12-20-2025, 09:48 PM
Chancellor's Manor, Geminus, Eiria
“I feel vaguely like a curtain rod.”
Amalija Leimane stood before the mirror in the Chancellor’s Manor bedroom that had been converted to a dressing room for her, adjusting the sash on her off-white wedding robes with a sigh.
Chancellor Stendē chuckled at her niece’s slightly dejected remark. “I'm sorry you feel that way. But hey, you look gorgeous.”
“Thank you, tanta. And this was the most comfortable one that I found, of all the stores we visited. Thanks for taking me to that last one.” The bride grabbed the slightly draped sleeves of her ašadza with a sigh. “But still, it's like someone declared that all wedding garments need to be slightly stiff to annoy the lucky couple on the best day of their lives.”
“I wouldn't put it past some disgruntled senator who was probably left at the altar to slip that into a bill.” Stendē’s eyes glinted with both humor and pride. “But anyways, you do look fantastic. You have excellent taste.”
“Thank you. I got it from Mom.” Amalija’s expression turned distant. “I wish they would've been able to be here…”
Stendē pulled her niece into a delicate hug, being careful not to disturb her niece's hair, makeup or clothes. “I know, my dear. I do too. But you know very well that they are watching with pride. Far be it for my sister or brother-in-law to ever miss one of their daughters’ special moments.”
Amalija smiled, choking back a sob. “Thank you…”
Stendē tenderly wiped her niece's face with a tissue. “Now, none of that! Today is a happy day. Although, before I forget…” The Chancellor grabbed a small wooden box off of a nearby desk, opening it to reveal a set of ten colored armbands. “Both your mother and I wore these at our weddings, so now, it's your turn. Do you know which ones you plan to wear?”
The bride nodded, pulling back her wavy brown hair in order to see better. “Mhm. White for Dad, and blue and yellow for Mom,” she said, pulling out the colors and pulling them over her sleeves. “Which ones did you wear when you married Onkls? I remember seeing the pictures, but I don't know if I ever looked close enough to see your arms.”
Stendē looked to the side, trying to remember the events of her own wedding. “Well, both of your grandparents were teachers, so I wore blue on each arm. My mother taught Eirian, so just blue was fine on my right, and my father taught biology, so green and blue on my left, I think.”
“Very cool.” She looked to the blue band around her right arm. “So I'm wearing one of the bands that both you and Mom wore?”
“Yes, my dear, you are.” Stendē smiled proudly, fidgeting with the bands around Amalija's wrist to make sure they wouldn't fall off. “Now, it's almost time. Are you ready?”
The bride nodded, taking a deep breath before replying. “Never been more ready.”
“Good.” Stendē carefully pulled the ašadza’s hood over Amalija's head, opening the door to reveal the Prōviri. “Now, before I forget, there's a fifty-fifty chance that you receive a bunch of gifts from foreign dignitaries during the reception.”
“Tanta! You didn't have to do that…” The bride sighed while smiling, grabbing the arms of both her aunt and uncle. “But I guess if the Cabinet and former Chancellors are here, we might as well.”
Kalev grinned at his niece. “That’s the spirit. Now, let's get going. You wouldn't want to leave that handsome young man waiting…”
—
For the couple, the wedding ceremony itself flew by as if it were a dream. A Unitist priestess greeted them after they both walked down the aisle, wrapping them both together with a long sash as she went about the ceremony. After rounds of bowing, scripture readings, vows and a final kiss, Amalija Leimane and Kaleb Duvar were officially married.
As upbeat music played, the newly married couple walked around the ballroom, greeting friends, family members, and assorted major political figures who had assembled to congratulate them. Both Stendē and Kaleb's mother played defense for the married couple, filtering through anyone who tried to approach them and ensuring that conversations were never too long or uncomfortable.
“That was a beautiful ceremony, you two,” a distant cousin of the groom remarked, adjusting his gaudy light green halar that had evidently not seen the light of day for at least a decade. “Mine was beautiful too. Although, that's no guarantee that everything will go correctly down the road. And I should know, after all…”
The Chancellor gave a look to the couple and the groom's mother, who all seemed similarly annoyed.
“Well, thank you for your congratulations. Please, enjoy the party! The staff truly went overboard with the food and drink this time, so please do enjoy it,” Stendē said, gesturing towards a nearby table in order to get the cousin out of range of the happy couple.
The groom shot her an appreciative glance. “Thank you, ma’am.”
