"You look so lovely, sweetheart…" Mrs. Chan squealed as she looked lovingly at her daughter. They were sitting in the bridal room as they waited for the ceremony to begin.
"Yes, you are, sweetheart. No matter how old you are, no matter that you have become someone"s wife now and are about to be a mother, you"ll always be my little princess..." Field Marshal Chan said as he gave his daughter a warm smile.
"Aw… Look at her, dear... Isn"t our daughter so beautiful? Look at your waist, sweetheart... How can it still be so slim even though you"re almost in your second trimester now? You still look s.e.xy… My son-in-law is definitely lucky," Mrs. Chan couldn"t stop squealing at her daughter"s beauty. She was just so proud of her.
"Of course she is. Isn"t it obvious given we are her parents?" Field Marshal Chan jested and laughed, but his face was beaming with pride.
The daughter and parent"s dramatic moment was interrupted by the wedding planner who walked in the waiting room to tell them that the ceremony would now start. Keira stood up and was a.s.sisted by Lana and May, who proceeded to follow her from behind, to take care of the striking four-and-half-meter circular train on her wedding dress.
Keira was dressed in an elegant and ethereal off-white silk dress with a vintage lace high neckline and three-quarter-length sleeves. She also wore a wedding veil with a diamond tiara as a headpiece. She looked like a royal princess.
Then the ceremony began...
Keira made an absolutely stunning entrance, accompanied by her proud father, who walked her down the aisle.
"Wow," the guests marveled at her appeal. Her face glowed with bliss as she walked gracefully toward her waiting husband at the altar.
Zach looked very handsome in his full dress uniform of the General of the Army, and his gaze never left his wife, from the moment she entered the church hall.
Throughout the ceremony, the couple would steal romantic glances as the officiant was saying his opening remark, "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to join Zacharias Lim and Keira Lim-Chan in matrimony…"
After the officiant was done with his opening remark, he gave the bride and groom a counsel, to remind them of the meaningfulness of the vows they were about to exchange and the journey they were about to embark upon together.
Then came the exchanging of vows...
Keira smiled lovingly at her husband as she said her vows, "You are the love of my life, the guidance of my soul, and my true partner. I fell for you at first sight, but falling for you wasn"t like falling at all. It happened quickly, but it was like walking into a house, and suddenly, I just knew that you"re my home."
But then she paused a bit and gave Zach an apologetic smile, "I"m sorry, it"s quite long, and I actually memorized it but then…"
The crowd laughed, including Zach. Keira cleared her throat and smiled shyly as she continued, "Wherever our journey leads us, I promise that you will never walk alone. I promise I will love you, cherish you, respect you, cheer you on, dream with you, build your dreams with you. Every single day, for as long as I live."
Keira finished her vow and smiled at Zach sweetly, who was staring at her lovingly.
It was now Zach"s turn to say his vows. He stared directly into Keira"s eyes, his gaze never left her even for a second. He started his pledge, "It is clear to me now that everything in my life has led me to you - I think back on all my choices and consider even the bad ones blessed, because if I had done even one thing differently, I might never have met you and become your husband."
He paused to give Keira his most loving and tender smile as he continued, "I am a fulfilled person, and I would not ask for more because I have been granted my most precious wish... I"ve married the love of my life. My star, I promise you my everlasting devotion. I promise that I will always put you first above others. I promise I will always protect you. Forever. Until time ends. I love you so much."
Then he immediately planted a loving kiss on Keira"s lips without even waiting for the officiant"s signal, which made the crowd roar in laughter. The officiant quickly declared them as husband and wife, and the crowd clapped their hands, still laughing, cheering the groom on.
The maids of honor, Lana and May, carried Keira"s spectacular train as she moved for the wedding pictures. Smiles all around, Keira and Zach were joined by their family and guests for the photographs.
Walking down from the altar, the newlyweds were greeted with a military salute by the groom"s soldiers, as well as cheers from the guests.
"Mother, where are you?" Senior Liu talked into the phone, his heart racing. He was worried when he heard from his mother"s a.s.sistant that she had been staying at the office all night and refused to talk to anybody.
He also discovered that his mother had rushed out of the office this morning, as soon as she found out where General Zacharias Lim was.
"I want to see him! Why did you hide it from me?! I need to see him, Thom!" Old Madam Liu urged as she turned off her mobile phone. Last night, she did not sleep at all. She spent the whole night checking each and every detail of Zach. She verified everything and found out the truth.
How could something like this happen without her knowing? She clenched her fists as she instructed her driver to drive faster. All those years… Had she only known...