The letters had made their rounds.
Many had already received them, and replies had come pouring in. The content of those replies was, well, simple enough.
May the eternal glory of His Highness the Grand Duke of the North endure! The Grand Duke of the North is the eternal lord of the North!
The same words, repeated over and over.
There was no need to respond to every reply, but I was grateful, all the same, that they would come to my wedding.
Still — this was something, wasn't it.
Time had passed far too quickly. With everything done that needed doing and everything seen that needed seeing, the day of the wedding had arrived.
"What's the status of the army?"
"No unusual reports, Your Highness."
"Just in case — have a reserve force standing by. Understood?"
"It shall be done."
There were no separate reports regarding troop movements.
Dorgon and James de Wintergard had already departed, so I was fairly confident they could hold the line.
But the unease was impossible to shake.
"If there are any reports concerning the army, bring them to me immediately."
"Understood, Your Highness."
The war — well, Dorgon and the other ministers would handle it. I could let that go.
The real problem, however, was...
"Ahem, Your Highness."
"What?"
"Shall we add some badges or medals to your wedding suit? For decoration?"
"Don't bother. Let's keep it clean."
"Then perhaps a small badge bearing the Wintergard crest..."
"That... yes. Fine. Do that."
I could only sigh.
The wedding was nearly upon us.
The moment I'd said I wanted it done quickly, every minister and noble had abandoned their own duties and thrown themselves entirely into this.
They came to me with every trivial little question imaginable.
I thought I might lose my mind.
But watching Daniela try on her wedding dress — that, I enjoyed far too much.
"Mm, this is quite good. This will do."
"Your Highness... just a moment..."
"Hm? No, there's really no need to do anything more—"
"Is it not a once-in-a-lifetime wedding, Your Highness?"
"All right. All right. Do as you please."
What more could I say.
Even so, it felt like my part was over quickly. Choosing Daniela's dress had consumed nearly an entire day.
They always say the wedding isn't about the groom — it's about the bride.
And the people of Winter Castle were pouring just as much time and effort into Daniela's dress.
"What about the bouquet, by the way?"
"We have already made all the arrangements, so please do not worry, Your Highness."
"Flowers don't exactly bloom in the North, so..."
"We managed to procure fresh flowers somehow, so please do not worry."
They kept telling me not to worry, but how could I not.
You said you'd handle it! So why do I know nothing about any of it?
Since taking the seat of Grand Duke, this was truly the first time I'd been swept along so completely, knowing nothing.
"Where is Daniela?"
"She is having the dress adjusted once more, Your Highness."
"Is that so?"
"Even if you wish to see her, you must restrain yourself."
"I know that. Don't worry."
Hah...
My heart was pounding for some reason, and I couldn't keep still.
On top of everything, with the South in an uproar, Marquis Roland of House Barth hadn't been able to attend at all.
But he'd already confirmed that she would become Grand Duchess — that was all that could be said of it.
"And he couldn't even be here to receive the guests."
"Hexon and Alfredo are handling that quite well, Your Highness."
"The timing was just unfortunate. Perhaps I should have waited until after the war."
"That would have been far too late, Your Highness."
"I know. If you're going to do something, do it quickly."
"There are assassination threats, so please take care."
The crowd murmured around us.
Rather than borrowing another venue, the wedding was being held in the Hall of Winter itself, redecorated for the occasion.
Elaborate lace hung throughout the space, and hundreds of chairs filled the Hall of Winter to capacity.
Today's master of ceremonies: Berdo!
That had been its own ordeal. Everyone insisting they had to be the one to do it — what a commotion!
Roy de Wintergard had whined that he absolutely had to be involved.
*Then do you want to officiate?*
That was barely enough to calm him down.
Roy had declared it an honor to his house and bowed his head deeply. Which then sparked its own controversy.
Well — the sentiment was the same either way. He wanted to be part of it.
In the end, Roy de Wintergard was given the role of officiant.
"Then, allow me to first welcome our groom — His Most Exalted Highness, the Grand Duke of the North!"
Berdo bellowed at the top of his lungs.
The doors of the Hall of Winter swung open, and I began to walk slowly forward.
Music filled the air — bright, lively music that swelled to fill every corner of the space.
The aisle, they called it.
Without thinking, I found myself waving.
"Your Highness!"
"Your Highness! Over here, just once—"
Look over here? What, did they want a portrait?
Honestly, the devotion people showed me was a bit much. I smiled awkwardly and took my place before the officiant.
Roy de Wintergard. A man who usually let his white beard and white hair grow long and loose — today, he had everything neatly trimmed.
"You've tidied up your hair and beard today. You look sharp."
"Th-th-thank you, Your Highness."
