6 Months Later…
Joseph took a deep breath as he looked at himself in the mirror. He was wearing a fancy tuxedo complete with a fancy bow tie. He had shaved the night before, and his hair was freshly cut and combed back. He wanted to look as good as he possibly could, because today was the day he was getting married to Cassandra. And while he was excited, he was beyond nervous as well.
As he moved to readjust his tie for what had to be the twelfth time, he felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to look at Master Hisashi, his best man.
"You're overcompensating, Joseph." The martial arts master said. "Just relax. Remember, this is supposed to be a happy occasion."
His former student let out a huge sigh.
"I know, but I can't help but feel nervous about it. I don't even know why."
Master Hisashi gave a smile.
"Because this is such an important day for you and Cassandra, and you want to make sure it is perfect. I don't blame you for that, but that doesn't mean you have to be stiff and overcorrect everything. Leave that to your mother and Alcina."
Joseph couldn't help but snicker at that. Diane and Alcina really had gone overboard when it came to preparations for the wedding. They wanted to make sure everything was of the best quality for their children, and triple checked everything to make sure that was the case. Joseph and Cassandra tried several times to tell them they could ease up, but they only ever got scolded for doing so. In the end, they just decided to let their mothers do their thing. In a way, this was just as big of a day for them as it was for the couple.
Joseph then turned back to Master Hisashi.
"You're right. They want to take as little pressure off of me and Cassie as possible so we could be happy. I guess that's what a parent is for."
His former master nodded.
"Absolutely."
Just then there was a knock at the door, and it opened to reveal the rest of Joseph's Bachelor party which contained Heisenberg, Chris, Moreau, Leonardo, and Raphael.
"Lookin' good there, Joseph!" Heisenberg said as he gave him a fist bump.
"You guys aren't too shabby yourselves!" Joseph said. "Thank you all so much for doing this."
"Of course! We wouldn't pass this up for anything!" Moreau said.
"Yeah, Joseph. What do you think we are? A bunch of lowlifes?" Raphael joked.
Joseph laughed at this.
"You know what I mean, smartass." The other guys laughed at this.
"Ah relax, Joseph." Leonardo said. "It's all friendly fun and games among us men."
Now Joseph was laughing along with them. That definitely made him feel better, but he was still feeling tense, something that didn't go unnoticed.
Chris then walked up to the groom.
"You okay, pal? You look nervous?"
Joseph sighed and nodded.
"Yeah, but I guess that comes naturally. I'll be okay."
The BSAA General smiled.
"Just so some box breathing when you're at the altar. That's what I did when I married Jill. Trust me, it works."
Joseph smiled back.
"I'll try that then. Thanks Chris. Where's your mini me by the way?"
Chris chuckled. He and Jill had brought their two children to Romania for the wedding. Their daughter, Hailey, was going to be the flower girl with Angie, while their son, Mark, was going to be the ring bearer.
"Jill's helping them get ready." Chris said. "This is their first wedding so she wanted to make sure they were properly dressed and ready to go, which believe me, is easier said than done."
Joseph chuckled and nodded in understanding. At that point, Heisenberg then looked at his watch.
"Speaking of getting ready, I'm supposed to walk Cassie down the aisle. So I should probably head over there before Vampy throws a tantrum. I'll see you guys in a bit!"
"You bet!" Joseph said as he shook the lord's hand.
After Heisenberg left, Chris turned back to the groom with a smile.
"Well on that note, you ready to rock and roll?"
"Yep! I'm as ready as I can be!" Joseph said.
Master Hisashi then perked up.
"Oh, Joseph, before I forget."
He then reached into his pocket and pulled out a handkerchief.
"Make sure to have this with you, just in case." He said with a wink.
Joseph was confused at first, but then he realized what his former master was implying and laughed out loud.
"Thanks, Master Hisashi. You always have my back."
"Wait, is there a joke I'm missing? I don't understand." Moreau said.
Master Hisashi chuckled.
"Be thankful you don't, Salvatore."
….
Joseph had a huge smile on his face as he quickly made his way to the altar. During preparations for the wedding, he found out that the castle actually had a chapel in a separate tower. It turned out it was behind the huge stone door that he saw when he first arrived there, and Alcina had people doing construction on it to help restore it like they did with Otto's Mill. Needless to say, it looked absolutely beautiful now.
