The long-awaited day had finally arrived. The streets of Jiaguo City and Purewater Peak were cordoned off, and crowds of people swarmed to get a closer look at the processions in each city. Not something close friends of the brides had to worry about—they were gathered in an enormous courtyard which had been specially prepared for the occasion.
Both cities had needed to clear the space in order to apply the formation linking the two locations. It was a mind-bending feat of magical prowess that had taken a lot of stressful coordination and near-misses as they made tweaks and adjustments right up until the very day of the ceremony. Everything had to be identical, from the decor and furniture, all the way to the local weather. Ja Yun had even rushed to commission special essence-infused buildings constructed entirely from materials taken from a single quarry at the foot of Mount Geumji.
To hear her describe it, what they were doing was ‘like trying to dual cultivate places.’ Everything had to be in perfect alignment, right down to the feng shui and the flow of essence. The end result was a place where Lee Jung, in Jiaguo, could stand next to Qin Zhao, in Purewater Peak, as if they were in the same room.
In many ways, they were in the same room. One could feel the air as it flowed around the other, sense the warmth of their bodies if they stood close enough, even shake hands and feel each other’s touch as they carried out a regular conversation.
At least, they would if Jung could stop crying for more than two seconds.
“Mom, quit blubbering! You’re going to embarrass me in front of the grandmaster!”
She cuffed her daughter in the back of the head, deftly avoiding her curved horns with a practiced hand, and sniffled even harder just to spite the little brat.
“I’m sure you’re perfectly capable of that yourself, Narae. Please forgive me, Elder, it’s just—hic—oh, ancestors—”
Qin Zhao smiled wryly and inclined his head.
“Not at all, Miss Lee. Tears are good fortune at a wedding. I am glad to finally make your acquaintance. I was unable to find the opportunity during my time in Jiaguo.”
“Oh! That’s right, you were—Sir Jin, was it?”
Narae scrunched up her nose and groaned.
“Ugh, I still can’t believe that was you! I didn’t say anything stupid, did I?”
He gave her an arch look and shook his head.
“No more than usual, no.”
“Whew, that—hey!”
“In any case, this place is truly remarkable. Even I can barely comprehend the profundity of the spatial laws at play to enable this formation. That it was created ad hoc in order to facilitate today’s ceremony nearly beggars belief, but I have come to expect no less from your daughter.”
Jung blinked and gave Narae a sidelong glance as her daughter rolled her eyes.
“He means big sis, obviously.”
“Oh, of course! Sorry, I’m a little out of sorts. This day has me all flustered! We’re—well, technically Jia is my adopted sister.”
Elder Qin smiled kindly, and for a moment Jung nearly forgot that the old man was a prince—albeit one so far removed from inheritance that his number in line to the throne wasn’t worth mentioning. Then again, the God-Emperor was immortal, so she wasn’t sure why such ranks would matter anyway.
“Technicalities are the domain of barristers and philosophers—and only poor ones, in the latter case. You are Lee Jia’s mother more surely than if you had given birth to her yourself. You should be proud of your daughter, and the role you had in guiding her to become the impressive young woman she is today.”
Jung blushed and waved his compliments off.
“N-nonsense! You and Yumi did far more than me.”
“Lady Ienaga perhaps, but I? A few trifling cultivation lessons did not make Yoshika who she is.”
She opened her mouth to protest, but Narae interrupted by tugging on her sleeve.
“Hey look, it’s starting!”
Jung followed her daughter’s pointing finger to the courtyard gate, where she could indeed see Yoshika’s sedan approaching, the distant cheers growing louder as it approached. If she shifted her perspective slightly in a way that she didn’t quite understand, but had been able to grasp intuitively, she could instead see Yan Yue’s procession in the other city.
Stolen novel; please report.
She wasn’t very good at it, and it made her head hurt, so she just focused on Yoshika for the moment. Despite the elder’s words, it wasn’t always easy to think of Yoshika as ‘her’ daughter. Jia, certainly, but An Minjun and Chunhei—who was nearby and blubbering as much as Jung—had just as strong a bond as Eui’s parents. Yoshika had many roles and faces, more literally than most, and the one she presented now was not Jung’s awkward young daughter, self-conscious and uncertain about the power she wielded.
She was the Empress, dressed head to toe in a brilliant red dress with gold accents, her lower face covered by a sheer veil and her nine tails fanned out behind her in a dramatic display. While Jung would expect stoic composure from most rulers, Yoshika smiled and waved at the cheering crowd, the picture of confidence and grace.
Qin Zhao clicked his tongue next to Jung.
“Tsk, not exactly a fitting demeanor for the occasion, but I suppose that is her style.”
Yoshika had a small escort. Yumi led the procession as both bodyguard—unnecessary though that role was—and ‘bridemother’ which was a role that she’d been both shocked and honored to receive. Her face was remarkably neutral, and Jung just knew it must have been all she could do to keep it together.
Next to Yumi, Takeda Rika was...not holding up so well. She had her usual confident grin, but it was marred slightly by the rivers flowing down across her cheeks. Rika had been chosen as Yoshika’s only bridesmaid—which wasn’t traditional in any nation. She had wanted to honor Rika as her oldest friend.
Hyeong Aecha was as professional as ever, and practically invisible if you didn’t already know to expect the handmaiden’s presence. She flitted in and out of the crowd, handing out gifts at random as tokens of Empress Yoshika’s generosity, and receiving more than a few offerings in turn, which she gracefully tucked away...somewhere.
