Chapter 1079
Isabel’s Wedding
In Avalon, the night before a wedding typically involves a bachelor(ette) party.
Usually, the bride and groom would gather their respective friends and do whatever they pleased together. However, it was clear that Eivass and Isabel couldn’t do such a thing… not because of the impact it would have, but because they genuinely didn’t have that many friends.
Eivass was alright; if one were to look, quite a few could be found. But Isabel truly didn’t know many people her age.
Shortly after falling in love with Eivass, she had already become the Queen of Avalon. Occupying a high position, she assessed the overall situation and shouldered heavy responsibilities.
She had skipped the stage of being a carefree girl before she even knew how she became one. Therefore, Eivass chose to spend the night with Isabel—enjoying a warm and unforgettable family dinner with their few remaining family members.
The wedding began the very next morning, before dawn.
The newlyweds boarded an open carriage from the Silver and Tin Hall.
Minister Gryphon personally pulled the carriage, walking slowly through the streets. From this perspective, perhaps it should also be called a Gryphon carriage.
The giant gryphon’s feathers were pure white like snow, shimmering with a faint, bright golden radiance under the morning light. Its sapphire eyes emitted a majestic brilliance.
On its back was draped a luxurious embroidered blanket—personally stitched by Isabel.
According to the tradition from the founding of Avalon, every royal family member getting married must design a pattern for a riding blanket and drape it over the gryphon pulling the wedding carriage.
The first such blanket was made by Queen Guinevere herself, which is now Avalon’s national emblem—an emerald jewel with an eye symbol within a silver triangle.
Subsequently, this blanket would be sold throughout the country as a form of “merchandise” at the lowest price of its material. The same pattern was also permitted for merchants to replicate on their own bowls, pots, and bricks as a show of loyalty and support for the royal family member. Until the death of this royal family member, any remaining unsold merchandise had to be destroyed and could no longer be sold.
The purpose of producing such merchandise was not for profit but to express support for the royal family. Generally, the more merchandise a family used, the more they tended to favor a particular royal family member.
One of the characteristics of a revered king or queen was how long their merchandise could still be in use after their death, whether people would preserve it, and whether it would be acquired or auctioned at a high price in the future.
Isabel not only participated in the design but even made the blanket herself. This was a trivial matter for a prodigy—she mastered the skill in just one day.
Inside the carriage with a red velvet lining, Eivass and Isabel sat side-by-side, waving or nodding to the citizens gathered to witness the ceremony.
Eivass wore his best attire—his Cardinal’s Insignia for becoming a Cardinal.
The peculiar rhomboid opening on his chest was adorned with a golden thorn pattern. At the center of the opening, where a large emerald jewel should have been surrounded by Sin Thorns, there were layers of inwardly collapsing cracks. The deeper they went, the darker it appeared, much like an iris and pupil.
However, Eivass feared that the Sin Thorns might prick Isabel during hugs, so he specifically used the authority of the Sin Eater Beast to remove them.
In fact, the Sin Thorns on the Cardinal’s Insignia were intended for this very purpose—they were meant to keep Cardinals away from others to avoid causing them pain.
This was because the jewel embraced within was essentially a vessel for the Pillar God’s power, which was naturally divine and not to be touched by mortals… and Cardinals themselves could not be too intimate with people.
Just as Bishops in the Church could not randomly heal others—showing preferential love to a few implied a lack of dedication to the many. This was due to a lack of tolerance for “differences.”
Thus, after becoming Bishops, even though the Church did not require celibacy, the probability of marriage greatly decreased.
On Eivass’s black robe, the hem and cuffs also featured dark gold decorative patterns of scales and feathers. A long, bright golden chasuble embroidered with black Sin Thorns was draped over his shoulders.
Undoubtedly, it was a radiant and sacred attire, an ascetic style. Apart from the large jewel embedded in his chest, it covered his entire body, even concealing his neck.
Isabel, too, had changed into a pure white wedding dress.
