Chapter 648
According to Greek custom, the groom's relatives and friends should be waiting in the drawing room to welcome the bride. However, for the safety of the Devers and the King's family, it was to prevent the welcoming party from being too large and too mixed. Thus, it was decided in advance that the welcoming party would wait outside the mansion.
Thus, Cynthia met servants and employees all the way from the drawing room to the gate. They held torches and stood by the side of the road, illuminating the way for the couple and offering their sincere blessings.
Out of the mansion door, Cynthia heard loud cheers immediately ringing in her ears.
Through the hazy wedding dress, Cynthia saw that there were figures all around her. They were dancing and competing to say good things like 'the bride is beautiful, the groom is handsome', and so on, brightly lit by candles in the open space in front of the mansion.
Amidst the praises, Patroclus held Cynthia's hand and boarded a carriage drawn by four horses.
After entering the carriage, Cynthia lifted the wedding dress.
Patroclus looked at her unusually delicate and beautiful face, and could not help but exclaim in admiration, "Cynthia, you're so beautiful! Even more beautiful than Aphrodite! — — "
"Shh, don't talk nonsense!" Cynthia hurriedly reminded him. After all, that goddess was not very broad-minded.
Although she said that, Cynthia was very happy in her heart, and tightly grasped Patroclus's hand …
The welcoming party followed closely behind the carriage, automatically forming into long lines. "Let's go!" "On the road? Batian? No Yuan Yan?
Barium Ni Hanren? School? Tadao Baldy Zhu Wei? Xiana Si Qiang? Thistle Ramming That Target Xin Shu?
At this moment, the musicians in the procession began to play the double-barreled flute and the seven-stringed zither, and everyone sang the wedding hymn.
Among these people who sang, there were two special people. They were Crystal and Aegnis. As Cynthia's two mothers, they had to accompany their daughter for the last part of the journey before the wedding. But as the two princesses of the kingdom, their safety must be guaranteed. Thus, they were at the front of the procession, surrounded by palace guards.
They were also holding torches in their hands, and the origin of these two torches was not simple, because they came from the fireplace in the house, symbolically protecting their daughter from one family and one identity to another, and then changing into another identity. Although the Kitchen God, Hestie, was not one of the twelve main gods, he had a very important position in the lives of the people.
Patroclus's house was on the outskirts of the Southern City of Turís, so the bridal procession had to first go east from the King's Mansion in the Western Inner City, pass through the Plaza of Victory to the Eastern Inner City, then turn south, cross the Great Stone Bridge of Krati, leave the Southern City, and walk along the river for a while. It wasn't a short distance, and Kristoya and Aegnis had never walked so far in all these years. This time, for Cynthia, they had done their duty as mothers.
Such a long line of lights passing through the city was naturally very eye-catching. There was a continuous stream of people who heard the news, and after congratulating the newlyweds in the carriage and bowing to the two princesses, they followed behind the procession. By the time they reached the Stone Bridge, the bridal procession had practically turned into a night parade of the people of the city, which showed that the royal family of Devers was deeply loved by the people.
On this night, the King's family and the people of Diónia were intimately one, regardless of their status.
When the guards informed them that they were about to reach Patroclus's house, Kristoya and Aegnis looked at each other and breathed a sigh of relief, using their free left hands to beat their somewhat numb legs in unison.
The carriage stopped, but the newlyweds could not get off yet.
The two princesses walked forward.
Patroclus's residence had long since been decorated with garlands made of pomegranate, olive, and laurel tree branches, as well as all sorts of fresh flowers. There were piles of bonfires lit in front of the house, and it was also brightly lit.
Patroclus's mother and other friends and relatives were waiting at the door, and were shocked to see the mighty bridal procession (Patroclus's father had already been invited to the palace for a banquet). They then hurriedly went forward to welcome the two princesses.
Kristoya and Aegnis returned Patroclus's mother's greeting, and smiled as they comforted the in-laws who seemed rather nervous because of their lowly origins, "From now on, we're one family! … "
Patroclus's mother nodded, and raised the torch with trembling hands.
Kristoya and Aegnis had solemn expressions as they used the torches in their hands to light it, and the final handover was completed.
