Emery's options are to either impersonate Arthur and let the wedding ceremony proceed as usual, or let the ceremony get canceled together with the news that the Divine Order has been wiped out, which would cause mass hysteria on top of everything else brewing in the background.
The enemies were already knocking at their gates, Arthur thought the mass hysteria would be nothing short of catastrophic. Hence Arthur asked him to pretend.
So much for the knights' oath of honesty and truth, Emery thought to himself.
For a moment, he did think of Gwen and how some people would try to harm her at the wedding. The last word of Maleagant made him worry. If Meave was involved in this, anything could happen, he needed to be wary. Hence he agreed with the idea of impersonating Arthur. This way, he would be able to stand guard next to her and have access to order all the Logress knights around. It would be the best solution to the current situation.
But, as soon as he walked down the aisle, towards the beautiful lady garbed in white standing under the tree, he realized he might not have fully thought his plan through.
The night's chilly wind bit down on his skin, while the warmth from the flaming torch filled the place. Orange lights flickered back and forth, illuminating everyone's faces, showing that, despite how silent they were, they were all anticipating this union. Overall, the atmosphere was charming.
As he approached the altar, Emery could once again clearly see her beauty.
His mind was set on not being with her, but the woman in the white dress who sat in front of him was still Gwenneth Lioness, his childhood crush.
"Arthur… are you ok? you look.. confused?" Gwen said, whispering as soon as he stood beside her.
Emery was stuck in a dilemma. Would it be better to tell her or not tell her about the disguise? He had no problem telling her, but he could not predict her reaction, which might cause problems for them later.
Honestly deep down, Emery couldn't face the awkward situation that would surely follow. Hence, he decided to stay quiet and hope Gwen never discovered it was him who ended up marrying her.
Well, it's technically Arthur, isn't it, because officially, it was Arthur and Gwen's marriage?
This was so confusing.
The ceremony started with an elder in white and gold robes approaching them, holding both their hands and chanting in what sounded like the forgotten tongue of an ancient civilization, before giving the blessing to the two.
The ritual was quite a long ordeal, but the time gave him a chance to use his enhanced senses to observe the movements of his guests.
Within seconds, he spotted one group of nobles whispering on the far left side. Even through the chants, Emery could tell they were whispering in panic about why and how Arthur managed to still come to the wedding. Part of him was tempted to drop the farce right then and there, but he decided to wait. After all, there was nothing to be gained from being rash.
After the elder finished chanting, He prepared a wine that was poured into a golden chalice. The two would share the drink from the same chalice. The simple act was a symbol of sharing, a way to let their future intertwine.
As per tradition, the elder handed the chalice to Gwen for her to take the first sip. That moment was all it took for Emery to realize this was the best opportunity to poison them both in front of everyone. Without thinking, Emery grabbed the chalice and drank it first.
When he drank it, Emery used [Analyze] only to find that the wine was fine, nothing strange was added to it. But, now he has another problem, namely Gwen, the elder, and most of the guests' awkward stares.
Emery tried to find something smart to say, but the whole wedding and poison situation made him a little confused that he just said whatever on his mind
"Ahhh, I am sorry did I get it wrong? I must be really thirsty."
Fortunately, Arthur has always cultivated a very good reputation among most of the nobles, so everyone just laughed about it, as most of them seemed to conclude Arthur was just nervous about marrying such a beautiful bride.
However, Emery could tell that, while the others were fooled, that was not the case for Gwen. She was always a smart, perceptive girl and this was no exception. Her gaze toward him has somehow changed.
Now It's finally time to end the wedding ritual with the oath. The two were told to hold each other's hand as the elder bound their hands together with a piece of white cloth. The cloth bound their hands tight, but the material was soft and comfortable.
"By the Gods' decree, I hereby seal your fates, binding two as one for Eternity"
The elder took a step back and said "Look upon one another and speak of your oaths."
Gwen's stare toward him was as if she could see through his disguise and see straight into his soul. Emery was stunned for a second, but as soon her lips started to speak, it was as if Emery suddenly remembered the words he once heard when he was little. He wondered if he had ever imagined this situation before.
The two slowly spoke the oath together.
"To the god of earth, the seas and the skies as my witnesses, I am hers and she is mine from this day till the end of my days."
Gwen looked upon Emery's eyes once more. This time recognition flashed in her eyes. It was as if she could peel all the layers of magical illusions he made and see right through him.
She slowly moved towards him, before they both kissed. Her lips felt as soft as he remembered, in that short moment he felt regret on the decision he made.
Their union marked the end of the wedding ceremony. Cheers from all the audience resounded as they left the altar.
Overall, everything went smoothly without any trouble, but it didn't mean it went without a hitch. Deep in his heart, he knew Gwen had some idea of what really happened. Sooner or later he would have to explain what just happened to her.
There was another part of the wedding he needed to attend, while once more pretending to be Arthur.
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Written by Avans, Published exclusively by W.e.b.n.o.v..e.l,