Chapter 68: End of the Beginning
End of the Beginning
A wedding in the Moonlit World turned out to be a surprisingly festive affair, far more so than Shirou had anticipated. The redhead had expected a longwinded, elegant ceremony, like a royal wedding at Westminster Church overseen by a bishop, but instead, he'd gotten something that looked more like a village fair.
Of course, since the Magus Association was embroiled in a cold war against the Burial Agency, he had already suspected that it would not take place inside a church. Holding such important events as marriages on sacred ground was an odd choice when your people had feuded with the Christian religion for centuries. Similarly, there were no bishops, priests of other clergymen present either, not even mundane ones. Instead, the ceremony was headed by one of the higher-ranked bureaucrats of the Department of Policies. The actual marriage, together with all the official paperwork involved, would be ratified by the National Archives, since both husband and wife were technically citizens of the United Kingdom.
As for the wedding celebration itself, it was held at hotel The Hoxton in Southwark. It wasn't the most expensive hotel in London, or the most opulent, but it was one of the biggest, and since the number of invited guests almost reached half-a-thousand, that extra space was very much needed, more than a few extra tapestries and chandeliers.
Besides, some minor issue like lacking opulence could easily be made up for with a little effort. The Department of Mineralogy had arranged for plenty of gold, silver, precious stones, and flowers to be strewn around through the halls and hallways of the hotel, to make sure no one could accuse them of being poor.
In turn, all the guests did not fail to live up to the department's example, taking the opportunity to show off their wealth with both hands. Never before had Shirou seen so many gorgeous dresses, dapper suits, and noble garments in one place, with every guest shamelessly trying to one up the rest when it came to elegance and poise.
All that had been expected though. The hotel instead of a church, the absence of priests, and the wealth on display did not surprise Shirou at all.
What did surprise him though was how pleasant the atmosphere turned out to be.
There was very little infighting, no barbs and quips were thrown to and from, no threats or insults exchanged, or even a foul look given. All Magi were mingling and laughing, seemingly having abandoned most pretence for the moment in favour of just having a good time.
Those who were dressed the best were certainly admired and honoured for it, but the losers received no scorn, not even when their outfits were, in comparison to the rest, barely adequate. Of course, outright rags would not be accepted, but they wouldn't be accepted at a normal wedding either.
The weak treated the powerful with as much respect as ever, but the powerful now returned that respect in full, irrespective of the difference in position.
Even Ayako, who bluntly admitted to all in her path that she was no Magus, was treated with a sliver of esteem, even by the oldest and most traditional of Magi.
It was odd, and more than a little unnerving.
Was this how a Magus-wedding always went?
"This is creepy." He admitted to Rin, talking in a whisper in a corner of the large hall that served as the centre-stage of the wedding ceremony. "Shouldn't they be colder and more ruthless to each other?"
Since he was a guest of honour at the wedding, as a close personal friend of the groom, he'd been allowed to take several guests of his own. Naturally, that meant Rin, Sakura, and Ayako had come with him. He was fairly sure they'd be safe enough here, seeing that all Magi would be at their best behaviour, though that hadn't stopped him from burying the latter two in an avalanche of protective Enchantments, Runes, and Talismans.
A precaution, just in case. Hopefully, they'd prove to be redundant.
"I agree. Seeing so many Magi behaving so well rather has me on edge too." His black-haired girlfriend admitted, also in the softest of whispers. "Though we shouldn't be too surprised that the atmosphere here is better than at the Arena. Back there, we had people from all three factions and probably many sub-factions all standing together during a tense moment. Here, we have people from the Aristocratic Faction only, who expect nothing but a pleasant wedding."
"That is true." Shirou agreed. With so many Magi all around him, he'd almost forgotten, but only people from the Aristocratic Faction had been invited today. There were a few exceptions again, from other factions, but they had been invited both because they held some sort of important connection to the Aristocrats and because everyone was sure they'd cause no trouble or embarrassment.
Perhaps he was just being paranoid then, seeing plots and traps in every shadow. Even Magi could behave pleasantly without ulterior motives when the circumstances were right, hard as it might be to believe.
That was not to say that he would completely drop his guard however. Magi were still Magi, no matter how allied or pleasant.
"You should enjoy yourself too. It's a wedding." Rin laughed at his mistrustful look, giving him a small push. "Don't glare at everyone so much. At this rate, you will bring down the mood."
Hearing that, and knowing that she was right, Shirou closed his eyes and took a deep breath, to calm himself down.
Years of horror stories from his father and his own experiences at the Magus Association had left him with a deep-seated mistrust of all Magi and their compatriots, but on this occasion, he could admit it was probably a bit misplaced.
So he did as Rin said. He eased up on his mistrustful glare and instead assumed a pleasant smile, ready to mingle in a societally acceptable manner.
"Much better." The black-haired girl patted him on the head. "There's a good boy."
With his behaviour corrected, Rin left to do some networking of her own, and Shirou decided to follow her example. There was no harm in talking to a few people, so he set out, to perhaps even make a few new friends.
Only to find that very few people were willing to engage with him at all.
Once more, his reputation as a mercurial Sorcerer reared its ugly head, scaring away most people before he could even get a word out. True Magicians were notoriously bad conversation partners after all, liable to pull all sorts of stunts the moment they got bored or if something shiny caught their attention. The tales of Zelretch's various 'pranks' were legendary, and their infamy no doubt rubbed off on Shirou as well.
The other guests avoided him, disappearing into the crowd once they noticed he was approaching, and the few times that he did manage to corner someone, they looked so miserable about it that he could only back away, pretending never to have been after them at all.
