Chapter 33

A royal wedding is always an international public spectacle. In the United States only British Royal Weddings typically garner the interest of the American public, but in Europe every wedding of royal scope garners at least some level of media attention, from coverage in the tabloids to full on major live broadcast, and in the modern age, live streaming.

This wedding would be streamed live, as well as broadcast, though likely not carried by CNN or other U.S. stations. BBC was carrying the wedding itself, as well as ZDF, RSI La 1 and SRF Info. No one would be covering the post formal reception activities.

Mariner weddings traditionally occur in the Royal Chapel at St. Candidus Cathedral. Unlike the coronation, the 200 seat chapel of St. Maurice would only allow the most exclusive of guest lists.

Traditionally Mariner royal brides are accompanied by half a dozen bride’s maids, who would in this case included the symbolic virgin, Brenda Ricci. Jordan would act as Maid of Honor.

They were balanced by the best man, Vincent Rogers, four groom’s men and a pageboy, Julio, the brother of the brides. Vincent and I went back to my years at St. Broadricks Academy. We had kept up our friendship after he went to the Catholic University of America just a few miles from GWU. Truthfully I have found no one since coming to Mariner who was as good a friend. He had unfortunately already left D.C. before my unfortunate confrontation with Desiree and flight with Jordan.

Male guest would wear military uniforms or morning dress. Female attire demanded hats.

The brides bouquet included Crocuses (crocus vernus), Mariner’s national flower.

The ladies would arrive at the church in the same coach their parents rode in for the coronation. After we would leave in an open coach which mother had commissioned just for the occasion, since the Pompio III coach normally used by the royal couple only had room for two.

Mendelssohn’s “Wedding March” played while the bridesmaids processed down the aisle behind the two sisters, who walked with their father between them, Emily on the left and Jessica on the right. I waited outside the sanctuary with my best man.

The ceremony was presided over by Claudio Scavo, the Archbishop of Mariner.

“I ask you now,” the holy man said to the three of us assembled before him. “Emily, Jessica and James, have you come here to enter into marriage, freely, without coercion, wholeheartedly and in honest commitment?”

“I have,” we each stated.

“Are you all prepared to enter the path of Marriage, to love and honer each the other as long as you shall live?”

“I am,” we all said.

“Are you prepared to accept the children God may bless you with and bring them up according to his law and for the protection and guarding of Mariner?”

“I am,” we all answered again.

“Do you James, take Emily as you wife to have and to hold in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, to love and honor her all the days of your life?”

“I do,” I said.

“Do you James, take Jessica as you wife to have and to hold in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, to love and honor her all the days of your life?”

“I do,” I said.

“Do you Emily and Jessica, take James as your husband, to have and to hold in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, to love and honor him all the days of your life?”

“We do,” said my brides.

“May the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob, the God who joined together our first parents in paradise, strengthen and bless in Christ the consent you have declared before the Church, so that what God joins together, no one may put asunder.”

The twin’s brother then stepped forward with a pillow holding three platinum inlaid gold rings. Like their engagement rings they were the creation of Wilfredo Rosado.

“May the lord bless these rings which you will give to each other as a sign of love. Amen.”

I then reached for the first ring. Taking Jessica’s hand, I slipped the ring on to her bare ring finger. “My Love Jessica, receive this ring as a sign of my love, in the name of the Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Ghost.”

Emily picked up my ring and then passed it to Jessica, who took my hand. Jessica handed the ring back to Emily who slipped it on my finger, but only slid it down to the knuckle. Than Jessica reached over and slid it the rest of the way.

“James, our love,” they said together. “Receive this ring as a sign of my love, in the name of the Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Ghost.”

I then reached over for the last ring. Taking Emily’s hand, while her sister held her other hand, I slipped the ring over her finger saying, “My love Emily, receive this ring as a sign of my love, in the name of the Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Ghost.”

We then turned facing the pews. Allen, my manservant, walked to the edge of the Sanctuary. I had chosen him for this task, a prestigious one typically allotted to some minor local official, in light of my gratitude and respect for his service to me since my arrival in Mariner. He was wearing the dress uniform of the Mariner Armed Forces, in which he had served as a young man. He wore the aiguillette of a batmen and held a pillow on which rested two tiaras, their many jewels glistening in the light.

Both women grasped their skirts as the knelt before me, facing me with their backs to the crowd.

“By the Lord, before who this sanctuary is holy, I will be true and faithful to James, to love all that he loves, shun that which he shuns, according to the laws of God and the order of Mariner. I submit myself to him to keep faith even unto death.” They pronounced the oath together.

I took a tiara in each hand, with Jessica to my right and Emily to my left and placed the crowns on their head simultaneously.

“Rise Princess Consorts of Mariner,” I said.

They rose and each kissed my cheek then we turn back to face the archbishop.

“O God, who consecrated the bond of Marriage by so great a mystery that in the wedding covenant

you foreshadowed the Sacrament of Christ and his Church.

“O God, by whom woman is joined to man and the companionship they had in the beginning is

endowed with the one blessing not forfeited by original sin nor washed away by the flood.

“Look now with favor on these your servants, joined together in Marriage, who ask to be

strengthened by your blessing. Send down on them the grace of the Holy Ghost and pour your

love into their hearts, that they may lead Mariner in you will, Protecting its people and helping them to flourish.

“May the grace of love and peace abide in your daughters Emily and Jessica, and let them always follow the example of those holy women whose praises are sung in the Scriptures.

“May their husband entrust his heart to them, so that, acknowledging them as his joint

heirs to the life of grace, he may show due honor and cherish them always with the love that

Christ has for his Church.

“And now, Lord, we implore you: may these your servants hold fast to the faith and keep your

commandments; made one in the flesh, may they be blameless in all they do; and with the

strength that comes from the Gospel, may they bear true witness to Christ before all; may they be

blessed with children, and prove themselves virtuous parents, who live to see their children’s

children.

“And grant that, reaching at last together the fullness of years for which they hope, they may come to the life of the blessed in the Kingdom of Heaven. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.”

“What God has joined together, let no one put asunder.”

We then processed down the center aisle to the applause of two hundred witnessed. Jessica on my right and Emily to my left.

We signed the wedding register with a special pen that had been made by Montblanc in gold which was inset with the royal signet of Mariner. I presented each with a patent that acclaimed them Her Royal Highnesses.

We rode to the palace in the new wedding coach, which would soon become known as the Triune Coach, though I doubt it would ever be used again, at least not for a royal wedding.

The formal wedding reception was a fancy brunch held at the palace, included a host of Mariner nobility. Also included were the Crown Princess of Sweden and her husband, the king and queen of the Belgians, the Earl and Countess of Wessex, who represented the Queen of the United Kingdom, A Princess from Morocco and the disputed Grand Duchess of Russia. Needless to say none were invited to the Mariner formal orgy planned for the evening.

A large array of international celebrities, most friends of the brides from their modeling days, were also invited to the meal, in lieu of the wedding or later private celebration, though I understood both Gwyneth Paltrow and Miley Cyrus tried unsuccessfully to get an invite to that Mariner only celebration.