CHAPTER 492: WEDDING DAY

Compared to those in human society, weddings in the Fairy Kingdom were not all that different.

After all, fairies had never developed a culture of their own because their customs were all imitations built off what humans had created.

For this reason, since the culture was borrowed from humans, it was only natural that weddings in the Fairy Kingdom resembled human ones.

One by one, the high-ranking fairies and nobles arrived in extravagant attire that made them look like nouveau riche and gathered inside the throne room—some chatting away, others whispering quietly to one another.

Judging from their behavior, they clearly weren’t celebrating the wedding with joyful enthusiasm. Most of them had just come for the spectacle, so the atmosphere felt more like a party or a banquet than an actual wedding.

Of course, some fairies were genuinely displeased about the whole event.

Tristan and Woodwose, for example.

Both of them cared deeply about Morgan, yet both also held a grudge against Riezel. They stood together with the other Fairy Knights and clan heads before the throne.

Tristan stood there in silence, but her large, bewitching eyes, usually full of charm, looked duller than usual. She stared at the fairies laughing and whispering nearby, her face annoyed, as though she wanted to lash out but had no choice but to hold it in.

Woodwose, on the other hand, looked like he was trying way too hard to appear dignified, his face dark and gloomy, while his entire presence radiated a dangerous aura that made most people not even want to get close.

Thankfully, those standing before the throne weren’t ordinary people, so they could mostly ignore the pressure Woodwose was giving off.

Especially Aurora, the head of the Wind Clan, who acted like she didn’t feel a thing, striking up a conversation with him with a gentle smile.

"Quit sulking already, Woodwose."

Aurora spoke softly, gazing at the dignified Woodwose.

"This is Her Majesty’s wedding, something all fairies across Britain should be celebrating. You’re here as the Fang Clan’s representative, and you’re also Her Majesty’s sharpest sword. You really shouldn’t be making that face the whole time, you know?"

She spoke quietly next to Woodwose’s ear with a voice so soft and pleasant that it felt like a spring breeze brushing across one’s heart, soothing even the foulest temper.

Normally, that would’ve worked since Woodwose always cared about how he looked in front of Aurora, and he even harbored some complicated feelings for her.

Because of that, he was always mindful of how he acted around her, and if she asked him to calm down, he would usually do so no matter the situation.

However, today was different.

"I still can’t accept it, Aurora..." Woodwose muttered deeply. "Why would Her Majesty choose that man? He’s a threat to Britain."

Needless to say, even though it had already been a month since he clashed with Riezel, Woodwose still couldn’t let it go.

Spriggan, who stood nearby with arms crossed, let out a cold chuckle.

"Yeah, it’s definitely hard to believe. Just imagine—the Queen of the Fairy Kingdom marrying the very guy who tried to overthrow her. I mean, fairies might be pretty free-spirited, but this decision’s still a huge shock."

Just like before, the head of the Earth Clan still seemed the same, feeling puzzled by Morgan’s decision.

As a result, when he said those words, it sounded as if he was trying to test something.

"Don’t say that." Aurora said, like a peacekeeper trying to mediate the tension between the two clan heads. "Her Majesty must really admire the Child of Prophecy, right? I mean, she sat on that throne for 2,000 years before finally deciding to marry someone."

"Admire, huh?" Spriggan replied with a knowing smile. "From the way you’re talking, Lady Aurora, it sounds like you admire that so-called Child of Prophecy too? Is that really okay?"

It wasn’t a strange thing for Spriggan to ask this.

Salisbury was, after all, Aurora’s territory, and the Cathedral of the Ash Tree there had also been half-destroyed a month ago because of Riezel.

Both the city and the cathedral still weren’t fully repaired, so the popularity of what used to be the most laid-back and tourist-friendly city in all of Faerie Britain had plummeted.

At this moment, barely any fairies went there to shop or relax.

Given that, there was no doubt that Aurora, as the lord of Salisbury, had suffered huge losses. Logically speaking, she should’ve harbored resentment toward Riezel, just like Woodwose, but here she was, defending him at every turn.