It probably didn't help either that he was now known as the son of the Magus Killer. The Aristocratic Faction held the highest number of traditionally evil Magi, and thus also the highest number of families who'd lost one or even multiple members to his father's gun.
Shirou himself might be a pleasant fellow, or at least he liked to think so, but that did not count for much when he had such massive preconceptions to contend with. Hence, he remained alone.
Of course, he could have gone back to Rin, Sakura, or Ayako, but he did not. The girls had actually managed to strike up conversations with various other people, and he was loath to interrupt them and scare away their new acquaintances just because he was feeling a little lonely.
He would just have to make do, infamy or no. Certainly, there had to be at least one person around who was willing to engage with him.
Alas, four drinks and barely three spoken words later, Shirou had to admit defeat, and he gave up on finding someone to talk with. Instead, he just grabbed a plate and started scrounging through the buffet on offer, to collect anything and everything that looked appetising. He wasn't even particularly hungry, but he found himself with a craving for food all the same.
He'd barely gotten halfway through the buffet however when the start of the official ceremony was announced, heralded by the beautiful sound of trumpets being played most masterfully.
Shirou left his plate behind without a second thought, his craving for food disappearing as suddenly as it had appeared, and he went to look for the girls, to discuss their next steps.
He found Rin in a deep discussion with some fellow gem-enthusiasts, Ayako was talking with a few strapping ladies on the merits of certain forms of exercise, and Sakura was regaling a few children, dressed as properly and elegantly as their parents, with a tale about the Wolpertingers.
They sure had been more successful in making merry than he, and Shirou made sure not to interrupt them too bluntly. The trumpets had only been the first signal, so they had a good thirty minutes left before the official ceremony would begin.
"Shouldn't you be inside already?" Ayako nevertheless asked when she saw him hanging around. "You're a guest of honour. You have a spot on the first row. You should be in there to show your support for the groom."
"And I will. I just wanted to ask first what your plans are."
"We'll do our best to claim three seats as close to the front as possible." Sakura replied, having just said goodbye to the kids. "Then all that's left is getting a good look at the wedding itself. I'm actually looking forward to this quite a bit."
"Did you remember to bring your notebook?" Rin joked, referring to the fact Sakura was clearly gathering inspiration for their own wedding.
"Sure did." Sakura surprised them all however by indeed pulling out a notebook and a pen. What's more, the notebook had been used already, several lines of very neat text having been scribbled, in English, on the first page.
"Sakura, I love your dedication." Shirou spoke bluntly, clapping her on the shoulder. There was much he could admire in a woman, but dedication and reasonable zeal were some of the most appealing qualities they could possess, at least in his eyes. "If you need any help whatsoever, do not hesitate to ask."
"Thank you, Senpai!"
With that said, Shirou bade his goodbyes to the girls and made for the central hall of the hotel, pushing his way through the crowd as gently as he could.
There, in that central hall that was the size of Rin's manor and then some, a small, elevated stage stood prominently at the back, decorated by bouquets of roses and tulips, with an arch made out of sparkling and glittering crystal at the very centre, for the newlyweds to walk beneath just after tying the knot.
Apparently, that would bring them luck and fertility.
A red carpet, pristine as if it had never been used, led from the main entrance of the hall to the stage, with rows upon rows of chairs having been placed on either side, for the guests. A fairly standard arrangement for weddings, only without any Christian or otherwise religious symbols.
Shirou carefully avoided the red carpet, as did all other guests, as he walked to the first row, where he'd been given a special seat. As said before, his girls were not allowed to join him there, unfortunately, having no particular relation to Waver or Marianne, but when Shirou looked back, he saw that they had already managed to claim a place for themselves, around the middle of the hall. From there, they should be able to see everything just fine.
He waved at them in greeting, receiving three happy waves back, but he could do no more before he found himself with some unexpected company.
Shirou had chosen a seat at the far right, as far out of the way as possible, in an effort to attract the least amount of attention, which meant there was only one spot besides him, to his left.
A spot that was now being occupied by Raquel Archelot, the venerable grandmother of today's bride.
They hadn't seen each other since their first meeting, just before the Purge of the Meluastea, and Shirou wasn't sure why she'd claimed the seat next to him so quickly. It was obvious she'd done so on purpose, rushing to occupy it before someone else could, but she didn't follow it up with any remarks or greetings.
It was a bit weird, but then, since Shirou's most likely alternative for a neighbour had been Flat, he was at least a little happy that she had acted so swiftly.
As the silence stretched on however, he eventually decided to take the initiative himself.
"Lady Archelot." He inclined his head, though no deeper than a slightly heavy nod, carefully measured and weighed to show respect for an elderly woman, but not subservience or devotion.
It wasn't something he would have worried about before, but he was the fiancé of the Vice Director now, and that meant he could no longer act as politely as he was used to. Bowing deeply when you were supposed to be superior was already skirting the line of acceptable back in Japan. Here in Europe, it was outright bizarre.
Politics. He disliked them grievously, but he knew he had to play the game, lest he embarrass Lorelei, which was the last thing he wanted right now.
Fortunately, lady Archelot didn't seem to care one whit about the depth of his bow. In fact, she still barely looked at him in the first place.
"Call me Raquel, lady Raquel, if you must." She replied off-handedly, more focused on the stage than on him. "My granddaughter bears the title of lady Archelot, not me. It is an important distinction."
"Of course, lady Raquel." He amended, grateful for the small and discreet reminder. "It has been a while. A few months, if I remember correctly."
"Your memory is sound. It was a few months ago. Not that it seems that way to me. So much has happened since that it might as well have been years."
