ltrayswerethefirsttowalkintothechurchaglowwithdlelightandperfumedwithvishbouquetsofwhiterosestiedwithwhitesatinribbons.TheanmusicswelledtoacresdoandarteddowntheaisleonthearmsofMarkinadriftingswirlofwhitesilkandhernine-footlongtraintrailinglikeacloudbehindherbeingatteobyherlovelybridesmaid,Elena.MarkhappeobestandihegardensatthefrorahechurdickedbyElenaonthespurofthemomenttogivethebrideaway.HewalkedslowlyandcarefullyontheredcarpetwithNovelonhisarms,hisexpressionmostlyseriousandsolemnbutbrightehaslightsmilepyingtoperfethepartofalovingbrivingawayhissistertoperfe.Whentheyreachedthealtar,oppedandtheanmusietoahalt.Inthesilehemuchrespectedwhite-hairedpastanbyaskinginadeep,resonantandsonorousvoice,

    “Whogivesthiswomantobemarriedtothisman?”

    “Ido”repliedMarkclearly.Thenhepovel’shandintoMr.O’Brian’s,hemandsteppedback.Withasighofreliefthathehaddonehispartwithoutaglitch,Markwalkedbackdowntheaisleandwhileeveryotentionwasteredonthebrideandgroom,heslippedunobtrusivelyawayfromthechurch.MakinghiswayaroundthegardentothebatraintoLaverrailer.

    Theattentionofthesixteeiesscatteredinthefourtrailersoutsidethebatrahechurchwereallilytratedonthergestransmittingtheweddingoftheturyasittookpce.Whichyoungwomawishtohaveasolemnbutvishwedding?Whichyoungwomanisnotedwithherfuturehappiness?Amongthosesixteeies,Aisha’sfeelingsweredeeplystirredahemostonhermind.She,thequeenoftheKingdomofDreams,wasnowptheembarrassingpositionoflookingforandsideringchoosinganewspouse.Howcouldshebearthatandwhiinthismundaneworldcouldbeparabletoherpositionandtalent…?

    Theceremonyonthesroceedingacctoprotocol.Theofficiatingpastorwassaying,

    “Dearlybeloved,wearegatheredheretodayinthesightofGod,andinthefaceofthisgregation,tojoiherthismanandthiswomaninholymatrimony.Ifanypersonshowjustcausewhytheymaynotbejoiogether,letthemspeaknoworforeverholdtheirpeace.”Hestoppedforamomentandlookedaround.Aseppedforwardtostoptheweddiurohebrideandasked,

    “DoyouNovelSilkestakeRobertO’Briantobeyourwfullyweddedhusband,tohaveandtoholdfromthisdayforward,forbetterorforworse,forricherorforpoorer,insiessandih,toloveandcherishtilldeathyoudopart?”

    2

    “Ido”repliedhenturningtoMr.O’Brian,heasked,

    “DoyouRobertO’BriantakeNovelSilkestobeyourwfullyweddedwife,tohaveandtoholdfromthisdayforward,forbetterorforworse,forricherorforpoorer,insiessandih,toloveandcherishtilldeathyoudopart?”

    “Ido”repliedMr.O’Briaakingtheringfromhisbestmanwhohadtakenitfromtheringbearer,Mr.O’BriantookNovel’slefthandacarefullyohirdfinger,saying,“WiththisringItheewed.WithmybodyItheeworship.WithmyworldlygoodsItheeendow.Inthehefather,andofthesonandoftheHolySpirit.”Withthatthepastorblessedthebrideandthegroomandannounced,

