Wedding of the Century | Kaider

Cinder grasped for the clasp at the nape of her neck; attempting to put a necklace on by herself was no small feat. She regretted refusing Iko's help when she had come by earlier. The pendant itself was inlaid intricately with rubies and gleamed with a ferocity so strong that she felt like a mere child playing dress-up. To her dismay, Kai had insisted that she wear it to the ceremony. It had been his mother's and his grandmother's and so on and so forth.

She had been seated at her vanity for the past twenty minutes, still in awe at the turn of events. Not too long ago, she had taken up the profession of a simple mechanic and now she was about to become empress. Kai's wife. A title and position every red-blooded girl in the Commonwealth would kill for. The sheer fact that he wanted her was enough to put a smile on her face.

She caught sight of her reflection from head-to-toe at the mirror on her right. The gown was form fitting with a sweetheart neckline until it hit her waist where it billowed out like a cloud. Sheets of lace fanned out over her arms. White platform heels did nothing to ease her comfort, but added an extra 4 inches to her already tall stature. Kai's mother's tiara had been placed upon her head followed by a sheer, lace veil. The servants had been sure to be subtle when it came to her makeup, at her request.

A knock sounded at the door, followed by a squeal. Undoubtedly, Iko.

"Come in," her voice wavered from inside, nervous at what was to come. Iko barged in, her hands full of unnecessary accessories and jewelry. She was nothing if not fashionable.

"No, absolutely not, I'm fine in the fashion department," she shooed Iko's belongings away from her.

"They're not for you, they're for me, silly!" With that, Iko was off to the bathroom and emerged shortly thereafter.

"So, ready to marry the man of your dreams, and mine?" She swooned, forcing Cinder to catch her. Iko opened the door for Cinder and followed afterward. Cinder clung to Iko's robotic arm for stability, praying to all the stars that no one would notice how badly she was shaking. Her head pounded with each step to the altar. Her feet felt like dead weights, despite having been given new prosthetics. Her muscles stretched to their breaking point, ready to split. Her mouth felt parched and her jaw was clenched so that a perpetual ache formed.

On the bright side, the room had been nicely done. Heavy, oak doors stated the entry. A delicate, white runner led the way to the altar. Cushioned seats had been brought out for the guests. Teeming, ornate tapestries and lanterns fitted with turtles and cranes and doves hung around the room, representing longevity and peace.

She inspected the guests, peering at their bright, smiling faces; almost put off by their show of support for their emperor's marriage to a lunar. She couldn't recognize most of them and her mind wandered until she spotted her friends gathered near the front. She was about to wave, but then remembered the ceremony was being televised and refrained. As she passed by them, Thorne held out his hand for a high-five and she couldn't refuse.

That's when she noticed him. She had avoided looking at him until now, afraid that if she set eyes on him, she would turn into mush. He smiled at her, upon their gazes finding one another. His almond eyes gleamed and his grin stretched so that she could see all his pearly whites. He was adorned in a traditional outfit of the Commonwealth complete with a red sash. His otherwise mousy hair had been gelled up and styled.

"Hi," his simple proclamation at such an event forced a laugh out of her. She shyly peered up at him and whispered a similar response.

"You look stunning. I'm so lucky to have you." She knew the words were meant only for her ears and she too wanted to indulge in this game meant only for lovers. The ceremony was about to begin and it made the prospect all the more thrilling.

"Please, do you know who you're talking to? If anything, I'm the blessed one," she joked.

"I'm still thanking all my lucky stars for this day," he ignored her, looking over her shoulder, seemingly lost in thought.

The two of them had chosen Konn Torin as the officiant. It seemed only logical as he had known Kai since birth and was more than willing. He began in a jovial tone, loud enough for everyone to hear. Cinder willed her heart beat to calm, her palms to stop sweating. She wanted this moment to be perfect; she had even discovered how to disable her interface so no incoming comms could take away from this day. Kai took hold of her hands and she reveled in the feeling of the finality of it all.

"We gather here today to commence a royal wedding between Emperor Kaito of Earth and Queen Selene of Luna. Now, repeat after me. I, Kaito, take Selene to be my wife, to have and to hold for better or worse, in sickness and in health till death do us part," Kai rehashed with obvious eagerness in his voice.

"I, Selene, take Kaito to be my husband, to have and to hold for better or worse, in sickness and in health till death do us part," she repeated after Torin. If her cheeks were able to retain warmth, she knew she would be flushed to her core.

"The groom may now kiss his bride," the room erupted in cheers. She was lost in the clamor as her head darted between all the gleeful faces; striving to retain as much of it as she could before it was over. Kai was careful to lift the sheer veil away and settled the length of it cascading along her hair. He grabbed her by the waist and tugged her towards him. She bound her hands behind the nape of his neck and tilted her head upwards. Their gazes met for a split second and they shared a quick smile before their mouths collided.

It was passionate and she never wanted it to end, but it all too soon did and he pulled away for the sake of their audience. She wasn't out of breath and yet she wanted to be.

"I love you," she told him the same thing she'd been telling him for the past two years and yet it held all the same meaning as it did before.

"I love you, too. You're my person. You just are," he spoke with such a finality that she didn't need an orange light to tell her it was the truth.