Royal Masquerade

Chapter 34

Astrea gripped Zephyr’s arms tightly as he opened the wooden door of the chapel and lead her inside to where Narcissus is waiting for her. He had manage to change into pure white traditional tuxedo that makes him look like a character that just steps out from the pages of romance novel. He even wore an intricately woven mask to match his outfit. He stood there, waiting for her to walk to him, giving her a dashing smile from afar. She thought that if something could be called perfect, this was it.

Astrea’s heart restart with a thud as the wedding march was played. She frowned. This is too beautiful and too perfect to be true. She looked around, waiting to be chided by the Love&Marriage Made Easy personnel for taking her time to walk to the aisle as they usually would when the bride hesitate. After all, the place did promise to marry couples under 5 minutes and go on to the next couple in waiting. Apparently, Narcissus had took the liberty to book the entire place. She grinned. She should have known that he’ll pulled something like this. After all, money was never an issue to him.

Narcissus stood at the altar, watching her taking small steps towards him. Despite of seeing her earlier as ‘Zachary’ and how she looks like in her beautiful white summer dress and wreath of roses on her head, he still couldn’t help but marvel at her beauty. She looked like the fairy queen she truly is. Her simple yet elegant dress billowed as she walked towards him.

He told himself that any supermodel would kill to look like her right now. This is the second time he saw her with such happiness and glow. The first have to be the previous wedding that they shared back then in Isle of Astraea. Back then, she looked regal, and every inch of her radiate the aura of magical royalty, but now she looked so fragile, so human, and yet undeniably beautiful. He smiled wistfully. So human. So weak, and yet he’s powerless against her charms.

The Wedding March started to fade, and as if on cue, Astrea arrived at the altar, and Zephyr placed her hand into Narcissus’s. Silent is the night, but emotions speak out loud. While Astrea is feeling absolutely blissful to be holding Narcissus’s hand at the altar, he felt slightly guilty about marrying her without even letting her see his face. But, no man alive could resist her. Conscience and guilt would have to be pushed away at the moment. He would deal with the unmasking issue later, when they’re wedded again.

“Narcissus…” she whispered his name like she would a prayer.

“Rea…” his voice is barely a whisper, and it was not even audible to her ears. The hired priest cleared his throat at their exchange. Zephyr only smirked as he watched their exchange. He remembered that they were both as flustered as this during the first vow they took.

“Ready for this, kids?” he asked.

“More than anything,” Astrea smiled.

“Very well then, shall we proceed?” the priest asked, but was rudely ignored as Narcissus pulled her closer to him to ask her one last thing before they exchange their vows.

“Love, I’m no perfect man to be married. I am a monster, and my life would probably be short, do you still wish to marry me?” he asked, deliberately ignoring the priest’s cough to get their attention.

“Yes, Narc. I wish to marry you, and nothing could change my mind about it. If it’s destine that you’ll die the very second I married you, I’ll still be satisfied, but heavens forbid.” she assured him.

“No regrets no matter what happens after this?”

“No regrets.” came her simple assurance.

“Are we done here, kids?” the priest said, interrupting their rather intimate exchange impatiently.

The man is probably impatient to get back to bed. After all, it’s almost midnight. Zephyr suspected that the elder man have been bribed with a handsome amount of money to even agree to come to Love&Marriage Made Easy, as the man is definitely not Love&Marriage Made Easy hired personnel. The man is a real priest from church. He recalled to see the very same man conducting a very formal garden wedding when he was talking a walk in the park near Darklord Mansion.