Nine hundred and ninety-nine wedding invitations were sent out, and Isabel’s wedding dress was adorned with nine hundred and ninety-nine pearls of various colors.
Inheriting the sacred blood of “Lancelot of the Lake,” Isabel’s wedding dress was in the lake blue, emerald green, and pure white hues matching those of Glass Island and the Silver and Tin Hall.
After all, the surname “Du Lac” itself meant “of the Lake.” Just looking at Isabel made one feel as if they were in a lake.
She did not wear the silver crown of the past royal family, nor her former princess tiara.
On her head, she wore a new crown crafted from a colossal diamond—the diamond itself had been personally refined by Yulia. Janis had sculpted it into a seashell pattern. This was also a wedding gift from Yulia and Janis.
One of the raw materials used to refine this diamond included Isabel’s former death diary.
—She no longer had any need for it.
Now, Isabel could walk into the rain with her chest held high and head up. More importantly, looking up would reveal the sun.
But to people’s surprise… they did not head to the Great Cathedral of the Candle Holder.
Instead, they traversed more than half of Glass Island, entering the Lloyd District from east to west after passing through the Red Queen District and the White Queen District in a clockwise direction.
Magnificent Elf Warships were already waiting in the port area.
—Boom!
As Eivass and Isabel entered the Lloyd District, a series of synchronized cannon fire sounded from the port.
The crowd panicked slightly for a moment, then quickly realized it was a wedding salute.
Scarlet cannon fire shot into the sky, bursting into vibrant red or deep crimson flames. Even under the morning sun, the traces were clearly visible.
—These were not divine arts from the Church but a gift from the mages of the Daffodil Duchy. The daytime fireworks themselves were runes. They contained blessed holy ashes, which would not pollute the environment and would grant all citizens attending the ceremony a significantly powerful blessing.
Today was the day of the sacred wedding and also the coronation day. The entire Avalon was on holiday for seven days, so no one had an excuse for not attending.
According to past protocols in Avalon… if it was a monarch, not a prince or princess, getting married, it was mandatory for everyone to attend the ceremony or celebrate in their own way. It might be different elsewhere, but at least on Glass Island, it was like that.
The salutes sounded again at regular intervals, and by the time the carriage reached the port, exactly ninety-eight shots had been fired.
The Arbitration Hall of Avalon was already fully assembled there—they had all received wedding invitations. Following them were all the Sky Cavalry, ministers, knights, judges from the Judicial Department, some inspectors from the Inspection Department, as well as outstanding supervisors and other soldiers who had received commendations, representatives of excellence from various industries, a few elite lawyers, and some merchants from the Lloyd Society… In contrast, Eivass and Isabel’s classmates and friends accounted for less than one-tenth of the attendees.
“I bless you, my friends,” Eivass said, closing his eyes as he sat in the carriage, praying for them. “Thank you for attending the wedding of Her Majesty the Queen and myself.”
The antlers on his head emitted iridescent radiance, triggering the pre-arranged blessing ritual.
With blessings from a Fifth Tier Illuminator and rituals by a Fifth Tier Sin Scholar, Eivass’s blessings could easily grant everyone attending the wedding at least three more years of life and eliminate all illnesses.
After all, “wedding” itself was one of the Church’s sacred rites, and this part was indeed included.
However, the priests and bishops who presided over weddings did not have Eivass’s skill, so he decided to do it himself.
—Bang!
“Salute to Your Majesty!”
Accompanied by the final salvo, everyone stood at attention in unison and offered their blessings: “In the name of the Candlemaster, we bless you!”
Both Eivass and Isabel could be referred to as “Your Majesty,” so the ceremony was indeed fitting.
Isabel smiled at Eivass and pecked his solemn-faced profile.
“Nervous?” she whispered into his ear.
She could feel that Eivass had become stiff since getting into the carriage. He wore a poker face, a rigid, fox-like smile, offering polite greetings to everyone. But Isabel could clearly sense Eivass’s alarmingly fast heartbeat.
