[Book 2] Gate Guardian - Song of the Frozen Soul

THIRD ENTRANCE

THIRD ENTRANCE

The church bell rings a wonderful love story.

White pigeons flew from the top of the tower as leaves followed them. The soft breeze of the wind made the warmth of the sunlight slightly cooler than before. It’s almost summer, and the humidity of the air is ready for a celebration.

Inside the church is a royal red carpet, filled with pink and white rose petals scattered. There are gateways and arcs decorated by colorful clusters of flowers for every fifteen meters of the carpet. And at the end of the long red road, at the altar, are two people who are professing their endless love to one another.

“I, Kristoff, shall take you, Naomi, as my lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, till death do us part.”

The tall, black, and handsome man said the words with the whole heart.

“I, Naomi, shall take you, Kristoff, as my lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health till death do us part.”

The gorgeous petite woman replied with the very same vow.

And then, the priest has finally sealed their hearts together with his blessing. “You have declared your consent before the Church. May the Lord in his goodness strengthen your consent and fill you both with his blessings. What God has joined, men must not divide. Amen.”

The church bell rings loudly once again. It was combined with the cheerful laugh of their baby girl Riza on the arms of the white-haired homunculus Key. Every person in this church projected a wide smile.

“You may kiss the bride.” The priest has finally declared the long-awaited moment for the two.

Kristoff slowly took off the veil of his wife, and it revealed the blushing cute face of Naomi. Seeing it made Kristoff’s cheeks red too. They stared at each other’s compassionate eyes for a second, and then their faces drifted closer.

And then they kissed.

Everybody applauded. This is surely a happy ending for both of them.

<>

After the wedding ceremony, is, of course, the reception.

They had the Evenstouch Restaurant became the reception venue, and the quality of the ambiance and the food never fails to amaze us. There are lots of food on the table for all the guests. There are fried chickens, beef broccoli, pork cutlets, curry, seafood soup, and many others. Everybody had a good time eating lots of food.

I’m about to take a bite, but then, my eyes gazed upon the empty seat beside me. The plate and utensils are ready, but there’s no food in it.

I remember someone dear to me. If she’s here, I’m sure she’ll be delighted in eating all this food. Heck, she would gobble it all in one go.

I felt a gentle tap on my shoulder.

It was the newlyweds, Kristoff and Naomi.

“Alaric, thank you for accepting my offer to be the best man for our wedding.” Kristoff scratched his head with a carefree smile. His wife Naomi also smiled at me.

“Heh!” I uttered a single chuckle. “It’s not like you have any other friends anyway.”

“Don’t put it like that!” Kristoff shrieked. “W-Well, it’s true, but don’t say it out loud!”