Chapter 53 The Wedding

Marvelous, Joe, Grace, and I passed startled looks at each other and then at the three at the table.

Ahim, who was excellent at hiding her emotions while talking in a diplomatic conversation, even showed her surprise for a moment before hiding it again behind an emotionless slate.

Marissa was silent for a moment. "I never knew," she whispered.

"Why do you think I always stood up for you?" AkaRed asked. "And after you returned from Ackdos kidnapping you, even when Mom and Dad pushed you away, I helped you care for Marvelous. They told me not to, but I ignored them. I was protecting you. That's what a brother does for a sister."

"That's right," Marvelous whispered under his breath.

Grace placed a caring and understanding hand on Marvelous' shoulder.

Marvelous smiled and placed a silent kiss on her hand.

Joe wrapped his arm around me.

I also smiled and also put a silent kiss on his hand.

"And even if you don't agree to what we're saying, I've already given Grace and Marvelous my blessing for a prosperous life and good wedding," AkaRed added. "You can't take away a father's blessing to his daughter."

"And through that blessing," Ahim said, "Amanda-sama and Joe-san are able to have their marriage ceremony, as planned. Either way, the two couples will remain with the one they love."

"Then, I guess, I'll let this go," Marissa said.

Marvelous, Joe, Grace, and I let loose silent sighs of relief.

"Whose wedding is first and when?" Marissa said, turning to us.

"Me and Joe the day after New Year's," I said. "It'll be here on the Galleon."

Marissa nodded. "I'll be there," she said, leaving the Galleon.

I felt Joe's grip relax around me, and I knew that he was just as glad that I was his as much as Marvelous was glad that Grace was his, and vice versa.

Luka, Don, and Gai came out from the kitchen and joined us.

But something bothered us, and Ahim brought it up.

"AkaRed-san," she said as she and AkaRed got to their feet. "You are really Marissa-sama's brother?"

AkaRed nodded. "Yes, and when Ackdos kidnapped her, there were times when I wouldn't eat for weeks-on-end," he said, turning to look outside.

We looked at each other.

"And Amanda's father, it isn't Ackdos," AkaRed continued, bowing his head.

I looked at Joe and Marvelous, confused, as we got to our feet.

Grace gently took herself out of Marvelous' arms and walked to her dad. "Father," she said, resting a hand on AkaRed's arm. "What really did happen?"

AkaRed refused to meet his daughter's eye, instead finding a great interest in the banister above. "Marissa was already pregnant when Ackdos took her," he said. "Twins. Amanda and Marvelous. For some reason, Ackdos took a great liking in Amanda, practically taking her from her crib when Marissa was sleeping. He tried to cast Marvelous out on a deserted planet, but Marissa found out and saved him, returning home. We tried to get Amanda, but all of our attempts resorted in us almost killed."

"But if Ackdos isn't my father, then who is?" I asked, puzzled.

"Same as Marvelous," AkaRed said.

"And I also was led to believe that he is Ackdos," Marvelous said.

AkaRed seemed to flinch as if the thought hurt him.

"Father," whispered Grace.

AkaRed turned to me and walked to me, placing a hand on my shoulder. "You're father," he said in a voice no louder than a whisper, "is me."

"What?" I breathed, surprised.

"At birth, Marissa's fate was to not be able to marry, a curse set upon her," AkaRed said. "I could see that Ackdos was planning something, and we were already a couple, keeping our relationship a secret from everyone. I heard a conversation between a general for Zangyack and Ackdos, saying that they were going to kidnap the woman who was unable to marry, no matter what. They knew it was her. I had to warn her. By this time, she was a month pregnant with you two. If Ackdos found out that she carried not one child but two, we knew that he would take one and force them into his army, but we expected it would've been Marvelous, not Amanda."

"Hold on," Luka said. "That doesn't explain why Amanda was able to use Zangyack power when Basco had her."

"I can explain there," Joe said with a frown. As we turned to him, he looked at me and he continued, "She was injected with a type of potion that had that property."

"How do you know?" Marvelous asked.

Joe looked away. "I had to witness it," he said quietly.

I reached out and took Joe's hand in mine, holding it tightly. "You didn't know it was me, and that we would be together later on in life," I said.

"This was after we met," Joe said. "I saw others go through this and some of them didn't survive, no one this long."

"Wait, so you mean that our doctor may die?" Don asked, startled.

"I don't know," Joe said, pulling me into a hug. "I so hope not."

A few days later, it was the wedding for me and Joe.

Ahim tended to me alone. She made sure my dress, hair, and makeup, even though it wasn't much, was right. She spent a good hour on my hair, making sure everything stayed in place, even those annoying single strands that tried to poke out. She then had a good thirty minutes with my dress, getting all wrinkles out. And she had forty-five minutes with makeup, but it took longer than normal considering that I was still jumpy with anyone but Joe making a movement near my face. But she was careful with whatever she did, taking time and patients while I recovered.

"Amanda-sama, may I suggest you wear something for your wedding?" Ahim asked after she finished the makeup.

"What is it, Ahim?" I replied.

Ahim went to a box she had set on my bed when she came in. She turned to me and opened it. "On Famille, it is tradition that the woman on their wedding day wears a type of tiara, because on their special day, they are always a princess," she said, showing me a silver tiara with purple gems. "This was what I was going to wear when I get married, but I would hope you will accept my offer of wearing it today. After all, you are Joe-san's princess. He shall always keep you close to his heart, because you are his princess."

"Ahim, I don't know what to say," I said.

"Say that you accept it," Ahim said, smiling.

"I do," I said.

Ahim carefully took the tiara out of the box and came to me. "Close your eyes," she said. When I did, she placed the tiara on my head, carefully moving my hair so that it would keep the tiara in. As she stepped away, she said, "Open your eyes, Amanda-sama, and look in the mirror."

I turned to my mirror and looked in it. "Ahim," I said. "I don't recognize myself. This woman I'm looking at is too beautiful to be me."

Ahim came up behind me. She smiled and placed a hand on my shoulder. "Amanda-sama, you are the most beautiful person alive, with or without this," she said. "You do not need fine clothes to make you beautiful." She placed a gentle kiss on my cheek. "You are always beautiful. Do not let words hurt you."

"Thank you, Ahim," I said. I gave her a hug before she left to make sure she was presentable.

AkaRed met me at my door. "Amanda, you're amazing," he said.

"Thank you," I said.

"Everyone is in place," AkaRed said. "Now you just need to take their breath away."

I smiled. "I will," I said.

AkaRed took my hand and the music began.

I took a deep breath to steady my nerves.

"Don't be nervous," AkaRed said. "You'll do fine."

I nodded.

I walked out with AkaRed, seeing the crew and few guests that I had invited.

But my eyes landed on Joe, who was watching me with a smile, almost breathless.

"Lucky man," Don whispered to him.

AkaRed and I walked to the front of the Galleon, him giving my hand to Joe before sitting down in his spot.

Marvelous began reading, but I was totally zoned out, focusing on Joe out of the corner or my eye, until he said to me, "Amanda Stag, do you take Joe Gibken to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

"I do," I said, feeling Joe slightly tighten his grip on me.

"Joe Gibken, do you take Amanda Stag to be your lawfully wedded wife?" Marvelous said, turning to the man next to me.

"I do," Joe said.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife," Marvelous said, closing the book. "You may kiss the bride."

Joe and I turned to each other and filled the vow with a kiss.

"It's official," I told Joe. "We're married."

"And I couldn't think of a better person to be married to," Joe replied.