Happily Ever After (A Collection of Lunar Stories)

the wedding

Kai stood at the end of the aisle. Torin paced, slightly elevated to his side, and Wolf, Cress, Winter, and Jacin sat in the front pew, beaming.

"In the name of Luna, Torin," stage-whispered Kai, "you must be more nervous than I am."

Torin chuckled. "I might be, Your Majesty. I just might be."

Kinney, who was seated further to the side, cleared his throat. "Your Majesty," he said, "are you ready?"

Kai exhaled, his mouth forming an O. He smiled. "I don't know if I could be more ready than I am now."

He looked down at the doors that would swing open to reveal his bride. 15 meters, he assured himself. 15 meters is all it is.

Kinney set his hands on the piano. The light wedding march tune graced the room as the heavy oak doors swung open.

Iko and Scarlet were the first that Kai saw, beaming with pride as they scattered flowers across the aisle. Iko had been fully repaired and was radiating joy as bright as her blue hair. Scarlet flashed Kai a quick smile.

Kai gasped ever so softly. Cinder emerged from behind the flower girls, her arm hooked in Thorne's. Her hair was carefully arranged in a low bun. One pin, designed to look like a crescent Luna, shone from behind one ear, a corresponding crescent Earth behind the other.

Her gown flowed behind her as she trailed down the aisle. Chills ran down his arms. Kai pushed back tears as he watched her glide towards him.

If she couldn't cry, thought Kai, neither could he. It was only fair.

Scarlet and Iko finished their length down the aisle and sat beside the rest of the Rampion crew. Thorne and Cinder were close enough for Kai to hear their anxious breaths.

This was the longest 15 meters ever.

Thorne leaned over, his lips grazing Cinder's ear.

"I knew this day would come," he whispered. "I'm surprised that my looks didn't keep you on my trail, but I guess Kai is okay too."

Cinder threw her head back, her laughter sounding like everything lovely that Kai had ever heard in his lifetime. He glared at Thorne playfully.

Thorne nodded at him. "Treat her well," he said with a wink. He flashed a final smile to Cinder before stepping back to take his seat.

Cinder stepped up onto the altar, her heel making a clang against the surface. "Kai," she breathed. "You look amazing."

"I look amazing?" Kai's voice rose an octave. "Have you looked in a mirror lately, Cinder?" He dropped his gaze to the bottom of her gown, where he noticed something that made him pause.

"Stars, Cinder," he sighed. "How did you manage to get oil on your wedding dress?"

He knew that if Cinder could blush, her cheeks would be as bright as his wedding sash.

She laughed. "I blame Iko!"

Kai looked back to the front pew. Iko was sitting there with an I-didn't-do-it look on her face. He couldn't help but smile.

He turned back to Cinder. "Well, you look beautiful."

Instinctively, Kai leaned in to press his lips to hers.

The tilt of his head was interrupted by Torin. "Hey, hey, hey! Would you wait a minute, Your Majesty?"

Kai bashfully returned to his spot across from Cinder.

Torin cleared his throat, raising his chin.

"Today is a celebration of love, of commitment, of friendship, of family, and of these two," he paused, his gaze flickering between Kai and Cinder, "who are in it forever."

Chills ran down Kai's spine. There's no one else I would want forever with, he thought.

Torin continued. "We're all here because we want these moments for you. We're here to hope with you, to support you, to be proud of you, and to remind you that love isn't happily ever after; love is the experience of writing your own story.

And even though this experience is so incredible, words fail us when we try to describe it. Because that's the way it is with love - it's meant to be felt, not described."

Kai and Cinder shared a glance, nothing but foreverness in their gazes.

"You fell in love by chance, but you're here today because you're making a choice. Both of you are choosing each other. You've chosen to be with someone who enhances you, who makes you think, makes you smile, and makes every day brighter.

Now, you're about to make promises to one another that you intend to keep. Your Majesty, would you like to begin?"

Kai took in a breath. "When I was young, my father told me that it would be a challenge for me to find love. He warned me that many would want me for my power as royalty, and he said that I would end up with many partners before I found one who truly loved me for me. But really, Father," Kai paused, looking up, "it didn't take me too long."

"The first time we met, I didn't even think that Cinder recognized who I was. Stars, that sounds arrogant. But she treated me like any other customer, and I began to fall in love with this girl. We've been through ups and downs, marriages and divorces, revolutions and wars, but this love that I have for you has never faltered. And I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you, darling."

Torin flashed him a grin in the corner of his eye, but Kai couldn't keep his eyes off his bride.

"Cinder, are there any words that you'd like to share?"

Cinder bit her lip. "I mean, do I have to...?"

Kai's heart stopped.

She laughed when she saw his expression. "I'm kidding!"

"Kai, I am so flawed. I have a list of things that define me, and these things will always stay with me: cyborg, Lunar, a young girl whose family felt nothing but hatred for her."

Kai looked into her eyes, expecting to see some trace of sadness in her gaze. But her eyes were filled with nothing but joy. He smiled.

"But the one thing that defines me the most is you. Through all of our time together, you have never given up on me, and for that I thank you. Kai, you are what makes me me. And I fall in love with you all over again every single day. There's no one else I would rather wake up next to. I love you, I love you, I love you."

"Love you too," murmured Kai quickly.

Torin coughed, and Kai could see the moisture in his eyes.

"Do you, Emperor Kaito, take Linh Cinder as your lawfully wedded wife, for the rest of this lifetime and whatever may be after?"

Kai paused. "I mean... do I have to?"

Cinder nudged him with the back of her hand, laughing.

"I do."

"And do you, Linh Cinder, take Kaito as your lawfully wedded husband, for the rest of this lifetime and whatever may be after?"

"I do," said Cinder. She knew that tears would be forming if they could.

"You may now kiss."

Kai and Cinder's lips pressed together. Number 75! Cinder's brain yelled at her. She brushed it aside.

Cheers came from the Rampion crew, who had all stood and approached with slaps on the back and congratulations.

Kai and Cinder looked into each other's eyes. In the contact they made, they saw the future. The good one.