“Please, call me Leah,” The Chancellor said with a smile. “Or actually, you could call me tantels now, as we are family.”
As the group talked, a pair of gentlemen in blue halarei stepped up, next in the impromptu line of congratulations. Former Chancellor Lancaster and his husband greeted the group with respectful bows.
“Congratulations, you two. I can already feel your joy radiating through the whole building,” Lancaster said with a kind smile. “Which is an impressive feat, considering how big and sad this manor can be.”
“Will, Jakob. I'm so glad that you both could make it.” The Chancellor smiled widely at her former running mate and the former Prōviri. “How's life in New Riga?”
“Much more relaxed than down here, that's for sure. Currently some research for my thesis, and they've got me teaching a course on executive policy, but otherwise, uneventful.” Lancaster interlaced his arm with his husband's. “We've been trying to keep out of the headlines, mostly.”
“Understandable. And I do appreciate you occasionally making comments of support, that makes dealing with the Senate so much easier.” The Chancellor looked back at the married couple. “But we'll have to catch up later. Please, enjoy the party!”
“Of course. Thank you very much, and congratulations again.” After another bow to the group, Lancaster and Tudeau walked back into the crowd, eventually striking up a conversation with the current Vice Chancellor.
“How many more of these do we have to do, tanta?” Amalija asked, masking an exhausted tone with a smile.
“A fair few more, unfortunately.” Stendē paused as she heard the music change. “But it sounds like we get a break for now. Are you both up for doing the Lejda?”
The bride groaned jokingly at the prospect of doing a cheesy dance that was a staple of most joyous Eirian gatherings. “Do we have to?”
“C'mon, it's tradition!” Her new husband said, grabbing her hand and nodding towards the dance floor.
As the couple joined the circle of people forming in the center of the ballroom, the Prōviri greeted his wife with a hug and a kiss on the cheek. “Reminds you of our wedding, no?”
Stendē nodded with a smile. “Only ours was much more crowded in that local convention center your cousin got us. Stil…” She wrapped an arm around her husband's waist. “Wouldn't have traded it for the world.”
The Prōviri smiled nostalgically. “Me neither.” He extended a hand, gesturing towards the dance floor. “Well, Madam Chancellor, care for a dance?”
“I feel vaguely like a curtain rod.”
Amalija Leimane stood before the mirror in the Chancellor’s Manor bedroom that had been converted to a dressing room for her, adjusting the sash on her off-white wedding robes with a sigh.
Chancellor Stendē chuckled at her niece’s slightly dejected remark. “I'm sorry you feel that way. But hey, you look gorgeous.”
“Thank you, tanta. And this was the most comfortable one that I found, of all the stores we visited. Thanks for taking me to that last one.” The bride grabbed the slightly draped sleeves of her ašadza with a sigh. “But still, it's like someone declared that all wedding garments need to be slightly stiff to annoy the lucky couple on the best day of their lives.”
“I wouldn't put it past some disgruntled senator who was probably left at the altar to slip that into a bill.” Stendē’s eyes glinted with both humor and pride. “But anyways, you do look fantastic. You have excellent taste.”
“Thank you. I got it from Mom.” Amalija’s expression turned distant. “I wish they would've been able to be here…”
Stendē pulled her niece into a delicate hug, being careful not to disturb her niece's hair, makeup or clothes. “I know, my dear. I do too. But you know very well that they are watching with pride. Far be it for my sister or brother-in-law to ever miss one of their daughters’ special moments.”
Amalija smiled, choking back a sob. “Thank you…”
Stendē tenderly wiped her niece's face with a tissue. “Now, none of that! Today is a happy day. Although, before I forget…” The Chancellor grabbed a small wooden box off of a nearby desk, opening it to reveal a set of ten colored armbands. “Both your mother and I wore these at our weddings, so now, it's your turn. Do you know which ones you plan to wear?”
The bride nodded, pulling back her wavy brown hair in order to see better. “Mhm. White for Dad, and blue and yellow for Mom,” she said, pulling out the colors and pulling them over her sleeves. “Which ones did you wear when you married Onkls? I remember seeing the pictures, but I don't know if I ever looked close enough to see your arms.”
Stendē looked to the side, trying to remember the events of her own wedding. “Well, both of your grandparents were teachers, so I wore blue on each arm. My mother taught Eirian, so just blue was fine on my right, and my father taught biology, so green and blue on my left, I think.”
