The door to Valamar's chambers was being knocked loudly which caused Valamar to wake up. Valamar saw the windows and noticed the sun was barely up in the distance. Valamar was still half asleep as the doors kept on being knocked harder and harder.

"Valamar, come out now! You have to get ready!" the voice said

"The sun is barely up! Give me five minutes, Jesus!"

"You wake up this instant, young man!" The doors opened loudly as Alessa came into the room and immediately dragged Valamar by the ear out of his bed "You will be ready for your own wedding, and I won't accept your tardiness. Now get going! Chop chop!"

"Yes, mother! I'm up, I'm up!" Valamar said frantically from the pain as his mother finally let go of his ear and she turned to look at him with a stern face which immediately turned into a soft expression as she caressed his face

"My son, this is going to be the most important day of your life!" Alessa said with a soft smile "You're a grown up now. So please my son, act like one."

"Only in Halak weddings do we have to wake up before the sun does..." Valamar said as he rubbed his eyes "I bet Cassandra is still sleeping."

"Did you call me, my lord?" all of a sudden Cassandra entered the room, looking as fresh as ever

"Cassandra! You're already up?"

"Yes my lord! In fact I found it very hard to sleep last night..." Cassandra said as she sat down on the bed next to Valamar "I'm just so excited!! Today's our big day!!"

"Oh my dear, if only my son here shared your enthusiasm..." Alessa said

"Wait, you mean... my lord was not looking forward to today? I-I..." As Valamar saw Cassandra's enthusiasm beginning to turn to worry, he immediately embraced her.

"Of course not! I'm very excited today!" Valamar said as he hugged her while his eyes were shot to his mother

"Good then. Now show it while you get ready!" Alessa said "Come now, Cassandra dear. We have to get you perfumed, made up, and dressed most elegantly!"

"Coming, your majesty!" Cassandra said as she got up but not before kissing Valamar on his cheek "I'll see you again at the cathedral, my lord!"

After they had left, Valamar also immediately went to get himself cleaned at the palace baths. It took Valamar about an hour to completely wash himself and get dressed. Some servants had helped him get ready wearing his regalia. The regalia was standard for the nobility in Rumasil, with its style of dress heavily influenced by the Latinosi style of clothing but with it's own indigenous touches to it. Valamar wore an ulos (sort of wide patterned sash) over his left shoulder as well as a smaller ulos as a style of Rumasilian hat.

Valamar quickly exited the palace along with an entourage. He quickly entered a carriage that would take him to the Cathedral. After a while of riding on the carriage, he finally arrived. It was still early in the morning as Valamar took a look at his watch as it showed it was only around six. Even so, he saw some guests already arriving and talking with each other in front of the Cathedral. From afar, he could see his brother conversing with a middle-age looking man.

"And here is our proud groom now." Vald said as Valamar arrived

"You look well, nephew." The middle-aged man spoke with a firm tone and a smile, though his eyes looked fierce and calculating.

"Of course, uncle. I'll be damned if I look horrible during my own wedding." Valamar answered

"Always the smart mouth."

"I learned from the best."

"You mean your father?"

"Hahahahaha... I'm not yet to his level, uncle Manuel." Valamar said

"So are we just going to stand in ceremony or are you going to give your uncle a hug?"

"Of course I am!" Valamar said as he embraced the man

"Oh lord, if only my daughter were still alive... this could've been her big day with you..."

"Don't cry, uncle. Hahahaha... it doesn't suit Crown Imperial Prince Manuel the Cunning to cry. Alea wouldn't want you to."

"I'm not crying." Manuel said as he immediately regained his composure "Now, I suggest we stop talking about the dead. It would be most unfair to your bride if we keep bringing up the past."

"I wasn't the one who started."

"Yeah, yeah. Now stop being a smartass and hurry up and go inside. Your father and father-in-law are waiting for you. And just a word of warning, Antonio may look silly, but I assure you, I'm far more understanding when it comes to treating my son-in-law. Isn't that right, Vald?"

"Yes, uncle." Vald answered

"What's that supposed to mean?" Valamar asked to clarify

"Just be sure to treat her well... Now hurry up!" Manuel said

"You're not coming inside?"

"I will soon. I would just like to have a chat with my son-in-law here."

Valamar smiled and nodded as he turned to Vald with an understanding look. Vald was visually nervous in the presence of his uncle/father-in-law.

