Omake 16: The wedding bells toll (C)

"We come to love not by finding a perfect person, but by learning to see an imperfect person perfectly." – Sam Keen

It's been three years since I first arrived in Remnant. Things had started roughly, with a couple of bumps after a year or two of handling my way through a few issues of trying to live by peace. I would have expected Salem to be more active, but with my intervention I kind of messed up her chances of making any problems the same way she did back in the Canon timeline.

Right now, the state of permanent conflict against the Grimm had remained as calm as it was in the last decades, giving me more than enough calm to enjoy the big event that I was now part of. And I wasn't alone, not at all.

Wearing a formal set of clothes with a black jacket matching with the pants, shoes and bowtie applied to the white shirt, I think this was by war the one moment I felt the most nervous after the dread I felt when Sienna got hurt by Tyrian. But this nervousness wasn't one driven by unpleasant circumstances- no, I was… nervous at my own Marriage.

The idea of a wedding had been circulating after our second year of engagement, with Sienna making no fuss about the matter since we were still working on a couple of things in our relationship, but she wasn't reluctant from accepting my proposal when I asked her at home.

Sure, not the 'best' way to propose to someone. But at this age and time, where everyone was literally proposing to all important places or feasts, nobody actually considered how surprisingly pleasant it could be to try and do this at home… in complete privacy. Sure, the applause was limited to only those that were within the house, but we didn't mind the lack of a monumental standing ovation as we enjoyed the purity of the moment as it was.

Two months later, all preparations for the big day were completed and ready to provide for 24 hours of a well-made wedding. The small religious building that had been picked for this ceremony was big enough to house at least a hundred individuals, and it had been picked just because we didn't want to create any issues with the invited guests to this ceremony. We would soon be proved wrong when the entire island of Kuo Kuana and some visitors from Atlas and Vale decided to accept the invitation and show us how many people we had known in three years and even more.

Despite the lack of a highly-defined monotheistic religion with some serious organization behind it, Remnant had what many would define the existence of a 'God' that creates and destroys. It was akin Christianity, but minus the Bible and Jesus. It wasn't as powerful as it had been Christianity on Earth and it was accepted by everyone on the planet for how 'simplistic' and spiritual-based it was.

The Priest, or Preacher as it would usually be called the one that hosted the major celebrations and the daily prayers to Creation itself, was already donning the proper dress to begin the ceremony, and the kind elderly figure was doing his best to offer support over my nervous display through some calm and patient nods.

I had studied all the words I had to say to not make a mess out of this important predicament, and even as Ghira, which had been picked as the best man, told me that it was normal to be this nervous at this stage of the event, I couldn't find within myself the strength to bring myself to appear calm.

If you believe in yourself, then you will have no trouble with this.

[Ah, good words from someone that never went through the 'standard wedding'.]

Different times. Different customs.

[It doesn't change the fact you shouldn't put any pressure on him-]

At least, that was until my eyes were spared a heavenly look. Spearheaded by a slightly annoyed Cinder that didn't like the pink dress she was now wearing, with Nora and Emerald walking by her sides and copying her actions of throwing petals of flowers around, Sienna began making her way towards the altar. She was wearing a gorgeous wedding dress, it was a classic white with a floral style with a couple of elements by her upper hips and by the edges of her modest skirt. A veil was covering her face, but I could feel that she was matching my smile with one that was almost blessing me to stand up confidently. Gone was the nervousness as I knew that now was the moment to stand up and be ready for the event.

I waited, my smile feeling as natural as it could be as she finally arrived beside me. I spared her a lengthy glance, and she did the same. I nodded, trying to give her the same confidence I now had if she needed some. We both turned to the priest and… the actual ceremony started.

I was half-attentive of the elderly man that was leading the process, the rest of it still aimed at Sienna as I tried to steal a couple of glances in her direction. She tried to do the same and it proved to be slightly awkward when our gazes would meet during the procedure.

The vows were exchanged, the rings were provided and put on and… then the big conclusive bits started to come as about twenty minutes were already gone like that. I felt relief on the fact that I had managed to get all the lines right and to neither stutter or pause when it was my turn to speak, but now I had to give a simple answer. And I felt the entire world watching.

"John, do you take Sienna to be your wedded wife, to live together in marriage? Do you promise to love her, comfort her, honor and keep her for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and health, for as long as you both shall live?"

"I do," I replied calmly, feeling even more relief after saying that.

The priest turned to the bride and nodded to her.

"Sienna, do you take John to be your wedded husband to live together in marriage? Do you promise to love him, comfort him, honor and keep him for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and health, for as long as you both shall live?"

"I do."

"Then, by the power bestowed to me in the charge of Preacher of this humble house of faith and peace, I declare thee husband and wife," The old man concluded with a happy smile, glancing back at me. "You may kiss the bride."

I nodded, turning to stare at… at my wife and carefully moved to lift up the veil that was covering her face. I felt a strange emotion fill up my chest in a sudden state of warmth as I saw some tears trailing down her face, she was trying her best to appear strong in that moment, holding back everything other than the tears and… I leaned forward.

Noises exploded all around us as I felt her tense up in the kiss while the entire building went for a standing ovation over the climax of that ceremony. I ended the kiss, holding back a chuckle and offering her a hand. She gave my palm a calm glance and… took it in hers. We both started to make our way to the rest of the crowd.

I barely held a snort as I heard Nora saying something about 'Papa kissing Mama', despite the fact she was already nine and less prone to use those terms to address us. Nonetheless, the rest of the people around started to congratulate us and… I felt relieved as my mind quickly pointed out how the woman that is now my wife was clinging close as we marched through the mass of people and right to make our way to where the feast was supposed to unfold.

And thus, the family was officially completed…

Until a little bundle of joy wouldn't end up appearing three years after the wedding, bringing new light to the Bukharin household.