“Very cool.” She looked to the blue band around her right arm. “So I'm wearing one of the bands that both you and Mom wore?”
“Yes, my dear, you are.” Stendē smiled proudly, fidgeting with the bands around Amalija's wrist to make sure they wouldn't fall off. “Now, it's almost time. Are you ready?”
The bride nodded, taking a deep breath before replying. “Never been more ready.”
“Good.” Stendē carefully pulled the ašadza’s hood over Amalija's head, opening the door to reveal the Prōviri. “Now, before I forget, there's a fifty-fifty chance that you receive a bunch of gifts from foreign dignitaries during the reception.”
“Tanta! You didn't have to do that…” The bride sighed while smiling, grabbing the arms of both her aunt and uncle. “But I guess if the Cabinet and former Chancellors are here, we might as well.”
Kalev grinned at his niece. “That’s the spirit. Now, let's get going. You wouldn't want to leave that handsome young man waiting…”
—
For the couple, the wedding ceremony itself flew by as if it were a dream. A Unitist priestess greeted them after they both walked down the aisle, wrapping them both together with a long sash as she went about the ceremony. After rounds of bowing, scripture readings, vows and a final kiss, Amalija Leimane and Kaleb Duvar were officially married.
As upbeat music played, the newly married couple walked around the ballroom, greeting friends, family members, and assorted major political figures who had assembled to congratulate them. Both Stendē and Kaleb's mother played defense for the married couple, filtering through anyone who tried to approach them and ensuring that conversations were never too long or uncomfortable.
“That was a beautiful ceremony, you two,” a distant cousin of the groom remarked, adjusting his gaudy light green halar that had evidently not seen the light of day for at least a decade. “Mine was beautiful too. Although, that's no guarantee that everything will go correctly down the road. And I should know, after all…”
The Chancellor gave a look to the couple and the groom's mother, who all seemed similarly annoyed.
“Well, thank you for your congratulations. Please, enjoy the party! The staff truly went overboard with the food and drink this time, so please do enjoy it,” Stendē said, gesturing towards a nearby table in order to get the cousin out of range of the happy couple.
The groom shot her an appreciative glance. “Thank you, ma’am.”
“Please, call me Leah,” The Chancellor said with a smile. “Or actually, you could call me tantels now, as we are family.”
As the group talked, a pair of gentlemen in blue halarei stepped up, next in the impromptu line of congratulations. Former Chancellor Lancaster and his husband greeted the group with respectful bows.
“Congratulations, you two. I can already feel your joy radiating through the whole building,” Lancaster said with a kind smile. “Which is an impressive feat, considering how big and sad this manor can be.”
“Will, Jakob. I'm so glad that you both could make it.” The Chancellor smiled widely at her former running mate and the former Prōviri. “How's life in New Riga?”
“Much more relaxed than down here, that's for sure. Currently some research for my thesis, and they've got me teaching a course on executive policy, but otherwise, uneventful.” Lancaster interlaced his arm with his husband's. “We've been trying to keep out of the headlines, mostly.”
“Understandable. And I do appreciate you occasionally making comments of support, that makes dealing with the Senate so much easier.” The Chancellor looked back at the married couple. “But we'll have to catch up later. Please, enjoy the party!”
“Of course. Thank you very much, and congratulations again.” After another bow to the group, Lancaster and Tudeau walked back into the crowd, eventually striking up a conversation with the current Vice Chancellor.
“How many more of these do we have to do, tanta?” Amalija asked, masking an exhausted tone with a smile.
“A fair few more, unfortunately.” Stendē paused as she heard the music change. “But it sounds like we get a break for now. Are you both up for doing the Lejda?”
The bride groaned jokingly at the prospect of doing a cheesy dance that was a staple of most joyous Eirian gatherings. “Do we have to?”
“C'mon, it's tradition!” Her new husband said, grabbing her hand and nodding towards the dance floor.
As the couple joined the circle of people forming in the center of the ballroom, the Prōviri greeted his wife with a hug and a kiss on the cheek. “Reminds you of our wedding, no?”
Stendē nodded with a smile. “Only ours was much more crowded in that local convention center your cousin got us. Stil…” She wrapped an arm around her husband's waist. “Wouldn't have traded it for the world.”
The Prōviri smiled nostalgically. “Me neither.” He extended a hand, gesturing towards the dance floor. “Well, Madam Chancellor, care for a dance?”
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