For the following ceremony the couple was transported separately to the church that was on the mainland beyond the bridge that connected the grand estate with the rest of the duchy.
The carriages passed by the beautiful flowers and the calm glistening ocean. The residents of the Hohengoldlinden duchy were lining up at the decorated path that the guests were driven along. Waving with fabrics of the colours of the Hohengoldlinden family, hoping to catch a glimpse at not only the couple but also the Imperial family. The cheers and joyful calls were accompanying all the carriages up to the church. The air was filled with excitement, pride and curiosity.
At first the reception to his arrangement was mixed. Many were suspecting another international marriage anyways, though the speculations varied and none were expecting a wife from another foreign continent. Most citizens were overjoyed since the Hohengoldlindens would be the very first western royal family to marry into the royalties of the eastern continent. That's what filled the majority of the people with pride. On the other hand some were worried about the possible changes that such a marriage would cause in their peaceful duchy. Some were even genuinely worried if such a wife was capable of supporting their beloved Archduke in the way that he deserved, or if she was generally able to adapt to their customs and values. Since she was the princess of a far away country, the doubts were to some extent legitimate and Benedikt knew about all of that too. Despite the worries and rumours the citizens were able to turn to a more positive attitude very soon on their own, since their trust towards the reigning family was deeply rooted and rarely betrayed.
Benedikt felt deeply encouraged and energised by their cheering and the calls of congratulations and well wishes. He had opened the curtains of his carriage and waved back at all the exhilarated citizens that were even more joyous upon seeing their youngest Archduke acknowledge their presence and words. Benedikt enjoyed being with their people more than a person of his position should be bothered about, however for him it was important to be able to emphasise with those lives he was responsible for. His father set that example and therefore followed into the footsteps that their ancestors have established on the grounds of the duchy.
It was truly inspiring having all the masses of people cheer for one's wedding.
Their marriage would be founded on the encouragement and hope of the whole duchy. For Benedikt the aspects of their union -the political and economical advantages- that it was based on were long pushed away by the genuine sympathy and connection that Yumiko and he shared.
In a way he was thankful for the calculated planning of his parents, since he was allowed to meet Yumiko through that and not only that but he was now on his way to also marry her by the values that he grew up with.
The carriage came to a halt and the door was opened by Hagen, who had sat outside with the coachman. They haven't been able to exchange many words since the morning but knowing that his closest friend was not too far from him and constantly organising and directing all necessary steps for both his and Yumiko's well-being was enough comfort.
They exchanged a brief glance and his brunette friend smiled in a way that encouraged him. He returned the smile with a nod and exited the carriage confidently followed by even louder cheers from the crowds that had gathered around the church and saw the blonde groom.
The guests have already taken their seats inside the beautiful church and the sun began to shine through the painted colourful glass windows dipping the interior in picturesque lights.
Benedikt had the impression that Leopold's wedding was pompous, but walking down the beautifully adorned aisle made him realise that his mother might have overdone it.
He greeted the seated guests with an acknowledging nod and a polite smile as he walked by. He stopped before the Imperial family that were sitting in the very first row and kneeled down on one leg without actually touching the floor. He held his head low as he spoke with a loud and clear voice. "His Imperial Majesty, the Emperor of Allemania, Wilhelm Friedrich von Schwabing and Empress of Allemania, Elisa von Schwabing, I humbly greet you on this joyous occasion. Your presence is of greatest honour and no words of gratitude can express my humble existence that has been graced with your attendance to my wedding." Benedikt kept his head down awaiting the response of the Emperor before him. Despite the fact that all the formal greetings had been exchanged a day prior, he still had to officially welcome the Emperor in front of all the other royal guests in order to follow the customs. Certainly, the Hohengoldlindens were in a position that no other family in the country could ever enjoy with the Emperor, nonetheless it wasn't tactful to showcase that even more by dismissing a simple formal greeting.
Everything that both Benedikt and Yumiko were doing and saying from now onwards was of the utmost importance and would sustainably shape the image that they projected to the high society of the west.
Emperor Wilhelm Friedrich spoke and his deep voice echoed through the church as everyone seemingly held in their breath. "Archduke Benedikt von Hohengoldlinden, the Imperial family is glad to be a part of this jovial occasion that is your wedding." Benedikt carefully looked up as the Emperor spoke in order to maintain polite eye contact.
"You shall pay us no mind and focus on the ceremony ahead of you since it is indeed a special union." The Emperor smiled at him, however his eyes didn't reflect the friendly expression. The grey-haired man before him wore a ceremonial uniform with all the golden badges that a man in his position earned through numerous wars.