This surprised Joseph. He had never really asked about what was behind that door as he never really had a reason to, but he certainly wasn't expecting a chapel to be there. Not that he was complaining though. It worked out pretty well for everyone involved.
When Joseph walked through the doors to the chapel, everyone turned around and smiled widely upon seeing him. With an almost spring in his step, he made his way up to the altar to greet and shake hands with the priest who was already there.
Father Maxwell had known Joseph and Mandy since they were kids. So when Diane called and asked him if he could be the celebrant for the ceremony, he was more than happy to do so.
Joseph then stood by at the altar as he eagerly waited for the ceremony to begin. As he looked at the audience, he saw many of his friends from the village which made him smile. He chuckled as Sarah and Peter gave him a thumbs up. He was grateful to have such good friends.
He didn't have to wait too much longer as Olivia and Julia started to play on the organs, bathing the chapel in a sheet of music. They had started receiving lessons from Mandy and Bela a few months ago, and it was really showing as they didn't miss a single note.
One by one, the bachelors and bridesmaids came out arm and arm with each other, all smiling warmly as they walked down the aisle. Moreau and Elena were the first to do so. They were then followed by Leonardo and Donna, Chris and Bela, and Mandy and Raphael. Mandy had to be pushed down the aisle due to her condition, but she didn't mind this as she looked more happy than ever. The last pair to walk in were Master Hisashi and Daniela, the best man and maid of honor. This was shortly followed by Hailey and Angie skipping down the aisle and tossing flowers in the air. Joseph couldn't help but smile at this. They looked like they were having the time of their lives.
But his chuckle abruptly stopped when the music suddenly changed to the all familiar tune to signal the arrival of the bride. And when she entered, Joseph felt his heart stop.
Cassandra was wearing an elegant silk wedding dress that Master Hisashi had a friend tailor for her. Her hair was shiny and flowed in waves across her back like that of the ocean. The makeup she wore made her face stand out even more than usual, and her smile lit up the entire room. By all accounts she looked absolutely stunning, and Joseph smiled widely back.
Like a proud father, Heisenberg had his arm around his niece's as he walked her down the aisle, also with a huge smile on his face. Alcina was filming the special moment from her seat in the pews with her camera while trying (and failing) to hold back tears. A quick glance over to Diane showed the soldier was feeling the same way.
Before long, Cassandra took her place at the altar next to Joseph. And with the bride and groom now present, Father Maxwell began to speak.
"Dearly beloved, we are all gathered here today to celebrate the union of Joseph and Cassandra. What started as a chance encounter has now blossomed into an incredible bond of two equally incredible people, but this does not surprise me. As the gospel says, 'Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no records of wrongs. Love does not delight with evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails'".
Joseph and Cassanadra couldn't agree more with that. Those words perfectly described the love and dedication they had for each other. Since the day they met, they had always been there for each other. Giving advice, a shoulder to cry on, and most of all, compassion and happiness. No doubt, these two truly loved each other more than anything in the world. And as the ceremony continued, Father Max's words really went through one ear and out the other, as the couple were just too fixated on each other.
Eventually though, Father Maxwell said some words that snapped them out of their trances.
"And now, both the bride and groom have written their vows that they would like to read to each other."
He then took out a sheet of paper and handed it to Joseph, who cleared his throat before speaking.
"If someone were to tell me a few years ago that I would be standing here today marrying the love of my life, I would have called them crazy. When I first arrived here, I had no home and no family. All because I did things that I'm not proud of. My life was a blank slate, and I really wasn't sure where it was going to take me.
"I had no idea just how amazing of a person I was about to meet. And while I am beyond grateful for Master Hisashi for helping me get back on my feet, I feel ten times that for what you've done, Cassie. You gave me the chance I needed to be a better person. You accepted me for who I was and always supported me no matter what. It didn't matter what obstacles we faced or how low I was morally. You were always there by my side, giving me strength that I didn't even know I had. You even went out of your way to help reunite me with my sister and mother. That was the best thing anyone had ever done for me."