The rest of the retinue was—Jung had to suppress a giggle when she realized that Yoshika was carrying her own palanquin. Jia and Eui held the front, while Kaede and Eunae carried the back.
It was just so...her, that Jung couldn’t stop smiling. Or crying, again.
She hardly even had a chance to compose herself before the heralds—provided by the Flowing Purewater Sect—announced their arrival.
“Empress Yoshika of Jiaguo, and Lady Grandmistress Yan Yue of the Great Awakening Dragon!”
Their retinues came through first, and Jung saw that Yue had been joined by her mother, Long Xiaofan, the elders from her sect, and a young man Jung didn’t recognize, but understood to be Han Yu. Yoshika’s aspects had disappeared rather than enter ahead of her, but others among her escort included Hyeong Daesung, Magus Hwang Sung, and Ja Yun.
The escorts formed a corridor through the yard, clearing a path towards a raised dais at the back, where no guests had been allowed.
Finally, the two brides stepped into the courtyard at the same time—an impressive feat of coordination given that they had been half a continent apart—and everyone in the room, even venerable elders and royalty like Qin Zhao, bowed.
Like Yoshika, Yue was dressed in a flowing red dress and wore a light veil over her face. The pair glanced at each other and wordlessly joined hands, their fingers interlocking as they made their way slowly up to the dais. Once there, they turned to face the crowd and bowed. As they rose, Yue stepped forward to address them.
“Honored friends, family, and guests. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts for joining us to witness this historic union.”
Yoshika stepped up next to her, linking arms and picking up where she left off.
“Today, we celebrate not only the joining of two people, but of families and nations. To you, our friends and family, and to our peoples watching from afar, we pay our respects. We honor you now, as you have honored us.”
In perfect sync, the pair dropped to their knees and bowed deeply, the crowd following suit. When they raised their heads, nobody followed suit. Yue’s voice called out a second time.
“I call on Long Chunhua, Long Xiaofan, Yan Hao, Yan Ren, and Lin Xiulan. Please raise your heads.”
They did so as Yoshika followed suit.
“I call on Lee Jung, Ienaga Yumi, An Minjun, An Chunhei, Hwang Sung, and Qin Zhao. Please raise your heads.”
Then they spoke in unison.
“We also name Zheng Long and Seong Minhee, who are not present. To you, our family and mentors, who raised and sheltered us, who imparted your wisdom to us, and who supported us through fortunes good and ill, we pay our respects. We honor you now, as you have honored us.”
They kowtowed once more, and Jung bowed along with the others who’d been honored. She suspected that the Yan elders had been included for political reasons, and no doubt the omission of Yan De would cause a stir later.
Once more the brides rose, turning away from the crowd to face north.
“To our ancestors who came before us, and the boundless heavens from which this world was shaped, we pay our respects. We honor you now, as you have honored us.”
Finally, they turned to face each other, and each of them removed the other’s veil before joining hands. This time, Yoshika spoke first.
“Yan Yue, my dearest friend and closest companion. It has been my honor to see you overcome your struggles and grow beyond the destiny allotted you by fate across the years we’ve known each other. It would be my honor to join you on that journey and grow alongside you, from now unto eternity.”
“Yoshika. Words fail to describe what you are to me. A friend and companion—my beloved, yes, but so much more than that. It was you who showed me that I could make my own destiny, to grasp my own fate and steer it down whatever path I so choose. I can think of no better person to join me on the path I’ve chosen, and it would be my honor to share that fate with you, from now unto eternity.”
One last time, they spoke in unison, kowtowing to each other in practiced synchronization.
“I honor you now, as you have honored me.”
With that, Yoshika and Yan Yue were married under the eyes of heaven—not to mention thousands of observers. Everyone in the room rose along with them to applaud their union, but the pair weren’t quite finished yet.
Though it was far from traditional—even bordering on scandalous—the two brides clasped their hands together and leaned in for a brief kiss. There was a collective gasp throughout the room at the rare and unusual public display of affection, but before the moment could linger, Yoshika had already turned to face the crowd.
“And now, it would be our greatest joy to share a feast with all of you, from our friends and family here, to our people watching out in the cities. This is a blessed day! So let us all celebrate until no trace of the day remains!”
And then, as suddenly as it had happened, the scandal was forgotten. After all, who was going to let that get in the way of a party?
!
Selkie Myth for their incredible shoutouts.
RMullins
Etly
Emilin
Victor
Mine
Odunski
Naimah
DvorakQ
Thomas
Robin
Cog
Alexis Lionel
Attherisk
Kit
Vail
Arusalan
Saganatsu
Stephane
Celdur Ey'lin
Alexandra
IrateRapScallion
Fraxx
The Test Subject
Yandron
Berj
Sorcoro
Max C.
Solo
Mark
Ava
Auribia
VietDom
MeliMeliDH
Andrew C.
Seasparks
Joseph H.
ShadeByTheSea
Beryn
Ranzbart
Connor B.
Taylor W.
Lu
Rayaface
Zeodeicasia
Jess
j0ntsa
Jan
LarryParrish
6J0ker9
GiantOrange
K G
eagle0108
thkiw
FISHLAD
Tatsu D
The Human
Tarantism
Elisah
RuRo
bisque
Salmuna
Jake T.
Emanym
TAF
mrblue
Rhaid
Damian Z.
itbeme12321
Joseph C.
