The enclosed royal coach pulled up to the front of a large stone cathedral with breathtaking architecture and two lofty bell towers. It was the same church that Elena's parents had been married in and their respective parents before them. The sight of it elicited butterflies in Elena's stomach. It was the first sign of any nerves that she had experienced throughout the events of the day. She had made many decisions throughout her life, important ones, ones that effected not just her and her family but the entire kingdom but somehow, this seemed to be the most important decision she would have to make. Then as she was watching some of her guests enter the church, she caught of glimpse of Gabe standing just inside the opened doors, alongside his best man Mateo. She took notice of the look on Gabe's face as he greeted the King and Queen of Cordoba. He didn't look nervous at all. He just seemed ... ready. Then there was the way that he smiled at those around him. It was filled with such enjoyment and ease. He was loving every second of his wedding day just as she had been every moment before her arrival. That's when Elena realized that the decision to marry Gabe wasn't really a decision at all. She and Gabe were meant to be and all that mattered was that they loved each other. There really was no other choice. For her, there was only Gabe and the happiness that they would share for the rest of their lives. The church door closed slowly and in the next instant, Esteban was approaching the coach and opening the door for the ladies.
"You ready?" he asked, offering his hand.
"Absolutely!" Elena replied with not even a trace of hesitation. She let Luisa, Naomi and Isabel exit the coach first before taking Esteban's hand herself and stepping up onto the stairs that would lead her down a path towards love and her future.
Luisa looked at Elena one last time before the big moment began. She gently framed Elena's face with her hands as she silently admired her Granddaughter. She then kissed the royal bride's cheek and then pulled Elena's veil over head, covering her face in the traditional way.
After Luisa had entered the church to take her place amongst the other guests, Elena turned to Isabel and Naomi and hugged them, reminding each girl of how much they meant to her. Together, Naomi and Isabel lifted Elena's train in the air and let it fall, showcasing the elegance of the gown and making sure it would look just right as Elena walked towards the altar.
Finally, it was time. Elena took a deep breath in and gripped her bouquet of roses tight. She looked up at Esteban and grinned with readiness.
"You look stunning cousin. This day is for you and Gabriel. Enjoy every moment of it" Esteban said with such truth and heart. Elena's grin softened to Esteban's words, knowing that even if he didn't often show it and very rarely said it... he loved her. And she loved him as well. She slowly nodded to the two guards manning the church doors and as they opened she felt a rush of excitement sweep over her.
The sound of a guitar's soft melody began to fill the cathedral all the way up the vaulted ceilings. Elena couldn't quite see him yet, but knew that it was her Abuelo. His playing never failed to bring joy to Elena. It brought back memories of her childhood and her mother and how they would all play together in perfect harmony. It meant everything to Elena to have that feeling in regards to her family as she ascended the aisle towards the man she would create her own family with. It was a sort of passing down of their traditions. It was a moment that she wanted to remember for the rest of her life.
As she took Esteban's arm and stepped inside, she looked around at all the people who had come out to celebrate her marriage. They had decided that the ceremony should be more intimate. They invited only close friends, family, and dignitaries from neighboring kingdoms. She smiled sincerely at every pair of admiring eyes and felt a great sense of esteem as she overheard the "oo's and ahh's" and other whispers about her beauty and elegance. She nearly froze in place about half way down the long aisle as she finally settled her eyes on Gabe. He was dressed in his ceremonial military uniform adorned with red epaulettes and a golden sash. He stood confidently. Tall and handsome. He looked like a king and Elena knew that he would lead along side her just as well as any of his predecessors had. She felt her cheeks blush a bit at the thought of how truly lucky she was to find a man as strong and smart as he was but one who remained sweet, humble and always loyal. Her smile grew wider across her face and the feelings of love she had for Gabe radiated from under her veil and Gabe could only reciprocate her joy. As Elena approached Gabe's lips quivered a bit and his eyes swelled with tears. The sight of Elena as his bride was just too overwhelming. She was everything to him. Strong, determined, passionate, selfless, and she loved the people in her life with immeasurable intensity. And she was beautiful. 'My goodness she is beautiful' Gabe thought to himself 'absolutely stunning'. They watched each other closely until at last, they were standing before one another. Esteban released Elena's arm, shook Gabe's hand, and then took his seat in the front pew next to his Abuelos. Gabe reached for Elena's veil but paused in confusion when he heard a sudden, loud and prolonged sniffle coming from behind him. He and Elena both looked towards the front pew adjacent to her family's to see Gabe's father Roberto trying to hold in his emotions before suddenly bursting into a sea of tears. He buried his face into the shoulder of Blanca, Gabe's mother, who through her best efforts, tried to console her usually much more put together husband. Gabe cocked his head to the side as he raised a brow and shot his parents a crooked grin. Blanca just looked towards her son and shrugged as she lovingly pat Roberto's head. Gabe let out a quick chuckle and Elena giggled. It was sweet to see Gabe's once overbearing father now so proud and touched by his son's good fortunes.