After speaking, Isabel gently licked Eivass’s earlobe, causing him to jolt.
—How could he not be nervous?
Eivass looked back at Isabel with a hint of complaint. Isabel, however, boldly kissed him directly.
He immediately relaxed, pulling Isabel into his arms and kissing her intensely. He even leaned his whole body onto Isabel, but extended an arm to support her back, preventing him from actually crushing her or injuring her.
Amidst the growing shouts and cheers of the crowd, Eivass and Isabel shared a long, deep kiss. The cameras in the reporters’ hands flashed incessantly.
After a long while, Isabel, her face flushed, buried her face in Eivass’s neck, trying to cool down. They nuzzled each other, and Eivass no longer kissed her but closed his eyes, inhaling the warm scent emanating from each other’s necks and collarbones.
However, the temperature did not abate; even Isabel’s gaze softened like water. Eivass was as gentle as the Son of God, his lowered eyelids sacred as if in prayer to God.
At this moment, Yulia, also dressed beautifully, emerged from the crowd and handed Isabel a large bouquet interwoven with myrtles.
Today, for the first time in a long time, she wasn’t wearing her practical white laboratory coat, but a white gauze dress of the same material.
“I must buy a hundred copies of tomorrow’s newspaper,” Yulia whispered to Isabel as she handed her the flowers. “A hundred copies from each newspaper office.”
Undoubtedly, tomorrow’s newspapers would feature this scene. And most likely, the angle and content would differ in every paper… making them highly collectible.
Isabel, accepting the flowers, playfully tapped Yulia’s nose with a hint of embarrassment, then took Eivass’s arm as they descended the carriage.
Eivass, with a smile, also gently tapped Yulia’s forehead before leading Isabel down.
Yulia shook her head helplessly and remained by the carriage door, ready to help carry Isabel’s skirt hem once she had walked a little farther.
Isabel’s long skirt was at least seven meters long and incredibly heavy. But as Yulia reached out, she felt it was unbelievably light—it was then that Yulia realized the train of the skirt was actually an illusion!
Everyone present had not realized this; even the cameras had been deceived.
Seven Elf Warships were docked at the port, symbolizing the sacred number of authority—even the Church today was willing to make an exception for the Silver Crown Dragon.
Three Cardinal Archbishops were present to greet them.
Cardinal Matilda, Cardinal Galatea, and Cardinal Siegfried.
As tall elves, they stood in the center of all the elves—and the colors of their attire differed from those of the Bishops and Archbishops. Mind you, even the Archbishop, of whom there was only one in Avalon now, would fill seven ships. And Third Tier Bishops were simply not qualified to appear on such occasions.
Even if people were unfamiliar with the rule of Cardinals wearing special attire, they could tell these three were the core rulers of the Church.
—The rulers of the Eternal Holy Kingdom’s Sacred Ring, the Cardinals!
Cardinal Galatea rode a Unicorn in the center, while the other two Cardinals stood on either side, attending to her.
“In the name of the Candlemaster, I bless you. May happiness always be with you.”
As Eivass approached, the three Cardinals bowed to him with smiles. Eivass returned their bows.
Only then did the onlookers truly realize—the rumors of Eivass having been the acting Pope for several months were not mere gossip.
The attitude of the Cardinals of the Church at this moment proved everything!
Besides the former Pope, who else could make the great Cardinals bow?!
Not even mortal monarchs!
This was divine, like the embodiment of God!
The cameras flashed again, one after another, more brilliantly than daylight.
People finally understood why this wedding was not held at the Great Cathedral of the Candle Holder…
—How could Avalon’s grand cathedral contain the brilliance of Cardinal Eivass?
And in the next moment, those with a modicum of knowledge in occultism were stunned:
Cardinal Galatea dismounted, allowing Eivass to hold Isabel and ride the Unicorn!
And the Unicorn showed no resistance—
Why could Eivass ride a Unicorn?
(End of Chapter)
