Chapter 142

　　The sun rose to a clear sky on the morning of the wedding. Bright and yellow, the day promised to be warm and sunny but comfortable for the gathered masses. Birds sang from their perches, and crowds were already gathered to claim their spot for the ceremony.

　　Pilgrims and visitors travelled from all over the sector to witness the event. Kalen Caledon was a beloved figure to his home planet, and his wedding promised to be talked about across the planet for decades.

　　With his reclaiming of his Ducal title, it finally felt like Caledon had regained its pride.

　　The plan for the wedding was simple. Kal and Mare would arrive at the location separately after a long parade from opposite ends of Caledonia. The chosen venue, a large square outside of the estate, would serve to hold all the VIP guests while the couple would stand beneath a large, flower-covered arch to say their vows.

　　The square had been renamed Sylla`s Square` to honour their fallen friend and companion.

　　Guests had begun to arrive by Starship in the days before the wedding, a steady stream of vessels exiting the Jump before being carefully scanned and searched.

　　The House Guard was taking no chances, and they had spaced themselves out across the system. Multiple space stations hung above in orbit, and over ten thousand Mobile Suits were deployed.

　　To prevent any of their enemies from taking advantage of the situation or the vulnerability of their nobility, the Ducal Houses allied with Argyle had strike teams ready to Jump to assist at a moment`s notice.

　　Samuel had even mentioned the possibility that Titans were waiting on the wings, capable of being over Caledon in seconds if they were attacked.

　　Cid carefully adjusted her dress, fixing the shoulder straps so they better fit. She looked at herself in the tall mirror. Long and flowing, the teal outfit was matched with a shawl that would cover her bare shoulders, protecting her pale skin from the sun outside.

　　She had thought this would be a typical wedding like the ones she had been to before, with bridesmaids and flowers, a speech by a priest or someone important from the Imperial Bureaucracy, but she had been surprised when Mare had told her the details.

　　Amongst the Nobility, a formal betrothal was a contract, and today would be more for the public to enjoy than the couple being married. Parades, festivals, concerts, and parties would be held all weekend, while Kal and Mare would only attend a few events.

　　Rather than exchange vows in front of the throngs attending, there would be a short ceremony where they state their commitment to each other and exchange rings. No long speeches but a lot of pomp and pageantry for the public.

　　She was a bit disappointed until she heard that it was a holiday for the entire Sector. Not just on Caledon, but every planet in Kal`s duchy would celebrate. Nobles lived for so long that a Duke or Duchess may only marry once every few centuries, making it an important occasion for everyone.

　　For Cid, she would be part of Mare`s entourage, accompanying her in a train of Hover cars that would travel through the city. Along with Katherine, Talha and Miranda, Mare could count themselves as some of Mare`s only friends.

　　On the other side, Kal would have Samuel, Ty, Micah and John.

　　Lucky for them, the public`s eye would be drawn to Mare and Kal, leaving the rest of them out of the spotlight.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author`s consent. Report any sightings.

　　"Ready?" Ty asked, stepping into the room wearing his formal tux. Black with a white shirt, it was a relic left over from before humans took to the stars. It was only during a wedding that such archaic formal attire was even required anymore. It was a symbol of status in the Empire to require guests to wear such rare outfits.

　　As he stepped into the dressing room that had been set aside for Cid`s use at the Estate, Ty stepped dead in his tracks. The woman in front of him was stunning.

　　Her pink hair, genetically altered so that it never needed to be changed, had been modified so that it was darker than its usual, flat bubble-gum colour. It was darker at the base, nearly black, before slowly lightning into a vibrant fuchsia. Combined with her long curls and her graceful dress, Ty had never seen her more beautiful in his life.

　　"How do I look?" Cid asked, gracefully turning so that her dress billowed out from her shapely legs. She could hear Ty swallow loudly from the doorway, and she laughed at his appearance. She didn`t think he would ever recover.

　　Thankfully, John stepped in behind him, slapping the young man on the back.

　　"You look beautiful. Let`s go before we`re late." Wearing a matching black and white Tux, John was impatient to leave. Behind him was his wife, a lovely blond woman whom the group hadn`t met many times before.

　　Smiling at the compliment, Cid grabbed Ty`s arm and led the way through the halls of the Estate toward the others.

　　Micah and Talha met them at the rear entrance, where the hovercars were waiting. The young man stood in his tuxedo while his date, Talha, wore a teal dress similar to Cid. With her fiery red hair, she stood out in the crowd.

　　"Well, don`t you look handsome!" Cid teased as she joined them. Micah blushed red while Talha smiled.

　　"He cleans up well, doesn`t he? I`m just glad that the hovercars we`re taking are enclosed. Only Kal and Samuel will be on display. Luckily they`re used to it." Talha commented. The Duke and the former Herald would be travelling in the same Hovercar, its windows transparent so the public could see him.

　　"I wouldn`t be so sure. I caught Kal trying to convince Commander Tamara to let him Pilot the lead Colossus instead of riding in the hovercar." Ty added.

　　"He was probably jealous that grandmother gets to Pilot Rise` and miss out on the millions of eyes on her." Talha responded. Tamara would be Piloting the Assault Mech on patrol around the area.

　　The parade itself had plenty of security. Over a hundred Light and Medium class Mobile Suits would be part of the parade route. Their frames had been scrubbed clean of every speck of dirt and debris. After a fresh coat of paint, they were glimmering in the sun.

　　Like Medieval Knights, most of their metallic bodies would be covered by tabards made of the finest materials and emblazoned with the crimson stag of Caledon. Their weapons would be hidden beneath the banners they would be carrying.

　　An honour guard, but one capable of defending the Duke and his bride.

　　Leading the procession would be a pair of intimidating Heavy Class Colussi, whose weaponry would not be concealed. Above it all, Rise would be circling, looking for the first sign of trouble in order to intervene.

　　"Everyone ready?" Elric asked, wearing a Caledonian House Guard uniform. He would be staying at the estate, overseeing the event.

　　In short order, they were all divided into their separate hovercars. Even in the soundproofed interior, they could hear the sound of the crowd outside. Cid stifled a nervous feeling in the pit of her stomach. Looking out the window, she waited for Kal and Mare to make their appearance.

　　They didn`t have to wait long. Doing away with the old-fashioned tradition of not seeing the bride before the wedding, Kal and Mare walked out to the waiting cars together.

　　The Duke wore his customary Uniform, the only decoration a crimson stag pin on his lapel. Strangely, he wore a sword on his belt, a custom they shared with Havencroft. The Duchy was officially at war with Prince Augustus and his faction, although it was unlikely any of Caledon`s forces would participate.

　　Still, it was a symbol of solidarity with their allies, many of who would be at the forefront of the crowd at the square. The Ducal Houses had all sent family members, and even Prince Argyle had been invited, although he had politely declined, sending his wife in his stead.

　　Mare was radiant in a white wedding dress. A veil slightly obscured her face, but it could do little to hide her beauty. But to Cid, she could see there was something off about the pair. They seemed stiff and unsure.

　　She wasn`t sure whether it was nerves or they were worried about the event. But she had known Mare long enough to spot that something was wrong.

　　Before she could get a chance to ask, Mare was climbing into the lead hovercar, where it would join the procession around the city. Kal took a separate vehicle. His parade route would go opposite before returning to the square.

　　Resolved to ask Mare what the trouble was when she got a chance, Cid took a deep breath as the car set off.