    “Bythepowersiedinme,Inowpronounanandwife.”HesmiledatMr.O’Brianandsaid,“Youmaynowkissthebride.”Mr.O’BrianturoNovel,carefullytookherveilbythehemandturowardsthebackofherhead.Whenthebridewasunveiledandfacedtheguestswithherbeautifundgeousfeaturesinfullview,murmursofpraiseandexcmationsofsurpriseroseandfellinthechurch,turn

ltrayswerethefirsttowalkintothechurchaglowwithdlelightandperfumedwithvishbouquetsofwhiterosestiedwithwhitesatinribbons.TheanmusicswelledtoacresdoandarteddowntheaisleonthearmsofMarkinadriftingswirlofwhitesilkandhernine-footlongtraintrailinglikeacloudbehindherbeingatteobyherlovelybridesmaid,Elena.MarkhappeobestandihegardensatthefrorahechurdickedbyElenaonthespurofthemomenttogivethebrideaway.HewalkedslowlyandcarefullyontheredcarpetwithNovelonhisarms,hisexpressionmostlyseriousandsolemnbutbrightehaslightsmilepyingtoperfethepartofalovingbrivingawayhissistertoperfe.Whentheyreachedthealtar,oppedandtheanmusietoahalt.Inthesilehemuchrespectedwhite-hairedpastanbyaskinginadeep,resonantandsonorousvoice,

    “Whogivesthiswomantobemarriedtothisman?”

    “Ido”repliedMarkclearly.Thenhepovel’shandintoMr.O’Brian’s,hemandsteppedback.Withasighofreliefthathehaddonehispartwithoutaglitch,Markwalkedbackdowntheaisleandwhileeveryotentionwasteredonthebrideandgroom,heslippedunobtrusivelyawayfromthechurch.MakinghiswayaroundthegardentothebatraintoLaverrailer.

    Theattentionofthesixteeiesscatteredinthefourtrailersoutsidethebatrahechurchwereallilytratedonthergestransmittingtheweddingoftheturyasittookpce.Whichyoungwomawishtohaveasolemnbutvishwedding?Whichyoungwomanisnotedwithherfuturehappiness?Amongthosesixteeies,Aisha’sfeelingsweredeeplystirredahemostonhermind.She,thequeenoftheKingdomofDreams,wasnowptheembarrassingpositionoflookingforandsideringchoosinganewspouse.Howcouldshebearthatandwhiinthismundaneworldcouldbeparabletoherpositionandtalent…?

    Theceremonyonthesroceedingacctoprotocol.Theofficiatingpastorwassaying,

    “Dearlybeloved,wearegatheredheretodayinthesightofGod,andinthefaceofthisgregation,tojoiherthismanandthiswomaninholymatrimony.Ifanypersonshowjustcausewhytheymaynotbejoiogether,letthemspeaknoworforeverholdtheirpeace.”Hestoppedforamomentandlookedaround.Aseppedforwardtostoptheweddiurohebrideandasked,

    “DoyouNovelSilkestakeRobertO’Briantobeyourwfullyweddedhusband,tohaveandtoholdfromthisdayforward,forbetterorforworse,forricherorforpoorer,insiessandih,toloveandcherishtilldeathyoudopart?”

    2

    “Ido”repliedhenturningtoMr.O’Brian,heasked,

    “DoyouRobertO’BriantakeNovelSilkestobeyourwfullyweddedwife,tohaveandtoholdfromthisdayforward,forbetterorforworse,forricherorforpoorer,insiessandih,toloveandcherishtilldeathyoudopart?”

    “Ido”repliedMr.O’Briaakingtheringfromhisbestmanwhohadtakenitfromtheringbearer,Mr.O’BriantookNovel’slefthandacarefullyohirdfinger,saying,“WiththisringItheewed.WithmybodyItheeworship.WithmyworldlygoodsItheeendow.Inthehefather,andofthesonandoftheHolySpirit.”Withthatthepastorblessedthebrideandthegroomandannounced,

    “Bythepowersiedinme,Inowpronounanandwife.”HesmiledatMr.O’Brianandsaid,“Youmaynowkissthebride.”Mr.O’BrianturoNovel,carefullytookherveilbythehemandturowardsthebackofherhead.Whenthebridewasunveiledandfacedtheguestswithherbeautifundgeousfeaturesinfullview,murmursofpraiseandexcmationsofsurpriseroseandfellinthechurch,turn