"Sounds like you have been busy." Lady Raquel was the former head of the Department of Botany, which had switched sides from the Aristocratic Faction to the Neutral Faction and back again in the span of what could not have been much more than a single year. Dealing with the fall-out must have been an administrative nightmare of epic proportions.
The redhead gave her a sympathetic look, very consciously not making any mention of the wrinkles that had not been there the last time he'd laid eyes on her face.
"I must have aged a decade in the span of a year." But lady Raquel had keener eyes than he gave her credit for, letting out a dry laugh. "Tell me, boy, how old do you think I am?"
"Certainly no older than seventy." Shirou replied immediately, once more conscious of not causing offence. "And if you are older, you definitely don't look it."
It was the truth. She was no spring chicken, so to speak, and she was grandmother to an adult woman, so saying something like fifty would be ridiculous, but she really did look a respectable seventy years old.
"Seventy-three." Lady Raquel seemed satisfied with his estimation, which was apparently very close to the mark. "My decline must not have been as obvious as I thought."
"It almost never is." Shirou nodded, before sitting up when he remembered he'd forgotten something very important. "Congratulations, by the way, on your granddaughter's wedding."
"Congratulations?" At last, she looked at him, turning her head to the right, her aged yet gracious features set in a look of pained amusement. "Yes, I suppose congratulations are in order. Marianne could have done worse for herself than lord El-Melloi, even if it was never her choice."
"She seems happy with it, as does he." Shirou pointed out, having seen as much when he confronted them about their marriage, to determine whether he should allow it to go ahead or prevent it altogether.
His meeting with them hadn't been anything official. He'd just made an appointment with them both and asked a few pointed questions, which they had answered honestly, together.
If they had truly been reluctant to marry, he would have made sure they didn't have to. One way or another, he would have persuaded the Aristocratic Faction to give up on the whole idea of them getting together.
Being thought of as a Sorcerer had a lot of downsides, such as the fact he was pretty much permanently alone at parties and had people staring at him like he was a flesh-eating monster, but there were also several benefits, considerable benefits. If he really wanted something, Magi would usually comply, especially if he also sweetened the deal with various trinkets and Mystic Codes.
Yes, he knew he sounded like a villain, threatening and bribing people, but it worked. For a good cause, he'd gladly be a little villainous.
Emphasis on 'a little'. No blowing up orphanages for him.
"Yes, Marianne told me she was happy to marry El-Melloi, but I am unsure whether to believe her." Lady Raquel laughed again, her voice bereft of any humour. "She might be putting on a brave face for all I know. I taught her how to mask her emotions a little too well, and it has left me unable to read her like I once could."
"But I can." Very little stayed hidden from Shirou now that he'd been granted Clairvoyance. Waver and Marianne were certainly clever and capable people, but they could not fool him when he was looking specifically for the truth. "They like each other, much more than I expected. For now, I think we don't need to worry about them at all."
"That is… surprisingly reassuring." Lady Raquel studied him for a moment, before nodding in satisfaction. "Yes, you are much easier to read than my granddaughter. You are speaking the truth."
For the shortest of moments, Shirou wondered if he should take offence at being read like that, but he soon realised that would make him a massive hypocrite. As such, he decided to simply be glad he had managed to set someone's worries at ease.
The hall slowly filled up with people, enough to fill the hundreds of chairs that had been prepared and then some, before the stream of newcomers suddenly dried up and all sounds dimmed, as if all those gathered had decided to hold their breath together.
It was another virtue of Clocktower Magi, rare as those were. They knew when to stay silent.
A tall, lanky man in an expensive suit hobbled over to the stage, climbing on and taking his spot right in front of the crystal arch, where he practically disappeared into the background. Most likely, it was the senior administrator of the Department of Policies, the one who was supposed to fulfil the priest's role.
It was remarkable how little of a presence he had, even while standing before a crowd, but as the Magi were staring at him anyway, since he was the only moving thing in sight, it became a bit awkward after a while.
But then the music began to play, and all awkwardness evaporated like a drop of water in a volcano.
It started out with only a piano, slow and dramatic, and it was swiftly joined by violins, trumpets, cellos, and a wealth of other instruments that Shirou did not recognise. It sounded pretty good, he had to say.
"The Bridal March. A classic." Lady Raquel whispered approvingly, her expression easing a bit more. "This was playing too when I walked down the aisle to marry my dear Robert, Root have his Soul, and it was playing when my daughter tied the knot. How sentimental."
"…" Shirou opened his mouth to ask about said daughter, about Marianne's absent parents, but closed it again when he remembered this was hardly the time or place. This was Marianne's happy moment, and he should not bring up possibly painful memories, not even out of earshot.
The bride in question walked into view a moment later, clad in a splendid white dress that must have cost more than a manor in the South of France, as well as a necklace of tiny pink pearls and a tiara coloured such a light shade of blue that it almost seemed as if she were wearing a piece of the midday sky.
She was followed closely behind by her two bridesmaids, who wore dresses of their own, in a shade almost as blue as her tiara. Shirou did not recognise the first of them, who was holding a basket full of flower petals which she was strewing out right in front of Marianne, but the second one was obviously Grey. Even with the hood that had been sewn onto her dress, hiding her face, her identity was immediately evident.
Frankly, Shirou was impressed to find the shy girl in such a public role, doing her very best to look at least slightly confident. She might be shy and introverted, but she was also dutiful and loyal, giving her the mental strength to withstand everyone's gazes.
It also helped that most people were focused solely on Marianne.
The head of the Archelot-family positively shone with grace and happiness, as bright as a rainbow, whilst being as dazzling as the glow of the morning dew on a field of bright flowers. A sight for the ages, in a way that Shirou had rarely seen before.