Her attitude left Spriggan completely puzzled.

Aurora, however, didn’t seem to catch the hidden meaning in Spriggan’s words and just kept smiling like always.

"Lancelot’s been bringing him up a lot lately." Aurora continued. "It’s the first time she’s ever mentioned someone this often, so... I don’t really want to hold it against him."

Upon hearing this, every fairy turned to look in one direction.

Over there stood Fairy Knight Lancelot, all dressed up for the occasion.

She was petite, yet her presence was overwhelming, while her expression was cold and distant, the kind that made her seem untouchable.

Nevertheless, as the most beautiful and most powerful fairy in all of Faerie Britain, the dragon girl was undeniably the star of the show and drew nearly all eyes to herself.

Many of the fairies watching her were filled with admiration and even love—one look was enough to tell they had already fallen under the spell of this stunning dragon fairy.

Unfortunately, not everyone was happy to see her like that.

"You actually fell for that guy too?" Woodwose sneered. "Guess his charm really is something. Even Her Majesty and you are wrapped around his finger."

Hearing this, Lancelot immediately turned her gaze toward Woodwose and calmly responded with just one sentence.

"At least he’s stronger than you."

Lancelot’s simple words not only shut Woodwose up but also made him furious.

"You kidding me?! How could he be stronger than me?!" Woodwose growled. "Do you even know who I am? I’m the head of the Fang Clan! I’m the one who inherited the title of Archduke of Exhaust Heat—a Returned A-Rei!"

"And?" Lancelot replied coldly. "Didn’t you still fail twice in a row and couldn’t even bring him back?"

"You..."

Woodwose was hit right where it hurt and couldn’t help but take a step toward Lancelot.

However, just as he stormed forward in rage, a flaming sword was suddenly pressed against his neck.

"Enough, Woodwose." Gawain stood behind him, holding a sword and pressing the blade to his neck as she said coldly, "Watch yourself—this isn’t Oxford, and it sure as hell isn’t some remote wasteland where you can throw your tantrums. On a day like this, if you cause trouble, I won’t mind getting rid of you before the wedding even starts."

"Gawain!"

As Woodwose’s face twisted in anger, Tristan also spoke up.

"You seriously need to shut the hell up already, dog."

In an extremely foul mood, Tristan shot a glance at Woodwose and said coldly.

"I’m already pissed enough. I wouldn’t mind dragging someone out to blow off some steam. If you keep barking like a stray dog, forget Gawain—I’ll let you have a taste of my strings first."

"You nasty little brat!"

Woodwose turned to Tristan and cursed her.

"Aren’t you Her Majesty’s adopted daughter? Don’t you hate fairies the most? And you’re just going to sit there and watch Her Majesty marry some dangerous bastard?"

"Normally, you’d be the first one to start something, wouldn’t you?"

"What’s going on today? Did your whole personality change? Someone like you actually backing down?"

Woodwose’s mix of rage and sarcasm made Tristan click her tongue without hiding her irritation.

Honestly, Woodwose wasn’t wrong.

On a normal day, Tristan would’ve started something already—at the very least, she would have dragged out a few unlucky fairies, snapped their ankles, hacked off their limbs, and used their blood and screams to spice up the wedding a bit.

For a brutal Fairy Knight like her, even the slightest mood swing was reason enough to start hurting any fairy that got on her nerves, let alone when she was already in a terrible mood.

With how Tristan was feeling right now, even if she suddenly went on a massacre and wiped out every fairy present, no one would’ve been too surprised.

Yet today, even though her mood was awful and she was feeling low, Tristan didn’t dare to make a move.

"...You think I want this?" Tristan bit her lip and spoke in a quiet voice. "But this is Mother’s order."

Her mother placed a lot of importance on this wedding, and she cared about that human—Tristan had clearly felt it.

For that reason, she knew full well that if she dared stir up trouble today, her mother would be furious.

Just imagining her mother angry filled Tristan with fear and anxiety, making her unconsciously touch her cheek.

