Love is a Sweet Poison

"If you would all follow us, and we will take you to the room that has been prepared for today." Gabriel spoke and turned leading Amelia to the banquet room. Miyuki slides the door open, and inside was set yup like a shrine. 

Hideo stepped forward and bows to the bride and groom and gets a bow in return. He walks to the front of the room and has set up the front and there is a branch of the sacred tree, the Sukaki. 

Everyone gets seated behind Gabriel and Amelia as they walk to the front of the room. Gabriel hands a small package to Amelia and Amelia in return gives him a small package. The both open that packages and inside are a suehiro which is a fan which is a symbol of happiness and tomoshiraga which is a linen thread that signifies strong ties in the marriage. Then they both pick up the Sukaki branch. Hideo starts prying for the bride in groom and driving away the evil spirits. Blessing them in the process. 

Both Amelia and Gabriel place down the branch and look at each other. Amelia picked up the red sankonnogi. Sake was being poured into the smallest cup in her hands. Amelia held the cup up and took three sips then offered the cup to Gabriel. Gabriel took the cup and bowed as sake filled the cup., Then he took three sips and placed the cup down. Amelia picked up the medium cup and took three sips of the sake and handed it to Gabriel. He took the three sips and placed it down. Amelia picked up the last cup and held it up and drank the sake in the sips then handed it to Gabriel. He did the same and placed the cup down. Gabriel holds out his arm to Amelia and the two walk to the door and head back to the bedroom. 

Once there Miyuki and Sara help Amelia change into the beautiful green yukata with blue lilies and gold trim. The wataboshi is removed and Sara touches up Amelia's hair. While Miyuki is straightening and tying the uchikake (the reception yukata). 

Kosuke helps Gabriel change into a navy blue montsuki haori hakama. Once he is set he helps lead Amelia back to the reception hall. "Did you know that Mother had that room blocked off?" 

"I did. Mother did not want you to see the Shiromuku before the wedding and wanted to keep the room a surprise. I had seen a few things her and threw, but it didn't look anything like what it looks like now. Mother Edna is very crafty." The couple enters the room and go and sit at the front of the room next to each other. 

Amelia blushed while toasting him back. She got up and looked at Gabriel "Gabriel, you are an amazing individual. I can see how hard you worked. I always thought that if I was to marry it would be someone like you. Where I would know that I would be cared for and loved. I loved you in the past and I love you now." She toasted him and drank some sake before sitting down with the room cheering. 

Kuma starts sending the workers in with the trays of food. The bride and groom are served first. Followed by the parents of both the priest and then everyone else. On the trays in red rice to symbolize prosperity. There was three small dishes with some sashimi and egg roll, a plate with some cooked salmon and some fried tomato, a miso soup, there was a leaf that held a few more sashimi pieces of the red rice steamed meat bun, and a fancy cooking of Japanese turnip, carrot, and topped with cooked squid. 

Amelia and Gabriel wait for everyone to be served and then say together "itadakimasu." The hall is somewhat quiet as everyone eats. Amelia picks up a piece of salmon and eats it with a bite of red rice and smiles. "Sooo good. Kuma outdid himself." 

Gabriel chuckles and eats the same thing and nods his head. "You are quite right. This is amazing." Gabriel eats and watches Amelia closely. He looks out at the decorations of red, gold, white, blue and green. "Mother must have made paper cranes for a while to make as many as there is here." 

Amelia finished the meal and smiled. 'Kuma must have given me less because I was able to eat it all.' She looked at all the cranes and some fans around the room. "It is very lovely." Miyuki cleared Amelia's and Gabriel's try and then came back with a try teat had three different wagashi. Amelia looked at the wagashi and smiled. The first one was a green bird the second one was a white platycodon with yellow pollen and the lats one was a pink on the was covered in cherry blossoms. 

Gabriel cut the pick one into four pieces and held a piece out to Amelia and Amelia did the same and at the same time they ate the wagashi together. He smiled and fed her all four pieces while eating the four pieces fed to him. He fed her the other two and got fed the two on Amelia's plate. "Gochisousama they both said at the time. The guests had been watching them.