Frankly, it surprised him.
She'd always been a beautiful woman, certainly, but not to this degree. She was definitely comely, a woman that any man would be glad to have on their arm, but she was unlikely to turn any heads on the streets, at least in Shirou's experience. A solid eight out of ten, on an average day.
But now, she was an eleven out of ten, if not a twelve. It wasn't quite on the level of Merlin and Vivian, but Marianne was more beautiful than ever before, leaving him to wonder if he'd been blind to her beauty until now or if the Clocktower's fashionistas were just insanely good at their jobs.
But then the groom walked into view too, coming from the left of the hall rather than down the aisle, and as soon as Shirou laid eyes on him, he knew that it was mainly the second option.
The redhead deeply respected Waver, and considered him a good and true friend, but it could not be denied that the second lord El-Melloi was not a looker. He was lanky, lacked any sort of grace, his hair was unkempt and ever disobedient, and his face was seemingly set in a permanent frown, even when he tried to look friendly. In short, his looks were… unfortunate.
Not anymore. Right now, Waver looked like an Adonis, tall and handsome, with a proud posture, full and wavy hair, and a noble, distinguished face that wouldn't have been out of place on a Greek god.
Shirou honestly had to blink several times to make sure his eyes weren't playing tricks on him, and even then, he was baffled. It was no illusion, no Magecraft, no plastic surgery, or even a mask. It was just a bit of make-up, some tactful arranging of his suit around his shoulders and waist, and a light touch of gel in his hair.
With just that, Waver had undergone a metamorphosis, emerging a handsome, stylish man.
As per tradition, he had his best man on his side, that being Melvin. The white-haired gadfly was a bit of an odd choice for a best man, but then again, he was in fact Waver's oldest and most loyal companion. Someone who had supported him, if out of mostly selfish motives, since before the Fourth Holy Grail War.
Unlike Grey, Melvin seemed to be having the time of his life, glowing with pleasure and enjoyment as he trailed Waver to the stage. He performed his role to perfection, nothing but seriousness in his gait despite that almost manic grin. He didn't steal the limelight in any way, and he didn't try to trip Waver up even once.
Could it be… that he was honoured to be chosen as best man? Was the gadfly now actually possessed of feelings of companionship and dedication?
An interesting question, but Shirou discarded it for now, in favour of looking on as the bride and groom reached the altar together, climbing on top of the stage and taking their places in front of the senior administrator.
No words were spoken though, and no vows exchanged. This was not a Christian affair, and love and affection had no real place in the Moonlit World, certainly not in public. Swearing to love each other and be together until death did them part made no sense in light of that.
Instead, it remained deadly quiet, aside from the occasional cough and some shuffling noises of people changing their seating positions, while Waver and Marianne wordlessly exchanged their rings.
Once more, Shirou was surprised to see that. He'd never seen a Magus wear a wedding ring before, not even the ones whom he knew to be married. They broke out the jewellery often enough when not working on their Magecraft, showing off necklaces, bracelets, and yes, also rings, but never of the wedding variety.
Things made a little more sense again though when Waver and Marianne only briefly wore the rings, clasping hands for a few moments, before taking them off and handing them to the bridesmaid and the best man.
It was a strange ritual in Shirou's eyes, to wear rings for such a short while, but when he looked to the left, he noticed that lady Raquel was only just holding back tears, stricken with emotion at the display, so it probably had some form of significant meaning.
"The union of Waver Velvet, the lord El-Melloi of the Archibald, with Marianne Archelot, lady of Archelot, has now begun." The senior administrator intoned, his voice a pleasant baritone. "This union has been recorded and verified by all present. Let it be known that this union will not be broken by anything except death or the members themselves."
So the Moonlit World knew the concept of divorce? That was good to know.
"So it was said, and so it shall be." Waver nodded heavily, speaking clearly to ensure everyone could hear him.
"So it shall be." Marianne agreed.
Then they clasped hands again and walked beneath the crystal arch, sealing the deal, so to speak.
The public applauded politely but heartedly, celebrating the completion of a successful ceremony. They applauded louder when the bride and groom kissed, with even a few cheers mixed in.
Naturally, Shirou applauded and cheered right along with all the others, all his questions and worries shoved to the back of his mind for the moment.
When the kiss was over however and the newly wedded couple descended from the platform again, those questions came rushing back. Even as he continued applauding, the redhead couldn't help but wonder how such a ceremony had ever come to be. What significance did the rings have? Why the crystal arch? Were the words spoken ritualistic in any way, or had they been scripted for this wedding only?
Maybe he was trying to find a depth that wasn't there, but how exactly had a ritual like this been conceived?
Some of the Magi in the crowd were noticeably touched, looking upon the ceremony with a fondness he'd never known First-Rate Magi to possess, so it couldn't possibly be meaningless nonsense cobbled together on the spot. At the same time, it wasn't nearly coherent enough to have grown naturally.
The redhead's curiosity had been roused, and he resolved to ask Waver about it. Undoubtedly, the lord would have a lecture prepared.
"It is really very simple. The Magus Association recognised soon after its founding that marriage, in the sense of joining families together in an official and public capacity, was very useful for its purposes. For some reason, even the most insular and anti-social of Magi could be brought to cooperate through nothing but a simple wedding." Waver explained, a few hours after he'd tied the knot. "Marriage was a Christian concept though, given form by the Church. Naturally, the Magus Association wasn't going to be using a Christian ritual, so they took the archetypical wedding ceremony and removed anything and everything from it that even hinted at religious influences, replacing it with pagan symbols or just random acts."
