1.1 | The Yakuza Bride

Chapter 6

The time they spent in each other's company was few and far between, limited only to the chance encounters when they appeared at their apartment at the same time. He was too busy with his usual work – a portion of the Excelsior was to be renovated and he was required in their board meetings – and the added Federov-Yazumi negotiations meant more stress.

But while he worked, she busied herself with filling up their house with whatever necessities it required. He didn't know why she needed so many cushions and prints and whatnot though; the bill he received had caused him to laugh first, then curse later.

He was questioning his own decision to give her a card. She would only be there for a year. There was no need to beautify their house.

Everything else regarding the ceremony and the location had been taken care of by Val and the wedding planning team they hired. Val had found a chapel in the outskirts of New York, ordered high tea for refreshments, and requested for the simplest of decorations.

They debated if there was a need for sending out invitations. Those in attendance had already been informed. They wouldn't miss the event unless they intended to carry out a serious faux pas. But in the end, invitation cards were printed and delivered two weeks before the wedding for formalities sake. He noticed that the Yazumi's had invited the errant Uncle.

Now, it had come to the day itself.

Most of his family were in attendance. Most, because his paternal grandparents had decided not to take the flight out of Krasnodar for the sole reason that his grandfather was privately against the alliance. He didn't hold it against them. He didn't want to be here either.

His family and his men filled one side of the chapel, her family and her father's men filled the other. As he took his stand at the front, he spied his father, his pregnant sister and her husband together in one row. His younger brother was on the stage with violin in hand, in preparation to play the music. The rest of his family; his cousins, his Uncles and Aunts filled up the other rows.

He stood at attention at the front of the chapel, his back ramrod straight, his chin raised slightly, his eyes fixed on the stained glass motif of the cross in the alcove. A heavy weight of anticipation sank in his abdomen when his younger brother raised his bow, and the soft strains of Massenet's Méditation flowed over the congregation.

She had chosen the music. How his brother had gotten involved was still a mystery to him. His youngest cousin, Luka, was ring bearer, roped in at the last minute when they realised they had neglected to select one. Leon hadn't even seen the rings. How ridiculous.

In fact, they had nearly forgotten to order rings as well. How unprepared could they be? He was grateful that his cousin had thought of everything, and had hurriedly arranged a date for them to go to a ring shop one day to have their sizes measured.

He had turned slightly to see her slowly making her way down the carpeted aisle with a gloved hand clasped onto her father's arm. The procession was led by Luka who seemed a little unsure of the speed he was to travel at. For a moment, he thought she was too young to be in this position, to wed a vor for the sake of their families. But every generation has to make their sacrifices. And so the pity he felt was erased.

When they reached the alter, Luka stood off to the side as Yazumi Kojuro placed his daughter's hand in Leon's. With a nod at the both of them, he moved on to his seat on the Yazumi's side of the chapel.

At the guidance of the Priest, Leon and Hana turned to face each other, both much too aware of the hundreds of pairs of eyes on them.

~