"Good luck, brother." Vald said

"Trust me, you'll need it more than me." Valamar said. After that, he immediately entered the grand Cathedral.

The Cathedral was surely a large and imposing structure from the outside. It was the single largest church in all of Rumasil City proper. The building was just as decorated as the other historic sites in the city, with statues of saints, angels, and scenes from the scriptures adorning the walls and gates of the building. The stained glass made the light from the sun able to shine brightly even inside the cathedral. They just had the windows cleaned last week. The last time it was cleaned was when Vald and Angelina were married two years before.

"There's the dashing groom right there!" Valasaire said "Valamar, please greet your grandparents here! They came a long way just to see this wedding which, need I remind you, they weren't even here for your brother's wedding."

"I was there..." A beautiful woman who looked to be in her twenties said. The woman had a sort of divine beauty to her, with a pair of large white wings on her backless dress which went down to her waist with long beautiful silver hair. "What do you mean his grandparents weren't there?"

"I meant uncle Alexios here. Of course you were there, aunty."

"Need I remind you that I was bedridden then?" an older looking man who was sitting next to the winged lady said.

"Details, uncle."

"It's been a while, grandfather." Valamar said as he hugged the man

"You should come to Auros more often, grandson. Explore more to your heritage than just the one from Rumasil. You know, your brother and his wife spent their honeymoon in our estate in Memne. You should go there too!" the man said

"It is a wonderful offer you make, grandfather. Spending time in Auros is a wonderful idea, but God-willing, I plan on spending time with my wife in her home country of Florentia."

"Ah, I see. Yes, as pretty as Auros is, you’d be hard-pressed to match the city of a thousand canals."

"Now you keep on talking to your grandfather but forget your grandmother? I'm very very offended by that, Theodoros." the winged lady said

"Of course, grandmother. I would not forget Her Imperial Majesty, the Empress Rena, the most beautiful woman of the last century." Valamar said as he hugged her too

"Last century?" She said with a raised eyebrow and a slight pout

"My mother was born in this century, grandmother." Valamar said

"You cheeky little child." She said as she stretched his cheeks in glee. Everyone there just laughed as Valamar only did his best to endure the pain.

"I'm not a child anymore."

"Nonsense, Theo!" she said while slightly flicking his forehead "You can say that to me in four hundred years. Before that, you're still my darling grandson."

"Of course, grandmother." Valamar only smiled. He had always been treated this way by his grandmother. A woman whose age had reached past one and a half millennia but whose face looked no older than his elder sister.

Valamar had proceeded to greet the rest of his mother's family, the Imperial House of Memnos, the ruling dynasty of the Empire of Auros, Rumasil's closest and staunchest ally.

"You should consider yourself lucky, Valamar. This is quite the turnout." Valasaire said "This is almost the complete Imperial family, all gathered here to see your wedding."

"And for that, I am truly grateful." Valamar said as he bowed towards the Emperor "But forgive me if I ask, I saw uncle Manuel, aunt Diana is here, but where in the world is my favourite cousin?"

"Matthaeos will arrive a little sooner." Diana said "He's currently being pestered by Anastasia."

"Oh, aunt Anastasia is here as well?" Valamar said with intrigue

"Yes she is. Since she missed Vald's wedding last year, she made it of utmost importance to make an appearance here." the Empress Rena explained

"Alright, the guests are starting to come in." Valasaire said as he looked to the cathedral entrance “I believe it's time for you to take your seat."

Valasaire motioned to a pair of chairs in front of the altar of the cathedral where the bride and groom are meant to sit for the duration of the ceremony. The marriage will be conducted according to Rumasilian custom and tradition. It would be as much a spectacle to the guests as it would be to the bride's family.

Valamar sat there on his chair as he noticed the chair next to his was still empty. He was very anxious to see his soon to be wife as he looked to his watch. The guests were starting to arrive, steadily filling up the pews of the cathedral.

The layout of the cathedral was large. It had many columns of pews with dozens of rows as well as a second level with more seats. Valamar sat on the chair on the right. The seats on the right were therefore filled with people from his family while the opposite side would be Cassandra's kin. Valamar saw his future father-in-law sitting alongside his family, conversing with someone seated behind him, an important looking fellow with eerie pale skin. Valamar could also see Elven dignitaries seated there. They must be representatives of the Lordship of Kaena, Lady Avenne's home country.