This too, was a way to fight a war. A wedding that connected a family of Allemania to another royalty of a different continent, that wasn't the reigning Imperial family themselves, was scandalous. Beneath all the surprised and shocked reactions towards the arrangement were also voices that speculated a distancing of the Hohengoldlindens from the Emperor. Maybe even some plotting against the Imperial family as by blood, influence and origin the Hohengoldlinden family was also fit for the position to provide an Emperor for Allemania. Although the northernmost duchy has never indicated such desires, the marriage with the Kirishima clan could suggest such ambitions. Therefore it was crucial for Benedikt to show that his family was still content with supporting the actual Emperor of Allemania and that his marriage wasn't some scandalous way of protesting.
Benedikt returned the smile earnestly and remained kneeled down. "Thank you very much for your kind words, you are way too generous, His Imperial Majesty. However there is no way that such a presence as important as yours can be in any way less meaningful than my humble wedding. I wish you an enjoyable time attending the ceremony and deeply hope that you too can find joy in the arrangements that might not suffice for the standard with which you are used to."
Benedikt bowed his head down again, stood up and saluted the Emperor with an elegant movement.
The elder in his stiff uniform naturally remained seated and continued to smile shallowly. "It surely does suffice for us to enjoy our time here in Hohengoldlinden."
Benedikt gave him and his family the most charming smile that he could and walked to the end of the aisle just before the pastor who would lead the ceremony.
His brother and Hagen were the ones beside him, surrounded by lavish decorations and the distinct atmosphere of a church. Benedikt glanced along the rows of guests, all in anticipating curiosity. The Kirishimas sat next to his family and together they had this imposing aura, confident and elegant. The prying looks from all other attendants didn't bother them in the slightest. It rather gave them an even more illustrious impression, dominating the entire church. If it wasn't for the obvious then one might have guessed that his family was the most powerful figure within the crowd of all the people.
Benedikt recognised many familiar faces and some returned his glance with a friendly smile.
He also spotted Isabella who looked at him encouragingly with hopeful eyes. She smiled at him brightly as though the most exciting thing was about to happen. And indeed it was, so he nodded at her subtly trying to hide his grin.
"Prepare yourself," Leopold, who was standing on his left side, whispered to him. "I never got over the moment when she walked down the aisle."
Benedikt glanced towards the closed door through which Yumiko would enter at any moment.
Hearing his brother saying something so unusual made him feel even more thrilled. He felt the excitement building up, like a chokehold that kept him from breathing freely.
As Benedikt was trying to calm himself down the organ began to play and the children's choir of the church sang as well.
The grand wooden door was opened in one strong swing and for a moment only the silhouette of two people could be seen within the bright sunlight that flooded through the open door. All guests except for one row stood up to welcome the entrance of the bride.
The cheers from the spectators outside accompanied the moment Yumiko and her father entered the church and gasps from within the people inside the church could be heard.
Yumiko still wore her yashimian wedding kimono, though a long beautiful veil has been added over her.
She held a bouquet of the duchy's prominent flowers mixed with some chrysanthemum flowers from Yashima. It was a colourful contrast to her white kimono and dark hair, giving her an enchanting aura. As she walked down the aisle Benedikt couldn't help but stare at her, like a spell that she had put on him. Everything and everyone else disappeared from his view, Yumiko was the only one he could see right now and it made him ecstatic to know that she was approaching him in order to be wed to him under the customs of the western continent.
This breathtakingly beautiful woman was going to be his one and only wife and he wanted the entire world to know.
His heart was beating fast and he could feel the heat rising to his cheeks and ears, the exhilarating happiness overtook him entirely.
Faintly he recalled the words that Leopold told him just moments ago and he knew that he too would never be able to get over this instant. Yumiko looked so incredibly elegant and graceful that Benedikt wanted to burn this moment into his brain. He could feel his fingertips itching from wanting to meet her halfway the aisle as well, but he had to put his entire reasoning into stopping himself from doing so.
Although he had already seen her before and even married her just a few hours ago under her customs, it still felt so unbelievably different seeing her approach him now in the church.
It might be the overall setting and the nervousness of all the attending people that made Benedikt feel that way.
Yumiko had her head slightly tilted downwards, with a noble smile on her red lips that gave her a serene impression. As if her closed eyes were purposefully in order to remain mysterious and gracious.
Benedikt felt the corners of his lips forming a smile and he noticed that he had continued to smile ever since the door had been opened. It was too late now to put on a serious mask and honestly he couldn't have cared any less about this now either way. Her father whispered something to her as they came closer.
