POV Rio
It was the day of the wedding, and I was a bit nervous. I was never married in my last life, and I never fell in love before. I was pacing in my room while the maids tried to get me to stop. They ended up just giving up and calling in backup.
"Sir, can you please calm down and let the maids do their job?" Sebas said with a stern face.
I stopped moving and returned to the stage they had set up for the fitting. I mumbled a sorry and let them finish their job. It didn't take much longer for them to finish the fitting. Once that was done, I took a deep breath and calmed my emotions.
"How do I look?"
"Excellent as always, my lord," Sebas responds kindly.
"Good, now I believe it's time for my speech to the guests. Has anyone come from outside Concordia?"
"I am afraid not. All those who were invited politely declined for one reason or another," Sebas said with a polite smile.
"Hmm, not too surprising we have few friendly contacts, and those we have are busy with war. Very well. If that is the case, then invite the local populace."
Sebas's eyes went wide, and I was amused to see the famous Stonefaced Sebas could make a face other than stern professional.
"Are... Are you certain, my lord? That has never been done before," Sebas warns.
"Just make sure everyone allowed into the palace is vetted thoroughly. And I will summon a few hundred Imperial Watchmen to ensure the security is suitable enough."
Sebas nods and goes to do as I asked. I decided to let the citizens in because I wanted the wedding to have a good amount of people and further, I knew a lot of the citizens in the city and it was their festival that brought my feelings for Gardevoir to light so it only made sense to return the favour and show them my celebration. I gave my speech from the balcony, and once that was done, I headed inside to the main hall.
'It's showtime.'
I push open the doors and head to the altar, where I will wait for Gardevoir to enter. I wait for everyone to find their seats, and then the music starts to play.
(AN: Play Wagner : Bridal Chorus - Here Comes The Bride on YouTube for the music. )
The doors open, and I freeze when I see Gardevoir.
'Or should I say Princess?'
My thought gets me a psychic pinch to my arm. But the reason I was frozen was because of how beautiful she was. She was in a striking black dress with red roses as accents. The entire outfit was beyond the mere word beautiful. I was snapped out of my thoughts when Gardevoir arrived at my side.
[Image Here, just ignore the Mega Evolution chest fin.]
"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to join these two in matrimony. As I look around this room, I can only imagine how uncomfortable Rio must be," Alessandra jokes.
I blush and try to keep a calm facade.
Laughs
"But I also see so many people from all walks of life, brought together by love. Rio Draconis and Princess Gardevoir may not be the same species, but they do share a lot in common. The same Earth, the same Air, the same Sky. Perhaps if we started looking at what's the same instead of always looking at what's different, then perhaps we can all find the same love that these two have found in each other," Alessandra says with a peaceful smile.
I find her speech to be somewhat familiar, but I couldn't place where it was from.
"It's remarkable to me how a story like Rio's and Gardevoir's life could fill this room with such a unique collection of people! It makes you realize that everybody is the star of their own story. And it's not just the main characters in our stories that make life so rich! It's everybody, those who play big parts and those who play small. If it weren't for everybody in this room and many more who couldn't be here today, Rio and Gardevoir's lives wouldn't be as full and vibrant as they are," Alessandra says while looking at the audience.
I smile at Gardevoir as I could tell what was coming.
"And so, in front of all these loved ones... Rio, do you take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife?" Alessandra asks.
I stare right into Garevoir's eyes and say with absolute confidence.
"I do."
"And do you, Gardevoir, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband?" Alessandra asks.
"I do," Gardevoir responds.
"Then, by the power invested in me, I now pronounce you Husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride," Alessandra finishes.
Before I can do anything, I am grabbed forcibly and put into a swooning kiss with a twirl. It must look fairly comical with an 8-foot-6 giantess taking the initiative and dominating the Duke. I try to fight back, but quickly melt into the kiss. When I am released, my face is red, and there is a bit of saliva that drips from my face.
Applause
I get out of my daze and give Gardevoir a look that says I will have my revenge. She responds by licking her lips. I have a shiver down my spine, and I feel slightly worried about tonight.
'At least I have plan B.'
'You can run, but you can't hide.' Gardevoir responds mentally.
'Heh, that's what you think.'
Clink.
I look down and see a magical collar. It disappears moments later, but I know exactly what that is.
"Like I said, you can run, but you can't hide," Gardevoir whispers in my ear.
"You will rue this day. You'll rue it!"
"Sure sure," Gardevoir dismisses.
Gardevoir had no idea how much of a hole she had dug herself. I was a man from an age when any info could be obtained from a simple search. I had knowledge she couldn't even begin to fathom, and a spell that restored stamina. I hid my thoughts well, but Gardevoir still shivered unconsciously. Before we started to try and one-up each other, her adopted mother approached.
"Oh, how my little Princess has grown up, and now you're married, the little cutie," Hatterene said with a perverted smile.
"Hatterene, I am glad to see you arrived. I hope the road was decent to you."
"Of course, I wouldn't miss this for the end of the world. And the roads were fine. No issues at all. Now I am sorry to break up your little lovers contest, but I need to take Princess to have a chat between women," Hatterene said with an even more lewd face.
'How is that even possible?'
Gardevoir tries to make an excuse but fails and looks towards me for help.
'I am sure the big and strong woman don't need no man.'
I said while grinning evilly. She just looks at me with a shocked expression. I wave goodbye while my mother-in-law drags her away for some likely horrifying reason.
'TRAITOR!!!!' Gardevoir screams in my mind, but I pretend I don't hear it.
"Huh, I thought I heard something. Must have been the wind."
I wander over to the guests and talk with them. I had some very interesting conversations. One was with what I could only describe as a Frenchman. What confused me was his name. It was Spy. Nothing else, just Spy. He came in a metal mask, as no one had ever seen what was behind his mask.
'I wonder if this is a Kakashi situation. But then again, this guy doesn't seem like a depressed pervert.'
Meanwhile, in another Universe.
POV ???
Achoo
"Huh, am I sick?" Said a depressed white white-haired pervert.
Achoo
"Are you okay, Kakashi Sensei?" Said a blonde kid in an orange jumpsuit.
"It's nothing, probably a pretty woman talking about me," Kakashi responds.
POV Rio
Another interesting guest was not the person themselves, but who they were talking about. He was talking about an ancient Lamia that had lived in Griffonstone for nearly 2 centuries. What caught my attention was both the species and the age.
'Hmm, I would be interested in meeting them. I know of the Lamia, but I doubt this is the same one I remember from mythology. Moreover, if what he said is true, she has run a very profitable business for over a century. Perhaps she could give me an idea of what the lower class needs for everyday necessities.'
I trusted the Steward, but I also knew he came from a noble family and, as such, might not be able to connect with the populace as well as one who has lived with them for centuries. Other than that interesting story, not much else caught my attention. Eventually, it reached the end of the night, and something that I had forgotten was a standard tradition of this era came up.
"Are you ready for the bedding ceremony, my lord?" Alessandra asks.
SPIIIIIIIIFFFF
"Cough cough cough. Sorry, but what?"
"The bedding ceremony is a tradition. You will take the bride to bed and we will watch it be consummated," Alessandra says as if it were normal.
"I'm sorry, but I'm not doing that. I will consummate the marriage. But I will not have spectators."
"Are you sure, Your Highness? This is a tradition. It could cause rumors that you have not made love as a man should," Alessandra warns.
"Sigh. Yes, I am certain."
Once that was settled, I went to my bedroom to find Gardevoir. She was lying on the bed and her face was completely red. What happened next was what could be expected, and the sounds that lasted all night and into the morning made it clear to the whole palace that the marriage was consummated.