Ask the Sinners

In spring

  In a just a little while, the church bells would ring. And that would signify the beginning of something beautiful.

  I was in the dressing room with the other girls. Banica was helping me with my makeup, while Riliane was doing my hair. Kayo was helping me with the choker I would wear. Margarita was in the back doing.....something. Honestly, I wasn't concerned about her.

  "Close your eyes, I'm putting on the fake lashes," Banica said. I would have nodded, but I didn't. I felt her hands press them onto my eyes.

  "I wonder what the guys are doing," Riliane inquired. Margarita made a sound as she danced around the room.

  Kayo's hands closed the choker, the silk comfortable against my throat.

  "One hundred policemen walk into a bar. The bartender says, 'Sorry, we don't serve police here,'" Margarita said suddenly. "The police chief says, 'Good. We'd have to arrest you if you did.'" Then she laughed wildly.

  "Uh, I don't get it," Riliane murmured. The comb she was holding raked through my hair.

  "Cannibalism!" Margarita practically shrieked. Her words made Banica laugh, too.

  "Oh. OH!" Riliane shouted. Her hands gripped my hair tightly. I made a noise of discomfort. "Oh, sorry, Nemi." She let go.

  Banica stood back. "Alright, dear. You can open you eyes now."

  For a brief second, my eyes were stuck together. Then I could see again. My reflection hardly looked like me. For once, I didn't see the heartless assassin. This time, I saw a girl excited for what was to come next.

  Fifteen minutes later, I was ready to put in my dress. My makeup was done, and my hair was curled. The veil I was going to wear wasn't on yet, but it would go on soon.

  The dress was made by Kayo, obviously. It had silver beading forming a heart on the bodice, and silver beads at the bottom. They twisted up to create trees. There was plenty of tulle filling out the skirt. And at the center of the white silk choker was a green gem. Kayo had outdone herself yet again.

-••-

And finally, it became time. I closed my eyes for a second as Banica fastened the veil to my head. There was a small tiara from which the veil came off of.

"It's time to go," Kayo said. She, Banica, and Margarita helped me out of the room. Riliane slipped out behind us to go take her seat. She passed by Allen and Yukina, the ring-bearer and flower girl. I caught sigh of a small smile exchanged among them.

Music that signaled what was to come started up. I waited, trying to not pass out from excitement.

"Breathe," Margarita whispered to me. "Breathe."

I nodded.

After a few minutes, Hanma came up to me and offered his arm. I took it gratefully.

Gallerian was not going to lead me down the aisle. I had offered only because Michelle wanted him to be considered. He had made it clear that while I may have biologically been his daughter, we shared nothing other than blood. I didn't mind. He didn't raise me, so he shouldn't walk me down.

Hanma had been more like a dad to me.

Yukina moved ahead of us, scattering flower petals left and right.

I passed by another girl. Lilith. She smiled at her father as he passed her. As we walked, my maid of honor, a girl from Zeus, trailed behind us.

And then we were at the altar. Nyoze was in a fancy suit that I bet Allen helped with. I looked out at everyone. The only person not there was my mother. Everyone else was. That made sense, as I hadn't invited her. With everything she had done, she didn't deserve to be here.

Gallerian and Michelle were together. Riliane was sitting with her family as well as Allen's other dad and sister. The other members of Zeus were sitting at the front. Everything was as it should have been. All was well.

Something was being said, but I didn't hear it. Finally, we got to what mattered most.

"Do you, Nyoze Octo, take Nemesis Sudou to be your lawfully wedded wife?" Elluka asked. She was the one doing this thing. We actually couldn't find anyone else, so she was here.

There was a slight pause, and then, "I do." Nyoze smiled at me.

"And, Nemesis Sudou, do you take Nyoze Octo to be your lawfully wedded husband?" she asked again.

I bit my lip to keep myself from smiling so much. "I do." Then I burst into laughter. "I'm fine! I'm fine, just excited!"

The crowd chuckled.

"You may kiss the bride!" Elluka exclaimed. "O-oh!"

Nyoze moved quickly. He threw one hand around my waist and pulled me close. Our position was not unlike what tango dancers did at the end of a performance. I squealed for a second, then kissed him back. He used my bouquet to block everybody from seeing our kiss.

Somebody in the audience jeered, but it was lighthearted.

We straightened back up, and every single person broke into applause.

-••-

The reception was pleasant. It was outdoors and under cherry blossom trees.

Hanma and I had the father-daughter dance, which ended quickly. He went back to his table with Lilith.

Nyoze and I danced next. It was hardly graceful, but it was fun. After us, Carlos and Banica danced together. Then it was Michaela and Clarith, followed by Miriam and Leonhart.

Then, oddly enough, Behemo and Levia danced together. It was pretty clear that Levia isn't want to do it, yet she did. Gumillia and her boyfriend went shortly after them.

Gammon and Lilith looked at one another, then waltzed onto the dance floor together. I saw Lilith step on his toes a few times.

Finally, Allen and Kyle danced with their sisters.

Watching Allen and Riliane be so happy made me happy.

As I was eating, Lilith slid into the empty seat next to me.

"I filmed Nyoze getting ready," she murmured. "Don't worry, it's nothing bad. It's actually pretty funny."

"I wanna see," I said.

She pulled out her phone and played a video.

The guys were all singing something as Nyoze put in his jacket. All of them, even Gammon. Several times, Allen turned to the camera, clearly confused. At one point, the camera was turned around to show Lilith grinning madly.

It kept going to show them doing crazy things. Allen scaled the dresser and didn't come down for a while. Lilith brought out a card game, which she, Pollo, Gammon, and Allen played.

At one point, a clearly drunk Arte stumbled into the room, spewing nonsense. After some time, she crashed and fell asleep. Carlos came in not too long after, apologizing for her behavior. That's when the video cut out.

By that time, I had tears in my eyes from laughing. I couldn't even speak, just cry. Lilith put her phone away.

"I-I l-love it!" I choked out.

She grinned. "Good! I'm so glad." Then she left, presumably to go torture Gammon some more.

Nyoze, who had been talking to some friends, came back. "You saw the video. God.....whelp." He smiled.

I playfully punched him in the shoulder. "You. Are. So. Funny." Squeezing my eyes together one final time, I threw my arms around him. "I love you." I rested my head on his shoulder.

He returned the affection. "I love you too, Nemi."

  Despite the pleasant silence, I had to say something. "Ya know, proposing to me under the cherry trees again may not have been your best idea, but it was funny as hell."

  He groaned.