Emperor of Steel

Dang Dang Dang!
Flap flap!
A peaceful morning with bells ringing and pigeons flying.
A few people were gathered at the entrance of a small church located near a street.
There was a woman in a pure white gown, a veil, and a dozen people behind her.
There were the Rakan Knights in the grounds, which made people passing by wonder.
“What is it? A wedding?”
“That can’t be. There seem to be no guests at all.”
“Even then, that doesn’t seem to be a regular wedding gown, maybe a wedding of a noble family who didn’t accept their union.”
“Then, are they the notaries?”
Among the guest, there were a few with unusual looks.
One was a young man with a Southern Continent impression with strong muscles and an elderly knight in red armor with a white hair.
However, the most impressive one of them was the grey-haired man standing with the help of a cane.
Contrary to the old appearance, the man was releasing tremendous energy.
“That man, he isn’t someone to mess with, right?”
“Yes, he must have been a knight with great skill. He seems a lot stronger than the man in the red armor…”
Thud!
All of a sudden, the knight in red struck his sword to the ground.
As if a Gigant had stepped into the grounds, the people who were in the area shook, and the glass windows around the temple shook.
As a result, the complexion of the men turned white.
“Maybe he is strong too?”
“Let’s, let’s get out of here. He must have heard what we said.”
Belik was the one in the red armor, however, he didn’t turn his attention to the fleeing boys.
There was a reason why he was staying there.
“What are you doing?”
“Get yourself together. There isn’t much time left, don’t you realize that?”
When Belik turned angry, Pavel and Victor tried to calm him up.
“No matter what, it is the princess… well, to make the Pope wait!”
“Huhu! Shh! What if others hear it?!”
Luke and Reina’s wedding was being held in secret.
So, deliberately, a magic illusion was placed on the face of the guests to prevent the general public from recognizing them.
Although it had been preached that the El Kassel denomination that priests shouldn’t be married, it was a custom that many had followed, every high priest had remained single.
And such customs weren’t embedded not only in the priests and nobles but also common people.
As a result, the alliance between the Symphonia Kingdom and the Holy Arthenia Empire, which a few nobles discussed in the crowning ceremony was extremely unlikely.
If there was any indication that it would happen, they were most likely to oppose it at home and abroad, and both nations were likely to face political criticism.
Luke and Reina didn’t want their marriage to happen between disputes and complications.
Luke continued to develop strength and forces and wanted to wait until he was strong enough to crush any opposition, however, Reina was different.
She didn’t want to wait till one of them was strong, she just wanted the both of them to meet.
And that was, it would stop the competitors to go after Luke, and it would soothe their hearts.
“There is no change of heart, right?”
“There can’t be. Let’s just wait a little longer.”
Reina stopped Belik’s attempt to spoil the mood of the occasion.
Though she hadn’t said it out loud, she wondered if Luke wasn’t going to make it to the wedding.
‘Did something bad happen?’
Since it was the early stages of the kingdom, anything could have happened.
It was when she was lost in thoughts as such.
“Your Majesty is coming.”
Luke appeared with Philip’s cry.
A large bouquet of flowers in one hand and the other on the reins of the horse.
“What are you doing making us wait?”
At Belik’s scream, Luke smiled.
“I remembered something which had to be done before the wedding.”
“What is there to do before the wedding?”
While everyone was wondering, Luke approached Reina and bent on his knee and offered her the bouquet.
“Reina, I am here now because I met you and walked the same path as you.”
Luke, who spoke gentle words kissed the back of her hand.
“I want to walk for the rest of my life with you. As a companion, I want to stay beside you and face how many difficulties we will have on the road we choose.”
“Luke…”
What Luke said, about something which had to be done before a wedding.
The proposal, something which was very popular among the young people of the current days.
Hearing about it from his escort knights, Luke went and prepared a bouquet and wrote his vows for the wedding.
“Will you join me?”
Reina looked into Luke’s desperate eyes and nodded with a smile.
“Yes, I will stand with you forever.”
When Reina accepted his proposal, Luke smiled turned wider, and hugged her.
While everyone was watching it with a gleaming face, Maron coughed.
“Well, shouldn’t we head up and get to the main act?”
“Yes, to proceed and get the thing done, quickly!”
Belik pushed them into the church.
If Luke and Reina were married, he wouldn’t just be the father of the Symphonia King but also the father-in-law of the Holy Empire’s Pope.
Luke and Reina, who were pushed by the ambitious men around them, were ready to have the wedding under Maron.
“Marriage is a relationship between a man and a woman which is taken before the God. Living a satisfying life, with mutual trust and effort for themselves and the other half… and that is love and happiness.”
Maron went through the rites and quotes from the past.
After his words were done, which were too short or long, he moved onto the wedding vows.
“Does the bride swear before the God that she will respect and love Luke de Rakan as her husband this moment?”
“Yes, I do.”
“Does the groom swear before the God that he will be married to Reina Petrov Kirillov forever, and fulfill his duties as her companion forever?”
“Yes, I swear on my soul!”
Both Luke and Reina pledged their vows and put on the wedding rings on their partner.
Wooong!
As if their hearts beat to the same rhythm, the wedding rings shone brightly.
“With this, I declare the two of you to be married!”
At the end of the Maron’s words, the guests rose from their seats and applauded to the newlyweds.
Luke and Reina, who were happy, kissed.
There was still a long way they had to go, but at that moment, there was no one as happy as those two.
“We were shot down in point range.”
“Yes. I realized that she was an angel… but she gently knows when to move.”
To the other wall of the castle overlooking the church, two women had bitter faces.
Zegal Soha and Erwin were having a conversation.
A few moments ago they heard that Luke and Reina were getting married, however, no matter how quick they were, they couldn’t see the wedding, so they stayed at a distance.
Reina had asked both of them to stay by Luke’s side.
The women were eager to take over Luke’s heart with her permission.
But, Reina was having a wedding!
In a way, it could be said that they were fooled, however, they couldn’t blame Reina.
It was because they were willing to betray her too.
And if they thought about it, she was someone who was well suited to be Luke’s companion.
‘Even then, I didn’t want to lose.’
‘She really suits well with him.’
The two of them were looking at the church.
Creak!
It was alright for Reina, but the two women stood there not moving.
It wasn’t strange if a storm came over, however, Erwin and Zegal Soha smiled.
“I think we need to have an alliance.”
“Yes. And just like this the grace, well, His Majesty’s heart was always tough to get.”
Till then, they were very wary of each other.
However, in the future, it seemed like they didn’t have to be so spiteful of the other.
In order to divert Luke’s attention from Reina, it was necessary for them to join forces.
‘Moreover, this wedding is being kept secret.’
‘Officially, His Majesty is still single.’
The throne of the queen was still empty.
In other words, any kind of political marriage could come for Luke.
The two women, who were struggling with Reina, didn’t want any new enemies to enter their lives.
That was why an alliance was created.
‘I’ll endure until I get his heart.’
‘After getting His Majesty’s heart, I need to chase after this elf woman right away!’
The two women, who were hiding their intentions, smiled brightly for a new tomorrow.