Yumiko was now in front of him and as her father gave Benedikt the hand of his daughter they exchanged a glance. Koshaku Kirishima Saigo nodded at him with a faint smile on his lips and trust in his eyes. Benedikt subtly bowed down his head before taking over Yumiko's hand.
"I'm with you now," Benedikt whispered to Yumiko and her smile deepend.
"I'm glad." She squeezed his hand and he held firmly onto her, leading her in front of the pastor.
The guests sat down and the ceremony began.
"The day now dawns on which Your Royal Highness Benedikt von Hohengoldlinden will marry Princess Yumiko Kirishima, we do not want to let this happy event pass without granting you the joy of our paternal congratulations. Our love for you requires it and your filial piety demands it. We therefore pray to the eternal and loving God that you may remain faithful to the virtues of your ancestors and that He may grant you a long life in peace, rich in labour and merit. We wish and implore this for you with all our heart and We grant you, dear son, Our Apostolic Blessing for you, your high spouse and your whole house." The pastor commenced with the blessing greeting and the church became silent.
While the pastor read from the holy book, citing the paragraphs that defined the marriage between two people, Benedikt couldn't stop himself from looking at Yumiko.
He only half-heartedly faced the pastor with his body, however his eyes were glued onto his bride who stood beside him. They still held onto one hand to each other while Yumiko had the bouquet in the other. The veil was faintly shimmering from the sunlight that was reflected by the delicate fabric.
She now looked up at him, matching the height of his face perfectly. He grinned by the thought that she had memorised his height in order to adjust herself accordingly. She was impressive all over and he liked her for that.
The pastor finished his speech and Benedikt snapped out of his admiration. It was time for the joint vows. They had memorised the lines in alleman together and spoke them at the same time:
We want to live according to God's will in our marriage and trust in his goodness.
We want to stick together in joy and sorrow throughout our lives.
We want to be there for others together and do what serves peace. May God help us to do this.
It was a short and simple vow, nothing too long or fancy. They both chose that in order to have room for their own vows.
The pastor subtly nodded at Benedikt, it was the sign for him to start his personal vow. He wrote the vow on his own and hadn't shown or told anyone about the words that now followed:
"An dem heutigen Tage stehe ich, Benedikt von Hohengoldlinden, vor dir, Yumiko Kirishima, und werde die außerordentliche Ehre haben, dich zu meiner Frau zu nehmen. Bisher lebte ich mein Leben im Dienste meines Kaisers, des Landes und der Kirche und dies genügte, um meiner Existenz Sinn zu geben. Und doch stehe ich heute vor dir und könnte mir keine größere Freude, als dich die meine zu nennen, vorstellen. Worte allein genügen nicht aus um zu beschreiben, was ich für dein Glück machen würde. Gottlob, dass ich mein Leben lang habe, um dir dies zu beweisen. Es soll keinen Tag geben, an dem die Sonne anbricht oder untergeht, in dem dein Herz nicht mit Freude und Zufriedenheit erfüllt ist. Dafür gelobe ich mir mein bescheidenes Leben zu leben - Für dein Glück, deine Gesundheit und deine Sicherheit gebe ich alles, was ich bin und sein werde. Für die Gegenwart und für unsere Zukunft."
Benedikt spoke his vow flawlessly, loudly and earnestly. He had not once taken his eyes off Yumiko and she looked surprised as her brows raised with each word he spoke.
It burned in his fingertips to know what she thought of his pledge towards her.
Just a few months before he had struggled to even think about what to say, however ever since they met the words came flooding in and he took his time to carefully choose the marriage vow that will bind him to his bride for the rest of his life.
He hadn't consulted the pastor beforehand as well, which was already outrageous in a way since he wanted to keep these words for himself until Yumiko was the one to hear them for the first time. He didn't want to share the thoughts that he made up to build their marriage on with anyone if it wasn't Yumiko who heard them first.
Benedikt also didn't feel the need to check for the responses that the guests, their family or the Emperor had. It was precarious that he clearly stated that the marriage towards Yumiko would be more fulfilling as serving the Imperial Emperor and the church.
For a very brief moment he could imagine Hagen or his parents scolding him for this scandalous pledge he made, but this fleeting thought didn't matter to him.
Suddenly while all these thoughts went through his mind in a matter of seconds he saw the corner of Yumiko's eye glistening.
Two tears found their way along her cheeks and he really wanted to wipe them, but he refrained himself from doing so and only gently squeezed her hand in the most comforting way possible.
She was still smiling and facing towards him.
His heart felt warm.