In traditional Greek weddings, the entire process of passing the torch was essential. Therefore, there was an old saying in Greece that described an illegal marriage as a "wedding without torches." However, in Diónia, newlyweds received Hera's blessing and were registered in the city hall, and were legally married. This wedding was just a form of respect for tradition.
Patroclus, wearing a crown of flowers, led Cynthia out of the carriage.
Cynthia could still see the two mothers standing by the roadside amidst the cheers, even though she was wearing a wedding gown.
Her eyes suddenly turned red again.
Kristoya went forward to hug her, and whispered in her ear, "Remember what I said."
Cynthia nodded vigorously. She didn't dare open her mouth, afraid that she would cry if she spoke.
Aegnis also went forward to hug her, and gave her heartfelt blessings, "Child, live well with Patroclus! Hera will protect you! "
Cynthia still nodded.
Patroclus also went forward and bowed deeply.
The two princesses calmly accepted it.
Kristoya said somewhat sternly, "I'll leave Cynthia to you. Treat her well!"
Patroclus repeatedly said yes, and then brought Cynthia to the residence. Surrounded by friends and family, they walked to the stove in the house. This was the symbolic center of the family.
The guests threw the nuts they had prepared at the newlyweds.
At the same time, Patroclus's mother gave Cynthia a red date and a traditional wedding cake made of sesame and honey. These two things symbolized more fertility.
Cynthia lifted her wedding gown slightly and ate them. This meant that Cynthia had become a member of the family.
Amid the guests' blessings, Patroclus brought Cynthia into the bridal room. He couldn't wait to pull her to the bed, wanting to help her take off her wedding gown quickly.
"There … there are still … people outside …" Cynthia said shyly.
Don't worry, with Stefos guarding outside, no one will dare to come in. "
"Stefos? Are he and Gydia going to get married soon? "Cynthia asked curiously.
"Today is our wedding, why care about them?" As Cynthia screamed, Patroclus carried her to the bed …
Outside the door, the relatives and friends sang the wedding hymn at the top of their voices, working together to scare away the evil spirits.
Soon, the huge wedding procession outside the residence joined in.
The magnificent singing resounded through the Turís night …
… …
While almost all the people in the city were sending off Princess Cynthia of Diónia, the senators of the Senate gathered at the Palace of Diónia to attend the banquet held by the King and Devers in the name of the wedding. Except for a few senators who were far away as governors or could not leave due to important matters, the rest were all present.
The Devers spent their own money to set up nearly a hundred dining tables, filling the entire hall of the palace. They also let their son Crotocatax be the banquet manager, instructing his subordinates and servants to serve the senators well.
For the past ten years, the Devers had hosted a banquet for all the senators. This was the first time he used this opportunity to express his gratitude to the Senate for their efforts for the kingdom over the years. It was also the first time he allowed his eldest son, Crotocatax, to appear alone in front of the highest officials of the kingdom on such an informal occasion.
Under the deliberate arrangement of the Devers and the intentional flattery of the senators, the atmosphere of the banquet was very warm and lasted until late at night.
Many senators were drunk, especially Patroklos's father, Palliandorus. As one of the protagonists of the banquet and the only distinguished guest who was not a senator, he certainly could not refuse every senator who came to toast and congratulate him. He kept drinking glass after glass of wine and soon became drunk, vomiting all over the floor.
With the authority of the Devers, no senator dared to force him to drink, so he remained sober when the banquet ended. As for Crotocatax, he was still underage and the senators were too embarrassed to force him to drink, so he did not touch a single drop of alcohol.
After sending off the guests, the Devers took Crotocatax home on foot under the protection of the palace guards.
The palace and the mansion, one at the foot of the mountain and the other at the top, were less than 80 meters apart, connected by a wide and flat road.
That night, the moon was bright and the stars were sparse, and the weather was cool. The slightly drunk Devers walked on the road with a gentle slope. The surroundings were quiet and the river breeze was gentle, making him feel quite comfortable.
He turned his head and looked at his son beside him. "Why are you still angry?"
"Father, those senators from Downey scolded you under the pretext of being drunk. Aren't you going to punish them further?" Crotocatax said angrily.
"Then what do you think we should do? Flog them or put them in jail? "The Devers smiled and comforted him." They are drunk, so they can be forgiven for saying drunken things. "
Crotocatax said worriedly, "But I can see that they are dissatisfied with you. I am worried that they will …"
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