Li Yelan
Everything was almost perfect; the girls in their pretty yellow dresses, the petal strewn aisle, the ladies in their simple gold-red gowns and their thin silk shawl of the same color, the men escorting them handsome in their tux, the music, the altar, the flowers, the soft muffled awe's and cries, the groom's nervous breathing. All it needed now was just that one last touch for perfection.
The wedding march had begun playing. The bride was coming…
She came in dressed in immaculate white silk. Her gown, strapless, with its layered skirt was made even more beautiful by the tiny pink stones and thin gold lining in shapes of a cherry blossom branch stretching outward from the right side of the hem. Her translucent veil put ideally on her head by a thin crown of silver and diamonds like a halo making her look an angel and made even more so with a small white carnation at its side. The veil's front was covering her face while its long back trailed behind her along with the gown's lengthy back, barely concealing the intricate web of strings and strands of beautiful honey colored hair that covered the bride's back. Her elbow length white gloves covered her milky skin as she held a beautiful bouquet of long stemmed flowers. Azaleas, white roses, and a few lily of the valley were arranged beautifully and tied artfully with a pink ribbon that trailed down reaching the hem of her skirt.
Kinomoto Sakura walked the aisle gracefully and escorted by her wistfully happy father.
Perfection had come and it was only the beginning as Li Xiaolang held out his hand and walked with her to the priest.
Li Yelan had always been an authoritative figure -a person with much discipline as that of a strict general. She was a person whom people always presume to be cold, unfeeling, a strict disciplinarian. One who has no heart, only ice.
But all that wasn't necessarily true. She may be strict but that was only because of her ambition as the current Li Clan leader (since the death of her husband) to instill the proper values required of her children, most especially to Xiaolang, the appointed future leader of the clan ever since his birth.
She had trained her daughters and son in the martial arts and of old knowledge, their ancestry and family lineage. She taught them the importance of their family in China, how important it was they know their principles and morals, that they understood the ethics of the usage of their magic.
As she watched her soon to be daughter-in-law make her way towards her beloved son, Yelan could not stop the gentle smile that graced her aristocratic features. Her smile softened the hard lines and made her beauty more human, more pleasurable to behold, and indeed, so very beautiful in the happiness that shone in her eyes, in the warmth of the smile.
Her daughters gave her long glances. Their mother's rare moments of soft smiles and gentle looks were so infrequent that they always stared long so as to keep in imprinted in their memory (Yelan's moments were rarely caught on film and so memory was the next best thing).
The time for vows came and all became enamored by the soon to be married couple's poetic words of love and friendship, of happiness and wishes. And soon, the much a waited exchange of two binding words.
"I do."
Declared husband and wife, Yelan watched her son kiss the card mistress amidst cat calls and wolf whistles. She could very well imagine how their audience's noise was only murmur in the background. After all, had she not herself experienced the same on her own wedding.
Syaoran lifted his head from Sakura's lips. His wife (he would never tire of calling her such) was blushing prettily and positively exuding happiness –a happiness he heartily reflected. After years of their love blossoming and being nurtured they were finally tied together as much as two people in love could possibly be.
Standing, the two faced their friends and family, blinking in the sudden noise. Yelan had been right, the noise from the pews had been but a murmur while they kissed. Syaoran grinned widely, and, blushing along with his other half, they descended and proceeded down the aisle. Sakura laughing with happiness that sprung from her heart.
But Syaoran stopped. Curious, Sakura looked up at him and found him looking on at surprise to the pews. Following his gaze, Sakura gave a tiny gasp. She turned back to Syaoran when he tightened his grip on her hands. They looked to each other and smiled tremulously. Sakura noticed her husband's glassy eyes.
They were never going to forget that sight, not the years that came nor in the coming and passing of generations.
Li Yelan had cried, had smiled, and had given herself to exuding the happiness she had been assured of by her son's smile, her daughter-in-law's mirrored smile, and the welcoming arms of friends and family.
The End
***
I made this as a tribute to Li Yelan for conceiving [O_o] a wonderfully handsome boy who of course is none other than Li Xiaolang…
…
Actually, it just popped into my head about how Yelan must feel seeing the beginning of fairytale ending.
I'd originally conceived this fic, and it was even half-done on November 23, 2003. I know! That was a long time ago. , It was written mushy and gushy when I opened the file for the first time in a long while, and I just thought to continue it in that way. So yay for mushy and gushy. ;D
The wedding is western, as I don't know any other. I used my brother's wedding for examples like the bride's maid's gowns and the flower girls and the pink stones.
I honestly hope you liked this one-shot fic of mine.
Aya-chan ^-^
P.S.
Here, are the common meanings of the flowers in this fic.
Azalea - Take Care of Yourself for Me, Temperance, Fragile Passion, Chinese Symbol of Womanhood
Carnation (white) - Sweet and Lovely, Innocence, Pure Love, Woman's Good Luck Gift
Lily of the Valley - Sweetness, Tears of the Virgin Mary, Return to Happiness, Humility, You've made My Life Complete
Rose (White) - Innocence and Purity, I am Worthy of You, You're Heavenly, Secrecy and Silence
"Huh? She me shi (What happened)?" Fuutie asked, puzzled.
"Mei she me (Nothing)! Zou ba (Let's go)!" said Xiaolang, getting off his bed.
Mu qin(Mother),
Ni hao ma(How are you)
Bu shi(No)!
ta zhen shi ge ben dan (he is so stupid)!#
Ni hao jie(Hey sis).
Shi de, Mu qin(Yes, mother)."