"Is my hair fine?"
"It's gorgeous! It's so silky and golden."
"How about my eyelashes?"
"They're perfect! And you checked them five times already!"
"Is my face fine? Any blemishes?"
"Oh mine too, anything on my face?"
"Bah! Your faces are just too perfect that it's cheating! That's why the makeup team also refused to do anything more than a touchup."
"Is that so…?"
"I want to look perfect on this day."
"Met too, my heart is about to break out of my chest,"
"""You two, do whatever you want!"""
Maya, Olivia, and Ivy resigned in frustration, walked out of the curtain, and slumped on the sofa away from Sia and Sarah.
Behind the curtained partition, the two brides were checking themselves in the full-length mirror, trying hard to find anything to improvize and failing for an hour.
Only their shadows were visible, but even those shadows seemed elegant.
"I want to beat that guy for telling me to come here. My self-confidence has taken a severe hit," Olivia leaned on the armrest and complained with resentment.
"Self-confidence, ha-ha-ha, what does that taste like?" Ivy gave a self-deprecating laugh. Her small frame had always been her insecurity and coming here decimated it into negatives.
"Come on, I'm also a bit petite. My boyfriend never once complained about it. You'll find someone who'll love you how you are." Maya hugged the smaller but older girl.
"I-I guess, I also want to smile like them at the wedding," Ivy blushed and lowered her head.
"And you're right," Maya looked at Olivia, "Comparing with them does hit your self-confidence. But look at the positive side. Statistically, you'd be in the 0.001% of most attractive unmarried females and your score can hit as much as 93."
Indeed, the bridesmaids were all dressed in exquisite dresses of white, pink, and green, each with intricate border designs and precious fabric.
If anywhere else, they would've attracted all the eyeballs. But today, they're destined to be overshadowed under the dazzling light of the two beauties.
"…and so, combined with your strength, your beauty gives you a comparative edge over other females when you go find a mat—"
"Wait, wait," Olivia waved her hands at Maya who went into her research mode. "I get it, I'm so lucky, I'm really grateful!"
Maya nodded in satisfaction.
"Are the brides ready?" With three knocks on the door, Anna in an elegant yellow dress entered.
"Aunt Anna, I don't know if I'm ready! I'm so nervous!" Sarah replied in a tense tone.
"They're both freaking out. Give them some tips from your experience." Olivia said before Maya could stop her.
"E-Experience?" Anna's lips twitched. 'What is this painful feeling in my chest? Never mind, I'll ban all dating in the Earth Academy, punish all those sneaky lovers.'
That day, the new Dean of Earth's Military Academy decided on a painful policy that'd cause academy couples to curse her for years to come.
"Where is Blue Flash?" Sia's flustered voice came from behind the curtain.
"Here," Alison appeared in front of the curtain and looked inside for a full minute before walking away.
"W-Wait," Sia's voice sounded anxious. "Aren't you going to say anything?"
"You're too beautiful," Alison sighed. "To the point, I wondered if it was an illusion. Trust me…even if you go to this wedding in plain clothes, you'd still shine the brightest."
"Ah, but I want to look at my best for him." Sia's voice was dreamy and full of longing.
Alison smiled softly. "Every girl will feel that way. But I'll tell you a silly secret, for the guy who loves you, you'll look best every single day."
The young girls and the old woman stared at Alison with admiration and jealousy.
Alison also noticed the stares she was getting, especially from Anna, the Ex Maid, and now, the Dean.
Clearing her throat, she diverted the topic. "I wonder how is the groom's side?"
— — — —
"How do I look?"
"This hairstyle is dope!"
Varian grinned at Kyle's response and snapped his fingers.
His hair went from smooth to curly and rearranged itself into another trending style.
"This?"
"Cool!"
"And this?"
"Awesome! The spikes are just! Change my hair too! Do we look like the criminal brothers from that show last night?"
"Eh, you're right. I just look more handsome, but that's a given."
"And I look smarter, but that's also given."
Hearing the conversation of the two young men, Evander slumped on the sofa and stared at the ceiling as if questioning the meaning of life. Gareth patted him on the shoulder in sympathy.
Bali munched on the snacks like he was some squirrel and relaxing after a long time. He really wanted to become a sovereign, but once he became one, he felt exhausted from the back to back to back wars.
Seth, meanwhile, was adjusting his mustache and newly grown beard. Watching his pupil get married, he felt proud. 'I should also look cool, today.'
"Emperor, are you ready?" A soft voice asked from the outside.
"Oh?" Varian stopped playing around and changed his hair back to the original style. Then he replied in a dignified voice. "Yes, I am."
"Then please enter the venue. It's time." Irene's voice rang softly.
"Yeah, let's goooo!" Kyle cheered and walked to the door with full energy. But realizing that Varian wasn't beside him, he turned back and said. "Let's go?"
"…I'm suddenly nervous." Varian smiled awkwardly.
"You'll be fine. Just don't change your hair in the middle of the wedding." Evander walked out of the room waving his hand.
Even though he gave the advice, his own legs and arms were shaking.
'He's also nervous, eh.' Varian mused and looked at himself in the mirror. The nervousness was showing on his face and he couldn't stay that way. Taking a deep breath, Varian clenched his fist. "I'll fight till death!"
"For fuck's sake, this is not a battle and no one's going to kill you!"
"Habits from work." Varian chuckled, less unnerved, and walked out of the room in relaxed strides.
The venue was ready and already filled with guests. There weren't many though—less than sixty.
Some of them were the people Varian, Sarah, and Sia met at the academy—Dhruv, Mia, and others. Billy from Valos was also invited. The little boy sat in a seat customized for him and marveled at the wonderful venue. There were some people whom Varian knew from work.
Sia had only Blue Flash from her side but didn't feel lonely thanks to Sarah's presence. On behalf of Sarah, Evander and a few of his close friends were present.
Even though it was the wedding of the Emperor and the two Queens, there were less than ten people invited for their positions.
"Brides, please enter."
The pavilion-like venue was present in the middle of a sea of beautiful flowers. The petals from the flowers dropped every second and flew with the wind, creating a breathtaking scene.
In the middle of these flowers was a long, plush red carpet, leading all the way to the venue.
Leading Sarah and Sia, Evander walked with a smile.
Seeing them, everyone stood up from their seats and just stared for a moment before they looked away.
Just that one look and everyone felt as if their hearts were about to burst. It was as if they were watching a scene from a painting.
It was beautiful to the point of sublime.
"Groom, please enter."