"I'm the one getting married. Why are you the nervous one?"
"Th-the officiation, I must... I absolutely must..."
"Yes, yes. Please do it well. You understand?"
Ha ha ha!
I couldn't help but laugh.
Acute anxiety syndrome, perhaps. Leor was the same way.
Whenever an occasion like this came around, everyone fell apart.
Then again — maybe officiating a wedding made anyone nervous, no matter who they were.
"Next — the most beautiful person in all the world, and the one who shall become the consort of the world's most magnificent! The most exalted of all!"
"Waaah—!"
"Allow me to present today's bride!"
It was nothing like when I had walked in.
Attendants holding the hem of a white dress. Flower girls scattering petals.
And the most beautiful bride in all the world.
Holding a bouquet, her face softly veiled in lace.
The most beautiful bride in all the world. No phrase had ever fit so perfectly.
"Waaah—!"
The cheers showed no sign of ending.
With every step she took down the aisle, my heart dropped — thud.
Each time she lifted a foot and drew closer to me — thud.
And when the other foot came down, moving toward me — thud.
Thud, thud. My heart felt as though it were swinging up and down.
"Hah... hah..."
"Hah... please take a deep breath, Your Highness."
"Hoo... hah... you — you too. Same goes for you, Roy."
I wondered if both the officiant and the groom looked like complete fools.
The moment she stood before me, I could see Daniela clearly.
Her hands were trembling.
I carefully offered her the crook of my arm. The space between my arm and my side. Daniela's arm slipped gently into that space.
Hoo... hoo...
My heart felt like it was in pain.
"Th-then — the wedding of His Most Exalted and Magnificent Highness, Theodor von Wintergard, Grand Duke of the North... and the future Grand Duchess, Lady Daniela von Barth, shall now commence!"
At least he got it all out in one breath. That was a relief.
A wedding, when you stripped it down, was a simple affair.
The officiation, the congratulatory remarks. And then, at the end, a kiss — and it was done.
In truth, the steps couldn't be more straightforward.
So why was my heart pounding like this...
"Now, let us hear the congratulatory remarks from Sir Alfredo!"
Alfredo's address.
Brief, but striking. It seemed to build toward something at length, only to land the final sentence with full force.
"If the late Grand Duke and the late Grand Duchess could have been here today — ugh..."
He suddenly broke into tears. Berdo quickly moved to bring the address to a close.
I quietly stole a glance at Daniela, standing beside me.
Heh...
No — once she became Grand Duchess, things wouldn't be as easy as they were now.
Because now it was fully confirmed. She was Grand Duchess.
"Then, Sir Roy, as officiant — and, well... just go ahead!"
He was still sulking.
Traditionally, the officiant was someone of considerable standing, or at least an elder.
In the North, it was difficult to find anyone of higher rank than the Grand Duke.
That was why I had entrusted it to Roy. He was old enough, and above all, he had served Wintergard faithfully since my father's time.
"If the late Grand Duke and the late Grand Duchess were watching this moment, I believe they would have one question."
An unexpected turn.
My father and mother?
In truth, Roy had known them far longer than I had. He had fought in the Wintergard Rebellion, and there had been times he believed he had been shamed because of it.
"Your Highness the Grand Duke — can you cherish the Grand Duchess standing beside you?"
"Yes!"
Oh!
A roar of cheers. Had I gotten too carried away? I had answered louder than I intended.
"And Your Highness the Grand Duchess — whether cold winter comes or warm spring arrives, can you cherish His Highness the Grand Duke?"
"I swear it."
Roy gave a slow nod.
He seemed very pleased with Daniela's answer.
"Then! If there is anyone who cannot accept the vows of these two, or who objects to this union — step forward now!"
Roy's final words.
The atmosphere was such that if anyone actually stepped forward, he looked ready to bellow for an axe.
Naturally, no one set foot onto the aisle.
"Then, with blessings upon the union of this most magnificent of souls — I conclude the officiation!"
Well. Nothing to it, really.
Just before the wedding came to its end, I turned to face Daniela.
She was truly Grand Duchess now.
"Then, with a kiss between bride and groom, we bring the wedding to its close."
I pressed my lips to Daniela's.
The wedding was over.
Now, whatever anyone might say, Daniela was Grand Duchess.
The justifications, the past — none of that mattered anymore.
My heart dropped from the sky all the way to the ground with a single thud.
"And with that, the wedding is concluded!"
With Berdo's final words, Daniela and I walked out of the Hall of Winter together.
It had been a long time coming.
Thirty years. It had been thirty years since I had lived as Theodor von Wintergard.
Now, at last, I had a wife.
Something I had never had in my previous world.