Chapter 96. The Wedding (3).
Chapter 96: 96. The Wedding (3).
But then Nora smiled at him, and Rowena looked at him with her calm blue eyes as the corner of her mouth curved into a smile.
Seeing this, Austin smiled back at both ladies, then he turned to face the officiator.
Now the ceremony began and the vows were spoken clearly and without rush.
The officiator’s voice was easily carried across the quiet garden as he led Austin and then each wife through the words that the kingdom’s wedding tradition required.
When it came to Austin’s turn to speak his own vows, he turned to Nora first, then he began.
"You were there before any of this." He said quietly, just loud enough for only the people in the front rows to hear.
"Before I began brewing potions, and before anything else, you had protected me when I couldn’t protect myself, you never asked me to be more than I was, and you gave me Luna." Austin paused for a moment.
"I spent a long time not being worthy of you, but I’m going to spend the rest of my life making sure that changes."
Hearing this, Nora’s composure lasted exactly as long as it took him to finish the sentence.
Then her eyes went bright and she pressed her lips together before looking away for exactly two seconds.
Then she looked back at him with a smile on her lips whilst trying not to cry.
Meanwhile, in the front row, Ophelia was already reaching into her sleeve for something to dab at her eyes with.
Then she watched Austin turn to Rowena as he said his vows to her.
"You gave me a chance when you had no reason to." Austin said softly.
"You trusted me slowly and carefully, and I think that meant more than if you’d trusted me easily. I know it wasn’t easy, but I appreciated it."
"I know you’ve spent centuries carrying everything alone, and I know that doesn’t just stop overnight, but I’m not going anywhere. And I meant what I said in the garden that night. We’ll always be together."
Hearing this, Rowena held his gaze for a long and steady moment, then she nodded very slightly as she tried to hold back the tears in her eyes, but her ears had gone completely pink.
Moving on, the officiator pronounced them bound under the laws of Greymoor Kingdom, and the garden broke into applause.
Tatiana clapped so enthusiastically that the guests on either side of her leaned away slightly.
Ophelia was crying openly as well and not even attempting to hide it.
Well, as for Cedric, the old elf was definitely not crying.
He was simply experiencing some dust in both eyes simultaneously, which just happened to be an unfortunate coincidence causing tears to stream down his face.
On the other hand, Austin looked at his two wives standing beside him.
Both of them were flushed and bright-eyed, and he couldn’t help but feel really happy right now.
Time passed, and the garden had been transformed by the time the ceremony ended.
The chairs that had lined the aisle were cleared away quickly and efficiently by Cedric’s staff.
They were replaced almost immediately by long tables draped in white cloth and set with more food than even Tatiana could reasonably get through in a single sitting.
As for the guests, they moved from the ceremony space toward the reception area in a warm and easy flow, conversing with each other along the way.
Of course, their conversations picked up where they had left off before the music started.
Their glasses were also filled with drinks, juice and wine, and the general atmosphere shifted from the quiet reverence of the ceremony into something more exciting.
Meanwhile, Austin stood near the head table with Nora on his left and Rowena on his right.
They were all receiving guests as they came forward to offer their congratulations.
Lord Harvey Briggs was among the first.
He was a large man with an even larger handshake, and he gripped Austin’s hand with great enthusiasm.
Lord Harvey Briggs had been one of the few allies Elmfield had acquired over these past few months due to the high demand for potions that had been requested from his territory.
Of course, their strong business relationship over these past few months had made things easier for Briggs in his territory, and this had allowed him to take a liking to the potion lord, hence why he was currently giving Austin a really strong handshake right now.
"Congratulations, my boy." He said in a really happy and pleased tone.
"This is the finest wedding I’ve attended in thirty years, and I’ve attended a lot of them. Moreover, you’ve got two remarkable women by your side. You’ve truly done well for yourself." Harvey Briggs stated as he glanced at Nora and Rowena on either side.
"Thank you." Austin said as he faced his next guest, who happened to be Lady Ariel.
Ariel Aldwell offered a precisely worded congratulation that was perfectly polite and gave away absolutely nothing about what she was actually thinking.
Her eyes moved briefly to Rowena as she smiled.
"Countess." Ariel said with a slight incline of her head, and Rowena returned the gesture with an equal one.
"Lady Aldwell."
Then Ariel smiled at Austin before saying, "You’ve built something impressive here, Master Rin. I look forward to seeing what other great potions you brew next."
After saying that, she moved on before Austin could respond.
Meanwhile, Austin watched her go without really saying anything.
Next were the merchant couple, whose names turned out to be Edmund and Clara Voss.
Unlike Ariel, they were considerably warmer in their congratulations and considerably less subtle about the gift they had brought, which was a large and heavy wooden box that Edmund insisted on carrying over himself and placing directly in Austin’s hands.
"It’s the best honey wine from our private store," Edmund said proudly. "It’s been aged for fifteen years, so we don’t usually bring this out for just anyone."
"We really don’t," Clara confirmed, nodding seriously beside him.