How the Emperor trapped a Witch

Chapter Seventy-two: Reunited at last

Celestia

"What happened to you?" I couldn't help but chuckle as I started to pull back, finally noticing that Alaric was covered in dirt. 

"You scared the h*ll out of me." Alaric tightened his arms around me, preventing any form of escape. "That's what happened."

I peek over his shoulder to see Kimbra and the others shaking their heads with their clothes completely rumpled and dusty: meaning that my encasement into crystal had almost pushed Alaric over the edge.... maybe even over the edge.

I reached up to pat him on the head, his hair still as fluffy as it was when he was a child as I listened to his heartbeat slow down to a steady beat. Alaric's arms loosed a little as he calmed down which allowed me to sit up in his lap.

"Will you help me up?" I felt my lips curl into a smile as I looked at his handsome face.

"Of course!" Alaric bolted up and offered his hand to me that I happily used. Once my fingertips touched his palm, Alaric pulled me up off the ground and back into his arms.

"Oof!" I leaned back to see his usual smirk had returned to his face, the dark expression from earlier nowhere to be seen. "Really?" I responded with an eyebrow raise.

Alaric leaned down to kiss me, his tongue teasing my lips for them to open that I automatically obliged also eager to kiss him. 

I lost myself into that kiss until I finally noticed someone coughing loudly. I turned to look with my face heating up and saw a few smirks and the shaking of heads from our audience that I had temporally forgotten about. 

"Master Ilin!" I coughed, pushing Alaric's head that hunched over for another kiss and smoothed my skirt that had become wrinkled. "I'm sorry for showing you that."

"It seems that you are in good hands." Master Ilin seemed amused as he looked between me and Alaric. I covered my cheeks in an attempt to hide the blush that I knew was there as Master Ilin approached Alaric and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"You better make sure that my Celestia is taken care of." 

"Of course. This will never happen again." 

I mentally cringed as I heard their exchange as I felt my heart squeeze a little and my lips curve upwards.

********

"Are you almost ready Miss Celestia?" Valerie asks as I gazed into the mirror, marveling at my unfamiliar appearance. 

For the first time in both my lives, I was getting married. Alaric apparently made plans before the last battle of Demon King Radna for our wedding and managed to keep it secret until I was abruptly awakened this morning by Valerie with a squadron of maids behind her.

I had been scrubbed and polished until I glowed before Quinn came in with a dress that reminded me of an elven princess cosplay dress. Long sleeves that were delicately laced with small jewels with an embroidered flowing skirt that felt like silk against my legs.

The finishing touch was a corset which showed off my thin waist and tied everything together. The maids had left my hair in a half-updo with flowers within the braid while only lightly using makeup. A thick purple cape hung on my shoulders, Alaric's crest embroidered in gold with white fur along the trim.

"Miss Celestia?" Valerie says my name once more, startling me from staring myself down. 

"Oh yes!" I could see myself blushing out of the corner of my eye in the mirror as I turned to look at her. "I'm ready!"

I followed Valerie out into the hallway, each step taking me closer to Alaric as my heart pounded and my legs started to shake from nervousness. We pause at the doors of the throne room as trumpets suddenly rang out which caused the doors to immediately open, light covering my sight for a moment.