Gabe turned back to Elena and lifted her veil and with it, Elena's eyes rose to meet Gabe's. They became breathless as they locked gaze with one another. It was a feeling of excitement that they hoped would never go away. Gabe blinked his eyes quickly trying to keep the mounting tears from falling, knowing that the sparkle in Elena's eyes was solely for him. He was unsuccessful. A droplet streamed down his cheek and Elena reached up and wiped it away with her thumb and her heart melted just a little bit more for the man she was about to join with for life. They joined hands and stepped up onto the altar together. They kept their eyes connected at all times throughout the ceremony. Even as they bowed their heads, they took the time to quickly glance at one another and give a playful smirk.
When it came time for their vows, it was Elena who spoke first. They had decided to venture from tradition and write their own, ones with more personal meaning to who they had become as a couple.
"Gabe, we met at a new beginning in each of our lives. You a newly assigned lieutenant, first day on the job with goals to reach even higher ranks. I had just become crowned Princess, with so much to learn and so much to accomplish before I became Queen. We both had lofty goals and as we worked towards them, we always supported each other the best of ways and through hard work, we made our dreams come true, leaving room to move on to a new dream. Love. I have always loved the fact that you have such a strong desire to keep me safe and protected but more than anything, I love the support that you've shown me every step of the way. First as my guard, then as my friend and now as my husband. You've been my rock. Always keeping me steady, always believing in me, pushing me to step up when I need it and to slow down when I'm in over my head. You've always been there with a helping hand or to catch me when I may stumble. Now.. instead of standing behind me, you will walk beside me."
Gabe squeezed Elena's hand tightly when she had finished, acknowledging the gratitude he felt for her beautiful speech. He then cleared his throat so that he could get his own words out without becoming too choked up with feelings again.
"Elena, even before I met you I was moved by your story of courage and perseverance. Seeing you in action inspired me. I was captivated by your strength and your leadership. After a while, nothing you did surprised me anymore because I knew you could and would do anything you set your mind to. None of that is what I actually fell in love with though. I fell in love with your inner beauty, the compassion you show to everyone you meet, your standards of humanity and the love that you give to everyone around you. You have the greatest heart I've ever known. You bring out the best in people. You've brought out the best in me and I can only hope that who I've become is even the slightest bit good enough for you."
Elena smiled sweetly at Gabe, touched by his words. She very gently nodded. Of course he was good enough for her, he may be the only man in the world who was.
"Gabe, I vow to honor you, keep you in sickness and in health, to always keep you on your toes and on guard and most important, I vow to love you from now until always"
"Elena, I vow to honor you, keep you in sickness and in health, follow you on whatever crazy adventure you may find and love..." Gabe paused as he again began to feel overwhelmed with emotion. He released one more tear and Elena, remaining calm and collected as always, again brushed her fingers across his cheek, wiping it away. Gabe took a deep breath and then continued. "I vow to love you from now ... until always"
They were then pronounced to be husband and wife. Their eyes smiled fully from their cheeks and they took a moment to pause as take in the beauty of the moment and of each other. Elena then slipped both hands around Gabe's neck and allowed him to take her in his arms. He wrapped one arm around her waist and the other supported her back as he guided her into a slight dip and pressed his lips onto hers. Elena pulled herself as close to her husband as she could, enjoying every second of their first kiss as a married couple. The guests all stood and cheered for the royal couple. Roberto began to sob again but so did Blanca, as well as Elena's Abuelos. When Elena and Gabe parted, they danced themselves into an embrace. Gabe lifted Elena into the air and swung her around in a circle. She threw her head back as together, they just laughed out of pure and utter joy and happiness.