Shirou nodded to show he understood, listening attentively to the explanation, which was much more detailed than he had expected. Surprisingly, Waver seemed to know a lot about the subject.
Though perhaps it shouldn't be that surprising. Waver had known for months now that he was to be married. Knowing him, he'd researched and analysed the very concept of marriage and weddings to death and back.
"Take the crystal arch for instance. Walking underneath an arc was typical pagan symbolism, so common in fact that it was actually adopted by the Christian church at some point." Waver paused for a moment to take a sip of his champagne, his throat dry and parched after several hours of greeting well-wishers and accepting congratulations on his wedding. "It is the same story for the symbols that you can see on the stage right now. They are a mix of Egyptian, Zoroastrian, and Norse symbols, carrying no power of their own but supposedly granting fortune to all who are united in love underneath them."
"I did notice the Moonlit World still seems to have a strong undercurrent of paganism." Shirou chuckled, thinking about Ophelia's very serious and sincere worship of the Norse gods, before he cocked his head to the side when Waver shook his head. "Did I say something wrong?"
"It is true that paganism is still alive in the Moonlit World, but paganism, or any other form of religion and belief for that matter, has nothing to do with our variant of the wedding ceremony. It really is just a Christian wedding stripped down to the bone and decorated with whatever acts and symbols were nearest at the time. It holds no religious or spiritual meaning whatsoever." Waver looked thoroughly amused by that fact, as if it was one of the funniest things he'd ever heard. "An act of spite towards the Burial Agency, a vicious mockery even, if you will, of one of their most important traditions. No more, but certainly no less."
"Waver, if there was a god of spite and small-mindedness in the world, Magi would be its most devout followers, I am sure." Shirou wasn't sure whether to be amused too or just sad, but since this was a wedding and Rin already had to remind him once not to bring down the mood, he went with the first.
Waver burst out laughing at his little joke, nodding animatedly.
"We would be praying to them every day, and bring regular sacrifices." He added, to his own further hilarity. "Going down on our knees at every opportunity!"
It probably wouldn't surprise anyone to hear at this point that Waver was a bit drunk. Red-faced, slightly unsteady on his legs, and slurring his words a bit, he was definitely feeling the consequences of a full afternoon and evening with nothing but wine and champagne to drink. Hence, he was acting somewhat out of character.
Fortunately, he was a good drunk. The sort that relaxed and let their hair down a bit once the alcohol started kicking in. Cracking bad jokes and seeing the humour in everything, he laughed heartedly, in a way Shirou had never seen him laugh before.
The redhead liked it though, and he laughed right alongside his friend.
While the men laughed and joked around about non-existent gods and ever-present spite, their women were having a surprisingly similar conversation nearby, about the true nature of weddings in the Moonlit World.
"So, basically, what you're telling us is that the whole ceremony you just went through, all the words and acts, were invented because the Magi wanted to be mean to the Church?" Sakura looked very disappointed to hear that, her lips pulling taut in an expression of disapproval. "That's not very nice."
"It was meant to not be nice." Marianne laughed at that war-like expression on the soft and beautiful face, slightly tipsy herself. "Angering the Church was always the whole point."
"I meant it was not nice to you, lady Marianne." Sakura corrected her, taking her aback. "To use your wedding as a means to be mean to the Burial Agency is awful. It was supposed to be your special day, and they ruined it."
"I do not mind." The reply was given immediately and did not convince anyone. "And it was for the best, for tradition's sake. The Aristocratic Faction has been through enough lately, with the Purges and everything. The last thing they need is for their own members to start bucking against tradition, right, lady Barthomeloi?"
"Anyone weak enough to be upset by such minor problems deserves to be upset." Lorelei was entirely merciless to her own lords and ladies however, never one for tedious traditions herself. "You should have told me about these traditions and their origin. I would have supported you, had you desired your own spin on the ceremony instead."
"You would have?" Marianne blinked, before rapidly shaking her head in the negative. "No, that is not a good idea. B-Besides, there is nothing we can do about it now anyway. The ceremony is over."
"So what? We'll just do it again."
That remark from Ayako caught everyone's attention, as all the other women turned to look at her in surprise.
"Again?" Marianne asked in a very small voice, afraid to even ask the question.
"Yes, again. This time, we'll make it into a proper ceremony, with flowers and vows and a real priest who'll give an official speech and everything. You can design it in the way you want."
"That… T-That is a joke, surely?"
"No, I think she is onto something here." Rin came to the brunette's aid, looking quite receptive to the idea herself. "It would have to be a more private ceremony, at a private location, but I think we can pull this off."
"The Barthomeloi-family owns several different castles across Europe, in quite idyllic places. Feel free to use one of them." Lorelei offered, also on board with the plan.
It wasn't that they were overly sentimental, wanting another wedding, but the revelation that the ceremony they had just witnessed was a coarse method of insulting the Burial Agency rubbed them the wrong way. An injustice had been committed, and they wanted to set things right.
But Marianne did not agree.
"Maybe it started out as an insult to the church, but that was centuries ago." She argued strongly, putting her foot down and her hands on her sides. "By now, it has grown into a proper tradition, with real value to a lot of people. Did you not see my grandmother being moved to tears? Those other people smiling and laughing? This is the way they were married, as were their parents, grandparents and ancestors. I will not spit upon that, no matter what dark place it came from. I do not need another wedding ceremony, and that is final."
She argued with spirit, and her arguments were such that the others had nothing to bring in against her.
"Well said." Realising that they had gotten carried away with the possibility of another ceremony, Lorelei inclined her head, showing she accepted Marianne's line of reasoning. "There will be no second wedding then."
"Thank you, lady Barthomeloi."
