Inquisitor's Promise (Epilogue: The Marriage)

With the end of the Grey Globe threat, there was one more thing to do before a happily ever after.

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Epilogue: The Marriage of Aeneas and Galatea

Aeneas shifted uncomfortably in anticipation; he’d been doing that for quite some time. In front of him was His Holiness Pope Peter Paul III. In contrast to the nervous Inquisitor, the Pope was standing serenely in front of the ornate altar of Nepoli’s Great Basilica.

To the right of the Inquisitor were the members of Aeneas’ inner circle. The boys, at any rate.

“Stay still, Sir Aeneas,” Nikolai said sternly.

“My suit’s itchy,” Aeneas said defensively.

“No, it is not,” Pep interjected. “You are just having wedding jitters. We all did.”

“I can attest to that,” Shaka added.

“I don’t know of this wedding jitters that you speak, Archon Pep. Though I feared for my queen’s life when we were becoming one flesh,” Nineveh chimed in. The Swarm King had taken an uncharacteristically humanoid avatar.

Pep grinned. “See, even Nineveh with his weird swarm biology still got wedding jitters.”

Aeneas took a deep breath to calm down. “You’re right,” he said. “I just wish that Galatea would hurry it up.”

Indeed, Galatea and her retinue seemed to be taking their time. She was supposed to be making her way to the altar by now. And yet, she had yet to show her face. Aeneas couldn’t help but worry.

“Do not tell me that you think she is ditching you,” Pep said in disbelief.

“No!” Aeneas responded defensively. “Of course not!”

“That doesn’t sound like something Lady Galatea would do,” Shaka said.

“I can confirm with my queen that your fiancée is not abandoning you, Lord Inquisitor,” Nineveh said. “She’s still getting ready. She just wants to make sure that she appears at her best for you.”

“Quite the relief, eh Aeneas,” Pep teased.

“S-shut up!” Aeneas said before he turned towards Nikolai. “Do you still have the ring, Your Majesty?”

Nikolai shook his head as he took out the box containing Aeneas’ wedding ring. “What do you take me for?”

Once more, Aeneas took a deep breath to calm himself down. He was never this nervous, not even in battle.

To take his mind off, the Inquisitor gazed around the vast interior of the Great Basilica. He saw the people sitting on the pews. They were but a fraction of the attendance, as many others had to stand at the Basilica’s hallways, if not outside at its yards. Not to mention those who watched on the Domain.

Because of the large numbers of people attending, Aeneas had to handpick those who would be at the pews. For starters were the Five Faction leaders:

With Emperor Nicholas or Nikolai serving as the best man, the Inquisitor saw Prince Hannegan sitting down where his father would have had the late Emperor survived the Battle of the Azov. Aeneas also saw Captain Paxton, his wife and their four sons. The good captain was without his helmet, a strange sight.

There were also Duke Caius and his wife. Next to them were numerous deep ones with their blue and pink hair. Aeneas recognized them as Lavinia’s siblings and cousins. Behind them were swarm avatars representing those from Nineveh’s Swarm.

And then there was Doge Norberto. Next to him were some men and women whom Aeneas recognized as members of Giulia’s extended family. This made sense, Giulia had no siblings, and her mother was deceased.

For the Corporatists, CEO Honda sat down with his sister Honda Suzuki, her husband, and her children. Close to them were a number of dark-skinned men — kraalmen of the Boer Kraal. Louis van Zulu was among their ranks. Shaka’s mother and siblings were there too.

Finally, Aeneas saw Sir Juan Carlos. To his right was his wife, a woman with a swarthy complexion but lighter than her husband. To her right was Galatea’s mother, Lady Isabella de Bacolod. At first, Aeneas had expected for Juan Carlos to be the one giving away the bride, so it was a surprise when the Grand Knight gave that honor to his son Antonio instead.

Unconventional but fitting given that Antonio had been hard at work to make sure that nothing improper had happened between the newlyweds during their adventure.

