Chapter 36
Elyse
Elyse stood by the archway made of silk and starflowers and smiled at the small crowd gathered in the chairs.
A few feet away, Manny stood talking to Killian.
A palpable delight emanated from him as he glanced between his best friend and the doors to the garden.
Not one ounce of nervousness showed on his face, only pure joy.
Killian caught Elyse’s eye over Manny’s shoulder, and she felt her stomach flip.
With a bashful smile, she looked away. She didn’t want to think about how excruciatingly handsome Killian looked in his dress clothes, and the fantasy that played through her mind at the sight of him at a wedding altar.
She’d have to untangle those thoughts later.
Dah, Kal, and Sera were the only ones missing from the party.
Camilla with the two other sisters in the front row.
They shared the same black hair and narrow eyes as everyone else in Otsuk, but they were unmistakably related.
Each of their heart-shaped faces held the same confidence and geniality as Sera’s, the kind instilled by loving parents like Dah and Kal.
Her eldest sister, Viola, held a chubby infant with wild black hair, while the final sister, Taleea, pinched the child’s cheeks.
Behind them sat Nina and Corin, their hands entwined as they eagerly glanced around.
Mrs. Southwick, who was craning her neck to try and spot Sera, was on Corin’s other side.
Even Zubir and his cousins were present, though they looked equal parts confused and intrigued.
The entire crowd held a sort of giddiness, one that Elyse felt deep in her own bones.
A hush fell over the garden, and all eyes turned toward the doorway.
Sera stood on the threshold, her parents on either side of her.
Elyse sucked in a breath at the sight of her best friend.
Sera looked absolutely radiant in a cream-colored gown of silk.
Her lashes had been tinted and filled, and they framed her lilac eyes perfectly.
Most of her black hair was loose, hanging free around her bare shoulders, but a few strands had been pulled back and pinned in place, accented with another starflower.
The soft strum of a guitar echoed through the garden, and Elyse searched for the source.
She found a servant standing in the corner, a small guitar in his arms. With a tinge of surprise, Elyse realized it was the gardener.
He noticed her watching and winked before returning his attention to the melody.
Sera began her parade down the aisle, arm-in-arm with Dah and Kal, both of whom had silver-lined eyes.
Unable to help herself, Elyse glanced toward Manny.
He stared at his betrothed with his mouth parted and nothing but affection and loyalty on his face.
He seemed to reflect all the beauty that Sera was, as if he were a mirror to her soul.
When Sera reached the end of the aisle, she kissed Dah on the cheek, and her mother joined her sisters. Kal, however, escorted Sera right to the archway before taking his place beneath it.
Sera turned and shot Elyse a quick grin. “Thank you,” she mouthed.
“I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” Elyse replied, reaching a hand to touch her friend’s shoulder. “Though, a little warning would have been nice!”
Sera laughed, then spun to face Manny. He was already beaming at her, and he immediately took her hands in his.
“You look…” he began, but never finished. The dazzled look in his eyes as he stared at his soon-to-be-wife said all that he couldn’t vocalize.
“I couldn’t ask for a more handsome and loving husband,” Sera trilled.
And she was right. Manny had let his blond hair down, and it hung in tousled waves that gave him a sophisticated air.
The suit jacket emphasized his broad shoulders so that he looked every bit the dependable man Elyse knew him to be.
“Gathered friends and family,” Kal declared in a booming but cheery voice. “Thank you for joining us—on such short notice,” he added with a wink at Sera, “—to celebrate the marriage of Sera Tan and Manfried Bordell.”
Manny didn’t even flinch at the use of his given name, he was so enamored by Sera.
“I’ve only known Manny for a short time,” Kal continued. He spoke with such ardency that the crowd hung on his every word. “But I have always known, thanks to my wife’s sacred gifts,” he said with a nod toward Dah, “that Sera would meet her soulmate.”
Elyse glanced at Killian and found his gaze already locked on her.
Kal went on, “We always knew she would find a man who loved her as we do. A man who would be awed by her beauty, her kindness, and her strength. Who would take her trusting heart and hold it dear.”
Manny beamed back at Sera, a proud shimmer in his eyes.
“So, we were delighted to meet Manny and find that he embodies all of those attributes and more.” Kal gave Manny a broad, fatherly smile. “He makes her laugh. He dotes on her. It is obvious that he cares for her deeply, and that is why I am honored to give him my blessing to marry my little iris.”
Elyse watched a single tear slip from Manny’s green eyes. Even Killian—the stoic, cynical soldier—sniffled at Kal’s speech.
“The betrothed will now recite the traditional marriage vows of Otsuk,” Kal announced as he took a small step back.
Manny cleared his throat. “As the flower loves the sun, so shall I love you. As the earth loves the rain, so shall I love you. As the bird loves the wind, so shall I love you. As long as I am in this world, my heart is yours.”
Elyse couldn’t help it as her vision blurred. With a quiet sniffle, she wiped the tears from her eyes.
Sera’s voice was a quaking lilt. “As the flower loves the sun, so shall I love you. As the earth loves the rain, so shall I love you. As the bird loves the wind, so shall I love you.” She took a deep breath and squeezed Manny’s hands.
“My heart is yours—forever.” The final words were a change from the traditional vows, but even more beautiful for it.
Kal stepped forward again. He placed a hand on each of their shoulders. “With duty and honor, I pronounce you husband and wife.” He opened his arms wide and signaled for the two to embrace. “You may now kiss.”
Sera clutched at Manny’s shirtfront as Manny touched her waist, and the two collided.
But Elyse didn’t watch as they kissed. Her eyes were pulled to Killian, whose answering gaze was unwavering.
He saw her, all of her, and he stood firm, with adoration in his wide smile.
Unable to be apart from him, even by only a few feet, Elyse slipped behind the newlyweds and slid her hand into Killian’s.
“Please join me in congratulating the merry couple,” Kal called to the guests, who promptly rose to their feet. Whoops and cheers filled the garden as applause broke loose. Sera and Manny turned to face their family and friends and proudly raised their clasped hands.
With that, Kal concluded, “Let the festivities begin!”