Even though the slap Morgan gave her had healed a long time ago, Tristan could still feel a faint sting there.

Needless to say, that slap wasn’t just across her face but had landed deep in her heart as well.

As a result, Tristan was genuinely scared now—scared of making Morgan angry again.

Her reaction caught Spriggan’s interest, prompting him to speak up in a curious tone.

"Looks like our Child of Prophecy really is something special. Not only is he Her Majesty’s partner, but everyone here seems to have a deep impression of him—whether good or bad..."

Such a fact truly piqued Spriggan’s curiosity.

Among the fairies present, he was the only one who had yet to meet Riezel, so he had no idea what kind of person the rumored Child of Prophecy was.

As for the clan heads of the Wing, Mirror, and King Clans, not even a shadow of them had shown up because they hadn’t attended the wedding at all.

While the King Clan and Mirror Clan were in a state that made it understandable why they couldn’t show up for the wedding, the head of the Wing Clan, Muryan, had outright refused to attend.

Even when Morgan issued an order requiring all high-ranking officials and envoys to be present, she simply ignored it and continued hiding in Gloucester, not daring to step outside her territory.

However, that couldn’t be helped.

Given her current situation, it made sense that Muryan would be cautious of Morgan, so her refusal to leave her territory wasn’t entirely unjustified.

Still, since Muryan wasn’t here, that meant among all the Fairy Knights and clan heads present, Spriggan alone had never seen Riezel.

Even Aurora had at least caught a distant glimpse of him fighting during the battle at Salisbury, so compared to Spriggan, who had no impression of Riezel whatsoever, she could at least be said to have some knowledge of him.

"Seriously lacking in intel here. Mind if I ask a few questions?" Spriggan asked with a sly smile. "I don’t mind paying an info fee, y’know?"

His seemingly insincere attitude earned nothing but cold looks from Tristan and Woodwose, who didn’t even bother replying. Gawain and Lancelot ignored him as well and simply stared toward the throne in silence, lost in thought.

Only Aurora kindly responded to his questions, sharing the intel she knew with this head of the Earth Clan, even claiming she wouldn’t charge him a thing like a kind young lady with no ulterior motives.

Listening intently, Spriggan nodded repeatedly.

Most of the other fairies weren’t much different—some curiously asked about Riezel, some just joined in for fun, and a few had their eyes darting about, clearly scheming something shady.

If a human saw this scene, they’d probably sigh once again at how free-spirited and frankly wicked fairies could be.

In any case, Riezel would’ve definitely found it unbearable because he sure wouldn’t want to be treated like a monkey on display by this bunch.

As time passed, the moment for the official wedding ceremony finally arrived.

"Silence!"

As this loud shout resounded, the entire throne room suddenly fell quiet.

Two fairy warriors with horse heads and bronze armor stepped up to the throne’s platform, one on each side, and began to chant in unison, as if singing.

"Kneel."

"Worship."

"Bow your heads."

"Clan heads, envoys, and officials who have come to witness the great ruler’s wedding, quiet down."

"You now stand before Her Majesty the Queen."

"You now stand before the grand throne."

"Our most esteemed High Queen and her Prince Consort are about to arrive. Bow your heads!"

Amid the chanting, which wasn’t exactly unpleasant but definitely not beautiful either, two figures suddenly appeared before the grand throne.

Of course, those two were none other than Riezel and Morgan—both wore outfits unlike their usual attire.

While they weren’t dressed like a normal human bride and groom in wedding clothes, they were still clad in luxurious, extravagant garments.

Riezel’s outfit had white as its main tone, with touches of red and blue, making him look like a prince charming from a fairy tale.

Morgan’s dress, in contrast, was mainly black, accented with white and gray, giving off the air of a queen in full ceremonial attire.

As soon as they appeared, all the fairies present immediately knelt.

"Greetings to Her Majesty the Queen!"

"Greetings to His Highness the Prince!"

Respectful and powerful voices echoed through the throne room, lingering for a long time.