"You need not address me so formally. Lorelei will suffice."
"Huh?"
"Our husbands are close friends, are they not?" Lorelei pointed out, and as one, the ladies looked over at Waver and Shirou, who were still laughing at each other's jokes. "It is only logical that we would treat each other as friends too. You started well, speaking to me from the heart. Now I would have you call me by my name as well."
"Of course." Marianne, ever the noble lady who had great experience with the intricacies of noble life, adjusted with lightning speed. "As you say, Lorelei."
"If you really are against another ceremony, we won't organise one of course." Sakura also backed down gracefully. "It would have been fun to put it all together, but not if you wouldn't enjoy it."
"Perhaps then you could invest your efforts into organising your own wedding?" Marianne suggested, casting another meaningful look at Shirou, noting with amusement that the other women lit up at the idea. "If you have so many ideas for possible ceremonies, why not use them all for your own? You certainly have plenty of weddings to arrange, one for each of you. Ah, unless you mean to marry him together?"
"The official weddings will have to be held separately." Sakura replied immediately, having put a lot of thought into it already. "Lorelei is the Vice Director, who will need to have a traditional wedding, and Nee-san is the heir of the Tohsaka, so she is in the same situation. Ayako has her parents and other friends to think about, and that leaves only me at this point. Group weddings are frowned upon, so social convention demands that we all have separate ceremonies to officially marry Shirou."
"But?" Marianne prompted her, having guessed that this was not all.
"I do hope we'll have another, private ceremony too, with all of us together, and only our closest friends and family in attendance." Sakura smiled wistfully, glancing at her girlfriends for confirmation and support. "If… you would like that too?"
"That goes without saying." Lorelei agreed immediately, as did Rin and Ayako.
The smile that the plum-haired girl gave them in return could have lit up a pitch-black room.
"But that still leaves the matter of the official registration." Marianne knew she was being troublesome, bringing up another problem, but this was definitely a matter that needed addressing, preferably as soon as possible. "Even if we are all Magi, or True Magicians in lord Shirou's case, we remain citizens of our respective countries. Both Great Britain and Japan have very strict laws against bigamy."
"Really, they should stay out of other people's business." Ayako huffed, decidedly unhappy to have the government meddle in her private affairs, only to blink when Rin shook her head. "Uh, Rin? You think they should meddle?"
"Yes, they should, at least in this case, as it is in fact very much their business." The black-haired girl took on her favourite lecturing-pose, ready to impart some knowledge. "Marriage is no longer just a union between two people as witnessed by the church. It has become a whole social construct, with tax-benefits, laws about division of property, and rigid procedures about inheritance should the husband or wife pass away. It's all very complicated, and the entire structure is built around marriage being something between two people. If you try to do the same with three people or more, it soon becomes so complicated that even the bureaucratic machine of the government cannot keep up anymore."
"Uhm." Ayako had to think about that for a moment, a frown parking itself between her eyebrows. "Do you have any examples?"
"Of course. Let's say that four people are married and buy a house together, but then one of them wants a divorce and wants their share of the money back. The amount of money that person put in at the start however was far more than one-fourth and they have always been the main breadwinner of the family to boot. How much money should they get? Or should they actually have to pay alimony to all the others, being the richest?"
"What if someone dies? Who would inherit?" Marianne was also able to think of a practical problem.
"Custody of the children would also be a nightmare to arrange." Even Sakura could contribute to the list of issues. "If a child is born between two of the four people, as is usual, do only those two have custody or all four of them?"
These were not insurmountable problems, as fair-sounding solutions could probably be worked out with some effort, but the more people were involved, the more difficult those solutions would get. Things could already get extremely complicated and ugly between two people, never mind three, four, or even more.
"We should not carelessly break a well-established mould." Lorelei spoke, drawing everyone's attention to her. "It is far better to use a little creativity. The solution is simple."
"Is that so?" A smile pulled at the edges of Rin's lips as she cocked her hips to the side. "Then by all means, enlighten us, dear teacher of mine."
"I shall marry Shirou in Great Britain, where our union will be recorded at the General Registry Office. After that, it shall not be possible for him to marry anyone else on this island. However, it should be a trivial task to ensure that word of his marriage does not reach Japan, leaving him free to marry Rin there. Similarly, Sakura and Ayako can also choose countries where they shall be married to Shirou." Lorelei explained her plan, before making an apologetic gesture at the latter two girls. "Though I understand my solution is not perfect, seeing that all three of you hail from Japan."
"That's not a problem for me. I've always wanted to get married in Paris." Sakura was quick to claim France as her country of choice, but Ayako was more troubled.
"My parents and friends will be confused if I suddenly decide to get married in another country." She explained when she saw the questioning looks being directed at her. "I can't really think of a way to explain it that they would accept. And I don't want to force my grandparents to travel far away."
"Not a problem whatsoever. We'll go with the simplest solution again." Rin smiled, giving her a reassuring pat on the back. "I'll marry Shirou in Australia, so you can marry him in Japan."
"…Why Australia?" Ayako blinked at the strange choice. "I mean, I understand why Sakura would choose Paris, as she's a hopeless romantic-"
"I'm not that bad!"
"-But why would you choose Australia? Do you have family there?"
"I most certainly do not." The black-haired girl denied immediately, before her features softened. "But I like the idea of marrying amidst kangaroos and koala bears."
"…"
"…"
Rin's frank admission was so surprising that it left all others speechless for a moment, before Ayako rallied again.
"Rin, I don't know how you do it, but somehow, you've been managing lately to get cuter with every passing day."
Her remark was met with agreements and nods from all directions, and Rin's cheeks reddened in an embarrassed, but also pleased blush.