The chairs were almost filled up and the Cathedral was being filled with chatter. Valamar saw the clergymen were also getting ready and prepared for the marriage blessing ceremony. All of a sudden, he saw people coming out of a door on the wing of the cathedral.

And it was there he saw his bride emerge. She looked absolutely stunning in a beautifully coloured dress. Her beauty was so splendid there, he could feel his heart skip a beat. Her beautiful red hair tied into an elegant bun, her eyes looked like they were shining, her lips coloured red like her hair. Valamar could hear and feel the people in the cathedral also thought the same way as she entered the room, but he couldn't look to confirm his thoughts as his eyes won't move away from their view of hers, even after she had already sat down next to him.

"My lord, are you alright?" Cassandra - who was now seated - said to him while slightly blushing "Your staring is making me quite nervous..."

"Honestly, you look stunning..." Valamar said in all seriousness

"Oh, my lord flatters me too much." Cassandra said as she blushed

"Sorry, let me rephrase that. You're gorgeous."

Cassandra blushed even more profusely.

As everyone was already in their places, the ceremony was about to start. Valamar looked at his clock which showed the time to be of eight sharp. The ceremony then began.

A clergyman wearing the colours of the Rumasilian Martinite branch of the Terran Church came to the altar and raised his hands at the people. He first spoke in the Rumasilian language but then he changed to the Terran language.

"We are gathered here today to witness the union of these two in the eyes of both the church and God, represented by myself, Marsinondang Sihutatua, by the grace of God, Archbishop and Grand Ephorus of Tanoruma and Cardinal of Rumasil, as well as representative of the main church of Terra, His holiness the Archbishop of Florentia and my fellow cardinal, Lorenzo di Fiarossa. Now, before we start the ceremony, let us begin with prayer and before that song."

As he said that, the organist of the cathedral began to play the music which filled the entire building. The people began to sing as per the tradition of the Rumasilian church. Every seat had in front of them small booklets which had the words 'Buku Ende' on it. By nature it is a book of hymns in the Rumasilian language and so the only ones who could read it were the Rumasilians present.

"Can you sing this?" Valamar whispered to his bride

"I believe I can." Cassandra answered "I can read the letters and I know the melody of the song from the Florentinian version."

After the song, the room fell quiet as the Archbishop conducted the opening prayers which had already been prepared previously, thanking the people who came and all the such as well as asking for the holy spirit to be present at the ceremony. In all honesty, Valamar counted it to be a full quarter hour just for the prayer.

When the prayers concluded with an amen, Archbishop Marsinondang spoke up again and began to speak,

"In accordance with Rumasilian tradition, I ask the groom, do you still have any lingering loyalties or affectionate love in the romantic sense with any woman anywhere?"

"I do not." Valamar answered

"And the bride, do you have any lingering loyalties to any man besides the groom in the romantic sense?"

"Absolutely not."

The Archbishop nodded and smiled at the answers and then took out what looked like a large charter.

"Here be the charter of the agreement of the marriage. I ask the father of the groom please come on up and sign along with one witness on the groom's side followed by the signature of the father of the bride along with the witness of the bride's family."

Valasaire then walked towards the front and signed along with Valaron who also signed as a witness. Antonio walked up and signed followed by the pale looking man who sat behind him as a witness. Valasaire was visibly tense as he saw the pale man walking closer to sign. After he had signed, he only gave the King of Rumasil a cold and harsh stare while Valaron was holding back a grin albeit failing.

"I've been guessing on who that pale man is, but I wanted to make sure..." Valamar whispered to Cassandra "But is that..."

"Yes, my lord. That is my father's cousin, His Majesty, the King of Slavsnik." Cassandra replied

"Ah, I thought as much. There's only one person in the world I know of who can make my father look queasy like that."

"What exactly happened between them? I only got the gist of it from my father that it had something to do with your father's marriage."

"That story could only be done justice over two bottles of wine and about a night of shouting. Anyways, it looks like they're done."

As he said that, The Archbishop looked at the couple and began to speak again.

"With the signing of the charter by the two families, what is left is the signature of the bride and groom. But before that, I will ask you your vows. May you please stand up?"

As he said that, Valamar and Cassandra arose from their seats. They were feeling a little nervous being in the spotlight now. They then stood up and faced the Archbishop who was holding up a cross.

"Let us begin the vows." The archbishop said