Furthermore, this setup was for the best. Aeneas could see the Grand Knight crying profusely with his tears being dried by a man to his left. He had the garbs of a monk. Aeneas knew that he was Tomas de la Mancha, Antonio’s younger brother.

There were also Antonio’s other siblings that Aeneas recognized.

As for the others, Aeneas saw Halpful in attendance. Next to him was a holographic machine showing two people. The first was Giovanni Rossi. The second was a young girl of seven: Aeneas’ adopted daughter Fyuria Aquilana.

It had been a month since the defeat of the Grey Globe. When Fyuria learned that she was to be adopted, she was very grateful. As she was getting used to her new life, she wished for nothing more than for her sins to be cleansed. Thus, she was baptized.

Next to the machine spirits were Giovanni’s uncle, Admiral Mario Riva, and many other crewmen of the Lepanto including Chief Engineer Giuseppe Deere.

Aeneas also spotted the two surviving Imperial ace pilots Walker and Heinlein. Like with Captain Paxton, it was strange for the Inquisitor to see them without their helmets.

Next to the Imperial pilots was the red lektros Nukok Kula. When Aeneas went to the Lektros Dimension, he would never have dreamt that the son of Koke Kula would attend his wedding. But in a sense, the cult leader had set the stage for the conversion of the Lektros. It was strange, but Providential, how it all worked out.

Finally, Aeneas made sure to reserve some seats for members of his extended family. Given the prominence of House Aquilanus, there were cadet branches all around Christendom whose members wished to lay eyes on this ceremony. In all honesty, Aeneas had little idea who most of these people were. But they were still family.

Of course, a high-profile wedding such as this with so many important people in attendance would be in danger of being targeted like what had happened in Castle Aquila.

Because of this, security was made to be very tight. Jaya Satria had volunteered himself and his bandit posse to keep the peace at the Cathedral’s hallways and yards. Those were the visible security.

Aeneas looked up and saw a man in black garment hanging on the domed ceiling, but he was not alarmed. That was Ryu, the ninja commander who was hard at work to ensure that nothing was amiss.

And Ryu would not be the only one watching this occasion from above. Way up above, in the heavens beyond the heavens, God was watching with His angels and saints. Amongst them, Aeneas believed, was his own parents and those who had died to deliver him victory in his fight to unite the Holy League and defeat the Grey Globe.

Once more, Aeneas looked to the man in front of him. The Pope would not be alone in celebrating the Wedding Mass. Helping him were two altar servers. One was Monsignor Bartholomew, the other the Archbishop of Nepoli himself. At the moment, they were waiting at the back.

After what seemed to be an eternity for Aeneas, a man arrived to declare that the bride was ready to enter. And the music played as the choir behind Monsignor Bartholomew began to sing.

Moving in first were the bridesmaids: Lavinia, Giulia, Omaha, and Kunoichi. The four women marched in double lines.

Behind them were the flower girls: the two young daughters of Captain Paxton. They happily threw the flower petals behind them.

Finally, the bride walked in. Aeneas gasped as he saw how radiant Galatea looked in her wedding dress. Holding on to her was Antonio, looking as sharp as ever.

As Galatea’s retinue reached the front of the altar, the flowers girls dispersed. Meanwhile, the bridesmaids took their place right in front of the left side pews. To their right was the bride herself.

As for Antonio, the man who was to give away the bride, he stood behind his cousin.

And now, Aeneas and Galatea saw each other face to face. They would be content with simply beholding one another in silence, but there was a wedding to be carried out.

“You look incredible,” Aeneas said breathlessly.

“S-same to you, Lord Aeneas,” Galatea replied nervously.

Aeneas smiled at this beloved. He was glad that he wasn’t the only one with wedding jitters.

That day, Inquisitor Aeneas Aquilanus and his lady knight Galatea de la Mancha were united as man and wife. Through their union, the main branch of House Aquilanus continued on for generations to come.

From House Aquilanus, Inquisitors were born to defend the Holy League.

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The End

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