Page 125 of The Pacifist
Mila and I intertwined our fingers as we witnessed the wedding ceremony. Next week it would be us on that stage. We had discussed marrying at Mila’s tournament but it seemed like a provocation to the fighters. Khan wanted it to be a public affair and that’s how Mila had always envisioned it in her mind too. In the end, marrying after next week’s show seemed like the best way to do it, and Mila had a good point when she mentioned that it would make it easy for the guests arriving from the Motherlands if they wanted to stay for the tournament too.
“Did you hear from Shelly and Marco?” Raven asked Mila.
“Yes, they’re coming for the wedding, and so are Finn and Athena.” Mila was beaming with happiness. “Even Kya and Archer are leaving the school for a day. Everyone will be there.”
CHAPTER 28
Party
Mila
The week leading up to our wedding went by fast and before I knew it, twelve hundred spectators were watching us getting married.
All I could see was Jonah standing in front of me in his formal attire with moist eyes. We were in a bubble of happiness and while holding hands we kept gazing into each other’s eyes as Khan’s voice sounded loud and clear.
“Twelve years ago, a sweet angel descended on the Northlands. From the beginning, Mila melted us with her kindness, cute dimples, and beautiful singing voice. And then by some miracle Magni and Laura were lucky enough to adopt you into our Aurelius family.
“Jonah, it’s no secret that you spoiled our plan of Mila’s marrying the strongest protector in our country. But then you are no ordinary man yourself. You’ve been named the most powerful man in the Motherlands and have already achieved more than any other man before you. I can tell you from experience that having a loving partner and best friend by your side makes the sacrifices you make for your country more tolerable.
“It’s a great honor and privilege to be the first to congratulate you both on making this commitment to each other. I have no doubt that we can expect great things from you two in the future.”
Taking a deep breath, Khan asked, “Mila Aurelius, do you take Jonah Cervici as your husband?”
I stood in my beautiful white dress, smiling from ear to ear. “I do.”
“And Jonah Cervici, do you take Mila Aurelius as your wife?”
His chest lifted and then he spoke with a powerful voice. “Yes, I do.”
“Then I now declare you man and wife.”
Jonah and I didn’t wait for Khan to tell us we could kiss before we pressed our lips together.
“I love you.” His eyes were glowing with emotions and made me tear up.
It was perfect. From Khan’s beautiful words at the ceremony and the cheer from the audience to, later, the celebration in the ballroom at the Gray Manor for our closest family and friends.
Athena and Finn finally brought back my three siblings and even though I’d spoken with them often while they were gone, I still kept hugging them like I hadn’t seen them in a year. Dina and Aubri wanted to dance all night and I joined them several times during the night, feeling such a sense of relief that my dad’s paranoia had calmed down. With Magni back in public, looking strong and fierce, Khan’s popularity had gone up. It helped that theMen of the Northshow had become a massive success and that it was portraying him as a ruthless and clever man.
It was impossible not to sense the renewed pride the Nmen took in their nation, and with that came a new appreciation for the work Khan did as their ruler, especially when it came to the integration process.
After my last dance with my two younger sisters that evening, I found Jonah in conversation with Shelly Summers, a world-renowned genius, who had been an assistant teacher at my school when she was fifteen.
“Hey, Milove, I was just trying to understand how the mind of a genius works.” Jonah pulled me in and kissed the top of my hair.
“And did you figure it out?” I smiled at Shelly, who looked pretty with her long brown hair and feminine dress.
“I’ve concluded that it’s a matter of having a curious mind. Shelly keeps generating questions and some of them are hilarious.”
Marco, who stood next to Shelly, nodded. “Others are bizarre.” He smiled at his wife. “Like when you wanted to know if I ever liked the smell of my own farts.”
I laughed. “Geez, Shelly, you didn’t ask him that, did you?”
Marco laughed too. “Ha. That’s my life on a regular basis.”
“I can’t help that my mind comes up with all sorts of random questions all the time,” Shelly defended herself.
“Tell them what you told me about dogs when we arrived here,” Marco encouraged her.
