Enma by Alex Hughes - HTML preview

Epilogue

 ~

  The sun was low in the sky.  The sky was painted with hues of vermillion and violet, and the clouds were a pink that reflected Wynne’s eyes. The eyes that looked upon Cinder with everlasting love.

“You know…” Cinder grinned, gazing adoringly at him with eyes like white diamonds. “On Earth, it’s bad luck to see the bride before the wedding.”

“Well,” He debated with mirth, “we’re not on Earth.”

The wedding party was only beginning beyond the balcony, background noise.

Someone called to them from the clamor. It was Xeila.

“Time to dance!”

Cinder gave a reluctant sigh and gazed at Wynne with beseeching eyes. He urged her on, and they began to move back toward the celebration.

The two of them wore magnificent robes of Denorasian white for the occasion. Wynne, with half of his platinum blonde hair tied back, looked like a fairy tale elf, and he fit the part. Cinder wore the same formal robes that Celina had once worn, and today was without her coronet, for this was also a crowning ceremony.

After opening many wedding gifts, Cinder stood at one end of the Circle of Union, and Wynne at the other. The horde of guests surrounded the circle in the traditional Verlassian style to watch, and Ira, the father of the groom, stood in the center. Wynne and Cinder walked slowly as rehearsed to meet him in the middle.

Ira held Celina’s coronet on a cushion in his left hand and its twin in his right. Long pendants, also twins, hung from both his wrists.

Wynne smiled. He formally picked Celina’s coronet from the plush velvet and slipped it gently onto Cinder’s forehead. Its gem matched the luster of her hair.

Cinder did the same, regally placing the corresponding headdress on Wynne’s blonde brow, with a prestige that Orphenn had never seen her wear.

Next, Ira lowered the pendants over their heads. They were both made entirely of shining white crystal, and sparkled around their necks in the frothy twilight.

They faced each other, and lowered, bowing to one another traditionally.

Now that they matched, Wynne raised his right arm for Cinder to place her hand atop his elevated palm.

Ira gave the queue to a player of an odd instrument that looked like a combination between a Chinese Erhu and the gears within a music box. The music it produced was instantly tear-jerking. 

They flowed effortlessly with the melody in ceremonial dance, spinning, twirling, bowing, never taking their eyes from each other.

When they inched closer, and Cinder sensed the song was nearly done, she whispered to Wynne ruefully, “I’m so happy. I never want this moment to end.”

In the instant the musician played the last note, his fermata was stunted.

They stopped dancing, and with a subtle wave of Wynne’s hand, everything was slowed, and the world came to a dead silent stop.

He and Cinder were the only two things alive, the surrounding wedding frozen in place. To them, all that existed was each other, and all time was stilled around them.

“It doesn’t have to.” Wynne said.

The only noise in the world was the beating of their hearts. The only movement was their embrace against the sunset, in this moment that was only theirs forever.

Cinder had taken the title of Supreme Commander with valiance, and dignity. Celina’s memory was always with her, as well as Cira’s.

It took twelve years to rebuild after the war. Denoras took the longest to restore, but it became the most beautiful city on Aleida. It was more breathtaking than it had ever been, with ten times the size and grandeur. Lady Cinder ruled over it with strong, yet gentle wisdom, with help from her eternal companions, and with Wynne beside her every step of the way.

And they wore matching coronets on the day of their wedding.

Plenty of other interesting things happened that day.

“Okay.” Now twenty-nine year old Orphenn said, dragging Eynochia behind him. He pulled her beneath a white gazebo in the garden, away from the noise and chatter of the post-wedding party in the courtyard.

“What is it Orphenn? Why’d you take me out here?” Eynochia giggled.

“I have something to say.” He said, with a secretive smile. He took her hand. “You’re my best friend.” He told her, beaming like a laser. “But not just that. I’ve never felt this way about anyone but you. I mean there was this one girl in third grade, but that doesn’t count.” She laughed and he went on, “Point is…You are my first and my last. It’s always been you. And if I had to choose anyone to spend forever with…” his voice caught as he reached for something in his pocket. He swallowed and said, “…It would be you.” Warm tears spilled from her eyes and she smiled. “Now, I’m going to do this the Earthling way.”

He lowered to one knee, and flipped open the lid of a tiny box. Inside, it held a gleaming diamond ring. (Probably provided by Jeremiah, who finally married Xeila a couple years back).

“Eynochia.” He intoned deeply. “Will you marry me?”

Her answer mirrored a reaction that might have come from her father.

“Damn straight! Thought you’d never ask!”

So now, Cinder’s wedding guests had another couple to congratulate.

“Dang, everyone’s getting’ married, ain’t they?” Ira exclaimed.

Sven held Orphenn close to him, then held his face in scarred hands and kissed his forehead. “Ah, Little Bird.” He said tearfully. “I always knew you would be my son.”

After everyone had taken their turn to embrace them, Orphenn stopped, and looked at them all. Just looked at them. His sister Cinder and new brother Wynne; the new-ish couple Jeremiah and Xeila, now his new brother and sister; Nero, who might as well be a little brother, and Dacian, who he already considered a brother anyway, knowing how much he was still in love with his sister Celina. It was the best, and biggest family an orphan could ever have dreamed.

He could see. They all had loving eyes, smiling faces, happy hearts. Wide open, warm, accepting arms. Laughing into the sunset.

Yes. He said to himself. These are the people I want to spend forever with.