hall.
Kalia paused upon seeing that. “I’m not going to be expected to sit up there, am I?”
Norman chuckled softly. “Only if you want to. I rarely ever use the thrones for anything other than meeting with unknown parties.”
“Oh, thank god! For a minute there, I thought I was going to have to sit through all of your leadership meetings.”
“You still can if you wish,” he teased.
“Hard pass,” she said before kissing him on the cheek. “I’ll leave running a country up to my more than capable husband.”
The pair laughed and soon the guests started strolling in. The couple greeted each and every person, thanking them for coming. A few of the less renowned people seemed surprised by the greetings and hugs, but they accepted them all the same.
For the next six hours, the pair laughed, ate, danced, and sang with their friends. It was not the kind of high-brow event you might expect from the leader of a country. But it was exactly what Norman and Kalia had wanted. An evening to enjoy with their friends. And when it was all over, the pair retired to their bedroom to begin the next chapter in their relationship.