The Alchemists

The incoming surprises experienced by the guests seemed to still be ongoing. Caspar took a position in front of the bride and groom while Lauriel moved to the side and held Altair and Vega's hands in each of his own and brought them to sit beside Finland.

The music went slower before completely coming to a halt. The atmosphere turned quiet. Caspar coughed and started speaking. His voice was confident and charismatic, causing everyone present to become silent, paying close attention to him.

"Welcome to all our guests, relatives, and friends who have taken the time to share happiness with our two families in Grosseto this afternoon. We are very happy because it is time for us to announce our daughter, Aleksis Lillywyn Makela Schneider, who was born thirty years ago from my wife, Finland Makela Schneider, and me.

Aleksis has become the source of our happiness from the day she was born, and I love her very much, so much that my selfishness doesn't want the world to see her.

Everyone who has become a father will certainly understand how I feel when my beloved daughter grew up so fast, and then comes the day you hate so much - when she has to leave home and build her own home..."

At this point, Caspar began to look emotional. Lauriel really understood how his friend felt, because to him, Aleksis was also like his own daughter. He watched as Aleksis was born and grew up to adulthood, and his love for her actually outweighed even his love for his own biological children.

Even Alaric, who only just found himself the father of a boy and girl a day ago, was now unconsciously turning his head to Vega, who was sweetly sitting on Lauriel's lap. He couldn't imagine having to let Vega go to marry the man of her choice in a few years.

Instantly, he understood Caspar's reluctance to see Aleksis married to him. As a father, of course, Caspar wanted the best for his beloved daughter, while since the beginning, Alaric and Aleksis's relationship was colored with so many problems, coupled with the conflict between him and the Schneider family.

Alaric was reminded of the incident ten years ago when Kurt Van Der Ven was killed in front of him because Alaric forced him to move Aleksis from Singapore. He could imagine Caspar's anger and the dilemma Aleksis faced after she woke up from her coma to find Kurt dead and Alaric allegedly killed by her father's orders...

Oh, Vega... Please be kind to this father of yours. Don't let yourself fall in love with a man who will later make your life difficult, Alaric inwardly begged as he was watching his daughter.

Ugh... He'll hide his children from the public as much as possible, as Caspar had been doing. Yes, just let Altair and Vega live at home and stay hidden from the public. Likewise with the children who'll be born after. He would be a father more selfish than Caspar had ever been.

To prevent is better than to cure, he thought.

All of the guests looked moved seeing how the clan leader, who had always seemed warm and relaxed, now was dominated by emotions and novelty. Aleksis looked at her father with teary eyes. She knew that it was very hard for Caspar to accept her marriage to Alaric, seeing how each and every part of her husband's past was stained and he had a worrying perspective on the future.

Caspar was naturally forced to accept Alaric as his son-in-law because Aleksis really loved the man, especially since they've also had two children together. The next reason was Lauriel, his best friend. If not for all of them, of course, Caspar wouldn't have given his blessing even if he were to die.

Caspar resumed his words in a trembling voice. "When Aleksis was two, she met her husband who was traveling around Thailand. Alaric saved her and looked after her until Aleksis met her godfather, Lauriel.

When Aleksis was twelve, she met her husband again in Singapore. Alaric rescued her again from the hands of the kidnappers, a human trafficker ring, and looked after her so he could return Aleksis to us. After that event, Aleksis always thought of Alaric and wanted to meet him again.

When Aleksis was twenty, she sought out Alaric to Singapore, because my daughter thought Alaric was her first love. They finally met and Alaric rescued her again, Alaric looked after her again... and they fell in love with each other.

They didn't know each other's family backgrounds, nor did they know of the fact that Alaric was the biological son of Lauriel Medici, Aleksis' godfather, who was thought to have died before his mother, Princess Luna, gave birth to him. And that caused a lot of serious problems that eventually separated them for ten years..."

At this point, muffled cries of surprise were heard from everywhere. The guests seemed shocked and moved to hear how Aleksis and Alaric met, and the fact that Alaric was actually the son of Lauriel and his beloved Luna.

Nicolae emotionally patted his brother's shoulder, while Lauriel seemed to be trying hard to calm himself. He always felt sad when he remembered how there was such a misunderstanding that caused Aleksis and Alaric to be separated ten years ago. And he himself, Alaric's father, had contributed to the ten years the two were separated because he had attacked Alaric and resulted in his 'death'.

If he had known... he would've been able to hug both his children, Nicolae and Alaric, instead of attacking Alaric ten years ago.

"To be honest, I'm a selfish father. If I could help it, I would never give my daughter to anyone, even until my death... But today I realize, that for nearly thirty years, Aleksis and Alaric have been connected to each other by fate that always brings them together and stubbornly tries to unite the two. Even though they were separated for ten years, their great love for one another made fate reunite them..."

Caspar looked at Alaric with a fatherly look, "As a father, I can finally let Aleksis go, because Alaric has always been able to prove himself to be a perfect protector and guardian for Aleksis. Therefore... I want to take this opportunity as Aleksis' father to give my daughter to you, and as the leader of the Alchemist clan to acknowledge your marriage, which had taken place ten years ago. "

Alaric was amazed when he heard Caspar's every word. He didn't think his heart could be so touched by the sincere words spoken by his father-in-law.

On one hand, Caspar shared his feelings as a father who was very worried about his daughter. But on the other hand, he also expressed his relief at seeing his daughter find a partner who could be trusted to accompany and protect her.

Many of the girls present were moved to hear the love story of the bride and groom that Caspar briefly conveyed, and some became even more curious to know the full story, and of why the couple only announced their marriage before the Alchemist clan after ten years.

"As the current leader of this big family of the Alchemist clan, I, Caspar Alexander Sebastian Heinrich von Schneider, hereby unite you, Alaric Lionel Elios Linden Medici and Aleksis Lillywyn Makela von Schneider, as husband and wife acknowledged by humans, Heaven and Earth, and every element in the universe." Caspar turned to Alaric, "Do you, Alaric, accept and love Aleksis as your only partner to live this life, with all her strengths and weaknesses, and promise to protect, look after, and make her happy just as you would for yourself?"

"I do," Alaric answered calmly. He looked at Aleksis lovingly as he swore his oath.

Caspar continued, this time turning to Aleksis.

"Do you, Aleksis, my beloved daughter, accept and love Alaric as your only partner to live this life, with all his strengths and weaknesses, and promise to protect, look after, and make him happy just as you would for yourself?"

"I..." Aleksis tried to answer, but her voice was trembling violently. Tears almost trickled down her cheeks.

She still couldn't believe that after such long periods of grievances, she could finally reunite with the man she loved. And now, they could both stand in front of her father, who officiated their relationship.