"England, Japan, France, and Australia." Marianne summed up, letting out a short laugh. "That will be a journey to remember. I trust Waver and I will be invited to every one of your weddings?"
"Of course."
"That goes without saying."
"You'll be most welcome."
"Wouldn't want to marry without you."
"And what of your unofficial group wedding?" The recently married woman continued her questioning. "Where will you hold it?"
That proved a harder query to answer, as the ladies glanced at each other in askance.
"We should discuss that further when we have Shirou with us." Ayako eventually decided, eliciting more nods of agreement. "He should also have a say about the important details, and the location is very important."
"But we can still talk about other, less important details." Sakura pointed out, as she very much enjoyed talking about weddings. "Like the dresses. I want mine to be coloured red."
"Red? Not white?"
"The dress can be white at the official ceremony in Paris. For our group wedding, we should be allowed to break every tradition and do whatever we want. To start with, I want a red dress."
It took but a few seconds for the others to understand what Sakura had just said, and then they began sharing their own ideas as well.
"My dress will be black." Rin said, with a huge grin on her face. "Pure black, with black lipstick and black nail polish. I think they called it 'goth-style' at school."
"You're going for black? Then my dress should be all colours of the rainbow." Ayako decided, clenching her fist. "No more boring brown for me!"
"I find myself more partial to a suit." Lorelei mused, passing a hand over the dapper suit she wore right now. "But one a bit more elaborate than this."
The ladies discussed their wedding apparel with much gusto, not eschewing even the bizarre suggestions, like naked aprons, also pulling Marianne into the conversation.
But while they continued having fun, Waver and Shirou found themselves rudely disturbed by an unexpected visitor.
By now, most of the guests had left the party and gone home. Waver and Marianne had gotten married several hours ago, the official congratulations were over, the gifts had been given, deals had been closed, and both the bride and groom were currently being monopolised by the lady Vice Director and the lord Sorcerer respectively, leaving ordinary Magi in the lurch. There was no reason for them to stick around anymore.
Hence, Waver was rather surprised to suddenly be approached by a Magus anyway, and one whom he'd never had any interaction with before at that.
"Good evening, sir. Can we help you?" He asked curiously, a hint of caution in his voice.
"Congratulations on your wedding, lord El-Melloi. May your union with your new wife be long and fruitful." They dodged the question for the moment, giving a small nod to show at least some respect to a ruling lord. "But no, you cannot help me."
"He is here for me, Waver." Shirou took over, giving the newcomer a deep frown that was bordering on an outright scowl. "I reckon you have some questions for me, Old Man Acht?"
Jubstacheit von Einzbern, Illya's maternal grandfather, moved not a muscle despite Shirou's overt hostility. He merely glared impassively at the redhead, somehow managing to agree with but a look. He was indeed here for Shirou.
"Could you give us a moment, Waver?"
Shirou did not even try to avoid the confrontation. He'd already expected it from the moment he'd entered the Hoxton.
The Einzbern were members of the Aristocratic Faction after all, at least nominally, and so were entitled to be invited to large, impactful events such as the wedding between two ruling lords. That had been a given from the very start.
Admittedly, the thought of bumping into an Einzbern during an unguarded moment had given Shirou real pause, to the point where he'd honestly considered not going to the wedding, but only for the shortest of moments. There was no way he was going to miss Waver's special day.
So the redhead had taken a gamble, holding out some hope that the Einzbern wouldn't come, or that they would send some insignificant representative, seeing that they were an insular and isolated family who barely communicated with the Clocktower even on a good day.
But it seemed Fate laughed at his hopes, as he now found himself standing across from no one else than the very head of the Einzbern family himself. Shirou had gambled and lost, and now it was time to face the music.
"…If you are certain." Waver was reluctant to leave Shirou with Old Man Acht, whose reputation as a cantankerous and sometimes murderous old geezer preceded him, but he relented in the end, figuring that Shirou could look after himself well enough.
The lord departed, leaving the young man and the old geezer alone, or as alone as could be in the massive hotel.
"No points for guessing why you are here, Einzbern." Shirou snarked once he'd ascertained no one was listening in.
"You have Illya." Old Man Acht spoke bluntly, stating it as a fact rather than a question.
"Indeed I do." Shirou still wasn't any good at lying directly to someone's face, so he didn't even try. The game was up anyway.
For months, he'd been able to keep the Einzbern in the dark, to hide the fact that he had been the one to take Illya away from them. Thanks to the oh-so-honoured director of the Clocktower however, everyone in the Moonlit World now knew his name to be Emiya Shirou, son of Emiya Kiritsugu.
And of course, to those in the know, brother to Illyasviel von Einzbern. A brother who was both keen to get her away from the Einzbern and also possessed the power to do so, being a Sorcerer and all.
A blind and deaf lobotomy patient would have been able to connect the dots at that point, and even though his opinion of the Einzbern was decidedly low, Shirou freely acknowledged they were not fools, let alone lobotomy patients.
This confrontation had been a long time coming, and the only thing the redhead regretted was that it had to happen at his friend's wedding.
"I will tell you now, Einzbern, that if you came to fight or even argue, I will throw you out of here by your ear." He warned, trying to limit the damage. "I do not want a scene."
"The only one causing a scene here is you, Emiya. Calm yourself, before you embarrass yourself even further." Old Man Acht replied, and his near rudeness was surprisingly refreshing after such a long time of fearful respect. "I came to negotiate."
"I will not return Illya to you." Shirou made that clear at once, even as he lowered his voice a bit. Illya hated the Einzbern and their castle after everything they had done to her. There was no way he would ever make her go back to them, no matter the rewards or threats that Old Man Acht might have in store. "I'd die before I let that happen. No, I'd rather kill the lot of you first."