The pastor politely cleared his throat and Benedikt looked at him feeling interrupted. The old man in his black gown straightened his back with an almost apologetic look. "Very well said, my son. Now we will listen to the vow of the bride, you may speak now."
Benedikt turned towards Yumiko again as she was trying to compose herself. It was endearing that she was touched by his words. He felt the nervousness welling up inside him, restless about the words that she will say now.
"I, Yumiko Kirishima, stand before you, Benedikt von Hohengoldlinden, in this wonderful church within the country of the great Allemania and will take you as my husband. With the honour of my family and the blessing of your country I shall without a doubt be a wife of worth for you. I will dedicate my life to bring honour to your name and pride to our marriage. Your happiness shall be my fulfilment and bring the light into my world." Yumiko spoke in perfect alleman, clear and without any hesitation.
Her voice sounded like a melody, echoing beautifully in the church. Calming down the storm that he must have caused with his risky vow.
Benedikt knew that she had to take the safe route with her personal vow, trying not to offend anyone present. And yet she still managed to convey a very intimate detail that made him feel overjoyed. She smiled shyly at him and yet her confidence and earnesty were evident.
"With this your unification before God and our world is thereby sealed. From now on you shall live faithfully towards your spouse and the duties that are hereby bestowed upon you. You shall accompany each other in sickness and in health and remain virtuous in your pursuit for happiness. In the name of God and the gracious power that has been granted to me, I shall now pronounce you husband and wife of the house von Hohengoldlinden." The pastor spoke the fateful words and therefore completed the formal part of their wedding. From now on Benedikt and Yumiko were officially a married couple.
Benedikt felt his thumping heart and the excitement made him almost dizzy. He didn't even try to hide his bright smile anymore, too overwhelming was the joy that he felt inside.
For the next part they had to exchange their rings that had been passed down by Benedikt's family and polished for their new owners. Those rings once belonged to his great-great grandparents and were also the ones whom Benedikt was named after.
The golden rings seemed simple at first glance but offered a very delicate craftsmanship upon observing more closely. The details engraved in the ring showcased the symbols that defined the Hohengoldlinden duchy.
Benedikt received the ring for Yumiko and she raised her left hand for him. He felt slightly jittery as he put the golden ring onto her slender finger. It fit her perfectly and the symbolic meaning of her ring finger being occupied now excited him. It was an unfamiliar sensation of privilege that he now had as she wore his ring.
Then it was Yumiko's turn to put the ring on his finger and she brushed his right hand with a gentle motion as she made out his ring finger.
She held onto his hand firmly and Benedikt felt completely enchanted as he watched Yumiko. As she finished and let go of his hand, he gently grabbed onto her again and kept her free hand in his palm.
He didn't want to let go of her once more and the feeling of the cold ring around his finger caused a tingling sensation.
The thought of Yumiko being his wife now and him being her husband spun around in Benedikt's mind. It was obvious to the entire world and the various witnesses here in this church were proof of that too.
"May the gracious Father accompany you on your shared journey; You may now kiss your bride." The pastor's words echoed in the church and he gave Benedikt a kind smile.
He briefly glanced over to him and began lifting up Yumiko's veil over her head.
Benedikt couldn't perceive anything around him except for Yumiko. She stood in front of him, beautiful as always, nervously anticipating his following move.
She now held onto her bouquet with both hands and with her eyes closed and the smile on her lips it felt like an open invitation.
Benedikt carefully brushed her left cheek with his hand before holding her face. She leaned into his palm and he felt encouraged by her subtle movement. The time seemed to slow down as he closed his eyes and went in for the kiss. Their lips touched and it felt like a silent exchange of words and emotions. He could feel her excitement that was as equally high as his and the nervousness that never really left neither of their side.
As they kissed he felt a deep connection with her and wanted to indulge in this feeling.
They parted again and as he opened his eyes he could see her smiling which made him grin as well. The world could stop now and he would have been the happiest man.
The sudden start of the organ, the choir and the clapping from the guests snapped him back to reality and he actually giggled for a moment for feeling caught off guard. Yumiko smiled at him brightly, her cheeks were flushed and they started to laugh at each other as the moment was so amusing.
"Shall we?" Benedikt took her hand and she nodded.
Accompanied by the music and the polite cheers from those around them they walked along the aisle of the church.
The bells above them started to ring as well, signalling to everyone that Benedikt von Hohengoldlinden and Yumiko von Hohengoldlinden were now married.
The youngest Archduke of the northernmost duchy of Allemania and the only daughter of the most influential feudal family of Yashima were now husband and wife. The very first wedded couple between the western and the eastern continent.