The Flower Of Eternity
Prologues

The hall room of the Main Palace looked different that afternoon. The floor is like being remade using ice and diamonds. Snow fell from the ceiling but never reached the floor. The ranks of chandeliers made of ice crystals and purple fireflies lit up brightly. Each sturdy pillar that supports the ceiling is covered with plants made of ice and silver. Thousands of crystal tulips adorn every corner of the room and along the side of the path that the main star will pass later that day. And even then in other parts of the world, in different countries of the world, summer is almost over and autumn is just about to start, the Main Palace Hall had turned into a magical and eternal winter garden.

Orchestral music is soft as the bride enters the room. Simultaneously everyone present in the room—the nobles and invited guests from other countries, focused their attention towards him.

The bride looked amazing that day. His long red hair was neatly arranged behind his back, adorned with crowns with a sprinkling of jewels. Her long wedding dress tailed on the back, snow-colored and diamond-studded, glittering when exposed to the light reflection of a crystal lamp. Sunlight emanated from his two eyes that only looked forward, towards his partner who had been waiting at the altar. He smiled at her, his face beaming and cheeks blushing red, and the groom was blown away.

I am in love with you, said the groom.

New now? asked the bride as she continued walking slowly towards the altar. His gaze did not shift one bit from his partner. A smile on her beautiful face.

And it was then, as he began to pass by the invited guests, that they noticed it in more detail. Although the bride's dress looks very long up to a few meters back, but the front is made shorter to make it easier to walk, especially because the bride is pregnant. The front dress is short enough that everyone can see that the bride is barefoot on the floor. That's because high heels are not well worn by women who are pregnant and only have to wait a few weeks before the estimated day of birth.

But every time his feet will tread the floor made of ice, he said, a very large red rose petal appeared there so that the bride always stood on the soft and warm rose petals. The floor made of ice turned into a floor made of rose petals as she passed by, more beautiful than any carpet and rug ever made by human hands. The falling snow stopped and the air warmed around it. The chandelier made of ice crystals turned into a chandelier made of Wisteria flowers and the light from purple fireflies. The plants that roamed the pillars of the hall, made of ice and silver, turned into vines whose flowers bloomed so beautifully and spread the scent of spring as it passed by. The main palace hall with the theme of the eternal winter garden is now transformed into a beautiful spring garden. Everything she passed by became more beautiful and more alive. Everyone would have thought it was magic, but it wasn't magic at all.

I've been in love with you for a long time. Every time. The groom answered his partner's question. And though I've always been fascinated by you every time, even though you look amazingly beautiful all the time and get more beautiful the next time, and not a second of my life I don't admire you, let me tell you that today you seem so radiant that I am sure the sun will be ashamed to be above the sky. You brought spring into my endless winter.

The bride could not comment on hearing the compliment. He tried to stay calm as each step closer to his partner even though his heart was pounding and his eyes could not bear to let out tears and happy.

Don't shed a tear on this happy day, baby. The groom said when he realized the eyes of the woman he loved looked teary.

If you say that so sweet how can I not shed tears! I'm so happy today that it feels like I can cry flooding the whole Palace.

Hold your tears for a moment. I haven't even started to say the wedding vows.

Why it feels so long.

The inauguration of their marriage was delayed for three months from the original plan due to the internal affairs of the bride's home kingdom. She, who originally had the title Princess Schiereiland, now held the highest power in the kingdom. She is now Queen of Schiereiland after it was discovered that her late King—her father— passed the responsibility to her daughter, not to her son.

They finally faced each other in front of the altar. And they wear wedding rings. The marriage pledge was pronounced, then,

You didn't say until death did separate? As I recall there are usually those words. Said Anna.

I don't like those words, so I'll just lose them. It's like I'll stop loving you if death do us part. It's like death can separate us.

Oh, of course! You're a king, so you're free to change the words in the marriage pledge.

My dear, aren't you going to say 'I'm willing'?

"I'm willing." Anna said directly before the invited guests began to rile because the bride had since seemed to be quietly dissolved in the atmosphere.

Now you can shed your happy tears, my wife.

"Now you can kiss the bride—“

Even before the sentence was finished, Anna had already kissed her husband, hiding from the crowd the tears that flowed down her cheeks without being prevented.

I will love you until death gives up on separating us. Anna said as she stared at the pair of emerald eyes.

Xavier wiped the tears from Anna's face. I will love you even if death do us part. And if that happens, I'll find you again in another lifetime. If I can't, I'll find a way to find you back. I'm not giving up. And then I will remember you again and love you again like I have never been separated from you, no matter how many thousands of years have passed. And...

And?

Xavier smiles, then kisses her again, Happy birthday, dear Anna.

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