"I did not come here for Illya." Old Man Acht shook his head, not batting an eye at the threats. "I came here for you."
"Me?" Shirou stilled, the wind taken out of his sails. "Why?"
"Tell me, Emiya, what do you know of the Einzbern-family?" Old Man Acht suddenly asked, seeming actually interested in his answer.
The question brought Shirou up short for a moment, and he frowned in thought, digging into his memory for everything that he knew about the Einzbern-family as a whole. Neither Kiritsugu nor Illya had told him much about the family that had both given and taken so much from them, but the more he pondered, the more bits and pieces he began to recall.
"You are alchemists, some of the best in the world. Your work with Homunculi and the transformation of substances, like turning lead into gold, is unmatched among Magi." He offered the words without flattery or exaggeration. The Einzbern were simply the best in their craft. "That is how you were able to create something as incredible as the Holy Grail."
"Indeed we are." Old Man Acht did not smile or smirk at Shirou's words. To him, they were not compliments, but factual statements of truth. "But why, do you think, did we make the Grail and devise the Grail War? If we are such skilled alchemists, we should be able to design and create whatever we want. Why then do we continue participating in every single War despite the high cost and seeming futility?"
"The Root of Akasha?" Shirou guessed, as that was usually the reason why Magi did crazy things.
"No." But Old Man Acht shook his head. "That is an ambition we leave to others. We have our own dream, one that we have pursued for many years."
He didn't continue, looking at Shirou with an expectant gaze, and the redhead realised he was supposed to guess again.
He had no idea though. The Root was the only thing he could think of. What else could the Einzbern possibly desire that they couldn't obtain through easier means than a Grail War?
It couldn't be riches, fame, or power. Neither could it be medicine or food. No way that it was something abstract like justice or a better world.
What could be the desire of a family that regularly created miracles?
…Wait.
Miracles?
Actually, from what Shirou remembered, the Einzbern couldn't produce actual miracles. They could play around with materials both living and lifeless, but only in the ways that common science could as well, if without the need for chemical compounds with long names and nuclear reactors. The highest field of Alchemy, the art of controlling Souls, was still beyond their reach, and would likely always remain so.
That was it.
"You wish to achieve a feat of the Third Magic." Now the redhead recalled what his father had once told him. "Your family was founded by the apprentices of a Sorcerer who wielded the Heaven's Feel. They were tasked with producing a miracle of their own, a task you have tried to complete for centuries."
"A task that has now become all but impossible." Old Man Acht had an impressive poker face, but Shirou nevertheless saw how much the confession hurt. "The Holy Grail and Illyasviel were our last hope, our greatest creations, meant to avail us against a hopeless challenge. But the first proved to be beyond our meagre ability to win and the latter was taken from us several months ago, by a thief who left not a trace. We searched for her nevertheless, but I cannot deny that dissolving the Einzbern-family in disgrace was an option I seriously considered. Centuries of toil and suffering would have been for nothing, because of my failure."
It was hard to not feel at least a tinge of pity at that admission, but Shirou did his best to squash it, reminding himself that the creature in front of him was hardly deserving of sympathy.
"But?" He prompted the old man, knowing the tale wasn't yet finished.
"Hope bloomed when we heard of your existence, of the True Magician Shirou Fujimaru, who wields the Heaven's Feel again as if it was never lost. We hoped that through you, we might achieve our dream yet."
"You never approached me though, or even contacted me."
"We lost too much recently by acting rashly. This time, we resolved that we would make no mistakes. To secure your aid, our approach would have to be perfect. We aimed to learn of your character, your dreams, your desires. Anything that we might be able to use." Suddenly, Old Man Acht smiled, breaking his impassiveness, but the smile was a brittle, dark thing. "But then we heard of your heritage. We learned of your last name. All of a sudden, everything made sense. It is no wonder we could not find Illyasviel. After all, she'd been taken by a True Magician. The one we believed could be our salvation was in fact the one responsible for our near downfall."
"It was never my intention to bring you down." Shirou hated what they'd done to Illya, as well as to Irisviel and Kiritsugu, but none of them had ever requested or even shown a hint of desiring that he destroy the Einzbern root and stem. For them, it was enough that they were all free. "Let's cut to the chase. You want the Third Magic, and for that, you need Illya. I won't give her to you. Instead, I am willing to help you myself."
The Einzbern were never going to give up now that they knew where Illya was hiding. The only ways to make them stop their relentless pursuit were to either wipe them out, which was an option he'd already discarded, or to ensure that they no longer needed Illya to begin with.
Old Man Acht froze for but a moment, his pause nearly imperceptible, but it was there all the same. It had been evident from the start that the ancient golem had been after such a promise from Shirou, a pledge of aid and assistance, but clearly, the speed and ease with which he'd obtained it left him flummoxed as much as a half-man like him could be.
"Would you really?" The question slipped out unintended, the words far too unguarded to normally leave a Magus' mouth, especially one as old and canny as Old Man Acht.
"I do not say things I do not mean, especially not to people like you." That Shirou had resolved to aid the Einzbern did not mean he had to be polite to them. "Now speak. What sort of Miracle do you desire of me?"
"Wishcraft." The reply was immediate and strong, a sign that the old Magus had recomposed himself.
Wishcraft was the ability to create a desired outcome merely by wishing something to be true. It was indeed a form of the Heaven's Feel, which at its core was nothing but the most ideal and completed form of Alchemy. The power to completely and utterly control the nature of all things material and spiritual in the universe.