Joseph was starting to choke up. He took a deep breath to recompose himself before continuing.
"I don't know what I would do without you, Cassie. You're everything to me, and I promise that I will never stop being there for you as well. I will always be your sword and shield, and stand by your side no matter what, because I love you more than anything in the world."
Diane and Miranda were both weeping like babies, so much so that Mandy had to take the camera from her mother to resume filming the ceremony, but it didn't take long for her to break down too, so she passed the camera to Moreau.
Father Maxwell then handed Cassandra a second sheet of paper. She took this silent moment to breathe and compose herself while wiping away her own tears. Joseph's vows touched every string of her heart, and it was only through sheer willpower that she didn't break right then and there.
Holding her sheet of paper, she took one last breath before speaking.
"Just like you Joseph, I also wouldn't have believed it if someone told me years ago that I would be here marrying the love of my life. I was a completely different person back then. I was bitter, angry, and selfish, because I had no one to help me cope with my pain. Worse yet, I took all my frustrations out on everyone around me, and they suffered as a result. Deep down, I hated myself for it, but I was too afraid to face the truth, and the pain that came with it. In addition, I didn't feel like I deserved a second chance, that I was beyond having one. I was as low as I could possibly be, and I was that close to losing myself to my emotions forever."
The brunette then started to smile.
"But all of that changed when you came. You treated me and my family with kindness when no one else had ever done so. You never once gave up on me, even after learning of the things I did, or when I lashed out at you. No matter what, you were always patient and knew exactly what to say to make me feel better about myself. You were there to help me take that first step towards redemption, and every step afterwards. The self doubt, the panic attacks, and the threats we had to face. You were by my side for all of it.
"But you didn't stop at me. You went out of your way to help my whole family as well, because you wanted them to be happy too. You did more than we could have possibly asked for, and you did it all without ever wanting anything in return. You just wanted us to be happy, and that kind heart is exactly why I fell in love with you. Saying that you're my knight in shining armor wouldn't be accurate. You're more like my guardian angel, always watching over me to help me through my slumps and bring joy to my heart. With this vow, I promise you that I will also be there by your side to help you, support you, and bring you joy, just as you have done for me. You're my beacon of hope in the world, and I love so, so much."
Cassandra folded the sheet of paper and passed it back to Father Maxwell. Joseph was silently weeping to himself, using the handkerchief Master Hisashi gave him to dry his eyes, and he was far from the only one.
"Good heavens." Alcina choked. "That was so beautiful."
Bela and Daniela both nodded, unable to even say anything in reply without bursting into tears. And as they looked around, they saw that everyone was sharing the same feeling.
Father Maxwell then smiled widely.
"May I have the rings please?"
Mark Redfield then came up with an equally wide smile as he carried the pillow that held the two wedding rings. His mother was proudly filming him from the audience.
After taking the rings and thanking the young boy, Father Maxwell turned back to the couple.
"As these rings have no end, so shall your undying love. Let them serve as a symbol of this moment, and the endless love you have promised to each other."
The couple both took a ring and then faced each other. Joseph was the first to speak.
"This ring I give to you in token and pledge of my constant faith and abiding love." He said as he slipped the ring on Cassandra's finger next to her engagement ring."
"This ring I give to you in token and pledge of my constant faith and abiding love." The brunette repeated as she put the wider silver band on Joseph's finger.
Father Maxwell nodded.
"Therefore by the power vested in me, and in the presence of God, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."
Joseph didn't need to be told that twice. He wrapped his arms around his new wife and kissed her in the most loving and passionate way he had even done for her. Cassandra returned the kiss just as strongly as she wrapped her arms around her new husband's neck.
The audience went wild with cheers and applause as they celebrated the two newlyweds. The amount of joy in the chapel at that moment was something nobody would ever forget, but that was nothing compared to what Joseph and Cassandra were feeling. They had flown way past cloud nine. They were in a whole new plane of happiness. This was officially the best day of both their lives.
"Oh my god. Please tell me you got that." Donna said to Diane as she continued to wipe away tears.
The soldier nodded.
"I got every frame of it."
"Wonderful." Alcina said. "Because I wasn't even able to keep mine straight."